Challenge: Conquer the Crockpot

Now I don't know about you, but ever since I can remember, I've known the crock pot to be an essential and convenient device in the modern and busy family home. So when Vic and I received one as a wedding present you can believe that I was very excited. I browsed online trying to find the perfect recipe, looking over ingredients, reading blogs and reviews, until I made myself hungry. I finally came across one that was called "Amazing Chicken", with a name like that, and dozens of positive reviews, I thought I couldn't go wrong... boy was I ever disappointed.

Amazing chicken was anything but amazing. The flavor was flat, the consistency was thick, and the overall look was unappetizing. God love my husband, he at least gave it a shot and we ate it... only because there wasn't anything else in the house at the time, and threw the rest away. I really hate wasting food.

A few weeks after that I decided to give the crock pot another try. This time I tried a Martha Stewart recipe, Soy Ginger Chicken. The ingredients sounded great, nothing weird, no canned soup mix, and it was created by Martha Stewart after all, surely this was going to be great. I spent the work day thinking about the delicious meal that would be waiting for me and when I got home the house smelled delicious. Surely it worked this time right.. nope wrong again... the chicken was unflavorful and left much to be desired. I tried to save the dish by taking some of the sauce and sprucing it up with garlic, Cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and oyster sauce, which made a slight improvement, but the chicken was still dry, which I can't stand. So after we ate our supper and tossed the rest (grrr) my husband said that we just may have to put our crock pot away for good. I was also thinking the same thing, but didn't want to give up so easily, what kind of cook would I be if I couldn't master something as simple as crock pot cooking. Disheartened, the next day I scoured the Internet for in depth information on crock pot cooking, and I came across this....

I was so excited! I recently learned about America's test kitchen when my husband bought me "The New Best Recipe" for Christmas last year. I spent hours just reading the 350 pg manual, which not only had amazing sounding recipes, but a two page in-depth explanation about the dish's ingredients, preparation, and failures. I learned so much and fell in love with cooking by reading this book, I am now hooked on America's test kitchen and have bought many of their books this past month alone. I'm a bit of a cook book addict, but I figure their are much worse things to be addicted to :). When I read about this book I knew I had to add it to my collection. I thought if anything could save my quest for conquering the crock pot, this book would be it.

I was so excited when it arrived in the mail last week, I tore it open and looked for an easy recipe to make that week since it was short notice and decided to try.. Spicy Chicken and Chorizo Stew.

Ingredients

• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 medium onions , minced
• 8 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 8 teaspoons)
• Salt
• 3pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed
• 2cups low-sodium chicken broth , chilled
• 1(15.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained and chilled
• 8ounces chorizo sausage , cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4cup Minute Tapioca
• 1 - 3tablespoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1tablespoon brown sugar
• 2cups frozen corn , thawed
• 1(14-ounce) can black beans , drained and rinsed
• 1/4cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
• Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onions are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. 2. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker insert and stir in the chicken, broth, tomatoes, chorizo, tapioca, chipotles, and sugar until evenly combined. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender, 7 to 9 hours. (Alternatively, cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.)
3. 3. Gently tilt the slow cooker insert and degrease as much fat as possible off the surface of the stew using a large flat spoon. Stir in the corn, beans, and cilantro and let stand until the corn and beans are heated through, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

 

Finally SUCCESS!!!!!  This meal was quite delicious and best of all my hubby and I ate it again the next night. No more wasted food!!! I'm looking forward to trying out another recipe next week. Stay tuned for more cooking adventures next week. :)