Chicken Cacciatore

I've adapted my old Cacciatore recipe for use in the slow cooker.  I've used this recipe for so long I forget where I got the original from.  You can stretch this recipe with a side salad and extra rice or pasta and some bread.  Of course it tastes even better the second day after all the flavors have time to meld together. 


Ingredients
serves 4-6

~2lbs of chicken pieces (legs or thighs preferably bone in)
26oz can Hunts Tomato Sauce Plain
1 small can tomato paste (I like Contadina.  It is less acidic.)
medium onion
1 small carton sliced mushrooms (I prefer criminis but buttons are fine)
1 small bag peeled baby carrots
1 small bag frozen peas
1-2T good olive oil
1T oregano dried
1t basil dried
1t thyme dried
1t parsley dried
1 large bay leaf
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste)
salt & pepper

1. Pour olive oil in slow cooker and grease the inside of the pot with it.
2. Coarsely chop onion.  Not too fine or it will disappear into the sauce.  Put in bottom of pot.
3. Layer in the carrots and mushrooms.
4. Skin chicken if necessary and cut off any extra fat. Layer on top of vegetables.
5. In bowl, mix together the Hunts sauce, paste and all the herbs and spices including the garlic.  Fill the Hunts tin half way with water, swish around to get all the good stuff out, add to bowl and stir in.
6. Pour sauce over chicken.
7. Cook on high for 3-4 hours depending upon chicken chunk sizes.
8. Half hour before finishing add peas and stir in.  Cook on high for last half hour.
9. Remove bay leaf.
10. Remove bones if you are so inclined.  Not necessary if there isn't company though.
11. Serve with pasta or over brown rice.
12. Leftovers taste great and can be frozen.

Quesadilla

I actually have several versions of this recipe that range from super easy to a little on the fussy side but seriously yummy.  I'll start with the easy version and work my way up in difficulty. 

The chicken can always be cooked separately and stored in the fridge making the cooking day of a bit easier.  I wish I could remember the name of making chicken this way.  The traditional method is to quarter a fresh onion, and then throw in a couple of sticks of celery and a whole carrot maybe cut in two so it fits in the pot along with peppercorns and bay leaf and of course chicken.  Cover with water and boil until it falls apart.  The vegetables and spices are there to give the chicken some extra flavor and are disposed of when the chicken is done.  I believe it is a French thing but I learned it so long ago I don't remember.  Chicken made this way also makes excellent chicken salad so keep any leftovers for lunch the next day.

I've also heard of people buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding the meat off that.   I've never tried this myself since boiling chicken tenders is fairly simple and there are no bones or left overs to contend with. 

I've been very lax with amounts for the recipes because this is really a to taste recipe. 

Super Easy Version
Ingredients
makes 1

GF tortilla shell (rice or corn)
Olive oil
Perdue Short Cuts Carved Chicken Breast
Shredded Mexican cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole

1. Heat a skillet on stove
2. Moisten a paper towel with the olive oil and use to lightly grease the outside only of the tortilla shell.
3. Place greased side down in skillet
4. Put cheese on one half of shell (it is important to do this first since it will melt and keep things together when you go to flip the quesadilla over).  If you are using the small corn ones just cover the entire thing with cheese and then add a second tortilla after putting chicken on.
5. Put chicken on top
6. Fold shell in half and brown bottom or top with a second tortilla shell.
7. Flip over and brown top half.
8. Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole on the side

Healthy version
Ingredients
serves 2-3 people

~1 lb of  chicken tenders (raw)
celery flakes
dried onion
peppercorns
1 bay leaf
salt
1 carrot (optional)
garlic clove
Shredded Mexican cheese
GF tortilla shells (rice or corn)
Sour cream

1. Boil chicken with celery, onion peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic (these can be dried or fresh and the quantity isn't really important about 1-2t of each.  You can also throw a carrot in there if it is kicking around) until falling apart
2. Remove chicken making sure the onions and spices stay in the pot.  Shred chicken.  The chicken can now be stored in the fridge and you can make the quesadillas later, even the next day.
3. Heat dry skillet on stove.
4. Moisten a paper towel with the olive oil and use to lightly grease the outside only of the tortilla shell.
5. Place greased side down in skillet
6. Put cheese on one half of shell (it is important to do this first since it will melt and keep things together when you go to flip the quesadilla over)
7. Put chicken on top
8. Fold shell in half and brown bottom
9. Flip over and brown top half.
10. Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole on the side

Fancy Version
Ingredients
serves 4-6

1/2c white or brown rice
1c water
1/2 can black beans rinsed
1c frozen corn
1t cilantro
1/4c frozen diced onion
~1lb raw chicken tenders
dried onion flakes
celery flakes
peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 carrot (optional)
olive oil
salt
Shredded Mexican cheese
sour cream
guacamole

1. Put rice, beans, water, onion, corn and cilantro in rice cooker.  Put on cover and cook.
2. While this is cooking make the chicken:
1. Boil chicken with celery, onion peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic (these can be dried or fresh and the quantity isn't really important about 1-2t of each.  You can also throw a carrot in there if it is kicking around) until falling apart
2. Remove chicken making sure the onions and spices stay in the pot.  Shred chicken.  The chicken can now be stored in the fridge and you can make the quesadillas later, even the next day.
3. When both the rice and chicken are done heat the dry skillet on the stove.
4. Moisten a paper towel with the olive oil and use to lightly grease the outside only of the tortilla shell.
5. Place greased side down in skillet
6. Put cheese on one half of shell (it is important to do this first since it will melt and keep things together when you go to flip the quesadilla over)
7. Put chicken on top
8. The rice mix can either be put into the quesadilla at this point or served on the side.
9. Fold shell in half and brown bottom or top with second tortilla shell
10. Flip over and brown top half.
11. Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole on the side

Of course if you want to make a vegetarian version increase the beans and leave out the chicken.

Black and White Chilli

I made a mild version of this since my tummy can't handle spices since I've been sick.  I've adapted the recipe from "Black and White Chicken Chili" in Cook's Country Lost Recipes.  Not sure if the edition on Amazon is the same as what I got in the mail.  Mine is in the style of a magazine and was a freebie when I got some cookbooks.

Anyway, this dish was a total hit in my house.  I had two bowls myself.  I just wish I had some GF cornbread to go with it.  That would have been perfect!  Instead we had it with Cheesy Bread.

Ingredients:
serve 4-6

1pkg of four bone in chicken thighs
1c diced frozen onion
1 1/2c frozen corn
1can (15.5oz) cannellini beans
1can (15.5oz) black beans
1c Pacific Foods organic chicken broth
1c water
1jar (16oz) salsa (mild, medium or spicy as you wish)
4 cloves garlic or equivalent from a jar or two cubes frozen
1 1/2t ground cumin
1 1/2r dried oregano
1t dried cilantro
salt and pepper

1. Skin chicken and remove excess fat
2. Spray slow cooker with no stick oil.
3. Place onion and frozen corn in bottom of slow cooker.
4. Rinse and drain both cans of beans and add to slow cooker
5. Place chicken on top
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cumin, oregano and cilantro
7. Mix broth, water, salsa and garlic together in bowl and pour over chicken
8. Cook on high for 4 hours.
9. Remove chicken and remove meat from bone.  Return meat to pot.
10. Enjoy!

Note: if you use a regular broth like Swanson's use 2 cups and skip the water.  Pacific Foods broth is very concentrated so I usually cut it with water so it doesn't overpower the dish.

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

This is a super simple dinner to make.  You cook the chicken in a slow cooker for three hours and then do some minor assembly work.  The original recipe called for a half cup of vinegar but I found this to overpower the dish so in this version I've left it out.  If you like vinegar and want to counter balance the sweetness of the coleslaw by all means add it to the crock pot along with the BBQ sauce.  Since hubby doesn't like coleslaw I left it off his but he said that some pepperjack cheese would be a nice addition.  This can be served with green salad and french fries.


Ingredients
serves 4

1-2lbs bone in chicken thighs (4 pieces)
1/4c frozen onion diced
1 1/4c favorite BBQ sauce (I like Annie's original with sweet & spicy being my second favorite)
1t -1T hot sauce (optional:I left this out)
medium sized deli container of coleslaw (try to find stuff without HFCS)
Favorite GF hamburger buns

1. Strip skin off chicken and cut away extra fat.
2. Spray no stick in slow cooker and put onion in first and then layer chicken on top.
3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
4. Mix BBQ sauce with hot sauce and pour over chicken.
5. Cook on high for three hours. 
6. Remove chicken pieces from sauce strip from bone and return to pot.
7. I get my GF buns frozen so this is the point where I defrost them in the microwave.
8. Put chicken on bun, add coleslaw on top.
9. Enjoy!

Options:

1. Top with pepperjack cheese instead of slaw
2. Make with pork instead of chicken

Kiwi Dessert

This is one of my favorite fruit desserts.  Easy to make and can be served after a meal or makes a great low GI (glycemic index) between meal snack.

Ingredients
serves 1

1 kiwi
1/2 banana
1c organic lemon yogurt (NOT custard style)

Peel kiwi and slice.  Slice banana.  Stir fruit into yogurt.

Other fruits can be used such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries.  When using berries make sure to wash and dry them first.  Different yogurt flavors can be used as well.  Vanilla is my second favorite flavor for this dessert but really anything goes.  If you can eat wheat, graham crackers go really well with this and are a nice compliment to the lemon flavor.

Turkey Mess

This is a recipe that I've used for over 18 years now.  The real title should be Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey but hubby dubbed it Turkey Mess and the name stuck. I think I got the original recipe from the Nautilus Diet Cookbook but of course I've tinkered with it beyond recognition of the original.  

You can use all white or all dark meat.  The dark meat has a bit more fat so it is more flavorful.  In either case it is still leaner than using ground beef which would also work in this recipe.  I tend to use a 93% white/7% dark mix because that is what my local market sells prepackaged.  If I'm in Whole Foods I always use all dark.  If the meat has been frozen, I find that the turkey is much tougher and looses much of its water content during cooking, which has to be drained off.  It tastes much better if the meat is fresh.  As for the herbs, onions and mushrooms I've used fresh, dried and/or frozen all of which work.  Fresh or frozen taste best.  Dried works in a pinch. You can always buy fresh presliced which is a huge time/energy saver and tastes great.  If you can find Dorot frozen garlic and herbs they are wonderful.  I know Trader Joes usually has them but I've also found them in various markets.  They make a great pantry item so you don't have to chop fresh stuff but still have the great taste.  One warning though, the garlic is atomic.  You only need one cube because it is really strong.

Ingredients
Serves 3-4

1lb ground turkey
1/4-1/2c diced onion
1-2c sliced mushrooms (regular or baby bellas also known as criminis)
1-3 bulbs garlic (or 1 frozen cube)
1-2T good olive oil
1 jar Newman's Marinara Sauce
Salt
Pepper
1/2t oregano
1/4t basil
1/4t thyme
1 large bay leaf
1t parsley
1c sweet peas (optional)

1. Heat large non stick frying pan with olive oil until the oil shimmers
2. Press garlic and add to pan along with onion.  Saute until onion is translucent.
3. Add mushrooms and saute until just starting to brown.  Move to outside edge of pan.
4. Add turkey meat to center of pan and break up with spoon as it is browning.  If meat was frozen you will have to drain off some of the liquid prior to proceeding with the next step.
5. When meat is still slightly pink add entire jar of sauce.  Fill jar 1/3 up with water swish to dissolve remaining in jar and then add to turkey mixture.  Mix thoroughly.  Add peas if using.  Let mixture some to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
6. Add all the herbs and spices.
7. Let simmer while pasta is cooking for about 5 minutes or so.  Use a spatter screen to keep stove top clean.  Save those spoons!
8. Serve hot with favorite pasta.  My preference is Rigatoni or Ziti It is also good on top of brown rice.  Don't forget to take out the bay leaf prior to serving.  Our favorite sides are baby carrots or green beans and green salad.
9. The leftovers taste even better the next day.  They can also be frozen for later.

I can vouch for this pan.  It is worth the money since it is my workhorse in the kitchen.  I discovered spatter screens a few years back and LOVE them.  It allows the sauce to simmer and reduce without the cooktop getting caked in tomato spatter.

I guess the cookbook is out of print but available used.  It is worth purchasing one.  It has lots of very tasty recipes in it and I used it to learn low fat cooking.  That said my food philosophy has changed since then and I believe that there is such a thing as good fats and bad fats so I use olive oil in my cooking now and won't touch margarine with a ten foot pole.  The cookbook is also NOT GF so if you get a copy you will need to make substitutions if you are Celiac or not eating wheat.  The book itself is interesting since it is a combination workout book, recipe book and has weekly menus with the calorie counts already done for you.  It was written by the guy that has a PhD in PE and 2 years of post doc in Nutrition and was the Director of Research for Nautilus Sports.  He knows bodies and how they work.  This is the ONLY formal diet I have ever followed and I did very well on it 17 years ago.  I stopped following it when I got pregnant but the cooking style stuck with me and I still use several of the recipes in it.