Shah Jahan's Chicken

Dishes that incorporate almonds, raisins and youghurt are typical of the Moghul's that invaded India from Persia in the 16th century. Shah Jahan, one of the most famous of the Moghul emporers is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal, the palace that he built as a memorial to his dead wife. This dish has a mild creamy flavour.

Serves 2-4

4 - 6 Chicken Breast
1 Teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper (freshly ground)
2 - 2½ tablespoon Ghee (it is possible to use a butter and oil mixture if you do not have ghee)
9 - 12 Green Cardamom pods
2 Bay Leaves
2 ins stick of Cinnamon
9 - 12 Cloves
12 - 15 Almonds
1 Cup Yoghurt
1 Teaspoon whole Cummin Seeds
½ Teaspoon Chilli powder
(Tip:- If your almonds still have the brown skin on them, then cover with boiling and very cold water alternately. This will loosen it and make it easier to peel off)

Slice the chicken breasts, sprinkle them with salt and pepper then put aside until needed.

Heat the ghee or butter and oil mixture in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Place the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves in the pan and stir around in the melted butter then carefully add half the chicken pieces. When they have sealed turn them over and continue cooking for about another five minutes or until they started to brown lightly. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place in an ovenproof dish. Put the rest of the chicken pieces in the pan and repeat as above. Put the almonds into the pan. Stir them around a few times then pour the almonds, spices and remaining ghee over the chicken.

In a small bowl mix together the youghurt, cumin seeds and chilli powder. Pour this over the chicken and cover with a lid or foil. Bake in a medium oven (350°F) for 30 - 40 minutes. Stir the chicken to distribute the flavours halfway through the cooking time.

Serve this with Indian breads, rice or savoury couscous and salad. My favourite salad to go with this dish is made from slivers of raw red onion, tomatoes and fresh coriander leaves. The bright colours of the red, purple and green compliment the pale creamy colour of the chicken. The Indian way to eat the salad is to provide people with salt and a wedge of fresh lime to squeeze and sprinkle over just before eating.

***This recipe is AWESOME, especially if you like Indian food. The flavors were subtle at first, but after I mixed everything in the brown basmati rice I served it with, the flavors exploded. Beyond delish! I will cut down on the ghee by half next time, it was a little greasy. I'll also have to either cut out the almonds all together or put them in mine only and keep mine separate. I ♥ the smell of cardamom and cumin!

Lentil Potato bake

1 cup dried lentils
3 potatoes diced small
1 large onion finely diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
3 T olive oil
2 T fresh or dried Thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable stock

1) Sort and rinse lentils. Boil lentils in vegetable stock until tender.
2) Place 2T olive oil in a large baking dish. Add Potatoes, onions garlic and seasonings toss to evenly coat. Bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown. Remove from oven and add lentils to potatoes. Gently mix together. Drizzle remaining olive oil over lentils and potatoes. Place back into oven cook for another 25 mins

Tandoori Chicken Bites

3 large chicken breasts
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 Tbsp garam masala
1.5 Tbsp paprika, divided

TOTAL

If you are sensitive to spicy foods, you can leave out the cayenne or start with 1/4 tsp.

STEP 1: Cut the chicken breasts into small chunks. I cut each breast into 3-4 strips lengthwise, and then each strip into 4-5 chunks to yield approximately 40 pieces. Place the chicken pieces in a large zip top bag.

STEP 2: Add to the rest of the ingredients to the bag (yogurt, minced garlic, grated ginger, lemon juice, salt, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, garam masala, and 1/2 Tbsp of the paprika). Close the bag tightly and smoosh it around to mix the ingredients. Place the bag in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours to marinate.

STEP 3: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Wipe the marinade from the chicken pieces and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle the last tablespoon of paprika and a pinch more of salt over the chicken pieces (add more cayenne if hot chicken pieces are desired). Toss to coat. The extra paprika here just helps the red color, you can skip it if desired. A little extra salt definitely helps, though.

STEP 4: Place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet, spaced out so they do not touch. Bake for 15 minutes in the fully preheated oven. Take the sheet out, turn each piece of chicken over, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Fluffy Vanilla Cake and Vanilla Icing

Fluffy Vanilla Cake Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting

Yield: One 2-layer, 8-inch round cake

Ingredients

5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup and 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2-1/4 teaspoons ( pure vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease, line with parchment, and flour two round 8-inch pans.

In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, 1/4 cup of milk, and the vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed (I use the "stir" setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.

Add the butter and remaining milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1-1/2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.

Divide the batter in two, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh to ensure 2 even layers.

Bake 25-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not over-bake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it's almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.

Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Best eaten the same day as baked.

For the Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting:

3 sticks + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (icing, powdered)
3 tablespoons milk
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1-1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Instructions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed (I use "4" on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy and fluffy.

Best used right away.

.
Cake assembly:

Place bottom cake layer on cake plate or 8" round thin cake board and spread 1 cup of frosting on top with a small offset spatula.

Gently place 2nd cake layer face down on top. Place a generous scoop of frosting on top, spreading evenly with a small offset spatula and working your way down the sides until you have a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.

Remove from refrigerator and apply a final "coat" of frosting.

Store in a cake keeper at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Best eaten day 1.

Menu Plan

Beef stew
Potato soup
Mexican night
Chicken pot pie
Tandoori chicken with raita and naan
Root beer pork roast

Chicken Korma

Chicken Korma
(Makes 7 servings)

Ingredients
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 7 oz. each), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion
5 garlic cloves
2 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 cup roasted cashew pieces, no added salt
1/2 cup non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
Salt to taste

Directions

Step 1 – In a large skillet, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent.

Step 2 – Add the chicken to the pan.

Step 3 – Add all other ingredients in the order listed, EXCEPT for the yogurt. Cook until chicken is cooked through.

Step 4 – Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the yogurt and salt to taste.

Step 5 – Serve over brown rice, with clean eating naan or by itself.

Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1 cup

Calories: 356

Clean Eating Slow Cooker Cinnamon Chicken

Clean Eating Slow Cooker Cinnamon Chicken
(Makes approximately 20 servings)

Ingredients
5 raw, skinless, boneless chicken breasts (approximately 2 lbs.)
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 (15 oz.) can light coconut milk
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin

Directions

Step 1 – Place the sliced carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker’s ceramic insert.

Step 2 – Place your raw chicken on top of that.

Step 3 – Put everything else on top and turn on the pot.

Step 4 – Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the chicken easily falls apart when poked at with a fork. (Internal temperature should be a minimum of 165 degrees F.)
Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/20 of the recipe or approximately 1/2 cup

Calories: 103
Total Fat: 4 gm
Saturated Fats: 2 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 26 mg
Sodium: 144 mg
Carbohydrates: 3 gm
Dietary fiber: 1 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 14 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 1

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

3 (24 oz total) large chicken breast halves
1 large egg
2 tsp. water
3/4 cup whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs
2 cups broccoli floret, cooked, chopped small
5 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese
Salt
Spray oil
Toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine egg, water and a little salt.  Beat with a fork to make an egg wash.  Set aside.  Fill a second bowl with breadcrumbs.

Slice chicken breast halves into thin cutlets.  You should get about 3 thin cutlets out of one breast half.  Pound them to make them thinner if you wish.  This helps when you wrap the cutlets.

Cut each slice of cheese in half.  Place a 1/2 slice cheese in the center of the chicken and top with a little broccoli.  Wrap chicken around to completely cover cheese, using toothpicks to secure.  Season with a little salt.  Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs.  Spray cookie sheet with oil and place chicken on cookie sheet.  Lightly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked.  Enjoy!

Crockpot Gumbo

1 pkg boneless skinless chicken breasts (leave whole)
1lb smoked sausage, diced
1 pkg frozen okra
1 pkg frozen mixed veggies

2 cans diced tomatoes (or you can use Rotel)
2T Tony Chachere's seasoning
garlic, pepper, salt to taste

throw everything in the crockpot on low for 8 hours, the chicken will shred when you stir it. Serve over rice.

Mushroom Pie

Mushroom Pie

2 pie crusts (I use frozen, thawed)
2 large sweet onions, quartered and sliced
4 tbs butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb sliced portobello mushrooms
8 oz fat free sour cream
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1. In nonstick skillet, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic powder, and salt. Arrange onions in a shallow layer. Turn heat down to medium low. Allow onions to cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and slightly carmelized, a light brown color (about 20 minutes).

2. Add mushrooms. Cook 3-5 minutes, until mushroom start to release juice. Stir in sour cream. Heat through.

3. Divide mushroom filling evenly between pie crusts. Top each with 1 cup of the Swiss. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes, until cheese is browned. Allow to stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Lemonade

6 lemons
3 qt water
1/2 cup honey

Slice lemons into thin strips and boil in water for 10 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup honey to mixture and serve hot or cold.

Awesome recipe link

http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/p/recipe-box_20.html

There are SO many recipes I want to try from there!

CrockPot Gyro Recipe

I followed the fantastic recipe online by Sarah Christine Bolton, the Savvy Slow Cooker of CDKitchen. Sarah knows her stuff---I recommend spending some time checking out her recipes.

The Ingredients.

For the gyro meat:

--1/2 pound ground lamb
--1/2 pound ground turkey
--2 t oregano
--1 t paprika

--1/2 chopped onion
--3 cloves minced garlic
--juice from 1 lemon

For the Tzatziki sauce (optional, but not really):

--1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
--1 cup plain non fat yogurt
--1 T olive oil
--3 cloves minced garlic
--2 T chopped fresh mint
--juice from 1 lemon

Extra stuff (optional. for reals.):

--pita bread
--lettuce
--tomatoes
--feta cheese
--olives

The Directions.

Don't freak out about the number of ingredients. This comes together very quickly. I promise. Chop up the onion, and 3 cloves of garlic, and put them in the bottom of your crockpot. In a small mixing bowl, combine the two kinds of ground meat with the paprika and oregano. If your spices don't have a fresh smell anymore, or if you think they may have been purchased in the 90s, consider buying fresh bottles for this dish.

Make a little meatloaf with your hands. Put the meatloaf log on top of the chopped onion and garlic in your crockpot. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the top of the meat.

Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or on HIGH for about 2.

While you are waiting for the meat to cook, make up a batch of the yummy Tzatziki sauce and put it in the fridge.

You will know when the meat is done, because it will not be raw when you cut into it. This is all so very technical, you know.

Carefully! remove the meat from the crockpot and slice it thinly on a cutting board.

Serve it with pitas (or corn or brown rice tortillas) with the Tzatziki sauce and whatever desired fixings you have chosen.

Vietnamese Pho

The kids and I LOVE pho (pronounced fuh, not foe) and on the rare night we go out to eat as a family pho is usually our go-to. You get an enormous bowl that the kids can split and I can barely finish (it's an effort, but I apply myself diligently) for $7.95. You can't beat feeding three people at a restaurant for under $20. Once in a while, if we get lunch I'll spring for the coffee too and then I spend the rest of the day vibrating. If you've ever had Vietnamese coffee you'll know what I'm talking about, if you haven't, well you need to if you like coffee because it's as close as you can come to mainlining the stuff.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to attempting this recipe. I'm going to be focusing heavily on the crockpot this summer since my new kitchen is super small and not very well ventilated. I turn on that oven and the entire front of the house heats up at least five degrees (while the back of the house stays a nice cool 78).

This recipe comes from crockpot365, my favorite crock pot blog ever!

The Ingredients.
--6 cups beef broth or stock
--2 inch chunk of peeled ginger
--3/4 t anise (I just use one whole star anise)
--1 cinnamon stick
--2 sliced green onions
--1 lb thin sliced beef (I used bulgogi meat from the Asian market)
--package of rice noodles
--1 t fish sauce (I also throw three whole frozen anchovies in the broth)
--1/2 t kosher salt
--1/2 t black pepper

Garnish:

--lime wedges

--bean sprouts

--cilantro

--basil

--sriracha

--soy

--fish sauce

The Directions.

Put all of the broth into the crockpot. Add the meat, green onion, ginger, fish sauce, and spices. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 4-6. It's done when the meat is fully cooked. I used a 6qt Smart Pot for this recipe and it took a good 4 hours on high for the large amount of broth in my crock to get hot enough to cook the meat.

--my edit, I like my meat rare, so I put it in the bottom of the bowl and pour the broth from the pot on top of it.  The meats cooks up perfectly, just like in the restaurant.  When I followed the directions, the meat was tough and chewy.

15 minutes before serving, add the entire package of rice noodles to the pot. Push them under the liquid with a wooden spoon, and cover.

By the time you set the table, the noodles will be tender and glass-like. Serve in bowls.

Arab/Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients
serves serves 4 to 6, active time 45 minutes, total time 1 hour

For the chicken:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup light olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (6 to 8 thighs)
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

For the rice:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups long-grain or Basmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
Fluffy pocketless pita bread, brushed in butter, lightly toasted, and cut into 1 × 3-inch strips
Harissa-style hot sauce

Procedures

For the chicken: Combine the lemon juice, oregano, coriander, garlic, and olive oil in a blender. Blend until smooth. Season the marinade to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and add half of the marinade (reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator). Turn the chicken to coat, seal the bag, and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade (see Note).



Remove the chicken from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Season with kosher salt and pepper, going heavy on the pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed cast iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until it is lightly smoking. Add the chicken pieces and cook without disturbing until they are lightly browned on the first side, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the center of each thigh registers 165°F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.




Using a chef’s knife, roughly chop the chicken into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the remaining marinade, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate while you cook the rice and prepare the sauce.



For the rice: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. Remove from the heat and allow to rest until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.



For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt.



To serve: Return the entire contents of the chicken bowl (chicken, marinade, and all juices) to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. To serve, divide the rice, lettuce, tomato, and toasted pita bread evenly among four to six plates. Pile the chicken on top of the rice. Top with the white sauce and hot sauce. Serve immediately, passing extra sauce at the table.

Note: Do not marinate the chicken longer than 4 hours or it’ll get a mushy texture. If you must delay cooking the chicken for any reason, remove it from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels, and refrigerate until ready to cook.


This recipe was very simple to prepare but took a bit of time.

1. I used skinless boneless chicken breasts and instead of marinating the breasts whole I should have cut them down like I usually do and then thrown them in the bag.  I let it marinate for about an hour.

2.  I shouldn't have cooked the chicken on such high heat because I ended up smoking out the house and had to open the windows.  My house gets hot enough when I cook so I was pretty frustrated.

3.  While the chicken was cooking I started the rice.  I just threw everything into the rice cooker and let it do its thing.  I did rinse the rice for a good 3-5 minutes until the water was running clear and the rice was yummy and fluffy.

4.  I mixed the sauce while the food was cooking as well and threw it in the fridge so the flavors could mingle a bit.  Next time I'll mix the sauce a little earlier to get more parsley flavor out.  Oh and I did spring for the fresh parsley and I'm glad I did, it was very flavorful.

5.  Because I finished cooking and mixing everything before the chicken was finally done (and I actually had to nuke the largest breast because it was still slightly uncooked in the center) everything was nice and hot and didn't need to be returned to the skillet.

It was very tasty and I'll definitely make it again.

Indian potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 small russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1/3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and paprika and sauté 1 minute. Mix in potatoes, then broth. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook until potatoes are tender and liquid is reduced to glaze, stirring gently, about 8 minutes more. Season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle lemon juice over. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

Garlic Cream Chicken

Garlic Cream Chicken

3 whole heads garlic (about 40 cloves)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
3 TBSP Salted Butter
3 TBSP EVOO
1 1/2 c. white wine
1 TBSP dried thyme
2 TBSP flour or 1 TBSP corn starch (GF)
2/3 c. heavy cream
1 cup mushrooms (optional)

Drop the garlic into a pot of boiling water. Wait for 60 seconds, then drain & peel. Set aside cloves. Season chicken very liberally with salt & pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large, deep pan over medium high heat. Saute the chicken until nicely browned (about 5 minutes per side). When done, transfer to a plate.

Next add all the garlic cloves & mushrooms to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and saute for 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add wine and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom bits from the bottom of the pan Let alcohol burn off. Return chicken to the pot and sprinkle thyme over the top of each chicken breast. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Remove chicken to a platter and cover with foil. In a small bowl, whisk together flower and 1/2 c. of the sauce and then whisk it back into the rest of the sauce. Raise the heat to medium-high, add cream and boil for about 3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Bread machine pizza dough

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons dried granulated yeast
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water, plus
2 tablespoons water

Instructions:

1. Place all the above ingredients in the order listed into the bread machine (or in the order specified by your manual)
2. Select the dough cycle and press start!
3. When the dough cycle is complete, take the dough out of the machine and place in well greased bowl, and roll the dough around (in the bowl) thus'coating' it in oil.
4. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1/2 an hour.
5. Knead the risen dough lightly. **I find that the dough is less sticky and easier to stretch out if I shape the dough into a half sphere and let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes extra after this step**
6. Shape and stretch into a circle
7. Place on well greased baking tray or pizza pan. Add sauce and toppings, bake at 375 for about 12 -15 minutes (time depends on pizza you are making)

Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

- Chicken
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 T oil

Place chicken in crock pot. Mix all other ingredients together then pour over top of chicken. Cook on low eight hours. (Jane note: I think Jess cooked it for about half that time at high since we started cooking later in the day.) Once chicken is cooked, shred with two forks and mix with sauce. Sauce will seem too thin, but once the chicken is shredded and mixed in it will be perfect.

Serve over rice.

CrockPot Bacon and Cheese Chicken Recipe

The Ingredients.
Adapted from Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken


--2 T olive oil
--4-6 chicken breast halves, or equivalent bird pieces (I used 8 breast tenders)
--12 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon
--1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Tamari's wheat-free that I found at Whole Foods)
--1/2 cup Ranch salad dressing
--1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


The Directions.

Put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of your crock and spread it around. If you are using thighs or fattier cuts of meat, this step is probably optional.

Put the chicken in the crock on top of the oil.

In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce and the ranch dressing. I kept tasting this---the flavor is so bizarre and tasty; I've never had anything like it.

Pour sauce over the top of the chicken. Add the shredded cheese and the crumbled bacon to the crock, getting between the chicken pieces, if you can.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. The cooking time will depend on how thick your chicken pieces are, and if they are fresh or frozen.

Slow Cooker Artichoke Pasta Recipe

Slow Cooker Artichoke Pasta Recipe

This is a vegetarian meal (although you certainly can add chicken if you'd like) fit to serve company. This is also a great weeknight meal for a busy family, and one the kids will enjoy.
Everyone likes pasta!

The Ingredients.
serves 4 large adults (can easily squeeze in a few kids, too)
3 (14.5-ounce) cans Italian tomatoes (diced, stewed, your choice) (do not drain)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans artichoke hearts in water, drained and lightly chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (to add later)
1 pound freshly cooked pasta (to add later; I use brown rice penne or fusilli from Trader Joes)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes into your crockpot. Lightly chop the drained artichoke hearts and toss them in. Add garlic and olives. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. If you are adding chicken, cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or until chicken is no longer pink.
Stir in heavy cream and hot, cooked pasta before serving.

*If you are out of the house all day, you can still make this by using a programmable slow cooker. Set it to turn to warm after 5 hours on low. The warm setting will work for a full 12 hours, and will keep your food nice and hot (but not still cooking) until you arrive home. Stir in the heavy cream. Cook pasta according to package instructions and toss with the sauce.

garnish with shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.

Menu Plan

BBQ Chicken and Cornbread Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie
Braised Beef with Rich Gravy
Tacos
Split Pea Soup