I'll be the first to admit, there are some days where I want nothing to do with cooking. In fact, it is the last thing on my mind after a long day of work. I am sure most of you can relate to this. Well, I have for you, 2 easy, unique recipes you can put into your slow cooker and have ready for you when you get home from work. It doesn't get much easier than this. Take a look below and tell me what you think.
Curry Chicken
Ingredients
4-6 chicken thighs or boneless skinless, chicken breasts
2 peaches, skinned and sliced into 1/4 inch slices, reserving 8 slices for garnish
1/3 cup raisins
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoons olive oil
fresh ginger root - thinly sliced - 4 slices
2 cloves garlic - crushed
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper
lemon juice
Hot cooked jasmine rice
Directions
1.Rinse, dry, and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2.Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the chicken to lightly brown, about 3 minutes per side.
3.Transfer chicken to slow cooker and top with peaches, raisins and shallots.
4.Reserve the remaining 8 slices of peaches and toss with lemon juice to coat and refrigerate.
5.Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, whisk to combine and pour over chicken.
6.Turn slow cooker to High and cook for 3 – 3 1/2 hours.
7.Serve over jasmine rice. Top with the reserved peaches as a garnish.
Serves: 4-6
Size: 3-6 quarts
Wild Mushroom Beef Stew
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 small white onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
Directions
1.Put the beef in the slow cooker. Mix together the flour, salt and pepper and sprinkle over the meat; stir to coat each piece of meat with flour. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.
2.Cover; cook on LOW 10 to 12 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours. Stir the stew before serving.
Tip
You may double the amount of meat, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, onion and celery for the 5, 6 or 7-quart slow cooker.
Note
This classic beef stew is given a twist with the addition of flavorful shiitake mushrooms. If shiitake mushrooms are unavailable in your local grocery store, you can substitute other mushrooms of your choice. For extra punch, add a few dried porcini mushrooms to the stew.
