Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs with Roasted Strawberry BBQ Sauce

BBQ ribs has to be one of my favourite things about summer and I have just been itching to try cooking them in the slow cooker! Getting perfectly cooked, juicy, fall off the bone tender ribs can sometimes be tricky but the slow cooker makes it almost effortless! With the slow cooker you just need to season the ribs, place them in the slow cooker with the ribs vertical, wrapped around the inside, pour on the BBQ sauce and cook on low until nice and tender, about 6-8 hours. Once the ribs are cooked you can slather on more BBQ sauce and throw them onto the grill (or under the broiler) to get that smoky grilled flavour! Speaking of sauce, for these ribs I went with my roasted strawberry BBQ sauce which is perfect for the summer!

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Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple Salsa Roja

Up next in my Cinco de Mayo line up is one of my favourites, tacos al pastor! Al pastor is a Mexican pork that is marinated in chilies and pineapple, layered and roasted on a vertical rotisserie similar to shawarma. Because cooking pork in this fashion is not easy for every home cook I like to use this slow cooker version that gives all of the flavours of al pastor using a method that is much easier to do at home. This recipe starts out by making a salsa with dried chilies and pineapple and it is used both to marinate the pork butt and in the final tacos. Once the pork has been marinated in the pineapple salsa it is cooked in the slow cooker until tender before being shredded to be used in the tacos. I like to keep the fillings for tacos al pastor nice and simple with the al pastor pork, onions, cilantro, grilled pineapple and the spicy pineapple salsa. Pork and pineapple is a beautiful combination and and it is simply amazing in these tacos al pastor which are definitely going to be the star at any Cinco de Mayo party!

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Chicken Parmesan Soup

Although Spring is officially here it is rather chilly and there is even a bit of snow on the ground so I have still been craving soups! I always enjoy converting some of my favourite meals into soups and now it was time for a chicken parmesan soup! Chicken parmesan is a dish where chicken breasts are coated in parmesan and crispy breadcrumbs and it is commonly served with marinara sauce on pasta and it is covered in melted mozzarella cheese. I started the chicken parmesan soup off with a chicken broth and tomato base that I seasoned with onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, fennel and an Italian seasoning blend. Up next was the chicken, which I cooked in the soup before shredding it, and the pasta which is also cooked in the soup. Of course the final ingredient was plenty of parmesan cheese which is melted right into the soup adding a ton of flavour! I served the chicken parmesan soup with some crostini covered in parmesan and it definitely hits the the spot on a chilly day!

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Creamy Roasted Mushroom and Brie Soup

I am a huge fan of mushrooms and one of my favourite ways to enjoy them is in a cream of mushroom soup! The other day I found myself thinking that instead of using cream why not kick things up a bit and use brie to make the soup nice and creamy! I mean you really can't go wrong taking something that is already pretty amazing like a cream of mushroom soup and adding a nice cheese like brie! Of course I like to roast the mushrooms to caramelize them and bring out their flavour though they could just as easily be sauteed in the pan making this a one pot soup. After roasting the mushrooms you just need to throw them into the soup along with the brie and simmer for while before pureeing to the desired consistency. I have to say that this mushroom and brie soup is the best cream of mushroom soup that I have ever had and I will definitely be making it all the time from now on!

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Slow Cooker Recipes

Who doesn't love a slow cooker? I mean what's not to love? You throw the ingredients in one in the morning and you have a meal waiting for you when you get home from work. In addition to cooking meals it's great for keeping things warm, say at potluck's, or dips at a party or cooking the perfect bowl of oatmeal overnight for breakfast and can you say the worlds easiest pulled pork! Although a slow cooker is not perfect for everything it has a lot of good uses and they can be a great way to save time on a busy day. Here are some of my favourite slow cooker recipes. What are your favourite things to cook in a slow cooker or crockpot?

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Tortellini Chili

When I made the spinach and artichoke dip tortellini soup the other day I realized that it had been a while since I had last used tortellini and that reminded me that I had several recipes bookmarked to try including this chili tortellini from Picky Palate. Adding cheese stuffed pasta to an already tasty dish like chili is a fabulous idea and I could not resist making it! In addition to being super tasty, this chili tortellini is easy to make, it only takes about 30 minutes and it's made in one pot! You pretty much just need to cook the onions, brown the meat, throw everything in the pot and simmer until the tortellini is ready! This chili is perfect for a quick work night meal and a great way to enjoy some tortellini!

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Pineapple Char Siu Pulled Pork Sliders

Pulled pork is definitely up there as one of my favourite foods and the other day when I was enjoying some char siu, a Chinese BBQ or roast pork, I thought that the char siu flavours would be amazing on pulled pork! Char siu sauce is primarily hoisin sauce and Chinese five spice with some staples like soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger thrown in. I wanted it to be a bit more like a BBQ sauce which needs some heat so sriracha was required! When I was thinking about what I was going to use the pulled pork in, sliders were the first thing that came to mind and pulled pork sliders just scream for some slaw. With the Asian flavours going on, my mind wandered to pineapple and I figured that the juicy, sweet and tangy pineapple would pair perfectly with the rich and spicy BBQ pork. Of course adding some pineapple juice to the char siu BBQ sauce would also help tenderize the meat! Next up was what kind of buns to use for the sliders and King's Hawaiian sweet rolls were a perfect fit as their sweetness would complement the char siu BBQ pork and the tangy pineapple nicely! I have to say the the char siu pulled pork works really well and these pineapple char siu pulled pork sliders were definitely a hit!

Throwing an Oscar's party this weekend? These would be perfect for it!

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Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Soup

I am a huge fan of Thai cuisine especially of the spicy peanut sauce which I am guilty of eating by the spoonful. With soup season here I was thinking why not eat it by the spoonful in the form of a soup with all of the flavours of the spicy peanut sauce? I started the soup off with the elements of the peanut sauce including peanut butter, red curry paste, tamarind, sugar and fish sauce for a perfect blend of spicy, sour, sweet and salty. I decided to go with a chicken noodle soup theme so chicken and rice noodles were the next ingredients and since I always enjoy Thai curried pumpkin and sweet potato soups I added a sweet potato to the mix which I pureed to thicken the soup. Up next were some vegetables and a touch of turmeric and finally a garnish of chopped peanuts, cilantro and green onions. I have to say that this is one tasty chicken noodel soup and if you are a fan of peanut sauces then this is the soup for you!

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Apple BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Apple Slaw

After making the roasted apple bbq sauce I couldn't help but use it on something other than simple grilled pork tenderloin medallions and these tasty bbq pulled chicken sandwiches were up next! The idea for these bbq pulled chicken sandwiches came from one of my favourite slow cooker recipes the slow cooker bacon wrapped apple bbq chicken, I mean you really can't go wrong with tender chicken in a sweet and tangy bbq sauce along with apples and bacon and placing it all in a sandwich with a tasty apple slaw only makes it better! Although I used my roasted apple bbq sauce, any bbq sauce will work since additional apples go into the slow cooker along with the chicken and they melt into the sauce infusing it with apple-y goodness. The bbq pulled chicken filling is as easy to make as throwing everything into the slow cooker so the only real effort required for these sandwiches comes in making the apple slaw, but it is so worth it!

Whenever you have a bbq pulled meat sandwich it is always nice to throw something into the mix to help cut through all of the flavours and a crisp, fresh apple slaw is the perfect way to do it for these pulled apple/bacon bbq pulled chicken sandwiches! I kept the apple slaw really simple with apples and cabbage and instead of placing it in the more typical mayo based dressing I used a lighter maple dijon dressing which I made creamy with the addition of some Greek yogurt. This slaw is sure to please, and disappear quickly, no matter how you use it but the apple and maple dijon combo perfectly complements these apple bacon pulled chicken sandwiches!

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Quinoa White Chicken Chili

It is definitely the season for soups and stews and you really can't go wrong with a tasty, warming bowl of chili! In it's more typical form chili con carne is made with beef and plenty of red chili peppers but it is always fun to make a white chili where the meat is chicken and no red chili peppers are used. This is my go to quick, easy and tasty white chicken chili recipe and it has a base of chicken and white beans with jalapeno chili peppers for the heat along with a few seasoning like garlic, cumin and oregano. I like to kick the flavour up a bit by replacing some of the broth with a salsa verde and the addition of quinoa makes this soup a bit heartier. As a finishing touch I like to hit the soup with fresh lime juice along with some cilantro. One of the best things about this tasty white chicken chili is that it only takes about 30 minutes to make and if you know that you aren't even going to have that much time for dinner then you can throw everything into the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a fully cooked meal!

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Hummus

With the arrival of the holidays I got distracted from sharing my adventures on the Taste of Israel tour (see part 1: Kanafeh/Künefe)! After an evening out on the town Tel Aviv there was an early morning tour of the old port in Yaffo, along with sampling some of Yaffo's tasty treats. One of the first things that we stopped for was hummus!

Now if you thought that hummus was just a dip that you bought at the grocery store or made at home with canned chickpeas every once in a while, it could not be further from the truth! In fact there is quite a large hummus 'culture' out there with secret recipes, shops dedicated to making hummus and only hummus, that have been been in business for generations, and even great debates on who makes the best hummus, over dinner, which is just hummus and pitas for dipping. Our first food stop was at Abu Hassan which is apparently one of the fore runners for making the best hummus in Israel. I have to admit that the hummus that I had at Abu Hassan's was the best hummus that I had ever had and that of course meant that I would have to work on my hummus recipe when I returned home!

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Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup

These days I have been all about soups and it was about time to try a soup that has been on my mind for a while now, a jalapeno popper inspired soup! Jalapeno poppers are jalapenos that are stuffed with cheese and either breaded and deep fried until crispy or wrapped in bacon and grilled and I figured that a soup with a the flavours of these tasty little treats would be simply amazing. With the flavours already set this recipe pretty much writes itself! Everything starts out with the jalapenos, cream cheese, cheddar and of course the bacon which is added to a broth and although this would make for a pretty good soup all by itself I wanted to bulk it out a bit and I decided to do so by adding chicken, white beans and a bit of corn. With this we have almost every aspect of the jalapeno popper covered but we are still missing that crunch of the breaded deep fried popper which I added by serving the soup with tortilla chips, either for crumbling on top or for dipping and scooping!

I just had to make this soup now because we are throwing our friend Bev, from Bev Cooks, a virtual baby shower and I know how much she enjoys spicy food! Congratulations Bev! Check out below for links to all of the other tasty recipes made for Bev's shower!

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Split Pea Soup

As with a lot of roasts I sometimes think that I have more fun with the ham leftovers than the initial meal and I always like to start off with that precious ham bone! The ham bone is perfect for simmering for hours in soups and stocks to bring out all of its flavour imparting it into the soup. You can use a ham bone in a lot of different soups but my favourite has to be the classic split pea soup which is a bowl of comfort food on a chilly day. With the days getting colder I knew that I would be using the bone from the gingersnap crusted ham that I made last week and it was the perfect opportunity to update my split pea soup recipe with some new photos!

This split pea soup is super easy to make where you really just need to saute some vegetables, throw everything into the pot along with the ham bone and then simmer for a few hours letting all of the flavours come out while the split peas cook. I like to go with a ham broth for this soup but chicken broth or vegetable broth also work. If you have any leftover ham meat, it makes a great addition and I like to finish everything of with a hit of grainy mustard and lemon juice.

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Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Soup with Goat Cheese

Soup season is definitely here and do I ever have a tasty one to share with you today, a creamy roasted cauliflower and red pepper soup! The original idea behind this soup was for a creamy roasted red pepper soup but I figured that I would keep things a little on the healthier side by using pureed cauliflower to add the creaminess and to help thicken the soup up a bit. Roasted red peppers and cauliflower are a great combo and another thing that I like to combine with roasted red peppers is tangy goat cheese which also further adds to the creaminess of the soup. Like a lot of great soups, this one is super easy to make where you really just need to roast the red peppers and cauliflower, saute some onions, add the broth and goat cheese, and heat up before pureeing. I added one final touch to the soup and that was a bit of paprika to add a hint of smokiness!

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Roasted Apple and Aged White Cheddar Soup

For my next apple recipe I continue with my apple and cheddar theme in this tasty roasted apple and cheddar soup! This apple and cheddar soup could not be easier, you start out by roasting some apples to bring out even more flavour and then the apple flavours continue with the use of apple cider as part of the soups liquid base. A ham broth goes particularly nicely in this soup as the main liquid but otherwise a chicken broth or even a vegetable broth would also work. Of course the second star of the show is a nice aged white cheddar which really packs in the flavour so you do not need a lot of it. I have to say that this soup is a truly beautiful blending of sweet and savoury and I like to finish it off with a touch of grainy mustard and maple syrup to really bring the effect home!

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Lasagna Dip

Last week when I made the lasagna stuffed spaghetti squash I tried to keep things nice and light and healthy but I could not help but think about doing something similar only a bit naughtier, a hot melted cheesy lasagna dip! I am a huge fan of dips, especially when they have plenty of hot melted cheese and since lasagna is one of my favourite meals I knew that a lasagna dip was sure to be amazing! The basic idea behind this dip was to use the layers of a lasagna in a dip including a base of cheese and a quick, easy and tasty tomato meat sauce all topped off with plenty of melted mozzarella! My mom always made lasagna with cottage cheese for the cheese layer so I am rather partial to that but ricotta or even cream cheese would also work well. For the tomato based meat sauce I kept things lighter and healthy going with turkey for the meat and I packed the sauce with plenty of flavour! I have to say that this dip is truly spectacular and it really does remind me of lasagna, though it is a lot easier to make and perfect for enjoying while watching the game!

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Pumpkin, Chorizo and Black Bean Soup

I can't believe that October is almost over and that means that the pumpkins will soon disappear so I wanted to get at least one more pumpkin recipe in and this time it's a pumpkin soup that is perfect for the cooling weather. Really this soup is just a combination of two of my other favourite pumkin soups the pumpkin and black bean soup and the pumpkin and chorizo soup but despite it's simplicity it is super tasty! I mean you really cannot go wrong combining pumpkin with black beans and spicy Mexican style chorizo sausage in a warm and hearty soup! This soup has it all, the pumpkin and partially pureed black beans make it nice and thick and creamy, the chorizo sausage and remaining black beans give it a nice hearty texture and the chipotle chilies in abobo make it nice and smoky and give it a healthy amount of spicy heat to keep you warm! This pumpkin, chorizo and black bean soup is a great way to enjoy the last of the pumpkins this season and a great way to keep warm in these cooling days!

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Hot Cheesy Roasted Brussels Sprout Dip

I cannot believe that it is already mid October and I still have not done anything with my favourite winter green vegetable, brussels sprouts! As soon as I had this thought I had to resolve the problem and I knew exactly what I was going to make first, a brussels sprout dip which I have been wanting to try ever since I came across the idea on Minimalist Baker. You could cook the brussels sprouts any way that you want for this dip but roasted brussels sprouts are the bees knees so I went with them and since I was roasting them I threw in a few cloves of garlic to as well. (Roasted garlic is the best!) Once the brussels sprouts have been roasted this dip is as easy to make as mixing it all up and baking until the cheese is all melted, ooey and gooey! Given how much I enjoy both brussels sprouts and hot cheesy dips, I knew that this roasted brussels sprout dip was sure to be a winner and it did not disappoint!

With this dip there is no reason to not eat your brussels sprouts! Even brussels sprouts haters will be asking for the recipe!

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Tinga de Puerco (Pork Tinga)

Today is national taco day and of course that means that I have some tacos to share with you but before we get to the tacos lets talk about the meat, pork tinga. Tinga is a Mexican style 'stew' where the meat is simmered in a chipotle and tomato sauce and it is commonly made with chicken or shredded beef but I am really into this version with moist and tender shredded pork and Mexican style chorizo sausage. Although the list of ingredients is rather long, this recipe is actually quite easy to make. You start out by simmering the pork butt until fork tender and then you make the actual stew along with the chorizo, chipotles and tomatoes and the stew itself only takes about a half an hour to make. This recipe is also slow cooker friendly and you can throw the pork butt/shoulder into the crockpot in the morning and then you just need to shred it and make the stew in the evening for dinner. Despite the simplicity of this dish it is quite tasty and to goes well served over rice and beans and of course in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, etc.

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Pumpkin and White Bean Turkey Chili with Kale and Pepita Salsa

Up first for my new pumpkin recipes this season is a light, tasty and healthy pumpkin turkey chili with white beans. This pumpkin chili is nice and simple and it includes the pumpkin in the form of pumpkin puree along with a hint of pumpkin pie spices which work really well with the smoky chipotle chili heat. All said and done this chili really only requires about a half an hour of active time followed by some simmering making for a relatively low effort meal.

I always like to try to include green vegetables in my meals and I did so here by topping the pumpkin turkey chili with a fresh kale and pepita salsa. The kale and pepita salsa could not be easier to make, you simply puree some raw kale along with cilantro, jalapenos, pepitas and lime juice in a food processor and it is ready to go. I have to admit that I was eating this kale and pepita salsa by the spoonful before it even made it to the dinner table; I will definitely be making it a lot more over the next few weeks!

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