Makeit Simple! -- CrockPotting

I LOVE to use my crock pot!!!  Even when just throwing food in it to cook and blend together, rarely does it come out “icky!”  That encourages me to be even more creative…and bold.

For example, I decided to crock pot my two skinless, boneless chicken breasts.  There they were.  In the crock pot, cooking from a frozen state.  Pale and…well…lifeless.  Which, in retrospect, is good for those times when you’re cooking something…don’t want anything flopping around in there – “Let me out!  Let me out”  But I digress….

How to spruce up my chicken?  I was going for the spice cabinet, but I always use the same old spices in the same old way.  Hmmmmmmmmmm…?

Well, hey, I’ve been freezing pulp from my juicer.  Rummaged through the freezer and found a few small bags.  Hmmm…this is a dark red…wonder what it is.  Opened the bag and took a taste…hmmmm…no clue.  But it has to be pulp from some kind of fruit…into the crock pot it went.

Then I thought about the small red potatoes I have in the refrigerator.  Grabbed a few, washed, halved and threw ‘em in the crock pot.  Carrots?  Sure!  Why not?  There are three Roma tomatoes just sitting in the crisper.  Removed those “cores” where the stem attaches and added them…didn’t cut them up, just put them in whole.  Don’t know whether that will work or not…we’ll see!

Now, I’m big on getting a lot of fresh veggies and then freezing them.  I found a bag of frozen onion pieces and green pepper “hunks.”  Ever since passing 50 years of age, I have difficulty eating green peppers in food.  I love them, but my body doesn’t.  So I compromise.  The veggie “chunks” are for the flavor, but I don’t have to eat them.  Crock pot!

Okay!  I’m starting to loosen up here and my freezer door is open!  Frozen asparagus spears!  Frozen broccoli!  AH!  A hunk of frozen pineapple from the ones I use to make morning smoothies!  FROZEN BANANAS!  Nah…bananas are a little over-the-top, even for me!

Herbs.  I usually have a small herb garden on my patio.  Last time, I dried basil and parsley when the season was over.  Took some of both, pulverized between my fingers, and sprinkled it in.

One of the big pluses about this is that it is Gluten-free.  There seems to be more and more research tying MS (and other diseases) to Gluten.  I truly do feel better when I can cut out the Gluten, but that's not an easy task.  Read labels--it's in EVERYTHING!  But that subject is for another blog on another day!

Now to let the whole Megillah* cook and simmer and blend.  I don’t want to be premature, but it smells heavenly so far!

(*in honor of Purim last week!)

Makeit Simple - Potato, Beef, Celery Soup

* Grandmother’s Potato, Beef, Celery Soup

3-4 lb Rump Roast

1 large bunch of celery (keep leaves)

6 large Idaho baking potatoes

Put the roast in the oven and keep adding water in the roasting pan so you get a significant amount of broth.

Dice up the potatoes.  (Grandmother always left the skins on the potatoes because she said there were lots of good things in the skins.)

Chop up the bunch of celery.

When the roast is done, pour the broth into your crock pot, add water if you don’t have enough broth.  Add the chopped potatoes and chopped up celery. 

Season with Basil, Parsley, and Sage (to taste); add salt and ground pepper.

Slice some of the beef and keep those slices for sandwiches.  Chop the rest of the roast beef into small chunks and add to soup stock.

Turn the crock pot on high for two hours, then reduce it to low for two more hours.

You should have an excellent pot of German potato, beef, and celery soup.

NOTE:  This fills a 6-quart crock pot.  If using a smaller slow cooker, halve recipe.

*This recipe came from one of my closest friends.  THANKS, Janie!  This is sooooo GOOD!