Fejoada

My friend, Darci Clark, lived in Brazil for many years as a child, and she has worked for a bit to get these recipes the way she remembers them.  Fejoada is a fabulous bean and meat dish from Brazil, and it's sure to fill you up.  Thanks for the recipe Darci!

Ingredients:

2 c. black beans

1 lime

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 green pepper

1 ring of kilbasa

1 ham hock (or a couple chunks of ham)

Olive Oil

Water

Directions:

1. In your crockpot - soak 2 cups of black beans overnight. Rinse beans in the morning and add enough water to cover beans maybe a few inches more. 

2. In blender blend juice of one lime, handful of cilantro and half a green pepper and a couple Tbs of olive oil. Pour on top of beans.

3. Add 1 ring of kilbasa (cut into portion pieces). Add a ham hock or a couple chunks of ham.

4. Let it simmer for the day. (In Darci's words, "Usually I open it 5 hours in and take the bone out from ham and add a bit of corn starch/water mixture.")

Slow Cooker Carnitas

We made this recipe for our dinner group awhile back, and it was a huge hit.  So yummy, and so easy.  I found this recipe at allrecipes.com, submitted by Erin Parker.  Using some of the suggestions, I doubled the seasonings that were originally listed and made a few other adjustments.  Below is the way I did it.  Or you can click on the link I included above and find the original recipe.  You won't be sorry - this is a fabulous recipe.  Serve it in tortillas and with all your favorite toppings (we had lettuce, tomato, cheese, limes, cilantro, and rice and beans).

What You'll Need:

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 (4 lb.) boneless pork shoulder roast

4 bay leaves

3 c. chicken broth 

What to Do:

1.  Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Coat pork with the spice mixture.  Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the port on the top.  Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

2.  Cover and cook on low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 8 hours.  Turn the meat after is has cooked for 4 hours.  When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Place on baking sheet and put into a preheated 400* oven for 5-10 minutes.  (This give it a crisp "fried" feel without frying it!).  Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat when serving.

Nacho Cheese Chicken Chowder

Found this yummy soup recipe in the 2011 Diabetic Living Magazine.  We all enjoyed it!  

What You'll Need:

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 (14.5 oz) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed nacho cheese soup

1 (10 oz) package frozen whole kernel corn (2 cups) 

Shredded cheese (optional)

Crushed chips (optional)

What to Do:

1.  In a 3 1/2 - or 4- quart slow cooker, stir together chicken, undrained tomatoes, soup, and corn.

2.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting 4-5 hours or on high-heat setting 2-2 1/2 hours.  If desired, sprinkle each serving with cheese.

3.  Top with cheese and chips, if desired.

Nutritional Info (for just the soup) per serving (1 1/3 c.):  213 cal, 5 g. fat (2 g. sat. fat), 630 mg. sodium, 23 g. carbs, and 21 g protein

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Did you know that processed spaghetti sauce is a no-no when you have gestational diabetes?!!!?  Yeah, neither did I, and I love spaghetti sauce!  So, I went back to the good old homemade version that I got from my college roommate, Julianne.  When you make your own, you can control the sugars, and it's very yummy!  Thanks for the great recipe Jules!

What You Need:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. Hamburger - cooked and drained

1 med. onion - chopped

2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 Tb. Italian seasoning

2 (16 oz) cans diced tomatoes

Here's what you do:

Add together and simmer for at least 1 hour.  Serve!  Yummy and easy!
(You can heat this in your crock pot as well - just a few hours on low!)

Taco Soup

This is a slightly altered recipe I got from my Young Women's President, Connie Berner, back in the day.

What You'll Need:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

1 small onion, diced

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 medium or 1 large can kidney beans

1 can corn, undrained

1 envelope taco seasoning

Your Favorite Garnishes (i.e. cheese, tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, olives, etc....)

What To Do:

1.  Brown beef and onion together in pan.  Drain.

2.  Combine remaining ingredients in saucepan over medium heat.  Add meat/onion mixture.  Heath thoroughly.

3.  Serve warm.  Top with your favorite garnishes.

Lion House Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This recipe (and the picture) are from my friend Shelly Sutton. She made this yummy soup for a lunch we had together once, and it was scrumptious! With fall and winter coming up, I know I'll be using this recipe often. Thanks Shelly!

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons (or cubes) chicken bouillon

4 cups canned chicken stock/broth
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups cooked diced chicken
4 cups cooked egg noodles

What to Do:
Heat chicken stock/broth and bouillon together. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add cream of chicken soup and milk, then add cooked chicken and noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts or 10 one cup servings.

Chicken Slop

A Dorff Family Favorite!!!

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts (frozen or fresh)
2 Tb. melted butter
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
3 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

Directions:

Put chicken in crock pot (if frozen, more water will result). Melt butter and mix with salad dressing mix. Pour mixture over chicken. Turn crock pot to high and let sit for at least 3 hours (or low for 6 hours).

Mix cream cheese and soup. At the end of cook time, mix in crock pot; can shred chicken or leave whole.

Serve over rice.

Yummy Potato Soup

I created this recipe mixing a few other recipes together.

Ingredients:

5 cups Chopped Potatoes (about 7 medium potatoes)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups Milk
1 cup Buttermilk
2 cups Water
4 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese (shredded or cubed)
8 oz. Sour Cream
3 thick Slices of Ham, chopped
2 Tb. Dehydrated Onions

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours (or High for 3).