Slow Cooker Gems for Busy Summer Days

Here are a couple of slow cooker recipes for those too-busy days of summer:

Asian Pork Wraps ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Andrew Devito in the April/May 2014 Taste of Home)

1 boneless pork shoulder roast, 3 to 4 lbs.

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup water

1 cup sweet-and-sour sauce

¼ cup cooking sherry

¼ cup soy sauce (I use “lite” or “reduced sodium”)

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 Tbsp. minced fresh gingerroot

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg. Asian chopped salad or 1 small cabbage, shredded

Flour tortillas, 6-inch, warmed

1 small onion, chopped, for garnish if desired

• Place roast and medium chopped onion in slow cooker.
• In a small bowl, whisk water, sweet-and-sour sauce, sherry, soy sauce, soup mix, gingerroot, and garlic until blended; pour over pork roast.
• Cook, covered, on low 6 to 8 hours or until meat is very tender.
• When cool enough to handle, shred pork with two forks.
• Place the leftover sauce the pork cooked in into a serving bowl or decanter.
• To serve, spoon about 1/3 cup shredded pork into the center of a tortilla, top with about ¼ cup of the Asian chopped salad (or shredded cabbage); use the sauce and the chopped small onion as garnishments as desired.
• Fold the bottom of the tortilla over the filling; fold in both sides to close.

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Slow Cooker Mushroom Chicken & Peas ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Jenn Tidwell in the April/May 2014 Taste of Home)

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 envelope onion mushroom soup mix

1 cup water

½ lb. sliced baby portabello mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ to 1 tsp. white pepper

2 cups fresh or frozen peas

• Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. Sprinkle with soup mix, pressing into chicken to help seasonings adhere.
• Add water, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and white pepper.
• Cook, covered, on low 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is tender.
• Stir in peas and cook, covered, until peas are tender (about 10 minutes for frozen peas, longer for fresh).

Crockpot Asian Ribs ala ~DKBB~

Crockpot Asian Ribs ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Julie Ko, in the Feb/Mar 2013 edition of Simple & Delicious magazine)

6 lbs. (boneless) pork baby back ribs, cut into serving-size pieces
1⅓ cups packed brown sugar 
1 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 
¼ cup rice vinegar 
¼ cup sesame oil (or vegetable oil) 
¼ cup minced fresh gingerroot 
6 cloves garlic, minced 
1 to 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
¼ cup cornstarch 
¼ cup water 
Fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks 
½ to 1 can water chestnuts, diced 
Thinly sliced green onions 
Sesame seeds (optional)

• Place ribs in 6-qt. crockpot.
• Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, minced gingerroot, garlic, and pepper flakes in small bowl and mix well.
• Pour mixture over ribs and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
• Remove meat to covered dish while you create the sauce.
• Skim the fat off the sauce remaining in the crockpot and transfer skimmed sauce to saucepan.
• Add diced water chestnuts and pineapple chunks; bring to a boil.
• Combine cornstarch and water in jar; shake very well; add mixture gradually to saucepan. 
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened.
• Serve ribs on a bed of rice, covering all with sauce. Garnish with green onion slices and sesame seeds, if desired.

 (You can cut this recipe in half and have more than enough to feed 2.)