Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

I'm becoming less and less enthralled with cooking/handling raw meat.  So anytime I can throw something in a slow cooker with minimal touching, it's a good day.  

This is a frequent Sunday night dinner.  Onion in the bottom, sprinkle spices on the chicken, in the slow cooker it goes, and walk away.  The flavor from the smoked paprika is spectacular.  Though if you want to make it even easier or don't have these spices on hand, you can just sprinkle on salt, pepper and some thyme or rosemary and be done.  Still delicious.

A five pound chicken feeds my family of four and gives me leftovers for another meal or two (stay tuned for white chicken chili).  And today I'm experimenting with making my own chicken broth with the chicken carcass in the slow cooker.  

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
From 100 Days of Real Food 

2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp black pepper
1 onion
1 large chicken

Coarsely chop the onion and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.


Combine the spices and rub over the chicken. 

Place chicken in the slow cooker and cook on high 4-5 hours.

Click to print

Whipped Coconut Cream

All out of cream (we always seem to be...someone uses it all up in homemade egg nog)?  Vegan?  Just looking for something fun and new? 

Whipped coconut cream is one of my favorite toppings...for pancakes, fruit, granola, cocoa, pie.  It takes a little forethought (overnight refrigeration), but other than that it is just as easy as whipping cream. 

Oh She Glows gives plenty of tips and photos on the how-to.  Even though all the bloggers say don't use light coconut milk and you must chill it, I had to try using light coconut milk and not chilling it.  Totally doesn't work.  Just like they said. 

Coconut milk can be prohibitively expensive for me at close to $3 at Meijer (in the international aisle), but Trader Joe's is much cheaper ($1 for light coconut milk, just a bit more for the full fat).  Since I'm in a curry phase, always make coconut rice to go with my curry, AND there is no TJ's on the southside, I generally end up with 10+ cans of coconut milk in my cart when I make it up there.

Adding the sugar is optional.  I think it's fine without the added sugar, but it's up to you.  The vanilla though...add the vanilla. 

Whipped Coconut Cream

From oh she glows

1 can full fat coconut milk

2 tsp powdered sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Refrigerate the can of coconut milk (upside down) overnight. 

Chill the bowl you will use to whip the coconut cream for 5-10 minutes. 

Open the can (still upside down) and pour out the liquid from the top.  (Don't throw away the liquid!  Add it to smoothies or use it in coconut rice).

Dump the hardened coconut milk into a chilled bowl and whip using a hand mixer or stand mixer until it is fluffy.

Add the sugar and vanilla and give it a quick mix.  

Serve over pancakes, waffles, pie, etc.  It stores well in the refrigerator for a week or so, just give it a quick mix to whip it up again when you are ready to use it.

Click to print

 

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Slow cooker...big batch of delicious beans...that freeze well.

So many things to love about these beans.  It doesn't take much effort to throw everything into the slow cooker and let it do its work.  It just takes a few minutes at the end to drain and puree the beans in the food processor or with an immersion blender.  A word of the wise...add fresh water or chicken broth to the beans as you puree them to thin out the consistency of the beans.  Don't reserve and use the drained liquid from the cooked beans, you'll have some gastrointestinal difficulties.

And there you go: delicious refried beans without the hassle of 're-frying' and the addition of oil.  Here are my top three refried bean dishes:

1) Seven layer dip: Layer beans, pepperjack cheese, sour cream, salsa and avocado.  Serve with tortilla chips.

2) Baked beans and cheese: Place desired amount of refried beans in a glass baking dish.  Sprinkle beans with a mixture of pepperjack and cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Serve as a side with tacos or fajitas.

3) Burritos: Mix 3 cups of refried beans with a small can of diced green chilies.  Place a few spoonfuls of bean mixture in a tortilla and add some grated cheese.  Roll up the tortilla.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and spray both sides of the burrito with cooking spray.  Cook the burrito in the skillet on both sides until golden brown. 


Slow Cooker Refried Beans
From Six Sisters' Stuff

1 onion, peeled and halved
3 cups dry pinto beans, checked for stones and rinsed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 TB minced garlic
3 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
5 cups water
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and stir to combine. 

Set slow cooker to high for 5-6 hours.    

Drain the beans and remove the onion.  

Use a food processor or immersion blender to puree the beans, adding water or chicken/vegetable broth as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Add extra salt if needed.

Refrigerate or freeze in airtight containers.  

Click to print

Tilapia with Coconut Curry Sauce and Coconut Jasmine Rice

Another attempt in my quest to like fish.

A definite win!  The sauce and the rice were so delicious, I didn't even mind the fish.

The coconut curry sauce is to die for.  I used sweet curry powder rather than hot curry powder, making it not too spicy.  The curry paste came through with a great, strong flavor.

I think chicken would work just as well as fish if you'd rather.  I broiled the tilapia this time around, but I think the tilapia could just as easily be grilled for this dish.

The rice.  Oh the rice.  It was plump and sweet and perfectly textured.  I strayed from my usual brown rice and tried some jasmine rice with the coconut milk, and it was a fabulous pairing with the curry sauce.

Tilapia with Coconut Curry Sauce
From Cooking Light 

1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger in a pinch)
1/2 tsp minced garlic cloves
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tsp curry powder (I used sweet)
2 tsp red curry paste 
1/2 tsp ground cumin 
4 tsp soy sauce 
1 TB brown sugar 
1/4 tsp salt
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk 
2 TB chopped fresh cilantro 

4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
Toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper


3 cups coconut jasmine rice (recipe below)
Lime wedges

Preheat broiler or grill.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add ginger and garlic to the skillet and cook 1 minute.

Add pepper and onions and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin and cook 1 minute.

Add soy sauce, sugar, salt, and coconut milk.  Bring sauce to a simmer, but do not boil.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

Brush fish with sesame oil and season with salt and pepper and place on baking sheet.   

Broil 7-10 minutes until fish flakes easily.

Squeeze lime wedges over fish and serve with rice and curry sauce.


Coconut Jasmine Rice
 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice


Add coconut milk, water and rice to rice cooker and cook until done.  


Serve hot with fish and curry sauce.

Click to print recipe

Peanut Butter Balls

Best snack ever.

Thanks, once again, to Alida's Kitchen.

The girls adore them (although someone under the age of 3 has a tendency to pick out the chocolate and discard the rest). 

I love them.

They can be vegan (swap out the 1 TB honey for another TB of pure maple syrup).

They take a lot of peanut butter, but are totally worth it.

Peanut Butter Balls
From Alida's Kitchen

1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 TB honey
1 TB pure maple syrup
1 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

 Heat peanut butter, honey, syrup in the microwave until easily mixed, about 15 seconds.  Stir until blended.

In a separate bowl, mix oats, wheat germ and coconut.

Add peanut butter mixture to oat mixture and stir until incorporated.

Add in chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop, create 1" balls.

Refrigerate.

Click to print