4.5 stars (out of 5 - highly recommended!)
We're having PT over tonight for dinner, so I wanted to cook something: a) delicious (!), and b) from the slow-cooker, as it was a gift from him (and others) for my birthday. I had previously made this chicken recipe for SB, who liked it quite a bit, so I decided to try it again, but this time taking into consideration SB's feedback (primarily, less lemon!). Hopefully, it goes well again!
This recipe called for:
2 cups chopped onion**
8 skinless chicken thighs (approx 2.5 lbs, but I use less)
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed (I use less!)*
1 cup pitted green olives
1 tbsp olive brine from jar or white vinegar
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf* (I skip this)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
*{note revisions. I use less lemon. Instead of doing full slices, I am going to use quarter slices. It was too "lemon-y" last time. Also, I can never find bay leaves, so I left it out. Might be good though, but I can't vouch for it!}
**{note revisions. After using a quarter slice of lemon, I now recommend 1/2 slices of lemon... rrr. Also, I only ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of onion - basically until the bottom of the slow-cooker was covered. It seems like a lot, but they are great after cooking for 6 hours!}
Just a small tip- get one of these: (Perfect for chopping copious amounts of onion!)
1. First I placed the onion in a 4.5 qt slow-cooker (the recipe calls for a 4 qt. but I want to use my good one!). I also put on my sunglasses because I was crying so hard after chopping that much onion. I also tried to cut most of the fat off of the thighs, but started to feel nauseous so I stopped (in the end it didn't matter). I arranged the chicken thighs over the onion, and placed a quarter lemon slice on top of each thigh. I added the olives (a lot, as SB is an olive-monster), brine, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper, and slowly poured the chicken broth over top.
2. I then cooked the chicken on high for 1 hour, turning it down to low for 4.5 hours. The recipe actually called for it to be cooked on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 3-3.5 hours, but I like to get the chicken hot quickly, as I'm afraid of giving people food poisoning! In the meantime, I could get everything all set up (or SB could!)
3. I was also able to make some sides. First, I decided on some baked tomatoes. They're the easiest thing to make, and I like the colour they bring to the plate. To make these, I sliced the tops off of three tomatoes, sprinkled with salt, pepper, Italian bread crumbs, and some parmesan (optional). What I did for this meal was to prepare them beforehand, place them on a baking sheet, cover, and place in the fridge until about 20 minutes before I wanted to eat. At this point, place in the oven for 20 minutes at 350F. As you can see from the picture, I also made myself my usual chick'n breast (I guess I'm really craving protein this week!).
4. After 5 1/2 hours, the chicken was ready. I served it with the tomatoes and a side of mashed potatoes. I served some of my couscous (not pictured - for recipe see previous entry), as I thought the tomato, olive, lemon combo would go well with the plate.
My version, looking a lot less appealing:
Overall, this meal is a great thing to cook when you have company over. It's quick, easy, and you can do most of the work in the afternoon (which I particularly appreciate- I'm not known for my ability to cook under pressure). Also, your house smells great!
Puppy:
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1 comment:
I do love your pictures....so cute
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