This is one of those delicious meals that you get major bang for your buck.  It is a super easy meal that takes minimal effort and you get a flavorful delicious mess at the end!  You literally have to buy three things: Brined corned beef, potatoes, and one head of cabbage.  If you love cooked carrots you can throw those in too.  

    I love the Raley's corned beef.   I have tried the Trader Joe's but we gave it a C-.  I took a picture of the package in case you want to grab the exact one.  I know it is kind of cheating to buy the meat pre-brined, but it is SOOO much better that way! 
    Put the meet in your slow cooker and shove the potatoes around the side.  If it includes seasoning sprinkle this on top of everything.  Then add enough water to submerge the ingredients.  You can cook this on high for about 8 hours or low for 4.  I usually put it in before work and leave with the peace of mind that dinner is already cooked! 

My crock put doesn't have enough room to cook everything.  So when I get home I take out the meat and potatoes, put them on a platter and keep them warm in the oven.  Cut one head of cabbage into quarters and trim a bit of the bottom off.  I then cook the cabbage in the water that is left for 1 hour on high.  This lets all the yummy flavors of the brine soak into the cabbage.  
   When this is almost done you can slice the meat.  Make sure togo against the grain of the meat.  Add the cabbage to the platter, and walk out to the dining room table like you slaved away all day! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
  

    I always see these amazing recipes for slow cooked pulled pork and drool over them.  Unfortunately, we don't keep pork in our house, so I decided to make it with chicken.  My neighbor Marina always makes delicious slow cooked taco chicken.  So with the idea of her chicken, and slow cooked pork in my head, I am going to try and whip something up. 
   I have oranges, garlic, and peppers from the garden.  So that is already a good start! 

Ingredients:
2 cups water
6 chicken thighs
3 cloves of garlic
1 orange
1 large pepper (or a can of roasted peppers)
1 yellow onion
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter 


cilantro
sour cream
4 Kaiser rolls

Directions:

Slice the orange, chop the pepper, chop the onion, and chop the garlic.  Throw everything into a crock pot.  Cook it on high for 6 hours.  If you want to put everything in before work you can cook in on low for more like 9 hours. You have got to love the simplicity of a slow cooker!!

Right before you eat, use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the crock pot.  There will be quite a bit of liquid left in the pot.  Roughly chop some cilantro and mix it in with the chicken.  Cilantro is much more flavorful raw than cooked.  It also adds a nice fresh cool flavor that contrasts nicely with the spicy chicken.  

        Spread a bit of butter on a kaiser roll and toast it.  While this may seem like a small step, it adds a nice crunch!
        Put a heaping pile of the meat on the bread and top it with a dollop of sour cream.  The cream acts like mayo in a turkey sandwich.  It is also cool and creamy which adds that last element of flavor to make it just right.  
     Now, enjoy the rich, moist flavor of the chicken! The orange flavor is barely identifiable, but add a great layer of flavor and sweetness.  When you are done, write me and let me know how it turned out!

     I hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving! What is the most delicious thing you ate? I would love you to add the recipe to the comments section.  My husband and I hopped on a plane and went to Tucson to see his family.  It was warm and beautiful.  We ate well, hiked in the desert mountains, and had a great time with the fam! I have a ridiculous amount of things to be thankful for!
      Now that it is time to settle back into the normal routine of things I thought I would offer up a yummy winter dinner idea.  Beef Brisket.  It's no vegetarian delight, but I got major bonus points from my meat eating dad and husband for this recipe. 
     It is a perfect thing for a Monday.  You can take about 10 minutes to prepare everything the night before.  In the morning, turn on the slow cooker and dinner will be ready when you get home!

Ingredients:

• A cut of beef brisket.  
  
• 2 tomatoes (quartered)
  
• 1 onion (quartered)
  
• 1/2 Cup red wine
  
• 1/4 Cup brown sugar
  
• 5 cloves of garlic
  
• worcestershire sauce 
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• sprinkle pepper

You favorite herbs, I used

• 1 teaspoon coriander
  
• 1 teaspoon parsley
  
• 1 teaspoon basil

     The brisket should have one side that is fattier than the other.  Place the brisket in the ceramic part of your slow cooker fat side up.  Then add in all the vegetables.  Feel free to make this your own.  Carrots and potatoes are nice additions if you have them handy.  Put your herbs on top of the meat.  You can use fresh or dried herbs, whatever is most accessible.  Add in brown sugar.  Zigzag the worcestershire sauce back and forth over everything.  Lastly add in the wine (feel free to go overboard on this). If you are storing this overnight, cover it and put it in the fridge.
     Before cooking add enough water to the pot to ensure that everything is submerged.  One of the first times I made this I skimped on the water and ended up with hard, dry, totally burnt brisket.  Set the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.  At the end the meat should pull apart with the fork, your house will smell delicious, and all you have to do is plate the food and serve!