Stuffed Cabbage & Bolognese

Going back to the post I did a few days ago, here are the photos from Skinny Taste recipes.

This is the Stuffed Cabbage and Beef Casserole:

Ravioli with Crock Pot Bolognese:

I know I make a lot of things from Skinny Taste so I am going to try to go on a break. Yes, she has lots of great recipes but I too have tons of cookbooks that I need and want to be using. I am just usually planning our meals in front of the computer, away from my cookbooks, so it is just easier to find recipes online. I have meals planned from now until Tuesday but after that I plan on making some recipes from my favorite cookbooks. Stay tuned.

Boilo

I have found a new winter drink that I LOVE!!

It is called boilo and I discovered it while attending a party in Girardville, PA in celebration of the St. Patrick's Day.

Boilo is popular in the coal regions of Pennsylvania, originally from Lithuania. It's a warm drink made by heating lemon juice, orange juice, sugar, honey, cinnamon sticks (sometimes other spices - allspice, cloves, anise seeds) and then adding whiskey!!

This is so so yummy! I am going to experiment and create my own recipe and when I do, I will share it! Boilo kept me warm on that cold winter day!

And since the weather is still quite cold in PA, I still have time to try to make this before spring arrives for good!

Adam & me at the Girardville St. Patrick's Day parade.

Jambalaya

The week of Christmas Adam had off of work and suggested jambalaya made in the crock pot. So I looked around for a good recipe, combined a few together to make what you see below. The night before we chopped the veggies and meat and the next morning we mixed everything together. Adam was in charge of turning on the crockpot, adding the shrimp and cooking the rice. He did a fine job :)
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We used Adam's Dad's homemade venison sausage (about 2 pounds of it) and 2 pounds of jumbo shrimp. I was nervous there wasn't going to be enough of liquid/sauce but there was plenty. The recipe calls for 3 pounds of meat total but feel free to add more if you have it. This also reheats nicely the next day.
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1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
2 (16 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
a few dashes hot sauce
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound frozen peeled shrimp
cooked rice - Minute Rice does the trick!
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In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, garlic & thyme.
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Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low. Stir in the shrimp during the last 45 minutes of cook time. Stir in cooked rice before serving.
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Photo from Adam's iPhone

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

I made this recipe awhile ago but I wasn't able to get home that evening to try any. My family said it was good so I thought I'd try it because it seemed easy to serve at a party in front of the TV (my goal was to have no silverware involved).

3 lb. beef chuck roast

1 large onion, chopped

3 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/3 cup white vinegar

Place roast in crock pot (may have to cut meat to fit in pot). Add onion and spices; pour vinegar over all. Cook on low for 11-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Once done, discard bay leaves & shred meat with fork. Serve in rolls with reserved juice.

Beginning of cook time.

My roast was frozen and the defrosted it for 10 minutes in the microwave but it was still almost completely frozen. I put the meat in at 7am on low and it was done by 5pm (10 hours) or maybe before that. The outside of the roast was nice and dark but the center was a brighter color (but still fully cooked).

Real minced garlic and ground black pepper would be more flavorful with this.

We ate our sandwiches on rolls with Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce.

We got about 8 servings out of this recipe. The day after, we sauted peppers and onions, heated the meat and made fajitas. We added shredded cheddar, the left over guacamole and made a salsa of chopped tomatoes and cilantro. They were tasty and all Greg's idea!