Dinnertime Dilemma?

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on April 30, 2014

Uh-oh! Dinnertime Dilemma!

Written by Alexis D’Ascenzo, Dietetic Student at University of Illinois at Chicago, CPT

Have you ever came home after a long day, and realized you have no idea what your going to have for dinner?

Or maybe you feel as if you don’t have the time to make something so you grab a box of chips? Well, in order to avoid situations like this one enjoy these three EASY, FAST, and DELICIOUS Crock Pot recipes!

1. Pulled Pork (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons salt (if desired, you can cut back on the salt by only using 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired, you can cut back on the pepper by only using ½ teaspoon of cayenne)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 3 to 3 ½ pounds pork shoulder, cut in half
Directions
  1. In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the first six ingredients (all of the spices) with a fork.
  2. Pour in the honey, vinegar, and olive oil and stir to form a paste.
  3. Place the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top it with the 2 pieces of pork and then pour the honey paste over all sides of the pork pieces. It’s okay if some of it (or a lot of it) just drips down to the bottom.
  4. Turn the slow cooker on to low and cook for 7 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender enough to be easily shredded with a fork.
  5. Serve warm with fixings like homemade coleslaw and cornbread.  Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers.

 

2. Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna With Romaine Salad (Serves 6)

Ingredients

  • 2 10-ounce packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan (3 ounces)
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • 6 regular lasagna noodles (not no-boil)
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (6 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 small head romaine lettuce, cut into strips (about 8 cups)
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Directions

  1. In a bowl, mix together the spinach, ricotta, and ½ cup of the Parmesan. In a second bowl, mix together the marinara sauce and ½ cup water.
  2. Spread ¾ cup of the marinara mixture in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Top with 2 noodles (breaking to fit), ¾ cup of the remaining marinara mixture, half the spinach mixture, and ½ cup of the mozzarella; repeat. Top with the remaining noodles, marinara mixture, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
  3. Cover and cook on low until the noodles are tender, 3 ½ to 4 hours.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the lettuce, cucumber, and onion and toss to combine. Serve with the lasagna.

 

3. Stuffed Peppers (Serves 6)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef  *optional*
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 6 green bell peppers, tops and seeds removed (reserve tops)
  • 1/3 cup water

Directions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.
  2. Mix ground beef, tomatoes, rice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper together in a bowl. Stuff each green bell pepper with ground beef mixture.
  3. Arrange stuffed bell peppers in the crock of a slow cooker; place the reserved tops back onto each bell pepper. Pour water around the base of each stuffed bell pepper.
  4. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

**If you are making this vegetarian simply omit the beef, and add 2 cups of rice, 1/3 can of red beans,  1/3 cup of black beans and 1/3 cup of unsweetened corn. Disregard the first step, and mix these alternative ingredients in with step 2!

 

 

Recipe 1 found at: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com

Recipe 2 found at: http://www.realsimple.com

Recipe 3 found at: http://allrecipes.com

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