spicy thai peanut chicken

I suck at cooking chicken.  If I bake it - I always end up over cooking it, if I pan fry it - I always end up butchering every piece to make sure it's cooked all the way through, if I grill it...ok let's be honest I don't grill, but you get the picture.  Cooking chicken confidently is tough.  However, thanks to my trusty crock pot, my chicken dishes end up the right temperature and texture.  This spicy thai peanut chicken recipe is inspired by a Swimming Rama dish served at one of my all time favorite thai restaurants located in Seattle called Jai Thai.  With a little bit of this, a little bit of that and a whole lot of peanut butter this dish quickly became one of my family's all time favorite dishes.

food | buffalo chicken chili

I have an unhealthy obsession with anything buffalo chicken wings and I confessed that openly when I shared with you my buffalo chicken pasta recipe.   Needless to say it was about time I found other ways to re-create that buffalo chicken wing flavor in a way that was easier to eat and that's where my buffalo chicken chili was created.  

food (food) | moroccan lamb stew

I'm sure you've heard my spiele in a previous post about how much every person (even those who don't like to cook) should invest in a slow cooker/crock pot.  You can even buy one for super cheap and what you'll find is that it quickly becomes the most used kitchen appliance.  A few weeks ago I had a random craving for moroccon lamb stew.  Now have I ever had it?  No. However, the flavor profiles that I was imagining in my head made it seem delicious. So, alas I put together what I thought should go into the recipe and it turned out to be everything I imagined and more.

So what' you'll need...

• 2.5 lbs of lamb stew meat
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 tbsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of cayenne 
• 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp of all spice
• 1 cup of tomato sauce
• 1 large sweet potato cubed
• 1 chopped onion
• 4 carrots cubed
• 3 parsnips cubed
• Salt (1 tbps, but more if needed)
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 15 dried apricots

Directions:

1. Peel and chop the onions, carrots, potato and parsnip then set aside.
2. In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp of butter.  Brown each piece of stew meat and place into the crock pot.
3. Add all remaining ingredients into the crock pot and mix all together.  
4. Cook on low heat for 6 - 8 hours or on high heat for 4 - 6 hours.

This dish is super hearty, but light at the same time.  What makes it great is all the sweetness from the raisins and dried apricot bring the flavor to a whole other level.  With all the wonderful vegetables in there it's great to eat on it's on or over a bed of saffron rice, cous cous or quinoa.

Enjoy!

food (food) | buffalo chicken pasta

You know how some people can smother ranch on just about anything? Well that's how I am with buffalo wing sauce. Buffalo wings has to be one of my favorite foods, but there isn't a way to eat it without half of the sauce smearing all over your face. So, I decided to be a little innovative and create a buffalo chicken pasta to solve the mess issue. It was a total shot in the dark concoction and could have gone to a bad place, but instead it turned out amazing.

I'm going to warn you - this meal is addicting!

What you'll need:

• 1 lbs of chicken breast
• 1 chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 bottle of your favorite wing sauce
• 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• Box of your favorite pasta
• Blue cheese (optional) 

Directions:

• In a large crock pot place chicken, wing sauce, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  '
• Cook on low heat for 5 - 6 hours and shred meat halfway through cooking time.
• Boil pasta according to box directions.
• Top cooked pasta with the shredded buffalo chicken pasta sauce and blue cheese (optional)

I'm not kidding you this dish is ridiculous.  This sauce is great on rice and also in a buffalo chicken wrap.  Really there are endless possibilities.

Enjoy!