Simple Supper Friday: Mustard Apple Pulled Pork
Mustard apple pulled pork topped with caraway kraut.
I’ve really had a thing for mustard lately, specifically Dijon. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been using Dijon nearly every chance I get. I think it’s safe to say I’m definitely in a mustard phase. It adds such a nice flavor and when something seems like it’s missing from a recipe, Dijon seems to take care of that. It’s easy to find good quality Dijon mustard that doesn’t have any sugar or junk ingredients in it either. Sorry, Grey Poupon won’t cut it.
On another note, I’m going to a healthy fats demo at Whole Foods this weekend. Remember my friend, Ashley at Craving4more? Well, you may recall that she hosted the sauerkraut tasting I went to last weekend, and invited me to the fats presentation this weekend. I believe the healthy fats she’s including are coconut oil, ghee, avocado and grass-fed tallow (house-made from the Whole Foods meat dept). I imagine it’ll be pretty great.
I’m not really sure what else I’ll be doing this weekend, other than grocery shopping and working Sunday morning, but I like not having much of an agenda. What I really need to be doing is reading/studying for my exercise science class, but I’m still waiting for my book to arrive in the mail. Hopefully, it’ll get here soon because that class moves fast and the material is complex, so I don’t want to get too behind!
What are your plans for the weekend? Anything fun?
Ingredients:
- 2 lb pork shoulder roast
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pink lady apple, chopped
- 1.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Firefly Kitchens Caraway Kraut for serving, optional
Directions:
- Melt ghee in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and celery and stir. Allow to cook a few minutes, until slightly softened. Then, add to the slow cooker.
- Season the roast with sea salt and pepper. Then, in the same pan, add the pork shoulder roast. Add a little more ghee if necessary. Brown the roast about 2-3 minutes each side and then place inside the slow cooker. Add the chopped apple as well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, mustard, parsley, marjoram and thyme. Add a dash of sea salt and pepper, if desired. Pour on top of the roast and place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Let cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5. Once done, cut string off of pork roast, if need be, and shred with two forks.
- Serve with caraway sauerkraut on top, if desired.
St. Patrick’s Day Recap
My St. Patty’s Day meal.
Monday, already? It always comes so quickly, doesn’t it? Well, anyway, I hope you all had a lovely weekend and St. Patrick’s Day. Did you do or make anything special to celebrate? I made corned beef with carrots, onion and cabbage, which tasted delicious. I probably hadn’t eaten corned beef since I was between the ages of 12-15. I cheated a little and bought 2 lbs worth of fresh, local corned beef at Whole Foods. It was pre-brined and had spices rubbed all over it, and just needed to be cooked. I threw it in the Crock Pot with carrots, yellow onion, green cabbage and bone broth, and let it cook for about 4.5 hours. It was perfect and much better than the corned beef I recall eating as a kid. The beef was more brown than pink after cooking, because it didn’t contain any nitrates, but it did have beet powder in the brine, which allowed for a tiny bit of pink. I served it up for us in bowls, to allow for ladel-fuls of savory broth. Specifically, here’s what I did for the recipe:
Corned beef and cabbage
- 2 lb pre-brined fresh corned beef
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 6-8 medium carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces (I used orange and multicolored carrots)
- 1 head of cabbage, quartered
- 4 cups bone broth
- Place corned beef in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with carrots, onion and finally cabbage. Pour broth over everything, making sure the meat is covered by about 1-inch.
- Put lid on slow cooker and cook on high for about 4.5 hours.
- Slice meat against the grain to serve. Top with veggies and lots of broth. Watch out for loose peppercorns from the rub!
For a St. Patty’s Day treat, I whipped up the egg version of Against All Grain’s, cinnamon ‘oat’meal raisin cookies. Holy moly, these really do turn green too, especially as they sit and cool. The reaction of sunflower seed butter and baking soda causes the green to occur, in case you’re wondering. Mine turned just as green as Danielle’s (blogger of Against All Grain) did in her pictures! They almost look mossy and even look slightly blue, which may be in part from the raisins. Because of their mossy appearance, they’re definitely a Portland-appropriate cookie! We have a lot of moss here, because of rain and being in a valley.
Speaking of this recipe, I had to chuckle when I read some of the comments. One of the readers, who clearly doesn’t pay attention or read Against All Grain’s posts very often, asked how much oats are needed for the recipe because it wasn’t mentioned in the ingredients. I loved Danielle’s response, telling her that it is a grain-free site and there are no oats in the recipe! The unsweetened coconut is meant to emulate the oats. Some people are so oblivious, yet I find it entertaining…sometimes.
Danielle’s pictures were so pretty that I decided to borrow one. Mine wouldn’t do the cookies as much justice! (Photo credit: Againstallgrain.com)
So, that was my St. Patrick’s Day. The rest of my weekend included (kind of) studying for finals, working on a final project, working at the gym, laundry and errands.
Also, I’ll be recapping soon about the final verdict on my food log assignment. I was hoping to get the assignment back, so that I could have all the specific details my partner laid out for me, but we never got it back. My teacher may hand them back on Thursday, when I go to take the final exam, but I’m not sure. I may have to go off of memory! Lucky for me, I have a pretty good memory. Just ask my family.
Slow Cooked Shredded Pork with Creamy Applesauce
Slow cooked shredded pork with creamy applesauce.
Props to me … I had success with another pork recipe. Slow cooked, well seasoned and shredded is the way to go, otherwise, I don’t care for it. Bacon is the exception.
My main inspiration for this recipe? The Brady Bunch. Anyone remember the, “pork chops and applesauce” episode? Peter was the one who coined the phrase, but he was trying to mock someone’s voice. I don’t remember whose though. Anyone remember? I was a big Brady Bunch fan growing up and always watched it after school on TBS. It was The Brady Bunch followed by Saved by the Bell, which I also loved. Oh, the good ol’ days. Funny, but I still enjoy both of these shows today and occasionally watch an episode on Hulu or Netflix.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 lb pork shoulder roast
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1/4 cup bone broth
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and saute a few minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Mix in the tomato paste and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so, and then add to your slow cooker.
- Use the same pan, over medium heat, to brown the roast. First, season it with sea salt and pepper on both sides. Then, add to the pan and sear for 4 minutes per side. Next, add the roast to the slow cooker and sprinkle the ground sage all over. Pour in the bone broth and cover the slow cooker with the lid.
- Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 6-7. Once done, shred the meat with two forks and stir. Serve with creamy applesauce (recipe below) and a green veggie of your choosing (I recommend kale or broccoli).
For the creamy applesauce:
- 4 organic braeburn apples, cored and chopped (skins on)
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, plus extra if needed
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples and water, and stir.
- After a few minutes, add the coconut milk and stir. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more coconut milk if necessary.
- Once apples have softened into applesauce (chunks are fine and welcomed), remove from heat and serve with the pork.
Yields: 4-5 servings
Things I’m Loving Right Now…
(Photo credit: nikilee30.wordpress.com)
It’s been a while since my first post about things I’m loving, so I thought it was time for another. As much as I enjoy doing food posts, it’s fun to switch things up too. Hopefully, it’s as enjoyable for you as it its for me.
- Still Alice by Lisa Genova: I’m reading this book for my fitness and aging class and holy moly, is it good. I started it Saturday morning, and by Saturday night, I was on page 133. It’s a fascinating story about a very bright woman, who is a renowned Harvard professor, that develops early onset Alzheimer’s. She gradually starts losing pieces from her memory, and feels like she’s literally losing her mind. It’s quite sad, of course, but so interesting at the same time. I highly recommend this book!
Cover of Still Alice
- My brand new dryer: My dryer stopped emitting heat shortly after I returned from Hawaii, and we were without a working dryer for about three weeks! Air drying isn’t so bad for some things, like delicates or technical fabrics, but for things like hooded sweatshirts, jeans, and so forth, it’s kind of a pain in the butt. Items like this take too long to dry and become stiff and crusty. I avoided washing towels during this time (luckily, we have a good supply) because they’d end up smelling mildewy. Anyway, our new dryer was approved and finally delivered last weekend. I don’t think I was ever so happy and excited to do laundry in my life! Not only that, but it dries clothes in half the amount of time as our old dryer. This is one modern convenience that I definitely appreciate, although I do like the smell of line-dried clothes in the summertime.
Amana dryer (Photo credit: shopping.com)
- Mentoring with Jason Seib: As you may recall from my post last Monday, I have a mentor-ship established with Jason Seib. We’ve met once since our initial meeting, and will continue to meet every Monday. We just started working on a project together, which he is leading and I am learning from. I get to be involved in every step along the way, which is really exciting. I’m hesitant to give too many details about this project, but it does involve a third person as well. She’s a dear friend of mine and former co-worker. She’s really excited too! You’re probably very curious now, aren’t you?
This is a recycled photo from September 2012, when Jesse and I attended Sarah Fragoso and Jason Seib’s Everyday Paleo Lifestyle and Fitness seminar.
- Primal Recess: This class is Jesse’s baby at Recreate and I love it! It consists of such things as primal/instinctual movements (squatting, crawling, etc.), body weight training, heavy carries, awkward carries, pulling, pushing, Clubbells, balance games, obstacle courses and FlowFit. It’s fun, playful and challenging, and Jesse’s creativity shines through. He’s a very talented guy.
- Creme de la Earl Grey tea: This tea is so good, it’s almost sinful. It’s rich, flavorful and has a lovely hint of vanilla creaminess. I buy a local brand from one of our co-ops, but there are other brands out there as well. Even the tea itself is beautiful, with hints of blue flowers. It tastes perfect straight up, but is extra delightful with a bit of full-fat coconut milk mixed in. Here is a link to the brand I buy locally.
Creme de la Earl Grey (Photo credit: teaandspice.com)
- Using my slow cooker as much as possible: I’ve been a fan of the slow cooker for quite some time now, but have an even greater appreciation for it now. Lately, I’ve been using it nearly every day because it’s a lifesaver with a busy schedule. My schedule continues to get busier, so I’ll be keeping my slow cooker close to my side! This is probably my number one kitchen tool that makes my life easier.
This is not my actual slow cooker, but a borrowed photo rather (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
- Knowing that I get to go home soon: I’m flying home to Michigan at the end of March, so the ladies of my family can throw me a proper wedding shower. I know it means a lot to my family to do so, and I want to go home anyway. This way, I can finalize or check into any specific details for our post-wedding party, relax a little (at least from school work, since it’ll be spring break), and enjoy the company of my family.
(Photo credit: advancedwildlifedesigns.com)
What are some little things (or big things) that you’re enjoying right now?
Simple Supper Friday: Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
Slow cooker apricot chicken, served atop mashed butternut squash.
Wow, what an exhausting, but good week! I am whooped and so glad that it’s Friday. I admit, I haven’t done the greatest with my sleep this week and part of it is due to poor planning. Sure, I had an extra busy week, but most of this falls back on me. I gladly take the blame. Yesterday was especially brutal on the tiredness scale, and I even took a cat-nap before going to work in the evening. I opted to get better sleep last night, put my computer away and got to bed at my preferred time. I’ve got to get myself back on track because things are only going to get more hectic!
Anyway, pull out your slow cooker for this one! With some simple prep and steps, you can have this in your slow cooker in no time, but remember to plan ahead for the cooking time.
Slow cookers really are my saving grace. Plus, I can’t get enough shredded meat. It’s my favorite.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 14.5 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup unsweetened, unsulphered dried apricots, halved
Directions:
- Melt the 1 tsp of the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Season the chicken with sea salt and pepper, and add to the pan. Brown on both sides for a couple minutes. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tsp of coconut oil. Add more if needed. Add the onion and saute a few minutes, until it becomes translucent. Stir in the ginger, garlic, cinnamon and allspice. Cook and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Cook a few minutes longer, until heated through. Pour mixture into slow cooker and add the dried halved apricots. Place chicken on top of the mixture and cover.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4.
- When done, shred the chicken with two forks and mix together.
- Serve atop vegetable of choice (kale, squash, etc.). I used mashed butternut squash.
Yields: 4-5 servings
My sister bought me a couple of these beautiful plates for Christmas. The plates are Gmundner Keramik, ceramic handmade plates from the city of Gmunden in Austria. She said this company is known all throughout Europe, but naturally, the most popular in Austria. She also said this is probably the most famous design. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Thanks again, Amanda!
Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder
Shredded pork shoulder, served atop of sauteed cabbage.
Some of you already know this by now, but I don’t care for pork. I’m just not fond of the taste, unless it’s bacon. You may recall though, that on New Year’s Eve, I ordered a shredded pork dish for dinner. I mainly ordered it because it was the least complicated thing for me to paleoize, but also thought I might like it since I love shredded meat, specifically chicken and beef. Well, I did like it … a lot! Since then, I’ve been thinking about trying out a shredded pork recipe myself. This past weekend, it finally happened.
It was a spur of the moment decision and completely unplanned. I really value moments like that. Anyway, I was in Food Front Co-op in NW Portland after work on Sunday, and spotted one small and lonely pork shoulder roast. At that moment, I decided it was time, and threw it in my basket. For the recipe, I flew by the seat of my pants and used what I had on hand.
The recipe turned out phenomenal. It tasted so good, that I didn’t want the last bite to come. To compensate, I very slowly savored every last morsel. I usually do well with eating slowly, but I especially did well this time.
If you’re not much of a pork person, like me, this recipe may surprise you. I can’t wait to make it again.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb pork shoulder roast
- 2 tsp grass-fed ghee
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 4 large carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped (use more if serving more than 2 people)
- Avocado slices, optional
Directions:
- Combine spices, sea salt and pepper, and coat all sides of the roast. If you have extra spice mixture leftover, set it aside. You will use it later. If you use it all, that’s fine too.
- Melt 1 tsp of ghee (or fat of choice) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork shoulder, and brown a couple minutes on each side. Once all sides are browned, remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tsp of ghee (add more if needed) over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes, until softened. Once done, pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add carrots to the slow cooker and place the roast on top of the veggies. Add the chicken broth, lime juice and any remaining spice mixture.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-10.
- Once done, turn the slow cooker off or to warm. Then, remove the pork roast and cut off the twine. Shred meat with two forks and add back to the slow cooker. Give everything a stir.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt a little fat of choice. Add the chopped cabbage and season with sea salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Serve the shredded pork mixture over the cabbage and serve with avocado slices, if desired.
Yields: 3-4 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Tomato Fennel Soup
Tomato fennel soup. My favorite part? The big chunks of beef stew meat. The more, the better! We ate our soup on top of mashed squash. Extra hearty!
It’s that time again … pull out your slow cooker! Wahoo, I love slow cooker meals. It makes dinnertime such a pinch. Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without mine. If you don’t have one, I strongly suggest getting one. They’re super affordable and worth every penny.
Initially, I wasn’t too sure about this soup, but then it grew on me. To be honest, it tastes even better the next day because the flavors develop a lot more. This soup is great straight up, but if you want to bulk it up even more, you can eat it on top of mashed squash like Jesse and I did. It was actually really tasty because the squash added a nice sweetness to the soup. Plus, we pretty much love squash with everything. We used a red kuri — one of my newfound favorites. I don’t know why I never bought this kind before. The flavor reminds me of a buttercup and it’s so, so good! Again though, this is totally optional. You’ll see it served over squash in the photos (I had to take photos indoors again — not my favorite).
Ingredients:
- 2 lb grass-fed beef stew meat
- 1 fennel bulb, chopped
- 1 – 28oz can diced tomatoes (I used 1-quart of my mom’s canned tomatoes she sent me)
- 2 cups chicken or beef bone broth (or decent store bought broth/stock)
- 1 Tbsp ghee
- 2 cups frozen kale (or fresh)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne (stick with 1/4 if you don’t like things really spicy)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Flat-leaf parsley for garnishing, optional
My mom’s tomatoes. Secret ingredient: love.
TIme to dish it up!
Directions:
- Add chopped fennel to the slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients, except for the kale and parsley if using.
- Set slow cooker to low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-6.
- Once done or nearly done, stir in the kale. Stir until kale is thawed if using frozen or softened if using fresh. Serve with parsley garnished on top, if using. Optional to serve on top of mashed squash of choice.
A hearty meal for those chilly, blustery fall days.
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Beef Cheeks
Slow cooker cinnamon beef cheeks with delicata squash and sautéed greens.
Cinnamon, grass-fed beef cheeks, and a slow cooker. A tasty fall combo if you ask me! This recipe was inspired by The Paleo Mom’s, cinnamon-braised beef cheeks. You may remember me posting it a few weeks ago on a list of fall-themed recipes. The main difference between my version and hers is that I used a slow cooker to cook the meat, and cooked the squash separately (also used delicata instead of butternut). Other than that, they’re pretty similar.
This made great leftovers, by the way. I ate the leftover beef cheeks with sunny-side up eggs and avocado for breakfast the next morning. It was fabulous!
This was the first time I ever made beef cheeks, but I have eaten beef cheeks before. Cultured Caveman makes an awesome grass-fed chili from beef cheeks! I love the tender and gelatinous quality of the meat (this is because it has a lot of connective tissue). It’s my understanding that it’s best to braise or slow cook this cut of meat, otherwise it can be quite tough.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb grass-fed beef cheeks (I got mine from US Wellness Meats)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tsp grass-fed tallow or fat of choice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup homemade bone broth (or a decent store-bought kind)
- Delicata squash, halved and seeded
- Pat of grass-fed butter, optional
- Greens of choice
Searing the beef cheeks.
Directions:
- Heat tallow in a pan over medium-high heat. Season the beef cheeks with sea salt and pepper. Once the tallow is melted, add the beef cheeks and sear for three minutes per side.
- Place chopped onions in the slow cooker and place beef cheeks on top. Pour in the broth and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Add the cinnamon sticks and make sure they’re submerged in the broth.
- Set slow cooker to low and let cook for 6 – 8 hours or until meat is cooked through and tender. Alternatively, you can cook it on high for 4 hours.
- Once beef is done or just about done, cook the squash. Set the oven to 350 degrees F and bake skin side up in a shallow pan filled with a little water (about 1/4 inch high). Cook for 35 – 45 minutes or until squash is tender.
- While squash is cooking, remove beef cheeks from the slow cooker and chop into small pieces. Add back to the slow cooker and adjust seasonings if necessary. (NOTE: this is optional, you don’t have to chop up the meat into pieces if you prefer not to).
- Once squash is done, let it cool and then scoop out the flesh, unless you like to eat the delicata skin (I prefer not to eat it). Mix with a pat of grass-fed butter, if using.
- Heat a small amount of ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add your chopped greens of choice (I used kale and chard) and sauté a few minutes, until soft. Season with sea salt and pepper.
- Dish up your squash and greens, and top either or both with the beef cheeks and broth.
Rainy, dark weather left me no choice but to take photographs indoors. I don’t like not being able to use the natural light outdoors.
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken and Gravy
Slow cooker roast chicken and gravy with mashed purple cauliflower and roasted green beans.
I’ve been in the habit of roasting whole chickens in my slow cooker lately because well, it’s easy, tastes good and I love having the bones leftover for bone broth. My chicken always turns out delicious, but sometimes it cooks for too long and all just falls off the bones, turning into shredded chicken. It still tastes great and is super moist, but when roasting a whole chicken, I prefer the pieces to stay together, so I can cut slices and whatnot. Normally I don’t really go off of any recipes too much when roasting a chicken, but this time I opted for one, and decided to try Nom Nom Paleo’s slow cooker roast chicken and gravy.
Oh my gosh … this recipe … and the gravy, my oh my, the gravy! It is the icing on the cake and turns this dinner into the ultimate comfort meal. I could eat spoonfuls of this stuff (and I did!). I think it’s the best — not to mention easiest — gravy I’ve ever tasted. Plus, it gave me a reason to use my gravy boat. I love my gravy boat. I inherited it from my mother after she got a new set of dishes a couple years ago. It’s from the set of dishes that I grew up with — white CorningWare with green flowers.
Anyway, I stuck pretty close to Nom Nom Paleo’s recipe, but used regular poultry seasoning on my bird and went with the entire tablespoon of tomato paste in the sautéed mixture (for more umami as Michelle says). I also used homemade bone broth for my stock and in place of the wine since I didn’t have any dry white wine on hand. I served the chicken and gravy with mashed purple cauliflower and grass-fed butter, and green beans roasted with grass-fed ghee. Gravy went over everything and I topped multiple more spoonfuls on my meal as I devoured it!
Sautéed whole garlic, onions, tomato paste and bone broth. This will be used to make the gravy later on.
The gravy … oh my, the gravy! Note: those aren’t lumps, they’re bubbles. The gravy is very smooth.
The smell of the meal drew this neighborhood alley cat (Jesse and I call her Mallory) out and she was meowing and begging like crazy! Another kitty came out too and I had to act fast, so they wouldn’t come after my meal!
Pacing because the aroma was making her crazy!
Definitely a colorful meal!
Simple Supper Friday: Harvest-Spiced Chicken Stew
Harvest-spiced chicken stew atop of a bed of kale.
Yay, it’s Friday and I made it through my first week of classes … phew! My head is swarming with new information and I feel a little bit on overload, but it’s all in a good way. It actually feels nice to be back in the classroom, especially because this time, I am learning about things that I’m genuinely interested in. What’s really great is that I can directly apply this stuff at Recreate, where I assist group classes and teach yoga.
Anyway, this fall-themed, cinnamon-spiced recipe was inspired by fellow blogger, Lemons ‘N Lyme’s orange apricot ginger chicken. She posted the recipe earlier in the week and I thought it sounded so good. Plus, I love any excuse to use my slow cooker. I modified the recipe to make it my own, and despite the way it looks, it turned out spicy (not hot spicy, but spiced rather) and delicious. If you like spiced/fall flavors, you’ll enjoy this dish.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 small or mid-size butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1-inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced (you can use ground ginger too, probably 1/2 Tbsp)
- 1 Bramley apple, chopped (or other firm heirloom variety, such as Pippin)
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1/2 C unsulphured dried apricots, chopped
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 – 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp paprika
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter/ghee
- Kale, chopped and steamed for serving
Directions:
- Place the chicken into the crockpot and add the squash, onion, apple, ginger and apricots.
- Add in the all the remaining ingredients (orange juice, spices, etc.), except the kale, and mix well with a spoon to mix the spices around.
- Turn slow cooker to low and let cook for 4 – 6 hours or until chicken is done. *Note: mine cooked for about 7 hours because I let it cook overnight and it turned out fine. 5 or 6 is probably ideal though, so the squash doesn’t get too soft.
- Serve the chicken and stew mixture on top of the kale.
