Cooking fresh collard greens (vegetarian, vegan)

photo from finecooking.com

Collards (also called collard greens) get a bad rap. They're green and kinda stinky (really only during a long cooking period)... but they are absurdly cheap, incredibly healthy, and super tasty. Collards are part of the cruciferous family (with kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc...) and they have compounds that can cause bloating and gas for some people... however if you're a fan of greens, don't pass up collards! Here are some interesting facts on this healthy green: 

Medical News Today stated in a recent article: 

"One cup of boiled collard greens contains 63 calories, 5 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, 11 grams of carbohydrate (including 8 grams of fiber and 1 gram of sugar), over 250% of your daily needs for vitamin A, over 50% of your daily needs for vitamin C, 26% of calcium needs, 12% of iron and 10% of both vitamin B-6 and magnesium." 

They also stated: 

"One cup of boiled collard greens provides a whopping 770 micrograms of vitamin K; well over 100% of the daily-recommended need." 

Like many greens, collards are made primarily of water, which means they cook down to barely nothing (like spinach)..so if you want to make a BIG pot of greens (to last the whole week or for 4-6+ cooked servings) you'll want to buy 2-4 bunches of the fresh greens. 

Collards have tough stalks, which should be removed before cooking. I like collards prepared the old "southern" way, slow cooked and well... (there's really no other good way to say it)... kinda mushy!I know it sounds strange, especially if you're not a fan of southern foods (especially vegetables)... but collards are great when they are braised with a little bit of liquid and seasonings and slow cooked for hours. You can make them in the slow cooker (I actually included a recipe in my cookbook!)... but they are also super easy on the stove. 

I've read that other people like to take whole collard leaves and blanch them briefly to use as a low carb or gluten-free wrap! I haven't tried that, but it's on my to-do list! 

There's no real "recipe" for cooking greens... your measurements don't have to be specific, but basically here's what I used for this very SMALL batch of greens. (For a bigger batch double, triple, or quadruple the recipe!) Take note that I made these greens without any animal products. If you're a fan of meat or pork products this is traditionally made with a ham hock or ham seasoning and they are divine that way too. 

A Small Mess O' Collard Greens

Makes 2-3 large servings.

• 1 large bunch fresh collard greens, with stems removed and de-veined, and cut into small pieces (cut out the thick, fibrous vein in the center of the leaf -- this makes the collards cook faster and in my opinion makes them more tasty!) 
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large poblano pepper, chopped with seeds and white membrane (ribs) removed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup water or vegetable broth

Directions: 

1. In a large dutch oven or stock pot saute onions, garlic, and chopped poblanos in olive oil for 2-3 minutes until softened. 
2. Add greens, red pepper flakes, and water -or- broth to the pot. 
3. Cook on medium-high heat and stir continuously for 5-6 minutes until collards are bright green and start shrinking in size. 
4. Cover pot and turn heat down to low. Continue to cook on low heat for 3-4 hours until greens are softened and yeah... kinda mushy! 
5. We served this with gluten-free, vegan cornbread, sliced tomatoes with fresh ground pepper, and canned pinto beans. 

Some kitteh pics for you... just because! :-) 

Whiskey Jack, chillin' in the cat tree!

Mollie... doing her best job keeping me from writing or reading... :-) 

Max happened to get rolled up in the
sheets to be washed on "Caturday" :-P

Celebrating Local NC Food: Baby Back Ribs with the NC Pork Council

This month's signature cut with the NC Pork Council is RIBS! OTHER than my husband (who isn't a fan of any meat on the bone....I know... I have no idea...???)... WHO doesn't love ribs?

I love them! And honestly, I don't make them as often as I should. Especially in the summer, as ribs just seem like the ideal hot summer meal.

I've chosen my slow cooker as my cooking element of choice for these recipes with the pork council! I love using a slow cooker, it's so easy and since we don't grill out much, it's a great option. Also, proteins are not my cooking specialty and it seems like whenever I go the easy route and make them in the slow cooker, they're always perfect!

When I think of ribs, I generally think of savory, crispy pork slathered in a tangy barbecue sauce. I didn't have any barbecue sauce on-hand and I wanted to go in a different direction. I wanted to do something with an Asian flavor, so I started looking up recipes in my cookbooks at home.

I ran across a recipe in "The Food Lover's Make it Paleo" cookbook by Bill Staley and Haley Mason. The recipe sounded good to me because it had Asian flavors, but also didn't use soy sauce, which is really helpful since I'm allergic to soy.

I changed the recipe a bit, just adding several additional spices that we enjoy. You basically make an easy rub for the ribs and then several hours into slow cooking you drizzle a sesame ginger glaze over them.

The ribs caramelize will then caramelize a bit and with the fat that cooks through, they have a wonderful flavor and texture. When they have finished cooking they are fall-off-the-bone delicious. We served the ribs with slow cooked collard greens &amp (made in another slow cooker) and cinnamon sugar sweet potatoes, which I covered in foil and placed beneath the ribs. The sweet potatoes cooked right underneath the ribs, a technique I love using with root vegetables and even ears of corn. (You can find both of those recipes in my Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook.)

That's another fun thing about using a slow cooker, you can cook several components of a meal in addition to one-dish meals! Super easy peasy and kinda fun as well!

Slow Cooked Chinese Spiced Ribs
adapted from a recipe in "The Food Lover's Make it Paleo" by Bill Staley and Haley Mason
free of gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, and nuts
printer-friendly recipe

Rub Ingredients: 

• 3-5 pounds baby back ribs
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar or crystallized maple sugar or coconut palm sugar

Glaze Ingredients: 

• 3-4 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos (a savory substitute for soy sauce, if you're cool with soy, use GF soy sauce!)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon molasses or brown sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl of a bag mix together Chinese five-spice powder, curry powder, ground ginger, ground cardamom, Saigon cinnamon, and brown sugar. 
2. Pat the rub generously over the baby back ribs, that have been cut into portions. Place the ribs into a greased 4-6 quart slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 4-5 hours. (Alternately, you can cook on HIGH for 2 hours)
3. Around the 4-5 hour mark mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Pour evenly over the ribs and continue to cook ribs another 2-3 hours on low heat. (Alternately, IF you are cooking on HIGH heat, around the 2-3 hour mark, mix the glaze together, pour over ribs and cook an additional 2 hours on HIGH heat.)
4. When ready to serve, cut slow cooker off and allow ribs to cool for 30 minutes before serving. We served with slow cooked collard greens and cinnamon-sugar sweet potatoes. 

Previous Posts written in conjunction with the NC Pork Council: 

Slow Cooked Smothered Porterhouse Chops

Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin

GLG Disclosure: 

This post is part of a new monthly series featuring local NC pork products sponsored by the North Carolina Pork Council. The NC Pork Council provided me with a gift certificate to purchase pork products and create a recipe to share. The opinions and photography in this post are completely my own.

Celebrating Local NC Food: The Porterhouse Chop with the NC Pork Council

You may remember that last month I started working with the North Carolina Pork Council to help promote local pork products. I'm thrilled to partner with NCPC because Eastern North Carolina is a major producer of pork and it provides many jobs in our area. Many of our restaurants and grocery stores support local farmers and ranchers and so the pork products we generally buy in this area are from regional farms.

The cut being shared this month is the Porterhouse Chop (formerly known as the bone-in loin chop). If you're confused about the names of different cuts of pork, you're definitely not alone. The industry recently changed many of the names of different cuts in the hopes of cutting down confusion on the previous names. You can read more about reasons why the names changed in this article. To see exactly what cuts have changed and how to recognize them, please check out this helpful pdf. 

A few of the ingredients for this dish: chopped bacon, sliced onions,
chicken stock, bay leaves, and brown sugar.
No worries, there is NO cherry jello in this recipe! lol

I thought about many different ways to cook these chops... whether to grill them, to roast them, to pan sear them... I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Finally, I settled on using my old standby... the slow cooker! I can always count on my slow cooker for a tasty and relatively easy meal. My first cookbook was centered around gluten-free slow cooker recipes, so I was excited to figure out a way to make these chops super delicious and tasty in my favorite appliance. 

Cooking the pork chops in the bacon fat to brown them before
placing in the slow cooker. 

I researched a lot of different recipes, both in my cookbook, in Stephanie's cookbook, and several online recipe databases, but I just couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something savory without a lot of added sweetness like apples or jam. And I generally try to avoid recipes calling for soy sauce because I react to it, and I haven't found a good savory substitute for 1/2 cup of soy sauce! (You'd be amazed how many pork chop recipes call for 1/2 cup of soy sauce! yeesh!) 

Rendering the fat out of the bacon, to use as our cooking fat for the chops,
the onions, and the garlic. 

I also checked out a few food bloggers and finally found this recipe that really appealed to me. I loved that the sauce didn't contain any soy sauce, and since the pork is slow cooked, it basically creates it's own stock for a quick sauce/gravy while it's cooking.

Overall I made the recipe very similarly to the original recipe, however I did change things along the way just to make things a little easier. I didn't need to use canola oil, I actually used 6 chops, used less stock to make a thicker sauce, and well... you get the picture..

Random cat picture.... you're welcome... :-) 

The finished recipe really produces a great flavor on the chops and the gravy is just killer! While I enjoy grilled meats, I'm not a big fan of grilling personally, so using the slow cooker was right up my alley.

Do take the time to brown the chops and cook the onions before adding them to the slow cooker. IT really gives the meat and gravy a great flavor and color, that you don't get by just tossing the ingredients in the cooker and letting them go.

Slow Cooked Smothered Porterhouse Chops
adapted from this recipe and shared by Carrie of Gingerlemongirl.com
free of gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy
printer-friendly recipe

Pork Ingredients:
4-6 porterhouse loin chops
4 slices of thick cut bacon, diced into small pieces
1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly
2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic (about 2 small cloves)
1/4 cup water
2 bay leaves

Initial Sauce Ingredients:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gluten-free)

Later Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried parsley (+ more for serving)

Directions: 

1. Add a sprinkling of salt and pepper over the raw pork on both sides. Set aside. 
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add the diced bacon. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the fat has rendered from the bacon and the diced bacon bits are golden and crispy. Remove the bacon bits onto a paper-towel lined plate and allow them to cool. Then refrigerate bacon bits until serving the pork. 
3. Add the pork chops to the hot pan of bacon fat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side just until browned. Add pork chops to the slow cooker. 
4. Add the sliced onions and 1/4 cup water to the same pan of bacon fat and cook onions until softened and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. While the onions are cooking, stir around the pan getting up all the brown bits from the bacon and pork. Then add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about another minute. Pour this mixture over the chops in the slow cooker along with the bay leaves. 
5. In the same pan add the chicken stock, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and Dijon mustard. Whisk until dijon is combined into the stock and cook on high until the sauce mixture is boiling. Pour over the meat in the slow cooker. 
6. Cook browned pork and sauce on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. 
7. Once the pork is fully cooked and you're ready to serve, remove the pork, most of the onions, and the bay leaves from slow cooker. Discard the bay leaves. The pork chops should be tender enough to pull away from the bones. Cover the pork chops with aluminum foil and put in a hot oven while you continue to prepare the sauce. 
8. Pour the remaining sauce from the slow cooker into a large sauce pan and place on medium-high heat. 
9. In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water, cider vinegar, and dried parsley. Whisk into the sauce. 
10. Allow the sauce to cook until boiling. Cook an additional 5-6 minutes until sauce has thickened to your likeness. If you want it thinner add a bit more water. If you prefer it thicker, add a bit more cornstarch that's been added to a little bit of water (a cornstarch slurry = 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water.)
11. When ready to serve sprinkle each piece of pork with some of the crispy bacon bits and then ladle the thickened sauce over each chop. Also, you can add additional parsley sprinkled over each serving. We ate this with seasoned rice and broccoli. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days. 

NOTES: 

• Alternately, instead of using a slow cooker you could bake the browned pork chops in a large casserole dish with the initial sauce, covered with aluminum foil at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours. Finish the sauce as directed above. 
• I had a hard time finding the exact type of pork chop that was needed for this post. The pork chops I found were simply listed as QUARTER LOIN CHOPS, which I think is an older term that's not used in all grocery stores anymore. But they worked great for this recipe, so don't sweat it if you can't find the exact bone-in cut called for. 
• If you want an even more flavorful, smooth, and silky sauce/gravy, you can stir in 2 tablespoons of butter when you're ready to serve the sauce. Allow it to melt and dissolve into the sauce and you're ready to go. 

GLG Disclosure: 

This post is part of a new monthly series featuring local NC pork products sponsored by the North Carolina Pork Council. The NC Pork Council provided me with a gift certificate to purchase pork products and create a recipe to share. The opinions and photography in this post are completely my own.

Slow Cooker Chicken Provence with Red Potatoes

 I still love my slow cooker! Especially this time of year, when life is busy and you don't want to be inside all afternoon. The days are getting warmer, the sunlight lasts longer and you want to enjoy every minute of it.

This is a recipe I threw together the other day with ingredients I had on hand. Defrosted bone-in chicken thighs, and a big five pound bag of large red potatoes.

One way I love to fix potatoes with any protein in the slow cooker, is to simply place the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker whole. The potatoes will then sort of act like a rack to hold the protein up. it's great because the protein will actually roast and turn golden brown, especially if you have a little fat on the protein that will get crispy over the long cooking period.  The potatoes will then cook in the savory juices from the meat along with any additional ingredients you add.

This one's super easy and super versatile. Don't have Herbs de Provence? Try it with your favorite seasoning blend instead! It would be delicious with Victoria's Gourmet Tuscan Blend, Chili Cinnamon Rub, or even the Ginger Citrus blend! Victoria's Gourmet sent me a huge package of seasoning blends several years ago and I still use them nearly every day! Check out my favorite way to store the small seasoning tins!

Slow Cooker Chicken Provence with Red Potatoes
free of gluten, dairy, soy, and grains
created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
printer-friendly version

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 5 medium size red potatoes (enough to fit the bottom of a 4 quart oval slow cooker)
• 1/3 cup white wine or cider vinegar
• 2-3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon herbs de provence seasoning blend (McCormick's Gourmet is a great brand too, look for it in the spice aisle of your grocery store)
• freshly ground salt & pepper, to taste
• Optional: 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice for serving

Directions: 

1. Place (washed & patted dry) whole red potatoes in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. (You can easily double this recipe if you have a larger 6-quart slow cooker!) 
2. Place the chicken thighs on top of the potatoes. Drizzle the white wine over the potatoes followed by the olive oil. 
3. Sprinkle the herbs de provence and the ground salt & pepper evenly over the chicken. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. 
4. Serve 1 chicken thigh per person with a quartered red potato. Make sure to ladle some of the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker over the chicken and potatoes, it's delicious! To brighten the dish just before serving squeeze some fresh lemon juice or lime juice over each plate. Serve with a fresh salad on the side. 

Carrie's Kitchen Notes: 

•  If you have any leftover chicken and potatoes, remove the chicken from the bone and cut into small pieces, dice up the potatoes and mix with the juices in the bottom of the slow cooker for a chicken & potato stew. You can add cooked green beans and carrots to make a more complete meal. 
• I prefer bone-in chicken because it has more flavor and it will withstand long cooking times in the slow cooker without falling apart or losing texture. 
• You can use any type of potatoes you'd like in this dish. Red potatoes worked great, but it would be delicious with yellow, white, or purple potatoes too! 
• You can also add a few heirloom tomatoes chopped up to the slow cooker before cooking for extra flavor. 

2 Hour Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Meals: Jambalaya

One thing I learned when I wrote my slow cooker cookbook was that people have very strong opinions about their slow cookers. They can love them or they can hate them. There aren't many 'tweeners.

Well one thing I love about them (especially newer "Crock Pot" slow cooker models) is that they actually cook pretty fast, especially on high heat. And yes, I know that's a contradiction. Why in the WORLD would you want a "slow cooker" to cook FAST?

Because I'm never home. That's why!  I'm out of the house over 10 hours a day during the work week, which unfortunately is not conducive to MOST slow cooker recipes (unless you like really burned, or really over cooked food!). So some evenings when I get home... I throw something in the slow cooker as SOON as I get in the house. Toss it in... I can do a ton of other things (like write other cookbooks) while that's cooking and by the time Michael gets home a few hours later... dinner is done. And it took me all of five minutes to throw together.

And that was tonight's dinner. Zatarain's Jambalaya with gluten-free sausages cooked in the slow cooker. We served it with leftover broccoli from the night before and some canned green beans. We're super gourmet like that.

I don't make boxed mixes every week... but it's so cool you can make them like this in your slow cooker. Nothing burns, it's not overcooked (it actually cooked the rice through in about an hour and forty minutes), and there's very little to clean up. And since there's only two of us... this mix (and we added extra brown rice and water, so it wouldn't be as spicy) will make at least 3 meals for us.

Thanks Zatarain's! I love seeing those two happy words on your box! Now if only you could make it with less sodium and fewer preservatives you'd make a lot of other people happy too! :-)

So try it out! A slow cooker meal in two hours. And there's quite a few recipes you could use in one of my favorite cookbooks!

Ginger Lemon Girl Featured in The Roanoke Times

I am thrilled today to be a featured story in the Extra Section of The Roanoke Times today in an interview with Lindsey Nair, Food Writer.

Lindsey asked me a bunch of questions about why I wrote the cookbook, how I started the blog, and how I became interested in cooking and writing. I really enjoyed answering Lindsey's questions and I'm really excited because I grew up in the Roanoke area, so to be featured in the local paper there is a true honor.

Not only does Lindsey share a fun interview with me about the book, but she shares two of my favorite recipes in "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" and you a sneak preview of some additional projects I'm currently working on that are due out late summer and early fall 2013!

Please head over to the Roanoke Times today and read Lindsey's story today! And meanwhile, don't forget to order a copy of "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" if you haven't already!

Special thanks to Sarah Neilsen, author and photographer of Celiac in the City for sharing her photograph of the Hot Chicken Buffalo Bites for the story, and to Kat of Kat's Food Blog for the picture of Roast Chicken with Lemon and Artichokes! You ladies ROCK!

How to Cook a Sugar Pumpkin -- The Easy Way

Last month Crock-Pot came out with this little vintage retro 4-quart slow cooker. It looks like the kind your mom had in the 70's... and what can I say? I couldn't resist. (Thankfully, I have a policy of getting rid of two old things in place of buying something new, so my kitchen is not overrun with slow cookers!)

It's a super cute, tall, round slow cooker. It works great for soups and stews and a round loaf of gluten-free bread. Not so great for a meatloaf or a roast chicken... but you know what fits PERFECTLY? Yep... a sugar pumpkin! One of my favorite ways to cook other types of squash such as acorn, butternut, and spaghetti is using this method...so why not pumpkin!

You may have to shorten the stem if it's too tall to make sure it fits with the lid on, but that's it. That's all the prep work. No cutting through a rock hard pumpkin, just stick it in the slow cooker. Add a little water so it won't burn on the bottom... and voila... 8 hours later on low heat... perfectly cooked pumpkin.

Just remove the stem, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff inside and then scoop out the pumpkin. Easy, home cooked fresh pumpkin!

This Week's Menu -- Back to the Grind

Spent nearly all last week near Jacksonville, Florida with my husband's sister Lisa and her family. It's the first time we've had the chance to visit her since she moved to Florida several years ago. And we had a blast.

Yet... it's time to head back to work tomorrow and life as "normal." Although, I was pretty okay with "life as normal" being traveling, eating delicious foods somebody else prepared, and pretending I didn't own an alarm clock. :-)

But as much as I love vacation, it's time to get back into a daily routine. And I know full well that overall I function much better on a routine.

So to jump right back into a routine I'll start with our weekly menu.

This Week's Menu: 

• Monday: Hawaiian Chicken (pg. 174 from the new cookbook!)  with steamed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes

• Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner -- scrambled eggs, fruit salad, some sort of vegetables... 

• Wednesday: Leftover vegetable beef stew, from the freezer

• Thursday: Asian-Inspired Turkey Breasts  (pg. 210 from the new cookbook) with almond green beans and steamed carrots

• Friday: Homemade taco salad night!! Using leftover ground beef & lentil taco filling from the freezer! 

• Saturday: slow cooked baked beans with millet bread 

• Sunday: sandwich night while I prepare a few meals for the next week! 

Breakfasts: mini omelets, soaked oats

Lunches: leftovers or turkey sandwiches with homemade applesauce (pg. 48 from the new cookbook!) 

Slow Cookin' with Jenni of Spoonful at a Time

I don't know if you've met Jenni yet or not... but she's a new gluten-free blogger in the Triangle area of NC and I think the world of her. 

I had the opportunity to meet Jenni at this year's first Raleigh Gluten-Free Expo. She was representing Triumph Dining (and did a smashing job if I do say so myself, I believe her booth of Triumph Dining books was completely sold out by the end of the day!)

Jenni's keen sense of humor and wicked awesome sense of taste make her a true asset to the gluten-free food blogging community. Jenni loves to share recipes, share gluten-free traveling tips, and write product and restaurant reviews. 

I asked Jenni several months ago if she would like to review my cookbook on her blog and do a giveaway. I was completely thrilled when she agreed. And I truly could not have asked for a more honest and thoughtful reviewer! Jenni tried no less than SIX recipes from my book and shared her successes along with the recipes that didn't turn out quite so well for her... which I LOVED. I'm so glad she was honest in how the recipes worked and what she learned in the process. I really hope it will encourage lots of people to use their slow cookers more often and to see how versatile they can be!

And the best part? Now YOU have ANOTHER chance to win a signed copy of my book! Jenni is having a giveaway RIGHT NOW on her blog that you can enter! I hope you'll head over and enter her contest, tweet it up, and share it on facebook. And while you're at it... subscribe to Jenni's blog for awesome recipes, product reviews, and a great read. 

And after you've done all that make sure to read about each recipe Jenni tried over the past week!

1. Hearty Beef Stew

2. Hawaiian Chicken

3. Balsamic Almonds

4. Salsa Chicken

5. Homemade Barbecue Chicken

6. Maple Pumpkin Spiced Lattes

Jenni, thank you so much for spending so much time with my book and sharing about it on your awesome blog! 

GIVEAWAY & Review : Celebrate Crock-tober with a brand new Crock-Pot!

It's that time of year. Crock-tober! When fall begins and you start wanting savory, comforting home-cooked meals. And one way to make those meals super easily is with your slow cooker! 

A few months ago a special friend helped me contact the folks at Crock-Pot because I hoped that they might be willing to work with me to provide some special giveaways for you, my dear readers! Especially since I used Crock-Pots extensively through the recipe testing for my new book. 

It wasn't actually because I loved the company at the time, it's simply that Crock-Pot was the brand of slow cookers I had in my kitchen... and after all that testing... I realized just how much I love these simple machines. The Crock-Pot brand is known for their high quality slow cookers and they like to call themselves, "The Original Slow Cooker." Which is fine by me considering I own 5 of them!  

My favorite size is actually a very simple, medium-sized 3.5 - 4 quart slow cooker. It works best for most of the items I make since I'm only cooking for two people (with the hopes of leftovers!)

Crock-Pot #1 - a 6-qt. Cook & Carry Slow Cooker
Retail Price: $39.99

After speaking with a Crock-Pot representative, they graciously offered to send me two slow cookers to test myself and review... ALONG WITH two brand new slow cookers to giveaway! I was thrilled at the offer... because you can never have TOO many slow cookers right?

The first one I tested was the 6 quart Cook & Carry manual slow cooker. A manual slow cooker is simply a slow cooker with a manual dial. It's very basic and the knob is the only thing you have to worry about setting. 

A few functions of this slow cooker include: 

• 6 quart capacity
• removable oval stoneware
• four convenient manual temperature settings
• the stoneware AND lid is dishwasher-safe (I really need a dishwasher!)
• several naturally gluten-free recipes are included in the instruction manual
• this model has a lid-mounted locking system for portability AND a gasket lid to keep the unit sealed to prevent spilling. 

This was my favorite of the two slow cookers.  One thing I REALLY loved about this new model is that the oval base of the slow cooker and the stoneware insert is wider than my old one. In my opinion, the wider the base of your slow cooker, the more versatile it can be. For instance I could make bread with this slow cooker because the base is wide enough to hold a small loaf pan. 

Another big plus? When the base is wider, you have MUCH more room to do big meals like roast a whole chicken or do a large beef or pork roast with plenty of room to spare for adding extra veggies or sauce, or if you want to make a big pot of soup, etc... 

I also loved the color of this slow cooker. I realize color has nothing to do with function... but when things are pretty it's not only nice to display in the kitchen but it's fun to take other places to show off! The red is a very metallic, deep red which went beautifully with my black kitchen appliances. (And doesn't food that is presented in a beautiful dish/carrier taste better anyway?) 

One more bonus: fantastic carrying handles! Big, wide handles so the slow cooker can be picked up easily and transported without worry of dropping it due to the handles being too small or getting too hot. My husband often complains about how small the handles are on a few of my smaller slow cookers, so he was very impressed his hands fit this model perfectly. 

***************

Crock-Pot #2 - 7-qt. Smart-Pot Slow Cooker
Retail Price: $49.99

Slow cooker number 2 that we are giving away and that I tried was a 7-quart Smart-Pot Slow Cooker (winners may receive EITHER a 6 or 7 quart version of this model). This slow cooker is a little bit larger than the Cook & Carry and functions a little bit differently. 

A few functions that this slow cooker includes are: 

• 6 or 7-quart capacity
• removable oval stoneware
• four convenient timer settings
• automatically shifts to warm when cooking is done
• stainless-steel finish
• dishwasher safe stoneware & lid
• several naturally gluten-free recipes are included in the instruction manual

This slow cooker is the largest one I have and it's perfect for roasting a large chicken, a Christmas ham, and making a loaf of gluten-free bread (with wiggle room!) It's also great for cooking a HUGE pot of pinto beans or green beans, or soup! This newer model also contains the wider base than my older slow cookers and of course the awesome digital time settings. My favorite thing about the digital time settings is having an indicator light telling you the machine is on!  There have been countless times I've forgotten to turn on my slow cooker and realized 4 hours later nothing was cooking!

This slow cooker doesn't have the cool carry and leak-proof features, but the digital timer is very nice. However if you make a lot of recipes from my cookbook, you'll have to remember to set your own timer because MOST of my recipes cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low... I feel the traditional 4/6 hour HIGH settings and 8/10 hour LOW settings are WAY too long for most slow cooker recipes... because newer slow cookers cook hotter than old ones due to government food safety regulations, you don't need to cook foods as long in nearly ANY newer slow cooker.

Both of these slow cookers worked really well in my opinion on both low, high, and warm settings. To top it all off, both of these models are really beautiful and will match a huge variety of kitchen counters and appliances!

Now for the good stuff! Do you want to win one of these beautiful and functional slow cookers? My giveaways are easy peasy... please read the details below and enter to win! Good Luck! 

*********************

THIS CONTEST IS NOW OVER! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO: 

KELLY W.
MICAELA M. 

The Giveaway:

• TWO Crock-Pot slow cookers are up for grabs through this giveaway. The brand new slow cookers are being provided by Crock-Pot.com. 
• This giveaway is limited to residents of the 48 contiguous United States aged 18 and older.
• One entry per person. There will be TWO winners. Winners do not get to choose which slow cooker they will receive. 
• Enter by leaving a comment on this post AND please include a way for me to contact you -- Your email address preferably.
• The giveaway begins October 22, 2012 and ends on October 26, 2012  at 11:00 pm eastern time.
• No purchase is necessary.  Odds of winning are based on the number of entries.  
• The winners will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email.  The winners will have 24 hours to respond.  If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen.

Disclaimer:  The brand new "Crock-Pot" slow cookers being given away will be provided by Crock-Pot.com. Crock-Pot.com also provided me with one of each of these slow cookers for testing & review purposes for free, but I was NOT paid to write a review and/or do a giveaway. The opinions in this post are solely my own. 

This Week's Menu - From challenge to challenge

So this week came quickly, almost in a blur. I've been tirelessly working on promoting the book along with my full-time job. I am incredibly proud of the book. I worked really hard to create a unique resource that contains both healthy, whole foods (naturally gluten-free) slow cooker recipes, along with plenty of quick family and kid-friendly recipes as well.

Last week I stepped out of my comfort zone by doing a podcast interview with Elizabeth Barbone (sweetest lady in the entire world!), speaking to a local Kiwanis Club about the gluten-free diet and slow cooking, and then traveling over the weekend to visit my grandmother and driving nearly 600 miles completely by myself in  a little over 24 hours. (I know... I'm a wuss!) So I felt extremely challenged this week with public speaking, doing an interview, and than traveling quite a distance by myself. While I did a lot of that stuff on my own when I was in college, I've been nearly attached to the hip to my husband over the past 8 years... which has been awesome... but it was a healthy change to get a little independence under my belt over the past week!

I've been so thankful for the all the positive feedback on the book. I truly cannot thank all of you enough for testing recipes, for reading the book and giving comments, etc... it's been a great experience! And don't forget, you can still enter to win a signed copy of the book AND a brand new slow cooker!

Our meals this week will continue to be from the pantry & freezer. I didn't have time today to make any meals ahead of time, so I think I'm going to use the slow cooker to create 2 fish dishes in the evenings when I get home, along with a few other super easy-to-make meals.

This Week's Menu:

• Sunday -- Had to work, ate a GoPicnic gluten-free meal.
• Monday -- Herbed Tilapia Stew (from the cookbook, page 39, will take an hour and a half on high in a slow cooker!) served over brown rice.
• Tuesday -- 8TH ANNIVERSARY!! Off work and we will be spending the day going to a local corn maize, picking out pumpkins, and enjoying a fancy lunch or dinner out! 
• Wednesday -- Breakfast for dinner: yellow grits, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and cooked apples with cinnamon.
• Thursday --  Barbecue Chicken (from the cookbook, pg. 170 -- halving the recipe and cutting the chicken in small pieces, so it will cook faster!) with steamed broccoli and carrots. 
• Friday -- Ground Beef Ragout (from the cookbook, pg. 195) 
• Saturday -- Cookbook Party at home!! Will be making Turkey Meatballs with Tangy Apricot Sauce (pg. 181), Hot Chicken Buffalo Bites (pg.72), Cinnamon & Sugar Pecans (pg. 76), Slow Cooker Snack Mix (pg.77), Gluten-Free Corn Bread (pg. 46), Ham & Cheese Slow Cooker Omelet (pg. 51), Grandma's Green Beans (pg.92), Honey-Ginger Carrots (pg.217), and Blueberry Cobbler (pg. 272) -- If you're in the Eastern NC area and you'd like to stop by and try out all the goodies, please email me (gingerlemongirl at gmail dot com)! 

You can find a whole round up of gluten-free weekly menu plans at Celiac Family each week! 

For menus of all types, make sure to visit OrgJunkie.com! 

Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Gluten-free pumpkin bread made in the slow cooker. When you love your slow cookers as much as I do, you want to make everything in them... including quick breads. Why? Well, because it's super easy, it can cost less than using your oven, and most importantly... it's FUN! And gluten-free baking should be fun right? 

And even better the slow cooker steams your bread so it's super moist and delicious. For most of the breads in the cookbook and this recipe I used my favorite 4 quart slow cooker. It's perfect for making one batch of quick bread, and in this case... pumpkin bread!  

The only additional equipment you need to make this bread is three aluminum cans. Preferably cans that would hold about 15 - 15.5 ounces (generally from canned veggies, beans, or fruits). I've used these same three cans for about 2 years. They last forever and they are easy to clean and re-use. 

SAFETY FIRST!

• Wash the cans out with very hot, soapy water using a baby bottle brush. 
• CUT any sharp edges OFF of the rim of the cans with heavy duty metal cutting shears or scissors. This is why it's good just to create a "set" of cans to use, so that you don't have sharp edges to worry about time after time! 
• Make sure to completely remove the paper wrapper and the glue residue on the outside of the can before using to cook with. 

Before each use spritz the inside of the cans with non-stick cooking spray or use a paper towel to wipe olive oil or coconut oil evenly inside the can. By greasing the cans the bread shouldn't stick to them when baking.

To make the bread you will simply add 1/3 of the bread batter to each aluminum can and place the cans in the slow cooker. The cans will be anywhere from half to 3/4 full. Add about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup warm water around the bottom of the cans to steam the bread and prevent the slow cooker from cracking. Place the lid on the slow cooker and then slip a chopstick right underneath the lid to help excess moisture escape during cooking.

When the bread is finished it will be cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the  middle will come out clean. Allow the bread to cool for a few minutes in the slow cooker with the lid off. You can then carefully remove the cans using a potholder or kitchen tongs.

To remove the bread, just shake the can a little and the bread should slide right out. Alternatively, you could also used the "canned" bread as a homemade gift by wrapping it decoratively in colored paper and tying it off with a pretty ribbon!

For more recipes like this gluten-free pumpkin bread and to learn more creative ways you can use your slow cooker, please check out my brand new cookbook!

Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Created by Carrie of Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, and soy
Printer-friendly recipe.

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups plain cooked pumpkin (I used most of a 15 oz. can of Libby's 100% pure pumpkin)
1/4 cup oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)

Slow Cooker Directions:

1. Spritz three (15 - 15.5 oz) washed & dried aluminum cans with non-stick cooking spray, or use a paper towel to grease with oil. 
2. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. 
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Stir to thoroughly combine into a thick batter. 
4. Add about 1/3 of pumpkin bread batter into each can. 
5. Place cans in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup warm water around the bottom of the cans. 
6. Place the lid on the slow cooker and add a chopstick right underneath the lid to allow excess water to escape. 
7. Cook the bread on high for 3 1/2 - 4 hours until the bread is cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the middle of each can comes out clean. Allow the cans to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing them using a potholder. Gently shake bread out of the cans onto a plate. Cut each loaf into 4-5 slices and enjoy! Store pumpkin bread slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. This bread also freezes well for up to 6 months. 

Oven Directions for Pumpkin Bread Muffins:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 serving muffin tin and set aside. 
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together ALL dry ingredients until well incorporated. In a medium sized bowl mix together all wet ingredients. 
3. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until mixture is thoroughly moistened. Muffin batter will be thick. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into into muffin tin for 12 large muffins. 
4. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes prior to eating (if you can wait that long!) 
5. Store in an airtight container on the counter. (Slow cooked bread is stored in the refrigerator because it is much more moist than the oven-baked bread!)