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Easy Homemade Stock in the Crockpot

30. November 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free · Tags: , , , ,

Though I’m a soup aficionado (though more so on the enthusiasm side than the knowledge side), I’ve never made my own stock. I cooked a 6 pound turkey- nicknamed Bradley- for my second Thanksgiving on Saturday, so I figured I’d give stock a test-drive with the leftover turkey carcass (sounds appetizing, huh?).

I just placed the turkey remnants in my Crockpot and added in carrot peels, the dark green tops of leeks, onion skins, and celery tops. I covered everything with water and let it stew overnight on low.

The next morning, after straining all the big pieces out, I had a richly colored, flavorful stock to use as a base for soups!

DSC 0544 1024x914 Easy Homemade Stock in the CrockpotHaha, you can see the apple icon from my computer in the reflection!

Here are a few tips:

  • Be sure to clean your vegetable scraps thoroughly before adding them to the stock
  • Keep a Ziploc bag of meat and vegetable scraps in the freezer to add to as they come. Once you have enough, make a pot of stock
  • Once the stock is cooled, you can skim the fat off the top and dispose of it
  • Wilted vegetables and herbs are great for stock
  • Seafood shells (crab, lobster, etc) can be used for seafood stock
  • Cheese rinds can be used for a slightly cheesy stock
  • Freeze stock in a silicone muffin tin. When frozen, pop out and put in a Ziploc bag for individually-sized stock portions
DSC 05421 1024x682 Easy Homemade Stock in the Crockpot

P.S. Here is a helpful roundup of posts about making homemade stocks and broths from TheKitchn

Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup in the Crockpot

20. November 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Nothing says fall to me like butternut squash. I’m so obsessed that my friend once told me if I had a word cloud for my life, butternut squash would be in big letters (“That’s what she said” would probably be in huge letters too…).

And leeks in soup? Such a delicious way to get a creamy texture without dairy. If you’re my friend, you’ve probably heard me go on and on about potato leek soup.

You could even play around with this soup by adding a potato for an even creamier texture. Or mix up the spices by subbing basil and oregano for the nutmeg.

Or just follow my recipe icon smile Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup in the Crockpot

5228197922 c336eac362 Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup in the CrockpotPhoto credit

  • 1/2 large butternut squash (peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into bite-sized chunks)
  • 1 1/2 leeks (trimmed, cleaned, and sliced)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 1 clove of garlic (diced)
  • 4 chicken bouillon cubes and 4 cups of water or 4 cups of chicken broth or 4 cups of vegetable broth
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Nutmeg

4137937933 85b16b5022 z Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup in the CrockpotPhoto credit

Prep vegetables. Combine broth and vegetables in Crockpot. Sprinkle 2-3 dashes each of salt, pepper, and nutmeg on top. Cook on low in Crockpot for 6-7 hours. Allow to cool for several minutes, then blend with an immersion blender (or leave chunky if desired). Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

P.S. Do your hands ever get itchy, red, and start peeling when you handle butternut squash? Mine do and I found out why: butternut squash dermatitis! The best solution is to wear gloves or buy pre-chopped butternut squash.

homemade spice mixes + gift tags

20. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Food & Drink, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian · Tags: , , , , , ,

Creating homemade spice mixes is a favorite pastime of mine- foodie nerd alert icon smile homemade spice mixes + gift tags It started with GW Bites’ Meals in a Jar and continued with affordable homemade birthday gifts. Most recently, this obsession grew because of a need to transport compact pre-mixed spices for vacation cooking.

I wanted to share several easy spice mixes, complete with recipe cards! Feel free to print these tags- just punch a hole and tie with a ribbon around a Mason jar or small plastic bag icon smile homemade spice mixes + gift tags


tomato chickpea soup homemade spice mixes + gift tags {Spice mix: 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt}

moroccan chicken homemade spice mixes + gift tags

{Spice mix: 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 3/4 ground red pepper; 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper; salt and pepper to taste}

I’m in the process of developing more easy Crockpot recipes, so I’ll be sure to post them as they come icon smile homemade spice mixes + gift tags

Crockpot Recipes

08. January 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Cooking, Gluten-Free, On the Menu, Vegetarian · Tags: , , , , ,

I finally bought a Crockpot (for only $20!) and I’m so excited to begin using it. I found this helpful primer, which contains important information for getting the most out of your slow

screen shot 2011 01 08 at 5 53 58 pm Crockpot Recipes

Photo credit: Target.com

cooker. Have a few extra dollars to spend and love having a hard copy of recipes? Check out this highly rated cookbook, Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook.

I also found these great recipes, which I plan to make the minute I’m back in my apartment.

Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans
Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew
Malaysian Beef Curry
Dal (Indian Pea Soup)
Minestrone Soup
Roasted Vegetables
Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash (my friend told me that if I had a word cloud of my life, butternut squash would be in huge letters haha)

Do you have any slow cooker recipes you would recommend?

pixel Crockpot Recipes
+Cristina Roman