A friend suggested that I do a blog (you know who you are!), because of dinners and recipes that I post elsewhere, which always sound good to her, and admittedly, I often get comments on. Our kids (ages 6 and 7) are adventurous eaters, open to trying lots of things, which is something we've encouraged since they began eating solid food, and we are thankful that it is something they have remained interested in! The upside is that they have fairly sophisticated palates compared to most kids their age. The downside is that they would like to have sushi every night, and frequently request smoked salmon for breakfast! And yes, of course they eat macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and peanut butter and jelly too.
So, after some thought and some questioning of my husband and some other friends, here I am, giving it a try.
Here's the deal. My husband is a MUCH better cook than I am, always has been, always will be. I do like to cook and enjoy easy, tasty meals. The kind of meals that you could serve to guests but that isn't so "special" that guests are the only time that the meal gets served. Know what I mean?
For the record, I don't use a knife "properly", still have to look up how to cook some things, and probably can't accurately tell you what the difference is between "finely chopped" and "minced" is. Nor do I care to. (It honestly can't matter that much.) This isn't so much a blog to teach you how to cook, and most (if not all) of the recipes I will be posting are not my own creations.
I do hope that you will find some helpful ideas, expand your meal options, and perhaps even laugh while reading now and again.
I'd also like this to be a more interactive forum than just a typical blog, and welcome your comments. Let me know what you think, what you like, what you would like to see more or less of, and if you try a recipe (one of these or one of your own!), I'd love to hear about that too!
I'm starting with Rioja Chicken from the Southern Living At Home Slow Cooker Cookbook. Why? Because it's pretty darn fantastic, and takes 15 minutes (or less) to assemble in the crockpot. And it's truly difficult to mess it up. AND makes your house smell AMAZING!
This one is good for family dinners or guests, and leftovers reheat well. It does take 8 hours (1 hour on high, 7 hours on low), and the chicken literally falls off the bone.
Rioja wine, a dry red wine produced in the Rioja region of Northern Spain, gives this dish its characteristic flavor. But if you don't want to use alcohol, replace the wine with another cup of liquid (either orange juice or chicken broth). I just can't guarantee that it will be as good--as the saying goes, I cook with wine, and sometimes even put it in the food.
Also, if you're short on time, this chicken dish can be cooked on the high-heat setting for 4 hours.
Notes after "---" are adjustments I've made when making this.
Rioja Chicken-Crockpot Recipe
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), skinned
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted prunes (about 3 1/4 ounces) --- I go a *little* heavy on these
1/4 cup pimento-stuffed olives -- I put in about a 1/2 cup, because I love them so much
2 tablespoons minced fresh or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind --- or 3 drops of concentrated lemon juice
1 bay leaf
1 cup orange juice
1 cup Rioja or other dry red wine --- Rioja definitely best!
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups hot cooked wild rice blend or long-grain rice --- I use Jasmine rice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Place garlic in bottom of an electric slow cooker. Arrange chicken over garlic; add prunes, olives, thyme, rind, and bay leaf.Combine orange juice, wine, and honey; pour over chicken. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat setting to low; cook 7 hours. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with parsley.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs, 1 cup sauce, 1/2 cup rice, and 2 tablespoons parsley)
Posts
