French Dip Sandwiches

This is the easiest recipe ever! 

I made this for Father's Day this weekend and it was a smashing success.

- Beef roast (we used an arm roast)
- Can of beer
- Lipton Onion Dry Mix Packet

Once the meat is cooked it literally "pulls apart" and is super moist/delicious.  I put the meat in hoagie buns with a piece of Swiss cheese on top.  You don't have to, but I put them in the oven to melt the cheese and toast the bread a little.  Then serve with the juice "au jour" sauce from the crockpot. 

Super easy and it got rave reviews.

Turkey Chili Con Refried Beans

I’m not sure there is any recipe more subjective than chili. Do you honestly know any two people who make it the same? I love how creative chili can be, and how it can be tweaked with an ingredient or two and become something completely different. Here’s my take.

Turkey Chili Con Refried Beans

I add or subtract amounts depending on how many I’m feeding. Just don’t skimp on the seasonings.

Several garlic cloves, minced
Red and green peppers, minced
jalapeno, minced
Onion, minced
1 lb turkey burger (not the super lean kind)
1 package of chili mix
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Paprika
Pepper
3-5 cans of Mexican style or chili ready tomatoes
2 can fat free refried beans

Saute peppers, onions and garlic until soft. I used to have some chili flavored olive oil and would use that for a kickin' chili. Now I use water or chicken broth so the chili doesn’t get too oily. Once soft, add burger and chili package. Season liberally with seasonings. Then more garlic powder for good measure.

Add meat mixture to crock pot, add tomatoes and refried beans. I prefer to cook on low for 8 hours rather than high for 4. I was always check for flavor an hour in or so, then season as needed. Here’s where I differ from most. Ala Cincinnati chili, I serve mine over rice. Then top with cheese, sour cream and saltines.

Next time I make it, I’m also going to make these cheese muffins.

Crockpot Recipe for Vegetarian Black Bean and Tomatillo Soup with Lime and Cilantro

We had tomatillos from our crop share last week and I wanted to do more of a main dish with them rather than making salsa verde which is what 99% of the recipes I found were. We all liked the soup. I'd always thought that you couldn't put rice in the crockpot though so I was curious to see how that went. Sure enough, it gets way overcooked but it's almost like having soft lentils in the soup.

Here's the recipe and here's where I found it. She has good pictures.

Crockpot Recipe for Vegetarian Black Bean and Tomatillo Soup with Lime and Cilantro

(Makes about 6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

8 tomatillos, chopped in 1/4 inch pieces (about 2 cups chopped tomatillo)

1 T finely minced garlic

1 T dried cilantro (optional, but recommended)

2 tsp. dried Mexican Oregano

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 cans black beans, rinsed well

2 cans diced tomatoes with juice

4 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock

1 cup water

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (or a bit less if you don't love lime like I do)

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish if desired

Chop onions and tomatillos into pieces about 1/4 inch. Heat olive oil in large frying pan, then saute onions and tomatillos about 5 minutes, then add garlic, dried cilantro, Mexican Oregano, and cumin and saute 1-2 minutes more. While vegetables saute, dump beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse until no more foam appears.

Put tomatillo-onion mixture into large 4-5 quart crockpot. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, chicken stock, water, and brown rice. Cook on high for 4 hours (This could also be cooked on low for 8 hours.) Slow cookers can vary, so check and adjust the cooking time according to how hot your crockpot gets. After 4 hours (or 8 hours if using low) turn the crockpot to low setting, and let it cook 15 minutes to lower the temperature, then add the fresh lime juice and cilantro and cook 10 minutes on low. Serve hot, with additional chopped cilantro for garnish if desired.This recipe could be cooked on the stove. Follow directions above, but put ingredients into medium sized soup pot and add one cup more water. Cook at very low simmer for about one hour, then reduce heat for five minutes, then add lime juice and cilantro and simmer five minutes more. Serve hot, with additional chopped cilantro if desired.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.foodsubs.com/Fruitvegies.html