Slow Cooker Pork Roast With Apples and Pears Recipe

The winter months are perfect for making anything and everything in your crock pot – and there’s no reason you can’t expand beyond beef stew or good old New England pot roast. Here’s a recipe I created based on one I read in Cook’s Illustrated for Braised Pork Chops. Because the flavor profiles of pork and fruit go so well together, it was a natural to combine them in a slow cooker. An added bonus? This is the perfect recipe for cheap, tough cuts of pork such as the blade or arm roasts.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast With Apples and Pears

(1) 1 pound bone-in pork roast

3 T. kosher salt

Water

1 T. olive oil

1 medium-sized white onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 medium-sized apple (variety of your choice), peeled, cored and sliced into twelfths

1 medium-sized pear (variety of your choice), cored and sliced into twelfths

½ t. whole allspice

½ t. minced fresh ginger

½ cup pomegranate juice

2 T. balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Dissolve kosher salt in about one quart of water. Add the pork roast and allow to brine for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, heat your crock pot to high. Add oil, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Cook until slightly softened. Add apple and pear slices, bay leaf, allspice and ginger.

Remove pork roast from brine and pat dry. Sprinkle with black pepper. Place on top of veggies and fruits. Pour pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar over all. Cook on high for one hour, turning roast over halfway through. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, covered, for 4 – 6 hours.

Serves 4

January 12, 2012: Low Cal Potato Cheese Soup Recipe

Although cheese isn’t the most diet-friendly food, it is packed with protein and you can’t deny yourself (myself) all the time. This recipe is very filling; a little cheese goes a long way.

Low Cal Potato Cheese Soup

1 t. butter

¼ cup chopped white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, chopped

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1 small Roma tomato, peeled and diced

1 roasted green chile, peeled and diced

3 red potatoes, cut into 1 ½” chunks

1 cup water

1 t. chicken bouillon

2 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

½ t. garlic salt

½ t. black pepper

1 cup 1% milk

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add white onion, garlic, white parts of green onions, and celery. Sauté for five minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in tomato, green chile, and potatoes. Add water and chicken bouillon; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, gently boiling potatoes for about 15 minutes or until soft.

Add cubes of cheese, salt, pepper and milk. Reduce heat to low and stir together just until cheese melts. To serve, top bowls of soup with green onions.

Serves 2 – 4 (two as a main dish, four as a side dish or appetizer) with calories of approximately 265 in a one-cup serving.

Tip: For a thicker soup, let it cool, then reheat slowly over low heat.

January 10, 2012: Slow Cooked Potatoes and Mushrooms Recipe

Most slow cooker recipes combine meat and vegetables but this can muddy the flavors and be detrimental to texture. Next time you’re in a time pinch, consider putting the night’s dinner veggies in a crock pot before you leave for work and then simply broil or sauté a protein to go with it when you get home. This recipe is also great to make a nutritious side dish for a party or buffet.

Slow Cooked Potatoes and Mushrooms

3 medium-sized red potatoes, cut into eights

4 large brown mushrooms, quartered

1 small white onion, cut into lengthwise chunks

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ t. Seasoned salt

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. olive oil

Place potatoes in bottom of crock pot; sprinkle with seasoned salt and kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Layer vegetables on top. Sprinkle lemon juice and olive oil over the top. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 4 to 6 hours, until potatoes are soft.

Serves 2 with 272 calories per serving

December 27, 2011: Ham and Corn Chowder Recipe

For Christmas dinner I prepared a big ham. Although we had nine diners that night, there were still lots and lots of leftovers. Of course, we ate ham sandwiches and had slices on crackers with cheese, but I wanted something more substantial for dinner the next night. I quickly put together this recipe using leftover Gratin Dauphinois potatoes from Christmas dinner and the ham bone. The verdict? Almost everyone said it was some of the best soup they’d ever tasted and went back for seconds. I guess it was a hit!

The ham bone I used for the base of this chowder was so big I had to cook it in a roasting pan in the oven.

Ham and Corn Chowder

One large ham bone, with meat still on the bone

1 ½ cups diced celery

1 medium-sized white onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. dried parsley flakes

2 t. dried thyme

2 t. freshly cracked black pepper

1 T. kosher salt

32 ounces chicken stock

3 cups water

2 cans corn, drained

4 cups Gratin Dauphinois*

2 pints heavy whipping cream

In a large Dutch oven (or roasting pan) combine ham bone, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper, chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer on the stovetop for three hours (or place in 350 degree oven). Remove ham bone and let cool; remove any meat on the bone and add back to the pot. Add remaining ingredients and heat through thoroughly. If necessary, combine ¼ cup cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water and add to soup to thicken.

*You can substitute a package of prepared scalloped potatoes plus a teaspoon of dehydrated garlic.

Serves 10

December 23, 2011: Cheddar Wurst Chili Mac

Do you have a crowd of people to feed for dinner before the big holiday meal? This recipe is an economical way to feed lots of diners and fill them up. It’s a recipe I created completely on my own, from scratch – hope you like it!

Cheddar Wurst Chili Mac topped with shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream.

Cheddar Wurst Chili Mac

One 1-pound package smoked cheddar link sausage (such as Hillshire Farms), cut into half inch thick slices

2 small stalks celery, diced

½ white onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large Roma tomato, diced

2 T. chopped green chile (substitute black olives for less heat)

1 15-ounce can Ranch style beans, undrained

1 cup water

1 cup dry macaroni

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream and fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish (optional)

In a large skillet or saucepan, saute the sausage with the celery, garlic and onion until the vegetables are tender. Add the beans, green chiles (or olives) and diced tomato. Cook over medium low heat for a couple minutes, just until heated through. Add the water and raise heat to medium-high. Add dry macaroni and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the macaroni is soft. To serve, spoon into bowls and top with cheddar cheese, sour cream and cilantro.