Creamy Potato Soup in the Crockpot

I know this probably gets old, but I really love soups, and my crockpot. I've used the crockpot the majority of the time these last two weeks (for meals, and my dulce de leche). I mentioned this soup back in my early blogging days, in this post, but it's so yummy that it really deserves its own post.

I made this recipe on Friday when I came into some free half-and-half. (A combo of the half-and-half getting ready to expire, and a handy coupon at the store). I already had bacon, and I always have potatoes on hand, so I gave it a go! We had asked our friend to babysit the kids that night, and she had it for dinner too, and LOVED it! If I teach her how to make this, she will teach me how to make some authentic caldo verde.

(I recently made this again in April 2012 and took new pictures.  I also experimented with using store-bought (unsweetened!) almond milk in place of some of the half-and-half and LOVED it!  So smooth and silky.  I used 2/3 cup cream, 1 1/3 cup almond milk.)

Creamy Potato Soup in the Crockpot
adapted from Allrecipes.com

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth/stock
5 large potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1) Place the bacon and onions in a large slow cooker, and stir in chicken stock/broth, water (use if needed to mostly cover potatoes), potatoes, salt, dill weed, and white pepper. Cover, and cook on Low 6 to 7 hours, stirring occasionally.  During cooking, if you find too much liquid has evaporated, add another cup or so of water or broth. 

2) In a small bowl, or 4-cup glass measure, whisk together the flour and half-and-half. Stir into the soup along with the evaporated milk. Cover, and cook another 30 minutes before serving, whisking occasionally. If not thickened enough after 30 minutes, increase heat to High. Taste, and add extra salt if needed.

Note: Sometimes I leave the bacon out and use it as a garnish at the end; it stays crisp this way. It's good to have cooking in the soup too, though, for added flavor. I've divided it up half and half before; half for the soup, half for a garnish.

Note 2: To improve flavor and speed up the cooking process, I sometimes cook the onions in a skillet w/olive oil prior to putting them in the crockpot. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Portuguese Sweet Bread French Toast

There is a wonderful kind of sweet yeast bread available here- massa sovada. It's a round, sweet, eggy and fluffy loaf, similar to King's Hawaiian Bread you can buy in the States. (Actually, King's Hawaiian bread was inspired by Portuguese sweet bread.)

One of the first things we bought when we arrived here last year was a loaf of massa sovada. We had it toasted and buttered for breakfast. That was some good stuff! Once, when talking to a Portuguese friend, I said "I just love massa sovada- I bet it makes great French toast!" He just laughed like I was joking, and said "You're so funny!"- after all, this was Portuguese bread, not French! He thought I was trying to make a joke. Sometimes, the language barrier makes joking difficult. :) I tried to explain what I meant, but it was too late- he was too busy laughing at the idea of "french" toast. (The whole thing was pretty funny).

I've made french toast out of this wonderful bread many times, but finally took pictures this morning when we had it again. The texture of the bread makes it wonderful for french toast. I bought a loaf last night, so that by this morning, it was a tiny bit dry- perfect!

I just prepared this french toast like normal, run-of-the-mill french toast, and I estimated on things, so bear with me. We had it with yummy Vermont maple syrup, and local butter.

Portuguese Sweet Bread French Toast
by What a Dish!

1 round loaf (roughly 1 pound) Portuguese sweet bread or Hawaiian bread, cut into slices

4-6 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar
vanilla extract, to taste
almond extract, to taste, optional

dash cinnamon

butter or cooking spray, for greasing griddle

Butter and powdered sugar, or syrup, for serving

1.  Preheat a large skillet, or counter-top griddle to medium-high heat and spread with butter, or spray with cooking spray. In a large, shallow bowl, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon together. Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture, wetting both sides, and places on skillet or griddle. Cook on one side a few minutes, until browned enough, and flip and cook the other side. Serve with butter and powdered sugar, or syrup.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Mom's Old Republic Chili

Here's another chili recipe.... this one is different though, and very, very good! I love soups and love using my slow cooker, so I adapted this chili recipe to the slow cooker. It's my Mom's recipe, and she won a chili cook-off with it! It's a very meaty, manly recipe, but it seems to be popular with everyone.

If making this for a group, the large amount of meat and beans would be good, but since I was making it for just my family, I reduced the beef to one pound, and the bacon to a half-pound. I also used 2 cans of beans instead of 3, and one of those cans was a can of pink beans. I also used diced tomatoes instead of whole. For the bouillon, I used Trader Joe's condensed beef broth packet. Better than Bouillon would work, too.

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Mom's Old Republic Chili

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1 lb. bacon, diced

3 Tbsp. reserved bacon drippings

2 lb. beef stew meat or round steak, cut into cubes

2 medium onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup bottled barbecue sauce

1 cup tomato chili sauce

1/2 cup honey

3 (15-16 oz.) cans whole tomatoes, chopped

1 beef bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

3 (16 oz.) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Shredded Cheddar cheese, for garnish

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For slow cooker method: In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings. Brown beef cubes, onions and garlic in drippings. Move meat, onions and garlic to a large slow cooker. Set heat to "Low". Add all of the remaining ingredients, except cheese. Cover and cook on "Low" for about 8 hours. Top each serving with Cheddar cheese. Yield: 4 quarts.

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For stove top: In a large Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings. Brown beef cubes in drippings. Add onions and garlic, cooking until onions are soft. Return bacon to pot. Add all the remaining ingredients, except beans and cheese. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until beef is tender, about 3-4 hours. Add beans and heat through. Top each serving with Cheddar cheese. Yield: 4 quarts.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

The Obsession Continues- Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche

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Actually, the obsession is getting totally sweeted out. You would be too, if you tried to make 3 batches of Dulce de Leche in a week. I had to make three, because the first two didn't work out for me. I had the thought to look online for a slow-cooker recipe for Dulce de Leche (DDL). There were recipes (methods, really) online! I was excited to try it out. The first recipe I attempted called for 4 cups of milk, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and a pinch of baking soda. The milk remained mostly white all day, even after cooking for longer than specified. It thickened a little. Finally, I got so tired of waiting for it that I just put it in a jar in the fridge. In the morning, I realized that I had made sweetened condensed milk in the slow cooker, not dulce de leche. So I used the David Lebovitz method I mentioned earlier, here, to make it into Dulce de Leche, and it was pretty good. It has that distinct DDL taste, but the texture (solid but not really smooth) could use some help.

I wanted to try making true DDL in the slow cooker, so I tried a second time, with a new recipe, calling for 4 cups of milk, 2 cups of sugar, and a teaspoon of baking soda. I figured, hey, since the other one hardly browned at all, and I was impatient waiting for it, I'd cook it in the slow cooker overnight. Well, that was a mistake. In the morning, I awoke to a burned, foaming mass. I cooled it, blended it, and jarred it. It didn't really taste like DDL and it got terribly gritty after being stored in the fridge for just a few days. The grittiness is kind of gross- I'm not sure what to do with it all.
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For my third attempt, I used the same recipe as the second attempt, but I tried it during daylight hours, so I could keep an eye on it. It started foaming and turning brown around the 7-8 hour mark. It thickened a little too, but it didn't get so thick that it solidified in the fridge, like the canned Dulce de Leche. It has a way better flavor than the second batch, and the texture isn't gritty. I'm glad I was able to make Dulce de Leche from scratch, and not have to stand at the stove forever, but..... I prefer the taste and texture of Dulce de Leche made from a can of sweetened condensed milk better. (Blushing) I have yet to make it from scratch on the stove, and I do want to try that out sometime. Not for a long, long time, though. We have enough Dulce de Leche to last us quite a while!
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Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche
from grouprecipes.com

-4 cups (1 liter) whole cow's milk
-2 cup (500mL) fine granulated white sugar
-1 vanilla bean, split in two OR 1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) -- this is needed for a complete browning--google "Maillard reaction"
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1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker, whisking well to dissolve the sugar.
2. Cook UNCOVERED! on high about 10 hours. (I whisked occasionaly). Stir and scrape the sides during the last few hours. Let cool about 30 minutes.
3. When finished, put in wide-mouthed jars or other sealed container and store in the fridge until use.**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I found this recipe a while ago, and I don't remember how. It's one that I made often when I first discovered it, but I haven't made it lately. I decided to try this recipe again last night, with chicken tacos. These tortillas are fun to make, and pretty easy. I'm not able to make my tortillas as pretty as the original blogger's, or some of my blogging friends, but maybe I just need more practice.

These turn out thick for me, and they're good like that. (I do wish I could get them a tiny bit thinner, but I'm happy with them anyway). I have Homesick Texan to thank for this recipe. The only thing I changed about the original recipe was to include some whole wheat pastry flour.

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Flour Tortillas
Makes 8 tortillas

1-1/2c all-purpose flour
1/2c whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
2tsp of canola oil
3/4c warm milk

1) Mix together the flours, baking powder, salt and oil.
2) Slowly add the warm milk.
3) Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
4) Knead for 2 minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
5) Place dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
6) Divide dough into 8 sections & roll them into balls. Place on a plate, not touching each other, and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest or it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
7) After dough has rested, place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll it out, like you would a pie crust, until it’s thin and about 8” in diameter. Don’t over work the dough. Keep covered until ready to cook.
8) In a dry cast-iron skillet heated on high, cook the tortillas about thirty seconds on each side. They should start to puff a bit when they’re done.
9) Keep cooked tortillas covered, in a paper towel until ready to eat.

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**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Simple Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I love soups, stews, and chowders, especially in the fall and winter. I also love the ease of using my crockpot. I looked at a few slow-cooker beef stew recipes, but none seemed to be what I wanted, so I made up my own very simple recipe. For extra flavor, I browned the meat first on the stove, then de-glazed the pan with beef broth. I didn't add any salt to this recipe, because the beef broth contained enough salt; salt to taste, if you need to.

BTW, it's not a good idea to hold a crockpot full of this (hot) beef stew, or any other hot liquid, on your lap in the car while your husband drives the fam to a potluck. Especially if there are any traffic circles on the way.

Simple Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Recipe by What A Dish!

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat (cut into chunks- I buy mine pre-cut)

1/2 cup flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove minced

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 lbs chopped potatoes

4 cups beef broth broth

fresh-ground pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cold water
1-2 cups frozen peas, optional (see photo below)

1.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook onion for a few minutes in the skillet. Move onions to slow cooker.

2.  Meanwhile, put 1/2 cup flour into a large shallow bowl, and dredge the beef cubes in it. Cook the beef in the skillet until browned on all sides (may need to add a little more oil). Place beef in slow cooker.
3.  Return the skillet to the heat, and add a few tablespoons of the beef broth to it. Scrape up any brown bits with a spoon or spatula. Add this liquid to the slow cooker. Add garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, the rest of the broth, and black pepper to the slow cooker.

4.  Cover, and cook on "low" for 7-8 hours. About an 30-60 minutes before you want to eat, turn the slow cooker to "high".  Combine the cold water and 3 TBS of flour (shake in a jar until no lumps remain). Whisk this mixture into the slow cooker to thicken the stew. Continue cooking until thickened.  Taste, and add more pepper, and some salt, if needed.  Add peas, if using, and let warm through for a few minutes.

 

 

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Narnia Party

A few years ago, when the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came out on DVD, our family had a "Narnia Party" as we watched the movie, with lots of wintry white food, including Turkish Delights, like they ate in the film. (Although we subbed Aplets and Cotlets for those).

We meant to have a Narnia party every year, but this last Friday was only the second one we've had. It was fun, too! We watched the movie while eating stove-popped popcorn with butter, white cheddar Cheezits, Sargento's new white cheddar snowflakes, white mini marshamllows, more Aplets and Cotlets, "snowy" Chex Muddy Buddies, and Garlic White Cheese Bread. I used this recipe, and used white flour for the crust.

The party was a huge success, and the kids loved it! They got to eat in front of the TV, which is a treat for them. The Muddy Buddies were the most popular item, I think! (Sometimes, you just gotta have a carb-fest). Chex Muddy Buddies

from www.chex.com

9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® cereal (or combination)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used natural pb)
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. (Or, just melt everything in a saucepan on the stove.)  Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. (I skipped the bag and did everything in a huge bowl).

3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. (Or just stir gently in large bowl). Spread on waxed paper to cool. (I skipped the wax paper, also). Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **