Slow Cooker Chicken and Chicken Stock

We've been making a lot of whole chickens recently. I've cooked them in the oven but particularly enjoy them out of the slow cooker. They're great as a first meal with veggies, then in other meals like fried rice, pastas, quesadillas as leftovers. I like to have a whole chicken ready at the start of a weekend so we don't have to do much cooking after a long week.

Every chicken I make is a little different, but they all follow the same general process. First, I grab whatever herbs catch my attention. This last time I mixed together some oregano, basil, paprika, rosemary, pepper, and a good amount of kosher salt. Then I added olive oil and stirred it all together. After pulling the gizzards out of the chicken cavity, I used my hands to pull the skin away from the meat. Then I rubbed my herb blend all around the meat underneath the skin to make sure the chicken got good flavor. I rubbed the last bits of the blend on the outside of the skin so it's also well flavored (making it ready for making stock after the chicken's done). Then I put the chicken in my slow cooker and cooked it on low for about 5 hours. I do check the temperature with an instant read thermometer as I get to the end to make sure it doesn't cook too long.

After pulling off all the meat from the bones, I put all the bones and skin back in the slow cooker and fill it a little past 3/4 full with water. Then I let this cook on low overnight. In the morning, I strain it and have my chicken stock ready to make soup or freeze for recipes later on.

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti

This pasta dish from America's Test Kitchen was quick, easy, and tasted wonderful! You should definitely try it. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but it was fantastic. We followed the directions to get the nice creamy sauce that's intended, so make sure to get the right ingredients. Oh, we did use our regular H.T. Traders (Harris Teeter) brand whole wheat pasta since it is safe for egg allergies, and that didn't affect the recipe from what we could tell. Enjoy!

Sausage and Tomato Baked Pasta

I'm surprised I've never posted this baked pasta recipe considering how many times we've made it. It's a great meal for when it's time to go shopping and you're just left with pantry items (we almost always use dried basil for this reason). Also, it's great for adding in extra leftover veggies (chopped mushrooms, shredded carrots, etc.). Finally, this meal can easily be frozen, which I do after assembling and before baking. Normally I'll double the recipe and freeze half for another night when we have less time.

Cornbread and Jim's Famous Chili

Last night we had a recipe that's been in the family for years. We made a chili recipe that was originally found on the back of a Premium Saltine Crackers box. I made it in the morning and stuck it in the slow cooker on low all day, but that isn't necessary. I served the chili with an egg free and delicious cornbread (I used regular skim milk instead of soy milk). Thanks to a friend for finding the cornbread recipe, trying it out, and passing it along to me.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Another dinner from this week was Chicken Tortilla Soup. I used leftover rotisserie chicken this time though I have made it the way the directions say. Also, I used my frozen homemade chicken broth, frozen corn, and cooked fresh beans. At the end, we each added tortilla chips as we ate since we like them to be crunchy. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Cheesy Shells and Greens

Last night's dinner was Cheesy Shells and Greens which was enjoyed by the whole family. It's a pretty quick meal other than taking stems off the spinach, but overall it's simple and well received. I've made it before but this time added in chopped leftover chicken since I had it. Also, I left out the mustard because of allergies. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

I've been battling with my slow cooker lately. It doesn't really like to cook...slowly... In one instance, I tried making a soup and put in a pork shoulder and black beans to cook on low for 8 hours. When I checked the meat after 3 hours, it was already tough. There has been repeated disappointment, and I keep hearing from so many people how much they love their slow cookers. I want to know this love. It is so much easier to prep dinner in the morning and set it out to cook when the little boy is still happy and chipper, instead of waiting until evening and hoping he'll be in a good enough mood to either help me or play on his own.

I kept thinking that I just didn't know how to work the slow cooker (and maybe that is part of the problem). But my mom loaned me hers for a short time, and it's amazing how many great meals I've gotten out of it already. Not a single failure yet, and I even cooked a pasta dish, which I previously thought would be impossible. Day 1 of testing out the slow cooker, I threw together this Lasagna and added chopped mushrooms and carrots to give it some more veggies. I also used a homemade marinara sauce I had in the freezer, and it was delicious.

I wish I had taken a picture of it, but here's a picture of toddler cooking when you turn your back for a moment (do not fear, the stove is not on).

Italian Pasta and Bean Soup

I'm not sure what happened, but I've been picking winners lately. The recipes we've been trying have been really good. Maybe we were just extra hungry the past month. Even John's been telling me they're some of the best things I've made. Some are impromptu, some are from a recipe. Last night we had Italian Pasta and Bean Soup. It was delicious. Too bad the little boy wasn't as up for it. The only change I'd make to how we did the recipe this time is to use homemade chicken broth, but this time I did cook the beans fresh rather than use them from a can. Also, I chopped the spinach before throwing it in the soup to make it a little more appealing for the baby (didn't work, I guess), and I used a no egg pasta which limits my selection more than most people (threw it in cooked at the end so it wouldn't get soggy).

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

These Oreo Cheesecake Cookies from Brown Eyed Baker are delicious! They melt in your mouth, and the original recipe is egg-free. A delicious recipe is even better when I don't have to make modifications on my own. I did double the recipe since it says it makes 1 dozen, only to end up with 3 dozen cookies, so I'd say the recipe makes about 18 cookies. The little boy enjoyed pretending to roll the dough in the cookie crumbs but mostly just ate the crumbs. We had fun making them and had a huge mess at the end. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Chai Tea

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting Regina and Sudheer for dinner. Our church partners with them in their ministry in India. After dinner, they offered to make the group chai tea, and of course we accepted! Here's the recipe for a group of eight (one serving each).

Regina and Sudheer's Chai Tea

INGREDIENTS
4 mugs of water
4 mugs of milk (whole milk preferred)
8 tea bags (caffeinated tea preferred)
8+ TBSP sugar
about 3/4 TBSP finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp of cinnamon

METHOD

1. Add milk, water, tea bags, sugar, ginger, and cinnamon to pot.
2. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for several minutes.
3. Taste, and add additional sugar if desired.
4. When you like how it tastes, turn the heat off. Remove the tea bags, and strain the liquid to remove the ginger solids.
5. Pour, serve, and enjoy!

Yield: about 8 servings

Chicken Fajitas

Last week we enjoyed these chicken fajitas, and especially loved the homemade guacamole. I've had a hard time getting a good avocado in the past, but this time it was perfectly ripe. I do laugh when I read the directions and it says preparation time takes 20 minutes. I suppose I could buy pre-cut onion, peppers, tomatoes, chicken, and crushed garlic, but I try to make dinner inexpensively. So, it took me a bit longer to get the ingredients list prepped, and then perhaps it was 20 minutes to cook but definitely not 20 minutes total. This recipe got top ratings from my critics, so it will be returning to our menu.

Chicken Fajitas modified from "Allegry-free Cookbook"

INGREDIENTS
3 TBSP olive oil
1 red onion, halved and sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 large red bell peppers, cut into strips
2 large green peppers, cut into strips
4 tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 large ripe avocado
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 TBSP chopped fresh chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper
few drops Tabasco (optional)
8 tortillas

METHOD

1. To make the guacamole, scoop the flesh of the avocado into a small bowl and mash with the chives. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Add a few drops of Tabasco, if desired.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes, and stir-fry until nearly tender, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the spices and herbs and season to taste.
3. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas on a covered plate over a pan of simmering water or wrapped in a damp towel and warmed briefly in the microwave.
4. To serve, divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas, top each with a spoonful of guacamole, and roll up. You can also add a spoonful of sour cream or plain yogurt, grated cheddar cheese, or shredded lettuce, if desired.

Yield: about 4 servings

Latest Pizza Recipe

We like to test out new pizza crust recipes, but I realized I haven't shared our latest go-to recipe. We've been using this one for over a year. It's the recipe we reach for when we just want to get it done right the first time and know we'll like the result. Also, I'll generally do two batches, leaving one to rise for dinner. I'll put the second batch into sealed containers after I divide it up and place it directly into the freezer. Then when I can't take time to make dough (though it doesn't feel like it takes very long now), I just have to remember to take it out of the freezer the morning of the day I want to use it.

Pizza Crust Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 C warm water (100-110 F)
1 1/2 TBSP honey
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
22 1/2 oz. bread flour
2 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Mix honey into water, then add yeast, and allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Mix bread flour and salt in bowl of mixer.
3. Add yeast mixture to the flour and knead with the dough hook. Dough should pull away from sides of the bowl and still stick to the bottom slightly. If the dough is too sticky, add a small amount of flour.
4. Check the dough periodically, and do a windowpane test. When the dough stretches without breaking, stop kneading.
5. Divide dough into three equal portions, and gently work them into a ball. Spray three bowls with cooking spray, and add dough.
6. Cover each dough ball with a thin layer of cooking spray, then cover the bowl with a towel. Allow dough to rest in a warm place at least until double in size (about 45 minutes to an hour), but feel free to leave it on the counter all day.
7. Preheat oven to 550 F or as high as your oven will allow.
8. Gently work dough into a 14-15" circle.
9. Cover pizza with desired toppings, and brush crust with olive oil. Bake on stone until crust is golden brown (about 7 minutes).

Egg Free Baking: Orange Cupcakes

I wish I had a group of people to consult about egg free recipes. I always put so much trust in published recipes and get disappointed when they fail me. This recipe was half failure and half success. The original recipe calls for putting the batter in a 12 cup bundt pan. I was wanting to serve a small dessert to four people, so I followed all the directions except I put the batter in 4 mini bundt pans plus (luckily) five mini muffin pans. Based on my experience with "normal" recipes, this shouldn't have made a difference.

The mini bundt cakes never set. I cooked them for the suggested time and longer and longer until I gave up. The tops browned nicely, but the insides were a gooey mess. Thankfully, the five mini muffins came out beautifully, so I had the needed dessert.

The icing was my addition since the original recipe calls for putting an orange glaze over the cake, but I wanted them to be more festive with icing.

Mouthwatering Orange Cake modified from "Bakin' Without Eggs"

INGREDIENTS
1/2 C butter or margarine, room temperature
1 C sugar
1/2 C no-fat sour cream or yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP grated orange peel
1/4 C orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 C vegetable oil

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter mini muffin pans and dust with flour. Tap out excess flour.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter or margarine and sugar. Cream with a hand held mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes, until fluffy.
3. With mixer at same speed, beat sour cream or yogurt, vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda, orange peel, orange juice concentrate, and oil. Mix for another 3 minutes, until smooth.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean and tops are golden. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Yield: about 20 servings

Icing Recipe

Combine 4 oz. cream cheese (softened), 2 TBSP butter, 1 tsp orange juice, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2 C powdered sugar in a bowl. Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer until smooth, adding a little bit of extra orange juice until reaching the desired consistency.

Banana-Cocoa Snack Cake

My aunt made this delicious banana-cocoa snack cake while we were in New York several weeks ago. We were grateful for a dessert that we could eat, and it's free of all allergens that I can think of except gluten. This cake would be great for breakfast as it isn't overly sweet. I would have taken a picture of the whole thing, but it was eaten too quickly.

Fried Rice

We have several types of fried rice we make regularly, and here is one of the egg free versions. I thought fried rice always had eggs in it, but I guess most anything can be modified (reminds me of my egg free quiche...). This recipe is another great one for whatever leftover meat is laying around ready to use, or leave the meat out. You can also throw in veggies you have on hand. Though only peas are called for in the recipe, I added shredded carrots I had prepped and frozen over a month ago, as well as fresh chopped mushrooms. Lots of nutrition in every bite, and it's tasty, too! Remember to prep all ingredients before starting to cook, since the process goes quickly.

Fried Rice modified from "Bakin' Without Eggs"

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP grated ginger root
5 cups cold, cooked rice
2 cup frozen baby peas
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
5 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
6 TBSP chicken stock (use water if none available)
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp white pepper

METHOD

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and garlic; stir-fry 4-5 minutes, until crisp-tender.
2. Add ginger, rice, and peas; stir-fry 3-4 minutes longer.
3. Add chicken; stir-fry until hot, about 3-5 minutes longer.
4. Stir in soy sauce, stock, thyme, and pepper. Stir-fry until rice absorbs the liquid and food is hot, about 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Taco Soup

John's aunt made this recipe when we visited over Thanksgiving; I think it came from their church recipe book. I love having this recipe on hand. All the ingredients come from the pantry or freezer. I have the ingredients stocked up for when our fresh produce is gone and it's time to go shopping. Also, this was my first go-to recipe for the slow cooker. It made me a little less scared of trying new recipes after we had some recipes that were awful several years ago.

I make some changes to the recipe from what I wrote below. It makes it a little more involved but hopefully also a little healthier. The changes include: cooking dried beans instead of using canned (just guess at amounts, it's not exact); using frozen corn; and mixing my own taco seasoning and ranch dressing (see below). These changes help reduce sodium and other unnecessary ingredients that often come from canned goods. Also, instead of ground beef, feel free to leave the meat out or substitute leftover meat, such as chopped chicken, pork, or beef. Another reason why this recipe is so great is because you can do almost anything to it, and it still tastes great. If after adding all your ingredients, you want a little more liquid, add a couple cups of water. It will be full of flavor after it's done cooking.

Taco Soup from family in North Carolina

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
2 cans corn
2 cans rotel
2 cans hominy
2 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans navy beans
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix

METHOD

1. After browning and draining the meat, put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
2. If desired, serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Taco Seasoning: Mix together 1/4 C oregano, 3 TBSP chile powder, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 TBSP onion powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 pinch ground cloves, 1 pinch ground cinnamon. Use a couple heaping tablespoons for the recipe above.

Ranch Dressing: This is less exact as I change what I throw in each time, but sprinkle in some variety of salt, black pepper, sugar, paprika, parsley, and dried onion as you feel led.

Whole Wheat Baguettes

This round of baguettes was a little different. I changed so many components (some intentional and some not so much) that I'm not sure what made the differences. Here are the changes:

1. I made the biga the same way but it rested for half an hour on the counter before going in the refrigerator overnight. It was much less fermented looking compared to aging it two nights on the counter (understandable, since the refrigerator slows the process and it was a shorter time).
2. I used 300 g of whole wheat flour, so about a third of the total. For how much the baby loves the bread, I'm trying to get more nutrition in it. I'd like to use more in the future
3. I used unbleached all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. Oops! I think this made a big difference.
4. After mixing the flour and water in step one, I added a splash more of water (maybe 30 g) since it was very dry and not coming together. That did the trick to make the consistency what I wanted.
5. I more closely followed directions relative to times than I did last week which resulted in less rise time overall.
6. I made five loaves instead of four and put three of them in the freezer just before they would have gone in the oven. We'll see later how this works out when I defrost and bake them.

And now for the differences we noticed.

1. As I mentioned above, the dough was dry after combining all the ingredients, so I added a bit more water. My guess is that the whole wheat flour made this difference, but I don't have a lot of experience going back and forth between the two flours, so I'm not sure.
2. The crust was great when it came out of the oven, but even just a couple hours later it didn't hold its crunch.
3. The inside of the loaf didn't have the same holey texture as the last time. It was more like a regular store bought loaf of bread.

Next time, I will go back to the longer aging of the biga, stick with the same amount of whole wheat flour, and do my best to use bread flour. I may take a loaf out of the freezer tonight to defrost on the counter overnight and bake in the morning. Hopefully it works!

Here's a picture of the whole wheat baguettes in the couche for the final rise.

Broccoli and Beef

Another dinner from last week was a Broccoli and Beef slow cooker meal over rice. I had to drastically alter the final cook time and temperature because of what was going on during the day. After adding the broccoli, I cooked on low for longer. This made the broccoli too soft for our taste. Also, we weren't thrilled with the flavors. I reduced the vinegar from the original and had to remove the sesame oil because of allergies, but it still didn't come out well. Next time I'll try different seasonings for the beef and get closer to the suggested cooking time and temp to help the texture.

Broccoli and Beef from "A Year of Slow Cooking"

INGREDIENTS
1/4 C soy sauce
2 TBSP white wine
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb thin beef, sliced thinly
1 bag thawed broccoli florets, about 1 lb (to add later)

METHOD

1. Add soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and red pepper to the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Add the beef and mix to coat.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, depending on the cut of meat. Thicker pieces will take longer to tenderize.
4. An hour before serving, add the bag of broccoli, cover and cook on high for another hour or so.
5. Stir gently to coat broccoli, and serve over rice.

Yield: 4 servings

Vegetable Curry Slow Cooker Meal

Last week we had several slow cooker meals which was wonderful! It gave us a chance to enjoy doing some other things later in the day instead of squeezing in dinner preparations. One night we had a Vegetable Curry Slow Cooker meal. It was good, but not quite as flavorful as when I had it at a friend's house, so I'll have to figure out what I should change. I left out the chili to make it more appealing for the baby, so perhaps that's where I went wrong. I served the meal over rice but the recipe calls for couscous, so use whichever you prefer.

Vegetable Curry Slow Cooker Meal from a friend (not sure of the original source)

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 C chopped onion
1 C sliced carrots
1 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
3 C cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 C cubed peeled baking potato
1 C diced green bell pepper
1 C cut green beans
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
3 C fresh baby spinach
1 C light coconut milk

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth).
4. Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender.
5. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/3 C vegetable mixture)

Baguettes

Last week I had a chance to make baguettes. I started with a biga on Monday and ended with four baguettes on Wednesday. The biga aged on the counter for two nights since I wasn't able to get to it sooner. I was surprised how easy it was to make these while looking after a toddler and having company over. The "drop hook fold" between rises was great for getting the job done quickly and easily. The bread was forgiving when I was late folding between rises. The only things that seemed to suffer were the photos. But at least we had delicious bread at the end of it all.

Four loaves were a bit much for our family to eat before they started getting hard, but instead of making a half portion next time, I'll try freezing a couple loaves when they're ready for the oven and see how they come out when I bake them later.

Here's the biga after kneading and ready to sit.

Here are the baguettes in my impromptu couche.

And the final product hot from the oven! This is how my family ruins their dinner.