Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

I had some sweet potatoes in the pantry that I intended to use for sweet potato fries, but time was running out on their life so I had to go with Plan B.  I found this recipe for a slow cooker stew and decided to try it instead.

The recipe:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch slices
1 can (28 ounces) whole stewed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon celery seeds (I didn't have this on hand so skipped it)
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup nonfat, low-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped (I used dried, all I had)

1. Combine the chicken, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, salt, paprika, celery seeds, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and broth in the 4 1⁄2-quart CROCK-POT® slow cooker.



Not a good picture, but I remembered to take a picture!
This is before it started cooking.

2. Cover; cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

The Verdict:

First, I have to say, the flavor of this stew is AMAZING!  The combination of cinnamon and nutmeg with the spice of pepper and paprika provided a warm, wonderful flavor.  I ate two bowls, and had another the next day for lunch.  My daughter, surprisingly, ate the chicken out of my bowl.  I wasn't sure if she would like the flavor, but she said it was really good.  She doesn't like tomatoes so she wouldn't taste those, but I did get her to eat the sweet potatoes.  My son and husband were not home so I didn't get their opinion, but my mom happened to stop by and gave it a taste and really liked it too.

I made a smaller batch this first time, but I think this would be a great soup to make in the fall/winter to add to the freezer in smaller portions for lunches.  I will definitely make it again!

Fried Potatoes

I am a big fan of fried potatoes.  They are buttery, salty, peppery goodness.  For any meal.  They remind me of my Grandma's kitchen, and therefore comfort my soul.

This is not a new recipe, but rather a tasty side that I want to record.  It also is not a recipe with exact measurements, but instead full of "dash of this" and "dab of that" measurements.  When I make these potatoes, I feel like my Grandma is watching me and smiling as I "wing it". 

The Ingredients:

*Sliced potatoes (I have used yukon potatoes and baking potatoes both)

*Butter

*Salt and Pepper to taste

*Diced Onion (optional)

1.  Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a skillet

2.  Sprinkle a layer of salt and pepper to taste in the bottom of skillet

3.  Add the diced onions to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes

4.  Slice or chop potatoes, whatever your preference

5.  Put potatoes in the pan in a single layer

6.  Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper (I go light on the salt and heavier on the pepper) over the potatoes

7.  Cook for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, then stir

8.  Cook 10-15 minutes or until tender, stirring as needed to prevent sticking and burning.

9.  If needed, you can add a little more butter halfway through the cooking process if they start to stick.  It will make them all the more yummy to add more butter!

We eat these with "Stand-By Chicken Strips" (seen in picture above and in this post), with meatloaf, with eggs and bacon for breakfast, and with steak from the grill.  You just can't go wrong with fried potatoes!  And my husband, a big fan of onion, is happy that the older I get the more willing I am to add onion to recipes.  My preference is to omit the onion from my potatoes, but they do add a good flavor that I appreciate. 

Thanks for the inspiration, Grandma!

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

Remembering my earlier oath to try more slow-cooker recipes, I pulled out my Sparkpeople Cookbook and looked for a healthy recipe that would use the chicken in my fridge.  I found this recipe for salsa chicken and decided to give it a try.  The bonus was that I had all the ingredients in my house already so I could start first thing in the morning without a store run.

The Recipe:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
1 cup low-sodium diced canned tomatoes, with juice
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 cup salsa (I had pineapple salsa so I used that this time)
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
Optional:  Add any of the following vegetables - finely diced celery, shredded carrots, diced peppers, corn

1.  Place the chicken in a slow cooker.  Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat then layer the tomatoes (and optional vegetables) and salsa on top.  Pour 1/2 cup water over the mixture, set on low, and cook for 6-8 hours.  The meat is cooked when it shreds or reaches an internal temperature of 165* F.

2.  When ready to serve, shred the chicken with two forks, then stir in the sour cream. 

3.  Serve with warm tortillas, and green salad on the side.  Other options include serving beans and/or rice on the side.

The Crisis:
Recall that my first obstacle with slow cooker cooking is that you actually have to plan ahead enough to get the meal in the crockpot early in the day so that it has time to cook by dinner.  My second problem with slow cooker meals, and the realization I came too nearly too late, is that you actually have to plan to BE HOME when the dinner in the crockpot is supposed to be done cooking!

Luckily, this was set on low heat so no major crisis.  At the last minute, we decided to make a quick trip to a neighboring city for an errand.  This "quick trip" diverted to a visit with a relative, and dinner at a favorite restaurant.  It was at said restaurant that I said to my husband, "Crap!  I have dinner in the crockpot and it should be done in 30-minutes!" 

Note:  we were still waiting for our food at the restaurant AND we were more than 30-minutes from home. 

So we ate dinner, as I visualized fire trucks racing to our home, and got home in time to rescue the chicken from the crockpot.  I put it in a container, after stealing a taste that was YUMMO, and put it in the fridge for dinner the next night. 

The Verdict:
We ate our chicken on tortillas with rice, beans, lettuce, corn, and cheese.  I just put all the ingredients in bowls on the table and let them build their own tacos. 

They thought that was very fun, by the way, and it looked very pleasing on the table.  I do need to get better about taking pictures to document my efforts however. 

My daughter, who can be a very picky eater, tasted the chicken and exclaimed, "Oh Mommy!  I love this chicken!"  My son, usually very easy to please in the food department, said the chicken was "okay" and liked the beans and lettuce best.  I can't please both of them every time so I have to just be happy that one loved it.

I will make this recipe again.  It was easy, it was tasty, and it made a lot so we had leftovers for lunch the next day.  The leftovers could just as easily be frozen for a future quick meal, or shared with another family as a house warming or new baby gift.  I think it would be fun to experiment with different types of salsa as well, but the pineapple salsa was a fun first try.

I apologize for no pictures.  I actually took a picture of it all in the slow cooker, and I had the picture saved to the blog but deleted off my camera.  And now, of course, I can't find the "saved" picture so I have nothing.  I will add a picture or two the next time I make this.

Pico De Gallo and Guacamole

Growing up, I was not a fan of Mexican food.  In fact, I had a fairly strong aversion to Mexican food until about my 30s.

When I was a kid, my parents had a favorite Mexican restaurant that we went to several times a year.  It was a very entertaining place.  There were singers roaming around while people ate.  There was a "treasure room" that held trinkets for kids to choose on their way out the door.  There were fake people up in fake windows doing daily chores like hanging out their laundry.  Picture a ride at Disney World with characters all around doing things all the time.  That was this place.

I was always so grossed out by the food there because I detested tomatoes, onions, peppers, and anything spicy.  So, of course, I couldn't stand salsa, shredded chicken tacos (peppers always were added) or anything else on the menu.  Except for the "loose meat sandwich with fries".  Nothing says "Mexican Restaurant" like a loose meat sandwich and fries on the kid's menu!

The only reason I had any interest in going to this favorite place of my parents time and again was for the dessert - warm sopaipillas with honey.  Oh. My. Goodness.  They were good.  I would order and eat the sandwich and fries just so I could have the warm sopaipillas with honey.

Note to self:  Find a recipe for sopaipillas and make for my family.  Stat.

Anyway, back to the point, I was never a fan of Mexican food.  But then I met a man who LOVES Mexican food.  He loves tomatoes, onions, peppers - the hotter the better.  And I fell in love with said man, and married him, which meant I would forever be subjected to Mexican food.  So I may as well try it and like it because there would be no escaping it.  I have spent the last 20 years developing a taste for, and actually really loving, Mexican food.  Imagine how thrilled I was to find a recipe for Pico De Gallo that looked incredibly yummy and just HAD to be made in my kitchen and eaten by ME!

The recipe comes from my newest cookbook, Pioneer Woman Cooks, and was so easy and yummy that it will likely become a staple for me.  The Guacamole comes right after the Pico recipe in the cookbook, and avocados were on sale, so I made that too.  I remembered to take a couple of pictures this time, but if you want to see really cool step-by-step pictures of these two recipes, click here to The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog.

Pico De Gallo Recipe:
Yellow or Red Onion, diced (I used about 3/4 of a medium sized onion)
Roma Tomatoes, diced (I used 4) 
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, chopped fine
1 or 2 Jalapeno Peppers (I used 1, but I don't like things too hot)
Lime
Salt

1.  Dice up the tomatoes and onion, and finely chop the cilantro.  Ree Drummond points out the key to good Pico De Gallo is to have equal parts tomato, onion, and cilantro.  I kept that in the back of my head as I started chopping. 

2.  Slice 1 or 2 jalapenos (depending on how hot you like it) in half.  Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds (or leave a few in to make it more spicy).  Finely dice the jalapeno.

3.  Dump all four ingredients into a bowl.  

4.  Slice a lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half into the bowl. 

I actually remembered to take a picture!

 5.  Sprinkle with salt and stir together until combined.

I only had boring chips in the house, but YUM!

Guacamole Recipe:
*Avocados cut in half lengthwise (I used 2, but you can use as many as needed)
*Salt

1.  Remove the pit from the avocados and scoop out the inside onto a plate. 

2.  Sprinkle with salt and mash with a fork.  I left a few small chunks, but it was mostly smooth.

3.  Scoop some of the pico de gallo on top of the avocado, and mix gently. 

4.  Serve with chips.

The Verdict:
Keeping in mind that I don't really care for onions, I did like the pico recipe. I will probably add even less onion if I am making this for myself, but I will do it the same way if I am making it for a party or guests.  I ate almost the entire thing by myself. 

When I had about half of the pico left, I added it to the avocados for guacamole.  I have never been a huge fan of guacamole, but I have a recipe from a colleague that is OUT OF THIS WORLD!  I will likely stick to that recipe for future quacamole making, but I am glad I tried this way because this recipe is much faster.  Made in large quantities, you could actually have two bowls of dip for entertaining - one of just pico and one of guacamole. 

Extra:  I had a little bit of guacamole left in the bowl tonight, and I was hungry for a little more than just "chips and dip".  I added some cooked diced chicken to what was left of the guacamole, threw some shredded cheddar on top, and heated the whole thing in the microwave.  Then I dipped chips in that mixture for a little more filling meal and less an appetizer or snack. 

Happy Cooking!

Book Review: The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

This book was suggested to me by a friend.  I had not heard of it, and probably would not have chosen it if someone hadn't suggested it.  I am, however, very happy that I read it. 

It is the story of 91-year old Ptolemy Grey.  He lives a very isolated life, alone in an apartment, with only the ghosts of his past talking to him throughout the day.  We learn that he is suffering from dementia, but at first I wondered if it was that or just the effects of loneliness.  I can only imagine that so many years of isolation would eventually lead to one having difficulty distinguishing between past and present.  Between memories and dreams.  Between reality and imagination.  Ptolemy Grey remembers so many things from his past, but is he remembering them accurately?

With the help of a young woman who eventually becomes his "adoptive daughter", Ptolemy is given a brief respite from the foggy world he has been living in for so many years.  He agrees to participate in a medical study where he takes medication to enhance his memory, but the side effect is that he will likely die from the medicine.  He takes the gamble.  His last chance to clearly remember his past, to grab the future for those he loves and set everything right before he dies. 

Given the chance, would I take the gamble?  I suppose it can be compared to a stage 4 cancer victim who takes the experimental drug to MAYBE have a few extra weeks with family rather than the drug that will keep him/her out of pain in the remaining days of life.  It's a last chance to set things right before the inevitable happens.  I think that must be what Ptolemy Grey was thinking.  He was, after all, 91-years old.  He knew that he was close to death anyway, and he made a choice to help his loved ones have a secure future.  Even if that choice meant dying possibly any day.  I can respect that decision.  Putting your family before yourself.  That is a scary thought, but one that parents make all the time.  Most parents would say they would do anything for their children, even trading their own lives for the life of their child.  I think that is what Ptolemy Grey did.  He traded his life for the life of his loved ones.  An admirable person.  And a good read. 

Slow-Cooker Lasagna

I forgot to take an "after" picture, but this
is what it looked like in the crockpot "before"

I have been inspired recently to use my crockpot more for cooking.  With summer and warmer temperatures coming, I need to utilize my crockpots more for meals so that I won't have to use the oven and heat the house.

I love the concept of a crockpot, aka: "slow cooker".  You put the food in and forget about it, and voila...Dinner! 

My problem:  slowing down enough in the morning to actually put the ingredients in the pot and plug it in so it can start cooking!  I usually think of a crockpot recipe around 3:00, much too late to actually have dinner ready.

So, this week I actually made an effort to try a slow cooker recipe. I had an open box of lasagna noodles so I did a quick google search for a lasagna recipe.  I found this recipe at allrecipes.com, and I didn't follow it exactly.  I noted which ingredients I left out this time, mostly due to the fact that I didn't have them on hand and did not want to go to the store.  In general, when I make lasagna for my family, I do not include meat.  We are not big fans of meat in our pasta sauce, so I have always made vegetarian lasagna.  The original recipe below does include meat, but note that I did not use it. 

The Recipe:

1 pound lean ground beef (I left this out and added diced green pepper instead)

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce (I used a 15 oz can plus a can of diced tomatoes)

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (I didn't have this so left it out)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (12 ounce) package lasagna noodles

12 ounces cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic until brown. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and oregano and stir until well incorporated. Cook until heated through.  (I skipped the meat part and just combined the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, green pepper, salt and oregano in a bowl)
2. In a large bowl mix together the cottage cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
3. Spoon a layer of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the slow cooker. Add a double layer of the uncooked lasagna noodles. Break to fit noodles into slow cooker. Top noodles with a portion of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layering of sauce, noodles, and cheese until all the ingredients are used.
4. Cover, and cook on LOW setting for 4 to 6 hours.

The Verdict:
It wasn't great.  The whole bottom layer was stuck to the bottom, a real pain to clean by the way.  And it just didn't look pretty when it came out of the pot. 

NOTE:  In it's defense, I did not spray the inside of my crockpot with canola oil or some other non-stick cooking spray.  I read this tip on a few other recipe sites and wish I had thought of it sooner. 

Both of my kids took one bite and pushed their plates away.  They were not impressed.  I thought it tasted fine, but it just wasn't pretty and therefore didn't look appetizing.  Maybe I'll try it again, maybe not.  I'll post an edit if I try it again and it turns out better. 

For now, I think I'll stick to my mom's lasagna recipe that I have been making in my 9x11 baking dish for the past 20 years.  It has never failed me!  I will hunt for another slow cooker recipe to try soon.