garlic

Easy Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki for Two

I love Teriyaki. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t like the flavor of Teriyaki. But for all my appreciation, I can’t get my kids to eat anything with the taste of Teriyaki. Which means there is no point in making a full meal that’s going to go to waste, hence my rare and personal-sized batch of this yummy chicken dinner (or lunch) for two. Of course if your family knows what’s good, feel free to double, triple or quadruple etc.

As organic as possible:

4 boneless skinless tenderloins
2 scallions, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 small or 1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
1 cup Teriyaki Sauce
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice (optional)

1 cup cooked brown rice
1 broccoli steamed

Place the tenderloins, scallions, ginger, garlic, Teriyaki sauce and orange juice in a small crockpot. Give a little stir to incorporate all ingredients and set on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. (My little crockpot runs hot even on low, so six hours is plenty.)

Top with extra scallions and serve with rice and broccoli. You’re so healthy.

Sidenote: If you want to roll like we do, about 20 minutes before dinner place the frozen organic chicken tenders for the kids in a preheated oven.
(And if you really want to know how this is going to play out, it’s going to go something like this: my children are going to be really glad I made them chicken that doesn’t have sauce. And they’re going to like their rice. One of my children is going to eat all of his steamed broccoli, and probably ask for some of mine. Another child will eat her mandatory broccoli floret because she is sensible and has reasoning, but she won’t like it. The next child will have passed up every opportunity to eat his broccoli and it will be the last thing left on his plate. And it will have turned into a battle of the wills to take a bite of that broccoli (which is what it has been reduced to). And before it touches his lips, he will already be gagging. Because he has a ridiculous self-imposed gagging reflex. All threats will have been made, and he knows that he will be going to bed straight after dinner without watching any TV with the family. And he will finally take a nibble followed quickly by a drink of milk. And then he will ask for a treat, as if his effort deserves a reward. And the baby will have little green pieces of broccoli all over his chin and covering his tray. Because he has an amazing ability to sort and separate with his tongue the pieces of broccoli that you have tried to shovel in with the spoonfuls of rice. And you will just be satisfied that he at least has tasted the broccoli. After you clear the table you will spend 20 minutes picking and wiping up sticky pieces of rice from the chairs and floor, because not one of your children can get all of their rice in their mouth. And you might murmur to yourself something like “I should just wait until the morning when this is dry and sweep it up.” But you know that in your heart of hearts, if you made a decision like that, that this would be the night they would pretend the kitchen table was a rocketship and they’d all be under there playing and mashing rice with the knees of their pajamas and socks… Whew! Blogging, it’s better than therapy.)

Rhonda’s Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

I don’t know a cook who doesn’t appreciate the awesomeness of a home cooked meal ready for you when you’re ready for it. Crock pot meals are the bees knees. I love that with a little bit of assembly, you can get a whole lot of pay off at the end of the day- a great return on your investment. Chicken Cacciatore is hearty and healthy, and really great served on a warm bed of rice. This variation has a rich tomato base with a hint of white wine and fire roasted red peppers. Yum!

Also, please note that if you feel the need to add more liquid, water will do. Of course, chicken stock seems like the most flavorful option- but trust me the flavor is there. So save your stock!

As organic as possible:

2 lbs Boneless skinless Chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1 large yellow Onion, rustically diced

3-4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 – 12 oz. jar Fire Roasted Red Peppers, drained and chopped into bite size pieces

12 oz. Tomato paste

2 tsp Sugar

1/2 cup White Wine

2 tsp Oregano

1 tsp dried Basil

1 tsp Salt

3 Tbsp Olive oil (Plus 1 Tbsp optional)

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes

If you have one of those cool crock pots that can go from stove top to crock pot warmer, it is optional to heat a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onions until they have a little color (to develop flavor). It is also a possibility to sauté them in a pan and transfer them to the crock pot. And lastly it is also an option to omit this step all together and save time.

Place the onions on the bottom of the crock pot. Top with the chicken pieces.

In a bowl add the garlic, red peppers, tomato paste, sugar, wine, oregano, basil, salt, oil and red pepper flakes. Stir until incorporated and pour on top of chicken.

Cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for about 4. If sauce seems to thick add a 1/4 cup of water. Serve with rice or pasta. Enjoy!

Yogurt Chicken Chili

The Super Bowl is two days away! And if you’re looking for a something to feed your home team that’s full of flavor and won’t bog them down, I’ve got the perfect idea. This chili is healthy and hearty, light and appetizing. It’s a crowd pleaser for sports fanatics, athletes, moms and kids alike. So regardless of the Game Day outcome, you’ll be a winner. Trust me on this.

As organic as possible

1 1/2 lbs boneless Chicken

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 yellow Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

4 cups Chicken broth

1 Tbsp Cumin

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1/2 Tbsp dried Basil

1 1/2 – 2 tsp salt (to taste!)

1 tsp freshly ground Black pepper

2 15.5 oz cans Cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup Non-fat Greek Yogurt, (Organic or Chobani) divided, plus more for serving (optional)

1 Scallion, sliced for garnish (optional)

 

In a large pot boil the chicken in water until cooked and tender. I used organic chicken tenders (which are cut thin) and took about 10 minutes. If you are using halved breasts, it could take 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile in another pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and let sauté for 2-3 minutes until starting to turn soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Pour the chicken stock into the onion and garlic, and stir. Add the cumin, chili powder, basil, salt, pepper, and beans. Stir and let sit over medium heat, bringing to simmer. Reduce heat to low (keeping at a nice low simmer).

Using a slotted spoon or tongs carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle I like to tear the chicken into rustic bite-size pieces. However, you can shred with a fork or chop with a knife if you prefer. Place the chicken into the pot of simmering broth, and stir. Allow the flavors to combine for at least 20-25 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of the Chobani Greek yogurt into the chicken chili and stir. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Allow flavors to meld for at least another 15 minutes. Top the chili with the remaining quarter cup of plain greek yogurt and scallions for serving. If desired, set bowls of the yogurt and additional sliced scallions for guests (or family) to dress their individual bowls. #madewithchobani

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The Chef’s Egg Rolls

Can I just reiterate that I love having a chef in my family? This time she gifts us little brown packages of fried Asian awesomeness! One of the best things about homemade is that you get to pick and choose your favorite flavors. And I’m not sure I could get enough water chestnuts, ginger, cabbage, carrots, garlic, soy sauce, etc. wrapped in a crispy egg roll wrapper. In fact, I’m pretty sure I can’t.

Makes about 35 egg rolls
So you will need 30-40 egg roll wrappers depending on how you fill them

4 cans sliced Water chestnuts (drained)
1 10 ounce bag shredded Carrots
4-5 Tbsp chopped Garlic
3-4 Tbsp chopped Ginger
1/4 cup Soy sauce

Stir fry in vegetable oil about 3 mins.
Set aside this mixture

In a stock pot place
10 cups shredded Cabbage (cole slaw is what I used)
2.5 cups Chicken broth (can use vegetable broth)
3/4 cup Soy sauce
3/4 cup reduced sodium Soy sauce
3 Tbs Sugar
Bring all ingredients to to a boil, reduce to simmer for 5 minutes then let cool for 10 mins

Strain cabbage and combine with shredded carrot mixture.

Make a paste with flour about 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water mixed.

Lay the wrapper like a diamond with a corner pointing at you. Place about 3 Tbsp of filling into each egg roll wrapper, across the center (in a line between the two middle corners), then fold bottom corner over filling then both sides, then use finger to apply paste along the edge of top corner and roll the filled wrapper over the pasted corner. Press anything that didn’t seal down and it’s ready for frying.

Side note: I work in batches because egg roll wrappers dry out quickly (not as bad as wonton wrappers) so I make like seven at a time and fry because I can fit that many in my skillet

Fry in a pan with 3/4 inch of vegetable oil in pan, after first side is browned (about 1 minute) turn and brown other side.

Place finished egg rolls on paper towel. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. *Sadie suggests plum sauce 😉

Harvest Chili

This is the ultimate harvest chili. It’s loaded with autumn vegetables and goodness such as sweet potatoes, onions, apples, and turkey. It looks like the prettiest fall tree color-changing picture (in abstract food form) ever! It’s really healthy, so some of you are going to love that. For the rest of you, don’t let that hold you back because it’s also delicious. It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, a bountiful treat. And if I may, I think the ground turkey could easily be substituted with leftover Thanksgiving turkey… which would be awesome. Just sayin’.

As organic as possible:

2 large Orange sweet peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces

2-3 canned Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped

4 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped

2 pounds ground turkey

1 large Onion

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground Black pepper

1 Tbsp Chili powder

1 Tbsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Oregano

1 – 15 oz can Pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 – 14.5 oz cans Red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 – 14.5 oz can diced Tomatoes

4 cups Chicken broth

1 Tbsp sugar* (I think this adds balance, but if you prefer healthier leave it out)

2 Sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces

2 medium tart Apples (such as Granny Smith)

*Spicy Chipotle seasoned Pine nuts (Recipe follows), Optional

Place orange peppers, chipotle peppers, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven brown turkey with onion, salt and pepper. Drain excess fat (but a little left is okay). Add pepper-garlic mix, stir and cook about 5 minutes. Then add tomatoes, pinto and kidney beans, and chicken broth. (Side note: This much can be made ahead and allowed to simmer as long as needed until about 35 minutes before serving.)

Stir in sweet potatoes and apples. Bring to boiling and reduce to simmer, about 25-30 minutes until sweet potato is tender. Taste for seasonings. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with Spicy Chipotle Seasoned Pine Nuts (Optional), or corn chips. Enjoy!

Spicy Chipotle Pine Nuts

2 Tbsp Butter

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Water

1 tsp ground Chipotle chili pepper

1 tsp snipped fresh Rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/2 tsp Celery salt

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1 1/2 cups Pine nuts

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside. In a small saucepan melt butter, add Worcestershire sauce, water, chipotle pepper, rosemary, celery salt, and garlic powder. Simmer over low heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in pine nuts and remove from heat.  When well coated, spread onto prepared baking sheet and bake about 10-15 minutes (shaking pan a couple times in-between), until lightly toasted. Sprinkle with salt while warm. (Side note: Nuts can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. They are delicious on their own, and would be a nice addition on top of a salad too!)

This recipe has been adapted, tweaked, and changed from a Chipotle Harvest Chili recipe I found a few years ago in a Midwest Living Magazine. I think it’s perfection.

If you were going to use leftover turkey, I would sauté onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil for a couple minutes. Add pepper-garlic mixture and let cook 5 minutes more. Then add turkey with the tomatoes, broth, etc., and follow the remaining instructions.