Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Fresh off my trip from Ireland, I am craving some corned beef and cabbage. So I broke out a recipe people only use in mid-March. It's so easy, why not? Just pop it in the crockpot in the morning and come home to a delicious meal. 

Ingredients

• 1 corned beef
• 2 1/2 lbs. potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 1 lb. carrots
• 1 head of cabbage
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups of water

Instructions

1. Add 2 cups water to the crock pot. Add seasoning package that comes with the corned beef if using. Salt and pepper after each layer.
2. Wash the potatoes, you can leave the skins on or off. Place in the bottom of the crock pot.
3. Peel the carrots, place on top of the potatoes.
4. Slice the cabbage into wedges leaving the core in so the cabbage holds together. Place on top of the carrots.
5. Add the corned beef. Cover.
6. Cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Lemon Red Snapper with Herbed Butter

So I am a really big fan of fish and my fiance is becoming more and more of a fan. Every time we go to Stew Leonard's for our grocery shopping we like to try a new fish from their fresh market. This time it was red snapper. We've both tried it in a few restaurants, but this was our first time making it at home. My fiance wanted to get the whole red snapper, but I was too intimidated by it for my first time making red snapper. We went with the filet.

One thing I really love about fish is that it cooks really quickly. Another thing I really like about it is most recipes are very simple because the fish takes on the flavors of spices, lemon and butter very easily. This recipe is a great one because you probably already have everything in your kitchen. This recipe comes from My Recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 lemons
• Cooking spray
• 4 (6-ounce) red snapper or other firm white fish fillets
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, basil, or parsley)
• Fresh herb sprigs (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425°.
2.  Cut 1 lemon into 8 slices. Place slices, in pairs, on a rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Grate remaining lemon to get 1 teaspoon lemon rind; set aside. Reserve lemon for another use.
3. Place 1 fillet on top of each pair of lemon slices. Combine salt, paprika, and pepper; sprinkle evenly over fish. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
4. While fish bakes, combine reserved lemon rind, butter, and herbs in a small bowl.
5. Place fish and lemon slices on individual serving plates; top each fillet with herbed butter, spreading to melt, if desired. Garnish with herb sprigs, if desired.

Cold Pizza?

Yay or nay? Personally, I love a cold slice of leftover pizza – especially for breakfast! 

 

De-bloat Smoothie

We all have those days. Mine usually comes on Monday after indulging all weekend. Bloated and groggy as I awake this is the breakfast I reach for.  Don’t be afraid of its green color – it tastes delicious, I promise! 

I use a little less than the recipe in the picture above because my individual serving Nutri-bullet won't fit all of the above! 

Blend together:

½ avocado

1 cup fresh baby spinach loosely packed

½ cup cucumber

1 banana

½ cup frozen blueberries

½ cup coconut water

Garlic Thyme Slow Cooker Chicken

As I write this post I am sitting in the American Airlines terminal at JFK waiting to board my flight to London. I’ll be in London for some sightseeing and work, and then spending Memorial Day Weekend in Dublin. As part of my trip preparation I had to find something I could make for my fiancé that would last him a few days so he doesn’t starve while I am gone.  I decided to make a batch of this super easy Garlic Thyme Slow Cooker Chicken. I threw it in the crockpot last night and it was ready when I woke up at 5 AM to leave for my flight.  This would be great for weekdays when you need dinner to be ready as soon as you get home. The hardest part of the recipe was taking the skin off of the chicken thighs. If you can buy the skinless bone-in thighs this would be even easier!

Ingredients: 

1 large sweet onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings

3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed

1 tbsp olive oil

20 garlic cloves (about 2 large heads of garlic)

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

  

Instructions:

1.  In the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, evenly distribute the sliced onion along the bottom.
2.  Peel the garlic cloves.
3. Place the chicken thighs into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add the smashed garlic cloves and toss to combine.
4. Sprinkle the seasonings across the top of the chicken-garlic mixture and toss until chicken is well coated with seasonings.
5. Transfer the chicken-garlic mixture to the slow cooker and cover.
6. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. Serve with a side of your favorite veggies.