Thai Chicken

Yet another chicken that started in the American Test Kitchen slow cooker revolution volume 2 book.  This one however didn't really look like the original dish by the time I finished with it.  It was however, delicious!  I've been wanting to blog it forever so I wouldn't forget what I did.
You can certainly be more traditional and not shred the chicken and serve it over rice.  I made it into a casserole because we had already eaten a lot of rice that week.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz.) coconut milk
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste (I lowered this, but then upped the coconut  milk, I'd go back up to 2 Tablespoons if making this the same way again.)
• 1 Tablespoon instant tapioca
• salt and pepper
• 1 package bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed (I also skinned them.)
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch lengths
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• about 12 oz noodles of choice (we used up some bowties and some other macaroni)

Directions

1. Whisk 1/2 cup coconut milk, curry paste, tapioca, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in slow cooker.  Roll chicken in mixture and cook in slow cooker 3-4 hours on high (until super tender and shredable.)
2. When Chicken is tender, cook noodles according to package directions.  Microwave asparagus and oil in a bowl for 5 minutes, stirring mid way through cooking.  Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.
3. Add remaining coconut milk, lime juice and fish sauce to sauce still in slow cooker.  Heat through.  Add shredded, chicken, asparagus, noodles and cilantro.  Stir to combine and serve.

Mediterranean Chicken with Potatoes, Fennel, and Olives

This was the other chicken dish we had while my mom was here.  She remembered the fennel and lemon, so I'm not sure which she was wanting but here is the other recipe.  This was good.  The kids weren't huge fans of the fennel, but I liked it.  It was different and good.  Probably not a top pick for me, but then again, it has to be an amazing chicken dish to be a top pick for me.  This was definitely different, but a good different -like if you are tired of the same boring chicken, try this.  I liked the fennel and orange combination.  Not something I would ever have thought to put together, but they went well together.  I will note here that the original used butter.  I did not because I am currently eating non-dairy.  The book also gives a nice vignette on olives on this recipe's page - certainly one of my favorite things about American Test Kitchen books.

• 1 lb potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 
• 1 fennel bulb, cored, and sliced thin
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 package bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed (I also removed the skins.  For this meal, I think it would be easy/nice to use boneless, skinless thighs, or something already boned for easy serving since I wasn't shredding them at the end or anything.  Maybe next time.)
• 1/2 cup pitted salt-cured black olives, rinsed and halved (I may have forgotten to add these at the end.)

Directions

1. Microwave potatoes, fennel, onion, olive oil, garlic and rosemary in a bowl for 5 minutes stirring midway through cooking.  Pour into slow cooker.  Stir in broth, orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 3-4 hours on low.
3. Remove chicken and serve.  Stir olives, salt and pepper into veggies and serve.  (Can also add butter or parsley if desired.)

Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup

I've been in crock pot mode for a while.  I'm loving my new book American Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution volume 2.  Most of the following had their beginnings in that book and were modified by me to fit my family/cooking style.
I'd be a total slacker, but the next couple of recipes are things we made while my mom was in town and I told her I'd post them a week ago.  Sick kids and normal business has delayed my posting, but here they are.
This one is for a soup that was very good.  I only moderately modified it from the original.  I loved how it was creamy without cream since I'm currently eating non-dairy for my nursing baby.

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced onions
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced 
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 8 cups chicken broth.  (I use 2 heaping tablespoons of an organic better than bouillon paste that I buy at costco.  I boil the water and dissolve the paste to make my broth.)
• 1 package bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed (I also skinned mine)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup cooked brown rice

Directions

1. Microwave onions, carrots, garlic and oil in a bowl for 5 minutes stirring mid way through.  Place in slow cooker, stir in broth.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to slow cooker.  Cover and cook until chicken is tender.  3-4 hours (book says on low, but I say on high for that short of a time)
2. Transfer chicken to a plate and shred/chop into bite size pieces.  Skim any excess fat from top of soup (I don't find this necessary if you remove the skin from the chicken before cooking.)
3. Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together in a bowl.  Temper egg  mixture by mixing 3-4 Tablespoons of hot soup into the lemon/yolk mix, then whisk they lemon/yolk mix into the soup until well combined.  Add the shredded chicken and rice and cook until heated through.  (5 minutes or so)  Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.