Canless Cream of Onion Soup

There is nothing quite as comforting as a bowl of steaming cream soup.  As with most things in life, homemade is way better than canned.  So, when the pantry is low on stock, and the weather is too blustery for going to the store, this is a great choice for lifting your spirits and warming your body and heart.

This needs a medium or large slow cooker.

This recipe calls for chicken stock, but if you don't have any, I am including a small side note in the instructions that will be a good way to substitute the chicken stock.  If you do have chicken broth, do not add the chicken, and you won't need to cook the onion as long.

You will need:

2 large onions
2 Tablespoons butter
4 cups chicken broth (OR, 4 cups water and 1-2 lbs chicken)
black pepper
salt
2 cups whole milk, half-and-half, OR 1 cup skim milk and 1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup flour

turn Slow-Cooker on HIGH, and drop 2 Tablespoons of butter into the crock pot.  Finely chop onions(the more finely chopped, the better the end result), and add to butter.  Stir the onions until soft and brown.  Add the 4 cups of chicken stock, (OR the 4 cups of water and chicken).  Add salt and pepper, if desired.  Turn slow cooker on LOW and cook for at 6-8 hours.

After the chicken has cooked through, and the liquid in the pot is the rich color of broth, pull out the chicken pieces, keeping the onions in the slow cooker.  In a bowl, combine 1/3 cup flour with 1 cup of the milk, whisk until smooth.  Turn the slow cooker on HIGH once more, and pour the milk and flour mixture slowly into the cooker while stirring constantly.  Allow to cook, with the lid off, and stirring frequently about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.  Add the rest of the milk or cream and just heat through, do not boil.

Serves 6

Tender Flank Steak Without Marinating!

Ok, so let's face it, steak is great, but some steaks are more naturally tender than others.  Flank steak can be downright "chewy" if it isn't tenderized and marinated in advance.  If you're like me, you have a hard time planning tomorrow's menu a day in advance, and more likely than not, the flank steak is still half-frozen in it's packaging.  ...And Marinating?!?!  Uh, whoops....

So, here is a great recipe that doesn't require tenderizing or hours of marinating, because the steak marinates while it cooks!

This recipe is made for two adults and two children to enjoy, but you can add or subtract any amount you want, from any of the ingredients.  One of my favorite things about slowcooking is it's versatility!

In a small or medium slowcooker combine:

2-3 Flank Steaks
1  8oz can unsalted tomato sauce
1  15oz can Pork N' Beans
1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (Spam Alert: I love KC MasterPiece Original)
1/2 medium onion
1/2 tsp salt

Cover and Cook 6-8 hours on Low setting

That's it!  Add your favorite ingredients, or take out any ingredients you don't like.  It's easy, cheap (steak is expensive enough without having to deal with the cost of dressing it up!), and takes about 3 minutes to put together.

About 30-45 minutes before supper, chop up and boil some Yukon Gold Potatoes (again, my favorite!), mash with a dash of milk and butter, and serve alongside steak with a lot of sauce.  Don't forget some peas or a cold fresh salad, and an ice-cold beverage of your choice!  And have your perfect summer steak without the work that usually goes into making the perfect steak!