Crock-Pot Balsamic Chicken

I love the fresh tomato flavor of this dish - no tomato paste taste here. However, I did find the "sauce" a bit thin to serve over pasta, so I recommend draining the diced tomatoes in an effort to make it a bit thicker. Otherwise, it was a delicious change from your standard tomato-based pasta dinner and super quick and easy to prepare. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs
28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 medium onion thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
ground black pepper and salt to taste
Cooked angel hair pasta for serving

Directions
Pour the olive oil on bottom of slow cooker, add chicken then salt and pepper each breast. Place the sliced onion on top of chicken then put in all the dried herbs and garlic. Pour in the vinegar and top with tomatoes. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours (until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce has thickened a bit), serve over angel hair pasta.

Serves 4-6

Minimally adapted from: http://skinnyms.com/slow-cooker-balsamic-chicken/

Crock Pot Beef (or Pork) Carnitas

Spice up your life with this no-fuss, tasty crock-pot recipe!  It is great served with some Jicama Slaw (check back in a few days for the recipe) or black beans and rice.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2  -2  lbs flank steak (a pork loin works great too and is less $$)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (any color), cut into strips
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

spice rub
3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions
Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over your flank steak - all of the spice mixture (no kidding around here)! Then, place your steak at the bottom of your crock pot.

Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Turn the crock-pot on LOW and cook for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, shred the meat in the crock pot (two forks work great). It should be incredibly easy to shred. Keep the meat in the crock-pot until ready to serve - it will reabsorb some of the juices (and spices).

Serve in corn or flour tortillas with any or all of the following: cilantro, salsa, cheese, black beans, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and/or diced avocado. 

Serves 6-8.
Time: 15 minutes active; 8 1/4 hours total

Slightly adapted from: http://www.eatliverun.com/crock-pot-beef-carnitas-tacos/

Chipotle Red Lentil Soup

Spicy, super filling, and "nutty" tasting. I know "nutty" sounds a bit weird, but we loved the flavor and texture - so did my 9 month old!  This is a great recipe for meatless Monday or any day that you want to serve plain old lentils in a new, delicious way. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups red lentils

1 small onion, diced

1-14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1/2 Tbsp chipotle pepper powder OR 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, finely minced

2 tsp agave nectar (or honey)

1 1/4 cup chicken stock (homemade preferred)

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper 

3/4 cup coconut milk (regular, not low-fat OR use yogurt, low-fat is fine)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

salt to taste

hot cooked brown rice for serving, optional

Directions

Add the lentils, onion, tomato, cumin, chipotle powder and agave nectar to the slow cooker. Pour in water and stock. Stir everything together. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW 8-9. Turn the slow cooker off.

Carefully, with an immersion blender, purée the soup until it is as smooth as you like it. If you like it a bit chunky I recommend setting aside a small portion before pureeing so that some chunkiness is left (stir it back in once you are done with the immersion blender .  Stir in the coconut milk and salt to taste. Serve over rice and topped with fresh cilantro. 

Adapted from: http://www.soupchick.com/2012/02/recipe-for-chipotle-red-lentil-and-tomato-soup.html#more

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Tired of left-over turkey already??  Then here is answer. Initially, I was put off by all the prep that appeared to go into this recipe. What is a slow-cooker for if I still have to spend quite a bit of time at the stove?  Well, it really wasn't that bad and the result was worth the effort - yummy!  This recipe seemingly serves an army and is full of flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the chicken:

2 – 2 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 cup yogurt (soy yogurt works great as well)

1 tablespoon butter*

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter*
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 large piece of ginger (2-3 inches in size), minced

3 tablespoons garam masala

1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar

1 whole jalapeno, washed, stem removed and pierced several times with a sharp knife

3/4 cups coconut milk (or half-and-half)

1 ½  teaspoons cornstarch

To Serve (optional):

Hot cooked brown rice  - I prefer peas mixed into mine ;-)

Chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix the coriander and cumin into the yogurt and pour it over the chicken, stir gently until all the pieces are evenly coated. Cover and let marinade for at least 4 hours, but up to two days before proceeding.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Raise the heat to medium high and quickly brown about 1/2 of the chicken. Transfer browned chicken to the slow cooker as it is finished, using another 1/2 tablespoon of butter for the second batch; transfer remained cooked chicken to the slow-cooker. 

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, then stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to lightly brown and start to become translucent.

Stir in the garam masala and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) before raising the heat to high and adding the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Stir well, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Pour the suace over the chicken in the slow-cooker and add the jalapeno pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily.

Use a fork or whisk to stir the cornstarch into the coconut milk until smooth. Pour into the slow-cooker and stir gently until the color is even. Replace the lid and let cook for 10 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Serve over hot rice topped with a generous amount of chopped cilantro.

*For those of you that don’t include dairy in your diet you can substitute Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and/or Extra Virgin olive oil in place of the butter. The coconut milk makes up for the richness lost by excluding the butter. 

Adapted from: http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/

Honey Soy Crock-Pot Chicken

I adapted this recipe to reduce the sodium, sweeten it up a bit (where's the honey?), and add some more veggies (which you can steam in the slow cooker!). I also desired a thicker sauce so I added some cornstarch near the end of the cooking process. This is a great family meal that is healthy and easy. Enjoy!


Ingredients
1 ½ pound Boneless Chicken Thighs
1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce (Gluten-Free if desired)
1/3-1/2 cup Honey or Agave (or combo)
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Tablespoon Ginger, Minced
1 Tablespoon Chili Garlic Sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
1 TBS cornstarch

For Serving:
1 whole Yellow/Orange Bell Pepper*, Thinly Sliced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper*, Thinly Sliced 
1 ½ Tablespoon Sesame Seeds 
Steamed Broccoli*
Cooked Brown Rice




Directions
Place chicken in slow cooker.

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce, mustard, and black pepper. Pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook chicken on low for 5 hours. Ladle out about a 1/2 cup of the broth from the slow cooker and whisk in the cornstarch. Add the mixture back to the slow cooker and cook on low for 1 hour or until thickened.  Shred chicken in the slow cooker.

Serve over cooked rice with bell peppers and broccoli. Garnish with sesame seeds.


Serves 4-5. 

*You can steam the broccoli and bell peppers in the slow cooker if desired, just place the vegetable in a steamer basket and place them on top of the chicken for the last 30 minutes of the cooking time. 

Adapted from: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/slow-cooker-honey-soy-chicken/

Spicy Lentil Stew

Flavorful, spicy and filling, this stew is definitely a keeper. The garam masala imparts a wonderfully exotic flavor and the Rotel tomatoes and jalapeno add quite a bit of heat. This stew is also great served over hot rice. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional - depends on how hot you like it)
2 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs–average sized), peeled and chopped
2 10-oz cans Rotel tomatoes with their juice
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 3/4 cup red lentils
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
fresh minced cilantro, golden raisins, and shredded coconut for serving (optional)


Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot and jalapeno (if using) and saute for 6-8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 more minutes, and then add the garam masala, stirring well to coat. Take off the heat.


Place the chickpeas, butternut squash, Rotel tomatoes, red lentils, broth and onion mixture in your slow cooker. Turn the heat on LOW and cook for 8-10 hours (longer equals a thicker stew).


Season with sea salt to taste and serve with minced cilantro, golden raisins and coconut on top. 


Serves 6. 


Adapted from: http://www.eatliverun.com/crock-pot-chickpea-butternut-squash-and-red-lentil-stew/

Smoky Slow-Cooker Chili

I am a huge fan of the slow cooker as it means I can have a hearty meal on the table at dinner without all the evening fuss. You can enjoy this smoky, spicy chili anytime of the year, but I like it best on a cool fall day. Enjoy!


Ingredients


1/2 TBS olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2  cloves garlic, chopped

2 - 15.5-oz cans kidney beans, rinsed
28-oz can diced tomatoes
12 oz beer
3/4 lb beef chuck, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (or beef stew meat) (I would up it to 1 1/2 lbs)
2  TBS tomato paste
2 TBS all-purpose flour
2  TBS chili powder
1 to 3 tsp chipotle powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
kosher salt
corn bread, sour cream, grated Cheddar, chopped onion, and fresh cilantro, for serving


Directions
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes or until the garlic is just starting to turn a bit golden. Put the onions and garlic in the bowl of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker; add the beans, tomatoes and their juices, beer, beef, tomato paste, flour, chili powder, chipotle powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt; stir to combine


Cover and cook until the beef is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Serve with the corn bread, sour cream, Cheddar, onion, and/or cilantro.



Serves 4.  




Adapted from: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/beef-chili-recipe-00100000074153/index.html

Carribbean Chicken

This is one of the best dishes I have made in a slow-cooker in a long time. It has a great flavor profile along with just the right amount of richness from the coconut milk. If you don't like spicy food just leave out the adobo sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp coriander

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 TBS cooking oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 TBS adobo sauce or 1 chipotle pepper, minced

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup coconut milk (lite is fine)

1/2 tsp pepper

Hot cooked rice

Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion and garlic. Cook until tender then transfer them to the slow cooker. Combine the coriander through cloves; apply the spice mixture liberally to the chicken thighs. Add the chicken to the hot skillet; cook approximately 3-4 minutes per side (chicken does not need to be cooked all the way through). Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Add 1 cup broth to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits left in the pan. Pour the broth over the chicken. Add remaining broth, adobo sauce, black beans, coconut milk and pepper to the slow cooker. 

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. You can serve it immediately as a soup over the hot cooked rice  and sprinkled with cilantro or if you prefer something thicker (I did!) ladle the majority of the liquid into a saucepan. Mix 1 TBS cornstarch with 2 TBS of the liquid until dissolved; add the cornstrach mixture to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the liquid 30-45 minutes until thickened to your desired consistency. Serve over hot rice and sprinkled with cilantro.