Slow-Cooker Asian Glazed Chicken

This was great! A little sweet and a little spicy. Perfect. Will ate a TON.

1/2 c lite soy sauce

1/2 c balsamic vinegar

4 tsp sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (found in Asian aisle)

1/2 cup water

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

green onions, finely chopped

1 tsp sesame seeds

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in crock pot. Combine soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, hot sauce, and 1/2 cup water in a bowl and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Once done cooking, pull chicken out and place on large plate. Mix together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and pour into remaining liquid in the slow cooker. Turn heat to high and cook for another 20 minutes (or until sauce thickens a little bit). Shred chicken and add back into liquid in slow cooker. Serve over rice, topped with green onions and sesame seeds.

Original recipe found here. 

Slow-Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken

Couldn't have been easier or tastier! I cut the chicken (well, Will did), the carrots, and pureed the sauce the night before, so all I had to do the morning of was add chicken, carrots, and pour the sauce over. If you're a fan of curry, this dish is for you!!

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

5 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I used a green pepper)

1 (5 oz ) can tomato paste

1 (14 oz) can lite coconut milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp garam masala (see below)

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 tbsp water

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Ok I couldn't find garam masala, and used this instead:
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp crumbled bay leaves

Grease your slow cooker with Pam. Place the chicken and carrots on the bottom of slow cooker. Place the rest of the ingredients (except water and corn starch) in a food processor and process together until mixture is mostly smooth.

I used my big Ninja for this, but if your food processor is too small to hold everything, process everything but the coconut milk. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl then mix in the coconut milk.

 

Pour the sauce over the chicken and carrots, mix well, then cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. An hour or so before serving, mix cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until cornstarch is dissolved.  Pour mixture into the slow cooker, stir to combine, and continue cooking for another hour. (This will thicken up the sauce. When the sauce is to your desired thickness, turn slow cooker to warm setting until ready to serve.) Serve over rice!

Original recipe found here.

Crock-Pot Beef and Broccoli

Anyone that really knows me knows I LOVE Chinese food. Always have. It's my thing. I have made a few Chinese take-out inspired dishes over the last couple years. They've been delicious (yes, they are on my blog - I linked them at the bottom of this post)... but I have never tried to make my all time favorite dish: BEEF AND BROCCOLI.

Well, today I did. I can't believe it... it is seriously like the take-out I get from Chi's Chinese Cusine on almost a weekly basis.

Anyway, If you're a B&B fan, you MUST make this dish. Not even an option.

2 lb beef, thinly sliced  (flank steak is ideal, but any cut will work)
1 can beef broth
1/2 c lite soy sauce
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 bag frozen broccoli florets or 2 cups fresh broccoli (I had more like 3-4 c)
2 cups white or brown rice

In a bowl, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. Gently place your slices of beef in the crock pot and pour sauce over beef. Cover and cook on Low 6 hours. When done, in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cooking liquid to create a slurry, pour into crock pot, stir to mix well. I put my raw broccoli in at this point. Cook on low for an additional 30 minutes to thicken up the sauce and cook the broccoli. Serve over rice!

Other tasty Chinese recipes I've tried:

Chinese Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

Lighter Sesame Chicken

Szechuan Chicken & Veggies Stir-Fry with Pasta

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Slow-Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken *A favorite!

Sweet and Sour Slow-Cooker Chicken

Original recipe found here.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas

These are so good and healthy for you. Tons of fiber and protein for not too many calories. These will need to be my new munch food. They are so crispy and filling. The website I saw this on shows four different ways to season the chickpeas: Sesame Soy (which I would have done if I had sesame oil), Honey Cinnamon, Garlic Parmesan, and Smoky Spice Blend. I will have to try the other 3 at some point for sure.

1 can chickpeas (or however many for the amount you want to make)
olive oil spray (or reg olive oil)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tsp garlic powder
sprinkle of salt & pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas and lay them on a paper towel to dry. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and move chickpeas to cookie sheet when dry. I let mine dry on a towel for about 10 minutes. Bake 45 min - 1 hour. I checked mine at 45 min and they weren't completely crispy yet. If they are even a little soft in the middle keep baking. When they are finished, immediately spray with olive oil and toss with cheese & seasonings.

Original website found here.

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

I took down our Christmas decorations outside today (not the ones on the roof, don't worry). It was freezing! I looked forward to making this all day while out in the cold. AND it's a Weight Watchers recipe! I did add a little extra cheese however. I actually saw variations of this on several websites and picked out what I liked about each one. Below is what I came up with!

Oh, I also made my honey beer bread to go with this. It was AMAZING.

42 oz fat-free chicken broth (1 big carton, and 10 oz of another)
1 large onion, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 bag matchstick carrots, pureed (I just prefered them smaller and less stick-like)
2 (12 oz) bags frozen chopped broccoli
2 cans Rotel
12 oz red-fat Velveeta, cubed
4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp cornstarch (to thicken if needed)

Seriously, this combination of ingredients was heavenly.

In large soup pot, saute onion & garlic over med-high heat about 3-4 min. Add carrots, frozen broccoli, and cans of Rotel. Pour chicken broth over veggies, add spices, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 20 minutes, then add cubed Velveeta and cream cheese. Stir well - I added about 2 tsp cornstarch to thicken it just a little bit. Serve hot and enjoy!