Tangerine Glazed Ham and Carrots

Courtesy Food Network

This is what we ate for Easter Dinner tonight.  I had a bunch of tangerines in the fruit bowl so decided to try this recipe out.  Only I cooked it in a crock pot rather than in the oven.  It was fantastic and was loved by kids and adults alike.  

Ingredients

• 1 (8 to 10-pound) smoked ham, bone-in, skin on
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
• 2 tangerines, sliced thin, seeds removed
• 2 cups tangerine juice
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 11/2 pounds carrots, peeled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the ham in a large roasting pan, fat-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts across the skin, about 2-inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Cut diagonally down the slashes to form a diamond pattern; season the meat generously with pepper. Chop about 8 of the sage leaves and put it in a bowl; mix with the oil to make a paste. Rub the sage-oil all over the ham, being sure to get the flavor into all the slits. Bake the ham for 2 hours. Now there is plenty of time to bang-out the tangerine glaze.

For the glaze: Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chunks of butter, tangerines, tangerine juice, brown sugar, water, and spices. Slowly cook the liquid down to a syrupy glaze; this should take about 30 to 40 minutes.

After the ham has being going for a couple of hours, pour the tangerine glaze all over it, with the pieces of fruit and all. Scatter the remaining sage leaves on top and stick the ham back in the oven and continue to cook for 11/2 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.

Scatter the carrots around the ham and coat in the tangerine glaze. Stick the ham once again back in the oven and cook for a final 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender, the ham is dark and crispy, and the whole thing is glistening with a sugary glaze.

Set the ham on a cutting board to rest before carving. Serve the carrots and tangerine glaze on the side.

Colony Mountain Chili

1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 3/4" cubes
4 Italian sausage links, casings removed and cut into 3/4" slices
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 cup boiling water
1 can (6 oz0 tomato paste
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) stewed tomatoes, cut up
2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Shredded cheddar cheese, opt

In a large skillet, brown the beef and sausage in 1 Tbsp oil; drain.  Transfer meat to a 5 qt slow cooker.  In the same skillet, saute the onion, garlic and green onions in remaining oil until tender.  Transfer to slow cooker.

In a small bow, dissolve bouillon in water.  Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings until blended; add to slow cooker.  Stir in tomatoes and beans.  Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender.  Serve with cheese if desired.

Baked Potato Soup

10 bacon strips, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt (omit if chicken broth is salty)
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp pepper
6 cups chicken broth
4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used raw and just cooked it longer)
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp.  Drain, reserving 2 Tbsp drippings.  Set bacon aside.  Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender.  Stir in flour, salt, basil, and pepper; mix well.  Gradually add broth.  Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the potatoes, cream, and hot pepper sauce.  Heat through, but do not boil. 

(An alternate method that I tried was to throw everything except the garnishes into a crock pot and let it cook all day.  This still made a great soup, but I found it didn't thicken up in the crock pot.  I just poured the soup into a large pan just before serving and brought to a boil for several minutes to thicken up the soup.)

Garnish with bacon, cheese, and parsley.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
2 cups half and half cream
2 cups milk
1 medium carrot, shredded
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
2 cups (8oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Paprika

In a large saucepan, combine the cauliflower, broth and bouillon.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20 mins or until tender.

Mash cauliflower.  Transfer to a 3 qt slow cooker.  Stir in the cream, milk, carrot, bay leaves, and garlic powder.  Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.  Stir in potato flakes; cook 30 mins longer or until thickened.  Discard bay leaves.  Cool slightly.

In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth.  Return to the slow cooker; stir in cheese.  Cook until soup is heated through and cheese is melted.  Garnish with paprika.

Honey-Lime London Broil

1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder
2 lbs London broil beef

Tenderize or jacard meat by your method of choice.

Measure the honey into a 2 cup glass measuring cup.  Microwave the honey on High for 30 seconds.  Remove and add oil, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, and onion powder.  Wisk to blend.

Place meat in a gallon-size ziplock bag.  Pour marinade over meat.  Seal bag and turn bag several times to cover meat with marinade.  Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Broil to desired temperature and slice across the grain to serve.  Would make a great crock pot roast as well.

London Broil Marinade

1 1/2 lbs top round, London Broil
1 Tbsp meat tenderizer (opt.)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp tarragon vinegar (red wine vinegar is great too)

Score top and bottom of meat with a 1 1/2 inch square pattern, and score the side.  Sprinkle meat liberally with tenderizer, then pierce with fork 1/8 inch apart and at least half-way through the meat on both sides (or jacard the meat if you have a jacarder.)  Cover and set aside for an hour.

In a small bowl, mix together oil, lemon juice, seasoned salt, lemon pepper, garlic, parsley, and vinegar.  Pour marinade over meat, reserving a portion to be used for brushing.  Pour remaining marinade over the meat, recover dish, and refrigerate for three hours at least.

Grill to desired temperature and enjoy.  Makes a great crock pot roast as well.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Submitted by Karla Kelsch


1 pound (aprox) Whole Frozen Chicken Breasts
2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes (or 4 fresh tomatoes)
1 (10 ounce) Can of Enchilada Sauce
1 Can Black Beans
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) Can of Chopped Green Chile Peppers
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Cups Water
1 (14.5 ounce) Can Chicken Broth
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
1 (10 ounce) Package Frozen Corn
1 Tablespoon Chopped Cilantro

7 Corn Tortillas
Vegetable Oil

1. Place all the ingredients into a slow cooker (except for the tortillas and vegetable oil). Stir Well. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. Shred chicken with two forks a little bit before you serve it.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup. (This are optional...if you feel like being lazy -like I do sometimes- just serve it with corn chips!)

5. I like to serve the soup with sour cream and cheese sprinkled on top!

Cran-B-Que Chicken

Submitted by Nicole Sizemore

1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 can BBQ sauce
chicken, 3-4 breasts

Add all together in crock pot & cook. Serve with Veggies, rice, or potatoes as a side.

Sunday Pot Roast/Mexican Meat Mix

Pot Roast
1. Sear the roast on all sides in a skillet before placing in the crock pot to seal in the juices and to create some very tasty crispy ends.
2. Place in a crock pot on low for as long as possible(6 - 10 hours). The slower you cook it, the more tender it will be.
3. Do not salt or add water at first. Later if it is still dry in the pot (not likely) you can add about a 1/2 -1 inch of water to the crock pot. More likely you may have to drain some of the juices out of the pot so that the meat is not boiling (that will make it tough). You don't want more than 1 inch of liquid in the pot. Salt in the beginning will also make the meat tough. Sometimes I'll throw a packet of Lipton onion soup over the top for flavoring (however, better to wait to add this till later); but often as not, it tastes great with nothing else on it.
4. If desired, add chopped onions, potatoes, and vegetables, and maybe a little salt, for the last hour or two of cooking, depending on how soft you like them.
5. Cook as large a roast as your crock pot will handle and here's a wonderful recipe to do with the leftovers (from Make-A-Mix Cookbook).

Mexican Meat Mix
5 lbs beef roast or combination of beef and pork roasts (cooked low temp and slow)
3 Tbsp butter
3 onions
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
2 (7oz) cans green chili salsa (I've used regular salsa and it's still great!)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 Tbsp flour
4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
Juices from beef roasts

Drain cooked meat, reserving juices. Cool meat, then remove bones. Shred meat, and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and green chilies. Saute 1 minute. Add salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt, and cumin. Cook 1 minute over medium-low heat. Stir in reserved meat juices and shredded meat. Cook 5 minutes until thick. Cool.

Put about 3 cups mix each into 1-quart freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at top. Seal and label containers. Freeze. Use within 6 months. Makes about 9 cups of Mexican Meat Mix.

This mix is perfect to use in just about anything Mexican: burritos, enchiladas, tacos, tostados, taco salad, etc. The flavor is fantastic, and I've even used tough meat before (that I cooked too fast on too high a temp) and it still was great. Wonderful on those nights you don't want to cook; just reheat and add some tortillas and toppings.

Zesty Beef and Vegetable Stew

1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 cups cabbage, shredded
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen green beans
2 cups carrots, sliced
4 cups hot and spicy tomato vegetable juice
1 14.5 oz can Italian tomatoes
2 Tbl Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp basil
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place beef in slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, shredded cabbage, corn, green beans and carrots. Combine tomato vegetable juice, stewed tomatoes, Worchestershire sauce, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour into slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 6 hours.

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 .7 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
 
Turn slow cooker on High. Place butter in bottom of slow cooker. When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix. Stir into butter until well mixed. Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips. Place in slow cooker and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours.  Place cream of chicken soup and cream cheese in a sauce pan over med. high heat. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Add to chicken. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot noodles.

Savory Beef Roast

1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup steak sauce
2 lbs boneless beef roast
1/2 cup chopped onion

Combine Worchestershire sauce and steak sauce in small bowl and mix well. Pour sauce into slow cooker. Place meat on top and coat both sides with sauce. Sprinkle onion on meat; cover and cook on low heat for 10 hours or high heat for 5 hours.

BBQ Pork Sloppy Joes

5-6 lbs pork chops or roast

Cook on low in crockpot overnight. Remove bones, if any, and shred meat. Add sauce.

Sauce
1 tsp vinegar
5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup honey
2 cups ketchup
1 Tbsp onion powder

Mix ingredients until smooth.