Quick And Dirty

Sorry to obsess about the slow-cooker, but before winter officially ends and grilling season begins, I do want to post three no-prep recipes for the cooker. All three of these recipes entail a visit to your local Trader Joe's, so before anyone accuses me of being sponsored by TJ's and being one of those bloggers who does paid placements, let me say this: I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY. You lurkers better start posting. Don't you want me to be able to quit my job and do this full-time?

Peppercorn Crusted Corned Beef
Go to TJ's. Have a cup of free coffee and a few samples. Take your time. You only need to buy:
Neiman Ranch Organic Peppercorn Crusted Corned Beef (meat section), Yukon Gold Potatoes (one bag, right next to the meat section in the produce section), Brittany Mix String Beans (freezer section). Chat with the nutty sample lady. Pay about $20. Go home. Do not read the directions on the Corned Beef packaged. Do not boil it in the bag for eight hours. Slap that puppy into the cooker. Wash and halve the potatoes. Add them to the cooker along with 1/4 cup of water. Cook on high for 2.5 - 3 hours, checking briefly about half way. Serve with Brittany Mix. Eat cold for the rest of the week.

Lamb With Asparagus
After you are finished with the corned beef, go back to TJ's to the meat section and buy a lamb shoulder roast from Australia, also in the meat section. Pick up some asparagus and some shallots. Have a coffee. Mosey over to the wine section and buy a bottle of Two-Buck-Chuck chardonnay or, if you're splurging and want to drink what you buy, a bottle of Coppola. Go home. Do not read the directions on the Lamb Shoulder package or you will end up roasting it until it is like leather. Do peel and quarter two or three shallots. Trim and cut the asparagus into pieces. Put the lamb shoulder in the cooker. Add about 1/2 cup of chardonnay and one 1/4 cup of water. Add shallots. Cook on high for 1.5 hours. Add asparagus for last half hour of cooking. Place lamb, shallots and asparagus on plate. Remove the cooking liquid and boil in a pan for one minute. Pour over lamb to serve. Try not to lap cooking juices from the dish. Use a spoon, for heaven's sake!

Chicken And Black Beans In Red Mole Sauce
One more trip to TJ's. Buy an organic whole chicken. Buy a jar of red mole sauce, shallots, a can of black beans and a box of vegetable stock. Have a sample. Today they are offering brats. Yum. Return home. Take the guts and neck out of the chicken. Decide if you want a tasty fried liver treat all to yourself and if you want to save the neck for soup. Wash and dry chicken. If you want a fried liver treat, melt butter in your mother's old Le Creuset sauce pan and cook for two minutes. Some people like the hearts this way, too. I am not into hearts. Put on a cracker. Eat. Yummy. Even better than brats.

Take your chicken and put it in the cooker. Peel and quarter two or three shallots. Open the jar of mole sauce. Slather chicken with entire jar of mole. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Add shallots. Open and drain the can of black beans, but do not add to cooker. Turn cooker on to high and cook chicken for 2.5 hours. During the last half hour, add the black beans. Serve with rice or corn tortillas, whichever you have handy. Chicken should be dark brown and very tender.

Chef's Note: Timing on these recipes will depend on the size of meat or bird and your individual slow-cooker. If you are rockin' a 70's era cooker, timing could be longer.

Blogger's Note: This blog is not sponsored by Rival or Trader Joe's. We only wish.