Two Delicious Crockpot Meals for Winter

Good Wednesday all!  Just popping in on a cold November evening to share some recipes.

Lately I have been really trying to simplify supper cooking-- by involving the girls more in cooking and clean-up, but I'm also searching for really simple meals.  So obviously, the crockpot is my friend.  

This first one is so super easy, and just like having Thai takeout at home.

CrockPot Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

(or you can use boneless skinless thighs... I did because they were on sale for .99 a pound**, which makes this a Meal Under $3!)

2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips

1/3 cup prepared teriyaki sauce
 (or you can make it from scratch using my teriyaki tofu marinade)

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tsp red pepper flakes
(leave this out if your kids don't like spicy)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

sliced green onions, dry roasted peanuts, and lime wedges for topping

Instructions:
Place the chicken, bell peppers, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic in the crockpot.  Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender-- about 8-9 hours.

Remove the chicken and peppers from the cooker and set aside in a bowl.  Add your peanut butter to the liquid in the crock; stir well until the peanut butter dissolves.  Return the chicken and peppers to the crockpot and stir to coat with the sauce.

Serve over rice or your choice of noodles (we love soba noodles!).  Sprinkle with green onions and peanuts, and garnish with a lime wedge.

**Most of the time these days I try to buy free range, hormone-free organic chicken (am I a food snob??), but if the grocery budget's tight we just can't do it.  I don't usually find it for less than $4 a pound.  :(

*****

The next recipe is one I've been perfecting for a while.  I know you have all seen crockpot steel cut oats on our meal plans a lot, and it's true we are all big fans (except for L... we haven't quite won her over yet)!  Steel cut oats are especially good for you due to a higher content of insoluble fiber, plus they contain some protein and 10% of your daily iron.  And I can't tell you how nice it is to wake up to the smell of creamy cinnamon oats, and have no breakfast preparation to do except scooping them out of the pot for everyone!

Getting steel cut oats just right in the slow cooker can be tough-- they tend to burn easily and stick to the sides of the crock.  The texture can turn out gummy rather than creamy if you don't get the liquids just right or use too many add-ins.

So here is my favorite version, with some option add-ins.  I prefer a more creamy texture to my oats, so if you like yours a little more chewy then just decrease the liquid.

Basic CrockPot Steel Cut Oats

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup steel cut oats*

7 cups liquid**

3 teaspoons cinnamon (more or less to taste)

1 Tablespoon vanilla (more or less to taste)

stevia or brown sugar to taste

Optional add-ins:

1 cup chopped apples

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup pureed vegetable (pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato works nicely... just decrease your liquid by about 3/4 cup when you add a puree)

1 cup applesauce (again, reduce the liquid by 3/4 cup)

Extra spices that you like... nutmeg, ginger, cloves

Instructions:
Spray your crockpot well with cooking spray, or use a slow cooker saver to make clean-up easier.  Combine all ingredients and stir gently.  Turn crockpot on low.  Ideal cooking time is 7-8 hours, so if you're going to bed around 9:30/10 and waking up at 5 ish, that's perfect.  Any longer than 8 hours and the oats will start to crust around the edges and/or burn, so either don't turn on the pot until later, or wake up early enough to shut them off after the 8 hour mark.

After shutting off the pot in the morning, give everything a big stir and let it stand for 20-30 minutes to congeal a bit.  Then scoop it out, top with your choice of toppings (nuts, nut butter, dried fruit, etc.) and enjoy!  This recipe makes enough to feed our family with leftovers for the next morning.

*You can sub in other grains too... this morning I only had a cup of steel cut oats, so I completed the other 1/2 cup with some whole grain millet I had in the cupboard.  The results were delicious.  I would guess that quinoa would be pretty good too!  Or maybe some kamut or spelt berries.  Yum.

**For liquid, I use a combination of whatever's in the house... unsweetened soymilk, unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or water.  You could use cow's milk but it burns more easily.  If your soymilk or whatever has vanilla flavoring, you can omit the vanilla obviously.

Happy slow cooking :)