Two weeks ago was still pretty summery. Last week was winter {see my Instagram
Mother Nature is trying to keep us on our toes. I have to check the Weather Network before dressing in the morning!
Whatever the weather is doing, I am doing my own thing. It’s called soups and stews. And big chunks of bread.
Basically, my slow cooker has come out to play again.
I am still pretty new to the whole slow cooker thing; we never had one growing up, and I am slowly learning what you can and cannot do in a slow cooker.
Can: big tough cuts of meat…after hours in the slow cooker they are heavenly soft and falling apart. Example: Slow Cooker Jamaican Beef Tacos with Mango Salsa.
Cannot: actually cook chicken for 10 hours, even though that’s what the temperature setting says. Example: um, that one did NOT make it on the blog!
DO: add more spices and seasoning to the slow cooker just before serving. Love this one, I used this tip in the Slow Cooker Chicken & Sweet Potato Korma, and that step is the magical step.
This recipe is another one inspired by something my mom cooked for us just after Kai was born. I remember looking at this chicken stew and not thinking much of it. But then we dug in {with huge chunks of bread, completely mandatory!} and…holy yum.
The potatoes and the chicken and rosemary and THE BREAD…just so delicious, soul-warming and not a drop {or a crumb} were left behind.
With that stew as an inspiration, I set out to recreate it in slow cooker form….but once I got going, it evolved into a new version, that tasted completely different, but still totally delicious and comforting, and {duh} amenable to bread-dunking.
I added some crushed fennel seeds, because I love the flavor it gives to soups and stews. The rosemary is also delish, make sure you try to get the fresh stuff, it makes a big difference! I added some white wine because I can’t NOT add white wine to my soups. Just can’t. And my favorite part was the addition of a few teaspoons of balsamic vinegar just before serving. It gives it a tiny hint of sweet and a teeny bit of tanginess.
My FAVORITE PART: throw it all in the crockpot and hit start. Walk away for 4-6 hours. I lovvvvve this. {Yes, browning your chicken and then deglazing the pan with the wine adds more flavor, but the non-browned version is still reeeeally good, great news for us lazy busy people}.
So. Are you guys ready for some slow cooker recipes? I’m just getting started
- 6-8 chicken thighs, fat removed and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced
- 1 small-medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp white wine
- ½ tsp fennel seeds, crushed with side of knife
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tsp balsamic vinegar
- a twig of fresh rosemary {roughly 1 tsp chopped}
- ½ tsp salt {to taste}
- Toss chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, wine, and fennel seeds into the slow cooker.
- Cook on the lowest setting for 4-6 hours.
- Just before serving, combine the corn starch with the water and mix until no lumps remain.
- Add the water/cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and salt. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.