These little tapas on the grill make wonderful appetizers or are a perfect part of your main meal. They’re also perfect for a tapas party, served with buckets of wine and beer (or a little sangria) under the summer sun. A perfect addition to a summer barbecue!

Beef and Chicken Bites with Bacon - Tapas Recipe

For even more flavor, baste these tasty little bites with your glaze as they grill. Wanna make them for a Christmas or other winter party? They’re just as good cooked on an indoor grill. YUM!

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin, cubed
1/2 C. light olive oil (or canola)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 C. pineapple juice
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. powdered ginger (or 1 tbsp. fresh grated)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. brown sugar
4 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeds and membranes removed
8 strips of bacon, halved crosswise
16 toothpicks

Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, garlic, pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, and brown sugar. Mix with a whisk until well blended. Add the red pepper flakes.

Place your trimmed, cubed beef and chicken into a large resealable freezer bag. Pour your pineapple-oil mixture over.

Seal bag and refrigerate meat in marinade for one hour or more (overnight is best).

Slice your jalapeños crosswise into wide strips.

To assemble: place one strip of jalapeño on one halved piece of bacon. Follow it with one piece each of chicken and steak. Add another pepper. Fold bacon over and pierce through with a large toothpick– the bacon should completely cover the meat and peppers.

To cook: Heat your grill to a medium-high heat. Grill bacon bundles about 20 minutes. Then them every 5 minutes or so to assure they’re cooked evenly.

Having a crockpot would be almost pointless if you didn’t like soups and stews! (In other words, if you were crazy!) On a cold, cold day you can warm by with your favorite soup in a crockpot, filling the house with a wonderful aroma while it’s cooking. Everyone needs to know how to make at least one “perfect” soup or stew in their crockpot.

Creating a Soup or Stew

In general, soups requires more liquid than a roast or a stew made in the crockpot. In fact, you shouldn’t be afraid of adding 2 or 3 cups or more of broth when creating soup dishes. You may even need to add more liquid (depending on your other ingredients) if you have a larger crockpot.

Prepare the Meat. If your base ingredient is going to be meat, you’ll want to slice or cube it and add it first. To save time, look for pre-cubed beef or pork for stew to avoid having to cut it up yourself.

First, be sure any meat is thawed before adding to the crock pot. Next, saute meats in a skillet (coat them in flour for extra thickening and flavor). Place the meat in the bottom of the crockpot, then stir a bit of broth into your saute pan to remove yummy bits of drippings from the bottom. Pour this broth on top of the meat.

Add the Veggies. Next, add your vegetables to the soup or stew. Chop or cube your potatoes, carrots, garlic and/or onion (or frozen veggies can be added.)

Cook it Up. After you’ve added your veggies (leave tender, delicate veggies like peas or zucchini til closer to the end, pour in enough broth to cover. Creamier soups are also a good choice for the crockpot. In general, heavy cream or evaporated milk can stand up to the a long cook time without burning. Evaporated milk has had the water removed, so it gives a creamier texture without the curdling you’ll see with straight milk.

Now, let your soup cook on low for six to eight hours.

Give it Flavor. Near the end of the cook time, you are ready to add the finishing touches. Add your herbs and spices, and salt and pepper to taste. An hour before cook time is up is also a good time to stir in some extra leeks, shallots, and garlic. If making a soup (like baked potato soup) that calls for cheese, wait until the very end before stirring it in. Save fresh parsley and chives for a final garnish, if you like.

When you’re done, you should have a tender, flavorful, near-perfect soup or stew– and enough of it to feed an army of hungry eaters. And the best thing about it? You can freeze it for when you want a hot, comforting meal but don’t have time to cook one up on your own.

This tomato-y soup reminds me of a cabbage roll without all of the work. Save a little extra bacon for a garnish– it makes all the difference.

Recipe serves 8.

Cabbage Soup with Beef, Tomatoes, and Bacon

Ingredients:

6 slices cooked, crumbled bacon
1 lb. ground beef, cooked
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 C. shredded cabbage
3 C. beef or vegetable broth
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Instructions: 1. Stir bacon and beef together in bottom of crock pot.

2. Add the onion, potatoes and cabbage.

3. Stir in vegetable broth and diced tomatoes.

4. Stir in marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

5. Cover and cook on low about 8 hours.

Everybody knows that beans are the musical fruit– and probably spent years of their childhood reveling in the fact. Perhaps this reputation is what turns a lot of adults off to eating beans as a main source of protein. After all, anything that was SO funny when they were kids can’t be something they should be eating now. But the truth is, beans are a wonderful source of protein. They come in all shapes and sizes, and best of all, they’re full of fiber and fill you up without adding a lot of fat to your meal.

And –lucky you!– cooking beans in the crock pot is probably the best way to make them.

Why You Should be Eating Beans

Aside from meats, beans are a food that provides lots of needed protein to our diets. And compared to fatty animal proteins, most beans have only about two grams of fat per serving. And plenty of fiber and nutrients and other good-for-you stuff.

Plus, it doesn’t take many to fill you up. Without having to add fat, a meal that including beans will fill you up faster and leave you filler longer. This makes them great if –like me– you’re watching your waistline but just can’t stand to go hungry. They make a light green salad look like just what it is in comparison– a pile of crunchy water.

Using Beans in the Crockpot

If you cook on the stove top, using dried beans can be a pain. But with the crockpot, it’s easy to use both cooked or dried beans. And dried beans are always best. Since salt and other preservatives are added to canned beans to lengthen their shelf life, you tend to lose some of the good for you ingredients found in dried beans, and they tend to get a bit soggy with over-cooking.

Some of the most popular beans for crockpot recipes are kidneys, garbanzos, black beans, white northern, navy, and pinto beans. And all of them need plenty of water to cook. Before setting out to make beans in the crockpot, take the time to soak your beans (overnight is best). This helps to soften them, and it also removes some the substances that give them the name “the musical fruit.”

When you’re ready to start your bean dish in the crockpot, drain the beans and add them to the crockpot along with any other desired ingredients, like garlic, onions, spices, etc. No matter which type of bean you’re using, make sure there’s enough liquid in the cooker to cover the beans completely. Also remember that the water will evaporate as the beans cook, and you may need to add more.

When cooking beans in the crockpot, it’s best to set the cooker on low and cook the beans for a long time to allow them to get tender. As long as you use the lowest setting, the beans shouldn’t overcook and become mushy.

Easy Freezable Pie Crust recipe

Homemade Pie Crust for the Freezer

2 C. all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. salt
3/4 C. shortening
4 to 5 tbsp. ice water (as needed)

Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. With a fork or a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add water one tbsp at a time, mixing after each addition. Add only enough water to make dough moist enough that it will hold together, but not sticky.

Divide your ball of dough in half and make each half into a ball.

Use your two crusts immediately, or wrap and freeze.