Barbeque Pulled Chicken; Grilled Corn Salad

The heat and humidity has everything around here slowing to a crawl. An early-morning run, some gardening, and hanging out a load of laundry has about done me in !

I run on trails around our property, and this morning I decided that I would start a new routine of getting out early. I prefer to run after I’ve had a meal, in late morning, but the temps were already over 80 when I returned home at 9am. These days, if I don’t get out early, then I don’t do it. And I need to run.

The woods were cool, although a bit on the humid side. I noticed that the wild yarrow is about to bloom, and that means summer is in full swing. The black raspberry bushes are mostly past their prime, but I found a few ripe ones remaining in a shady location. Next up are the blackberries and, if they produce like these raspberries did a couple of weeks ago, I may have to make some jam. And a pie. Looooove blackberry pie! Will need to run a lot more, then…

I found a cute little wildflower and looked it up after arriving home. Downy rattlesnake plantain. Named so because the American Indians used it to treat rattlesnake bites! Anyway, It is growing at the edge of a heavily-wooded trail and I looked around but saw no similar plants so I can’t imagine how it ended up there. The small, dark green leaves heavily veined with white were very noticeable.

From what I have read, the stalk growing from the center will have tiny white flowers. So adorable! Note the poison ivy clustered around it, though. Not so adorable. I am marking it so that I can watch the flower bloom, but since I have read that is rare and shouldn't be collected it will stay in its place.

Back to my run this morning. The woods start about ¼ mile from our house, so when I emerged from them this morning the sun was glaring above the meadow trail that leads home. It was a long trip back to the house, but when I came in the door into the kitchen I was hit with a wonderful aroma.

Eating Well’s BBQ Pulled Chicken is a favorite, and I started it just before leaving earlier. Although most often eaten as a sandwich, we enjoy it spooned over cornbread. I make dry cornbread. :( There’s so much butter or oil in the recipes that taste good, and I usually opt for the less-spectacular lowfat cornbread and use it as a base for something saucy. Or for a stuffing.

I prepared the recipe mostly as is directed; only adding a cornstarch slurry during the final half hour to thicken the sauce. And more chipotle powder, of course.

Barbecue Pulled Chicken

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/barbecue_pulled_chicken.html

From EatingWell: February/March 2006

This fanciful reinterpretation of pulled pork uses chicken and lots of tomato sauce. Have sliced jalapenos, sliced red onions and some sour cream on hand to top this hearty main course.

8 servings | Active Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 5 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce can reduced-sodium tomato sauce
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 
  

Preparation

1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ground chipotle and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine.
2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5 hours.
3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving : 184 Calories; 8 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 68 mg Cholesterol; 8 g Carbohydrates; 20 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 257 mg Sodium; 303 mg Potassium

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carb., 2.5 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

My favorite accompaniment to the pulled chicken and cornbread is coleslaw, but today there is no cabbage in the refrigerator. I did find 3 ears of corn, bought a couple of days ago, so I made a grilled corn salad.

Grilled Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn, do not shuck (or 2 1/2 cups frozen corn for the non-grill option)
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 5-inch long zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (best if you toast whole cumin seeds then grind)
• 1/4 cup crumbly salty cheese such as feta or cotija (optional)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar or lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

1 Prepare your grill for high, direct heat. Oil the grill grates. Rub a little olive oil over the bell pepper. Place the corn (in their husks) and red bell pepper directly on the grill grates. Cover the grill.

Turn corn occasionally, so that every part of the husk is blackened. Turn the red bell pepper occasionally until the skin has blistered up all around it. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.

For the last 5 minutes or so, rub olive oil over the zucchini pieces and place the zucchini pieces directly on the grill grate, cut side down. Turn them over after a few minutes when they have some nice grill marks on them. Let them cook for just a minute or two on the other side.

1a - no grill version Alternatively you can prepare the vegetables on the stove-top. Shuck the corn and use a knife to remove the kernels from the cobs. If you don't have fresh corn, you can easily use frozen. Coat the

bottom of a large, sturdy relatively stick-free (can use cast iron) pan with a little olive oil. Heat the pan to high. Spread out the corn kernels on the pan. If frozen, they will defrost almost immediately. Don't stir them that much, just let them cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to toast. When they get a little browned, remove them from the pan to a bowl. Lay the zucchini pieces on the pan and brown on both sides, do not over cook, remove from pan. The bell pepper does not need to be cooked, it can just be seeded and chopped fine.

2 Let the corn cool down for a few minutes and pull back the husks. Stand the corn husks vertically, tip facing down, in a large shallow bowl or baking dish. Use a sharp knife to make long, downward strokes, removing the kernels from the cob, as you work your way around the cob.

Once the bell pepper has cooled a bit, remove the outer peel. Cut open the pepper, remove the seeds and stem.

Chop the bell pepper into small pieces.

Slice the slightly browned zucchini again lengthwise and chop into small pieces.

3 Place grilled or toasted corn kernels, chopped bell pepper, chopped zucchini, red onion, cilantro, and serrano (if using) into a large bowl. Add the cumin, olive oil, vinegar or lime juice, and crumbly cheese (if using). Mix gently. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve cold or at room temperature. Serves 4.

Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com

This is the way all fresh corn should be used! It is so fresh and flavorful. I came across this recipe the other day and tried it, even though I already have at least one grilled corn salad recipe in my files. This one was darn good, and I may have to do a comparison and make both recipes the next time I buy fresh corn. I used lime juice instead of vinegar, and a jalapeno subbed for the Serrano (although, while chopping the jalapeno, I remembered that I did have a Serrano chili in the refrigerator. Somewhere.) . I also didn’t have zucchini. And I left out the cheese (intentionally, I’ve just been eating too much recently!).

I pulled the silk out of the tops of the ears of corn, and took off the loose husks. My grill registered 400F, and I

cooked the ears of corn for a total of 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes. A few times I plucked off charred husks that had become loose.

The corn and bell pepper near the end of the charring...er...grilling process:

The peeled corn. I was surprised that, even though the outer husks were black, the corn kernels weren't. But they did have a very nice smoky flavor.

This would be an excellent side not only for the pulled chicken, but it would be great with any grilled food. I will, at some point this summer, try adding chicken for a cold main dish that would make this perfect for a picnic. The addition of black beans would also be quite good, but since I no longer seem to be able to eat black beans without repercussions, I will merely suggest that addition.

I am watching birds splashing themselves silly in our pond. One little sparrow seems to be having a particularly wonderful time. Dark clouds, however, are gathering in the west so it looks as though I need to get outside and take the clothes from the line. 92 degrees. With any luck the rain will cool things down a bit, but will probably only add more humidity into the atmosphere. Today is truly a Rosanna Rosannadanna hair day!

Thai Grilled Chicken Noodle Salad

Two posts in 24 hours. Quite the feat! But this is an addendum to yesterday's post. I used the Thai grilled chicken in a salad and it was quite awesome. :)




No recipe. I mixed rice noodles with slivered snap peas, shredded carrot, sliced scallions, and juilenned cucumbers with some of the dipping sauce. I divided this between 2 plates, added the sliced chicken, and drizzled more dressing, then sprinkled with chopped Thai basil. After the photo was taken, I sprinkled the salad with copped peanuts (which was a great idea).

I think that, next time, I will add some slivered red bell pepper.

The chicken was such a great recipe, there will be many more "next time"s!

Big Al's Thai Grilled Chicken

Well, long time no post… wow, almost 5 months?!? As “they” say—stuff happens. :) Busy stuff, crazy stuff, time-flying-by-at-the-speed-of-light stuff.


Tonight, however, I made something for dinner that was just too awesome not to share. Shoot, it may be another couple of months before I can post again so let’s make this a good one!


I was looking for some new “grill recipes” and found a small booklet which came with our (awesome) Broilmaster grill a few years ago. As I leafed through the recipes, I came across one called Big Al’s Thai Grilled Chicken. I am not sure just who Big Al is, but if this recipe is any indication of what the rest of them are like, I will have to refer to this little book often this summer.


Not sure, though, if I’m ready to make yeasty sticky buns on the grill, though!


Here’s the original recipe. I made a variation (using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and serving differently), which I will describe afterward.


Big Al’s Thai Grilled Chicken
Serves 8
From Grilling with Broilmaster


5 T Asian fish sauce
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup canned coconut milk
2 T lime juice
2 T five-spice powder
2 T soy sauce
1 T crushed dried asian chilies
1 T curry powder
2 whole chickens, about 3 pounds each, quartered


hot cooked rice for 8


1 red onion, peeled and chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
8 large butter lettuce leaves


Dipping Sauce:


1 ½ cups rice wine vinegar
¾ cup sugar
2 T minced garlic
1 T red Vietnamese chili sauce



Directions:

Combine the fish sauce through the curry powder in a large plastic container; then add the chicken. Turn every 12 hours for 2 days.

Prepare the dipping sauce at least 2 hours in advance. Strain before using.


Preheat the grill to high and sear the chicken for about 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, turning and basting as needed, until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes).


Serve with the rice, onion, tomatoes, and cucumbers on a large leaf of butter lettuce with dipping sauce.



Okay, first I’m not big on prepping whole chickens. And since we don’t really like dark meat, there’s a lot of waste. So I decided to use chicken breast, and had a bag of chicken tenders in the freezer.


I used 1-1/2 pounds of chicken tenders and halved the marinade ingredients. I used soy milk and ¼ teaspoon of coconut extract instead of the coconut milk (since I only needed 2 tablespoons, I didn’t want to open a can). I marinated the chicken tenders for 3 hours, and did not baste the chicken while it cooked since I didn’t need to sear it then cook for a long time (they took about 7 minutes to cook at a medium-high heat).


For the dipping sauce, I made 1/3 recipe and could have used more. I subbed sambal oelek for the chili sauce.


Now, for serving. My Bibb lettuce is still small, so we ended up piling the lettuce on our plates, topping with the chicken tenders, then cukes, tomatoes (I forgot the onion), and sauce. I added a large sprinkling of Thai basil as well, and that (IMO) really made the dish.



Excellent, wonderful, stupendous meal! Very flavorful, very pretty to look at, and a definite repeater for this summer.


I made enough chicken for 2 more meals, and one will be lunch tomorrow. I plan to slice the chicken and serve it with rice noodles, chopped red pepper, chopped cuke, hoping to remember the onion (scallions, actually), and a sprinkling of peanuts as well as the Thai basil. And that delicious sauce.

Potatoes and Poblanos

Okay, the title leaves much to be desired. :) I adapted a recipe from Cuisine at Home which was found in Issue 85 Potato-Stuffed Poblanos. But I took the easy way out. My garden gave me a lot of poblano peppers last fall, and I roasted, peeled, seeded, and froze the lot for future use. Since the peppers now couldn't be stuffed, I chose to layer them with the potato mixture.


And, being me, I looked at the nutritional info on the bottom of the recipe and cringed a bit at the 26g of fat in each serving. So I made some changes. I decreased the amount of cheese slightly, and used Cabot's light cheddar; I eliminated the cream cheese and added more (light) sour cream and skim milk. I also made a few changes in the seasonings as well. The final recipe came through MasterCook at 7g total fat and I was skeptical so I recalculated, but it seems to be the correct numbers. Okay, so you who regularly use full-fat diary and have made this before may notice the substitutions of the light cheese and the light sour cream but we thought this recipe was delicious. I do keep a package of grated sharp (full fat!) cheddar in the freezer to use in small amounts where I think that the extra cheese flavor would be nice, and in this recipe I sprinkled a mere tablespoon of that on the potato mixture along with the lowfat cheddar before baking and I think that it really added a nice cheesy “punch”. Excellent!


For the side, I used the accompanying recipe from CAH and subbed Mexican oregano for the epazote, and added halved grape tomatoes. Oh, I also decreased the black beans (*sigh*) and increased the corn (Trader Joe's Frozen Roasted Corn).


A note on the photo, I forgot to garnish with reserve chopped scallions tops and that would have made this photo look better. As would a sprinkling of paprika. I seem to always forget the garnishes!



* Exported from MasterCook *

Potatoes and Poblanos


Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 large poblano pepper -- roasted, peeled, and seeded
12 ounces potatoes
1/2 cup sliced onion
2 ounces Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar -- shredded, divided
1/4 cup chopped scallions -- reserve about 1 tablespoon of the chopped, green tops for garnish)
3 tablespoons green chili pepper -- (canned)
2 tablespoons light sour cream
2 tablespoons skim milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon shredded sharp cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 425F. Coat a baking dish with cooing spray.


Boil the potatoes with the sliced onion until the potatoes are tender; drain and return to the pot. Stir the potatoes and onion over high heat for 30 seconds to evaporate excess moisture.


Mash the potatoes and onions along with 2/3 cup of the cheese, most of the scallions, and the remaining ingredients through the chipotle pepper. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt & pepper.

Lay 1/2 of the poblanos in the bottom of the baking dish. Dollop 1/2 of the potato mixture on top and carefully spread the mixture to cover the peppers. Lay the remaining peppers on top, then spread the rest of the potato mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining lowfat cheese and the "regular" sharp cheddar.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is golden (can also finish the dish under the broiler to brown the cheese a bit).

Sprinkle with reserved scallion tops.


Source:
"adapted from Cuisine at Home, Issue #85"

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Per serving: 297 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat (5g Saturated); (18% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 24mg Cholesterol; 234mg Sodium



* Exported from MasterCook *

Black Bean and Corn Saute


Recipe By : Cuisine at Home
Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup diced onion
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
6 ounces black beans, cooked
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano -- crumbled
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup halved cherry tomato
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste


Heat oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onin and cumin and cook until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Stir in the beans through garlic and stir until heated through. Add the tomatoes and stir for another minute. Add the lime juice, season with s & p, and stir for one additional minute.


Source:
"Cuisine at Home, Issue #85"

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Per serving: 223 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (13% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 12mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Channa Masala

Yesterday was Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, so an early spring has been predicted. The mere hope of saying farewell to winter, be it a day or a week or two weeks early, makes me want to dance.

We had a few hours of spring yesterday morning as well. The temps were in the mid-40’s for several hours, although they quickly fell and brought us back into winter. Just after I woke, I went to a radiator in one of the upstairs rooms to say good morning to Spooky (who spends his nights under the covers with us, then for some reason will leave around 7am for the radiator in the next room). I looked outside and saw a beautiful rainbow, even though it was not raining. What a nice gift-- a rainbow in February! It was so beautiful, each band of color blending almost seamlessly into the other, and it stretched in a perfect arc. If I had been dressed I would have been tempted to run outside to see if I could find the pot of gold at the end. But… which end? Anyway, as I watched the winds kicked up and a bank of dark clouds erased the rainbow.

By noon, the temperature outside had started to fall and ominous clouds rolled in. I noticed that I had just a small amount of cooked chickpeas in the freezer, so I decided to make channa masala for lunch. I have used this recipe for several years and do not know the source, but it is a lunchtime favorite in winter. Although probably not “authentic” to the dish, I like to add some vegetables so peas and bell pepper are added to the onion-spice-chickpea mixture. This time I had a partial can of diced tomatoes in the refrigerator, so I used those instead of tomato sauce. We both decided that we prefer the sauce.

The spice mixture of garam masala, coriander, cumin, ginger, and turmeric is very fragrant and this is a perfect dish to warm up with on a cold winter day. I used a mix of brown and white basmati rice.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Channa Masala

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 medium garlic cloves -- crushed

8 ounces tomato sauce

8 ounces cooked chickpeas -- (about one 15-ounce can, drained)

1/3 cup frozen green peas -- thawed

chopped fresh cilantro

chopped cashews

Prepare rice, as desired.

Mix spices in a small cup and set aside.

Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and bell pepper until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the spice mixture and stir for a minute. Pour in the tomato sauce and mix well, then add the green peas and chickpeas and stir. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the hear, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.

Serve over hot, steamed rice. Garnish with the cilantro and/ or cashews as desired.

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Per serving: 293 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat (1g saturated); (16% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 50g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 1257mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

There are two days remaining in the month of January and I cannot describe how happy I will be to see this month end. And, only 28 days afterward, I will be even more joyous to say goodbye to February.

We’ve had yet more snow, and another storm is predicted for this weekend. Thankfully the temps are now up in the high 20’s rather than in the mid-teens (as last week), but it’s simply a depressing time of year. I go outside to take short walks because I just cannot stand being indoors, but my exercise is relegated to the exercise bike (“biking to nowhere”). And despite keeping a relatively regular schedule of using this, and logging in 12-14 miles at a time, I still feel as though I am carrying around this past holiday’s goodies around my waist.

A lovely feeling, it is—dim, sluggish, heavy… SPRING! WHERE ARE YOU?!?!??!

Cold days call for hearty meals. Jack is still babying his cracked tooth, so I made chili the other day. Pumpkin chili. I really had intended to make this only once, because I need to continue to use last autumn’s windfall of pumpkins, but this recipe will be added to the ever-growing list of fresh pumpkin recipes that I want to repeat. It looks like I will need to harvest a lot of pumpkins next year and, the way it usually goes, the upcoming fall pumpkin crop will probably be light.

This recipe was posted by Triathlon13 on the Cooking Light food forum when I asked for ideas to use fresh pumpkin. She wrote that she adapted it “quite a bit to what we like”, and I did that to her recipe as well (and also to reflect what was on hand in my pantry). I love beans, but they do not love me, so I didn’t use as much in the chili as I would have liked. Also, I garnished with shredded lowfat cheddar, diced avocado, and a drizzle of sour cream thinned with skim milk.

It is a very good chili and the chunks of pumpkin add a nice (really, not at all odd) texture and flavor.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Servings: 6-8

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium onions -- finely chopped

1 large bell pepper -- finely chopped

2 medium jalapeno pepper -- minced, optional

6 large garlic cloves -- minced

1 pound ground turkey

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

28 ounces crushed tomatoes

14 1/2 ounces tomato sauce

8 ounces diced green chilis -- (canned)

3 tablespoons chili powder (I used a mixture of medium-hot and ancho)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

16 ounces pumpkin – fresh; peeled, seeded, and chopped into 3/4" pieces

15 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot, then sauté the onions through garlic over a medium-low flame until softened.

While the vegetables cook, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook the ground turkey, browning well. Do not rinse out the skillet. Remove the ground turkey to a cutting board (do not rinse out the skillet) and chop into smaller pieces.

Add the chicken stock to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping loose the browned bits of turkey in the pan. Pour this into the softened vegetable mixture. Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil over high heat, add the pumpkin, stir, cover, and reduce heat to medium and simmer for 40 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.

Using a potato masher (or a sturdy wooden spoon), mash the pumpkin chunks a little. I did about 10 "mashes" through the pot. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the black beans, stir, and cook (uncovered) for 10 minutes.

Serve garnished with sour cream, chopped avocado, shredded cheese, minced onion, etc.

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Per serving: 333 Calories (kcal); 10g Total Fat (2g Saturated); (25% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 60mg Cholesterol; 693mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Adjust hot peppers or add hot sauce to desired heat level.

Crockpot Thai Chicken

About 15 years ago I bought a crockpot. Not to cook with, but to anneal glass beads because I had taken a class and the process of glass bead making was my creative distraction for a few years. Annealing is the process of cooling glass slowly. I would form the beads on metal rods over a flame, then push them into a crockpot of warm vermiculite for a day to very slowly cool. But eventually life took over and I found less and less time to make glass beads (I was also never terribly comfortable with lighting the gas torch, always being afraid that something would explode or I would catch my clothes on fire…).

A few years ago I dug out the crockpot again to make a pulled barbequed chicken. It was a great recipe, but I never think to use the crockpot because I have a mindset that these slow-cooker recipes are for busy Moms who are at work or shuttling children around and need to make easy meals for their families.

I am reconsidering that stand.

A few days ago Jack cracked a tooth and it will be a few weeks until he can have it repaired, so I have been making “soft meals”. Most of said meals featured ground turkey (meatloaf, chili, spaghetti w/ meat sauce, etc.) and, although I was able to fill in around these with macaroni & cheese, Indian veggie curry, broiled tilapia, etc., I wanted chicken. I came across a crockpot recipe describing the chicken as “falling-apart tender” and decided to give it a try. In my inbox had recently received a recipe for Crockpot Pad Thai and used this recipe as a base to make Crockpot Thai Chicken.

Falling-apart tender is a perfect description of how this chicken in this dish turned out. I cut some vegetables and placed them in the slow cooker, then added browned chicken breasts that had been cut into large pieces (about 2-3 ounces each, since I have a bag of monster 10-12 ounce chicken breasts in the freezer). Over this I poured a sauce comprised of a very good mixture of chicken stock, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar and garlic. The chicken and vegetables cooked in this, on high, for 4 hours and the result was utterly delicious. I served it on steamed basmati rice, then squeezed some lime juice over and chopped peanuts. Cilantro would have made a great addition, but I had none. :(

I have to admit that the sweet potatoes and the bell peppers became very soft, but the carrot and white potatoes stayed nice and firm. I’ll just have to play with the types of vegetables used, but I really enjoyed the flavor of the sweet potatoes (even though they somewhat disintegrated) so I’ll keep them in. As I was preparing the vegetables, I only weighed them instead of measuring. I figured that I would be adjusting the recipe, not posting it yet, but it turned out so well that I’ll just come back in the future and add the measurements in addition to the ounces.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Crockpot Thai Chicken

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 tablespoon olive oil

20 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- cut in large hunks, about 8 total

12 ounces sweet potato -- cut into 1 1/2" pieces

10 ounces white potato -- cut into 1 1/2" pieces

6 ounces onion -- cut into 1" pieces

6 ounces carrot -- cut into 1" pieces

10 ounces bell pepper -- cut into 1" pieces

1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 large garlic cloves -- minced

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce -- optional

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Heat the olive on in a large skillet and brown the chicken pieces on top only.

Mix the vegetables in the crockpot. Place the chicken pieces on top.

In a small saucepan, bring the broth through optional Sriracha sauce to a boil. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours.

Note: If you want a thicker sauce, mix 2 tablespoons of water and 1-1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small cup and add, stirring, to the crockpot mixture when there is about 5 minutes or so of cooking time remaining.

Before serving, stir in lime juice. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

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Per serving: 402 Calories (kcal); 8g Total Fat (1g Saturated); (17% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 82mg Cholesterol; 1067mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates