Chinese 5 Spice Chicken Thighs with Soba Noodles

I have really been enjoying my week off and have enjoyed spending time in my kitchen with the windows open...it has been in the 70s here all week! Sweet Winter!!

Chinese 5 Spice Chicken Thighs with Soba Noodles

6 Organic Chicken thighs
Chinese 5 Spice

Sauce:
6 cloves of garlic

1 T dry ginger
1 T agave (or  brown sugar)
1/4 c Tamari soy sauce
1/2 t Chinese five-spice powder

1 package Soba Noodles
(I also saute spinach, carrots for the noodles)

1. Trip all the thighs of excess fat and skin. Sprinkle with Chinese 5 Spice seasoning and a little salt. Then, bake in the oven on 400 for 20 minutes.
2. Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients.
3. Boil the noodles as directed. While boiling saute spinach and carrots (I did shoestring) in a little olive oil. Once carrots are soft, add the drained noodles and the sauce. Allow to cook on low, stirring constantly to avoid sticking. Serve Chicken over the noodles.
(Or, if you are me marinate tofu in your sauce and add to your noodles in place of chicken)

Butternut Squash Risotta

After cooking everyone a different meal, I finally got around to me...Leftovers it is...but not in the traditional way. We gorged on a 2lb. Organic free range chicken last night. I roasted it in the oven slowly...mouthwatering. If you haven't tried organic, free-ranged chicken, you just don't know what you are missing. No dinky, shrinky cooked chicken over here. Anywho, I had some left over chicken and half a baked butternut squash, but I was craving risotto...so...

Butternut Squash Risotto++

1T butter (I used Earthy balance)

1TOlive Oil
3/4 c arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine
2-3 c veggie stock
1/2 medium butternut squash

4 stalks asparagus, sauteed
sliced chicken

Heat oven to 425˚. Cut butternut squash in half, brush both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side up on a baking tray and roast for 45-55 minutes until squash is tender. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled slightly, scoop out the squash into a large bowl and mash until smooth or place in a food processor and pulse until smooth.


Microwave stock in a measure cup for 2 minutes until hot. Then, in a pan melt butter with olive oil and saute the asparagus. When, al dente, add in one additional tablespoon of butter. Once melted add in rice again. Allow the butter and rice to meld for a minute or 2, then add in the wine. Once the wine has evaporated, laddle in 2 spoonfuls of warm stock.Again, allow to evaporate before adding in more stock. This will allow the rissotto to soften without being soup or mushy.

While you are working on the risotto, mash up the left over squash (or process it). As the rice softens, stir in the squash. Once finished, serve topped with the warm asparagus and plated with leftover chicken!

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

My husband has become a lover of all things hot! So, I decided to make slides with the leftover skinless boneless chicken breasts. Here is what I created...

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1T butter
1/3 c hot sauce (I used Franks)
Bread
Romaine lettuce
Spreads

1. I pounded down the chicken breasts and then grill. Once cooked through, allow to cool just a bit and chop up.
2. Microwave the butter for a few seconds until melted, then combine with hot sauce and cover chicken.
3. Cut open bread. Fill with chicken, sauce and lettuce.

Sauce:

Ranch spread: 2T ranch dressing and 2T cream cheese (cooking creme)

Blue Cheese Spread: 2T Sour cream, 1T blue cheese, 1t vinegar

Crunchy Buffulo Chicken Bites

My hubbie LOVE buffalo chicken wings, but I am not a big fan of chicken wings. So, I came up with this alternative!

Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Bites
1-2 Breasts of chicken, cut into 1-2" pieces
2 eggs
1T hot sauce
1 c flour
1.5 c corn flakes, crushed
Kebob sticks

1. Once chicken is cut into pieces, thread onto kebob sticks.
2. Dredge sticks in flour.
3. Coat in beaten eggs and hot sauce.
4. Roll in cruched corn flakes.
5. Fry in a pan with 2-3T oil. (I fryed at 340 degrees until golden brown on all sides).

Serve with ranch/blue cheese and celery!! Yummy!

Chicken's Winter Stew

As it continues to stay rather cool out it is time for another soupy stew! This is another super simple recipe that is delightfully flavored.

Chicken's Winter Stew

6 skinless chicken thighs (or a whole chicken cut up and skinned or go super simple and chunk up a rotisserie chicken)
Seasoning: salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic
3 potatoes
3 carrots
1/3 pound green beans (if you have on hand)
1/2c corn (fresh off the cob or frozen)
1 bell pepper (if you have on hand)
1 small onion (if you eat onion..lol!)
1 can diced tomatoes (or 1/2 can of tomato paste)
Water or chicken broth

1. Season chicken with the seasonings of your choice. If you don't have much on hand, a simple salt and pepper rub would be fine! Then, in a large stock pot, brown chicken, peppers and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown both sides of chicken.
2. While chicken is browning, chop up remaining veggies and then add to the pot. Cover with water or broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
3. In a food processor, process one can of tomatoes. Mix into soup. Simmer until veggies are tender. Season soup if needed with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Crockpot: Brown chicken, onion and peppers. Then, add everything into the crock pot at one time. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Crockpot: Cream Cheese Chicken

Cream Cheese Chicken a la Crock pot

3 chicken breasts
1 package dry italian dressing mix (I use Good Seasons)
4 T melted butter
1 small onion chopped (optional)
2 garlic clove chopped (or use the jarred already minced variety)
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth (or water if you are out of broth...drop in a boullion cube if you have one!)

Spray your crock pot with Pam and then add your chicken. Sprinkle the seasoning packet over the chicken piecesand then dump 2 T melted butter over top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Mlt the 2 remaining T of butter in saucepan. Saute onions and garlic. Then, add the soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth; stir until melted & smooth. Add the soup mixture to the crockpot and cook on low for 1 additional hour.

Serve over Rice or noodles or even mashed potatoes!!! Yumm!

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken

*This is a super simple chicken recipe that you can throw together in a pinch. Is is quick and very yummy!

3 breasts boneless skinless chicken
3 slices bacon
3 slices ham (the reg. lunchmeat type)
3-4T cottage cheese
**Optional: Parmesan, mozzerella cheese

1. Slice chicken almost in half. Open up and place one slice of ham in between the halves. Then, add 1T cottage cheese (optional to mix cottage cheese with mozzerella and/or parmesan). Then, fold closed and wrap in bacon. You can then coat with BBQ sauce or simply serve on the side as a dip.

2. Bake at 475 degrees for 20 minutes.

Eggplant Parmesan

I LOVE eggplant, but I don't get to cook it very often because my hubbie won't eat it. Eggplants are rather large,so, to make it for just me...it make way to much! Yet, I figured I would take one night and go all out. I started the sauce at 3:45 and finished everything by 5:30. Not too bad considering the massive servings I made.

I found this recipe on a cooking message boards. I also made Chicken Parmesan for my hubbie using the same process as the Eggplant recipe. I also only made half half the eggplant...3 eggplants is def too much for one person!!!

**Tip: Read through the recipes for both before you start cooking. Your first step should be to slice and salt the eggplant before you start the sauce.

Scalini's Eggplant Parmesan


3 medium size eggplants
1 cup of flour
6 eggs, beaten
4 cups fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned
Olive oil
8 cups of marinara sauce*
1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lbs of mozzarella cheese shredded
2 cups of ricotta cheese

After you wash the eggplant, slice them into 1/4 inch thick slices. You may choose to peel the eggplant before you slice it, however you may want to leave the skin on since the skin contains a lot of vitamins. Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy. This will drain the excess moisture. Let them set for about an hour.

Working with one slice of eggplant at a time, dust with flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with bread crumbs. Saute' in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.
In baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish about an 1/8 inch from the top. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 minutes in 375 degree oven. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

Scalini's Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
3 tablespoons of olive oil
8 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 cup onions chopped
1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (if you don't have use hot sauce)
1/8 cup of fresh chopped sweet basil
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of rosemary
One teaspoon salt
One teaspoon black pepper

Lightly sauté the onions in olive oil in large pot for a few minutes. Add garlic and saute' another minute. Add tomatoes and bring sauce to boil, then turn heat to low. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Cooking from the Couch: Chicken Philly Subs

We bought some yummy fresh bread from the store and we already had leftover roast chicken from dinner the other night. Since we needed a really easy dinner after a hectic weekend, I thought Chicken Philly subs would be a great "easy" choice.

Chicken Philly Subs

Shredded Leftover chicken (even rotisserie)
1 pat of butter
sliced Pimentos
Onions (for those who actually like onions)
sliced Mushrooms
1 clove minced garlic
Provolone Cheese
Mayo
Crusty Bread

1. Saute veggies in butter. Once they start to get tender, add chicken. Cook on low until warm. Cover with cheese and put a lid on pan to allow cheese to melt.
2. Cut bread in half and lightly toast. Smear on the mayo and spoon in the veggies/chicken mix. Serve warm with a nice Kosher Dill.

Cooking from the Couch: Chicken pies

Tonight I was craving chicken pot pies, so, I put my hubbie to work. He brought me all the veggies  to prepare then, I walked him through the cooking process. He did great and it totally hit the spot.

Chicken Pies
Veggies of yout choice: potatoes, carrots, corn, green beans
3 breasts of boneless, skinless chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup (low- sodium)
1/2 c milk
Salt and pepper
1 can of biscuits

First, I prepared the veggies:
* I chopped up 3-4 potatoes into bite sized pieces.
* Cut baby carrots into thirds
* I de-stemmed the green beans and cut into thirds
* My hubbie opened a car of corn..I wasn't even going to try to mess with trying to cut corn of the cob on the couch...didn't sound like the safest option!

While I was chopping, my hubbie filled a stock pot half way with water and set it on the stove to boil. Once boiling, he added all the veggies (minus the corn) and boiled for about 10 minutes. You want the veggies to be al dente, soft but firm.

As he fished out all the veggies and returned the water to boiling. I cut 3 breasts of skinless boneless chick in half lengthwise. Then, he added to the water and allowed to boil for another 10 minutes.

In the meantime, my hubbie combined 1 can of low sodium Cream of Chicken soup with 1/2 cup of milk. Mix well with a bit of salt and a lot of pepper. Then, mix in the corn and veggies. Once the chicken was cooked, remove from the pot (save the stock you created...it will be a great veggie chicken stock for soups...freeze it for later). Chop up into bit sized pieces and mix into the veggies.

Pour everything into a baking, I had my hubbie pour everything into a deep dish pie pan, but you could use a 9x9 square or something similar. Then, he cracked open a tube of biscuits (I prefer the small cheap ones..not grands, but that is a personal preference!) and covered the top of out chicken pie with the biscuits. Then, Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Serve..it's delicious!

Teriyaki Chicken

This the easiest recipe. I usually would do this very differently, but I had to come up with something simple for mu hubbie to make. I had him cut 2 breasts of chicken in half and grill them. Then, once cooked he chopped up and drenched in Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce. Super simple!!!

He served over brown rice and some steam fresh mixed veggies that he also lightly drenched in sauce.

Tex Mex Enchilada Bake

Although the recipe calls for everything to be put together in layers and baked...I hate when everything gets all mushy, so, my hubbie mixed everything together and I helped roll it up into individual enchiladas. Also, we used flour tortillas because I don't like corn.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 each large red and green pepper, chopped
2 cups salsa
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen peas, thawed and drained
12 corn tortillas (6 inch)...I use flour
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Mexican style shredded cheese

Heat oven to 400. I had hubbie cut breasts in half and grill. He also grilled the red and green peppers. Then, he chopped up. Once everything is chopped up, stir in salsa and corn.

Original recipe says: Arrange 6 tortillas on bottom of 13X9 inch baking dish, cover with layers of 1/2 each chicken mixture, sour cream. Repeat layers; cover with foil. Baker 40 minutes, then removing foil after 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes



My version: Filled each tortilla with chicken mix and some sour cream. Then place in a baking dish and  cover in foil. Bake for 10 minutes.

Non- Creole Take on Jambalaya

Since my husband is super picky, this has become a great go to meal. It can be dressed up nicely with chilies and such, but I usually make it pretty plain. If we ate shrimp, I bet that would be good in it also. I also make a large portion so we can have 2 nights and freeze the rest or send over to the in laws.

Non-Creole Jambalaya
1-2 chicken breast
1 polish sausage (cut in half and then slice)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 diced bell pepper (I use green and red OR orange and yellow...whatever)
2-3 cups hot cooked rice (I usually add 2c uncooked rice  and 4c water into the rice cooker and then use 3/4 of the cooked rice)
2 T hot sauce

Boil chicken for 10-12 minutes and then shred. In a separate pan, saute the sausage and peppers in just a dab of oil. I usually do this while the rice is cooking. Once the peppers are soft, I add the remaining ingredients. Mix it together and let cook down a bit. (I usually add extra hot sauce because we like it spicy!)
Serve hot with a nice warm crusty bread and a yummy green salad.

A New Take on the Dinner Burrito

I love burritos because they hold so many possibilities. You can throw together whatever flavors you have on had to make new combinations every time. I don't think i ever make them the same way twice!
Tonight I had planned to make enchiladas, but was seemingly out of cheese. So, change of plans...

Chicken Corn Salsa Burritos

2-3 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
1/3-1/2 can cream of chicken soup
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup corn (I used leftover homemade creamed corn)
1/2 can black beans
1 T chopped cilantro (optional)
1 red pepper, chopped (or you can use green chilies)
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 c shredded cheese (I didn't have so I didn't use)
(I also sometime combine 3T sour cream to the chicken soup)

1 package flour tortillas

1. Boil the chicken for 10-12 minutes, then drain  and shred chicken. Combine shredded chicken and all remaining ingredients (except for the tortillas). Stuff into the tortillas and roll up. You can serve as is...or you can lightly fry...or you can grill using a grilling pan. I chose to grill this time! Then serve with a spot of sour cream or pepper jelly.

Chicken Souvlaki Dinner Recipe

I was really exicted to make this dinner because I have wanted to make homemade pita for quite a while. I was hoping it wouldn't be too much work because I didn't start the whole process of making this dinner until 4:00pm and we usually eat at 5ish. So, I started with the pita recipe which I found at Cate's World Kitchen. 

Here is the recipe:

Pita

2 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 tsp sugar

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water (NOT HOT)

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

1. Combine the yeast, 1/4 c water and sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes until it starts to foam. (Now if it is not a hot day, then start your dryer...just trust me...start the dryer)

2. Add in the remaining ingredients and start to mix. You can do this easily in a standup mixer or you can do it on your own by turning it onto a lightly floured surface and kneading for 10 minutes. Now, put it in a hot place to rise. I put it in the dryer and it rises in like 20 minutes. Just make sure it is nice and hot! (Start Marinating the chicken...check Souvlaki recipe)

3. Once it has doubled in size, fold it over on itself a few times and then cut the ball into 8 pieces. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for 20 minutes. (Again, I shoved in my hot dryer for maybe 10 minutes...they puffed up a bit). Don't forget to turn the over on to 450 degrees. ( Make the tzatziki and start cooking hicken)

4. Roll each ball to 1.8" thick...if you leave it thicker you will have really thick pita. Trust me...1/8" thick! Then, place 2-3 at a time on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 2-3minutes before flipping. Bake 1-2 minutes on the other side. Repeat until all are baked and then serve.

 

Chicken Souvlaki Recipe

 

3-4 breasts of chicken, sliced thin or chunked

2 cloves, minced garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 T greek yogurt (you can use reg. yogurt if you prefer)

1/4 c olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Mint and Oregano

 

Mix everything together and marinate for as long as possible ( I did it for like 20-30 minutes and it was perfect).

 

It is best on kebob sticks and grilled, but since we are out of propane and time is short. I cooked it in a griddle pan.

 

Tzatziki

1 small container of plain greek yogurt or about 1/2 c plain yogurt

1/2 cucumber (peeled, deseeded, grated, & squeezed dry)

2 cloves Garlic (yep 2 more cloves..gotta love garlic)

1T lemon (less is more here or your Tzatziki will be runny)

Optional: Add a dash of dill or mint if you have or a shot of Ouzo ( I know...who has that right...yeah, we have like 3 bottles thanks to our Greek customers, so I opted for the Ouzo)

The customary Salt and Pepper

 

Throw it all together and let the tastes meld together in the fridge until you ae ready to serve. Best served cold!

 

 

How do you throw this all together...I serve a plate of pita, a plate of chicken and the Tzatziki. Oh and I had a plate of fixings on the side...you know some lettuce, nice ripe sliced tomato, onion. Make yourself and voila!

 

This wasn't that bad. I managed to get it on the tabel by 5:30 btween cooking, ranging my 2yo and answering work calls. If I can do it, so can you...and it is OH SO worth the work!

 

 

Chicken and Gravy Dinner with Homemade Noodles

This is an awesome recipe. I made a huge helping of it! I took some over to my in-laws, some to a sick friend and still had enough for dinner AND a freezer meal! This is a great simple freezer meal. You do not have to go through all the effort to make the homemade noodles, but it is def. worth the extra work. If you do not make the fresh pasta and decide to freeze...I would recommend freeze without pasta. Make fresh before serving.

Book Review: Art of the Slow Cooker by Andrew Schloss

I order this book last week from the library and was really excited to get started. I honestly hate buying cookbooks unless I have had a chance to preview it because my family has very traditional eatting habits and I often find that the recipes in the books are great but not practical. So, I thought this would be great! I mean slow cookers are a great time saver and mine does not get enough use. I will go a month of using it weekly and then I get bored with it.

My criteria for a good cookbook is simple...I am looking for simple straightforward ingredients and easy to fix meals. I do not mind buying a few specialty items, but I shouldn't have to for every recipe! The point is to be economical! Plus, in my household green things in food (ie herbs) are a big faux pas! So, I either cook them whole and remove them or I strip the recipe down! So, enough blabbing...

Overall, the cookbook was ok...maybe a B. The book itself is beautifully made with nice pictures, heavy pages and great directions...but remember criteria number one...simple ingredients and simple directions...Not here! The recipes could be simplified, but this is not your gramma's frugal cookbook! The other thing I did not like is the recipes require a lot of prep prior to being placed in the slow cooker. So, these are not speedy recipes although they are tasty!

I set out to make 4 recipes this week: Chicken Teriyaki, Beef Carbonnade, Pork and Beans and Chicken dinner.


Chicken Teriyaki
1 T veggie oil
4lbs. skinless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1T finely grated ginger
1/4c water
1/3 c soy sauce (I used low sodium)
1/4c sherry or Apple juice (I used the apple)
1 T rice wine vinegar (if you don't have use apple cider vinegar)
2T molasses
3T honey
2 t cornstarch
2 scallion, trimmed and sliced thin

1. Brown the chicken thighs in veggie oil over high heat. Cook about 3 minutes per side then place in the slow cooker.
2. Add the garlic and Ginger to the pan and cook over mediu heat about 30 seconds. Add water to deglaze (meaning let the water loosen all those brown stuck on bits). Add soy sauce, apple juice, vinegar, molasses and honey. Stir to blend. Pour over chicken and cook on high for 2-3 hours.
3. Preheat your oven to broil. Remove chicken from the slow cooker and place in the broiler for 2 minutes per side. While the chicken broils, remove the sauce and place in a sauce pan with a mix of 2t cornstarch and 1.5 T water. Allow to thicken about 1 minute.  Then, drizzle over chicken.

***This was super yummy! Not the easiest recipe with the final steps of broiling and thickening the sauce. Too many dirt dishes if you ask me! Instead, I put the cornstarch mix and sauce in a glass measuring cup and microwaved  in 30 second intervals until you achieve the desired thickness. I did broil the chicken, but you can skip this step...it is not essential. I served over brown rice, but would also be really yummy with rice noodles. We used the left over sauce on chicken wings the next day...they were delish!


Beef Carbonnade
1/4 c flour
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3 lb beef cubes, cut into 1/4" cubes
3 T olive oil
5 large onions, halved and sliced thin
2 sliced salt pork or bacon, finely diced (I used bacon)
1 T herbs or 1/2 t each thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, and basil (I used whole rosemary, basil and oregano...it's what I had and I removed the evidence from the pot before serving)
2 t brown sugar
1 bottle ale or lager beer (I used Newcastle)
2 bay leaves
Boiled noodles or potatoes (optional)

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge beef. Heat oil in a large skillet (I used a cast iron) over meduim-high heat and brown in batches, 3-4 minutes per side.
2. Reduce heat to meduim-low, add onions and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Transfer to slow cooker and place beef on top of onions.
3. Add bacon to skillet and cook through, but not crisp. Add herbs and reserved seasoned flour. Cook until flour browns (Watch your flour closely so it does not burn, you can skip this step if you want) Pour the sauce over the beef. Bury the bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours (but who has that time).

**I served over egg noodles with a spinach salad. It was a nice, easy recipe...we did it onion free because my hubbies hates them. It was only half as good, but that one I can't get past him! It was basically an onion sauce..so I would use vidalia onions.


 Barbeque Pork and Beans
1 c dried beans- white beans, pinto, kidney, or a mixture (I used white beans)
2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into cubes
3 T Southwest Spice rub- 1 T salt, 2T paprika, 1/4 c brown sugar, 2 t chili powder, 1/2t cumin, 1/2t pepper
2 slices bacon, chopped finely
1 medium onion (I grated half an onion)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 t cuin
1 T flour
3c chicken broth
1/2 c BBQ sauce- 1/3c ketchup, 3T brown mustard, 3T cider vinegar, 3T brown sugar, 1T tabasco, 1/2t pepper
1 (15oz) can diced tomotoes (I used petite diced)

1. Put the beans in a bowl, cover with water and leave overnight. OR, put in a saucepan cover with about 3" water and boil for 3 minutes, then soak for 1 hour (this method is what I did one because I had beans leftover from making bean bags and because it helps limit the noise later int he evening). If I didn't already have the beans I would have skipped whis altogether and just used canned beans.
2. While the beans are cooking rub the pork cubes with 2t of the Southwest rub, wrap well and refridge.
3. In a large skillet, brown the bacon; remove. Turn the heat up to medium-high and brwon the pork cubes. Transfer to the slow cooker, add the beans and bacon. Toss to combine.
4. Add the onion and carrots to the skillet and saute until tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cumin, any remaining rub, and the flour. Stir. Add the chicken broth and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in the BBQ and tomotoes and pour into the slow cooker. Cook 8-10 hours on low (or 3-4 hours if using can beans).
***This was a very easy recipe and great with corn on the cob. We will defiitely make this again...we are big pork and bean eaters here...not alway together, esp. not like this! :)


Chicken Dinner
1/3c flour
1/4c All Purpose Spice Rub- 1T brown sugar, 1T salt, 1t paprika, 1t dry mustard, 1t dried sage, 1t dried thyme, 1/2t dried rosemary, 1/2t garlic powder, 1/2t pepper (I used a bit of Italian seasoning, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and pepper)
1 roasting chicken- about 7 lbs (I bought the already cut up one..a bit more expensive, but much easier to work with unless you are skilled with cutting up a chicken)
1 1/2lbs. red potatoes (or any potatoes)
2T veggie oil
1 onion, chunked
24 baby carrots
1/2c white wine
2c chicken broth
2T mashed potatoes

1. Mix the flour and spice rub in a mixing bowl. Cut up the chicken and remove the skin. Dredge in flour mix.
2. Boil the potatoes until cooked and then  place in the bottom of the clow cooker.
3. Heat half the oil over medium high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes. Set aside. Add the remaining oil  to the skillet along with carrots and onion. Saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the left over flour along with wine and bring to a boil. Add the chicken broth and simmer until thick; pour into the cooker. Put the veggies on the bottom, then arrange the chicken in the pot with dark meat on the bottom. Cover and cook 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
4. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and surround with veggies. Turn the cooker on high and stir in the mashed potatoe flakes. Allow to thicken about 3 minutes. Spoon over the chicken.

***This was easy and yummy spin on roasted chicken. I still prefer a traditional baked/roasted whole chicken, but I did have plenty of leftovers which were awesome in soup (or chicken tacos, empanadas, chicken salad...) Since I am not much for processed foods, I skipped the potato flakes and used cornstarch instead. I served with a nice garden salad.