Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker

Materials

Rub Ingredients


• 4 tsp. salt
• 
2 tsp. paprika
• 
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 
1 tsp. onion powder

• 1 tsp. thyme
• 
1 tsp. white pepper
• 
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 lbs roasting or fryer chicken

• 1 cup chopped onion, approx 1 medium to large onion

• 4-5 carrots, scrubbed, no need to peel, chopped in halves or thirds

• 4 celery stalks, cut in thirds

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 
1 lemon quartered

Methods

1. Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Remove chicken from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Discard or reserve for later use in another recipe. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Rub garlic all over outside of the chicken. Put garlic inside the chicken. Rub the rub all over the outside and inside the chicken. Add quartered lemon to the inside of the chicken.
4. Place onions, carrots and celery inside the slow cooker. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover slow cooker and cook chicken on low for 4-8 hours. (When I used a 4 lb chicken, it took about 6 hours. The time will depend on the size of the chicken and your slow cooker.) Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F or use a pop-up thermometer as the original recipe calls for.
5. Remove chicken and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Allow chicken to rest after removing it from the broiler for 5-10 minutes.

Reference

Little Kitchen: http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/2011/02/03/whole-chicken-in-a-slow-cooker/

Chickpea Tagine With Chicken and Apricots

Materials:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
• salt & pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
• 3 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 c. dried apricots
• 1 c. chopped tomato (fresh or canned or boxed, with juice)
• 2 c. cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
• 1 to 2 c. chicken stock (or reserved bean liquid), or more as needed
• 3/4 c. bulgur
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Methods:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Put oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chicken and brown well on both sides; remove from pan and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add onion to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, dried apricots and tomato. Cook and stir long enough to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add chickpeas and 1 cup of stock to the pan and turn heat back to medium-high.
6. When mixture starts to gently bubble, return chicken to the pan. Cover pot, turn heat to low and cook, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture is bubbling gently, for about 15 minutes, or until tomatoes break down and flavors begin the meld.
7. Stir in bulgur, adding more stock if necessary so that the mixture is covered with about an inch of liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Cover and cook until chicken and bulgur are both done, about 10-15 minutes.
9. Taste, adjust the seasonings, and serve in bowls garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Cornish Game Hens with Garlic and Rosemary

Materials:

• 4 Cornish game hens
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 5 Tbsp. olive oil
• 24 gloves garlic
• 2/3 c. white wine
• 2/3 c. low sodium chicken broth
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Rub hens with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper.
3. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig of rosemary in the cavity of each hen.
4. Arrange hens in large, heavy roasting pan with garlic cloves surrounding.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth and remaining 4 Tbsp. of olive oil.
6. Pour ~1/2 the broth mixture around the pan.
7. Roast hens in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
8. Pour remaining broth mixture over hens.
9. Reduce temperature to 350F. Continue roasting for about 25 minutes, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.
10. Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices back into the roasting pan.
11. Tent the hens with aluminum foil to keep warm.
12. Transfer the pan juices and garlic to a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a saucy consistency, about 10 minutes.
13. To serve, cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange of plate, spooning sauce and garlic overtop. Garnish with rosemary.
14. Great with roasted asparagus, some great crusty bread to soak up the juices, and a good Chianti wine.

Modified from: Allrecipes.com

Fruity Garlic Curry Chicken with Coconut Rice (thanks to my little sis)

Materials

Curry:

1 Tbsp. oil

2 lbs. chicken meat, chopped

4 Tbsp. flour, seasoned

32 baby onions, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed with a little olive oil

3 cooking apples, diced (granny smith works)

1 pineapple, diced

3/4 c. golden raisins

1 Tbsp. honey

1-1/4 c. chicken stock

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp. hot curry paste

2/3 c. sour cream

salt and pepper

orange slices, to garnish

Coconut Rice:

1 oz. chopped creamed coconut*

I can coconut milk*

1 cinnamon stick

2-1/4 c. water (total volume, use coconut milk and use remaining volume in water)*

1-3/4 c. basmati rice

* for creamed coconut, take a can of coconut milk that has rested, and carefully remove the lid without mixing. The cream at the top is the creamed coconut.

Methods

Curry:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Coat the meat in the seasoned flour and cook for about 4 minutes, until it is browned all over. Transfer the chicken to a large deep casserole nad keep warm until required.
2. Fry the onions, garlic, apples, pineapple, and golden raisins in the pan juices over low heat.
3. Add the honey, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and hot curry paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cover the casserole with a lid or cooking foil.
5. Cook in the center of a preheated oven at 350oF for about 2 hours. Stir in the sour cream and cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve the curry at once with rice, garnished with a slive of orange.

Coconut rice:

1. Place creamed coconut, cinnamon stick, water and coconut milk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in rice, cover and simmer gently for 15minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick before serving.

Source: What's cooking chicken, Tom Bridge

Apricot Chicken (Almost Too Easy?)

Materials:

• 6-10 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1-1/2 (1 oz.) packages dry onion soup mix (lipton works well)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 (10 oz.) bottle Russian-style salad dressing (sometimes hard to find - look for wishbone)
• 1 c. apricot preserves (best if no sugar added)

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Place the chicken in a 4 qt. casserole dish.
3. Mix all remaining ingredient and pour oven chicken.
4. Cover dish and bake for ~1 hr in preheated oven.
5. Serve over rice.

Olive Chicken (aka i love chicken)

Materials:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• salt (to taste)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic (2 chopped finely)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 can whole plum tomatoes, peeled & chopped
• 1 can artichoke hearts
• 20-30 olives, chopped
• 1-1/4 c. dry white wine
• 1-1/4 c. chicken broth (garlic chicken is great)

Methods:

1. Heat oil in large pan on medium-high heat
2. Lightly salt chicken and brown in pan, about 5 minutes per side.
3. Add garlic, bay leaf, thyme, italian seasoning, and pepper.
4. Add wine, broth, artichoke hearts and olives.
5. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer.
6. Simmer ~30 minutes.
7. Add tomatoes.
8. Simmer another ~10 minutes.
9. Serve over rice (use the extra broth to make it!).
10. Nummyness.

Coq au Vin (who ever knew chicken could taste so good...maybe it has something to do with the bacon)

Serves 14 - so you might want to halve!

Materials:

Wine Cooking Sauce:

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups dry red wine (use good quality - something you would drink yourself!)
• 1/4 cup brandy (apparently rum works just fine too!)
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme and/or tarragon, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrots, minced
• 1 rib celery, minced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

Browning & Baking Chicken:

• 24 small chicken thighs (I'd go for boneless if possible)
  
• 1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

Onions, Mushroom & Baaaacon

• 39 small (pickling) onions - approx 10 oz. (or more)
• 1 lb. sliced bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch strips
• 30 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and halved if large (try finding tiny ones & leaving whole)

Garnish

• Chopped fresh parsley

Methods

Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients for sauce in a sauce pot and simmer 15-20min
2. Strain sauce and set aside

Browning & Baking Chicken:

1. Heat oven to 375o
2. Wash chicken pieces & pat dry thoroughly.
3. Heat vegetable oil in large frying pan for frying chicken.
4. Lightly flour chicken (just before fryin- don't do all at once), shake off excess flour.
5. Brown chicken in over medium to high heat. Do not overcrowd pan; work in batches and add more oil if needed.
6. Move the chicken into two large oven proof pans or pots - I use glass/pyrex baking dishes (save frying pan for later).
7. Pour hot wine sauce over chicken.
8. Add extra wine and/or stock if necessary to bring liquid halfway up the side of the chicken.
9. Bake a total of 45min. at 375o without lid

Onions & Mushrooms (& Baaaacon)

1. Prepare during the time chicken in baking
2. Briefly blanch onions in large pot of boiling water - drain and peel as soon as cooled
3. Cook bacon until crisp in pan from chicken
4. Remove bacon bits to paper towel with slotted spoon.
5. Remove all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease from the pan.
6. Add onions and brown over high heat until well carmelized.
7. Add mushroom halves and saute 2-3 min more.
8. Add the onions, mushrooms & bacon to the chicken for last 15 minutes of bake time.

Serve

1. Garnish chicken with parsley
2. Excellent served with boiled potatoes tossed with butter & herbs and salad