Barbecued Beef Sandwiches

   Here is the next Crockpot / slow cooker recipe I have for you.  This would be great to make for this weekends 4th of July festivities.  Just put it on in the morning, and head out to enjoy the parades.  Come home lay out the rolls, and let everyone else bring the sides.  Or if your heading to the fireworks display in your area, you can take this along. This is the best type of party, one where you get to enjoy yourself too.  Good food.  Good friends.   Life doesn't get much better than that.

Barbecued Beef Sandwiches


Ingredients:
2 lbs boned chuck roast
2 cups onion, vertically sliced
1 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
6 (2 oz) kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:
   Trim fat from beef and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Place beef in slow cooker.  Stir in onion and barbecue sauce.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
   Remove beef and onion from cooker with slotted spoon.  Shred beef with 2 forks.  Combine cornstarch and water.  Add to barbecue sauce mixture in cooker, stirring well.  Cover and cook on high for 1 minute.  Return shredded beef to cooker.  Cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.
   Serve 1 cup of beef mixture on each roll.

 Yields 6 servings.

Note:  Barbecue beef mixture can be frozen up to 3 months in an air tight container.(Don't forget Labor day.  You can make this ahead and freeze it for a Labor Free Holiday...)

                                          Have a Happy Independence Day....

Chicken And Carrots with Wine Sauce

   I don't know about you, but with the heat index being in the low 100s the last thing I want to do is fire up the stove.  With that thought in mind, I pulled out some of my mother's Crockpot/slow cooker recipes to feature this week.  Not only are they an energy saver (less electricity to cook and less to cool the house), they also let you get out of the house.  Just fill the Crockpot/ slow cooker before you leave and come home to a nice meal ready to put on the table.  Next best thing to having your own, cook.  Now if they would make a slow-cooker that serve you, and do the dishes life would be really good.












Chicken And Carrots with Wine Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups carrots, diagonally sliced (about 8 oz)
8 Chicken thighs, skinned (about 2 lbs)
12 garlic cloves, peeled (long cook time mellows garlic)
½ cup dry white wine*
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions:
   Combine carrot, chicken and garlic in slow cooker.  Add wine.  Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
   Remove carrot, chicken and garlic with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid.  Place 1/3 cup carrots, 3 garlic cloves and 2 chicken thighs in each of 4 shallow bowls.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of reserved cooking liquid over each serving.
   Serve with French bread.

Yields 4 servings.

*Don't use a cooking wine, there is too much salt.  If you wouldn't drink it. Don't cook with it.

                                         Your Having What For Supper!!!!

 

Veggie on the grill...

Summertime and the living is easy....
Sorry could help myself.  Summer has arrived, in all it glory and heat.  The last thing you want to do is stand over a hot stove and heat up the house.  The electric company gets enough of our money as it is.  So heat up the grill, or better yet let some else do it.  Here are a couple of recipes from my mom's collection for those of you that are not total carnivores....

 Grilled Marinated Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients:


Marinade:
2 Tbsp   olive oil
2 Tbsp   Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp   Fresh Oregano, chopped
2 Tbsp   Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Tbsp   Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp      Kosher salt
1/2 tsp    Black pepper
6 cloves  Garlic, minced

Now the veggies:
1    Red onion
18  Asparagus spears (about ¾ lb)
12  Cremini mushroom caps
1    (1 lb) eggplant, cut crosswise into 16 (¼ inch thick) slices
1    Red Bell pepper, cut into 6 wedges
1    Yellow Bell pepper, cut into 6 wedges
Cooking Spray

 Directions:
    Combine marinade ingredients into extra large ziplock bag.  Cut red onion into 6 wedges leaving root end intact to hold onion together.  Add onion, asparagus and next 4 ingredients to marinade bag.  Seal and marinade in refrigerator 2 hours turning bag occasionally.
   Prepare grill for cooking.
   Remove vegetables from bag and place on grill rack sprayed with cooking spray.  Grill 6 minutes on each side or until tender.

Yields 6 servings.


Grilled Vegetables with Ranch Dressing

 Ingredients:
2        Red Bell Peppers, seeded
2        Yellow Bell Peppers, seeded
1        (1 lb) eggplant cut in half lengthwise
16      Asparagus spears (1 lb)
1        Med. Zucchini or Squash, halved
8        plum tomatoes
2 Tbsp   olive oil
1/2 tsp   Black Pepper
1/4 tsp   salt
Cooking spray
Ranch Dressing (recipe below)

Directions:
   Prepare Grill.  Coat grill rack with cooking spray.
   Brush vegetables with oil and sprinkle with pepper and salt.  Grill peppers for 5 minutes.  Turn peppers.  Add eggplant grill for 5 minutes.  Turn eggplant and peppers.  Add asparagus, grill for 5 minutes. Turn vegetables. Add zucchini or squash, grill for 5 minutes.  Turn vegetables. Add tomatoes, and grill for 5 minutes.  Keep an eye on the vegetables to keep from over cooking.  Remove them from heat when they are tender.
   Cut peppers into quarters.  Cut Eggplant, zucchini, and squash into 8 pieces.  Serve with ranch dressing.

Makes 8 servings.

Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

3/4  cup  Buttermilk
1/4 cup  Sour Cream
1/2 tsp  Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp  Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp  Dried Basil
1/4 tsp  Salt
1/4 tsp  Dried Dill
1/4 tsp  Black Pepper
1 clove  Garlic, minced

Directions:
   Place all ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk together throughly.  Cover and Chill.

Yields 1 cup of dressing.