Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

A down-home Sunday meal. Delicious served with mashed potatoes. This resembled more of a stew-like consistency rather than a roast, but still comforting and yummy. For a more roast-like appearance, strain veggies from gravy after removing roast and arrange roast and veggies on a serving platter and top with gravy.

From Food Network

Ingredients:
~One 4lb beef chuck roast (or whatever is on sale that week)
~salt and pepper
~1/3 cup flour, plus more for coating
~3 tbs olive oil
~1 lb. carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
~1 package mushrooms
~1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
~3 cloves garlic, mashed
~3 tbs. tomato paste
~1 cup red wine (a shiraz or chianti would work well)
~3 cups low-sodium beef broth
~3 bay leaves
~2 sprigs fresh thyme
~1/2 tsp. ground allspice
~1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves

1. Sprinkle roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Coat in flour and shake off excess.
2. Heat 2 tbs oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides and transfer to slow cooker. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.
3. Add remaining tbs oil to skillet. Add tomato paste and stir until the oil turns brick red (about 1 minute). Add flour and wine and whisk until thick - it's okay if there are some lumps.
4. Add beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, 1/2 tsp salt, and a dash of pepper and bring to a simmer, whisking until gravy is smooth and thickens slightly.
5. Pour gravy into slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
6. Before serving, remove roast and let rest for a few minutes. Remove thyme stems and bay leaves. Toss parsley with veggies and season with salt and pepper if needed.
7. Slice roast against the grain and serve topped with veggies and gravy.

Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili with Sweet Potatoes

Easy and delicious, with a couple surprise ingredients: cinnamon and cocoa powder! An excellent fall meal. It would also be great with the addition of quinoa, which is how I plan to make it next time.

From Real Simple

Ingredients:
~1 medium red onion, chopped
~1 orange bell pepper, chopped
~4 garlic cloves, chopped
~1 tbs chili powder
~1 tbs cumin
~2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
~1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
~salt and pepper
~1 28oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
~1 15.5oz. can kidney beans
~1 15.5oz. can black beans
~2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
~1 cup chicken stock (or veggie stock if you're going for full vegetarian)

1. In slow cooker, combine onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Add tomatoes and their liquid, beans, sweet potato, and chicken stock.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
3. Serve with sour cream, scallions, radishes, or tortilla chips.

Balsamic Blueberry Grilled Cheese

This is a delicious, buttery, sandwich with a slightly sweet filling thanks to the blueberries. We used Havarti cheese, but you could use white cheddar or goat (which I definitely plan on trying!) So easy yet so full of flavor. I added basil to the sandwich to give it a reminiscent flavor of a roasted blueberry tart we love:  http://www.colorfulapronstrings.blogspot.com/2014/05/roasted-blueberry-tart.html

From Amanda K by the Bay

Ingredients:
~crusty bread
~Havarti cheese, sliced
~2 tbs fresh basil, chopped
~1/2 cup fresh blueberries
~1 tbs balsamic vinegar
~1 and 1/2 tbs brown sugar
~spreadable butter
~freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan, combine blueberries, vinegar, and brown sugar over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Use a potato masher to crush berries. After mixture boils for 5 minutes, pour into a mesh strainer to separate the solids from the juice. (Save the juice - it could be used as a syrup for ice cream, pancakes, you name it!)
2. Heat grill pan over medium heat.
3. Butter outsides of bread. Turn over and layer one slice with blueberries, cheese, basil, and a light dusting
of freshly ground black pepper. Top with other slice and place on grill pan, butter side down. Flip sandwich when bread is toasted. Repeat with other sandwiches.

Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Thick, rich, and delicious - with only 2 ingredients! Yup, just bananas and peanut butter. You NEED to give this one a try.

Adapted from One Ingredient Chef

Ingredients:
~5 frozen bananas (to freeze, just peel and freeze whole inside a freezer bag overnight)
~1/3 cup peanut butter (the natural peanut butter from ALDI has a great texture that was yummy in this)

1. Cut bananas into 1/2 inch chunks and put in food processor with peanut butter. Blend until texture is smooth and creamy.
2. That's it! Seriously. That's it.

Grilled Pork Chops with Basil-Garlic Rub

This "wet" rub is bright and flavorful - not normally a combination I might associate with pork chops, but it was delicious. It would also be great on chicken or a whitefish. I served it with smashed red potatoes.

From World's Best Recipes

Ingredients:
~4-6 pork chops (use whatever cut you like - we had some really thin ones we had gotten on special, and they ended up being a little more like cutlets than chops)
~2 garlic cloves, peeled
~1 cup fresh basil leaves
~2 tbs lemon juice
~2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
~1 tsp salt
~1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Using a food processor, mince garlic. Add basil and process until chopped.
2. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and process until combined.
3. Spread both sides of chops with basil mixture and let stand at least 15-30 minutes. (I marinated mine in the fridge for about 3 hours)
4. Heat grill pan over medium/medium-high depending on thickness of chops. Grill for a few minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Let rest for 3-5 minutes.

Chilaquiles

Our Version

I first met chilaquiles at a taco truck at the Highline Park in New York City. It's a mix of chips, chicken, and cheese simmered in a salsa sauce. This version is a spicy, cheesy, one-pot meal. You will want sturdy chips so they don't lose their crunch in the cooking process.

From Rick Bayless

Ingredients:
~3 tbs. vegetable oil
~1 small white onion
~3 16oz. jars of salsa, preferably a tomatillo salsa
~1 32oz box chicken stock
~24 oz. sturdy tortilla chips
~2 cups shredded Chihuahua cheese or Monterey Jack
~2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
~3/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

The Highline Version

~1/2 cup freshly grated queso Anejo or Parmesan (I know that sounds weird, but you're looking for a slightly salty finish)
~cilantro for garnish

1. In a large (6-quart) Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring regularly, until browned.
2. Add salsa and broth and bring to a boil. When it is at a rolling boil, turn off heat and stir in chips and shredded cheese. Make sure chips are submerged in liquid.
3. Add chicken to top, cover, and let stand for 3-4 minutes. Gently stir to combine. Serve in shallow bowls and top with crema, queso Anejo and cilantro.

Roasted Blueberry Tart

Creamy, a little tangy, and fresh with the basil on top. The roasted blueberries have an almost pie-filling-like consistency and are so delicious. It's an easy recipe - the hardest part is spreading the cheese mixture onto the pastry because it's so flaky. This would be great as a dessert or even as a brunch item.

From Lemons for Lulu

Ingredients:
~1 puff pastry (they usually come in boxes of 2, so you'll just need one - keep it in the freezer for next time!)
~4 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened
~2 oz. goat cheese, softened
~1 tsp vanilla
~4 tbs sugar
~1 and 1/2 cups blueberries
~1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped for topping

1. Preheat oven to 400. Roll out puff pastry onto floured surface and roll into 11x13 rectangle. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. (It will be VERY fluffy when it comes out of the oven but will deflate as it cools)
2. Raise oven temperature to 450. In a small bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, and vanilla and mix to coat berries. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes. It will create a bubbly sauce that surrounds the berries.
3. Combine cheeses in a bowl. Very carefully spread cheese onto puff pastry. I found that the easiest way to do this was to put small dollops of cheese all across the pastry and spread them out with a small spatula. If you dump it all in the middle it will be very hard to spread and the pastry will flake apart.
4. Top with roasted berries.
5. Sprinkle with fresh basil just before serving.

Asparagus, Leek, & Mint Linguine

If you've been waiting for the first taste of spring, try this! Fresh and light - it will make the perfect meal to accompany the warming days.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
~12 oz. linguine (any pasta will do - we had a garlic and parsley linguine in the cupboard that I had been waiting to use the perfect recipe with)
~1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
~4 tbs. olive oil
~2/3 cup thinly sliced leek, white and light green parts only
~3 garlic cloves, minced
~3 tbs dry white wine
~2 tbs chopped fresh mint
~salt & pepper
~1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
2. Saute asparagus in 2 tbs oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or pot for 4 minutes (season asparagus with salt and pepper as soon as you add it to the pan). Remove from pan.
3. Add remaining 2 tbs oil and add leeks. Saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds.
4. Add wine and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
5. Add pasta, asparagus, mint, and cheese.
6. Serve in bowls and top with additional grated cheese.

Shrimp Marinara Soup with Feta

This was INCREDIBLY easy as well as delicious. A lot of flavor for such a quick meal. I recommend adding some roasted tomatoes and/or kalamata olives to this for some extra oomph.

From Cooking Light, with additions

Ingredients:
~2 tsp olive oil
~1/2 tsp dried oregano
~3 large garlic cloves, minced
~1/4 cup dry white wine (my go-to cooking white is a pinot grigio)
~2 and 1/2 cups chicken stock
~1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
~2 cups marinara sauce (we used one with tomato and basil chunks)
~12 oz. large peeled shrimp, peeled and deveined (for an extra time-saver, use pre-cooked shrimp)
~2 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
~1 oz feta cheese, crumbled
~1 pint grape tomatoes (optional but recommended)
~1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional but recommended)

1. If roasting tomatoes, preheat oven to 400. Toss tomatoes in salt, pepper, and olive oil and spread out on baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes or until tomatoes start to shrivel.
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil and coat pan. Add oregano and garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add wine and cook 1 minute.
3. Add stock to pot and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and cook for 6 minutes or until al dente.
4. Stir in marinara and shrimp, cook 4 minutes or until shrimp are pink.
5. Stir in tomatoes and olives.
6. Serve in bowls and top with parsley and feta.

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Dates and Apples (with a side of crispy roasted fingerling potatoes)

The dates and apples caramelize to make this a very delicious chicken. Make sure to use fresh dates!

Created in our kitchen

Ingredients:
~3.5-4 lb fresh chicken
~1/4 lb fresh dates, pitted (To remove the pit, simply slice into the date with a paring knife. The pit resembles a small almond)
~1 apple, cored and cut into slices
~2 sprigs fresh rosemary (removed from stems and chopped) or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
~4 tbs butter, softened
~1/2 tsp salt
~1/2 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425. Combine butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry. Place in dutch oven or roasting pan.
3. Using your fingers, rub 1/2 of butter mixture under the skin around breast and thighs. Rub the rest of the mixture on the outside of the chicken - this will give you that lovely brown skin!
4. Place a few dates and a few apple slices inside the cavity of the chicken. Put the rest around the outside of the chicken in the pan.
5. Roast chicken in oven for about an hour and a half uncovered, or until internal temperature reaches 160.

To make potatoes, you will need two pounds of fingerling potatoes. Slice into rounds and put in a bowl with 2-3 tbs. olive oil (we used a garlic olive oil and it was delicious!) Toss potatoes to coat and arrange on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast with the chicken for 35-40 minutes.

Orange-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

I often think pork chops are hard to cook - a lot of times they end up dry and tasteless. This is a recipe that redeemed them for me - and it's easy and looks beautiful!

From Cooking Light

Ingredients:
~1/2 cup fresh orange juice
~2 tbs orange marmalade (we used a blood orange marmalade - yum!!)
~1 tbs whole grain mustard
~4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 1 inch thick)
~1 tbs canola oil
~1/4 tsp salt
~1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
~2 rosemary sprigs
~1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
~2 tbs fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Combine juice, mustard, and marmalade in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until syrupy.
3. Heat a large oven-proof skillet (I used my cast-iron dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add oil. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook for about 5 minutes or until browned.
4. Turn chops over and add rosemary and onion to pan. Pour juice mixture over chops and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove onion and rosemary and add lime juice. Return to medium-high heat on cooktop and cook for 4 minutes or until liquid is syrupy.
6. Plate chops and drizzle with sauce.

Lamb Burgers with Goat Cheese and Avocado

These are scrumptious! Try them out for a different take on a burger. The goat cheese and avocado make a creamy and tangy topping.

From Fork Knife and Swoon

Ingredients:
~1 lb ground lamb
~4 brioche or fancy buns
~4 tbs goat cheese
~1 tsp curry powder
~1 tsp smoked paprika
~1 tsp salt
~1/tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, mix together lamb and spices. Form into patties about 3/4 inch thick. Cook over medium high heat on a grill pan until cooked through - about 4 minutes per side. Remove and let rest for a few minutes.
2. Toast buns (I toasted ours on the grill pan after I removed the burgers and let the bread
soak up the juices in the pan). Top burgers with goat cheese while they rest and you toast buns.
3. Mash avocado and spread on bottom bun. Top with goat cheese burger and bun top.
4. You could add any additional toppings you want, but we at them as-is and thought they were delicious.

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Roasted Grapes and Roasted Rainbow Carrots

A hearty, delicious winter dinner. It's so easy to roast your own chicken if you've never done it before - give it a try! I know roasted grapes may sound a little weird, but I promise they're delicious. We found rainbow carrots in the produce section at Meijer.

Chicken recipe from In Sock Monkey Slippers.

Ingredients:
~3.5-4 lb. fresh chicken
~2 tbs unsalted butter, softened
~2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
~1 clove garlic, minced
~1/2 tsp salt
~1/2 tsp pepper
~2 lbs red seedless grapes
~1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
~2 to 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
~2 bunches rainbow (or orange) carrots

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl, combine butter, rosemary, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
2. Rinse chicken and remove bag of extras. Pat dry.
3. Using your fingers, rub half of the butter mixture in between meat and skin around the breasts and thighs. Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the entire chicken. Place rosemary springs and a handful of grapes inside the cavity. Tie the legs together with cooking twine. (If you don't have twine, it's fine. The chicken will still cook and be delicious if you don't tie the legs.)
4. Place the chicken in the middle of a roasting pan, dutch oven, or cast iron skillet.
5. In a bowl, combine grapes, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. You can leave the grapes on the stem if you wish.
6. Place grapes around chicken. Roast in oven for 1 and a half hours and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.
7. While chicken is roasting, prepare carrots. Remove tops from carrots and peel. Cut into sticks and toss with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on baking sheet and put in oven when chicken has half an hour left. Chicken and carrots will be ready at the same time.

Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls with Lime Quinoa

The chicken itself is delicious and the coconut oil in the quinoa makes it really rich and yummy. Definitely give this one a try! Makes 2 large (dinner-sized) bowls.

From How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
Honey Chipotle Chicken
~1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (we used thighs and I recommend it!)
~1/4 tsp. salt
~1/4 tsp. pepper
~1/4 cup olive oil
~3 tbs adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
~2 tbs. honey
~1 tbs. dijon mustard
~1 tbs. honey mustard
~4 garlic cloves, minced

Salad
~6 cups lettuce greens
~1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
~1/4 cup torn fresh cilantro
~4 green onions, sliced
~1 avocado, sliced (ours were small so we used 2)
~1 lime, juiced
~1 tbs olive oil
~1/2 tbs honey

Lime Quinoa
~1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
~1 cup chicken stock
~1 tbs coconut oil (you could substitute butter, but I recommend the coconut oil!)
~1 lime, juiced and zested
~1/4 tsp salt
~1/4 tsp pepper

The night before:
Add chicken to a ziplock bag and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, adobo, honey, mustards, cilantro, and garlic. Pour marinade over chicken and cover evenly. Marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours, but overnight is recommended.

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Heat a bit of olive oil and then add chicken. cover and cook until chicken is deeply browned on both sides and cooked through - about 6 minutes per side.
2. Add quinoa and stock to a saucepan over high heat and bring to boil. Reduce to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, or until stock is absorbed. Stir in coconut oil, lime juice, zest, salt, and pepper.
3. Add greens to bowls. Top with chicken, quinoa, tomatoes, cilantro, greens, onions, and avocado. Whisk together lime, olive oil, and honey and drizzle over the top of bowls.

Lamb Tagine Shepherd's Pie

This is delicious and hearty - think shepherd's pie but with an exotic flair. It took me a few bites to get used to the chickpea topping instead of mashed potatoes, but the more I ate, the more I loved it. The list of ingredients is somewhat lengthy, but the dish goes together easily. Definitely give this one a try! The picture does not do these justice - turns out it's hard to take a good picture of a shepherd's pie.

From Cooking Light

Ingredients:
~5 tsp extra virgin olive oil
~1 and 1/2 lbs. ground lamb (We found it at Meijer. You could also use a leg of lamb cut into chunks)
~1 cup chopped onion
~1 cup chopped carrot
~1 and 1/2 tsp salt
~4 tsp minced garlic
~1 tbs tomato paste
~1 tsp ground turmeric
~1/4 tsp ground cumin
~1/8 tsp ground red pepper
~1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
~1/2 cup red wine
~1 and 1/2 cups plus 2 tbs chicken stock
~1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
~1/4 cup golden raisins
~2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
~2 tbs lemon juice
~2 garlic cloves
~1 can chickpeas

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add to tsp. oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add lamb and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.
2. Add onion and carrot to pan and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 and 1/4 tsp salt, minced garlic, tomato paste, turmeric, cumin, and red pepper. Saute 30 seconds.
3. Add wine and cook for 1 minute, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in lamb, 1 and 1/2 cups chicken stock, apricots, and raisins and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in cilantro and 1 tbs lemon juice.
5. Combine remaining 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tbs chicken stock, 2 garlic cloves, and chickpeas into a mini food processor. Process until smooth.
6. Spoon lamb mixture into ramekins (we have 2 rectangular Pyrex ones I love) and top each with chickpea mixture. Lightly coat chickpea mixture with cooking spray.
7. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until tops begin to brown.