Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Layered Dinner

We're home from BlogHer, safe and sound. We had an absolute ball---thank you so much for your well wishes. The live blogging transcript of the Food Blogging During a Recession is here, thanks to Chefdruck Musings. I wrote a tiny bit about our trip on Totally Together Journal, and Alanna did a Food Blogger recap on BlogHer.

On the plane ride home, I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, and now I want to move to a sustainable farm. Like, NOW. Take me. Teach me. I want to know more! For the time being, we're going to hit up our local produce stand, farmer's market, and look into CSA delivery. I can't wait to learn as much as I can about growing vegetables, and want the kids to grow up knowing where food comes from.

On that note, I made a completely organic (except for the chicken, because it was Foster Farms and already in the freezer and I'm a die-hard cheapskate and couldn't not eat it) dinner. In the slow cooker. Slow cooking is known for fast, friendly meals, but that doesn't mean that the food needs to be processed or not healthy. I've made TONS of healthy food in the slow cooker, and you can too.

once in a while, Buffalo Chicken Wing soup is okay, though. right...?

The Ingredients.
serves 4.

for the pesto:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
4 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons pinenuts, or walnuts, or sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

4 chicken thighs, or breast halves
sliced mozzarella cheese (I used string cheese!)
aluminum foil or parchment paper
4 small sweet potatoes, washed well, skin on

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart slow cooker. In a food processor or blender, combine the ingredients for your pesto. When liquidy, taste. If you need to add more citrus or salt or pepper, do so now.

In the bottom of a large slow cooker, arrange your chicken pieces. Mine were still frozen. Layer on slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour pesto evenly on top. Cover with a layer of foil or parchment paper. Scrub sweet potatoes well, prick with a fork, and lay them on top of the paper or foil. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your chicken is frozen it will take a bit longer.

If you're using fresh chicken, and your sweet potatoes are quite large, you may choose to swap layers, and put the sweet potatoes on the bottom. Newer slow cookers cook from the sides as well as from the bottom, but some people swear the stuff on the bottom cooks faster.

Carefully remove the sweet potatoes with tongs, and remove foil or parchment. The steam that comes out will be quite hot, keep small children away.

The Verdict.

We all loved this meal. My kids put cinnamon on their sweet potatoes, and enjoyed eating the skin--for the first time. I was thrilled. The chicken was fully cooked, and the pesto had a good bite from the garlic that was balanced by the citrus. I used limes instead of lemons, and enjoyed the limey flavor. Lots of pesto calls for gobs of Parmesean cheese, which I opted to not use to 1) keep it a bit lighter and 2) to save a trip to the store. I served it alongside some leftover Quinoa Salad from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

This was a great dinner.

somewhat related recipes:

Layered Dinner
Use your Slow Cooker as a Smoker
Cedar Planked Salmon
Chicken Adobo
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chili, Lime, and Cumin

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Slow Cooking During a Recession

I'm hopping on a plane in a little bit to head to Chicago for the 5th annual BlogHer conference, where I'll be speaking on the "Food Blogging During a Recession" panel. I look forward to reconnecting with the talented women behind Simply Recipes, and Lunch in a Box, and meeting those behind Show Me the Curry, and Wine Girl.

I'm both excited and nervous. I'm excited to be going to another BlogHer conference---my first was last year, and I had a ball. I had more fun in 3 days at that conference than I had in all 5 years of college.

I'm nervous to leave the kids for so long. I'm not nervous for them---they'll have an absolute ball with my parents, I'm nervous about being so far away and missing them. Dreadfully.

hang on, I need to blow my nose.

I'm excited that Adam is coming with me. We haven't gone away alone for about 6 years. I love that Adam has agreed to share his birthday and our 10-year anniversary with 1500 women bloggers.

I'm nervous about flying. Super nervous.

I really shouldn't talk about it, or I'll hyperventilate.

I'm also kind of nervous to be around so many people, who all seem to know each other. I'm a fairly new blogger, and I definitely get butterflies in my stomach at blogging events.

I'm thrilled to be speaking on the Food Blogging panel, but I feel a bit like I'm cheating since it's about Food Blogging During a Recession. Slow Cooking is pretty much built for recession (I hate that word) eating.

I first started slow cooking as a newlywed to save time and money. I loved it that I could throw in some forgotten and frostbitten meat with a jar of pasta sauce and come home to a tasty meal with literally no work on my end. I love how you can save SO MUCH MONEY through slow cooking. It does take a bit of beforehand planning, I know, but the reward of not slitting your wrists at the end of the week is well worth it.

I've shared in the past that I didn't save any money last year with my year-long slow-cooking challenge. We knew that I would spend more money on groceries and planned accordingly. I'm so glad that last year was last year, because I'd have a hard time justifying the spices I bought last year and the duck and the haggis parts this year. It would just be wasteful.

Here are the top 10 ways that you can save money right this minute by slow cooking:

1) Plan your meals. Seriously. Take the time on Sunday night to plan your meals out. Many people do red meat on Monday, chicken on Tuesday, leftovers Wednesday, vegetarian on Thursday, and fish on Friday. It's up to you if you plan for the weekend days. We seem to always be out of the house for at least one of the weekend evenings, but I still try to have an idea for a dinner so we're not reaching for the take-out menus.

2) Use dried beans. They are filling, nutritious, freeze well, and are CHEAP.

3) Make your own yogurt. Yup, in the slow cooker. It totally works.

4) Make your own granola. Granola is wickedly expensive, and can be laden with preservatives and artificial sweeteners.

5) Make your own baby food. This is so easy, and really makes a whole lot of sense. The little jars are bad for the environment and your wallet.

6) Make your own take-out. In my book (have I mentioned the book? It's oh so pretty, and frugally priced, I might add) I have a chapter I've entitled Take Out Fake Out.

here are some of my absolute favorites:

Mongolian Beef
Lemon Chicken
Pho
Thai Curry
Indian Curry
Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)
Thai Coconut Curry Soup
Fried Rice
Chow Mein (this is SO SO SO good! great, now I want this. Now. have I mentioned I'm pregnant?)
Gyros
Tamales
Philly Cheesesteaks

7) Cook the lazy way.

8) Re-purpose leftovers. Cook a Rotisserie-Style Chicken. Then make Barbecue Chicken and Cornbread Casserole the next night. Then make broth. Then make Clean-out-the-Pantry Minestrone Soup, or Chicken Noodle Soup.

9) Stretch your wine budget by making mulled wine.

10) If you, or someone you love, has allergies, cooking from scratch is a necessity to ensure that you have safe food. There is no easier way to cook than to slow cook. I'm a complete fool in the kitchen, yet I can work a slow cooker. You can too.

For further reading:
Save Money By Using Your Slow Cooker
Meal Planning with the Slow Cooker
Frequently Asked "A Year of Slow Cooking Questions"
Alphabetical Listing of All Recipes

There are so many other great ways to save money through slow cooking, and I'd love to hear other great ideas---feel free to leave as many as you'd like in the comments, or a link to your favorite budget-friendly recipe.

If you're headed to Chicago for the conference, please come by the Food Blogging During a Recession Panel and say Hi! I look forward to meeting new people, and reconnecting with those I met last year.

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Please Help Bring Gluten-Free Cake Back to Starbucks

A few months ago, I first heard that Starbucks was going to *finally* offer a gluten-free option for those with gluten intolerance. They created a moist orange cake that was individually wrapped and available behind the counters at at all stores (or at least all of the stores that I went in to).

They have decided to discontinue this cake. I don't know what the plans are----if they're tweaking the recipe to make it taste better (quite honestly, it had a bit too much orange zest for my liking), or if they are discontinuing it all together due to lack of sales.

If the lack of sales is a problem, there is a simple solution. Keep some in the freezer, ready to go for your customers! That's what gluten-free people do, anyhow. My freezer is stocked with bakery goods ready to go.

If you can, please take the time to include your name on this petition, started by Triumph Dining Cards to show your support in bringing back a gluten-free option for Starbucks patrons. The goal is to get more than 5k signatures, which is pretty-low ball to me. I say we go for 25k. Please click over from your feedburner and sign. You will need to enter your email address, and then confirm your "signature" in an automatic email. There is an option where your name will not be shared that you can check.

Thank you so much, each and every one of you, for your help and your support. There is nothing more devastating than to be starving and not have ONE thing to eat in an entire coffee house. I burst into tears when I brought my 4-year-old her first Starbucks cake, all wrapped up, and she got so excited that she could eat it, she jumped up and down. Eating a snack shouldn't be so hard.

Bring Back the Gluten-Free Coffee Cake petition.

If you have a blog or your own website or email/twitter list, please repost this if you can, to help get the word out.

for further reading: Please Bring Back Gluten-Free Cake to Starbucks, or perhaps maybe something allergen-free?, BlogHer.com

xoxo steph

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Herb Roasted Chicken with Summer Tomatoes Slow Cooker Recipe

I made a whole chicken yesterday in the slow cooker, and it turned out really well. We had some tomatoes that needed to get used up before they turned into pasta sauce, and I threw them on top of the bird while it slow-cooked. I loved the end result: a moist, flavorful chicken with gooey packed-with-flavor tomatoes. For an added bonus, you can save the crock drippings to make steamed rice.

The best rice in the history of the universe.

The Ingredients.

4 pounds chicken, whole or parts, your choice
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons herbes de provence (fancy!)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
8 vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine (you could use apple juice)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine dry spices and set aside. Wash chicken, remove neck and giblets, and try to cut off as much skin as you can using poultry shears. If the chicken is fully thawed, this is much easier to do. Rub the seasoning mixture on all sides of the bird, inside and out and place into your stoneware. I chose to put the chicken breast-side down, to keep it extra moist.
Wash and cut the stemmy part out of each tomato, and plop on top. Pour the white wine in, and cover the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 7 hours, or on high for 4-5. Carefully remove the bird from the pot, and retain the drippings to make a pot of steamed rice.



The Verdict.

I loved this meal. The chicken was cooked perfectly (I did 2 hours on high, 3 hours on low, and then it sat on warm for another hour) and the tomatoes were amazing. I am so glad to have made rice out of the pan drippings----it was a delicious side.

The kids ate their chicken dipped in barbecue sauce, because that's what makes them happy, and weren't overly pleased with the seasoned rice, but did eat it.

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Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans Recipe

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! We had a lovely weekend away at my father-in-law's cabin---it was very relaxing. Now we're home in the real world where there is laundry to fold, floors to mop, and dinner to prepare.

Although summer is prime grilling time, I really like to plug in the slow cooker for hassle-free side dishes on the nights we grill. I made cowboy beans last week, and although we ended up eating them as a main course, they would taste fantastic alongside a barbecued burger, steak, or chicken leg.

We don't have a fancy tent-trailer thing for camping, but if we did, we'd definitely bring the slow cooker along the way Mir does for a lovely pot of beans at the end of a packed day of hiking and fishing.

The difference between Cowboy Beans and a traditional chili is the twangy flavor that comes from the Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. The more you add, the twangier it becomes. mmm.

The Ingredients.

1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (optional)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins, made in the USA is gluten free)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel, or traditional chopped tomatoes, your choice
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
7 cups water
sliced jalapenos, optional

The Directions.

Serves 8-10 as a side dish, or 5 as a main course. Sort pinto beans, and soak overnight in lots of fresh water. If you live in a climate where the house gets terribly hot overnight, put the beans in the refrigerator to soak to keep icky bacteria from accumulating.

In the morning, drain your beans, and pick out any that have split open, or look discolored and shrively.

Pour into a 6 quart slow cooker. Brown hamburger and onion on the stove, and drain fat. While the meat is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients into your slow cooker. Start with 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Add the meat, and top with 7 cups of fresh water. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for about 6. My beans took 6 hours on high to tenderize, and then they sat on warm for another 3 hours. We're at sea level. If you live in a higher altitude, your beans will take longer to soften.

Taste the beans. If you'd like your beans to have more of a tang, add some more Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Top with sliced jalapenos, if desired.

The Verdict.

We all liked these beans a lot. I did add a bit more Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar, and the tang was pleasantly pronounced. I also liked how the Worcestershire sauce added a dark color to the broth. The kids doctored their bowls with lots of shredded cheese and sour cream. I had a bowl for lunch the next day alongside an In N' Out cheeseburger. It was a wonderful meal.
I get a kick at how the white dots on pinto beans completely disappear after cooking. You can't even find one!

if you'd like some more slow cooker side dishes for your next cookout:

corn on the cob
creamed corn
baked potatoes
sweet potatoes with chili, cumin, and lime
Boston baked beans

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