Easy-Peasy Crock Pot Chicken

This is a true go-to meal. We all love it. It can be used in so many ways. It's inexpensive. And it's BEYOND easy to prepare! How can you go wrong with that?!

This recipe is taken directly from the A Year of Slow Cooking. Be sure to take a look because there are a TON of great crock pot recipes and you don't want to miss out!

So without further ado, check out the recipe for ....

Easy-Peasy Crock Pot Chicken

Stuff You Need:

• 1 whole chicken, skinned (4-5 lbs)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground garlic
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp black pepper
• pinch chili powder
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 4 whole garlic cloves

What To Do:

1. Skin the chicken and remove neck, giblets, etc from the interior cavity.
2. In a medium bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients except the onion and garlic cloves.
3. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, both inside and out.
4. Place the bird breast side down in your crock pot.
5. Insert the onion quarters and garlic into the interior cavity.
6. Cover your crock pot, set the timer on low for 8 hours (or if you are in a hurry, on high for 4-5 hours).

And THAT folks, is all there is to this dish! If you plan in advance, you could prepare your bird the night before - skin it and coat with the spice mixture. Then in the morning all you have to do is pop it all in the crock pot. And when you come home from work, dinner will be ready and waiting!

It's not necessary though. I usually don't plan that far in advance and by the time I have the bird thawed, I generally need to get it right in the crock pot so it will be ready by the time dinner rolls around.

Also note, that while the spice mixture has both paprika, cayenne pepper, and chili powder, this is NOT a spicy dish. Wonder Boy really doesn't like spicy food (I don't know where he gets that trait as both of us prefer food that makes us sweat) and this is one of his all-time favorite foods. If you WANT a bit more kick to your chicken, I would double up on these 3 spices and maybe even stick a jalapeno in the cavity along with the onion and garlic.

The chicken comes out moist and flavorful and falling right off the bone! In fact, it's a not the easiest thing to remove from the crock pot because it starts to fall apart from the moment you try to lift it. I usually don't bother. I'll grab what we need for that meal and then proceed to de-bone and shred chicken for storage once it has cooled.

We use this chicken as the base for so many meals. Wonder Boy likes it just wrapped up in a tortilla, fajita style. Wonder Dad prefers it on top of a big salad. As for me - I like it on its own, wrapped up in lettuce (slider style), or on top of tostones with a bit of salsa on top. It really is versatile and that is one of the main reasons this qualifies as one of my top go-to meals!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chilli

I have so many recipes lined up to share with you here, but this is one that just can't wait!

This weekend was my first time to prepare it and I can promise you I'll be making it on a regular basis - especially as we enter the cooler months of the year. I give you ...

Chocolate Chilli

Stuff You Need:

• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 6 oz chorizo (casing removed)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 Tbs habanero chili powder
• 2 Tbs ground cumin
• 1 ½ Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 ½ cup beef broth
• ½ cup water

What To Do:

1. Heat a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, then add the coconut oil and melt.
2. Once the oil is melted, add the onions and cook until they are translucent.
3. Once the onions look clear, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
4. Crumbled the ground beef and chorizo into the pan with your hands and mix to combine with onions and garlic.
5. Continue to cook the meet mixture, stirring frequently, until it is cooked through (no pink remains).
6. In a small bowl, mix your dry spices. Stir with a fork to combine.
7. Once the meat has been browned, add your dry spices and mix well.
8. Next, add the tomato paste. Stir until it has all been absorbed into the meet mixture.
9. Finally, add the can of tomatoes (with the juice), beef broth, and water. Stir well.
10. Bring this to a boil, reduce your heat, and simmer for at least 2 hours.

NOTE: this recipe is almost word for word from The Clothes Make the Girl. Her blog slogan is "Train hard. Eat clean. Live loud." Now that is a philosophy I can get behind!

This is my first recipe to try from her site and if the others are anything like this, then I will probably be heading out to get her book: Well Fed: Paleo Recipes For People Who Love to Eat asap!

I did make a few changes though. First, I added the chorizo. I had some on hand that I wanted to use and honestly, I just love the flavor that a little chorizo can add to a dish. Also, I cut the water in half. I like a really thick chilli, so I didn't want to water it down too much. I kept an eye on it while simmering and made sure it wasn't so think that it started to scorch on the bottom. My advice is to know your stove top. If yours runs hot, you might want to add a bit more water just to be sure.

Bottom line - this is an AMAZING recipe (imho). It was an instant hit in our house. We had it for 2 consecutive meals and plan on including it in as many meals as possible until we hit the bottom of the bowl. We have topped it with diced red onions (yum) and sweet potato crisps (double yum) as well. If you are not strict paleo, I'd bet this would be GREAT with some grated cheese on top as well!

Tasty Taters

This one almost sounds too silly to post, but as this is truly a go-to element of my cooking, I feel the need to share it with you today.

Sweet potatoes. Nothing fancy ... just ... sweet potatoes.

Simply put, we eat a LOT of sweet potatoes.

I've never been a fan of the traditional sweet potato casserole dish you might think of when Thanksgiving rolls around. But I absolutely LOVE sweet potatoes that are served crispy and crunchy and a touch salty.


I've been known to broil them, bake them, and sometimes even fry them. But I almost always top them with a healthy sprinkle of sea salt and pepper.

Currently, my favorite way to prepare these orange beauties is to slice them into shoe strings (a good mandolin slicer is key here) and then fry them up in coconut oil.

But if deep frying is not an approved activity in your kitchen, these are just as satisfying when you slice 'em up, coat with coconut oil (or your favorite vegetable oil - we sometimes use olive oil), season 'em up, lay 'em down on a cookie sheet, and broil until you reach your desired crunchiness - which for me is achieved just a few seconds before they burn to a crisp.

So ... no elaborate ingredients or instructions, slice, coat with oil, bake/broil/fry, season, and ENJOY!

I have been known to pair this with beef, chicken, and pork. I've served them on top of a burger patty (wrapped in lettuce). Heck, I've even crumbled them up and sprinkled them on top of deviled eggs.

With this sweet and savory side, you just can't go wrong wherever you add it to your plate!