Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas with Ham

I made this for dinner tonight, and as it was sitting in the crock pot, Chris wasn't so sure he would like this healthy, inexpensive meal. He also didn't think it would fill him up. Well, I am happy to report that He and I loved this dish. We served it over brown rice and it was so yummy, hearty, and it was very filling. It is a healthy twist on a Southern dish and it really is comfort food, which is good since there is still snow on the ground here in MI. Anyways, this meal is inexpensive as well, which is always a bonus. And, because it cooks in the slow cooker, it is easy to assemble and makes the house smell so good! So, try this one out.

Source: Skinny Taste, a new favorite healthy food blog

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 161.4 • Fat: 1.6 g • Protein: 9.3 g • Carb: 29.2 g • Fiber: 6.7 g

8 oz smoked lean ham steak, diced (or a ham bone would be perfect)
1 pound dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and soaked overnight
2 bay leaves
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 tsp chili powder (I used chipotle)
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
salt to taste
1 tsp ground black pepper

Soak peas overnight in 6 cups of water. The next morning, drain peas and add to slow cooker. Add 4 cups of water, bay leaves and ham. Cover and cook on high 6 hours or until the beans are tender.

After 6 hours, in a large frying pan, add oil and sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and tomato until soft, about 6 minutes. Add to the slow cooker and season black eyed peas generously with salt, cumin, chili powder and black pepper. Cover and cook on high 1 to 1 1/2 more hours. Discard bay leaves and serve.

Crockpot Southwestern Chicken

This is so yummy! I cannot believe how easy and yummy it is. Did I mention it is yummy!? Seriously, make this, it is great!

Ingredients:
1 small bag frozen corn
1 can black beans
2 large frozen chicken breasts
16 oz. jar MEDIUM salsa (do not use mild, I used pace picante brand)
cheddar cheese, topping
tortilla chips
sour cream, topping
cilantro, topping
avocado, diced, topping

Directions:
Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crockpot. Place chicken on top and cover with black beans and jar of salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Serve with chips and toppings.

Slow Berry Cobbler

This is a paula deen recipe. I made this today for Memorial Day and took it to a ward get together and there was NONE left. It was a hit! So easy and so good!

Filling:
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen strawberries
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen blueberries
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen raspberries
1/3 - 2/3 cup sugar, depending on your level of preferred sweetness (I used 2/3 cup and it was perfect)
1/2 cup baking mix (I use Bisquick)

Topping:
2 1/4 cup baking mix
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
4 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Spray the insert of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together all the frozen fruit, sugar and 1/2 cup baking mix. Transfer the fruit to the slow cooker. In another large mixing bowl, stir together 2 1/4 cups baking mix, 1/4 cup sugar, melted butter and milk with a wooden spoon. With your hands, drop bits of dough on top of the fruit in the slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the dough and place the lid on the slow cooker. Turn the power onto high and slow cook for 3 to 4 hours until the topping has puffed and the fruit is bubbling.

Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Servings: 10 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Note: I cooked mine for 3 hours and it was perfect! In my slow cooker, 4 hours would have been too long.