3 stars (out of 5 - okay, but could be improved (see notes below))
Today LX is coming for dinner, so I wanted to try out the slow-cooker again. I like to use it when company comes over because then I'm not running around the kitchen cooking while they are here. SB and I decided on this slow-cook curry recipe, but I'm not completely sold as its base consists of salsa. We'll see - but I'm nervous about how it will turn out.
Ingredients*:
1.5 cups coursely chopped onion
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces*
1 cup medium salsa*
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro* (for dry see below)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp salt
Hot cooked rice
*{note. I used chicken thighs, as it has been my experience that chicken breasts are too lean to taste good after slow-cooking (too dry). I also only had dry cilantro, so I converted my 1/4 cup fresh to approximately 4 tsp dry... we'll see how that goes! For the vegetarian version, I followed the exact same steps, but used Yves Veggie Tenders (chicken) instead.
It was also suggested to me by LX and SB that it could be way less spicy - which I agree. Therefore, I would use mild salsa. I think as it cooked, the spices really came out and it was hot hot hot. Finally, LX suggested some additional spices to add flavour, such as adding a tsp or so of cumin. I also added quite a bit of curry powder in the end.}
1. First I chopped the onion and peppers and placed them at the bottom of my 4.5 qt slow-cooker.
2. I then placed the chopped chicken on top (I also have to thank SB for preparing the chicken yesterday - I just can't bring myself to cut off the fat and snip the meat up. Blaah).
3. I then combined the salsa, ginger, and garlic powder in a small bowl. By the way, does anyone actually know how to grate ginger? Impossible! I just turned to a juicy mush, and I was left with this weird stringy ginger in my hand. For my pot (my second prep of the dish), I ended up just "peeling" the ginger in with a potato peeler.
4. I spooned this combo over top of the chicken, and spread it out evenly. I added about 1/2 of the cilantro at this point- I think that dry herbs taste better cooked for a while, but I didn't want to add to much. I hope this is okay!
5. I placed the slow-cooker on high for 30 minutes, then on low for 5-6 hours, or until chicken was tender.
6. I then combined the remaining cilantro (2 tsp), sugar, curry powder, and salt in a small bowl and set it aside. I will add this to the slow-cooker for the final 30 minutes of cooking.
7. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, I added the remaining spices and started the rice. I ended up adding a lot more curry powder for flavour, and you could also add some cumin. When I opened the lid, it was very very liquidy inside, so I stirred it and let it cook with the lid off for a while. However, note that when you stir it, the meat is so tender that it falls apart a bit. I had to be careful!
8. When the rice was ready (I used Basmati), I served it onto the plates and spooned the curried chicken over top. I served a lot of rice, since it was so spicy!
Here is the meat one:
And here is the vegetarian one:
Overall, it was good, but could use less spice and more flavour. In the end my worries about the salsa were unfounded - surprisingly it mixed well with the curry flavours and had enough liquid in it to make the meat very tender. My veggy meat also held up very well in the slow-cooker, and was nice and tender.
Bruschetta
I also wanted to do a quick appetizer for when LX was here. I needed something sans dairy, and also something I didn't have to run to the store for! I decided on bruschetta, as I had two tomatoes in my fridge. This recipe is a bit of a cheat, as I use a mix, but I love this mix and it's easy! My mom buys them for me, and I'll post a picture in case anyone ever wants to look for it.
Ingredients:
4 ripe Italian tomatoes
1 tbsp bruschetta mix
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh basil (or more... I love it!)
Fresh garlic (optional)
We actually had 1/2 a baguette left from yesterday, so it worked out almost perfectly (the baguette does not need to be super fresh, as you toast it before serving). The only thing I was missing was the fresh basil... so it should be good, but always better with the basil. As you can see below, I also halved the recipe, as it was only for LX and I.
1. I chopped the tomatoes coarsely, and placed it in a small bowl. It's okay if some of the liquids get in the bowl, as it helps dissolve the dry mix. I then added the mix and lemon juice (you would also add the basil here), and stirred well.
2. I covered and placed it in the fridge until tonight (the longer the better). DO NOT add any garlic to this mix- it gets very very garlicky on its own.
3. To serve, I sliced the baguette and threw the slices in the oven until toasted. Then I served them with bruschetta on top. There is also the option of rubbing some fresh garlic on the bread before adding the bruschetta, but the last time I did this, it was so strong it basically burnt my mouth. Therefore, do so with caution.
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