Summertime Favorite: BBQ

This is one of those dishes I am so proud of myself over!  Remember my story about pulling out the crockpot that was given to me YEARS ago.  This was the reason :).  I thought I would LOVE some BBQ and I found a recipe that called for the crockpot.  I owe my most recent cooking spree on this recipe.

I found this recipe online, and now that I realize it, I have actually been doing it wrong.  I accidentally wrote applesauce instead of apple juice.  Oh, what we do, but at least it was trading apple for apple, so who can complain.  More on this later.

I was looking for something easy to make, easy to store, and makes a ton of food.  This was about the same time two things happened.  One, I found out I am pretty allergic to milk and whey products.  You may end up noticing that my dishes are surprisingly milk free, or there is a void of cheesy dishes.  I haven't found any good replacements for cheese when cooking (just sandwhiches).  Also, I was expecting another baby (baby boy due in Nov. 2011).  We were excited, but my doctor informed me I wasn't gaining enough weight.  Apparently, Wendy's chicken sandwiches and ham/ricecheese sandwiches were not cutting it.  She said I should add more fruits and vegetables and good proteins to my diet!  Since I am avoiding foods for both me and my son (he has so many allergies, he has a difficult time with it), I decided I am going to get cooking :).  Being allergic makes you (not by choice, but by necessity) choose more organic and natural foods, because they are more honest about what is in their foods and less likely to contain allergens.  I LOVE my Wegman's and when I lived in the city, Whole Foods was my best friend!  They have so many choices for my son and I (I just spent $160 at Whole Foods for my son's food.).

I also started joining websites catered to those of us with food allergies/in tolerances/avoidances.  I found www.cookingallergyfree.com, and I use that website pretty much 100% of the time.  Many of my recipes come from this great website!  I check off what I am avoiding, and it only brings up recipes that I CAN HAVE. instead of having to weed through!  Whoever made that website, I am in love with you.

So, I looked and found this fantastic BBQ recipe, and it looked super easy!  Like I said, I was just beginning, and my comfort level was that of a box of Hamburger Helper.  I gave it a shot and oh my word......it was one of the best BBQ's Ive ever tasted!  Can't go wrong with some Stubb's BBQ sauce either :).

My husband and brother-in-law both gave it a try and kept telling me I should cook more often, and that I'd put some weight on them.  Hopefully not for my husband, but I don't mind the compliment :).  Here's the recipe I have been using, and included below is the link to the website:

Crockpot BBQ

• 1 TBS ground black pepper
• 1 onion (small) finely chopped
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 bottle BBQ sauce
• 4-5 lb. pork roast.  Cut into large pieces
• 4 cups water
• 3 ½ cups apple sauce
• 1 ½ tsp salt

In crockpot, combine pork, water, 2 cups of apple sauce, and seasonings.  Stir well.  Place on lid and set temp to high.  Let cook for 8 hours until meat is fully cooked.  Pull pieces of meat from liquid or strain if needed.  Empty liquid from crockpot.

As you replace the meat into crockpot, be sure to either shred it break it into small pieces.  Pour in bottle fo BBQ sauce and rest of apple juice.  Stir well and replace lid.  Continue to cook on high for an hour stirring occasionally.

Crockpot BBQ (Cooking Allergy Free)

So, I bet you are still wondering where I went wrong.  I accidentally typed "apple sauce" instead of "apple juice" when I transferred the recipe....OOPS.  But I must say, there is something the apple sauce does to the texture that apple juice did not.  I cannot describe it really, expect there is this "slightest hint at a crispiness".  Not in the crunchy because I burned it sort of way, but like if you were to add a faint amount pickles or cucumber to guacamole.

O, Crockpot, how I love thee! Ode to my Beef Stew!

Have you ever gotten a present from someone and it just sat at the back of your pantry for YEARS?  As a cook, I am reluctant to admit, I have.  My mom bought me a crockpot several years ago for Christmas, and I had so many intentions of using it, but never got around to it.  Mostly, I was afraid of it.  Afraid of a crockpot.......yes, but I digress.

So, after hearing great news about how "easy" it was to use, I decided I'm going to pull that baby out and take her for a test run.  I mean, the tape to hold the box closed was still intact!  It was a yellowish-brown color by then, but still there.  And I got some simple recipes (thank you to my ladies in CafeMom's cooking group!) and I set foot onto my biggest successful journey YET!  Maybe not quite like that, but close enough.

I am actually starting with the dish I am making tonight since I will have pictures to post.  I will be posting some of my most LOVED crockpot dishes later on as I make them again (it is on the menu).

I am making my first stew tonight, its a beef stew.  It actually required a few more ingredients than I usually like (the lesser the better since I still kind of have a lack of counter-space) but I made do.

So, my most fave thing about the crockpot is you just toss stuff in, toss anything in actually.  Anything that's edible, toss in the crockpot together and it will somehow come out great!  So, tonight's menu has beef stew meat, potatoes, carrots, celery among a few other things.  There wasn't anything in this dish that surprised me (other than the Worcestershire sauce) so we will see how it turns out tonight.  So far, I haven't failed at anything in the crockpot, even things I did totally wrong (well, felt that the recipe was totally wrong so I made my own amendments).

Moral of the story.  If you have a doodad, electronic thingamabobber, or some other dohicky,  Dig it out and use it!  It may just be one to of the best "new" things you come across!

Beef Stew (Crockpot)

• 1 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 in. cubes
• ½ c all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2c beef broth
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped

Place meat in slow cooker.  In small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper.  Pour over meat and stir to coat meat with mixture.  Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots and celery.

Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours.  Or on HIGH for 4/6 hours.

And it turned out GREAT!  My husband thought it was one of my best creations YET!  It was just that "comfort food" taste that you would expect from someone with a Southern touch.  The meat was so juicy, it was just like a roast.  Very good :).  The one thing I changed with the recipe was that I added water, which the recipe didn't ask for.  The broth wasn't enough fluids to cook through the veggies, so I would suggest adding a cup or two of water as well.  Didn't water down the taste at all!