Slow Cooker Recipes

Here are a couple of recipes I've tried lately that made it into the recipe box.

Italian Braised Pork (Martha Stewart, with my modifications)
2 T olive oil
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
fresh ground pepper
small diced onion
3 cloves minced garlic
3/4 t fennel seeds
1/2 c dry red wine (or cranberry juice with a few splashes of red wine vinegar)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
In large skillet, heat oil. Season pork with pepper and cook, turning occasionally, till browned on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, and fennel to skillet, cook till onion softened. Add wine and cook till reduced by half. (Next time I make this, I'm going to skip this first step and see if I taste any difference.) Add wine and seasoning mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes. Cover and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours. Transfer pork to cutting board and pull apart with forks. Return to slow cooker and stir to combine with sauce. Good over top of couscous. Leftovers are great on a sandwich.

Slow-Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili (Real Simple). My kids ate this and loved it. Lately they've become very picky and I was surprised that they went for this. It is full of veggies and protein so I think we will be eating this yummy dish often.
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey, cooked through (you could easily leave this out and have a vegetarian meal)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans, rinsed
3 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 onions, chopped
1/4 c tomato paste
2 cloves minced garlic
1 T chili powder
1 t dried oregano
fresh ground pepper
Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker and simmer several hours. Top with sour cream, cilantro, and avocado as desired. Freezes well.