Pork, Cabbage and Apples in the Slow Cooker

I love cooking with my cast iron, but I also love cooking with my slow cooker. 

This was so yummy. Not only did my taste buds jump for joy, my nose did too (or at least twitched) at the smell of apples and pork cooking all day throughout the house. There's just something about the pairing of apples and pork...

If you don't have any of this in the house, you'll want to get you some.

Okay here we go. As always there will be a link at the end of this for you to print the recipe if ye be so inclined. And for the record, I adapted this recipe from an old Rival Slow Cooker Cookbook I picked up at Goodwill. (Psst...there are great cookbooks there for cheap.)

I took 4 pork loins and put them in a glass baking dish and salt and peppered each side of the loins.

Then I brushed on some of that Kitchen Bouquet...

...on both sides of the loins. Set aside.

I sprayed my crock pot insert with cooking spray then added four cups of shredded cabbage.

I cored and diced 3 to 4 apples and added it to the cabbage mixture. You don't have to peel the apples.

Add a half of a small onion chopped.

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

Mix it up...

...and go get them prepared pork loins.

Place them on top of the cabbage mixture,

cover things up with the lid,

and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.

Comfort food!

Pork, Cabbage and Apples in the Slow Cooker

Print Recipe Prep: 15 minutes                                  Level: Easy Cook: Slow Cooker                               Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 pork loins Kitchen Bouquet 4 cups shredded cabbage 3-4 apples, cored and diced 1/2 small onion, chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup water 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons salt Directions: Season loins with salt and pepper and then brush each side with Kitchen Bouquet; set aside. Put cabbage, apples and onion in prepared slow cooker. Add the rest except the pork loins. Mix together well. Arrange loins on top of the cabbage mixture. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.

Easy Peasy Smoky Pea Soup in a Slow Cooker

This is my favorite pea soup. If you let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, the soup will thicken up to where your saltines will stand up in the soup!

Below are the easy peasy (couldn't help myself) steps.

As always a link to the printable recipe will be available after the steps or if you want to bypass the steps, click HERE.

Soak a 16-ounce bag of dry split peas in two quarts of water for 2 or more hours.

Stir them up a bit so they don't stick together.

Prepare 6-quart slow cooker crock with cooking spray.

Place a rinsed ham hock into the slow cooker.

Add your rinsed peas,

carrots,

onions,

minced garlic,

low sodium chicken broth,

1 teaspoon liquid smoke,

1 bay leaf,

1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves,

pepper to taste,

and salt to taste.

Mix it all up,

cover, and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.

Now one step I forgot to take pictures of is what to do with the ham hock when the soup is finished. Take it out of the soup and let it cool. Once it is easy to handle, pick the meat off the ham hock, cut into small pieces and place back into the soup and stir.

You can throw away the bones and skin.

Note: I always make this soup a day ahead and let it thicken in the refrigerator overnight. Turns out to be thick as fog, or is that thick as pea soup?

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Easy Peasy Smoky Pea Soup in a Slow Cooker

The title says it all! Great winter night comfort food and oh so thick it will stick to yer bones!

Print

Prep: 15 minutes                         Level: Easy

Cook: 4 hours or 8 1/2 hours     Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 ham hock (about 3 pounds or 2 weighing 1 1/2 pounds)
• 16 oz. dry split peas
• 3 cups carrots, diced 
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 32-ounce box low sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Soak peas in water for 2 or more hours. Drain. Rinse the ham hock and place into a cooking spray prepared 6-quart slow cooker. Follow with the peas, carrots, onion, garlic, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and salt and pepper. Mix. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Remove the ham hock with tongs and set aside to let cool. When cooled, pick off the meat, chop into small pieces and put into the soup and stir. Throw away the skin and bones.

Substitutions for the ham hock: smoked sausage cut into 1" pieces, smoked ham in chunks, smoky bacon cut into pieces. You may need to add more salt to your taste.

Speedy Chicken Enchiladas

I think it's obvious by now that I love Mexican food. And chicken. And black beans. And corn. And cumin.

So here's a quick and easy Enchilada recipe that Steve and I really enjoy. And yes, I make a 9x13 inch baking dish of this just for Steve and I because it reheats so well in the microwave and lasts a good week in the refrigerator.

There will be a link at the bottom of this post if you'd like to print the recipe.

One of my favorite cooking sprays. For the enchiladas I used this spray to prepare the dish.

In a medium bowl add 1 cup diced red onion,

a can of corn and a can of black beans,

a can of chunk white chicken,

chili powder and cumin,

1 cup diced green (or red) sweet Bell pepper. 

Note: I realize my pepper looks a little disheveled. When I don't think I'm going to use peppers up fast enough, I dice them, then put them in a plastic freezer bag and put them in the freezer for future use. The day I made these Enchiladas I was out of fresh peppers, so I used 1 cup of my frozen peppers.

Throw in a teaspoon of salt.

Next, add 1/2 cup of your favorite shredded melting cheese such as cheddar, colby, provolone or mozzarella. I used a mixture of shredded Italian Style mix, mozzarella, and provolone.

Now mix it all up real good breaking up the hunks of chicken as you stir.

Use 1 cup of your favorite salsa and spread it around in the bottom of your prepared baking dish.

Perfect. I used a basic mild chunky salsa, but you could get creative here!

Take about 1/3 cup of the mixture and spread it down the center of a flour tortilla.

This part got a leettle messy for me as I was trying to manage the food, manage the camera while doing things with my left hand when I'm right handed and not that talented. 

Conundrum.

Wrap up the tortillas tightly and place them in the dish.

This part isn't purdy. 

I apologize.

Viola'!

There will be some filling leftover. Use that to sprinkle over the tortillas.

Another layer of salsa...

...spread it over the top.

Cover with foil and place in the preheated 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and uncover...

and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over all for the last layer.

Place it back into the oven, uncovered, for 5 - 10 minutes or until cheese melts and the Enchiladas bubble with excitement.

Cut into squares and serve with additional salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips!

Enjoy!

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Speedy Chicken Enchiladas

Print Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes                                  Level: Easy

Bake: 25 minutes                                  Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion, diced (ab0ut 1 cup)
• 1 sweet red or green Bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 (12.5-ounce) can chunk white chicken, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.25-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar, colby, provolone or mozzarella cheese - your choice, divided
• 3 cups salsa - your choice, divided
• 7 to 8 flour tortillas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, pepper, black beans, corn, chicken, spices, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Mix well, shredding the chunks of chicken as you go.

Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. (I prefer garlic flavored.) Use 1 cup of salsa and spread evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.

Using about 1/3 cup of the filling, fill each tortilla down the middle, then tightly roll it up and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Continue with the rest of the tortillas. Spread 1 cup of salsa over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the leftover filling over the tortillas. Sprinkle last remaining cup of salsa over the top.

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Take out of the oven, uncover, and sprinkle remaining cup of cheese over the top. Put back into the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the enchiladas are bubbling. Optional: Serve the enchiladas with additional salsa, a dollop of sour cream, and tortilla chips. 

These make great leftovers and reheat wonderfully in the microwave!