Slow Cooker Short Rib Sandwich

I just love coming home to dinner ready in the crockpot. It smells delicious when you walk in the door, its easy to cook, and easy to clean up.

Last night's dinner was a slow cooker short rib sandwich. The meat was so tender and yummy. I topped the sandwiches with caramelized onions, swiss cheese, and baby arugula. This dinner was a definite win and will be on our menu again soon. It was also pretty inexpensive to make (I had most items in my pantry already), which is always a plus!

Here is my recipe. Sorry I don't measure when I create recipes, my cooking philosophy is to relax and have fun. As long as you're not baking, exact measurements are overrated. 

Slow Cooker Short Rib Sandwich

1 package boneless beef short ribs

1 package onion soup/dip mix

Dry red wine

Black pepper

1 sweet onion, sliced

Butter

Olive oil

Sugar

Balsamic vinegar

Swiss cheese

Baby arugula

Bakery rolls

Put the short ribs into the crockpot. Pour in the packet of onion seasoning mix and add some fresh cracked black pepper. {I used the whole packet of onion soup mix, which does make the meat more on the salty side, but in my opinion it was not overly salty} Add some red wine, about 1/4 cup, and some water, another 1/4 cup? (you want the bottom of the crockpot covered) Stir so the ribs get evenly coated with everything. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

When finished use two forks to shred the meat and stir into the remaining juices in the crockpot. Turn the crockpot to warm. 

Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add the onions, a small pat of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, and a splash of balsamic. Mix well. Add some fresh ground black pepper and a small sprinkle of sugar. Turn the heat to low and let the onions go until golden brown, stirring often. 

Toast your bun and add some shredded meat, onions, and a slice of swiss cheese. Place under the broiler for a a few minutes to melt the cheese. Top with a handful of baby arugula and enjoy with the rest of that red wine!

Mexican Favorites

Mexican is one of my favorite types of food. We have tried two new Mexican recipes for dinner in the last few weeks, and both have been absolutely delicious! They are completely opposite, as one is a vegetarian taco recipe and one is a beef taco. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Roasted Vegetable Tacos (adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 red pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 lime

1 avocado

Homemade tortillas (FYI--I have tried this recipe with whole wheat flour since my original post and it did not work...yuck! Also, I feel like the olive oil does give them a bit of a flavor. If you want them more plain in flavor use canola oil)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix your tortilla dough so it can begin resting. In a bowl toss veggies with the oil and seasonings. Place onto a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through. 

Once veggies are done roasting remove from oven and mix in black beans. Turn oven off and put tray back in to keep warm. Cook your tortillas and set aside. When tortillas are done pull veggies back out of the oven, mix in fresh cilantro, and squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Serve veggie mixture in your fresh warm tortillas, top with fresh avocado, and enjoy! 

Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas (adapted from Eat, Live, Run)

1 flank steak

1 yellow onion, chopped

1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

Spice Rub:

2 teaspoons chile powder 

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together spices for rub in a small bowl, then rub into both sides of the flank steak. Place steak in slow cooker and cover with chopped onion and chipotle peppers. Warning: canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce pack a lot of heat. I really like spicy things and I used 1 1/2 peppers in my recipe and it was plenty spicy for me.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. When finished cooking shred meat with two forks. Serve meat inside homemade tortillas and top with a squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro, and homemade Pico de Gallo (that's missing from my picture because we forgot to get tomatoes at the store :( )

Pico de Gallo:

Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

Red onion, diced

Juice of 1 lime

Handful of fresh cilantro

Add some fresh minced garlic if you're feeling zesty

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for a few hours before serving

 Enjoy!