Great over pasta (such as spinach fettuccine) or garlicky smashed potatoes.
Ingredients
12 skinless bone-in chicken thighs, about 3 lbs
1 14.5-oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1/2 C chopped onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
Combine all ingredients except chicken and stir well. Place chicken in slow cooker; pour sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on high 1 hour, reduce to low and cook 4-5 hours more. Remove chicken pieces, and use a fork to pull meat from bones. Return chicken meat to sauce and stir to re-combine. Serve over pasta or garlicky smashed potatoes. 6 servings.
Showing posts with label slow cooker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slow cooker. Show all posts
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
Guinness Stew
This recipe traces its origins to a misadventure. While on our Grand Adventure Road Trip, V & I, fatigued from travel and a long, hot day in New Hampshire, forgot one of the Road Rules that had kept us from disaster thus far. Following hand-made signs indicating "Quilts for Sale," we deviated from the directions on The Clipboard, turned off the highway onto a gravel road that did not appear on the map, and proceeded to make numerous turns down unmarked gravel roads without making any notes on our route.
We did locate the quilt shop, in a very nice lady's front room, but then on our way back to the highway, became hopelessly lost in a vast maze of un-marked, identical, intersecting, looping gravel logging roads through dense forest. Our tummies began to growl. Hunger and fatigue dulled our wits and sharpened our tongues, and we began to snap at one another for only the second time in a month of living in our car. Storm clouds gathered, and a terrifying thunderstorm struck. The gas light came on on the dashboard. We recognized landmarks that told us, not the way out, but that we were going in circles. Stormwater sluiced down the roadside ditches and over the gravel, and the huge trees writhed like living creatures. It grew dark in the stormy woods. We were lost as we had never been lost before. There were few houses, far apart, and none of them looked like anyone was home. This was before the days of GPS, which probably wouldn't have helped us on these unmapped logging roads anyway.
At last, we did locate a house near the road with many vehicles outside and and with lights on. We asked for and were given directions, back to paved roads and the nearest gas station. The storm abated as we found the blacktop, bought fuel, and re-oriented ourselves to the map.
Ravenous, we headed back toward our campsite but wisely realized that we would die of hunger before getting a fire going and preparing a camp-cooked meal. So we turned into the tiny village, only to find no restaurants open (it was a weekday evening in the off-season of an area that only really comes alive for ski season).
Desperate, we headed back out of town, and stopped at a chain hotel with a restaurant in the parking lot. It looked like a cheesy faux-Irish pub, and we did not expect great things, but we were starving. We told the waitress a brief outline of our story and asked her, "what can you bring us right now, without waiting for something to cook?" Soup, she said. There were two soups that day, and one of them was Irish Stew. V ordered the other soup, and I had the stew. As the waitress brought it to our table, the last of the stormclouds outside parted, the setting sun broke through, and a rainbow appeared (I'm not making this up- just ask V!). The Irish stew at that tacky hotel pub was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted in my life.
Long after the Road Trip ended, I was obsessed with replicating that stew. I collected recipes and tried them, one after another, with endless variations. One day 2 or 3 years after the trip, combining at least 3 recipes from different sources, I came up with this one. It is the perfect stew. Rich, meaty, filling, and utterly delicious, it gets rave reviews from everyone who tastes or even smells it.
Guinness Stew is even better as re-heated leftovers than when first prepared. It freezes well, also.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb beef chuck, or other stew beef, cut in chunks
1/2 C flour (to coat beef)
4 to 6 potatoes, washed (not peeled), & cut in chunks
4 to 6 carrots, washed (not peeled), & cut in chunks
3 Tbsp bacon fat or oil
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 can or bottle dark Guinness
salt to taste (you will need much more than you think. too little, and the stew will taste flat)
Directions:
Coat beef chunks with flour. Melt bacon fat or heat oil in large, heavy kettle. Brown floured meat on all sides. Add 1 C Guinness & the Worcestershire sauce; simmer 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Add 1 C water, herbs & spices, & remaining Guinness. Simmer on medium-high 10-15 minutes. Add potato & carrot chunks. Add enough additional water to barely cover. Simmer on medium at least an hour, stirring occasionally. Or, transfer all to a large slow-cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If needed, thicken broth with a small amount of flour-water slurry. Add salt to taste and adjust seasoning; remove bay leaves before serving.
We did locate the quilt shop, in a very nice lady's front room, but then on our way back to the highway, became hopelessly lost in a vast maze of un-marked, identical, intersecting, looping gravel logging roads through dense forest. Our tummies began to growl. Hunger and fatigue dulled our wits and sharpened our tongues, and we began to snap at one another for only the second time in a month of living in our car. Storm clouds gathered, and a terrifying thunderstorm struck. The gas light came on on the dashboard. We recognized landmarks that told us, not the way out, but that we were going in circles. Stormwater sluiced down the roadside ditches and over the gravel, and the huge trees writhed like living creatures. It grew dark in the stormy woods. We were lost as we had never been lost before. There were few houses, far apart, and none of them looked like anyone was home. This was before the days of GPS, which probably wouldn't have helped us on these unmapped logging roads anyway.
At last, we did locate a house near the road with many vehicles outside and and with lights on. We asked for and were given directions, back to paved roads and the nearest gas station. The storm abated as we found the blacktop, bought fuel, and re-oriented ourselves to the map.
Ravenous, we headed back toward our campsite but wisely realized that we would die of hunger before getting a fire going and preparing a camp-cooked meal. So we turned into the tiny village, only to find no restaurants open (it was a weekday evening in the off-season of an area that only really comes alive for ski season).
Desperate, we headed back out of town, and stopped at a chain hotel with a restaurant in the parking lot. It looked like a cheesy faux-Irish pub, and we did not expect great things, but we were starving. We told the waitress a brief outline of our story and asked her, "what can you bring us right now, without waiting for something to cook?" Soup, she said. There were two soups that day, and one of them was Irish Stew. V ordered the other soup, and I had the stew. As the waitress brought it to our table, the last of the stormclouds outside parted, the setting sun broke through, and a rainbow appeared (I'm not making this up- just ask V!). The Irish stew at that tacky hotel pub was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted in my life.
Long after the Road Trip ended, I was obsessed with replicating that stew. I collected recipes and tried them, one after another, with endless variations. One day 2 or 3 years after the trip, combining at least 3 recipes from different sources, I came up with this one. It is the perfect stew. Rich, meaty, filling, and utterly delicious, it gets rave reviews from everyone who tastes or even smells it.
Guinness Stew is even better as re-heated leftovers than when first prepared. It freezes well, also.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb beef chuck, or other stew beef, cut in chunks
1/2 C flour (to coat beef)
4 to 6 potatoes, washed (not peeled), & cut in chunks
4 to 6 carrots, washed (not peeled), & cut in chunks
3 Tbsp bacon fat or oil
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 can or bottle dark Guinness
salt to taste (you will need much more than you think. too little, and the stew will taste flat)
Directions:
Coat beef chunks with flour. Melt bacon fat or heat oil in large, heavy kettle. Brown floured meat on all sides. Add 1 C Guinness & the Worcestershire sauce; simmer 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Add 1 C water, herbs & spices, & remaining Guinness. Simmer on medium-high 10-15 minutes. Add potato & carrot chunks. Add enough additional water to barely cover. Simmer on medium at least an hour, stirring occasionally. Or, transfer all to a large slow-cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If needed, thicken broth with a small amount of flour-water slurry. Add salt to taste and adjust seasoning; remove bay leaves before serving.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Country Captain Chicken
(Slow-Cooker)
A delicious slow-cooker recipe from my friend Ben. Be sure to use Madras curry powder, as regular curry powder becomes bitter with long cooking times. Traditional garnishes include any or all of the following:
sliced toasted almonds, shredded coconut, diced Granny Smith apples, and diced bananas. Serve over long-grain rice, or a with a generous helping of Samosa-Spiced Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), excess fat trimmed
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped coarse
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped coarse
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
5 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (9-ounce) jar chutney, such as Major Greyʼs
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken to plate, allow to cool slightly, then remove and discard skin. Transfer chicken to slow-cooker.
Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and return pan to medium-high. Add onions, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste and, using wooden spoon, scrape up browned bits from pan bottom. Simmer until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in chutney, garlic, curry powder, paprika, thyme, and cayenne. Pour mixture into slow-cooker to cover chicken pieces.
Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 6 hours. Turn off slow cooker, remove lid, and gently stir sauce to recombine. Replace lid and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with rice and choice of garnishes.
Serves 6 - 8
sliced toasted almonds, shredded coconut, diced Granny Smith apples, and diced bananas. Serve over long-grain rice, or a with a generous helping of Samosa-Spiced Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), excess fat trimmed
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped coarse
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped coarse
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
5 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (9-ounce) jar chutney, such as Major Greyʼs
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken to plate, allow to cool slightly, then remove and discard skin. Transfer chicken to slow-cooker.
Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and return pan to medium-high. Add onions, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste and, using wooden spoon, scrape up browned bits from pan bottom. Simmer until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in chutney, garlic, curry powder, paprika, thyme, and cayenne. Pour mixture into slow-cooker to cover chicken pieces.
Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 6 hours. Turn off slow cooker, remove lid, and gently stir sauce to recombine. Replace lid and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with rice and choice of garnishes.
Serves 6 - 8
Faux Chicken Cacciatore
(slow-cooker version)
A ridiculously easy faux-cacciatore recipe for when you are really time-crunched, or lazy. The deliciousness is directly correlated with the quality and flavor of the sauce you use.
Bone-in chicken pieces can also be used, but you will have to fish them out of the pot when done, cut/pull the meat off the bones, and return the meat to the pot. Pull off the skin before cooking, or the result will be quite greasy.
This recipe is an excellent use for frozen bell pepper strips, often sold with onions as "pepper stir fry blend"
Ingredients
1-2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins
1/3 C chopped onion
1/3 C bell pepper, chopped (or 1/2 C strips)
3 C or 1 large jar of very yummy spaghetti sauce
Ridiculously Easy Directions
Add onions and peppers to bottom of slow cooker, then chicken, then pour sauce over all. Cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Serve over pasta, with salad & garlic bread.
Bone-in chicken pieces can also be used, but you will have to fish them out of the pot when done, cut/pull the meat off the bones, and return the meat to the pot. Pull off the skin before cooking, or the result will be quite greasy.
This recipe is an excellent use for frozen bell pepper strips, often sold with onions as "pepper stir fry blend"
Ingredients
1-2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins
1/3 C chopped onion
1/3 C bell pepper, chopped (or 1/2 C strips)
3 C or 1 large jar of very yummy spaghetti sauce
Ridiculously Easy Directions
Add onions and peppers to bottom of slow cooker, then chicken, then pour sauce over all. Cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Serve over pasta, with salad & garlic bread.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Peruvian Pulled Pork
This is my version of a dish I first had at Cheeseburger in Paradise, which is sadly no longer on the menu. I combined several recipes I found around the interwebs to come up with something similar. Caution- the tumeric in the marinade will stain cloth, and even some light-colored countertops! Wear an apron, and handle the marinade over the sink, or you may regret it!
I use this deliciously savory pork for sandwiches: spread split crusty rolls with garlic/onion butter and lightly toast, layer with pulled pork, caramelized onions, and sharp cheddar cheese, then toast again to heat through and melt cheese. It's incredible.
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs pork shoulder
1/4 C white vinegar
1/4 C water
1 Tbsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
Directions
Remove the bone and skin from the pork shoulder and cut the meat into several baseball-sized chunks. Place in slow cooker.
Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over pork in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours or overnight, or high 4 hours, or until the meat is falling-apart tender. Remove pork from cooking liquid and allow to cool slightly, then shred with 2 forks (or your fingers). Use in sandwiches or burritos.
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