Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

February 4, 2011 by · 26 Comments

It’s always a mistake to grocery shop with Mr. Prevention. I get bombarded with comments on prices and how, “It would be sooo much cheaper if I _______________!” Fill in that blank with any number of possibilities. On our most recent grocery shopping extravaganza he made a point to stop in the marinara section to point out that a 3-cup jar of marinara was on sale for $1.

I know better than to turn to the label and point out the preservatives and and undesirable ingredients (because really, why is there HFCS in marinara sauce?). EVEN IF it is only $1. Dare I even suggest that I enjoy cooking from scratch? And obviously I enjoy good food.

I grew up on jarred marinara. Classico’s marinara, to be exact. And, it’s good. But it’s no match for a slow-cooked, meaty marinara made from scratch. No offense, mom. At least it wasn’t Prego! ;)

Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce adapted from The Cooking Nurse and Food.com

1 lb ground beef (I used 97/3)
1 lb ground pork
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 (28 oz) cans no salt added diced tomatoes, with juice
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 (8 oz) cans low-sodium tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
5 garlic cloves, pressed
4 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp dried basil
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme

Directions:

Brown meats and onion in a skillet and drain well. Transfer to your crock pot.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours. Yield: 10 cups (20 servings, 1/2 cup each).

Nutrition Information (per 1/2 cup): 159 calories; 7.7 g. fat; 27 mg. cholesterol; 374 mg. sodium; 11.6 g. carbohydrate; 2.7 g. fiber; 10.1 g. protein

Result: This was a meaty, rich, and hearty spaghetti sauce. I used low-sodium and no added salt canned products to help reduce the sodium content (with all the canned goods, my sodium intake has been too high!). You can always add salt, so don’t worry about losing flavor. The meat (especially the pork) is so flavorful that the tomatoes will take on the flavor of the meat and spices rather than salt. Delicious and easy! Enjoy!

The second half of the last night’s dinner story has to do with wheatballs — a vegan “meatball” remake. To say they were a fail would be a massive understatement. They smelled great and all of the individual ingredients were all fine by me, but chickpeas + vital wheat gluten + soy sauce + nutritional yeast + wheat bran + garlic + parsley + olive oil = boooooooooonk. Fail. I hate to waste, but after trying them…my gag reflex kicked in.

Firstly, some things just aren’t meant to be made vegan. I’ll add meatballs to that list of vegan no-go’s. Secondly, unless it’s cookie dough, I’m not interested in eating dough. This is likely the reason gnocchi doesn’t interest me, either.

I should’ve taken a picture, but I didn’t. I think I was too sad over wasting food. But I vow to bring you the good, bad, and ugly on my blog. These….were ugly. :( Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce…was good! :-D You can’t win’em all and I was about due for a major fail.

Question: Jarred spaghetti sauce, or from scratch? Meaty, or meatless?

FYI: Fish consumption is at an all-time high in the world. Love it! :-D

P.S. Happy Birthday, Shirley! Have a wonderful day!

TGIF!!!

Filed Under: crock pot, low-carb, recipe, sodium ·

Cincinnati Skyline Chili {Crock Pot}

February 3, 2011 by · 23 Comments

Growing up, my mom made the best chili (she still does, I’m sure…but I haven’t had any in years :( ). It wasn’t a recipe as much as it was a 6th sense — it always tasted the same. And, it was always served over pasta. Always.

I like chili just as is in a bowl, but there’s something extra special about chili over pasta. Comfort food at its finest, I guess. And seeing as we are now Ohio residents, it was only appropriate to try Cincinnati-style chili (the Cincinnati-style chili restaurant is called Skyline). Approve!

While this photo is…terrible and pretty unappetizing, you can’t judge this recipe on its looks. This is a recipe Mr. Prevention took as leftovers for lunch — something he NEVER does (for some reason, the cafeteria’s pizza or chicken fingers always win out over my leftovers). That’s how I know it’s good, and husband-approved. And I would like to take this opportunity to pat myself on the back. I have been taking full advantage of my crock pot, just as planned :-D

Cincinnati Skyline Chili slightly adapted from Crock Pot Tuesdays and allrecipes.com

2 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (I used 90/10, ground sirloin)
15 oz. can tomato sauce
8 oz. tomato paste (1 1/3 cans)
5 Tbsp chili powder
2 1/2 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp steak sauce
4 3 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Brown ground beef lightly on stove top. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well, and cook on low for 12 hours or longer. Yield: 8 cups (8 servings).

Nutrition Information (per cup): 273 calories; 13.1 g. fat; 71 mg. cholesterol; 675 mg. sodium; 16.9 g. carbohydrate; 4.6 g. fiber; 24.8 g. protein

Result: Mr. Prevention and I really liked this…it is something totally unique and has a touch of something special in the way of cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate, I do believe! This has a kick but isn’t spicy. That may not make sense, but it will after you try it. Delicious, and very simple! You can cook it as looong as you need to, too…always a bonus! Enjoy!

Hopefully today brings some more favorable weather. On a positive weather-related note, Lily now knows how to ice skate :-D Yesterday was a most enjoyable, lazy day which included nearly clearing out the DVR, watching the Shawshank Redemption (favorite movie of all time), crying for 15 minutes after the movie finished, and a cat nap on the couch. There was a good workout thrown in there, too (3 1/4 mile run + 20 minutes on the elliptical)…but that was certainly not the highlight of my yesterday…if I’m being honest :) Maybe because I had watched everything good on the DVR? Probably. Sometimes, we all need a good, lazy snow day!

Of course I played some in the kitchen. I shredded brussels sprouts, diced a honeycrisp apple, and toasted some pine nuts only to run out of creativity to formulate a dressing. The components are now all in my fridge awaiting some creativity juices to flow, or unless somsone has a brilliant suggestion for me? :) And then there was online shopping…Williams Sonoma…a glass cake stand with a dome lid. At least I stopped there.

Because then came my ingenious idea for a Valentine’s Day gift for Mr. P: a deep clean of our house. However, Molly Maids quoted me nearly $275. Too rich for my blood. Any ideas on Valentine’s Day gifts? It can be more romantic than a maid, no problem. ;)

Question: Do you eat your chili as is, or atop pasta or rice?

Happy Thursday,

Filed Under: crock pot, exercise, recipe, Uncategorized ·

Recipe Copy-Cat: Chipotle Burrito Bowls

January 31, 2011 by · 31 Comments

Good morning! I hope everyone had a relaxing and wonderful weekend! Last day of January, here we are…bring on spring!

Mr. Prevention and I are pretty good about eating at home and keeping dining out to a minimum. We eat out consistently once a week, and often times two — almost always on Friday and Saturdays nights. Occasionally, he will throw me for a loop and request a Thursday dinner out, but it’s not too common since we both work Monday through Friday.

When I dine out, I like to order something I either wouldn’t or couldn’t make at home, or that Mr. Prevention doesn’t like (i.e. coconut anything, polenta, etc.). And then there’s other restaurants that I love and adore for their simplicity and healthfulness…one of those restaurants being Chipotle. While there are nutrition pit-falls on Chipotle’s menu (i.e. 290 calorie tortillas, 1/2 cup portions of sour cream, and handfuls of cheese), the overall quality is there — plenty of lean meats, vegetables, and fiber (beans!).

In perusing Chipotle’s menu online one day, I saw that the Barbacoa pork offered a few less calories than the chicken, carnitas, and steak options. Curiosity got the best of me, and so that’s what I ordered in my burrito bowl (hold the sour cream and cheese, please!). The meat was so tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I’m a Barbacoa convert…I get it every time!

When I saw a slow-cooked Barbacoa recipe land in my inbox from Skinny Taste, it went onto this week’s menu with no hesitation. Chipotle at home? Yes please! This is a dish I do want to make at home…on the regular!

Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork from Skinny Taste originally from Favorite Family Recipes

Marinade:
2.5 lbs pork loin roast, all fat trimmed
salt and pepper, to season
garlic powder, to season
6 oz Coke Zero
1/4 cup brown sugar (unpacked)
1/4 cup water

Step 2:
8 oz Coke Zero
6 oz can sliced green chilies
8 oz tomato sauce
1 3 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup brown sugar (unpacked)

Directions:

Season pork with salt, pepper and garlic powder and place in the crock pot. Add 6 oz of coke and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Marinate refrigerated for a few hours or overnight turning meat at least once while marinating.

Remove crock from refrigerator, add water, and cook on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily). Remove pork from crock pot and discard any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork with two forks.

Step two: In the crock pot, combine 8 oz coke, green chilies, tomato sauce, chipotle chile, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder and remaining brown sugar.

Put shredded pork back in the crock pot and combine with sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook on high 1-1/2 hours more. Yield: 10 servings (4 oz. each).

Nutrition Information (per 4 oz): 213 calories; 7.1 g. fat; 69 mg. cholesterol; 342 mg. sodium; 13.2 g. carbohydrate; 0.8 g. fiber; 25.7 g. protein

Result: Mmmm! This was EXCELLENT! Certainly one of my favorite crock pot recipes. I was pleasantly surprised as to how LEAN this cut was. All of the fat was easily removed by trimming and it was overall extremely lean and flavorful — oh, and MOIST! Enjoy!

To go along with the Barbacoa, I made a pico de gallo consisting of 2 Roma tomatoes, 1/4 cup diced onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 clove mined garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Perfection!

Recap: Cilantro-Lime Rice (rice with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice), black beans, Barbacoa pork, lettuce, corn, pico de gallo, and a dollop of low-fat sour cream. Heavenly!

Have I mentioned how much I love Mexican food?!

Question: What would go in your burrito bowl?

Have a great (and tasty!) week,

Filed Under: carb-controlled, crock pot, fiber, guilt-free, low-carb, recipe, Uncategorized ·