Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup with Wild Rice ala ~DKBB~

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup with Wild Rice ala ~DKBB~

(recipe from www.carlsbadcravings.com)

 

Phase 1
4 boneless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp. olive or coconut oil
1 c. uncooked wild rice blend, rinsed and drained
1 c. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 small sweet potato or parsnip, peeled and cubed
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cubed
1 small zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 medium onion, diced
2-4 Tbsp. red curry paste
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. (low sodium) soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dry basil
1½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. pepper
22-24 oz. coconut milk
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
 
Phase 2
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
¼ c. water
⅓ c. creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2-4 tsp. sriracha or Asian chili sauce or chili garlic sauce

• Rub chicken with oil and place in bottom of 6-qt. crockpot, followed by all of the ingredients in Phase 1.
• Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours, or until chicken is tender enough to shred and rice is cooked.
• Remove chicken and allow to rest 5 minutes before shredding (or chopping, if preferred).
• Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and water and add to crockpot; stir in peanut butter and lime juice.
• Add chicken back to crockpot and cook on High for ½ hour, until soup slightly thickens; be sure to stir well in incorporate the peanut butter until it’s smooth.
• Taste and add additional salt, pepper, peanut butter, and/or sriracha or chili (garlic) sauce as desired.
• You can add more broth if you want a less “chunky” soup.

Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Chicken ala ~DKBB~

Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Chicken ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Katerina @ diethood.com)

Photo from diethood.com

4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs

6 garlic cloves, minced

⅓ cup honey

½ cup ketchup (use low sodium ketchup if you have it)

½ cup low sodium soy sauce

½ to 1 tsp. dried oregano

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

½ tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

• Arrange chicken in bottom of slow cooker.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oregano, and parsley; whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Pour sauce over chicken; cover slow cooker with lid and cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours.

Serve over a bed of jasmine rice, covering all with the sauce. Add toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Kick-It-Right Chili ala ~DKBB~

Kick-It-Right Chili ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Vickie Grover of Corvallis, OR)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground beef

1 can (15.5 oz.) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15.5 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes

1 small can green chilies

1 cup water

¼ cup tomato paste

¼ cup honey

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. salt

¼ to ½ tsp. hot sauce

Shredded cheese, sliced scallions, corn chips (all optional)

• Sauté the onion, green pepper, and garlic until tender in the olive oil in a small pan.
• Brown the hamburger in a larger pan.
• Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
• Place the hamburger and sautéed veggies in the bottom of a slow cooker; pour the mixed remaining ingredients on top. Cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Serve with shredded cheese, scallions, and/or corn chips as garnishes (if desired).

This is a sweet version of chili; adding more hot sauce will give it more of an edge; less hot sauce will keep in very mild.

Slow Cooker Gems for Busy Summer Days

Here are a couple of slow cooker recipes for those too-busy days of summer:

Asian Pork Wraps ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Andrew Devito in the April/May 2014 Taste of Home)

1 boneless pork shoulder roast, 3 to 4 lbs.

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup water

1 cup sweet-and-sour sauce

¼ cup cooking sherry

¼ cup soy sauce (I use “lite” or “reduced sodium”)

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 Tbsp. minced fresh gingerroot

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg. Asian chopped salad or 1 small cabbage, shredded

Flour tortillas, 6-inch, warmed

1 small onion, chopped, for garnish if desired

• Place roast and medium chopped onion in slow cooker.
• In a small bowl, whisk water, sweet-and-sour sauce, sherry, soy sauce, soup mix, gingerroot, and garlic until blended; pour over pork roast.
• Cook, covered, on low 6 to 8 hours or until meat is very tender.
• When cool enough to handle, shred pork with two forks.
• Place the leftover sauce the pork cooked in into a serving bowl or decanter.
• To serve, spoon about 1/3 cup shredded pork into the center of a tortilla, top with about ¼ cup of the Asian chopped salad (or shredded cabbage); use the sauce and the chopped small onion as garnishments as desired.
• Fold the bottom of the tortilla over the filling; fold in both sides to close.

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Slow Cooker Mushroom Chicken & Peas ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Jenn Tidwell in the April/May 2014 Taste of Home)

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 envelope onion mushroom soup mix

1 cup water

½ lb. sliced baby portabello mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ to 1 tsp. white pepper

2 cups fresh or frozen peas

• Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. Sprinkle with soup mix, pressing into chicken to help seasonings adhere.
• Add water, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and white pepper.
• Cook, covered, on low 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is tender.
• Stir in peas and cook, covered, until peas are tender (about 10 minutes for frozen peas, longer for fresh).

Hearty Split Pea Soup ala ~DKBB~

Hearty Split Pea Soup ala ~DKBB~
(based on a recipe by Heidi Schmidgall from
Taste of Home 2008 Everyday Slow Cooker & One Dish Recipes)

This is the perfect soup for a cool fall or winter evening. Pair it with some homemade bread, and you'll have a warm, filling dinner.

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) dried split peas 2 cups
6 pieces of thick-sliced pepper bacon, diced
1 cup thinly sliced (or diced) carrots
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (or diced)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. teaspoon salt
½ tsp. fresh cracked pepper
6 cups boiling water
1 cup hot milk

Directions 

• In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer the first nine ingredients in order listed (do not stir). 
• Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender. 
• Stir in hot milk. 
• Discard bay leaves before serving.

Crockpot Asian Ribs ala ~DKBB~

Crockpot Asian Ribs ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Julie Ko, in the Feb/Mar 2013 edition of Simple & Delicious magazine)

6 lbs. (boneless) pork baby back ribs, cut into serving-size pieces
1⅓ cups packed brown sugar 
1 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 
¼ cup rice vinegar 
¼ cup sesame oil (or vegetable oil) 
¼ cup minced fresh gingerroot 
6 cloves garlic, minced 
1 to 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
¼ cup cornstarch 
¼ cup water 
Fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks 
½ to 1 can water chestnuts, diced 
Thinly sliced green onions 
Sesame seeds (optional)

• Place ribs in 6-qt. crockpot.
• Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, minced gingerroot, garlic, and pepper flakes in small bowl and mix well.
• Pour mixture over ribs and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
• Remove meat to covered dish while you create the sauce.
• Skim the fat off the sauce remaining in the crockpot and transfer skimmed sauce to saucepan.
• Add diced water chestnuts and pineapple chunks; bring to a boil.
• Combine cornstarch and water in jar; shake very well; add mixture gradually to saucepan. 
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened.
• Serve ribs on a bed of rice, covering all with sauce. Garnish with green onion slices and sesame seeds, if desired.

 (You can cut this recipe in half and have more than enough to feed 2.)