The Recipe: Brown Sugar and Garlic Chicken

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: Low 4-5 hours; High 3 hours

Serving Size: 5

Category: Poultry

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds chicken breast, frozen
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup roasted garlic infused red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon lime soft drink
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

Place frozen chicken in the crock and top with chopped onions. Whisk all other ingredients together in a bowl until all lumps are gone. Pour mixture over chicken, cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Use a fork to shred chicken in the crock and let stand for 10 mins.

Serve over brown rice.   

The Ingredient: Brown Sugar

I don't normally use brown sugar.  I have only used it for dessert recipes, but have used it so rarely I can not even remember one.  I thought it would be really interesting to see what type of  crock recipe would use this sweetener.

Research shows that brown sugar gets its color because it contains more molasses than white sugar.  I noticed there are several articles about which sugar is better for you, but after reading a few, looks like there is no major health benefit to either one.

Tips & Tricks:

• The Claim: Brown Sugar is Healthier than White Sugar
• Brown Sugar: Kitchen Q & A

- Chef Mimi

The Consumption: Fresh Rosemary Chix

This recipe was even easier than the last meal!  I placed all the ingredients in the crock and turned on HIGH for 2 hours, giving me enough time to get ready to go out with my girlfriends.  (My man hates onions so I left them out.)

This meal was incredible with the fresh rosemary being the most prominent flavor.  Matt and I loved using the fire roasted tomatoes versus using regular tomatoes because they added a sweet and smoky flavor to the meal.

We ate this dinner with yellow rice (again) and garlic bread.  I could see this dinner going really well with pasta too.

Another success from the crock!!

- Chef Mimi

Challenges: Where to find fresh Rosemary?

Goodbye Pickin' Kind! Hello Pickin' Rosemary!

With all the recent news and documentaries about eating locally grown and organic food, I prefer to use the freshest ingredients possible.  My boyfriend is always researching ways he and I can become more self sustained; for example we have our own garden and experiment with different growing methods like Aquaponics.  Unfortunately, we are not growing rosemary. I know the local grocery store sells packaged herbs, but I wanted fresh!  So, you can imagine my surprise when I happened to stumble upon a bushel of fresh rosemary right in my neighborhood.    

Almost every Tuesday night we head to Malony's Oyster Bar on Canal Street for Irish Night with Pickin' Kind.   This past Tuesday was the last time Pickin' Kind would be playing as one of the members is starting fresh in Colorado with his lady.  As I was leaving, I discovered a huge rosemary bush, growing right out front of Malony's Oyster Bar.  I asked the owner, Jim, if I could take some for the upcoming crock recipe.  He begged me to take as much as I could, and said I could come back anytime for a beer & a  branch!

Click here for a video featuring Pickin' Kind

Good luck Matt & Janessa!

- Chef Mimi

The Recipe: Rosemary Chicken and Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Prep:  10 mins

Cook:  Low 5-6 hours; High 3 hours 

Serving Size:  6

Category:  Poultry

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of chicken breast, frozen
• 1- 6 inch stalk fresh rosemary, chopped 
• 2 cans Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes; undrained 
• 1 large onion; chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic; minced  

Preparation:

Place frozen chicken in the crock and top with chopped onions.  Add 1 and 1/2 cans of the Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes, undrained.  Combine chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic to the reserved tomatoes and mix; pour mixture in crock.

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Serve over yellow saffron rice. 

Tips and Tricks:

• How to Prepare Fresh Rosemary
• Rosemary Questions and Answers

- Chef Tiffany

The Ingredient: Rosemary

We decided to ask our readers:  Which HERB would you like to see thrown in the crock?  Below are the results.

ROSEMARY: 2
CILANTRO: 2
OREGANO: 1
MINT: 1

Since there was a tie, I chose ROSEMARY.

Rosemary is one of my favorite scents and flavors!  I normally use rosemary when cooking poultry, however, many people use this herb with fish, beef and lamb dishes as well.  The pungent flavor will enhance any recipe.  According to my research, rosemary is good for boosting the immune system, increasing memory and improving circulation and digestion.

Looks like we can congratulate ourselves for picking this herb!

Tips & Tricks:

• Growing & Using Rosemary
• Rosemary for your hair

- Chef Mimi

The Consumption: Pork n Peaches!

This crock recipe was the easiest to make! I came home for my lunch break and prepared this meal in less than 10 minutes.  I added all of the ingredients, including 1 whole peach, turned the crock on LOW and headed back to work.

I was so pleased to arrive home to a sweet and tangy aroma in my kitchen.  I feel so spoiled when I come home from work and a home-cooked meal has already been prepared.  There was nothing left to do but unwind and eat!

The peaches added a sweet and savory flavor to the pork.  Since we used green chiles, crushed red pepp and Newman's Own Peach Salsa this dish was sweet, tangy and spicy.  I served with low sodium seasoned yellow rice because it's my fav.  No need for a knife with this recipe, the pork just fell apart.  I expected the pieces of peaches to turn to mush, however, they remained solid and soaked in the juices from all the ingredients.  I thought the fruit pieces were the best!  ENJOY!

 - Chef Mimi

The recipe: Spare Ribs in Fiery Peach Salsa

Prep:  15 mins

Cook:  Low 6 hours, High 4 hours

Serving Size:  4

Category:  Beef, Pork & Lamb

Ingredients:

• 2  pounds boneless spare ribs
• 1 fresh peach, sliced 
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 2 jars Newman's Own Chunky Peach Salsa 
• 1/2 can chopped green chilies
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Chop onions and throw in the crock. Place ribs (mine were frozen) on top of the chopped onion. In a large bowl mix salsa, sliced peaches, green chilies, garlic, pepper, garlic salt and crushed red pepper.

Pour mixture over the ribs; cover and cook low 4 to 6 hours, or until ribs are cooked through and tender.

Serve over a bed of white rice or with a side of mashed pots. 

Tips & Tricks:

- Peach Cooking Tips and Hints 

- How to Chop Onions Without Tears
- The Different Cuts of Ribs

- Chef Tiffany

The Ingredient: Peaches

Welcome Back!!

Crock-N-Roll is kicking off its resurrection with delicious peaches! July and August are in the peak season for this sweet and juicy ingredient; which is more than appropriate for the Welcome Back recipe, since both chefs are from the Peach state.

A few changes have taken place during the chefs intermission, including the relocation of Chef Tiffany back to New Smyrna Beach, FL (she could no longer spend time away from her bestie...).  The challenge will stay the same and the chefs will still be cooking separately, each of them creating a masterpiece in their Kitchens by the Beach.

Peaches are normally thought of as a snack or a dessert, but research shows a creative chef will use peaches in poultry, pork and seafood recipes as well.

Peaches may not look delicious (since they oddly resemble someone's butt cheeks), but I have learned a well-defined cleft is a sign of maturity.  Choosing peaches with firm skin and a good crack will deliver sweet savory flavor to any meal!

- Chef Mimi

The Consumption: Jammin' Jumbalaya

This crock recipe was a complete success!  I absolutely loved all of the flavors that melted together in this one.

As I previously posted, shrimp is my favorite type of seafood.  I only used shrimp for this recipe because I wanted that flavor to stand out the most.  I chopped all the veggies so I could simply dump everything in the crock during my lunch break from work. I got home, poured everything in and flipped the switch to LOW for the next 5 hours.

When I came home from work, I peeled and deveined the shrimp myself (something I will never do again)! I added the shrimp to a skillet, with a couple cloves of garlic, and organic peppers from my boyfriend's Grandmother's garden.  I added the rest of the ingredients to my slow cooker and waited as my kitchen filled with spicy, cheesy aromas.

EVERYTHING was covered in cheesy hot sauce!  Words can not express how much I love that combination.  Every bite had a little piece of shrimp in it! I served with "butter-me-not" biscuits.

I would recommend cooking this on a cool Autumn night for friends.  The recipe made plenty of food as I still have a dish or two in my freezer.

Tips & Tricks:

• How to easily peel and devein shrimp

- Chef Mimi

The Recipe: Cheesy Shrimp & Chicken Jambalaya

Prep:  20 mins
Cook:  Low 5 hours, High 3.0 hours
Serving Size:  6
Category:  Seafood/Poultry

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes, cut up
• 1 14-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/2 of a 6-ounce can (1/3 cup) tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or 1 recipe *Homemade Cajun Seasoning (ingredients listed; recipe below)
• white pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• ground red pepper
• paprika
• black pepper
• 1.5 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
• 1 cup instant rice
• 1 box Rice-a-Roni Creamy Four Cheese Rice
• 8 ounces cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp 
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons Texas Pete Hot Sauce
• 3 teaspoons Chef Paul Prudhomme's Salt Free Magic Seasoning Blend

Preparation:

*Homemade Cajun Seasoning:  In a small bowl combine 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/8 ground red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  

Combine celery, onion, undrained tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and Cajun seasoning in the crock. 

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2.5 to 3 hours. 

Stir in instant rice, the entire rice-a-roni box, shrimp and peppers. Cover and cook 10-15 mins or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

- Chef Tiffany

The Ingredient: Shrimp

Shrimp is one of my favorite crustaceans of the sea!

I chose this ingredient because over and over again the crock is proving to be so versatile.

This of course made me think of the most notorious scene from, Forrest Gump; when Bubba starts listing all the different ways shrimp can be prepared. Watch this clip below:

Tips & Tricks:

• Apparently, Americans love shrimp.
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Company & Market

- Chef Mimi

The Consumption: Saucy Orange Chicken

This dinner was so yummy!  When I was mixing the juice, zest, salt, balsamic vinegar, crushed red pepper (which I measured super accurately), brown sugar, ketchup and garlic, I was wondering exactly what this mix would taste like.  Was I creating a marinade, where the juice would flavor the chicken?  How does ketchup and brown sugar fit in here?   

I hand-squeezed the oranges, which was challenging.  Since I do not own a juicer,  my boyfriend, Matt and I invented one using a small tool you stick into fruit to literally drink the juice and a sifter.

I mixed all the ingredients, poured over the chicken, and set the crock to LOW and cooked 3.5 hrs.

The juicy marinade turned into a sauce that coated all the pieces of chicken.  I served on white rice with a side salad & ginger dressing.  My man does not like onions so, I substituted sesame seeds.

The flavors reminded me of ordering take-out from my favorite Chinese restaurant.  I will definitely be making this slow cooked meal again!  It was so simple!  We had plenty of leftovers for dinner the next night.  Great recipe!

Tips & Tricks:

• Get a juicer.
• Extraordinary uses for ketchup!  

- Chef Mimi

The Recipe: Asian Orange Chicken

I found the original recipe on:
Stephanie O'Dea's blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, 
but modified the ingredients to use fresh oranges.   

Prep:  25 mins
Cook:  Low 3.5 - 4 hours
Serving Size:  6
Category:  Poultry

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of chicken breast, cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup of flour
• Olive oil, for browning the chicken
• Green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt 
• 1 can mandarin orange slices
• 3 oranges
• 1 teaspoon of zest, from your oranges
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper 
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ketchup 
• 1 tablespoon garlic

Preparation:

Cut chicken and toss in flour.  In a skillet heat the oil and brown chicken piece on all sides and put in the crock. 

I used the side of a cheese shredder to get the zest from the orange peel. Then I squeezed all 3 oranges, which measured out to 8 ounces of juice. 

Mix the juice, zest, salt, balsamic vinegar, crushed red pepper (1 teaspoon), brown sugar, ketchup and garlic and pour on top of the chicken. 

Cover and cook on low for 3.5 - 4 hours.

Serve over white or brown rice, top with chopped green onions and garnish with mandarin orange wedges. 

Tips and Tricks:

• How to make your own orange zest
• How to squeeze out all the juice in an orange

- Chef Tiffany

The Ingredient: Oranges

Florida oranges are great during the summa-time, as they are the easiest snack to bring to the beach.  They don't melt or get soggy; you just peel and eat!

I absolutely love walking into my man's back yard and eating an orange right off the tree. Talk about refreshing!  The hottest months (May, June, & July) are when you can find the juiciest oranges, which is why I picked this ingredient.

From what I understand, oranges are very diverse when it comes to cooking...you can use the rind, zest, juice and flesh. 

I can't wait to see how this yummy fruit cooks in the crock!

Tips and Tricks:

• All about oranges
• Send a gift of Sunshine - FloridaOrange.com
• Check out the link below to watch videos on how oranges are grown & harvested:
• Florida Department of Citrus

- Chef Mimi

The Consumption: O-M-Gyros

I discovered a couple of things while making this meal:

• I love garbanzos even more!
• Lamb is a delicious baby animal that I drool over!
• I heart cooking with wine!

Garbanzos were already a fav of mine, as stated in my earlier post, The Ingredient.  There is something about those mealy little peas I can’t get enough of.  I think it’s because they create so much unique texture.  


Preparing the meat was the WORST part, but eating the meat was the BEST part.  The aromas coming from my skillet while browning made my mouth water.  Now, I was anxious to see what lamb actually tasted like.  I hate to admit it, but I was feeling very carnivorous!  

I believe wine was the key ingredient in the flavor of this dish, and can't wait to cook with it again!

I served the lamb/garbz mix in a whole wheat flatbread and wrapped the end in wax paper so the “stuffings” wouldn’t fall out.

There was some trouble mastering the tzatsiki sauce; some of my dinner guests thought it could be a little "thicker”.  I may have blended it too much, but I thought it was still a refreshing compliment to our dinner.

Overall, this dish was impressive, yummy and extremely filling!  

I am so stoked I was introduced to another type of cuisine.  This recipe proves again, how versatile your crock can be!  

Tips & Tricks:

• Sheep 101
• World's Healthiest Food

- Chef Mimi

The Recipe: Mediterranean Lamb Pitas

Prep:  25 mins
Cook:  Low 8 hours, High 5 hours; plus 15 mins
Serving Size:  10
Category:  Beef, Pork and Lamb

Ingredients:

• 2-pound portion boneless lamb leg roast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup dry red wine (I used a cabernet sauvignon)
• 1 6-ounce  can of tomato paste
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 medium tomato
• Pita Bread 
• Tzatziki Sauce

Preparation:
Trim the fat from the lamb roast. If necessary, cut roast to fit crock. In a large skillet brown lamb on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat.

Meanwhile, combine drained garbanzo beans, wine, tomato paste, water, onion, garlic, allspice, cumin, mint, salt and pepper in the crock.  I just poured everything in and used a big spoon to mix it all together.

Place browned meat over bean mixture. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.

The original recipe says to remove the meat from the crock to shred, but all I had to do was stir it and the meat completely fell apart. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove meat and beans with a slotted spoon, making sure to drain as much of the juice as possible. Otherwise you will have an extremely messy and soggy sandwich.

Warm each pita in the oven, until soft. Spread tzatziki sauce down the middle, top with the meat/bean mixture, chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce.

Twist the sandwich in wax paper and serve.

Tips & Tricks:

• The freshness of the meat is very important in this dish! Find a local butcher that sells lamb, instead of going to the Lix. 
• Easy Tzatziki Sauce Recipes 

You will be so surprised at how easy and tasty this meal is!

- Chef Tiffany

The Ingredient: Garbanzo Beans

We asked our readers: 

"Which bean would you like to see thrown in the crock?"

Below are the results of the poll:

Black Beans: 2

Kidney Beans:  0

Garbanzo Beans: 4

Great Northern Beans: 3

I am really excited about this challenge! I heart garbanzo beans, as they are the key ingredient in one of my favorite things to eat, hummus.

I must admit, I am a little nervous about using them in the crock, but can't wait to see what kind of recipe is posted.

- Chef Mimi

The Consumption: Wah-Wah Thai Coconut Chix Soup

BEFORE

This attempt at slow cookin' proved, I still have a lot to learn!

Notice my before pic above...It may appear delish at first, but look closer and you will notice a big mistake!

This week, I invited my Mom to join me on my Crock-n-Roll mission, giving me the opportunity to prepare her first slow cooked meal, EVER!

I sliced the chicken, peppers, onions, carrots and shrooms with pure perfection.  Then I added the lemon grass (FYI:  Do NOT eat this alone!), garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper; covered and crocked on HIGH for 3 hours. 

I decided to create a nice outdoor setting, allowing us to really enjoy this meal. Unfortunately, our first bites tasted like pure fire!

I began sweating and turning red right away, quickly motioning for everyone to move inside.  The A/C felt great, but I was still breathing fire! 

My Mom kept asking, "What did you add to make this so spicy?"  I started listing the ingredients:  cilantro, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper.  As we reviewed the recipe I instantly knew what happened.

The recipe calls for only a teaspoon of crushed red pepper and I added a tablespoon (you may recall I did this once before, preparing the Asian Chicken Soup)!

Although the veggies tasted amaz, this soup was a hot mess. 

I'm not going to let this get me down...I loved experimenting with the coconut milk and can not wait to perfect this recipe.  Next time I will make sure to pay closer attention to the measurements.

AFTER

Tips & Tricks:

• Turn the heat up!
• What the heck is lemon grass?

- Chef Mimi

The Recipe: Thai-Style Coconut-Chicken Soup

Prep:  20 mins
Cook:  Low 6 hours, High 3 hours
Serving Size:  6
Category:  Soups & Stews

Ingredients:  

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts; cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups bias-sliced carrots 
• 1 large onion; sliced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic; minced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon grass paste
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 cans unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 medium red pepper, orange pepper and yellow pepper; sliced 
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms; cut in half
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro; chopped

Preparation: 

Combine chicken, broth, carrots, onion, ginger, garlic, lemon grass, crushed red pepper, mushrooms and sweet peppers in the crock. 

Cover; cook on low-heat for 6-7 hours or on high-heat for 3-3.5 hours. If necessary, skim off fat. 

Stir coconut milk and the fresh cilantro into the soup. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with more fresh cilantro. 

So GOOD!!!

- Chef Tiffany


Tips & Tricks:

• How to Grate Fresh Ginger Root
• Cooking with Lemon Grass Paste
• How to Chop Cilantro