Slow Cooker Curried Chicken Breasts

The January Sunday dinner theme was "Comfort Food". I asked all my guests to bring their favorite comfort food dish. We had it all. Mid-West dishes, farm dishes, oh and some salad - just for something green.

I decided to make a slow cooker meal that I had been wanting to try. My favorite comfort food is Hunter's Stew - but it makes a lot and I figured we'd have enough food. Instead I grabbed this meal for two recipe and oh boy was it good.

You have to like curry, obviously, to make this recipe. It's not an overwhelming curry flavor, in fact, I felt it was a perfect amount of curry.

The recipe is easy, but does take some time to make - hence the slow cooker.

Slow-Cooker Curried Chicken Breasts
Recipe From American Test Kitchen Cooking for Two 2011
Serves 2

2 (12oz) bone-in split chicken breasts, skin removed, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger (really don't skimp on this item)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp tomato paste
3/4 c low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp minute tapioca (oh and BTW - I skipped this. Tapioca is gross)
2 T raisins
3 T plain whole milk yogurt
1 T minced fresh cilantro
2 T sliced almonds, toasted

Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker.

Combine onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, oil and tomato paste in microwave safe bowl. Microwave, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth and tapioca. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 3-4 on low.

Stir in raisins, cover, and cook on high until raisins are heated through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent loosely with foil.

In small bowl, combine 1/4 c hot braising liquid with yogurt ( to tempter), then sitr mixture back into slow cooker. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Spoon 1/2 c sauce over chicken, sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Jenn Note: I didn't use bone in chicken since I was trying to server several people. I used boneless chicken breasts and cut them into big chunks. It worked great. The advantage of bone-in is there may be more chicken flavor.

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Seattle SIL came over tonight for us to discuss our excursions for our next cruise that departs from Barcelona. Since we'll be spending some time in Barcelona I thought it only appropriate I make Paella. Paella, to me, is heavenly and, if made correctly, is so delicious.

Making traditional Paella is time consuming and makes a ton. Thankfully America's Test Kitchen does a cook book with meals for 2 people. And they have a version of Paella ... so I made it.

There were some steps that I questioned their logic, but I followed the recipe and it turned out fantastic. It's an easy recipe, but does take some concentration for the steps.

The only thing I changed, and it was because I couldn't find it, was I had to use linguica sausage instead of chorizo. I know...I know...sacrilegious, but I looked at two different stores and couldn't find chorizo sausage. Linguica has many of the same flavors so I think it worked well.

Also, the saffron used in this dish was the saffron I bought in Spain LAST cruise...so it made it even more authentic. If you don't have saffron, or can't afford it, there aren't many options for substitutions. I've been known to use turmeric (not a great choice) so the rice gets that nice yellow color. If you can, use saffron. You won't regret it.

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Photo courtesy of continental.com.au

America's Test Kitchen Cooking for Two 2013
Serves 2

1 1/2 c water
1/2 c Arborio rice (it's pretty important to use Arborio rice and not long grain rice for this recipe)
4 tsp vegetable oil
4 oz chorizo sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 (8oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 small onion, chopped fine
3/4 c diced tomatoes, drained - but reserve the juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp saffron threads, crumbled
1/4 c green olives
1/4 c green peas

Combine 1 c water, rice and 1/8 tsp salt in a bowl. Cover and microwave until rice is softened and most liquid is absorbed, 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chorizo and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to plate. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to fat left in skillet and cook until lightly brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate with chorizo.

Add remaining 2 tsp oil and onion to now empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add drained tomatoes and cook until beginning to soften and darken, 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and saffron and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and reserved tomato juice, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in par cooked rice, breaking up any large clumps, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 8-12 minutes.

Stir in browned chorizo and chicken and any accumulated juices, olives and peas. Increase the heat to medium high.Cook, uncovered, until bottom layer of rice is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through cooking to ensure even browning. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Smothered Pork Chops

I'm trying to get pork more into my diet. It's not my first choice, often, and a meat I forget about. I get tired of chicken so need to find alteratives.

This recipe is 1) easy and 2) quite good. I made mashed potatoes with this so probably put the "heathy" out the window.  By and large, though, it would be a fairly healthy mean (without the potatoes).

I have several America Test Kitchen Cooking for Two cookbooks. As a single person, cooking for one is almost impossible. But cooking for two is easy. The "leftovers" often go to the Pantry Goat so I never feel like I'm wasting.

Smothered Pork Chops

Photo courtesy of Dishing With Dish blog

Recipe from American Test Kitchen Cooking for Two 2012
Makes 2 servings

1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 (7oz) bone-in blade-cut pork chops (1/2 inch thick)
1 T vegetable oil
1 T unsalted butter
1 onion, halved and sliced thin (really you only need 1/2 of a BIG onion.
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/2 c plus 1 T beef broth (oh I should mention I didn't have beef broth so I used chicken.)
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine onion powder, paprika 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Pat chops dry with paper towels and rub evenly with spice mixture.

Heat oil in 10" oven proof skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chops 3-4 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Melt butter in now empty skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened and well browned, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and bay leaf, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a boil. Return chops and any accumulated juices, cover and transfer to oven. Cook until chops are completely tender and fork slips easily in and out of  meat, about 1 1/2 hours. [Jenn Note: This surprised me. It took my chops only 20 minutes to cook. So check your chops after 15 minutes.]

Transfer chops to plate and tent loosely with foil. Remove bay leaf and strain contents of skillet through fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup; reserve onions. Let liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove the fat from surface using large spoon (or you can strain it into a fat separator like I did).

Return 1/3 c defatted pan juices to now empty skillet and bring to a simmer.  Whisk remaining 1 T broth and cornstarch together in a bowl until no l umps remain, then whisk mixture into sauce and simmer until thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in reserved onions and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Broccoli with Garlic and Asiago

As my side dish to the Sirloin Burgers with Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese I made this broccoli dish. I can't say it was great, but it was good. I think by trying to make broccoli better I somehow make it worse.

Broccoli with Garlic and Asiago
Recipe from Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals 2
Makes 4 servings

1 large head broccoli, cut into long thin spears
2 T extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 lb Asiago cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Simmer broccoli in a 1/2 inch boiling, salted water in a shallow skillet for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and remove from pan. Return pan to stovetop over medium heat, add oil and garlic, and saute 3 minutes. Add broccoli spears and coat with the oil. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with curls of cheese.

Sirloin Burgers with Mushrooms, Swiss and Balsamic Mayo

I haven't made a Rachael Ray recipe for some time and I'm glad that I picked this one to ease me back in to. I will say I "followed" this recipe 100%. The only difference is I didn't put this burger on a bun and thus didn't make mayo, but I've had that mayo before and I can vouch for how delicious it is.

Oh and I grilled the burger outside instead of inside ... but that's not that big of difference. I'm trying to get better at actually following a recipe. It's hard for me cuz I think I have a creative food mind...and sometimes I should have just followed the recipe.

Sirloin Burgers with Mushrooms, Swiss and Balsamic Mayo

Recipe from Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals 2
Makes 4

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, plus 1 T
1 T finely chopped onion
1 1/3 lb ground sirloin, 90% lean
1 T Worcestershire sauce
Steak seasoning blend like McCormicks Montreal Steak seasoning
4 crusty rolls, split
12 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
4 slices swiss cheese
3 T aged balsamic vinegar
1/2 c mayonnaise or reduced fat mayo
ground pepper taste

Preheat grill pan or large nonstick skillet for burgers, over medium high heat. In a small nonstick skillet over moderate heat, saute chopped onion in a drizzle of olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Set pan aside.

In a medium bowl, combine meat with Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning blend. Mix in sauteed onion and form into 4 large patties. Drizzle patties with a touch of olive oil. Quick toast your split rolls on the hot grill pan or skillet and set aside. Then add burgers to hot pan or skillet and grill or pan-fry, 4-5 minutes on each side for medium to medium well burgers.

Return small nonstick skillet to stove over medium-high heat. Add 1 T olive oil and sliced mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, then saute until just tender, about 3-5 minutes. remove from the heat.

Pile mushrooms on top of burgers just before you are ready to take them off the grill or out of the pan. Fold each slice of swiss cheese in half and rest on top of mushrooms. Place a loose tin foil tent over the burgers and turn heat off. Allow the cheese to melt down over the mushrooms and burgers, about 2-3 minutes.

Combine balsamic vinegar, mayo and lots of ground cracked pepper in a small dish.

Put burgers on rolls. Slather the top of buns with balsamic mayo. Add romaine, tomato and whatever else you like on your burgers.

Italian Vegetable Soup

So the whole time I was making this I kept thinking, "This is the stranges Italian Wedding Soup I've ever made." Turns out it's Italian VEGETABLE Soup.  Suddenly it made more sense.

This soup has everything but the kitchen sink in it. And let me tell you...it's delicious.  I started making this for Meatless Monday, but had some ground turkey I needed to use, so browned that up and poured it in. Glad I did. Though it negates the "vegetable" soup thing.

Super easy to make. Takes a bit to get it started because there's some good amount of vegetable chopping. Note...when chopping your veggies make sure they're all about the same size, that way they cook evenly.

Italian Vegetable Soup

Recipe from The Recipe Girl Cookbook
Serves 8

1 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 large leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced and rinsed well
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 c chopped zucchini
2 c chopped carrots
2 c chopped cabbage
3 14.5 oz cans of low-sodium chicken broth
2 14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
1 15.5 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
3 c thinly sliced kale or swiss chard (yah I didn't add this...gross)
1 c frozen corn
1 T finely chopped fresh oregano or basil (I used basil. Delicious)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and leeks and cook, stirring until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Add the zucchini, carrot and cabbage. Cook stirring often until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans and potato. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 7-10 minutes. 

Stir in the kale, corn, basil or oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until the kale is wilted and soft 3-4 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich

I generally judge a restaurant by their French dip sandwiches.  I'm a HUGE fan of French dips. Dad used to make a killer French dip. I rarely make them because making a French dip for one person is tough.

But today, Meg-A-Roonie was coming to lunch and I figured it was a great opportunity to make a French dip.  And one by SkinnyTaste.com would mean it's "low cal". It would have been had I followed the recipe.  I followed it mostly. That should count.

The recipe can be found here on SkinnyTaste.com, but just in case you'd rather just scroll down, it's below too.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

Recipe from SkinnyTaste.com

Calories: 308 -

Nutrition based on: 2 oz whole wheat baguette, 2 oz cooked beef round, 1/4 cup beef broth, 1 slice cheese, onions & peppers

For The Beef:

3 to 4 lb lean beef round roast, trimmed
1 tbsp minced garlic, minced
1 T fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dry)
1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dry)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 to 3 (14.5 oz) cans Swanson's low-sodium beef broth

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
10 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/2 large onion, cut into chunks

For the Caramelized Onions (makes about 1 cup):
1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

For the Peppers (makes about 2 cups): (I only did one red pepper cuz Meg-A-Roonie was the only one that was going to eat a bell pepper).

1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into strips

1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into strips

For the Sandwich:

Sargento Reduced Fat Provolone or Mozzarella Slices  (JW: I used swiss cheese cuz that's what I had available. 

whole wheat baguette or rolls, cut into 2 oz pieces





In a small bowl mix garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture onto all sides of the roast, then place in the slow cooker. (JW: So I'm not a fan of rosemary, so instead of rosemary and thyme I used McCormicks Montreal Grill Seasoning.)

Pour the broth into the side of the roast until it just cover the meat. If the broth doesn't cover the roast you can add water and top with onions. Add the Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns and bay leaf to the broth. Cover and cook on low until the meat flakes apart easily with a fork, about 9 to 12 hours, depending on the size of your roast. (JW: my roast was 2.3 lbs. I clearly didn't need to cook it for 9 to 12 hours. Instead I cooked it for 3.5 hours. It was delicious.)

An hour before the meat is done, prepare the onions and peppers. In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook until golden, stirring often, reducing heat as needed if the onions are burning or browning too quickly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Add 1 tbsp to the pan if it becomes too dry. The onions should turn golden and the flavor should be sweet. Transfer to a serving bowl, then add the peppers to the skillet and cook stirring often until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the meat from the slow cooker to a cutting board and shred with a fork or slice with a knife. Strain the broth through a fine sieve then place in a gravy separator to remove any fat. Pour 1/4 cup broth into each small ramekin.

Preheat the oven to broil. Split the bread open and top with 2 ounces of beef. Top with onions, peppers and cheese and broil until the cheese melts. Place on a plate with broth for dipping.

Thai Red Curry Beef

Oh you should smell this house right now. This recipe has been in the slow cooker since 11am this morning. It smells AMAZING. I can't wait to taste it.

I'm posting this early because I know I'm going to love this. I love everything about it already so I'm sure it'll be great. I'll update later if it's not.

This is a slow cooker recipe, so you'll need to plan. I was supposed to make this last night and as I began to prep to cook I realized it was a slow cooker recipe. DOH!

Update: Sadly not  nearly as curry-ee as I had hoped. I, personally, think it could have gone for only 4 hours and been fine. The beef had basically fallen apart and there were vey few chunks of meat...mostly meat pieces.

Thai Red Curry Beef

Photo courtesy of MyRecipes.com

Recipe from Cooking Light Dinner's Ready

Serves 8
245 calories (3/4 c beef, 1/2 c rice)

2 lbs lean beef stew meat
1/8 tsp salt
2 c finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c low sodium beef broth
1 T dark brown sugar
3 T red curry paste
2 T fish sauce
2 T fresh lime  juice
1 can (13.5 oz) light coconut milk
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 c bagged baby spinach leaves
4 c hot cooked jasmine rice
1/2 c fresh basil leaves

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain. Place beef in a 4-quart electric slow cooker; sprinkle with salt.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Spoon onion mixture over beef. Combine beef broth and next 6 ingredients (through jalapeño); pour over beef.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.

Stir in spinach. Cover and cook on LOW for 15 minutes or just until spinach wilts. Serve beef mixture over rice; sprinkle with basil leaves.