Chermoula is the most delicious sauce you’ve never tasted.
Born in Morocco, this somewhat spicy, lemony sauce goes well with everything: fish, chicken, grilled meats… even veggies. Learn more about this delicious condiment and, of course, how to make Chermoula. Click here to get the recipe!
Life around my house is lived as though someone stepped on the accelerator—going 80 miles an hour, everything and everyone in constant motion (that happens when you have five kids). Lots of running around.
Last month is a good example—getting everyone ready to go back to school is a balancing act… no, a juggling act, beyond compare. Clothes to pack. Doctor appointments. School supplies. Planes to catch. Trains to catch.
And no real time for meals.
So, it’s kind of ironic that my salvation during all this activity isn’t something that moves fast. Just the opposite…it moves slowly. Methodically. It’s my slow cooker…and it’s a life-saver. Uh, make that a time-saver.
My good friends at Hamilton Beach sent me their Set & Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker to try out. What do I think? In three words: I. Love. It.
What’s really great is that I’m able to prep meals the night before… like this Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Green Salsa recipe. First I sliced an onion really thick and put the slices in the bottom of the Slow Cooker’s crock. I rubbed the pork shoulder with spices and set it on top of the onions… and then put the crock in the fridge.
The next morning I added the chicken stock and programmed the Slow Cooker to be ready by the time I got home. The salsa is so easy to prepare, I made it while I got the rest of dinner ready, but you can also prepare it in advance.
I shredded the pork, stirred in half of the salsa and served it with warm tortillas so everyone could make their own tacos as we all sat down for dinner… and put on the brakes for a little while.
And if you have any salsa leftover, it goes great with eggs the next morning!
One other cool thing is that this slow cooker comes with a temperature probe so that you can cook large cuts of meat, whole chickens or even turkey breasts by relying on the internal food temperature to test for doneness.
I used the probe to cook a 4-pound chicken on High in about 4 hours (internal temperature 180°F in the chicken’s thigh). The skin didn’t crisp up and brown the way I like it, so I but it in a roasting pan under the broiler for about 5 minutes… beautiful!
One more thing… head on over to my friend, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, to find more delicious recipes… just like this one!
Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Green Salsa
prep: 30 minutes
cook: 4 hours
serves 6 to 8
for the Pork Roast you’ll need…
1 onion, cut into thick slices
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons marjoram
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 lbs. bone-in pork shoulder
for the Green Salsa you’ll need…
2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, stem and seeds removed
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime, halved
let’s get to it…
Place onion slices on bottom of slow cooker and add chicken stock and bay leaves.
Mix garlic, marjoram, allspice, cumin and salt together in a small bowl to form a paste. Rub paste on pork shoulder; place in slow cooker, and lock on glass lid. Press Program and select 4 hours for Cooking Time. Press Enter and use arrow to move Heat Setting to Low. (You can make the Cooking Time longer, but the Heat Setting must be on Low).
Place tomatillos, jalapeños and garlic in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain; set pot aside. Blend tomatillos, peppers and garlic (in batches if necessary) in a blender or a food processor until smooth. Heat pot on medium high for 1 minute; add oil and onions and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Return blended tomatillo mixture to pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro and salt.
Remove pork shoulder from slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Shred meat with two forks, discarding fat, and place meat in a large bowl. Stir in half of the green salsa until meat is lightly coated. Serve meat on top of rice with remaining salsa, or in tacos, enchiladas or sandwiches.
Notes: Pour cooking jus from slow cooker into a resealable container and refrigerate overnight. Skim fat off the top of the chilled jus. Save jus and use as stock in other recipes. Jus can be frozen.
The kids are on vacation but, hey, guess what? You’re not!
Big and little people still need to be fed, so why not make something quick and easy that can be thrown on the grill or in the oven like these Island Chicken Drumsticks?
Here’s what you do:
If you DO make extra drummies, you’ll have something to feed the hungry horde for lunch tomorrow or a picnic dinner the day AFTER tomorrow. Perfect. Easy. Just like summer should be!
Island Chicken Drummies
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 20 minutes
makes 12 drumsticks, about 6 servings
you’ll need…
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon cloves
12 chicken drumsticks
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
let’s get to it…
Line two large rimmed baking pans with foil. Coat each with cooking spray. Place oven racks in middle part of oven. Heat oven to 450°F.
Blend brown sugar, thyme, red pepper flakes, allspice, garlic powder, mustard powder and cloves in a blender container. Turn blender on low and slowly increase speed to high. Pulse blender on high for 10 seconds or until thoroughly mixed. Pour spice blend into a Ziploc® Brand Sandwich Bag or an 8-ounce Ziploc® Brand Container; set aside.
Place 4 drumsticks in a Gallon Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bag. Pour ¼ of the spice blend into the bag. Shake until coated. Remove drumsticks and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining drumsticks. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked through.
Heat barbecue sauce and marmalade in a small saucepan on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve with cooked chicken drumsticks.
Cook’s Tip: Keep it neat! Wrap the ends of the drumsticks with a colorful napkin before placing drumsticks on a large serving tray.
Here’s a great summertime dish you can “cook” without turning on the oven: Ceviche.
Ceviche (also known as cebiche, sebiche or seviche) is a Latin American dish made with raw fish that is marinated in citrus juice, herbs and spices until the translucent flesh turns opaque and becomes firm.
In Peru (where many people believe this dish originated), tangy ceviche is traditionally eaten in the morning as an eye-opener (read that: hangover cure). Its ingredients are pretty simple: bitter orange juice, onions and thinly sliced hot peppers, like aji amarillo.
I prefer to make my ceviche the Mexican way, with lime juice, cilantro, jalapeños and a little garlic. I serve it on top of fresh crunchy greens. The taste is so fresh and healthy it’s one of my feel-good meals. It’s very easy to learn how to make ceviche!
Funny how the thought of eating raw fish doesn’t sound as absurd as it did a decade ago because, for many of us, sushi and sashimi have become a regular part of our diets!
Ceviche
prep: 30 minutes
refrigerate: 4 hours
about 6 servings
you’ll need…
1 pound fresh, skinless firm-fleshed ocean fish, cut into 1-inch dice
1¾ cup fresh squeezed lime juice, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
½ cup onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 cups water
½ cup red peppers cut into thin 1-inch sticks
¼ cup jalapeños cut into thin 1-inch sticks
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
let’s get to it…
Place fish, 1½ cups of lime juice and 1 teaspoon garlic in a large sealable bowl. Make sure fish is completely covered by the juice (I sometimes use a saucer to press down on the fish). Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. The fish is ready when it is opaque. Drain and discard lime juice and garlic.
While fish “cooks,” toss together onions and ½ teaspoon salt; cover with water and let rest 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry.
Place fish, onions, red pepper, jalapeños and cilantro in a large bowl.
Whisk the remaining ¼ cup lime juice, 1 teaspoon garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and olive oil together in a small bowl. Pour over ceviche and gently stir to coat fish. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
I was a TV journalist for many years, but with a house full of kids I decided to come off the road, go to culinary school and follow my passion for cooking. Mama’s High Strung is all about food… everything from creative recipe ideas to some really cool kitchen gadgets and cooking tips. I live in Chicago, but I love to travel and write about my food discoveries! You can reach me by email: mamashighstrung@gmail.com
