Chicken with Tarragon and Leeks

This recipe rocked. Really, that's all there is to it. =) I know, I know, the pictures kind of...well...are horrible. It must have been bad lighting that day.

Ok, I guess I'll explain. I liked this recipe for a lot of reasons:
1) It has tarragon and chicken - yum.
2) It can be made in the crockpot.
3) I can cook a chicken in the slow cooker first and then use that meat - making my meal extremely budget-friendly.
4) It reminded me of what I always hope a chicken pot pie will taste like, but it never does. It was thick, rich, delicious, comforting, easy...
5) It has leeks - always a good thing.
Do I really need to go on?

I mean, it's not like it's something you'd serve at a wedding, it's a home-cookin' comfort it's-been-a-busy-day kind of meal. Still, with that said, I loved it. My husband loved it. My kids loved it. I'd make it again any day!

Fresh tarragon really made a difference with this one - really, a big difference. It took it from a goulash of flavors to a "Oooo - what is that flavor??" meal.
By the way, leeks are very easy to work with - they're in the onion family, and there's nothing scary about an onion. Here's a great tutorial (although I cut them a little larger than she does here for this recipe): How to cut a leek.

I changed the meal into a little more of a stew rather than separate ingredients. I cooked the chicken in the slow cooker and then shredded it and followed the recipe as directed (only I just threw in the chicken until it looked like a good amount, I didn't use 8 chicken thighs like the recipe calls for). I also threw in a bunch of sliced mushrooms that I had on hand for the last hour or so. Thought it was a nice touch.

5 stars.

Recipe here and below.

Chicken with Tarragon and Leeks

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 15m Total Time: 4hr 30m

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds baby new potatoes (about 16)
8 small skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 pounds)
3 leeks (white and light green parts), halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

Place the potatoes on the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken, leeks, wine, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Cook, covered, until the chicken and potatoes are tender, on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 7 hours.
Transfer the chicken and all but 4 of the potatoes to plates. Using a fork, smash the remaining potatoes into the cooking liquid to thicken.
Add the peas and cream and cook just until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon over the chicken and sprinkle with the tarragon.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Tacos: Day 4 Slow Cooker Chicken Menu

Whew! And that's a wrap! That (unbelievably cheap) whole chicken successfully fed my family for 4 meals! There is just something very satisfying about feeling like you used the whole chicken.

Ok, drum roll please. I am about to introduce you to the easiest recipe you've ever seen...and so, so very delicious.

For Day 4 (and I call it "day 4" because it was the 4th meal made with the chicken, but we didn't eat chicken 4 days in a row. I rationed it over a week, so in case you are thinking "ugh, I just couldn't stomach that chicken so many days in a row!", no need to fear. You can space it out.) we had Sweet and Spicy Chicken Tacos. This recipe actually came at me unexpectedly. I was at a friend's house who made this a few nights ago and it was so delicious that I knew I had to use my already-cooked chicken to complete this, the world's easiest meal ever!

This meal isn't by any means fancy, but it is delicious and super easy and I am giving it 5 stars!So, without further ado, I give you:

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Tacos
(at least, that's what I'm calling them because I have no idea what else to call them!)

Ingredients:
2 Cups (about 1/2 pound - more or less to your liking)
1 Cup brown sugar
2 10 oz cans Enchilada Sauce (I used Mild, but you can use whatever you like)
Fixings for tacos: corn or flour tortillas, cheese, quacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, olives...etc...)

Directions:
Mix the sugar and enchilada sauce together. Place chicken in a slow cooker or a sauce pan large enough to hold all ingredients. Pour sauce over chicken. Stir. Cook on low in a slow cooker for approximately 2 hours or until ready. Alternatively, you can also cook it in a sauce pan for 30 minutes over medium heat as well. Serve according to your taste.
I used this quacamole recipe... mmmmmm!

Rosemary Polenta: Day 3 of Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Menu

We've been a little chickened-out around these parts, so I decided to turn to the juices left over from the chicken to make a fun new recipe. The adventure that ensued is below.I've made polenta before and while I think this is by far my favorite polenta recipe I have yet to try (not surprising, all things Ina Garten are just delicious), I do have to say that I'm just not an all-around polenta kind of girl. I mean, I like it, it's a fun texture, it's rich...but it's a little heavy and uni-taste for me. I did, however, enjoy eating it with some fun side dishes to cleanse my palette! The fresh rosemary mixed with the crushed red pepper flakes was a really fun combination. I did take issue with the amount of butter, oil, and half and half in the recipe, so I reduced the half and half to just milk and it turned out fine. I wouldn't, however, go too skimpy on the butter when you're frying them. I found that the oil and butter created the perfect temperature for the perfect crispiness for the polentas.
I had to fuss around a bit while trying to get the perfect timing so that my polentas weren't too soft or weren't blackened and by the 3rd round of polentas I had it just right (this made a lot, by the way. I 3/4-ed the recipe and it will easily feed my husband and I for lunch tomorrow.
When it came to adding the chicken broth, I scraped the fat off the top of my chicken juices and added about 1/2 cup of water and stirred it around and then dumped it into the polenta. I'm going to guess this gave me around 2 cups 'broth'. Since I cooked the chicken in salt I didn't add any salt. The flavor and texture turned out wonderfully!

The moral of the story is: if you want to use your leftover chicken juice on something adventurous, try this recipe, it was fun and yummy. However, if you want to use them on something more simple, you could make a gravy or use it in a quinoa, couscous, or rice dish.

This dish could also be easily converted to vegetarian if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

3 Stars.

Recipe here and below.

Rosemary Polenta
(Barefoot Contessa)

Ingredients nocoupons

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1/2 cup good grated Parmesan
• Flour, olive oil, and butter, for frying

Directions

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, half-and-half, and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes, until thickened and bubbly. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan. Pour into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch pan, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm and cold.

Cut the chilled polenta into 12 squares, as you would with brownies. Lift each one out with a spatula and cut diagonally into triangles. Dust each triangle lightly in flour. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan and cook the triangles in batches over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until browned on the outside and heated inside. Add more butter and oil, as needed. Serve immediately.

Taco Salad: Day 2 of Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Menu

So, the day after you have a slow cooker whole chicken what do you do with...well...all that chicken?Well, my friend (who, incidentally, also told me about the whole slow cooker chicken deal) recommended a taco salad. I thought that was brilliant. Here you go: Day 2 on the Slow-Cooker-Whole-Chicken-Budget-Friendly-and-Delicious Menu. =)

Taco Salad:
All ingredients to taste:
Tortilla Chips
Romaine lettuce (or any lettuce)
Guacamole (recipe below if you're feeling domestic that day)
Sour cream
Cheese
Black Beans (might I recommend Trader Joe's Cuban Black Beans? My personal favorite)
Tomatoes and onions, if you haven't already put them in the guacamole
Olives
Chicken (left over from the night before
Salt, pepper, taco seasoning, whatever you like to add to the sour cream, guacamole, or chicken

Stack together and devour. Mmmmmm...

*****
Recipe for absolutely delicious homemade guacamole found here and below.

Guacamole

Ingredients
3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

I give this guac a 4 star rating. It's really just so good.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken: Day 1 Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Menu

This post could also be appropriately titled: "Slow Cooker Whole Chicken: I'm the Last to Know", because apparently I am the last person on earth to discover that you can cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker. However, although I'm late to jump on this bandwagon, I certainly am not going to withhold a post about it because maybe - just maybe - there's one other person out there who is unaware, as I was, and I want to change that person's life the way mine was changed the other day.

I mean, let's talk a little about simplicity, elegance, and budget here. It doesn't get easier than rubbing some salt on a bird and walking away. It doesn't get more classic than a whole bird on a platter at the dinner table. And it doesn't get more budget friendly than a whole chicken (mine were 2 for $7.50) that will feed a family of 4 for 3 meals.
Just how easy is this whole thing? Let me tell you - I don't think I own one single easier recipe. Since I did this so early in the day, I chopped up some veggies, covered their roasting dish with foil (because just the other day I broke the lid...so very sad) to go with the chicken and then popped them in the oven to roast at 400 degrees just an hour before dinner. I also made a salad that morning (more on that salad later) and I felt like I was cheating because for the rest of the day I had nothing culinary to think about, all the work was done. I walked in the door for an outing with my kids at 5:55pm to the smell of roasted vegetables and slow cooker chicken, threw the salad, chicken, and veggies on the table and my husband walked in the door and thought I slaved away all day! Amazing.

Here is the recipe:
1 Whole Chicken (one that will fit in whatever size slow cooker you have)
Kosher Salt (or normal salt)
Herbs (dried or fresh, optional)

Remove giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken, pat dry. Rub salt all over outside and inside of chicken. Sprinkle with herbs. Place in slow cooker on low heat for 4-6 hours or until juices run clear and the middle of the thigh is registering 180 degrees (Fahrenheit).

It tends to fall apart easily, so carefully remove it from the slow cooker and enjoy! I actually found this part nice because since it would literally fall off the bone, I didn't have to figure out where to cut things, I just pulled a little and this or that part would fall off, so I figured we could eat it!

Told you.
That easy. That cheap. That elegant! Stay tuned for what to do with the juices and the left overs!