Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

 

It's another cold, wet, and gray day---which means you should make soup.

In the crockpot.

I found this recipe over a year ago while link-following (that's a verb, right?) Shauna and Danny Ahern, authors of  Gluten Free Girl and The Chef (great cookbook, it should definitely be in your kitchen if it isn't already--not just for GF peeps) and GlutenFreeGirl.com made it for the Pork People (technical term), and I wanted to see if I could crockpotecize (that's definitely a verb) it.

and it worked! This recipe is on page 226 of the new More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow book (which should also most definitely be in your kitchen), but I never posted it online.

oops.

so here you go!

The Ingredients.

serves 8

7 cups chicken broth

7 ounces chorizo sausage, sliced (pork, beef, turkey, veggie; your choice)

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped (or a handful of baby carrots)

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 3/4 pounds (about 3 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

8 tablespoons sour cream (for serving)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and add the sliced chorizo (no need to brown first, YAY!). Add the carrots, onion, sweet potatoes, and garlic Don't worry about chopping your vegetables in pretty shapes----it's all going to be blended together anyhow (after cooking).

Stir in the curry powder and chile flakes.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours (low is better, IMO). Before serving, use a hand-held stick blender to blend the soup completely (even the chorizo. I know, it sounds weird, but trust me). Ladle into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

The Verdict.

I was fascinated by this ingredient list and am so glad that I gave it a try. It's velvety and smooth, with a great depth of flavor. The heat sneaks up but isn't overwhelming. You can omit the red pepper flakes if you're worried about the spice, and then add at the table to the grown-up servings. My girls thought it was a bit too firery, but liked scooping the sour cream off the top and dunked corn bread into the soup and ate it that way.

Adam is not a soup guy (he keeps reminding me of this, and I keep forgetting), but he practically licked his bowl clean. I've got more chorizo in the freezer earmarked just for this!

yet again, I'm behind with the 2008 flashbacks. I have no idea how I got through that year of cooking and posting daily---I'm having trouble posting weekly now!

March 10 Creamed Spinach (shhh. it's good for you!)

March 11 Dulce de Leche (you aren't supposed to make this. and that's all I should really say, probably)

March 12 Ginger Teriyaki Tofu (I'm the only one who ate this)

March 13 Blue Cheese and Steak Roll-Ups (fancy schmancy)

March 14 French Onion Soup (seriously good. even if you're not a "soup guy")

March 15 Creamy Avocado Chipotle Soup (sounds odd. kind of is.)

March 16 Roasted Cabbage and Potatoes (sometimes I don't know what to type in the parentheses)

March 17 Apricot Chicken (this is what I make when we have company with kids)

March 18 Hardboiled Eggs (you can hardboil eggs in the crockpot! but that doesn't mean you should.)

March 19 Leg of Lamb (the absolute best way to cook lamb---really. moist, delicious, perfect)

March 20 Sweet and Spicy Salmon (spring is a great time to cook fish in the crockpot)

March 21 Overnight Breakfast Potatoes with Sausage (cooking while you sleep is the ultimate in luxury. that, and maybe a butler?)

March 22 Traditional Beef Stew (there are as many variations of stew as there are missing Barbie shoes)

March 23 Taco Dip (I have a few different taco dip recipes. this is the first one)

Happy Slow Cooking! Have a great week!

Read More

Slow Cooker Rootbeer Pulled Pork Recipe

 

 This is a reader recipe sent in by Monique, who calls this particular dish her "one successful slow cooker recipe."

Your pork is MUCH MORE than successful, Monique---it's out-of-the-ball-park wonderful. I served 5 kids and 3 adults sandwiches with this meat (with a side of tater tots) and EVERYONE cleaned their plates.

Thank you, Monique!!

The Ingredients.

serves 6 (adult-size servings)

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast (butt)

1 large yellow onion, sliced in rings

1-2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (start with 1, then season to taste after cooking and tasting)

1 cup chili sauce (near ketchup in the grocery aisle. if you want to make it, use 1 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1 tsp chili powder---it's not identical, but pretty darn close)

2 cups root beer

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 hamburger buns or soft rolls (I make them myself, or use toasted Udi's white bread to keep it gluten free)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. A 6-quart is fine, but your meat will cook faster.

Put the meat into your pot, and add sliced onion. top with Tabasco sauce, chili sauce, root beer, and vanilla. cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until pork shreds easily with a fork. I plopped my pork in fully frozen, and it took 10 hours on low to be shreddy.

Serve over rice, or on toasted breads or buns.

The Verdict.

This is such a quick and easy recipe that makes everyone in the house happy. The rootbeer has a nice sweetness that really brings out the hint of ginger from the chili sauce. It's easily adaptable spice-wise, and is a great way to feed a houseful of people on a limited budget. 

Thanks again to Monique for sharing her secret to slow cooking success!

There's a new video up over on Real Moms Making Real Money (at home, in their pajamas) with Leah Ingram. Leah has written 13 books and shares her publishing and publicizing expertize and goal-setting advice. There's also a giveaway for her new book--- so go check it out!

2008 Flashback:

March 1 Vegetarian Curry (have too many cans of chickpeas?)

March 2 Mediterranean Chicken (sounds fancy, tastes fantastic, beyond simple to prepare)

March 3 Barbecue Beans & Weenies (good for your heart)

March 4 Use Your CrockPot as a Rice Cooker (who needs another appliance, anyways?)

March 5 Cabbage Soup Diet (you can thank Amie :-) )

March 6 White Chili (and this one is from Headless Mom!)

March 7 Bananas Foster (cruise ship not needed)

March 8 Broccoli Beef (one of our favorite takeout fakeout dinners)

March 9 Seafood Alfredo (3 years ago I didn't know how to make a proper roux. now I do. :-0 )

Read More

What?! It's March? What happened to February?

 

recycled picture. originally from crockpot party

Dude. February completely disappeared. 

that's not okay.

We've been battling the flu. This was the first cold/flu season in about 4 years where we opted to not get a flu shot (for no reason, really----we weren't reminded by the pediatrician, and were apparently not in the high-risk group), and so I can anecdotally declare that flu shots work.

~~~Quickly ducking so I don't get hit with a squashed tomato from the flu-shots-are-evil people~~~

So anyway, that's where I've been. Tending to sick, cranky people. 

I don't have a new recipe today, but have instead rounded up all of the 2008 Flashbacks that I wasn't able to send out. Fingers crossed that the snot, fevers, and all-around-ickiness (you don't want to know, trust me...) stays away next week and everyone is back at school/work and we get back to normal around here.

Normal. HA!

February days 1-5 are in the loose meat sandwich post
February 6 Philly Cheesesteak (I always type cheesecake accidentally) Sandwiches

February 7 Creamy Apple Oatmeal

February 8 Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker (did you know I used to work at the zoo?)

February 9 Not-too-Spicy Bean Dip

February 10 Stuffed Artichoke  these are such weird vegetables.

February 11 Black Bean Soup

(I'm getting tired of typing out the word FEBRUARY)

(in case you were wondering)

February 12 Creme Brulee (and then I got excited and emailed the Rachael Ray Show)

February 13 Rocky Road Candy (yes, please.)

February 14 Tofu in Peanut Sauce (tofu holds up remarkably well in the slow cooker)

February 15 Fish Chowder

February 16 Tortilla Soup (I've made this twice this past week)

February 17 Peanut Butter Brownies

February 18 Chicken Lettuce Wraps (who needs PF Changs?)

February 19 Pomegranate Beef (how I keep Adam happy)

February 20 Sweet Potato Soup

February 21 Veal Marsala (apologies to the vegans in our midst)

February 22 Overnight Egg and Cheese Casserole

February 23 Original Taco Soup (made this more times that I can count; the internet loves this "soup")

February 24 Chicken and Rice Soup (comfort food. super good for you; low in calories)

February 25 Chocolate Fudge Cake (ooh, I forgot about this one)

February 26 Chicken Parmesan (made this two weeks ago, delicious, then used the leftovers in Pasta Fagioli)

February 27 Hearty Ox Tail Stew (mmm.)

February 28 Creamy Risotto (no better way to make risotto. super simple, and no stirring!)

February 29 (darn leap year!) Buffalo Wing Dip (MAKE THIS. TRUST ME.)

So there you go! Hopefully that'll keep you busy for a while. If you're reading this in a reader, or through email, you may not have had the opportunity to see that I've put together a Table of Contents that you might find useful.

I've got a new post up on Totally Together Journal where I share my new personal motto:

REAL LIFE, NOT A MAGAZINE

It's got kind of a nice ring to it, don't you think? :-)

What's in your pot today? I dug through the freezer bin and threw together a beef stew, since we're housebound and I can't get to the store. I loosely followed my own recipe, but since there as many versions of beef stew as there are missing Barbie shoes, I also tossed in some leftover mixed vegetables and garlic brown rice couscous.

Happy March! Happy Slow Cooking!

Read More