Coq Au Vin

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22ND, 2010

5 stars (out of 5 - delicious and pretty stress-free!)

I wanted to try out the new slow-cooker cookbook that I just received from MM, and this recipe stood out. I decided to make it Sunday morning, as it needed to cook for 7-8 hours. I think I might have attempted a recipe similar to this before (the smell reminded me of something)... so hopefully it turns out! I am also really into trying to find a great slow-cooker recipe that I could serve to guests with confidence. This recipe was from the Company's Coming Most Loved Slow Cooker Creations book; I really like their recipes, as they are usually pretty simple and almost always turn out well (unlike some other companies, I think Company's Coming actually tests their recipes out! Imagine that).

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon, diced
1/4 cup (60 mL) flour
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) paprika
6 chicken thighs (bonelss, skinless)*
1 pack (up to 4 cups) white mushrooms, halved
1 cup (250 mL) chopped onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup (125 mL) dry red wine
1/2 cup (125 mL) prepared chicken broth
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dry thyme

{*Note. The original recipe calls for 12 chicken thighs. I did two, but I think I would comfortably do up to six. Any more than that, I am not sure how I would fit them into the slow-cooker!}.

My new cookbook stand:

1. First I cooked the bacon on medium heat, until it was crisp. I then removed the bacon and diced it up.

2. While it was cooking, I added the flour and the paprika to a Ziploc bag, and added the chicken to coat it.

3. After the bacon was removed from the pan, I added the chicken, using the bacon drippings as oil. I cooked it for about 8 minutes, just so that it was brown on all sides.

4. As the chicken cooked, I prepared the other ingredients, by chopping up the onion, and slicing the mushrooms in half.

5. When the chicken was ready, I removed it from the pan and placed it in the slow-cooker.

6. I then added the mushrooms, onion, and garlic to the same frying pan, and sautéed for about 2 minutes.

7. Once the onions had softened, I added the mushroom soup, chicken broth, wine, and thyme to the pan, and brought it to a boil.

8. Once it was boiling, I poured it over the chicken, covered the slow-cooker, and placed it on "Low" for 7-8 hours (or on "High" for 3.5-4 hours).

Final Product:

Overall, this was a delicious meal, and SB loved it. It took a bit of time to prepare before throwing into the slow-cooker, but was well worth it. I look forward to serving it to guests - I especially love doing slow-cooker meals when having people over because it means I don't have to cook and visit at the same time (I am so bad at doing this!) and the house smells so great. One note: I would combine the cream of mushroom soup and the wine/broth together prior to adding it to the pan. It took a while to get the lumps out, and my frying pan isn't so deep, so I spilled a lot in the process. Other from that, this recipe is pretty straight forward, and easy to do.

Zucchini Stuffed w/ White Bean Pesto (Slow Cooked)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14th, 2010

4 stars (out of 5 - simple, delicious, no-stress side dish!)

I decided to try a recipe out of my new Vegetarian Slow-Cooker book (thanks, PTL!) to make part of our Valentine's Day dinner (SB making the other part). This recipe appealed to me because it seemed very simple (I am not up for anything complex on my weekends!) and I could make it a few hours ahead of time, and then relax. This is a delicious side dish, that I would definitely recommend.

Ingredients:

4 small-medium zucchinis*
2 tbsp olive oil
2 green onions, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped coarsely
1-1.5 large garlic clove, pressed
1/4 - 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 (small) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

{Note. The number of zucchinis depends on how many you can fit in your slow-cooker!}

1. First, I prepared the zucchinis by hollowing them out with a small spoon. Keep the pulp and chop it up.

2. I then added 1 tbsp of the olive oil to a sauce pan, and heated it over medium heat. When it was warm, I added the zucchini pulp, garlic, and green onions. I also added some salt and pepper. I covered and cooked for about 10 minutes, just softening everything up.

3. As the veggies were cooking, I toasted the pine nuts over medium heat for about 4 minutes (watch them, they burn fast!).

4. I also prepared the parsley, basil, tomato, and rinsed the beans. So little stress!

5. After the zucchini/green onion/garlic combo had cooked for 10 minutes, I added the beans, pine nuts, tomatoe, and fresh herbs...

6. ... and stirred everything very well.

7. I then scooped the veggie-bean mixture into the zucchinis. There was enough to fill 4 halves, but my slow-cooker could only fit three :(

8. I placed the zucchini in a lightly oiled slow cooker, drizzled a bit of olive oil over them, and switch it on "Low" for about 3 hours. I put them on for a bit more than 3 hours and they were slightly overcooked. I would even bet that 2 hours would be good enough.

Overall, these were pretty delicious, and very low stress. I actually really liked the veggie filling on its own. I think the slow-cooker was ideal for this recipe, as it cooked the zucchini without drying everything out. I would definitely make this again, but cook them for a bit less time. I would also prefer if I could fit one more in my slow-cooker in case we have a couple of people over for dinner.

Dijon Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Sauce

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2009

2.5 stars (out of 5 - not so much recommended)

It's slow-cooker time again! I like to do slow-cooker recipes on Tuesdays, as I prefer to work from home those days. This recipe looked very unique, so I thought I would give it a go. I'm a bit afraid that the dijon will be overpowering....

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dijon mustard*
2 tbsp fresh garlic, chopped
3/4 tsp dried marjoram*
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs*
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 (12 ounce - ~370g)jar marinated artichoke heart quarters, w/ liquid*

{Note changes: For the dijon mustard, it is highly recommended that you use the mustard in the picture below. I bought a cheap jar of French's Dijon and when I tasted it I basically burned my mouth so I switched to the Maille brand. Much better. I also used marjoram; however, the recipe actually calls for 1/2 tsp tarragon (I mistakenly thought that I had some in my kitchen... oopsies). Finally, I only bought a small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, so make sure you don't make the same mistake. I ended up slicing some whole canned artichoke hearts in half and adding them. To do the veggie version, just substitute the chicken with chick'n}

1. First I combined the mustard, garlic, and marjoram in a medium-large bowl.

2. I then added the chicken thighs and stirred to coat them. I didn't cut the fat off of them this time, so we'll see if SB notices. I just can't do it.

3. After the chicken thighs were coated, I placed them at the bottom of my 4.5 qt slow-cooker.


4. I then topped with the onion, mushrooms, and artichokes (with the liquid from the jar).

5. I covered the pot, and placed it on high for 45 minutes, and then on low for about 6 hours (recipe says anywhere between 6 and 8 hours).

6. After cooking and smelling it all day, I was very disappointed to see that the sauce had, yet again, separated.

7. I served the chicken over a bed of basmati rice.

SB's:


Mine:


Here is what the sauce looked like after it was done:

I have to admit, I am quite discouraged with this cookbook. I bought it because it is the official "CrockPot" cookbook and came with great instructions, seemingly delicious recipes, and nice pics; however, this is the second time that their sauce has not turned out at all like what is supposed to. Furthermore, none of their recipes thus far have been anywhere close to fantastic. I am really questioning whether they actually tried these recipes out themselves. The picture they display is all creamy and perfect. Nothing close to the dish I produced.

The combination of artichokes and dijon seemed like a winning one; however, in the future I will look for a recipe that uses these ingredients in a casserole. SB seemed to like it enough, but I couldn't eat mine. It had that "slow-cooker" taste to it (see Easter - Vegetarian Edition). I'm not sure when I will be using it again :( It's too discouraging to put in so much effort to produce something so subpar. (SB is disagreeing right now... but I'm disappointed anyways!).

Slow-Simmered Curry Chicken with Bruschetta Appy

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2009

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.

Company's Coming! Provencal Lemon and Olive Chicken (with Baked Tomato side)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2009

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:

Easter Dinner - Part II - Veggie Edition

SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2009

1.5 stars (out of 5 - not recommended)

For my Easter dinner, I also decided to cook something that would satisfy my vegetarian needs. I decided on slow-cooked potatoes (can you tell that I've been testing out my slow-cooker?!), onions, and simulated chicken (or "chick'n" as I like to call it).

3 red potatoes (any kind will do), chopped into quarters
1 can vegetable broth
2 medium onions
2 simulated chicken breasts

1. I basically just chopped some red potatoes and onions, added some vegetable broth (1 can) and the spices, and stuck the slow-cooker on low for eight hours. As I'm not sure how the chick'n will hold up, I added it during the last hour of cooking. I'm curious (/scared) to see. It actually looks kinda..disgusting at this point:

2. After eight hours of cooking.... ewww! Edible, but not recommendable:

Overall, this meal tasted exactly like the meals from which people made their decision to stop using their crockpots. It was mushy, and everything tasted the same. I ate it, but wasn't happy about it. Sigh. It would just be so much easier to eat meat!!! On the plus side, my chick'n did not break down during cooking (although it wasn't moist either), so I will definitely give it another go. I'm not sure what I will try next with my simulated meat in the slow-cooker, so stay tuned...