Crockery Cooking
This weekend I've really been working on getting our wedding gifts put away while I'm working on the 173 thank you notes I have to write. On a side note, if you or anyone you know is getting married anytime (ever), please take my advice. When you receive a gift, write a thank you note THAT DAY, and remember to PUT IT IN THE MAIL!!! In the beginning, I wrote some of the notes immediately, but I put in them - "can't wait to see you at the wedding!" - but then I forgot to mail them. So now I'm re-writing lots of them! Yes, I received that advice, but I chose not to listen...and now I'm paying for it!!
Ok...side note done.
While putting away our gifts, I ran across our 5 Crock Pots. Yes, we received 5. I chose the one I wanted to keep (it came with a mini dipper) and pulled out our (also) new Better Homes and Garden "New Cookbook Bridal Edition" It's a must have for anyone trying to cook for 2. In the front, there are recipe's just for 2 servings, and it tells you all about etiquete, parties, etc. I LOVE IT! So anyway...there's a section in the book called "Crockery Cooking." I thought there would be recipes for Pot Roast and the like, which there are, but I was looking for something a little less 'wintery.'
So I found a recipe for "Beef and Chipotle Burritos" - I was confused, because I wouldn't think you would cook burritos in the crock pot. But so far, our house smells wonderful! We could even smell it in the garage when we got home from church (so it's highly possible I'll smell like a Mexican restaurant tomorrow at work). It won't be ready until 5 or 6p, so I can't tell you if it's any good, but here's the recipe if you're interested...
1.5 lbs boneless beef round steak
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 c. chopped onion (1 small onion)
1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (I found these near the taco mix and only used 1 can because these are HOT!)
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
6 9 to 10 inch tomato-flavored or plain flour tortillas, warmed
3/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Pico de Gallo Salsa (recipe bel0w) - I'm sure you could buy it, but what fun is that?!
Shredded jicama or radishes (optional) - I skipped this as O is not a fan of radishes, and I don't know what jicama is!
Dairy Sour Cream (optional) - can't skip the sour cream!
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 6 pieces. Place meat, undrained tomatoes, onion, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin and garlic in "crockery." (I did all the prep work last night, and this morning just took it all out of the fridge and threw it in before church).
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Remove meat from cooker. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Place meat in a large bowl. Stir in cooking liquid to reach desired consistency. Divide meat among warm tortillas, spooning it just below the center. Top with cheese, Pico de Gallo salsa, and if desired, jicama and sour cream. Roll up tortillas (this cookbook even has a section on how to roll burritos, but I think you can figure that out).
*Note: To warm tortillas, wrap a stack in foil. Heat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to soften.
Pico de Gallo Salsa: In bowl, combine 2 medium finely chopped tomatoes; 2 tblsp finely chopped onion; 2 tblsp snipped fresh cilantro; 1 fresh serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped; and dash sugar. Cover, chill several hours.
So here's to happy Crockery Cooking!! I think it will become my new favorite cooking method of the moment!
Hi Jessica and Owen!
I love the blog background! You're a natural blogger, Jessie!
Those burritos look awesome!
Anonymous said... 4:16 PM, August 18, 2008
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