Slow Cooker Chicken Korma

O-M-G, you guys. Seriously .  We ate this so fast that there wasn’t time for any other pictures …sadly, this was the only photo I could snap; it’s of the leftovers being packed for my son’s lunch. That kid is lucky I like him so much !!


I’ve made no secret of my love of Cooking Light recipes over the years; I’ve adapted many of them, and made many more just as they read (or with very slight tweaks.)  I think the reason they usually work so well is that they’re not “light” recipes; they’re real, honest to goodness recipes that use real ingredients and tested, normal cooking methods. They’re lightened up just enough to fit into a healthy lifestyle, but not so much as to be rendered flavorless. (No, they’re not paying me to say any of this…I wish !)

Korma, if you’re not familiar with it, is an Indian dish of Mughal extraction that is basically a type of curry; it’s an excellent gateway drug for people that don’t think they like Indian food….creamy, silky, warm and comforting.  It’s very easy for this dish to go off the rails calorie-wise; traditional recipes usually call for the chicken to be sautéed in butter, and for full-fat yogurt to be stirred in at the end. Nuts and/or cheese are added to some recipes as well, just adding to the calorie load (and overall deliciousness, I’m sure !). The good news is that korma also adapts itself extremely well to slightly lighter ingredients; between the spice level and all the time getting happy in the crockpot the finished product is so flavorful and tender you’ll never realize there could be more fat in it. 

I did tweak this recipe very slightly, of course…this is me we’re talking about, after all J (link to the original recipe is provided below). The biggest change I made was to up the amount of curry powder as well as use a spicier version; my now-extensive experience with the crockpot has taught me that flavors can really get muted after spending all day under low heat. If you are spice-adverse by all means use a milder curry powder and/or cut down on the amount of chili paste…not looking to kill anyone with fire here. (Conversely, if you love the heat then pump that @#%& up !) . I swapped in sambal oelek because I absolutely love the stuff, but crushed red pepper would work just fine; these can also be added to each individual bowl at the discretion of the diner, if you’re cooking for a mixed crowd. 

The other important change I’ve made here concerns the yogurt. The original recipe calls for fat-free yogurt and did not specify Greek style, but I really think a thicker yogurt is called for…plus, let’s just be frank :  I am not a fan of the aftertaste of fat free yogurt (when they take something out, they put something in…and whatever it is, I don’t like it). The difference in calories and fat (and WW points) between half a cup of 2% and half a cup of 0% is negligible, particularly when spread out over eight servings; the results are so much better with the creamier yogurt that it’s well worth making the swap. I’ve also included a step for “tempering” the yogurt, which simply means bringing up the temperature slowly before adding it to the final dish. This easy, quick step will prevent the yogurt from curdling when you add it; there’s nothing wrong with curdled yogurt, it just doesn’t look all that great (and you won’t get a smooth, creamy sauce). 

Naan bread (optional) is basically the Indian version of pita bread, but lighter and fluffier; it’s available in many supermarkets (Stonefire is a pretty good brand, easy to find and mighty tasty. No, they don’t’ pay me either J ). This dish already involves rice and potatoes so bread is kind of overkill…but it does make the perfect vehicle to sop up the last bits of the lovely sauce. If you can find it and don’t mind the extra carbs it’s a nice addition; definitely not necessary though. 

We really enjoyed this one…hope you do too ! 


Slow Cooker Chicken Korma

Adapted from Cooking Light : http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-korma

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups coarsely chopped onion (1 onion)

Pan spray

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon Madras (or other spicy type) curry powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek chili paste (or crushed red pepper)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups red potatoes (cut in quarters if large, halved if tiny)

1 teaspoon salt

1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 bay leaves

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

1/2 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt (such as Fage)

4 cups hot cooked rice (long grain, jasmine, or basmati work well)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Optional : warmed naan bread (warm according to package directions).

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray lightly with pan spray. Add chicken; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add onion to skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add ginger and next 5 ingredients (through garlic); sauté 2 minutes. Pour mixture over chicken in slow cooker. Stir in potato and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon stick).

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Discard bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Turn slow cooker off; let stand 15 minutes. 
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with a few spoonfuls of the hot liquid from the crockpot. Once this is combined, stir the yogurt mixture back into the crockpot, and sprinkle with cilantro. 
Serve chicken mixture over rice, with optional warmed naan bread on the side for dipping.

Serves 8; serving size, 1/2 cup of rice and 1 cup korma

Crockpot Tagine

mmm...tagine !

I’ve been doing tagines in my crockpot for a while now (see here for my first foray : http://culinaryorgasm-karen.blogspot.com/2011/02/lamb-tagine-slow-cooker.html

Somehow, I still have yet to acquire an actual tagine. It’s not that I don’t want one, of course…it’s just that it’s been working so well in my crockpot that I haven’t felt the need to run out and buy one (not that that’s ever stopped me before…”impulsive kitchen spending” should be my middle name[s] ! ) I’ve tweaked and twaddled and done all sorts of things to this recipe since I first started on the road to Morocco, and I’m really happy with where it’s gone…so happy, in fact, that I feel the need to share it with you all. It’s my blog; I can totally do that :) .

In addition to messing around with the recipe, I’ve included one for Ras el Hanout. What is Ras el Hanout, you ask ? Translated from the Arabic it means “head of the shop” – basically, the top shelf of spices that the merchant offers (as in high quality), all mixed together as a sort of Moroccan house seasoning.  It usually involves a good dose of what we think of as sweet spices: cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg etc mixed with some hot and/or peppery elements. Many stores sell a bottled version all ready to go (the McCormick version is likely available at your local supermarket; at least it is at mine), or you can very easily mix your own. The good thing about mixing your own is that if you’re violently opposed to, say, anything anise or fennel flavored (as everyone in my house is) you can just leave it out.

The other fun thing about this one is the garnishes. I love meals that you put out with a pile of garnishes; everyone ends up with a custom version of what they like best, and you don’t have to worry about picky people not liking some of your ingredients. The preserved lemon is an especially lovely (but sometimes controversial)  ingredient…preserving lemons in salt turns the rind into a silky, fragrant condiment …a little too perfumy for some, though. If you’re game, preserved lemons are super easy to make (once again I must link to my beautiful friend Sarah’s blog :  http://whatscookinginyourworld.blogspot.com/2011/02/day-1095-moroccan-preserved-lemons.html ; but they do take a lot of time (almost all hands-off). Luckily; they are also starting to creep into stores ; I was able to find a jar at Russo’s (http://russos.com ), much to my instant tagine gratification. Harissa is another fun condiment; a fiery hot red pepper paste. Your favorite hot sauce (Tabasco, sambal oelek, sriracha) will stand in nicely; I’ve also found some nice hot picante olives that work beautifully. Or just enjoy your tagine as is; you’re driving the bus here !

The recipe as written out here works equally well with lamb or chicken, though I strongly recommend chicken thighs if you’re going the bird route (they hold up so well in the crockpot, yet they’re not so dark that they offend anyone opposed to dark meat). I’m sure turkey or a stewing sort of beef would also work beautifully. Just collect yourself up a couple pounds of meat, get together some Ras el Hanout, and have at it!

Crockpot Tagine (chicken or lamb)

1 -2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

3 -4 garlic cloves, chopped

1  inch fresh ginger, finely chopped

4 teaspoons Ras el Hanout

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup chicken stock (plus additional if needed)

1 pinch saffron or 1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken or boneless lamb, chopped into large chunks 

2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with liquid

2 (14 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained

6 ounces dried apricots, chopped or quartered if large

2 carrots, peeled & diced

Rind of 1 preserved lemon, rinsed and pulp removed, chopped (optional)

Couscous, for serving (prepare according to package directions; we prefer the larger Israeli type here)  

Garnishes : Additional preserved lemon, cilantro, harissa, chopped green olives (picante olives are quite nice)

Heat oil in a large frying pan and saute onions for 5-10 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute; add Ras el Hanout, cayenne, salt and black pepper and cook another 30 seconds, or until you can really smell the spices. Add chicken stock and saffron; gradually mix in flour until well incorporated. Add honey and tomato paste and mix well; remove from heat.

Transfer mixture to the slow cooker;  add meat, tomatoes, chickpeas, apricots, carrots, and lemon (if using); stir gently but well to mix. Liquid should come just to the top of the mixture; if it seems dry add a little more chicken stock.

Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. (cooking times depend on your slow cooker)

Serve over couscous (prepare according to package directions)

Ras El Hanout

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine and mix well; store in airtight container.

Spring Grill Fling : Shaker Smoked Chicken, Grill-Baked Potatoes with Sea Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper and Rosemary, Celeriac Remoulade, Oma’s Cucumber Salad

It feels a little…well…guilty to be celebrating spring this year. Here in the Northeast, we really didn’t have much winter to speak of – well, any winter, actually. One snowstorm in October does not a winter make, not in the land where the Blizzard of ’78 is discussed like it was yesterday - along with the April Fools blizzard that had us thinking the Patriot’s Day Boston Marathon-Red Sox home game doubleheader was in jeopardy. This April, though, it’s sunny and almost 80 in my backyard as I write this – and I’ll take that any time. There’s always next winter to get my suffering back on :)

Today’s grill fest starts with a recipe I found ages ago for Shaker-style smoked chicken thighs (which I rediscovered when I was cleaning out my recipe box last week - that’s a process in itself. In addition to my zillion cookbooks, I have a box full of loose recipes dating back to when I was a kid. Every so often it threatens to take over the kitchen, and I have to reign it back in). I’m not sure what makes this “Shaker-style”, but when I saw it involved chicken thighs I knew I had to try it out. I love cooking with chicken thighs – they’re so much more flavorful and juicy than boneless skinless breast (that stuff is practically tofu…tastes like nothing until to you do something to it.) The meat is dark, but not dark enough not to scare off the dark meat haters. I use the thighs in all sorts of things, including my chicken and dumplings, and I haven’t had anyone turn them down yet. The original recipe from EatingWell.com called for boneless skinless thighs, so if you are really averse to using the thighs I do think the breast would work. I adapted this to use the bone-in, skin-on thighs as I like the juiciness you get from using the whole part.  It does take longer to cook this way, but I think the results are well worth it.

chicken on the grill

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finished product

As for the side dishes, the potatoes are something I make for the grill all the time, and they couldn’t be simpler. Wash baking potatoes well, stab them all over with a fork, and lay them on some foil. Brush them with good olive oil, and sprinkle with a few grinds of pepper and a few shakes of salt. Tuck a fresh rosemary sprig in with them, and wrap them up tight.  They take about an hour at typical oven temperatures, but if you are smoking instead of grilling then they’ll take a few hours. You can tell they’re done if they give when you squeeze them.

ready for my closeup !

Oma’s cucumber salad is a traditional German dish that I grew up eating, though nowadays I think I have access to better cucumbers than Oma did! It’s basically a quick, fresh pickle – sliced cucumbers marinated in vinegar with a little salt, white pepper and sugar added. This basic marinade is also great with other vegetables – leftover green beans are awesome in it. My favorite cucumbers to use are the baby ones that I get at Russo’s, though a good English cucumber will work as well.

a bowl of goodness

yum !

That brings us to celeriac, or celery root - one of the weidest looking vegetables you will ever see. I wrote about celery root in my Oktoberfest post, but it's just so fun I have to write about it again.

seriously, look at that thing !!

The roots themselves are pretty scary looking, sort of alien potatoes with tentacles – but under that woeful exterior is one of my favorite food items ever, with a fresh, light celery flavor that compliments pretty much anything.The remoulade is something I’ve been dying to make ever since our friend Jonathan made it for our last Facebook Foodie Freakout. I grew up eating celery root – but in the German style, Selleriesalat (see the Oktoberfest post for the details.) Great stuff, but when Jonathan showed up with the remoualde I was intrigued. I knew that celeriac remoulade was a classic French dish, but I didn’t quite realize that it used raw, grated celery root. One bite, though, and I was hooked. A lemony, mustardy mayonnaise with that great celery root flavor and a wonderful crunch – sort of like the best version of coleslaw you could ever want to eat.

Yeah, I’m very okay with this whole celebrating spring thing – especially when it gives us an excuse to put on a meal like this one. BRING IT!! :)

Shaker Smoked Chicken
Adapted from EatingWell.com

½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large shallots, chopped
4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 2 lbs boneless skinless thighs, or breast)

Whisk marinade ingredients together (everything but the chicken), and pour over chicken in a large Ziplock bag or large bowl. Toss or shake to coat, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (a couple of hours is even better).  Smoke according to your smoker’s directions, or use a foil packet of soaked wood chips on your grill. Cooking time for bone-in is 1 – 3 hours, depending on how much heat you use. Grilling boneless chicken will only take about 6 – 8 minutes per side.

Grill-Baked Potatoes with Sea Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper and Rosemary

For each person:

1 baking potato
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 spring fresh rosemary


Wash potatoes well and prick with fork. Wrap in foil with remaining ingredients. Bake on the grill at 400F for an hour, or longer if you use a lower temperature.

Celeriac Remoulade

Inspired by Jonathan Klein


By all means, if you want to use homemade mayonnaise in this, go for it! Hellman’s, though, is mighty tasty and a lot less work.

1 ½ to 2 pounds celery root

1 tsp salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tsp white pepper
½ green apple, shredded or julienne cut

Wash, peel and trim the celery root. Grate using the largest holes in your food processor or box grater. Toss the grated celery root with the salt and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Set this aside for about 30 minutes at room temperature. 

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients (except the apple) until well blended. Stir in the apple and the celery root.  Taste and adjust for seasonings (salt? More mayo? More lemon? You be the judge!).  Let sit in refrigerator a few hours to blend the flavors, then serve.

Oma’s Cucumber Salad

There are two versions of this salad in Germany – a sour cream version, and a vinegar one. This is my version of the one my Oma made for us growing up.

6 - 8 baby cucumbers, or 1 large English cucumber
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
1 tsp dill


We prefer the peel left on, but taste a bit to make sure the peels aren’t waxy or bitter – peel if needed. Slice cucumbers somewhat thinly (pickle sized slices are what you’re after).  Whisk together remaining ingredients, and pour over cucumbers. Let sit in refrigerator at least an hour before serving.

wedding bells and chocolate tarts

the infamous Mexican Chocolate Tart with Chipotle-Glazed Pecans

Recently, one of our favorite neighbors of 20+ years went and did himself a crazy thing...done got himself hitched !!

Well, I'm kidding about the crazy part - his new wife is really an absolute sweetheart and we sincerely could not be happier for them. The event itself was a quickie City Hall jaunt, but the backyard party afterwards was epic...and we got to cook, which was even better !! Unfortunately, I was too busy to photograph much, but I've thrown a few in here just for the heck of it  - see the end of the blog. I've also included the recipe for my Mexican Chocolate Tart with Chipotle-Glazed Pecans. This tart is epic as well - truly a Culinary Orgasm. Don't let the paring of sweet chocolate and spicy chipotle powder scare you off. It's not burning hot, nothing like that at all...the spice just wakes up your taste buds so you can appreciate the chocolate that much more. Try and use the best chocolate you can get for this...there's not a lot else in it, and if you use cheap chocolate you'll definitely regret it. I use a mixture of high-quality bittersweet and semisweet, but you can use 4 oz of one instead of 2 and 2 if you'd rather...if you like things a bit sweeter go with straight semi; for super dark go with bitter.

Mexican Chocolate is a unique product, and is worth the search for not only this tart but for delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate. It comes in disks with score marks (so you can break it apart and add it to your mug of hot milk), has a rough, grainy texture, and is usually lightly spiced with cinnamon. The real deal is is absolutely essential in this tart. Taza is a locally made version which is fantastic (available at Whole Foods, Russo's, and other foodie haunts - I use the cinnamon version which is the traditional Mexican, though one of these days I may experiment with the other flavors.) Ibarra is much easier to find and will work as well, and my local Stop + Shop carries a Nestle version called Abuelita which looks a lot like the Ibarra and will certainly do the trick.

Oh, and beware the pecans...easy to make and definitely worth the time as they are seriously, seriously addictive.

The menu (links go to the blog entries with recipes :

Smoked Shrimp with Cajun Remoulade
Frijoles Borrachos with Pepperjack Cornbread
Jamaican Jerk Chicken (wings, this time)
Steak Tips
Grilled Vegetables (on skewers)

Mexican Chocolate Tart with Chipotle Glazed Pecans

Crust
1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (about half of one 9-ounce package cookies, finely ground in processor)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 disk Mexican chocolate (Taza preferred), chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
chipotle powder, to taste (start with 1/8 tsp)

Chipotle Glazed Pecans (see below)

Lightly sweetened whipped cream


For crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend first 4 ingredients in processor. Add melted butter; process until crumbs are moistened. Press crumbs into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom, to within 1/8 inch of top. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack.


For filling:

Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolates; whisk until melted. Add butter, 1 piece at a time; whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, salt and chipotle powder (enough so that you can taste it, but not so much as to make it spicy hot.) Pour filling into crust. Chill until filling begins to set, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Arrange nuts in concentric circles atop tart. Chill until set, about 4 hours. Serve tart with whipped cream.


Chipotle Glazed Pecans

1 egg white
2 tablespoons champagne or ginger ale
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups pecan halves


Preheat the oven to 250 F. Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk egg white, add champagne (or ginger ale), salt, cinnamon, chipotle, sugar and pecan halves.Fold this together until the nuts are evenly coated.

Spread the mixture out onto the pan, single layer. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/2 hours until the coating is absorbed and the pecans appear dry, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

When they are cooled store at room temperature in an airtight container. This will make more than you need...not a problem as they are great on their own !

chocolate, ready for chopping

the blushing bride

love the sleeves..

Jerk Chicken

veggies

Chicken Soup, Silver Palate style

soup is good food...

Just a quick blog entry to let you know that I am, in fact, alive :). Busy time of year for me...it's time for one of my other hobbies to take center stage for a bit, singing and concert management for the Newton Community Chorus. Our Winter Concert is this Saturday...so of course, what happens this week ? I get an absolutely brutal cold, of course...damn plague carriers I live with !! I feel like my head and lungs are full of cold, wet oatmeal and I can hardly open my eyes. Definitely not C.O. material.

I know if there's any substance in this world that has a chance of getting me in shape to sing by Saturday, it's the chicken soup from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook....so as exhausted as I am, I made a pot when I got home instead of giving in to the urge to snuggle with my pillows and blankie. I love chicken soups of all kinds, and I do all sorts of variations on simmering chicken frames for hours with a medley of delicious items. This soup is a little different - chock full of veggies (including lots of leeks...I have a serious leek obsession) and noodles for staying power...but it's made with boneless skinless chicken breast, and comes together in under an hour. I swear, you can feel yourself ingesting health and well being with every bite.

I am including the recipe here with my own very well tested modifications - I have made this more times than I can count, and it is nothing short of spectacular every time. Basically, I use more of the leek and more chicken than called for...change the proportions and timing a bit...and I go through less steps and use less dishes. Much as I love the SP, I usually see no need to use as many pots and pans as they call for...who has time to clean all that stuff ? I can hear my bed calling from here...

Chicken Soup, Silver Palate style

4 leeks, white and tender green parts only
water to cover leeks
2 T cider vinegar
2 sticks unsalted butter
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 t kosher salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 c white wine
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (4 good sized pieces)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups fine egg noodles (uncooked)
4 oz fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch lengths
3 T chopped Italian parsley

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and rinse well (leeks trap mud like crazy). Soak for 15 minutes in a bowl with water to cover, to which you have added the cider vinegar.

Once the leeks are soaking, start the chicken poaching in the stock and wine - bring to a boil, turn way down and barely simmer for about 15 minutes, or until just done. Remove the chicken when done to let it cool.

Chop the leeks, the carrot, and the celery. Melt the butter in a large stockpot, and gently saute the veggies for about 10 minutes, then season with the salt and pepper. Add the stock in which you poached the chicken, the mushrooms, and the green beans. Let simmer for 5 minutes, then add the egg noodles. Cook for another 5 - 10 minutes, or until the noodles and the veggies are done to your liking.

Shred the chicken and add to the pot with the parsley. Heat through, add salt and pepper if needed, and serve.