BURGER SMASHER TOOL RECIPES

Steps:

• Brown meat in a large deep skillet on medium-high heat; season with generously with salt and a little pepper. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into small pieces.
• When meat is no longer pink, drain all the liquid from pan. Add the onions, garlic and bell peppers to the meat and cook an addition 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer the meat to the slow cooker, then add tomato, cilantro, tomato sauce, 1 1/4 cups water, alcaparrado (or olives) [I usually add some of the brine from the jar for added flavor] then add the spices.
• Set slow cooker to HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8.
• After it's ready, taste for salt and add more as needed [I added a little more cumin and garlic powder at the end as well since the crock pot tends to mute the flavors of herbs and spices].
• Discard the bay leaves and serve over brown rice.
• Makes about 5 3/4 cups.

Steps:

• Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a chopper or mini food processor.
• In a large soup pot, melt butter.  Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add flour, salt and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.
• Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil, then cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
• Add broccoli florets, Parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes.
• Add cheddar and American cheese, stir well and remove from heat.
• Using an immersion blender quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove about 1-2 cups of potatoes and broccoli, place it in your chopper, then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken it a bit.