Crockpot Recipe: Sweet Curried Lamb

This delicious meal utilizes the ease of crockpot cooking to make a complex and flavorful dish very simple to prepare. Rich lamb pairs well with the sweetness of apples and raisins, kicked up into something special with curry and spices. Put this in the crockpot in the morning, and enjoy this ethnic dish at the end of a long day, without having to spend hours standing over the stove. Just steam some rice and you're ready to eat!

Sweet Curried Lamb
(Serves 6-8.)

Ingredients:

Lamb curry (Photo credit: pelican)

2 lbs lamb meat, cubed
2 medium onions , diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
3 Tbsp golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts, any mix you like
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

• Put onion, apple, raisins, nuts, and lamb in crockpot, in that order.
• In a separate bowl, put the remaining ingredients, whisk, then pour evenly over the ingredients in crockpot.
• Cover and cook at LOW for 8 to 9 hours. Stir once half way through cooking.
• Serve over hot cooked rice.

Recipe: Easy Morning Quinoa

Start your day off right with this easy and tasty dish full of protein, fiber, and flavor. It will fill you up and keep you from being hungry until lunchtime - no snacking needed! Even the kids will like the mild flavors and sweetness of the dried fruit - especially if you tell them this is porridge the Three Bears ate for breakfast! :-)

Easy Morning Quinoa
(Serves 3-6)

Red quinoa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well
1 1/2 cups whole milk or rice milk
1 cup chopped apricots
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp golden raisins

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and milk and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat, cover and cook for fifteen minutes until quinoa is tender. Stir in vanilla, apricots, and raisins.
2. Transfer about 1 1/2 cups of quinoa mixture to a blender and purée.
3. Return this puréed mixture to the pan and stir well to mix. 
4. Serve immediately or chilled as desired. 
5. Yields six 1/2 cup servings.