Slow Cooker Orange Hoisin Chicken

Crock pot recipe? Check. Simple prep? Check. Delicious? Check.

Orange Hoisin Chicken
from My Kitchen Cafe

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 slices peeled fresh ginger, finely minced, or 1 tsp powdered ginger
3 cloves garlice, finely minced
1 T sesame oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.5 to 2 lbs.)
2 T cornstarch
2 T water
2 T sesame seeds
chopped green onions for garnish

In the crock of your slow cooker, whisk together orange juice concentrate, honey, soy sauce (I used the low sodium variety and the dish was plenty salty for me, so if you are using regular soy sauce I would start with half the amount to start and add the rest at the end if you still want it.), hoisin, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Add chicken and lightly stir to coat. Cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender. Five hours was about right for me.

Remove chicken and transfer to a plate. Turn slow cooker to HIGH. Whisk together cornstarch and water. Whisk into the sauce and cook until thickened, stirring frequently (keep the lid on your slow cooker as much as possible so it heats up enough to thicken the sauce.). Shred the chicken and return to the thickened sauce.

Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cooking sites, Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I am rarely disappointed by her recipes, and this one was another winner. I have modified the cooking instructions a little because I made mine in the crock pot.

Here is the link to her original instructions if you want to make this on the stove top.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Note: This recipe requires that the chicken marinates overnight.

Masala Marinade:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used Greek nonfat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (I left this out)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon EACH salt and pepper
2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

Combine all of this in a glass or stainless steel bowl (some of these spices will stain plastic). I actually used a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, put the following in your crockpot:
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (leave this out if you don't like spicy things, or substitute paprika both here and in the marinade)
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Marinated chicken

Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4.
Before serving stir in:
1 cup heavy cream (I subbed fat free half and half)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped.

Serve over rice.

You'll notice that Mel's recipe has ground almonds in it...I left those out for the same reason I substituted the heavy cream: I don't like wearing fat pants.

Pineapple Chicken

This recipe is one I received from my mother-in-law, but I've tweaked it a little for crock pot cooking.

Pineapple Chicken
4 chicken breasts, diced
1 large onion, diced
4-5 celery stalks, sliced
2 green peppers, diced
2 cans pineapple chunks, including juices
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 T ginger
salt and pepper to taste.

Combine everything in crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours, high for 4. About 30 minutes before serving, combine 1/4 cup cornstarch with a little water, whisking well to remove lumps, then add cornstarch to chicken mixture. Whisk well and cook until thickened. (If you've had your crock pot on low, this would be a good time to turn it up to high.) Serve over rice.

Pepperoncini Roast

I got this recipe from my sister, and it is always a hit. It's another one for the crockpot, so if you have five minutes in the morning you will have dinner at night.

2-4 lb roast (I prefer rump, nothing too fatty)
1 sliced onion
3 cubes or teaspoons beef bouillon
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 cloves garlic
1 8 oz jar of pepperoncini peppers, including the juices (this are the little green peppers in brine that are located in the pickle/olive aisle of the grocery store. Save yourself the headache and buy the pre-sliced ones. Also, I generally use the mild ones, but if you like a little heat, use the regular ones)

Toss this all in the crock-pot on low. 8 or so hours later, shred the beef and serve it on hard rolls with sliced provolone cheese.

Mexican Chicken and Tomatillo Stew

This is one of those super-easy recipes that only requires a little chopping and a crock-pot. Don't be scared about the sweet potatoes- they are really tasty in this healthy soup.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 or 3 chicken breasts
2 cups diced tomatilloes (peel husks and rinse, then treat it like a tomato)

Put this all in the crock pot- high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. Shred chicken then stir in 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro. Top soup with sour cream, diced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.