Barbecue Chutney Chicken

While on my snowed in cooking spree, I decided to try another slow cook recipe from Jenn's book. While flipping through the pages, I was hoping something would jump out at me. It's funny how we gravitate towards flavors or ingredients and choose recipes accordingly. While I have limited experience with it,curry is one that intrigues me. Additionally, I have a big jar of curry that I am hoping to get some use out of.

Note: All curries are not created equally. I am the furthest thing from an expert on the subject, but I do realize that the Muchi Curry I purchased from Whole Foods is one of the spicier varieties. It is full of strong flavor but also makes me sweat and my nose run. Get comfortable with whichever curry you have and use responsibly :)

My meat-phobia also extends to poultry. The original recipe called for various chicken pieces (bones included). While still a little gross to handle, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are more my speed (no surprises), so I just cut the raw chicken into bite size pieces.

Barbecue Chutney Chicken

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

3 pounds chicken pieces (I used boneless skinless breasts, but feel free to use bone-in pieces)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup mango chutney

2/3 cup bottled barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon curry powder

hot,cooked rice

Place onion in the slow cooker. Add chicken pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine chutney, barbecue sauce, and curry powder. Pour over mixture in slow cooker and combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Serve chicken mixture over rice.

(Sweet) Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Wow. Jenn has been a cooking and baking machine lately! I just got back to Brooklyn from a week in Alabama visiting my family for the holidays. I had every intention of taking advantage of the downtime and cooking something...anything. It didn't happen. The most I "cooked" the entire week was a bowl of oatmeal. My parents had all the meals so well planned out and I had certain local restaurants I wanted to hit, there was no room for any of my measly culinary contributions. 

Now that I am back in snow-battered New York City, I've been spending lots of time inside (after a trek to the grocery store of course) and trying a few new recipes. In the past few years I have become increasingly fond of pulled pork. I used to be completely loyal to chicken, but these days I am loving pork in bbq sandwiches, tacos and enchiladas, and I might even be a little obsessed with Cuban sandwiches. Unfortunately, I'm a complete meat novice. I think its gross to handle (it has never crossed my mind for a moment to be a vegetarian though) and I never know how to cook it. I'm always freaked out about undercooking things that I completely overcook them and end up with a dry, rubbery result.

Those days are no more! My meat fears have been answered by my beloved crock pot. I can cook things for hours and they always turn out moist and tender. I found this pulled pork recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens Slow Cooker Meals book Jenn let me borrow. The end result turned out really sweet, so I am looking for a way to tone it down next time. I think a lot depends on the store bought barbecue sauce you use. It was a great starting off point though (read: easy). I'm looking forward to trying lots of new and exciting meat dishes!

Cleaning the hunk of meat was a little traumatic but I survived!

I love how the pork just fell apart when I took it out of the pot. Shredding it was so easy.

Apricot Pulled Pork

3 to 3-1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (I used a smaller piece of meat)

10 oz apricot spreadable fruit

1 cup bottled barbecue sauce

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1/2 chopped dried apricots

rolls or buns for sandwiches

Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Trim fat from meat if necessary. Place meat into the cooker. In medium bowl, combine fruit spread, barbecue sauce, onion, and dried apricots. Pour over top of the meat. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.

Once cooked through (pork should technically have an internal temperature of 160° F), transfer meat to a cutting board and shred with two forks. In a large bowl, combine the shredded meat and the sauce remaining in the crock pot. Serve the pork on the sandwich rolls.

Some good Southern sides would be baked beans, pickles, and coleslaw. Enjoy!

White Bean and Apple Chili

 

In attempts to get good use out of my fancy new crock pot, I have been scouring the internet for prospective recipes. Jenn directed me towards this one where the author took on the challenge to cook something in her crock pot everyday for a year. She has amassed quite a collection of ideas. A lot of them are soups, chilis, and casserole type dishes but she also has some more out of the ordinary options. I'm still a slow cooking newbie, so I thought I would start out with her White Bean and Apple Chili. I am a sucker for fruits in savory dishes, so it sounded great.

I thought the original recipe was lacking a little something, so I decided to add some chicken sausage to the mix.

5 hours later is was totally transformed!

 

It was delicious! I opted for jalapeno sausage which made it a little too spicy for my liking. Some sour cream could have helped too though. I would try a milder sausage and practically double the amount of beans. They got lost in the mix a little. Otherwise, its a great recipe!

White Bean and Apple Chili

3-4 cans white beans, drained and rinsed, kidney beans work well

1 medium onion, chopped

2 apples, cut into small chunks

3 cloves garlic, smashed

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups chicken broth (When I was tossing everything in the crock pot, this didn't seem like enough liquid, so I went ahead and added 4 cups. Mistake. 3 cups is fine and mine ended up a little watery.)

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Chicken sausage, I used an entire package (5 sausages) of Spicy Jalapeno, chopped

Shredded cheese for topping

Put butter in the bottom of your crock pot (4 quart or larger). Add drained and rinsed beans. Chop the onion and the apples and add to the pot. Add the spices and pour in the broth. Stir in the yogurt. Cook on high for 4-5 hours (or on low for 8), until onions are tender. Top with shredded cheese if desired. It would also be nice with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Santa Fe Soup

I'll admit it, I'm not much of a cook. I like to cook but sometimes just can't be bothered to go to the trouble. I live in Brooklyn and have a tiny kitchen which I share with two other people. It makes it difficult to really spread out and enjoy the process of making a meal. Plus, I generally just cook for myself, which isn't all that fun to begin with. Well, then there's just laziness. My boyfriend, tired of all my cooking related excuses, recently bought me a crock pot. I like the idea of throwing a bunch of ingredients together and leaving it to cook on its own. There are limited dishes created and it doesn't require a lot of attention. Brilliant! 

What I love even more is opening a bunch of cans, dumping them in the slow cooker, and letting it all go to town while I enjoyed one of the last football Saturdays of the season! This soup is very much like a chili and is the perfect compliment to the increasingly chilly November weekends. I must give credit for the recipe to the lovely Hale Family. I lived with twins Jen and Sarah my last year at Auburn University and it was the center of many communal dinners at our house. Thanks, ladies!

Onions make me tear up terribly, so my boyfriend, Kurt, was kind enough to chop it for me. I will take credit for the rest of the grueling can and packaging opening though. Phew! Exhausting!

Isn't it beautiful?! My first real appliance! Thanks, Kurt!

The finished result. Pretty delicious if I do say so myself. It ended up a little spicier than I planned (I think due to a tangy can of tomatoes), so I garnished with lots of sour cream.

Santa Fe Soup Slow Cook Version

2 lb ground turkey or beef (I use turkey)

1 onion, chopped 

1 package Ranch dressing mix*

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (Rotel works well)

1 can tomato wedges

2 cans white corn (I used 1 bag of frozen corn)

some crushed garlic, to taste, very scientific

Add meat and onions to large crock pot. Sprinkle on the ranch dressing and taco seasoning so it coats the meat. Dump in all the remaining ingredients with juices from all. Add one extra can of water. Set the crock pot on high and let cook for 4 or 5 hours until meat is cooked through. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onions. Enjoy!

*I feel that powdered Ranch dressing is a suburban specialty because I can never find it in New York City. Instead, this time I used a powdered onion soup mix. It seemed to work fine but I think the Ranch gives it something extra special.

xoxo

Melissa