Trying out 3 recipes with my new slow cooker

So in my attempt to eat healthier/eat out less/cook more, I ordered a Crock Pot from www.crock-pot.com that arrived this past Friday. (Trivia: A Crock Pot and a slow cooker are the same thing; the name “Crock Pot” is a trademark owned by the company Rival so other manufacturers can’t use that branding.)

I was very excited to get it and boy is it huge!  It’s a 5-quart Crock Pot and I didn’t realize it would be so big since most slow cookers I saw came in 5 or 6 quarts.  I guess the average slow cooker owner cooks for a family.  It’s just me and Tim here, but fortunately, we both eat a lot so it’s not a big deal.

The first thing I made was cornish game hen because Ralphs had them on sale and the recipe was very easy.

Two small cornish hens in my slow cooker

The hens were covered in a lot of garlic

After cooking for about 7 hours, the hens turned out very tender and the meat was falling off the bone.  However, I think the recipe was just too basic for my taste and though it wasn’t bad, there really was nothing special about how the chicken ended up tasting.  It reminded me of the cooked rotisserie chicken you would buy from the supermarket that comes in a little plastic bag.  I would not make this again.

The next day, Tim made a chili with chicken breast, ground beef, and tons of different kinds of hot peppers.  He won’t tell me the exact recipe, but it was delicious!  I had two large bowls with sour cream and chives. Mmm!  Next time, Tim is going to put in beans.  He didn’t this time because he knows I don’t really like beans, but I’m confident that I would still like this chili even with beans in it.

Right now, I’m making a beef stew curry and it smells so good already!

You can only see the top layer here

Ginger, Jalapenos, Garlic, and Tomatoes

The bottom layer is made of onions, then topped with chunks of browned and seasoned beef, and finally a mixture of ginger, garlic, jalapeno peppers, and diced tomatoes.  There’s also curry powder and beef broth in there.  Now this definitely is more according to my tastes and I can’t wait to have it for dinner tomorrow!  I’m cooking it overnight to save time in the morning.  I’ll just pop it in the fridge before I leave for work and then we’ll heat it up and devour it with some rice mmm-yum!

Well, if you’re interested, here are 2 of the recipes:

Crock Pot Cornish Hens
Found at: www.crockpotrecipes101.com

2 cornish hens
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
Salt

Season hens with lemon pepper, salt, and sprinkle with minced garlic. Pour chicken broth in crockpot and care- fully set hens into the broth. Cook all day on low (I did 7 hours). Serve with rice if desired.

Spicy Beef Curry Stew for the Slow Cooker
Found at www.allrecipes.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound beef stew meat
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 onion, sliced and quartered
1 cup beef broth

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown the beef on all sides. Remove from skillet, reserving juices, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in the skillet for 2 minutes, until tender, and season with curry powder. Mix in the diced tomatoes and juice.
2. Place the onion in the bottom of a slow cooker, and layer with the browned beef. Scoop the skillet mixture into the slow cooker, and mix in the beef broth.
3. Cover, and cook 6 to 8 hours on Low.

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