crockpot chicken and sweet potato stew

With the shorter, darker days and the dipping temperatures, we all know that winter has arrived.   And on those cold, dark days, sometimes it's difficult to be inspired when it comes to making dinner.  Especially when you've got a hungry crew to feed.  While I use my crockpot all year round, at this time of year I somehow feel that it's my best friend.  There is nothing better than setting everything up in the morning and coming home to a delicious, hot meal, cooked and ready to go.

If you're looking for a new recipe that combines all the best of winter comfort food, today's blog post has the answer.  Alli Berry is a Crock Pot cooking blogger and offered to share her wonderful stew recipe (and that great picture) with us. You can check out more fabulous recipes on her blog, What a Crock!

Winter can be a lovely time of year. You really can’t beat a beautiful, fresh snowfall.  At least this is what I like to tell myself when it is dark at 4 pm and frigid outside.

One thing that can make winter more enjoyable is snuggling up at home with a good book and a large bowl of warm winter stew. I am very excited to share this new stew recipe with you that I created for such a scenario. I also wanted this to be a healthy stew to kick off 2013 on the right foot. One of the things I like best about this recipe is the combination of rosemary with chicken and sweet potatoes. Rosemary is one of my favorite spices because of its distinct aroma and fresh taste. As an added bonus,  rosemary is rich in antioxidants which help strengthen your immune system. Sweet potatoes also have great health benefits. Not only are sweet potatoes rich in iron and fiber, they also contain a lot of Vitamin C, which can help you fight off those pesky winter colds. This recipe is easy to make and can be altered to include other veggies if you wish.

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
1 cup of celery, chopped
½ onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon of dried rosemary (or 2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ pound white button mushrooms, sliced

Place chicken at the bottom of the crock pot
Add all of the other ingredients (except the mushrooms) over chicken
Stir to combine
Cook on low for 4-5 hours, checking after 4 hours for doneness
Add mushrooms and cook on low for 1 more hour.

You can serve this stew as it is or over rice, quinoa, or couscous.

the giving season

hot chocolate | photo: Itizdacuriz

Every year around the holiday season I always find that I need a few small gifts.  Not willing to brave the shopping frenzy at this time of year I turn to the idea of making gifts at home.  I find many people truly enjoy receiving these more personal gifts.

Confession time.  I'm a fairly decent knitter but rather slow at it so whipping out a bunch of hand knitted gifts just isn't going to happen.  (I'm still working on a gift for someone that was supposed to be last year's present.)  I have visions of all of the fabulous crafty gifts that abound on the internet that look so easy.  Following directions closely my version comes out "nice" but certainly not as full of wow factor as the originals; so that's not gonna happen either.

But...food...I love food.  And I love giving food.  And most people I know like getting food.  That makes it a perfect gift in my book.  The best part is that you still have time to put it all together, wrap it up in a pretty ribbon and gift it to that someone special without braving the crowds. the carols, and the olfactory assault that is commercialized holiday shopping.

1. Chocolate Granola - This recipe is from my friend Christine and is always a huge hit.  Made in the crockpot it's super easy; set it to cook all day (stirring when you remember) while you are doing other things.
2. Crockpot Snack Mix - There are four recipes on this post Tropical, Tex-Mex, Asian, and Curried; they're all delicious.  Another fabulous use for your crockpot.
3. Crockpot Nuts - Okay, by now you've figured out that I love my crockpot.  These snack nuts are so tasty that I always have to make extras because they're just that good.
4. Vanilla Sugar - This is a fabulous gift to give, especially to someone who is a baker.  One vanilla bean pod split and shoved, seeds and all, into a wide mouth pint jar full of evaporated cane juice crystals.  Tie a pretty ribbon on it and you're good to go.  It does need to sit for 2-3 weeks to allow the aroma to infuse so stick a note on it if necessary.
5. Hot Cocoa Mix - This is based on a recipe from a major food manufacturer.  I've changed it by substituting better ingredient options and removing the requirement for name brand products. 
• 1/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/3 Cup evaporated cane juice crystals (optional - made into vanilla sugar. yum)
• 1 1/2 Cups organic milk powder 
• 1/2 Cup chopped good quality chocolate (I prefer Belgian chocolate)
• Layer ingredients in order given into a wide mouth pint jar, close and decorate with ribbon
• Instructions for preparation:  Gently heat 4 cups of organic milk to just below boiling, add contents of the jar, whisking well until fully combined.  note:  if not using vanilla sugar include instructions to use 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  
• Garnish with organic whipped cream and shaved chocolate.  Makes 4 servings  

Whatever your holiday of choice, I hope it's a happy and healthy one.

crock pot nuts

Mixed Nuts | Melchoir | Wikimedia Commons

Previously I had posted some delicious snack mix recipes for the crock pot. I wanted to share another great use for your crock pot, seasoned nuts.  At this time of year a lot of nuts are available in the grocery store fairly inexpensively.  Making seasoned nuts is easy, tasty, and extremely versatile.  They can even make great gifts when packaged in a cute jar with a bow or fabric top.


I love nuts as a snack.  They're high in protein and although they're also high in fat unsaturated making them heart healthy. I like to use raw nuts and soak them.  They also have lots of micronutrients, different ones for different nuts.  


Soaking the nuts will help break down the enzymes that protect them from germinating too early.  Breaking down these enzymes will make the nutrients more available.  How long you soak nuts depends on what type they are.  You can use this soaking/sprouting chart that I found online as a reference.  To soak nuts I prefer to add 1 T. of an acidic medium to the soaking water, usually liquid whey left over from making homemade Greek yogurt, but in a pinch lemon juice will do.


You do need to dry the nuts after soaking before you make these recipes.  You can either use a dehydrator or cook them on low (200 F) in your oven.  When they are completely dry they are ready to eat as is or spice them up a bit.


Crock Pot Roasted Nuts


4 c. raw soaked nuts
1/2 C. melted organic butter
seasonings


Cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, with the lid off
When done turn off the crock pot and let the mixture cool completely in the crock before jarring up


How you season them is up to you.  I have a couple of mixes that I like but feel free to go ahead and make up your own.


1 T. Penzey's taco seasoning + 1/2 t. hot sauce or 1 t. red pepper flakes


1 T. tamari sauce + 1/2 t. garlic powder + 1/4 t. sea salt


1 T. curry powder + 1/2 t. ground cinnamon


1 T. sucanat + 2 t. ground cinnamon + 1/4 t. nutmeg


2 t. vanilla + 2 t. sucanat + 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice

energy bars

Energy bars are a great snack to have in your pantry.  They are handy and healthy for after school, wonderful if you need a little something in the afternoon to tide you over until dinner, great for after a workout, and easily portable for on the road.  Unfortunately many of the commercial bars are loaded with chemicals and preservatives (which should be avoided as much as possible).


You can bypass the chemicals and preservatives in commercial energy bars if you make them yourself.  My favorite way to do this is to start with a batch of my own Great Granola.  It's easy to make in your slow cooker, delicious, healthy, and very reasonably priced.  The overall cost of these homemade energy bars is typically less than purchasing them in the store.


To boost the nutrition of my energy bars I add sesame seeds, which are high in copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.  They also add fiber and a great nutty flavor.  Another addition is almond butter.  Almonds are an alkalizing nut with heart healthy monounsaturated fat.  Studies have shown they can limit the rise in blood sugar which normally happens after you eat; they also provide antioxidants.  Almond butter can be purchased in a number of grocery stores from the grind-your-own machine, you can make it very easily in a food processor, or you can purchase commercial varieties.  If you purchase commercial almond butter look for one with no added oil, sugar, or preservatives.


After making the bars I wrap them individually in wax paper and store them in an airtight container.  They keep well although given their popularity I have yet to figure out exactly how long they will last.


Great Granola Energy Bars
makes 16


3 C. granola
3/4 C. sesame seeds
1 C. almond butter
1/2 C. raw honey


Toast sesame seeds lightly in a pan until golden
In a double boiler combine almond butter and honey
Stir together as it begins to soften and melt
When very warm and liquid add in sesame seeds
In a large bowl thoroughly combine granola and honey, almond butter, sesame seeds
Oil a baking pan (I use either grapeseed or walnut oil)
Pour mixture onto pan
Lightly oil your hands and press mixture onto the pan
Allow mixture to cool completely before cutting into bars

crockpot snack mix

I recently made a batch of Christine's Crockpot Granola.  I really like making it as it's very easy and it tastes great.  While my overnight crockpot cereal is a huge hit you can only make enough for a couple of days.  With the granola I can make enough for a week or more (depending on how fast we eat it).  I posted the fact that I was making a batch of granola on my FaceBook Fan page and got a comment from Sandy who didn't know that you could make that in a crockpot.  Well folks, yes you can.  You can actually make a lot of things in a crockpot, one of the reasons I love mine so much.


I own two.  A small 2 quart and a larger 5 quart.  I've considered getting a 6 quart but have no idea where I would store it in the kitchen.  First things first, let's clear up the terminology.  A crockpot is the same thing as a slow cooker.  Crockpot is simply a brand name from the Rival Corporation.  Slow cooker is what everyone else calls it because crockpot is trademarked.  I call mine a crockpot because I happen to own a Rival brand and that's what I've been calling it for 30 years.


I got my first crockpot, which is my 5 quart when I was in college  (and yes, I'm still using it 30 years later, that sucker works like a charm).  I went to a college where you needed to feed yourself on the weekends because the kitchen closed down. After a couple of weeks as a freshman I called my Mom and told her that I needed a hotpot and would she please buy me one.  She asked me what I wanted it for.  I said to make soup, sauces and things like that.  I came home a few weeks later and there was a crockpot sitting on my bed.  I was, needless to say, thrilled.  She asked if that was what I wanted.  I replied that I had been looking for a hotpot which cost about $6.  She offered to return the crockpot and buy me a hotpot (better deal for her). I hugged the box to my chest and announced that I would definitely be able to use this.  And indeed I did.  For four years I was very popular on the weekend as several of us would pool our food and make soups or a huge pot of spaghetti sauce and eat together.  It was great.


After college I married my husband and learned that a crockpot is a lifesaver when you have two working professionals, you come home and dinner is ready.  It became one of our most used kitchen appliances.  Then we started having kids and it became even more important to plan meals that would be simple, easy and fit into our increasingly busy schedule.


Now I have two adult children and just one left at home.  But we still use the crockpot a lot.  And I'm still learning new recipes and new uses all the time.  I realized that perhaps I needed to share with folks just how versatile a crockpot can be.


Dry cooking in a crockpot can be tricky.  Because the point of a crockpot is to seal in moisture, thereby reducing the amount of moisture you need to cook with and creating a slow braising effect, you need to adjust for dry/low moisture recipes and/or leave a wooden spoon in the crock propping the lid open.  You also need to make things that won't burn or stick.  Snack mixes are a good choice.  You get a tasty, crunchy treat where you control the salt, sugar, fat and flavor content without all of the chemicals, preservatives and artificial colors of store bought snack mixes.  Although I use cereals as the base for these mixes I tend to buy only cereals that do not have any objectionable ingredients.  I also use raw or soaked nuts and add sea salt as needed for flavor.  I prefer not to use roasted nuts because they are not as healthy for you.


I make this by mixing all of the ingredients into the crockpot, turning it on low for 3-4 hours, propping the lid open with a wooden spoon and stirring every 30-40 minutes.  When it is done (the liquid is all gone and the stuff seems very dry), I uncover it and let it cool completely in the crockpot.


Here are our favorites:


Tropical Snack Mix


3 C. rice squares cereal
2 C. oat squares cereal
1 C. dried banana chips, unsulfured
1 C. dried pineapple, unsulfured
1 C. macadamia nuts, raw and unsalted
1 C. shredded coconut, unsulfured and unsweeteend
1/2 C. coconut oil, organic, melted
1 T. honey, raw and local preferred
1 t. cinnamon
1 T. sucanat
1/2 t. sea salt


Tex-Mex Snack Mix


3 C. corn squares cereal (choose organic)
2 C. rice squares cereal
2 C. corn chips (frito-type, not tortilla - choose organic)
1 C. peanuts, raw and unsalted
1 stick melted organic unsalted butter
1/2 t. Hot Sauce
1 T. Penzey's Taco seasoning


Asian Snack Mix

4 cups rice squares cereal
1½ cups sesame crackers
1 C. cashews
1 C. dried peas with no artificial color (these are hard to find)
1 stick melted organic unsalted butter
1 T. Tamari sauce
1 t. Chinese five spice
1/2 t. sea salt

Curried Snack Mix

4 C. rice squares cereal
1 C. cashews, raw and unsalted
1/2 C. chopped walnuts, raw and unsalted
1/4 C. candied ginger, diced finely
1 C. shredded coconut, unsulfured and unsweetened
1 t. curry powder
1/2 C. ghee
2 t. Tamari sauce
1/2 t. sea salt

Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

chocolate granola

Today we have a special treat as my friend Christine shares her chocolate granola recipe. I've always loved granola because it's a quick healthy breakfast, a great snack; it's also quick and easy to make. One of the other great things about granola is how it can be changed around to suit individual tastes. The idea of making it in a crockpot, is a big “wow” because it doesn't get any easier than that.

Christine shared the following thoughts with me, “A friend had told me a little about using dark chocolate. Apparently, it contains 'good' fats, that our bodies need to digest properly. I began to think about the other good fats I've been trying to feed my family, coconut, olive oil, and nuts, etc. Chocolate granola sounded like a good breakfast food. I knew from prior experience that a little coconut oil at breakfast helped me control my appetite. I found a basic recipe and substituted some things and added a few. It smelled wonderful - kind of like chocolate potporri all day. When all seven of us like something, its a keeper! This one will be a regular breakfast item for our family.”

With the addition of ground flax and coconut oil this recipe provides some great fatty acids (flax seeds have omega-3 while coconut oil has medium-chain fatty acids). These healthy fats help provide saiety, or fullness, which means it helps fill you up. Dark chocolate and cocoa provide antioxidants, especially epicatechin (found also in green tea) which protect against cardiovascular disease.

Here's Christine's recipe, as she says it's a big hit with her family, I'm sure it will be for yours as well.

Chocolate Granola
Mix in crock pot:

7 C. organic old fashioned oats
1/2 C. ground flax
1/4 C. organic brown sugar
1/2 C. shredded coconut
Pinch of sea salt
½ C. raw honey
2 T. maple syrup
¼ C. coconut oil
2 T. cocoa powder

Mix well and heat on low all day, stir once in while.

After slightly browned (4-6 hours on low) stir in:
½ C. 70% chocolate or darker, finely chopped
1 C. chopped almonds & walnuts

Cool completely then store in an airtight container

Chocolate granola photo courtesy of Christine Michael Gibson

it's not just soup

My recent post about substituting barley for oats has generated a number of inquiries about barley itself so I thought I would address them here.

Barley is a very versatile cereal grain that we get from grass, Hordem vulgare. It is cultivated all around the world and has a wide variety of uses, from animal fodder to cereal to alcohol to malt and more.   Barley contains all eight essential amino acids and is a very rich source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.  It is also a good source of selenium, a trace mineral that is helpful to the immune system and with helping to regulate the thyroid.

Before I go any further I should also mention that barley is one of "those" grains; it contains gluten.  Many more people are being diagnosed with Celiac Disease or are gluten sensitive.  If you have gluten issues of any kind it is best to avoid all forms of gluten; I encourage you to speak with a healthcare practitioner to determine if you think you have any gluten issues.  

Barley comes in several forms.  The most common is pearled which is frequently used for soups or as a substitution for rice in pilafs and stuffings.  Pearled barley is not considered a whole grain because all of the bran coating has been polished off.  Scotch, or pot, barley is the next step up the ladder with minimal polishing but is also not considered a whole grain because although some of the hull remains too much of it has been removed.

Next is hulled barley, sometimes called barley groats, which is considered a whole grain because of the fiber contained in the hull, left after the outer, inedible layer has been stripped away.  Hulled barley requires soaking due to the added fiber, but it gives a lovely texture, or bite, to stews, soups, cereals, puddings, and other dishes.  One of my favorite breakfast dishes is a crockpot cereal made with oat groats, hulled barley groats and brown rice.  

Dry pearled, scotch, and hulled barley can be ground into flour and used in baking.  Barley flour is light and delicate in flavor however you need to be aware that barley is a low gluten grain. Therefore it may need to be combined with other higher gluten grains when using the flour in baking.  Used by itself barley flour makes a wonderful, delicate cookie.

Barley can also be flaked, similar to oats, and used as a cereal or added to baked goods for texture and flavor.  Due to the flaking process this is not a considered a whole grain so the amount of beneficial fiber is not very high.  Flaked barley can also be ground into flour; this is best done in a food processor or blender rather than a grain mill to prevent any clogging.  As with corn, barley can be toasted, ground, turned into grits and eaten as a cereal or side dish or, similar to wheat, it can be turned into a bulgur-type texture.

Last, but certainly not least, are the benefits of barley greens.  Many people like to juice and drink barley grass, similar to wheatgrass, or to use barley greens powders made from dehydrated barley grass.  Because barley grass is made from the leaves, or shoots, of the barley it does not contain gluten however the risk of contamination with the kernel or the risk of not harvesting at the right time is a possibility so barley grass and barley greens should not be consumed by people with gluten issues.

Because of the varieties of textures and it's use in so many dishes I encourage you to try adding barley to your diet, it makes a great change from rice or pasta.

Crockpot Breakfast Cereal

makes 4 servings

place in crockpot:

1/3 C. each oat groats, hulled barley and brown rice
Three cups of water 

1/2 C. dried fruit

Set crockpot on low overnight

In the morning add:

2 T. ground flax

1 T. ground cinnamon

the sweetner of choice (we tend to use either honey or maple syrup)

Enjoy!

photo courtesy of de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:MarkusHagenlocher

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley, 
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp, 
http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/barley-nutrition.html, 
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127#nutritionalprofile
http://homecooking.about.com/cs/vegetables/a/barley.htm,
http://www.barleyfoods.org/nutrition.html

ratatouille

Not the movie, the food.  Even though we are slated to have a high of 75 F today it's a great day to make ratatouille.  In part because I have a lot of running around to do and my crock pot makes it very easy to get dinner on the table in spite of that.  The other reason is that eggplants were particularly beautiful at the grocery store yesterday so I bought one.  Glossy, firm, no wrinkles, that's the way to pick a good eggplant.  

Eggplants are related to the nightshade family (along with potatoes, tomatoes, and sweet peppers, so those who are sensitive to nightshades should avoid them) and are actually fruits because their seeds are on the inside.  They have many wonderful health benefits including a fair amount of fiber (if eaten with the skin), lots of potassium and vitamin B1, also known as thiamin.  

To be honest, in our house making ratatouille is an inexact science.  The base ingredients are:

eggplant, onion, tomatoes, sweet peppers, garlic, olive oil, pitted olives, basil, salt, pepper, and parsley

How much of which ingredient depends on what we have available.  I know that's not really helpful so here are the proportions I used today.  

Ratatouille

1 medium size eggplant diced

1 medium onion diced

2 zucchini cut into 1/2" rounds

2 peppers (one red one green) chopped medium

2 large tomatoes diced

1 t. dried basil

1 t. dried parsley

salt and pepper

Layer it all in the crockpot

pour a 14.5 ounce can of diced organic tomatoes over the batch

let it cook on low for 7-9 hours until it is done

I plan to serve this ladled over freshly made polenta with a generous shaving of fresh parmesan on top for a delicious, filling meal.

Polenta

1 C. fresh ground cornmeal

1 t. salt

3 C. water

bring water and salt to a boil

reduce water to a simmer

very slowly add cornmeal (this is important to avoid lumps)

cook approximately 20 minutes until mixture thickens

remove from heat and pour into a pie plate (for triangles) or a cake pan (for squares)

let polenta set for 10-15 minutes

cut and serve

Enjoy and be well.

crockpot photo courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/user:mecu