CROCKPOT COSTA RICAN BEEF & VEGETABLE SOUP WITH YELLOW RICE RECIPE

Yield: 6 servings
2 lb Lean, boneless beef chuck in 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 lg Onion, thinly sliced
1 c Celery, thinly sliced
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Dry bay leaf
1 lg Red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin, bite-size strips
1 1/2 c Water
2 Cans (about 14 1/2 oz.@) Beef broth
***YELLOW RICE***
1 lg Ear corn, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
4 c Coarsely shredded cabbage
1/3 c Lightly packed cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper
THE SOUP: Arrange beef cubes slightly apart in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 500 oven until well browned (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, in a 3 1/2 quart or larger crockpot, combine onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and bell pepper. Transfer browned beef to crockpot. Pour a little of the water into baking pan, stirring to dissolve drippings and pour into crockpot. Add broth and remaining water. Cover and cook on low about 8 hours. About 15 minutes before
beef is done, prepare Yellow Rice. While rice is cooking, increase cooker setting to high; add corn. Cover; cook for 5 minutes. Add cabbage; cover and cook until cabbage is bright green, 8 to 10 more minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into wide, shallow bowls; add a scoop of rice to each.
THE RICE:
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 3/4 cups water
Heat oil in 2-quart pan over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring until onion is soft but not browned, (3 to 5 minutes). Stir in the rice and tumeric; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute. Pour in the water and reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

CROCKPOT COUNTRY CHICKEN STEW WITH BASIL DUMPLINGS

12 small white onions
water
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 pound bonless skinless chicken breasts halves
1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
(or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled)
salt and pepper to taste
1 large red bell pepper cut into 1" squares
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4 cloves garlic - thinly sliced
2 cups canned chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 Tablesppons all purpose flour
2 Tablespoon butter - room temperature
1 pound fres asparagus - cut into 1-1/2" lengths
DUMPLINGS:
1 cup buttermilk and baking mix
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 Tablespoon dried, crumbled)
1. Using a sharp knife, make a small X in the root end of each onion. Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Add the onions, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under running cold water. Slip skins off onions.
2. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Quarter the thighs and chicken breast halves. Stir in basil and seaons with salt and pepper.
3. Put chicken pieces in a 3-1/2 quart or larger crockery slow-cooker. Top with onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Pour in stock, and wine. DO NOT sitr. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 - 8 hours or HIGH for 2 - 2-1/2 hours.
4. Stir the stew. If cooking on LOW, change setting to HIGH. In a small bowl, blend together the flour and butter. Stir into slow-cooker. cook, stirring until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in asparagus.
5. In medium bowl, combine dumpling ingredients until evenly moistened. Drop by Tablespoons onto hot stew in 6 small rounds. Cover and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, until dumplings are cooked through. Serve immediately!

CROCKPOT COUNTRY STYLE RIBS AND KRAUT

12 oz sauerkraut
brown sugar to taste
1-2 lbs country style ribs
Place the ribs in a crockpot. Sweeten the sauerkraut to taste with the brown sugar.
Cook them all day while at work and come home to tender and delicious ribs and kraut. Mash a potato and dinner is ready!

CROCKPOT CRANAPPLE SAUCE

10-12 medium apples
1-2 cups cranberry juice
lemon juice -- use 1/4 to 1/2 lemon
2 tbs sugar -- or up to 1/4 cup if you want it sweet
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries or "craisins" (sweetened dried cranberries)
-Wash the apples and chop them up without peeling. Squeeze lemon juice over them as you cut them.
-Put apples in crockpot with cranberry juice -- use 1 cup if you want the applesauce thick, more if you want it thin. Stir in sugar to suit your taste.
-Let apples stew on low for 6-8 hours. About an hour or two before serving, stir in cranberries or craisins. (All I found at my store was craisins--since they're sweetened, I used less sugar.)
-The applesauce is a very pretty pink and the cranberries & juice give it a nice zing.
-As you can see, the recipe is simple and forgiving -- let the apples stew a little longer or a little less -- the longer you stew them the mushier the applesauce will be. It warms up nicely, or you can eat it cold.