Meal #9: Spiced Apple Pork Tenderlion

I never realized what a crock pot junkie I was until I started documenting these recipes. Crock pots are the perfect Fall Kitchen small appliance. In the summer it is the grill...however the cool, dark Autumn nights lend for slow, easy cooking.

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin

1 cup apple juice

1 cup chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup apple butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

All spice

Cinnamon

Pepper

Kosher salt

Directions:

In a crock pot, combine tenderloin, onion, apple juice, and chicken broth. Season meat with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours, minimum.

Prior to serving, preheat oven to 350. Place pork tenderloin, onion, and some of the juices into a glass baking dish. Combine the apple butter, brown sugar, all spice, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a bowl. Glaze over the top of pork tenderloin. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until it caramelizes.

Meal #8: Herbed Pot Roast

Haha! Can't help but laugh at the title of this one.

Well, I still have not been to the grocery store to do a major shopping.

I went for beer and milk the other day. Staples!

I was a little bored with the crock pot and decided to try a roast in the oven.

I had many fresh herbs on hand and decided to take an

alternative approach to my traditional pot roast.

Herbed Pot Roast

Ingredients

1 lb chuck roast

2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

garlic

garlic powder

pepper

Sage, fresh

Cilantro, fresh

Thyme, fresh

Gourmet Garden Italian Herb Blend paste - found in produce section

1 can cream of celery soup

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Place the onions in the bottom of a small roasting pan. Take the fresh garlic and smash 4 cloves open with the back of a spoon. Cut garlic into slivers. Pierce roast with the tip of a sharp knife. Put garlic slivers into the pockets. Start with one side of the roast. Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper. Place into pan on top of onions. Repeat process on the other side. However this time drizzle a little olive oil on top of roast. Then sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper and a generous amount of herb paste. Work the seasonings into the meat creating a rub. Spoon the Cream of Celery Soup around the meat. Place fresh herbs into the soup mixture. Top with tin foil and cover with lid. Bake in oven for 2.5 hours. Before serving remove the lid and tin foil. Turn on broiler and let the herbed top slightly crust. Remove any large pieces of fresh herbs from gravy before serving. The meat should be tender and flaky.

Serve pot roast over mashed potatoes and generously top with onion gravy.

Brussel sprouts (or any fresh, green vegetable) steamed and tossed with feta makes a light and bright companion to the flavorful meat.

Herbed pot roast may make you sleepy or cause unusual cravings. Be warned.

Meal #7: Crock Pot White Bean Chili

White Bean Chili is one of my favorites.

I have a white bean chili recipe that has been one of my favs for many years.

For the sake of convenience, I pulled out my crock pot this afternoon, modified it a bit, and then whipped up another easy dinner. Bonus: a girlfriend of ours brought us a ton of chilies and other peppers from her garden! You can't beat homegrown, fresh veggies!

White Bean Chili

Ingredients

1/3 carton of reduced sodium chicken broth

2 15oz cans of navy beans, rinsed and drained

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 poblano pepper, diced

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 tbl. Minced garlic

1 tbl. cumin

2 tbl. chili powder

1 tbl. black pepper

Tabasco, Chipolte

Lime

Avocado: mashed with lime juice and a sprinkle of Kosher salt

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

In the crock pot: add the beans, chicken, peppers, onions, chicken stock and spices. Gently stir. Let cook for at least 2.5 hours. The longer you let the crock pot do its thing, the more the chicken will begin to fall apart. If necessary, pull the cooked chicken out and dice/shred then return to the crock pot before serving. Taste and season with Tabasco, lime juice, and cilantro. Stir well. Top each bowl with cheese, avocado, and more cilantro.

Serve with Corn bread.

Jalapeno and Cilantro Corn Bread

1 package Jiffy Corn Bread Mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

jalapeno, diced

fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all of the above ingredients. Pour into 9" ceramic dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with a bit of butter.

Meal #6: Fall Feast for Two

This combination is fantastically Fall.

The potatoes are a savory spin on traditional sweet potato recipes.

A must-try!

Harvest Cole Slaw

1/2 purple cabbage, roughly chopped

1/2 Honey Crisp apple, diced and tossed in lemon juice

1 handful Craisens

1/4-1/2 cup chunky bleu cheese dressing (preferably Marie's)

All spice seasoning

Cinnamon

Pepper

In a medium bowl, combine cabbage, apples, and Craisens. Toss and coat cabbage with bleu cheese dressing. Add a dash of all spice and a dash of cinnamon. Pepper to taste. Chill in fridge for 30-60 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Sage

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thin rounds

1/3 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

handful of fresh sage

beer

Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium skillet, fry whole sage leaves lightly in hot olive oil. Gently remove and drain on paper towel. Toss the garlic and potatoes into sage infused oil. Coat potatoes in oil and garlic. Saute in the same skillet until slightly browned. Place into a 9x13 glass baking dish in the oven. Sprinkle onion over potatoes. Deglaze pan with a splash of beer and pour over potatoes and onions. Bake until lightly golden brown. (I turned the broiler on at the end to caramelize even more.) Serve tossed with sage leaves and a little Kosher salt.

Breaded Pork Chops

Ingredients

2 pork chops, abt 1"

1 egg

milk

Italian bread crumbs

All-spice

Directions

Beat the egg and a splash of milk in a shallow dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs in another bowl. Dredge both side of pork chop in egg mixture, season with all-spice on both sides. Coat in breadcrumbs. Take one pork chop and place in the same skillet that the potatoes were sauteed in. Brown in skillet for about 2 minutes per side. Place pork chops into dish with potatoes. Place into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

Meal #5: Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Well...it is another SOUPER Sunday! I typically go grocery shopping on Sundays, but my fridge and freezer are still stocked with healthy goodies to create new recipes with!

I love using the crock pot to create no fuss, simple meals that required little prep work and clean up. I am stealing this recipe from my girlfriend's new wellness and nutrition blog - Salootay. I am a firm believer that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, especially when it comes to sharing recipes!

I am paring down the volume of the liquid in this soup, as we do not need as many servings, however the basics are the same. I only added one can of crushed tomatoes, 3/4 of a carton of reduced sodium chicken broth, and only one pound chicken tenderloins. I added a dash of garlic powder...well because I am an over-doctorer. As well as a diced green pepper and a handful of diced baby portabellas, simply because I had the extra produce on hand. A can of drained and rinsed black beans would also be a nice addition and add a little more protein and fiber. I am an advocate of finding a recipe that sounds like you would love and tweaking it to make it your own. If you do not have all of the items in your fridge or pantry, it is possible to recreate the recipe as long as the staples remain the same.

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

courtesy of Chris Carrington

Ingredients~

• 1-1.25 lbs organic boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 large cans crushed tomatoes (I try and buy low sodium)
• 1 carton low sodium chicken broth
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 10-12 white corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 2-3 limes
• 2 avocados
• 2 TBSP Mexican Style Chili Powder
• 1 TBSP Cumin
• shredded monterey jack cheese (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Process~

• Pour the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes into a crock pot
• Add the diced onions, some chopped cilantro and spices and mix well
• Place the chicken breast in the liquid
• Cover and set on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 4 hours
• After it has cooked for the time above, pull out the chicken and shred with a fork.
• Place back in the crock pot.
• Add the white corn tortilla strips to the soup, cover and let it cook another 10-15 minutes
• When ready to serve, top each serving with some diced avocado, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The pepper jack cheese is optional.

**if you prefer a more soupy consistency, you can add more chick broth**

Meal #4: The Great Pumpkin....Chili?

Okay. I did not tell anyone that there was pumpkin the in the chili when I served it for the fear that the first reaction would be....weird!?!

However, the combination was rustic and creamy with a hit of...pumpkin! Pumpkin and sage pair well together and the splash of dark beer leaves the taster pleasantly pleased with the meal. It has a little something special that they just can't put their finger on.

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients

1 16oz black beans, drained and rinsed

1 16oz Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 16oz chili beans, do not drain or rinse

one 16oz corn, drained and rinsed

1/2 15oz can pureed pumpkin

1 small onion, diced

All-Spice

Cinnamon

garlic powder

onion powder

chili powder

Tabasco, Chipotle

fresh sage, chopped

beer (Fat Tire 1554, in this recipe)

Directions

In a crock pot, combine all of the beans, corn, and onion. Mix well. Then add a half can of pumpkin. Add a dash or two of All-spice, cinnamon, garlic and onion powder. Add a generous amount of chili powder. Again mix well. As the chili begins to warm throughout, taste and season as needed. I like to add a good amount of Tabasco for heat and about a cup of beer to the chili towards the end of cooking. Season with fresh sage. Total time in crock 1.5-2 hours or more.

Pumpkin Corn Bread

Ingredients

1 package Jiffy Corn Bread mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/2 can pumpkin

brown sugar

cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, combine the all of the above ingredients. Pour batter into a 9' ceramic or glass pie pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with melted butter over the top, if desired.

#3 Meal: My Big, Fat, Greek Dinner

Rotisserie chicken from the deli is a great item to have on hand for the basis of an easy dinner. I picked up a Lemon-Pepper chicken from Publix for $4.99. Mediterranean-esque side items compliment the lemon-pepper marinade.

Greek Cole Slaw

Ingredients

1/2 red cabbage, chopped into small, rough pieces

1 small cucumber, loosely peeled and diced (seeds removed)

2 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1/4-1/2 cup Greek vinaigrette (Marie's)

lemon

pepper

oregano

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine cabbage, cucumber, and feta. Toss with dressing until all cabbage is lightly coated. Add a generous amount of pepper and a dash of oregano along with the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Stir well and let sit in fridge for 30-60 minutes.

Warm chicken in the oven, topped with remaining lemon juice. Serve with sauteed spinach tossed lightly with olive oil and Kosher salt. Add a pepperocini for a little bite!

Meal #2: Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup

Today is a Sunday and it is dreary and cool outside.

Perfect soup weather!

I had package of kale in the fridge and had already made some chips with it. (If you haven't tried kale chips...you should...they are very yummy and nutritious too.) I decided to use the remaining kale to make a hearty soup.

Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian style ground sausage

32 oz. reduced sodium chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

1 portobello mushroom cap, chopped

2 cans Northern beans, rinsed and drained

4 large handfuls of fresh kale, chopped

Tabasco, Chipotle style

Crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

olive oil

Directions

In a large stock pot, drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom. Brown the sausage and break into smaller pieces. Add the onion and mushroom, then saute. Add the chicken broth and beans, then bring to a boil. Season to taste. Add the kale. Put on the lid and turn heat to simmer. You want the kale to break down and for the soup to thicken. Taste the broth to ensure that it is perfectly spicy. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve with a piece of crusty bread.

$138 - 14 Meal Challenge

I love going to the grocery store! I always try and shop very budget-consciously. My bill is usually around $100 for the week and I typically save at least a 1/3. Today I went grocery shopping and spent $138. I was a little mad at myself....then I realized I had 14 plus meals, as well as paper towels, diapers and other bigger ticket items. It inspired me to blog about it. Stay tuned to see how far I can stretch that dollar over the next 2 weeks!

I try and choose healthy, simple recipes. I can guarantee there will be a cheat meal here and there! However, we all need to keep items on hand to feed hungry mouths quickly!

Whenever I see that Publix has their brand pizzas on sale, I will pick up one or two. For $3.99, you have an easy lunch or dinner. A good idea is to keep a plain, cheese pizza in your freezer. Top it with whatever you have in the fridge. I love pears, goat cheese, and prosciutto. Voila! A quick gourmet pizza that does not break the bank!

Meal #1: Plain cheese pizza topped with whatever ingredients that you have on hand to create your own specialty za!