Stephanie O'Dea's Blog, page 25

Basic Overnight Oatmeal Slow Cooker Recipe

We've hit September, which means school is back in session and it's early mornings and kids who need to be fed something (hopefully) substantial before leaving the house.



I've gotten a few emails about overnight oatmeal, and I've been experimenting. Because of the way the Internet is, I've figured out a VERY BASIC overnight oatmeal --- the oats are regular rolled and not "fancy" steel cut, and the oats are cooked in water, not milk.



If you want to change-up the water for cow's milk, or almond milk, or hemp, soy, coconut, lactaid, fairy, or unicorn milk: go for it! 



but water works, too!



The Ingredients:

serves 4-6



2 cups rolled old-fashioned oats (NOT quick cook) (I use certified gluten free oats)

4 1/2 cups water (or liquid equivalent)



The Directions.



Use a prepared (that's coated in cooking spray or butter) 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a 6-quart, increase the quantities by 50%. You can freeze the leftovers in little sandwich bags, if you'd like.



Put the oats into your slow cooker and stir in the water. Cover, and cook on low for 7 hours.



Stir in the morning.



The result is creamy, bland, tasteless oatmeal. You can add stuff at the table: honey, sliced fruit, brown sugar, etc.



WHAT MY KIDS LIKE:



2 cups rolled oats

4 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix (1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 nutmeg, 1/8 cloves)

2 small granny smith apples, diced (I leave on the skin because I'm terribly lazy)



In the morning they sprinkle on a bit more cinnamon and they like sliced bananas, too. What they'd REALLY like is for me to let them add brown sugar, but I don't.



because I'm terribly mean, too.



The Verdict.



The rolled oats disappear and become porridge-like. There is no longer a chew to the oats --- my kids like this a lot because it's the most similar to the little packets of sugar-laden oatmeal.

This is a very easy way to get a hot breakfast on a busy morning. 



I played around with the timing for those who don't have a programmable slow cooker, and if you do low for 7 hours you will be just fine. If you sleep longer (I'm jealous), it'll just get a bit dried out on the edges, but you can easily fix that by stirring in some milk.



Enjoy!!



New on Totally Together: The Art of Saying NO






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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

Introducing: 365 Slow Cooker Suppers Cookbook

I've been working on a new cookbook, and I'm happy to announce that it will be available in bookstores everywhere this September 24.



This was a tough book to write --- it has been a 3 year process to recipe develop and test 365 brand new dinner recipes. A few that appear in the book have been showcased on the site, but my contract stipulates that only 10% of the book content can go online.



And there are PICTURES!!



don't worry. I didn't take them.



Tara Donne, a fabulous food photographer, was in charge, and I just couldn't be any more pleased. The food looks FANTASTIC, but it was all made in a slow cooker (no funny food prep, my directions were followed) and to boot, all the food was photographed using gluten free ingredients, since Tara (and my editor) both just-so-happen to be gluten free.



I think you're really going to like this one. Some of the recipes from the book that you'll recognize are:

Not Your Mother's Meatballs

Matzo Ball Soup

Korean Soft Tacos





But there are tons of others that I'm sure will be a new regular in your meal plan rotation, such as:

Honey-Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Barbacoa Beef

Snowy Brisket with Baked Sweet Potatoes

Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin with Mustard

Roasted Grape and Goat Cheese Sweet Potato Bake



I stuck to all main dishes for this book because while it's certainly a ton of fun to make cheesecake and greek yogurt, most people still really need good, solid, tried-and-true dinner recipes.



I've broken the recipes into chapters: Soups & Stews, Beans, Poultry, Beef & Lamb, Pork, Sandwiches, Meatless, and Fish & Seafood. There is also a full index.



Thank you for your support, and for your kindness these past five years. I never, ever, could have imagined that I'd be able to play with my crockpot everyday and consider it work.



Thank you.



I am working with the publicity team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to help "get the word out" about this new book. I'm happy to learn that Sam's club and Costco will be stocking copies, but I'm not sure which regions.



If you'd like to help with publicity, I'd love to hear from you --- I am certainly open to any and all ideas! I wish I had the foresight to take a marketing class instead of so much English Lit in school!!



If you are a blogger and would like a review copy, please email me at steph AT stephanieodea.com.



If you are out and about in a place that sells books, it would very much be helpful if you could mention my name and the book title to a manager.



And of course, this book will make an excellent gift to anyone on your Holiday list! If you'd like a signed bookplate, I will send one your way! Just email me.



Thank you again, and happy slow cooking!!


















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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

I've got two out of three kids with new orthodontic work --- my eldest got braces a week ago, and her younger sister had a palate expander inserted yesterday (that expander thing kind of creeps me out).



This means we are eating an awful lot of soft food.



Garlic mashed potatoes were requested, and I was on a mission to see if I could make the whole dish directly in the slow cooker, without having to boil water or pull out a colander.



It worked! You're going to love these potatoes ---- the garlic roasts along with the potatoes in the cooker in a bit of chicken broth, then gets mashed right on in with both cream and Parmesan cheeses.



The Ingredients.

serves 8-10

 

5 pounds red potatoes, mostly skinned and quartered

20 cloves of garlic, peeled (about 2 heads)

1 cup chicken broth (you can use vegetable)

1/2 block (4 ounces) of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

(salt to taste if needed at the table)



 The Directions.



Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the peeled and quartered potatoes into an empty slow cooker. I left the skin on a few of the potatoes for added color and texture; it's completely up to you. Toss in the garlic cloves. Pour in chicken or vegetable broth. Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.



Check the potato doneness with a fork. The potato piece should slide right off, and the garlic should be a golden brown and pretty shiny. If you have a LOT of liquid in the bottom of the crock, you  might want to drain a bit of it out. I only ended up with what looked like a 1/4 cup or so accumulated (I used the Ninja Cooking System).



Add the cream cheese to the pot, and use an immersible hand blender to mash the potatoes, or you can use a whisk or potato masher if you'd like a chunkier finished product. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Salt to taste, if necessary, at the table.





The Verdict.



Delicious, creamy, and garlicky. The garlic is roasted, so the flavor is mellow and slightly nutty. There isn't any heat or bite from the garlic whatsoever, it's incredibly smooth. We brought this to a friend's house for dinner and it paired beautifully with oven roasted tri-tip and asparagus.



enjoy!





other garlicky goodness:

20-40 clove garlic chicken

roasted garlic

super duper garlic dip

roasted garlic spoonbread

honey garlic chicken

garlic baked potatoes

broccoli with roasted garlic and hazelnuts





we've got a giveaway for a new back-to-school backpack on Totally Together Journal, and LOTS of great prizes on the giveaway page!!.
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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glazed Corned Beef

Yesterday was Adam's birthday, and he requested corned beef. I've only cooked corned beef in the slow cooker since we've been married, but each time it's slightly different. Last night's dinner was better than perfect. 



The salty brine from the corned beef married beautifully with the glaze I made out of brown sugar, dijon mustard, molasses, and bourbon.



Super way yum.



The Ingredients.

serves 6 to 8



3 to 4 pounds corned beef (rinsed very very well)

and the enclosed seasoning packet

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons dijon mustard (prepared; not powdered)

1/4 cup bourbon (if you'd prefer, you can use apple juice)



The Directions.



Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I used my Ninja. Rinse your meat under running cold water to wash away as much of the salty brine as you can -- don't worry, the salt is infused in the meat and it will still taste salty to your tongue.



Place the roast into an empty slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, and pour the glaze over the top of your meat. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, flipping the meat over after about 5 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a nice green salad. 



The Verdict.



I can't wait for tonight's leftovers. You're really going to like this corned beef -- even my kid who isn't "really a fan" ate two helpings. If you've got a frozen package left over from the spring, thaw it out at least half-way before slow-cooking. The meat fibers are pretty tough, and it'll take 14 to 15 hours to cook on low if your meat is frozen.



It was a great birthday dinner, and I made a pretty-awesome-if-I-do-say-so-myself-and-I-do gluten free lemon cake for dessert. I'll write up the recipe; I promise. 



In the mean time:

here we are 20 years ago, on Adam's 17th birthday. This is the very first photo taken of us as a couple, and I love it to bits. We haven't aged much, right?! ;-)




 




I hope you're enjoying your summer!! Don't forget to check out the giveaway page for this week's great offers, and to order a new Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life planner. It begins again in September.






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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

Slow Cooker Baked Bean Round-Up

I blinked, and now it's July. It's full-on summer mode in our house, which means that any sort of schedule or sense of parental control has gone completely out the window. I was good for about a week --- I kept the TV off between 10 and 4 and we were outside more than in, and the kids were cooperating with me and each other.



it was blissful.



and then it ended.



I now have a sore throat from all the yelling...



We're trying to camp as many weekends as we can this summer. We're  not doing anything spectacular -- just staying close to home and testing out different campgrounds within an hour or two from the house. We are the proud new owners of a tiny pop-up tent trailer, and we love it. I must admit that I'm not the best camper in the world, but I'm really trying to get better. I love the idea of unplugging for a bit here and there, and I think it's important for the kids to get dirty and not freak out when they come across bugs. I'm acutely aware that I'm raising three girls, and am trying my hardest to expose them to as much as I can and foster self-sufficiency.



the best part of the pop-up? It has outlets. For the crockpot(s). A bit of comfort from home is not a bad thing, right?



Top 10 Baked Bean Recipes:



1. Bourbon Baked Beans



2. Potluck Beans



3. Boston Baked Beans



4. Lima Bean Casserole Cassoulet



5. Mexican Black Beans



6. Honey Lentils



7. Cowboy Beans



8. Barbecue Beans and Weenies



9. Baked Beans with Jalapeño and Apple



10. Baked Bean Soup



Have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July. Enjoy your family!!



other stuff:

 * lots of giveaways are happening on the Giveaway page!

* I wrote a freelance article on Potty Training for the What to Expect website

* there's nothing here. I just felt like I needed three asterisks. 







 




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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

"Eyes Closed" Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe

We are enjoying the second week of summer vacation in our house. I love having the kids home with me. I sometimes feel like I "lose" them during the school year --- their teachers' somehow seem more "in charge" than I do, and while I'm head-over-heels in love with our school district, I just really like having my kids home with me.



I'm on a Little House on the Prairie kick again. I've written about my Little House love here and here and here -- there's just something about summer that makes me itchy to re-read the series (not a fan of the tv show so much) and spend more time outside instead of in. Melissa, a friend on twitter, also shares my love for all things Little House and at her suggestion I have been enjoying Into The West on dvd, Beyond the Prairie, and The Wilder Life.



All my reading has meant that I've decided (yet again) that my kids really need to step it up and help more around the house. So they made dinner.



I've called this Pot Roast "Eyes Closed" because it's so simple a grownup could throw it together while still half-asleep, or a child could easily load the crockpot with minimal instruction. If you're not comfortable with sharp knifes, onion flakes could be used instead, or you could pre-slice the onion yourself.



The Ingredients.

serves 4-6



1 large onion, peeled and sliced into rings

2 to 3 pounds beef chuck or pot roast

1/4 cup prepared ketchup

2 tablespoons prepared A-1 steak sauce



The Directions.



Use a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker. Place the onion rings into the bottom of your cooker and separate the rings with your fingers. Place the meat on top of the rings. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup and A-1 sauce. Pour this mixture over the top.



If desired, you can rub this mixture into the meat with your fingers, or you can simply use kitchen tongs to flip the meat over a few times to get the meat nice and saucy (that's my choice, although my 11-year-old really enjoyed rubbing the sauce around and ended up with sauce up to her elbows....)



Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for about 6 hours. The meat should cut easily with a fork when it's time to serve. The longer you cook it, the more relaxed it will become. Serve with roasted sweet or brown potatoes and something green.



The Verdict.



I like sauces like this that are flavorful enough on their own that no extra seasoning is required. A-1 is pretty magical stuff--- it's got garlic and onion powder in it and is pretty salty -- you certainly don't need any added salt. Ketchup balances the A-1 with a sweetness that doesn't require any extra sugar. Definitely use the organic stuff if you're staying away from fructose sugars.

All 5 happily ate our dinner, and then the kids cleaned the kitchen. I'm pretty sure they grumbled much more than Laura and Mary ever would have, though...



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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

Citrus Glazed Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

I've labeled the above photo so you know what it is --- it's human food, I promise. I struggle with my food photography. I've taken classes, and know that I'm supposed to take the food out of the pot when it's a bit under-done or when it has just finished cooking.



I own lighting and a backdrop. I'm just now realizing that the little "wb" on my camera means white balance and what the different little symbols are supposed to do.



But I don't follow the rules I'm supposed to follow, and more often than not, I plate the food for the family before realizing that I have broken all the guidelines and I have YET AGAIN produced an ugly looking plate of food.



Yeeps. I'm sorry about that.



Instead, I can attest to the taste. This is a great citrus chicken -- the flavors are sweet but not candy-coated sweet, and the sauce isn't greasy. My three kids gobbled all of this up, and my husband took the leftovers to work for lunch the next day.



I used a 4-quart slow cooker because it was already out on the countertop. If you'd like to use a larger pot, increase the quantities by 1/3.



Enjoy!



Citrus Glazed Chicken.

serves 4-6

 










2 oranges, peeled and separated into segments
3 pounds chicken thighs (I use boneless/skinless, your choice)
1 onion, sliced in rings
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chili sauce (in the ketchup aisle)
1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the orange segments into the bottom of your cooker, and place the chicken directly on top, and add the onion rings. In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic, orange juice, chili sauce, soy sauce, molasses, ground mustard, ginger, and pepper. Whisk together and pour evenly on top of the chicken. Cover, and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Serve on a bed of rice with a spoonful of accumulated juices.




The Verdict.

The whole family loved this dish, and I've made it a few times TV-Dinner style to have ready to go in the freezer. The orange segments cook away and slightly disappear in the sauce, but give off great orange flavor and texture. If you'd prefer a slightly sweeter version, you can certainly use canned mandarin oranges instead of the fresh.

I have a stash of chili sauce in the house because the store was running a special, but if you're wary of high-fructose (with good reason!) or want a homemade version, here's the recipe I've used with great success:



HomeMade Chili Sauce



makes approximately 2 cups; store in airtight container in the fridge for 6 months



2 cups tomato sauce (not pasta sauce!)



1/2 cup brown sugar



1/2 cup vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar)



1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon



1/8 teaspoon ground cloves



1/8 teaspoon allspice



1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (just a pinch!)


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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

Slow Cooking in the Summer Months

The weather has warmed, and we're spending more and more time out in the yard. 



I love it.



But I STILL use my slow cookers more often than not for our family dinners, and I urge you to, too.



Slow cookers take up very little electricity to run when compared to your stove or oven, and they do not heat your kitchen up the way those other appliances do. You're not going to notice that your AC is struggling to keep the kitchen cool, and you're not going to be standing over a hot stove, trying not to drip into your pasta sauce.



(ew. that's really gross, steph.)



I've listed my favorite ways to use the cooker below --- if you've got a family favorite, add it to the list!



FISH

Love, love, love fish packets in the slow cooker. The fish steams perfectly in a foil or parchment-paper packet and you get a beautiful, flaky finished result without stinking (or heating!) up your kitchen.











FISH





Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

We make this chicken pretty often, and I like to use the leftovers on top of salads or in chicken sandwiches. If you don't want to mess around with a whole bird, dump in a bunch of your favorite frozen boneless, skinless pieces and then add the seasonings.



lemon rosemary chicken



 

Pesto Spinach Lasagna

This lasagna rocks. It's vegetarian, so it's automatically lighter than most lasagnas, and because you've got pesto layered in it each and every bite is absolutely bursting with loads of flavor. Put your basil crop to good use this summer!





pesto spinach lasagna





Lentil and Kale Super Food

Kale is good for you. Lentils are too. And together they work to create a great casserole that will keep you swimsuit-ready the entire season. (an added bonus? this tastes good. PROMISE.)








lentil and kale super food






Hot Dogs

And let us not forget that you can fit 60 HOT DOGS INTO ONE POT!

and that there is pretty darn impressive.








cook 60 hotdogs at once!






Basil Chicken with Feta

More basil! This Mediterranean-inspired dish that will keep all the picky people in your house happy.




basil chicken with feta









Cowboy Beef and Bean Sandwiches

although cowboys might not actually eat their sandwiches on rice cakes....?



beef and bean sandwiches





 

Applesauce

And while I certainly have quite a few desserts you can make in the crock, my favorite not-too-sweet dessert in the summer is Applesauce. We eat it both hot or cold --- and the kids love to add whipped cream and ice cream to their bowls for an even more decadent treat.








applesauce








Crayons

If you're like us and your playroom or household art area has more broken than whole crayons, no worries! You can melt them down in an aluminum muffin tin to make recycled crayons!

This is a great summer time playdate or girl/boy scout activity.






crayons








Enjoy your summer time months! Keep the slow cooker out --- you'll be thankful that you did!







Are you keeping up with our giveaways? Sign up with your email address so you'll always be alerted when there's a new giveaway posted!




Over on Totally Together Journal, I did some writing in my the Business of Blogging series on how Patience is a Virtue when it comes to writing online.




have a great week!









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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

5-Ingredient Homemade Beef Stew

We have had the world's funkiest weather in the Bay Area lately. On Monday my back and shoulders got burned while gardening, and today I'm all snuggled up in a heavy sweater and fuzzy slippers.



I've been getting emails asking for "easier" recipes --- so I dug through the cabinets and freezer and made a delicious and hearty beef stew using ONLY 5 INGREDIENTS!!



I'd totally pat myself on the back, but I'm still burnt...



The Ingredients

serves 6

 

2 pounds beef stew meat

1 (16-ounce) jar southwest salsa (has corn, black beans, onions, tomatoes, chiles)

4 cups beef broth

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup baby carrots, or chopped carrot



The Directions



Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the meat into the bottom of your cooker and add the rest of the ingredients --- there is no need for any other seasoning; the southwest salsa provides plenty of flavor all on it's own. If you can't find this particular kind of salsa, you can certainly add frozen or canned corn or diced potatoes, or anything else you'd like. 

I was trying to keep the ingredient listing to 5, and to not pull out a cutting board, but if you'd like to doctor it up with veggies you have in the house, go for it!

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the meat is so tender it falls apart when poked.



Serve with crusty bread and a green salad. I made a loaf of homemade gluten free bread in another slow cooker. I used this recipe, but added sliced garlic cloves, diced onion, and a teaspoon of kosher salt to the batter.



The Verdict



This was a successful meal! I was pleased at how the salsa and beef broth created a fantastic soup base, and was thrilled at how easy this was. It took no time to plop everything into the pot, and because I didn't need to peel or chop vegetables I had plenty of time to whip together the bread dough before leaving the house for the day.

I used a medium salsa, and it really retained it's heat, even when mixed with the broth. If you or your family doesn't like things spicy, opt for mild salsa. You can always add a dash of Tobasco at the end if you'd like a punch of heat.



Not the stew for you? Here are a few more!

Harvest Stew

Azorean Spiced Beef Stew

Sausage and Lentil Stew

Doro Wat (Ethiopian Chicken Stew)

Turkey Stew

Bean Stew (vegetarian)

Chicken and Sweet Potato Southwestern Stew (flop! don't make this!!)

 





 





 




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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph

Slow Cooker Chicken Puttanesca

SPRING BREAK is over. It was pretty anticlimactic and I'm still trying to figure out where I went wrong. We were really looking forward to it, and had been quite excited the days and weeks leading up to this last one. The kids and I had elaborate plans of staying in our jammies all day and playing board games and gardening and writing.




Instead we watched too much tv and argued.




But! I'm now caught up on all of Mad Men and watched the entire first season of the remake of Dallas. I liked it when the boys took their shirts off.... 




anyway. 




I did cook, and I think you're going to like this one.






The Ingredients.

serves 4






4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano (2 tablespoons fresh, finely diced)

1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup pitted kalamata olives (no juice)

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (to add at the very end; not pictured)




cooked pasta for serving (I used gluten free angel hair)




The Directions.




Use a 4-quart slow cooker for best results. If you only have a 6-quart, use more chicken, or don't cook it quite as long (I'd check after 4 hours on low, 3 hours on high).

Plop the chicken into the bottom of your slow cooker and add all of the other ingredients, except for the cheese.

Cover, and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for about 4 hours If you'd like, you can cook longer, but the chicken will probably fall apart and begin to shred. That's okay with me --- but if it's not with you, consider yourself forewarned!

Before serving, top with sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, and cook on high for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Serve over hot buttered pasta with a green salad.







The Verdict.






This is a
fancy-pants chicken recipe that is super easy yet it tastes like you
spent all day in the kitchen. There is very little chopping required
(only from garlic; you could always use jarred if you prefer) and you
can throw it all in the pot before you even put on your contacts and
drain the coffee.




I
had Chicken Puttanesca last summer at an Italian restaurant and knew I needed to
figure out how to make it at home. I'm not, however, going to tell you
what Puttanesca means because that's why they invented Google and this
is a family-friendly website.




:-)




other great Italian Slow Cooker Food:

Super Simple Lasagna

Italian Rice

Eggplant "Parmesan"

Italian Minestrone

Not Your Mother's Meatballs

Fillet of Sole with Pesto

Pesto Minestrone




we've got giveaways up and running again on the giveaway page. Come check them out!!












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Make sure to visit my store page for my books, recommended slow cookers, and other fun slow-cooking stuff.
Thank you for your support! --steph