Misadventures with Tori

I got this great fajita recipe from AllRecipes.com . We tried it yesterday and it was FANTASTIC! 

INGREDIENTS
1 (1 1/2-pound) beef flank steak (we used sirloin b/c it was cheaper.)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, sliced (we used 1/2 the onion.)
1 medium green pepper, julienned (1/2 the green pepper)
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned 
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons cornstarch (skipped it as everything was too soft )
1 tablespoon water
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 cup salsa

DIRECTIONS
Thinly slice steak across the grain into strips*; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker.
Add tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and salt.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours**.
Add onion, peppers and cilantro.
Cover and cook 1-2 hours longer or until meat is tender.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into slow cooker***.
Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Using a slotted spoon, spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture down the center of each tortilla.
Add 1 tablespoon each sour cream and salsa.
Fold bottom of tortilla over filling and roll up.

* : I did 1/4″ slices. They were WAY too thin. The meat just FELL apart. I’d recommend 1″ strips for easy removal.
** : We cooked for 6 hours and added the fresh ingredients. 7 hours total was more than enough.
*** : We didnt bother with this. Everything smelled so good we just dug in. One warning- if the meat is too small, it becomes VERY hard to pick things out. (It becomes a very tasty mush.) If the ingredients were larger, I would have done this. The fajitas were VERY runny, but SOOOO good. 

The beans were really easy too. DH really enjoyed them, but they were too spicy for me. (and I only put 1/2 the spices in!)

Another AllRecipes.com find! 

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dry pinto beans, rinsed (I did 2 pounds/cans of Bush’s beans - one pinto, one black.)
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided (I did one)
1 medium tomato, diced (skipped)
2 tablespoons ground cumin (1 TBSP)
1 tablespoon chili powder (1/3 TBSP - I’m a wimp!)
2 tablespoons olive oil 
salt to taste<

DIRECTIONS
Place the undrained beans in a large saucepan.
Place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
When the beans have come to a boil, stir in 1 tablespoon of garlic, the tomato, cumin, and chili powder.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until the beans are very soft, about 20 minutes.

Once the beans have cooked, mash them with the remaining tablespoon of garlic, the oil, and salt to taste; use additional water as needed to achieve desired consistency*.
Place over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.

* : I slow cooked them over 30 minutes on the stove. They were nice and mushy by the time they were done!

This is from the amazing Venice (aka Karen from LovestoEat weblog)

Ingredients:

One 12 ounce A&W Rootbeer (I used 2-3 so that the meat was covered.)
8 Center-cut boneless thick Pork Chops (we used 4 butterflied porkchops- it was more than enough food for the two of us.)
OR
2 XL chicken breasts (adjust amounts as needed, this was about the same amount weight wise.) 
One bottle of Open Pit BBQ Sauce (we used the Bull’s Eye Sweet Homestyle Blend- it was fantastic!)

Directions:

Throw pork chops (or chicken) and root beer in slow cooker. Set on low, 8 hours.
About 1.5 hours before it is done, drain the meat and shred. Add the entire bottle of BBQ sauce. Cook the rest of the time. (the pork will fall apart easily, the chicken not as much. It is still nice and cooked though.)
Serve with thick buns and chips! (we did fries or baked beans! mmm)