Slow Cooker Lamb Chops with Apple Balsamic Sauce
Yesterday I tried to create my own recipe and met with some success! The lamb in particular was amazingly tender and delish. To give credit where it's due, I relied heavily on my experience with the Gluten-Free Goddess's crockpot meat recipes. You can substitute out any of the veggies for your favorites - I thought the carrots turned out particularly well in my variation. Next time I'm going to try adding some red wine to the sauce to add a bit of body. You could also substitute agave nectar for the maple syrup. This recipe took me about an hour to prepare, mostly due to my slow chopping skills.
2 lbs. lamb chops (should be 4 chops, for 4 servings)
olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic
2 carrots
a few handfuls frozen peas
2 cups Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced (this is about one package)
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1.5 cups unsweetened apple juice
1/8 cup + maple syrup
Spices: salt, pepper, cinnamon, Italian herb mix, cumin, curry powder
(Optional: 1/2 -2/3 cup red table wine -- I'm going to try this next time!)
Salt (and pepper, if you're me) the meat on both sides and let sit for five minutes.
Put a disposable liner into your slow cooker if you are lazy about clean-up as I am. Put a dash of olive oil into the cooker, followed by the chopped up onion, garlic, carrots, and peas. Stir to coat with olive oil.
In the meantime, brown the meat on all sides in a skillet -- only needs a few minutes per side, just to seal the juicy goodness inside.
Place the meat in the slow cooker. Put the sliced mushrooms on top.
Add the vinegar, apple juice, and maple syrup. (And the red wine, if you're experimenting.) Stir around. Then add spices. (Or you might want to add the spices in layers, some before you place the meat and some afterwards. Up to you!)
Cook on High for about four hours, and Low for the next one to two hours. You want at least five hours total to ensure the meat is falling off the bone. (You might be able to do High for all five hours, but what can I say? I panicked!)
Be careful about the steam when lifting the lid. And be careful with serving, as the meat should be so tender that it will be falling apart.
Serve with couscous and golden raisins. Enjoy!
2 lbs. lamb chops (should be 4 chops, for 4 servings)
olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic
2 carrots
a few handfuls frozen peas
2 cups Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced (this is about one package)
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1.5 cups unsweetened apple juice
1/8 cup + maple syrup
Spices: salt, pepper, cinnamon, Italian herb mix, cumin, curry powder
(Optional: 1/2 -2/3 cup red table wine -- I'm going to try this next time!)
Salt (and pepper, if you're me) the meat on both sides and let sit for five minutes.
Put a disposable liner into your slow cooker if you are lazy about clean-up as I am. Put a dash of olive oil into the cooker, followed by the chopped up onion, garlic, carrots, and peas. Stir to coat with olive oil.
In the meantime, brown the meat on all sides in a skillet -- only needs a few minutes per side, just to seal the juicy goodness inside.
Place the meat in the slow cooker. Put the sliced mushrooms on top.
Add the vinegar, apple juice, and maple syrup. (And the red wine, if you're experimenting.) Stir around. Then add spices. (Or you might want to add the spices in layers, some before you place the meat and some afterwards. Up to you!)
Cook on High for about four hours, and Low for the next one to two hours. You want at least five hours total to ensure the meat is falling off the bone. (You might be able to do High for all five hours, but what can I say? I panicked!)
Be careful about the steam when lifting the lid. And be careful with serving, as the meat should be so tender that it will be falling apart.
Serve with couscous and golden raisins. Enjoy!