A Note.

I don't care what any recipe says: Unless you like things bland, brown the meat before you put it in the slow cooker.

Ratatouille: The First Try

I tried this ratatouille recipe last night, and I think it turned out pretty good except all of my herb flavor was completely lost. I had limited time so instead of cooking on low for 7 hours, I cooked on high for about 5 and a half. Instead of adding all of the herbs at the beginning, I should have added them about an hour before it was finished cooking, when I took off the lid to stir it all together. I also used fresh basil instead of dried basil, forgetting that it's supposedly better to use dried herbs in the crock pot because they can survive the long and low cooking better than fresh herbs. Next time I'll throw in dried basil and oregano at the beginning and fresh basil an hour before serving. I also put some red wine in with the tomato paste, which I think was a good idea, and added a little bit of honey right before serving to counter the tart of the tomatoes and tomato paste. I think I might also sautee the onions and garlic a bit before putting them in the next time I make this. And yes, I will make it again. This recipe has potential.

Quick and Simple Pork Chops

An adaptation of this recipe on AllRecipes.

6 pork chops
1 large or 2 smallish onions, sliced
chili peppers (if desired), chopped
2 cups of vegetable broth
~1 tbsp dried oregano
~1 tbsp dried basil
~1 tbsp paprika
2-3 cloves of crushed garlic
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
olive oil
salt and pepper

TIP: My favorite anti-stick method is to pour a little olive oil on a paper towel and coat the inside of the crock pot.

Spread the onions and peppers on the bottom of the crock pot. Salt and pepper both sides of pork chops while heating up some olive oil in a big pot or pan. I can fit three at a time in my pot so I lightly brown each side, 3 at a time. Spread them on top of the onions and peppers in the pot. Add the 2 cups of vegetable broth to the pot/pan you used for browning and scrape the delicious bits of pork from the bottom of the pot. Add herbs, garlic, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. Whisk it together and add salt and pepper to taste. Pop on the lid and cook on high for 4 hours.

This one is in progress, I'll report back with how it tastes after dinner.