Potato Herb Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 500g of potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 litre of chicken broth made from two chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 bunch of fresh celery (or around 2 celery stalks)
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp of creme fraiche

METHOD

1. Put the leek and potatoes in a pan with the chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for around 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
2. Add the parsley and celery, stir and simmer for about 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste and then blend thoroughly in a blender.
4. Serve straight away with one tbsp of creme fraiche per bowl.

VERDICT

This is a great soup for St. Patrick's Day as it really does turn out green.  It is semi-thick and has a really nice flavour.  Combined with the fact that it takes very little time and effort to make, puts in firmly towards the top of the leaderboard.

Score: 93/100

Spicy Beef and Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 (30 ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon pepper

METHOD

In a skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the vegetables are tender.

VERDICT

Another nice and tasty meal, especially good with potatoes.  Will be making this one again. :)

Score: 89/100

Pasta with Curly Kale and Bacon

INGREDIENTS

• Salt and pepper
• 200g smoked bacon-blocks (spekblokjes)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of dried thyme
• 350g cooked pasta
• 400g pan-ready curly kale (borenkool)
• 50g parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Bring a pan of salted water to boil and cool the pasta according to the package.
2. In a dry pan, cook the bacon-blocks and then remove from the pan, leaving the grease behind.
3. Cook the onion in the pan for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further minute.
4. Mix the curly kale through the onion and garlic mixture.  Cooking the kale for about 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the drained pasta to the mixture and stir well.  Add the bacon and stir well.
6. Add the cheese and stir until melted and mixed.

VERDICT

This dish is wonderful.  It is quick to make and any extras heat up well the next day.  Because the vegetables are cooked in the bacon grease before being added together with the pasta, it means that everything has a nice flavour.  A real favourite!

Score: 98/100

Chicken Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 4 skinless, bone-in chicken breast halves
• 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 6 ounces sour cream
• 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups crushed buttery round crackers
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring to a boil the chicken breasts, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and enough water to cover. Cover, reduce heat to medium low; simmer for 35 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup liquid. Cool chicken, remove meat from bones, and cut into bite-size pieces.
3. In a large bowl, stir together sour cream, soup, broth, celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cooked rice and chicken. Spoon mixture into a 9x13 inch casserole dish. In a resealable bag, shake together crushed crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle crackers over the top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

VERDICT

A tasty although slightly repetitive dish.  Worth making again but not a top favourite.

Score: 78/100

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (4 pound) boneless beef top round roast, halved
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water

METHOD

1. In a Dutch oven coated with nonstick cooking spray, brown roast on all sides over medium-high heat; drain. transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the juice, tomato sauce, onion, vinegar, salt, ginger and cinnamon; pour over roast. Cover and cook on high for 5-7 hours.
2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices until well combined. Cover and cook 1 hour longer or until the meat is tender and gravy begins to thicken.

VERDICT

An easy but not necessarily that tasty pot roast.  This wasn't anything special and I probably won't make it again.

Score: 70/100

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
• garlic powder to taste
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cube beef bouillon
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

METHOD

1. Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
2. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

VERDICT
This was a really nice and simple dish.  The meat was tender and flavourful, the sauce tasty and served with rice (or potatoes) makes a good complete meal.


Score: 86/100

Slow Cooker Brisket

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3 pound) beef brisket
• 2 (12 ounce) bottles chili sauce
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

METHOD
Place the beef brisket into a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix together the chili sauce, onion soup mix, and garlic powder. Pour over the brisket. Cover, and cook on the Low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Slice the brisket against the grain, and pour the gravy over the slices.


VERDICT
This recipe was so simple that I was really praying that it would turn out yummy.  'Chili Sauce' seemed pretty non-descript so I wasn't sure which type to get.  In the end I went with the lompeia chili dipping sauce since I knew I liked it.  Cooking on low appears to be very important with this dish as otherwise some parts start to almost burn (medium might be okay but high was not a good choice).  Also getting a good cut of meat is also important.  The meal has a lot of potential and I will try it again with a few adjustments and be careful of the chili sauce you choose as it can make the meal VERY hot!


Score: 77/100