Slow Cooker Shredded Korean Beef Tacos

I can tell you've been really good lately. And because of that you deserve a really, really good crockpot recipe. 

Not mediocre. 

Not eh, it's okay, I guess. 

Nope. 

A REALLY GOOD RECIPE THAT'S ALSO REALLY EASY AND ALSO PRETTY CHEAP.

here you go:

The Ingredients.

serves 6-8

 

 3-4 pounds beef roast (I used a trimmed chuck roast)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari Wheat-Free are gluten free)

1 head garlic (peeled, but leave cloves intact--approx 10 cloves)

 1/2 onion, diced

1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 whole jalapeno, diced (be careful! use gloves!)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Okay. This truly can't be any easier. I didn't brown my meat, but I did trim off the visible fat. I can make these directions complicated and tell you to add this or that first,

but it honestly doesn't matter. This is going to cook on low all day long, and the ingredients will distribute just fine all on their own. Throw everything in however you'd like.

Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat has fully shredded--- you can help it out by cutting the meat into pieces an hour or so before serving time. Serve in soft corn or flour tortillas (we are gluten free, and used tiny corn tortillas that are labeled gluten free) with shredded cabbage salad and white or brown rice.

this is how I made my shredded cabbage:

1 bag shredded coleslaw from the grocery store's produce section

1 tablespoon soy sauce (la choy or tamari wheat-free)

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

toss together and serve immediately (it gets too wilty if you make it early in the day)

The Verdict.

Oh gosh. I must admit I've never had an authentic Korean taco off of a food truck because I'm not sure of the ingredient list, but I can't imagine they'd be any better. I was so pleased with this ingredient combination I was eager to share with my brother and sister-in-law and the neighbors. Everyone gave high praise.

My own children ate everything off their plates--- the jalapeno leaves a slight tongue burn, but it sneaks up and really isn't anything major--- just mostly smokey.

yum.

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Asian Inspired Turkey Breast (in the Slow Cooker) Recipe

 

Hello! How has summer been treating you so far? We've been laying kind of low, with weekend trips scattered here and there, but mostly we're just enjoying being at home. 

While I type, the big kids are watching an "America's Got Talent" marathon from the DVR and the baby (now eighteen months! eeps!) is cooking Lincoln Log soup in the play kitchen.

and the heater is running. because it's 66 degrees in the house and drizzling outside and I AM A GREAT BIG HUGE HONKING WUSS.

I promise I'll turn it off by 10am.

I think.

maybe.

I get emails about slow cooking during the summer time, and my answer is that yes, I do use my slowcooker(s) year round. It helps that it is F R E E Z I N G today, but even on hot days I prefer to use the crockpot than heat up the kitchen by using the stove or oven. I like that fish steams so nicely in foil packets without a fishy smell, and I'm getting pretty good at making lettuce wraps. 

This is a great summer time recipe---- the turkey is seasoned with soy sauce, a bit of peanut butter, lime juice and some horseradish which creates a touch of surprise heat. The leftover turkey makes fantastic sandwich filling (I can't seem to get enough of that turkey-and-mayo combination). 

The Ingredients.

serves 6

1 turkey breast (5-7 pounds)

1/3 cup soy sauce (I use La Choy or Tamari wheat free so it's gluten free)

1/3 cup sesame oil 

1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish cream (or 1 teaspoon freshly grated)

3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

2 limes, juiced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions.

Use the largest slow cooker you've got. I skinned my breast (because I have weird skin issues) and then placed it meat-side down into a 6.5-quart slow cooker. It was not quite big enough, but I made it work (more on that in a sec.).

In a small mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, peanut butter, horseradish, chopped garlic, lime juice, and salt. Whisk together until everything is incorporated. Pour the sauce all over the turkey breast, allowing the sauce to pool up in the ribcage cavity.

Cover. If your lid doesn't fit on your pot completely (mine didn't), cover the top of your stoneware with layers of foil. Crimp the edges as tightly as you can and then place your lid on top. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or until meat is no longer pink when you cut into it and registers 170 degrees. If your turkey has a built-in thermometer it should pop up.

Carefully remove the turkey from the pot and let sit for 10 minutes or so before slicing.

If desired (highly recommended!), pour the crock drippings into a small sauce pan and boil on the stove until the sauce has thickened and reduced (about 8 min or so? I didn't really time this part ---  don't wander off --- stirring every so often). Serve with your favorite sides with the gravy drizzled over the top.

We had our meat with salad and roasted vegetables.

The Verdict.

I forget about turkey in the non-Winter Holiday months. It's low in fat, low in cholesterol, and tastes great. I need to make it more often--- especially since the leftovers are so awesome in sandwiches. My kids are growing up, and ate everything on their plates without complaint.

The baby (so far) eats anything and everything. 

Including the hairy raisins she finds under the couch.

more turkey? no problem.

whole turkey in the crock

turkey breast with white wine (and butter!)

cajun turkey breast

turkey and wild rice soup
apple, cheddar, and turkey meatballs

absolutely crazy turkey (you probably shouldn't actually make this)

also? I've been adopted! Wendy, from Celiacs in the House hosts an Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger roundup and Sunny from And Love it Too and Shea from Dixie Chick Cooks chose me! Both of these ladies are wonderful, and I urge you to take time perusing their sites.

Shea also writes Ingredient Challenge Monday and is hosting a giveaway for two of my books: More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow, and the new Totally Together Journal: Shortcuts to an Organized Life (out this August).

Thank you ladies for having me and for hosting the contest!

have a wonderful day. stay warm.

:-)

HA!

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Slow Cooker General Tso's Chicken Recipe

 

When I began my everyday slow cooking challenge in 2008, I really didn't think I'd come up with recipes or new uses for the slow cooker. 

I just figured I'd post what I made in the pot and people would click over to see if I really did it or not. Once readers started commenting and emailing me ideas, I got really into the whole challenge and decided that I should not only use the crockpot everyday, the stuff I posted should be brand-new every day.

and that's when I had a mini panic attack.

you see, I like take-out. A lot.

Those late-night Jack in the Box commercials? They were pretty much written for me in mind.

I get sucked in, and I want what's being marketed RIGHTTHISVERYMINUTE, even if I'm full and have already flossed.

and don't get me started on infomercials...

I really shouldn't watch TV.

anyway. 

the good news is that I now have an arsenal of Take Out Fake Out recipes and when I'm hunkering (hankering?) for fast food or takeout, I can whip something up myself and cook it all by myself in my very own slow cooker.

and so can you!

The Ingredients.

serves 4

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut in 1-inch chunks

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use La Choy because it's gluten free)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more to taste at the table if you'd prefer more heat)

1 (16-ounce) package stir-fry vegetables (to add later)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and then add the garlic, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Toss the chicken to fully coat with the sauce ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, then add the frozen vegetables. Re cover and cook on high for an hour, or until the veggies are fully hot and the chicken has reached desired tenderness.

Serve with white or brown rice.

The Verdict.

The kids and Adam love this sauce, which makes me love it even more than they do. This isn't the traditional General Tso's chicken you order from a local takeout joint, because the chicken hasn't been breaded and deep fried. This is a good thing! Not only is this not laden with gluten, it's better for your wallet, your waistline, and your heart.

a few of our other favorite takeout fakeouts:

falafel (yes! really! falafel!)

Indian Curry

Chow Mein

chimichangas

lemon/orange chicken

Korean Ribs

gyro

tamales (traditional, steamed in corn husks)

hot and sour soup

Thai coconut curry soup

I hope you're enjoying your day---today I took the time to watch grass grow. :-)

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(Easy) Peanut Butter Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

The kids and I have been on a peanut butter kick lately. We seem to go through a jar a week---I smear it on rice cakes (we like the apple ones) and sprinkle on dried cranberries for breakfast, and mix it with honey and dip in green apples for an after-school snack. I'll even sneak a spoonful right out of the jar when no one's looking.

The baby still can't have peanut butter, so she stuck to quinoa  while the rest of us scarfed down this chicken (p.s. QUINOA MAKES A BIG MESS under the high chair).

a big one.

I used chicken quarters for this recipe because I bought a bunch on sale, but if I was to purchase chicken specifically for this dish, I'd opt for boneless, skinless thighs.

The Ingredients.

serves 4

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut in chunks *

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky, your choice)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten free--La Choy or Tamari wheat-free)

1/2 cup chicken broth

* If you are going to use quarters, or meat with bones, be aware that the meat will probably fall off the bone, and you'll need to fish out the bone pieces before serving. I've used this sauce with a whole chicken (I doubled the sauce ingredients for a 4.5-pound bird) and it was fantastic, but the bones were a bit of an issue.

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your pot and add the peanut butter. Toss in the vegetables and cumin. Squeeze in lime, and add soy sauce and chicken broth. Stir as well as you can to combine (the peanut butter will be clumpy, and that's just fine). Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Serve over rice or quinoa.

The Verdict.

Adam and I both think this sauce tastes like the Thai Peanut Butter chicken we order from our local Thai restaurant. It's delicious---and the whole pot costs less than 1 serving does at the restaurant! If you're not serving children and would like a bit of a kick, you can add red pepper flakes either while cooking (start with 1/2 tsp) or at the table to taste. If you'd like, you can squeeze on some extra lime juice at the table.

 My kids love this meal, and eat much more than they usually do for dinner when I serve it.

2008 flashback:

January 23: Clean-Out-the-Pantry Minestrone Soup

January 24: Corn Bread

January 25: Chinese Lemon Chicken

January 26: Rice Krispies Treats

January 27: Super Simple Lasagna (we make this every 2 weeks. it's fantastic.)

January 28: Baked Potatoes

January 29: Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings

January 30: Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry BBQ Sauce

January 31: Chicken Nachos

The Very First episode of Gluten FreeTV is up, and I'm thrilled to share my friend, Shirley Braden, of Gluten Free Easily as the first guest!

Happy February!!

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The Most Simple Thai Beef CrockPot Recipe in the entire world

 

I've made some fantastic Thai recipes for the slow cooker, but  got an email last week asking for a recipe for "stupid people" who don't want to chop or be in the kitchen for longer than about 12 1/2 minutes.

Dana is having her in-laws over this weekend and wanted to surprise her father-in-law with his favorite food: Thai Beef. She and her son are both gluten free, and they keep a gluten free household, but so far her in-laws don't really "get" the gluten free thing.

I feel your frustration Dana. I really do.

Here you go: 

Totally Simple Thai Beef for stupid Everyday Regular People.

The Ingredients.

serves 4 to 6

2 pounds beef chuck roast

1 (8-ounce) bottle peanut satay sauce (Thai Kitchen is gluten free, or you can make your own with this recipe ---and if you're gluten free, you will of course use a GF soy sauce...)

1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (full fat is best)

1 (16-ounce) package baby carrots (no chopping, Dana!)

cooked basmati rice for serving

1/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the beef into the bottom of your cooker, and add the peanut sauce and the whole can of coconut milk.

Flip the meat over a few times to get it good and saucy. Add baby carrots (my dad says you have to rinse them off first). Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and pretty much falls apart. Stir well to distribute sauce, and serve over hot rice.

Garnish with a sprinkle of peanuts, if you'd like.

The Verdict.

Super tasty. The kids LOVED the meat, and ate quite a few of the carrots. The carrots cooked, but didn't get super soggy since they were on top of the meat. The baby is 9-months now, and I needed to use a bit of force to cut the carrots into finger food chunks with the edge of a fork for her.

Dana, I think your father-in-law will be happy!

more takeout-fakeout yummies:

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

Thai Curry

Tofu in Peanut Sauce

Peanutbutter Pork

Mongolian beef

Vietnamese Pho

Vietnamese Roasted Chicken

Orange Chicken

Fried Rice

Chow Mein

Korean Ribs

Hot and Sour Soup

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Slow Cooker Roasted Wasabi Almonds Recipe

 

Sometimes you feel like a nut...

sometimes you don't want an ordinary one...

Hmm. It doesn't really have the same ring now, does it?

oh well. I was at a farmer's market over the summer and got handed a cellophane bag full of roasted almonds sprinkled with wasabi powder.

It I was a normal person, I would have eaten the nuts, enjoyed them, and moved on. Instead, I immediately thought:  oooh. I need to make these in the crockpot.

so I did!

The Ingredients.

serves 10

  

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are gluten free)

1 pound raw almonds

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons wasabi powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker (you can use a big one, but stay close by and stir often to ward off possible burning). In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, water, and soy sauce until it's foamy. Toss the almonds in this mixture until they are wet. Set aside.

In a zippered plastic bag, combine the wasabi powder, kosher salt, and cornstarch. Drain any additional liquid from the almonds, and then dump the wet almonds into your zippered bag. Close well and shake until the almonds are nicely coated.

Pour these coated almonds into your slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 2 to 4 hours, or until toasty (the almonds will brown a  bit and you'll definitely smell them. They will NOT be crunchy, but don't worry, they will be later!)

Spread out a layer of foil or parchment paper onto the countertop and dump out the nuts. Let the almonds dry completely before munching. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

The Verdict.

I love how nuts roast so beautifully in the cooker---don't worry if some are more brown than others---that's what makes them homemade! The flavor of the wasabi is subtle, and not spicy at all. The kids gobbled up their portions and I needed to take them away before they ate the ones I wanted to give away. If you'd prefer a stronger (spicier) flavor, you can sprinkle additional wasabi on top of your roasted nuts.

I was certain wasabi powder was going to cost a million dollars (or something close to it) but I was happily surprised to find it for $3.99 in the Asian cooking aisle of our normal grocery store. If you have trouble finding it, try a specialty market or order it off the internet (I love shopping in my jammies!).

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Slow Cooker Orange Beef Recipe

I think that's one of my better photos! During my year-long challenge, we didn't eat much take-out. There were a few nights where we succumbed because I made a dessert or a drink in the crockpot instead of a main dish and we were tired of leftovers. Really tired. But for the most part, we just didn't eat out.

To get our fix, I tried my hardest to recreate "take out fake out" dinners. The results were pretty darn good, and I've continued my quest keep our menu drawer (I know, it's weird. A whole drawer full of takeout menus--it's like we collect them or something) closed.

Here's the new favorite:

The Ingredients.

serves 4

1 1/2 pounds beef round steak, sliced or beef stir fry strips

1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce (LaChoy or Tamari wheat-free)

2 teaspoons ground ginger

3 tablespoons honey (not pictured, the kids stole it to use on their pancakes.)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

6 green onions, sliced

1 small head bok choy, cut in 1-inch chunks

cooked white or brown basmati rice for serving

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. What? You don't have one? Why then you should enter yourself in this conveniently timed contest...

For absolute best results, marinate the meat the night before in a plastic bag with the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, honey, ginger, and orange juice. In the morning, dump the contents into an empty cooker and add the vegetables on top.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, high for 3-4, or until meat is fully cooked and super tender. Stir fry meat cane sometimes be tough---cook until it's really soft and pliable. Serve over rice with the crock juice.

The Verdict.

The orangey-sweet flavor is fantastic, and fully satisfied my takeout craving. I liked that the vegetables steamed nicely in the same pot, creating a much lighter meal than we'd get if ordering in. I still can't convince my girls to eat bok choy, but they are now old enough to not get upset when the veggies and meat are touching.

this is awesome.

day 2 of Crocktober!

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Slow Cooker Meatballs in Peanut Chile Sauce Recipe

Happy Oscar Night!

I made these fantastic meatballs last night for some friends, and they were so well-received I figured I better hurry up and share them with the Internet. I cheated and used store-bought already cooked meatballs, but you certainly could make your own to use.

I'm pleased to see that our friendly neighborhood Trader Joe's is selling chicken meatballs that don't have any added bread crumbs or other gluteny filler in the deli meat section. If you don't live close to a Trader Joe's, Aidells makes a gluten free meatball (read the label carefully--the Teriyaki flavor is NOT SAFE!).

Anyhow, the 7 of us (4 adults, three kids, aged 3 to 8.5) all really liked the flavor: creamy and slightly coconuty with a bit of spice.

The Ingredients.
serves 10

40 already cooked meatballs (frozen or fresh)
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 cup canned coconunt milk (I used light, it was fine. If using regular, shake well and include the cream on top)
1 tablespoon red chile paste (jarred, in the Asian cooking aisle)
2 teaspoons fish sauce (in Asian cooking aisle, surprisingly inexpensive, although I bet you could substitute a gluten free soy sauce and not notice much of a taste difference)
1 1/2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart slow cooker. It's okay to use a 6 quart, but decrease cooking time by about an hour.

Put meatballs into slow cooker (frozen is fine). Add peanut butter and coconut milk. Drop in a gollop of red chile paste, then add fish sauce and sugar. Stir as well as you can to combine---it won't be perfect because the peanut butter will still be clumpy. No worries.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours, high for 2-4, or until peanut butter mixture is fully melted and the meatballs are heated throughout.

Serve as a hot appetizer, or over long grained basmati rice as a meal.

The Verdict.

These are delicious!! I ate 3 cold for breakfast, and they still were quite tasty. The spice of the sauce is noticeable, but kind of mellows when eaten with the meatball. If your meatballs have a kick to them on their own, cut back on the chili paste. We all really liked the bit of crunch from the chunky peanut butter, but if you aren't a crunchy person, by all means use creamy.

Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe

I was talking to my grandma the other day, and she mentioned that my brother had brought her and grandpa orange chicken from Panda Express.

and that was it. I needed some.

I've made lemon chicken a few times in the slow cooker, and was impressed with the results. I tested out the same recipe with orange juice instead of lemonade, and guess what? Instant orange sauce, without ingesting tons of deep-fried grease or a drop of gluten. Yay!

The Ingredients.

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup flour (I used Pamela's Baking Mix)
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (I'd opt for little-to-no pulp. The pulp can taste a bit bitter when cooked)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup

updated 9/20/09: I've heard from a few readers that 1 tablespoon of salt is too much. If you are using iodized or table salt, this will be the case. Kosher salt doesn't taste as "salty" as regular salt, and since the granules are larger, you don't get as much in the tablespoon as you would with regular salt. Adjust accordingly. xoxo steph

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart slow cooker for best results. Dredge the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off the excess. Go ahead and throw away any remaining flour, we won't need it. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove and brown the chicken on all sides. There is no need to fully cook it, just sear it enough for the flour to stick and get a nice coating.

Plop the chicken pieces into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Taste. If you'd like the chicken to be a bit sweeter, add a touch more sugar. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice.

The Verdict.

Delicious. All four of us had seconds. Like I did with the lemon chicken, I sprinkled some red pepper flakes onto my portion, because I like a bit of heat. Everyone else at the table ate it as-is, and was quite happy.

other great take out fake out dishes:
Mongolian Beef
Broccoli Beef
Chow Mein
Fried Rice
and for dessert: super soft gluten free sugar cookies

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Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef Recipe

Thank you so much for responding to my Call for Recipes with so many wonderful choices! I've spent the last week reading them all and finding ways to incorporate many into our upcoming meal plans. This meal comes from Christin who got it from Cooking Light's 2007 list of annual recipes. It originally was made with pork, and called for sesame oil, minced garlic, and minced ginger. I thought we had sesame oil in the house, but I must have tossed it during the last refrigerator-clean-out and didn't feel like spending the time mincing garlic or ginger, and opted to use powdered garlic and upped the Chinese 5 spice powder to make up for the ginger. I also added a bit more honey (because we like it!)

I also used a 4 pound roast, and Cooking Light used a 2-3 pound roast. We really liked the results. Thank you, Christin!

The Ingredients.

4 pounds boneless beef or pork roast
1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce
1/2 cup gluten free hoisin sauce
6 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder (or 6 cloves, minced)

The Directions.

Use a 5 quart slow cooker. Trim any visible fat from the meat, and plop it into your stoneware. My meat was fresh, but it's okay if your meat is still frozen. Sprinkle the dried spices directly onto the meat, and top with the ketchup and honey. Pour in the soy and hoisin sauces. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. You may need to take the meat out and cut in chunks after 8 hours, then turn to high for an hour or so to get it to shred nicely (I did this).

Serve over white or brown basmati rice, or over shredded cabbage. I used the cabbage, and we all liked it. The cabbage provided a bit of a crunch at first, but then got warm and soggy with the sauce. I liked it better when it was soggy---if I was making this just for myself, I'd pour the bag of cabbage into the pot to get it wilty, but the rest of the family prefers the crunch.

The Verdict.

We all really liked this meal. The kids ate a ton of the beef, and continued to eat cold pieces later in the night after dinner. This makes a lot of food--we've got about half leftover that I'm looking forward to eating for lunch during the holiday weekend. The meat reminded me A LOT of mu-shu beef---I'd imagine it would be delicious wrapped in the little pancakes with some plum sauce (although Adam quickly pointed out that I haven't had Mu-Shu anything for about 6 years, so I could be way off base. I still think it'd be good wrapped in those pancakes...).

The original name that Cooking Light gave the meat was Char Siu, which means barbecued meat (usually pork). The meat didn't taste like it had a barbecued flavor to me, but instead was slightly sweet and tangy. I'd love to throw in some hot peppers next time to give a bit of heat.

Thank you again, Christin, and to all who submitted recipes. I'm excited!

other great Asian-inspired meat dishes:

Korean Ribs
Mongolian Beef
Thai Curry
Lamb Vindaloo
Broccoli Beef
Peking Duck

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Asian Peanut Butter Pork CrockPot Recipe

Happy February! I am slowly emerging from my piles of paper, and I can see the light at the end of the recipe-editing tunnel. Thank you for hanging in there. Something weird happens when you are only reading your own writing for weeks on end---your self-esteem goes on a crazy roller coaster ride. One minute you're high-fiving yourself, and in the next you think you completely suck. Over and over and over again. It's rather exhausting.

But! This peanut butter pork tenderloin doesn't suck. So I've been told. It came from an anonymous commenter back in the original pork post. Anon shares that she makes it every month for an ongoing potluck dinner and if she doesn't make it her friends get mad---it's that good.

The Ingredients
serves 4

1.5-2lbs pork tenderloin
1 onion, sliced in rings
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used La Choy; it's gluten free)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts (garnish; optional)
1 lime, cut in wedges (garnish; optional)


The Directions.

Use a 4-6 quart crockpot. Put onion slices into the bottom of your crockpot. Put the pork on top. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, and peanut butter. No need to stir--the peanut butter needs to melt before you can do so. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The pork will be more tender the longer you cook it. 1 hour before serving, flip the meat over in the crockpot to allow the other side to soak up the peanutbuttery goodness. Garnish with chopped peanuts, and serve with lime wedges. The lime juice mixed with the peanut butter is delicious.

The Verdict.

I snuck a taste. sshhh. Don't tell my mom. It was good; quite tender. I made some more of the sauce to spoon over some already-cooked chicken I had in the fridge---it was fantastic. I packed the meat up for my friend Stephanie and family. When I asked what she thought, she told me that she had a problem. Her husband, Bill, was home from work and ate it all. She and the kids didn't get to try any of it. I'm thinking that means he liked it.
Thank you anon, for sharing your dish with us!

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CrockPot "Peking Duck" Recipe

Day 351.

I have cracked the duck-in-the-crockpot code. You need to use a rack. Too much liquid forms in the pot, and the meat needs to be up above it. I used a little round rack that came with my rice cooker, but you could use anything---an inverted ramekin to lift the bird up out of the collected juice, a collapsible steamer basket (great idea, KW!), foil balls, etc.

This duck tastes great, is seasoned nicely, and held up in the crockpot. Here's how to make traditional Peking Duck, and here's how I made it crockpot-friendly:

The Ingredients.

--4 to 5 pound duck
--5 whole green onions
--4 star anise
--1 inch ginger, peeled
--2 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice (or you can make your own.)
--1 tsp cinnamon
--1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
--1 tablespoon honey
--2 tablespoons soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart crockpot, and insert a cooking rack of somesort in the bottom of your pot. Wash the green onions and lay on top of the rack.

Skin the duck the best you can. Peel ginger and stuff inside cavity, with the star anise. In a small bowl, combine dry spices. Rub all over the bird, inside and out. Place the duck inside your crockpot, breast up. (I did breast down yesterday, and that was a mistake. It got too soggy.) Drizzle on soy sauce and honey.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Serve with plum sauce.

I made a down-and-dirty plum sauce:
--1/3 cup plum jam
--1 tablespoon soy sauce (La Choy is GF)
--1 tablespoon white sugar
--1 teaspoon garlic powder

The Verdict.

I was much happier at how this duck held up in the crockpot, and how most of the grease dripped away. The meat was nicely seasoned, and tasted great. We really liked the plum sauce. The kids ended up eating little smokies in bbq sauce because it was the Girl Scouts Holiday Party and that was our offering (done in a crockpot, of course).

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