Meals for Family: Slow Cooker Meats

Plum Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground allspice
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed $
Cooking spray
1 (9.3-ounce) jar plum sauce
1/2 cup water
2 plums, each cut into 6 wedges $
Preparation

Combine cinnamon and allspice; rub over pork. Place pork in a 5-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Pour plum sauce over pork; add 1/2 cup water and plum wedges. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or until tender. Serve pork with sauce.

Ingredient Tip: Ripe plums yield slightly to the touch, but don't squeeze them. Let the fruit sit in your palm. It should give a little. If you buy firm fruit, don't put it in the refrigerator or the kitchen window--put it in a paper bag in a dark place for a day or two to ripen.


Chicken Thighs with Olives and Tomato Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
12 chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), skinned $
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil $
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine $
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained $
1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preparation

1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place chicken in an electric slow cooker. Add garlic to pan, and sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 30 seconds. Place wine mixture in cooker. Add tomato paste, crushed red pepper, and tomatoes to cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, olives, and parsley.
Note:
Add capers along with the olives, parsley, and seasoning for a more briny flavor, if you like. The parsley goes in last to keep its flavor and color intense.


Buffalo-Style Drummettes with Blue Cheese Dip
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 pounds chicken wing drummettes, skinned (30 drummettes)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup thick hot sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
Blue Cheese Dip $
30 carrot sticks
30 celery sticks
Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Line a jelly-roll pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray. Place chicken on prepared pan; sprinkle with pepper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 450° for 7 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Combine hot sauce and next 3 ingredients (through garlic) in an oval 4-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
4. Remove chicken from pan; drain on paper towels. Place chicken in slow cooker, tossing gently to coat with sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or until chicken is very tender. Serve with Blue Cheese Dip, carrot sticks, and celery sticks.


Mediterranean Chicken
Ingredients
1 small lemon
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped onion $
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved (12 olives)
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped $
12 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), skinned $
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil $
Chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Preparation

1. Grate rind and squeeze juice from lemon to measure 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon, respectively. Place lemon rind in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Combine lemon juice, onion, and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes) in a 5-quart electric slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Place half of chicken in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place chicken in slow cooker. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or until chicken is done.
3. Place chicken thighs on plates. Stir reserved lemon rind into sauce. Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with rosemary and parsley, if desired.

Flavor Tip: Piquant, sharp, and tangy are just a few words to describe capers. Use capers sparingly to infuse sauces, salads, pizzas, dressings, and pasta or vegetable dishes with flavor.

Note: Use capers sparingly.


White Bean and Chicken Chili
Ingredients
2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 whole bone-in chicken breasts (3 lb.)
teaspoon salt and black pepper
2 onions, chopped $
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (4 oz.) cans roasted green chilies, drained
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Preparation

Place beans and broth in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until beans are tender, 2 hours.
Warm oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken skin side down in skillet; cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate; remove and discard skin. Drain all but 2 Tbsp. fat from skillet. Add onions and garlic; cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add onion mixture, chilies, 1 cup water and cumin to slow cooker. Stir; add chicken.
Cook on low for 6 hours, stirring twice. Remove 1 cup beans plus 1/2 cup liquid from slow cooker. Puree in a blender; return to slow cooker. Remove chicken, shred it and return to slow cooker. Spoon into individual bowls and serve.


Thai Red Curry Beef
Ingredients
2 pounds lean beef stew meat
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely chopped onion (1 onion) $
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup lower-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice $
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk $
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
4 cups hot cooked jasmine rice
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain. Place beef in a 4-quart electric slow cooker; sprinkle with salt.
2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Spoon onion mixture over beef. Combine beef broth and next 6 ingredients (through jalapeño); pour over beef. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
3. Stir in spinach. Cover and cook on LOW for 15 minutes or just until spinach wilts. Serve beef mixture over rice; sprinkle with basil leaves.


Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken
Ingredients
24 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts $
3/4 cup barbecue sauce $
1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian dressing
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
Preparation

1. Put chicken in slow cooker. In a bowl, combine barbecue sauce, dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and chicken broth. Stir into sauce in slow cooker, cover and cook until sauce is thickened and heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to cooker, stir, cover and continue cooking on low for 45 minutes. Serve chicken on whole-grain buns, over brown rice or with baked potatoes if you like.