Thursday, March 10, 2016

HERE CHICKIE, CHICKIE...



I don't know about you but I can always use a new chicken recipe and was thrilled to have my daughter share this new one with us. It even comes with a variation.  A definite winner from EATINGWELL.






INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon (turkey/beef bacon)
1 lg onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
t dried thyme
1 fennel seeds
t freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 c dry white wine (see Tip)
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, with juice, coarsely chopped
t salt
10 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 3/4 lbs), skin removed, trimmed
1/4 c finely chopped fresh parsley

PREPARATION

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp (~ 4 min)
Drain on paper towel. Crumble when cool.
Drain off all but 2 T fat from pan. 
Add onion, medium heat, stirring, until softened (3-6 min). 
Add garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaf.
Cook 1 min. 
Add wine, boil for 2 minutes, scraping browned bits. 
Add tomatoes and their juice and salt; stir well.
Place chicken in 4-qt (or larger) slow cooker. 
Sprinkle bacon over chicken. 
Pour tomato mixture over chicken. 
Cover and cook until chicken's tender, about 3 hours on High or 6 hours on Low. 
Remove bay leaf.
 Serve sprinkled with parsley.

*Variation

Turn 2 c each of leftover chicken and sauce into Braised Chicken Gumbo. 
Heat 1 T extra-virgin olive oil in large saucepan over medium. 
Add 1 diced med red or green bell pepper and 2T all-purpose flour. Cook, stir, until pepper softens and the flour's golden brown~2 min.
Add 2 c shredded chicken
2 c sauce
2 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 c sliced okra (fresh or frozen, thawed)
3/4 c instant brown rice (see Tip) 
1/8-1/4 t cayenne pepper 
Bring to boil. 
Reduce heat,  simmer until flavors meld and okra's tender ~10 min.

TIPS & NOTES 

Make Ahead Tip: 
Prepare Steps 1 & 2, cover and refrigerate bacon and sauce separately for up to 1 day. 
To finish, bring sauce to simmer and continue with Step 3.
The cooked chicken and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. 

Equipment: 4-quart or larger slow cooker

Tip: If you want to use rice that's not “instant,” stir in 1 c of any leftover cooked rice instead/ Or, if you have time, add 1/2 c of quicker-cooking whole-grain rice (such as Bhutanese red rice or Kalijira rice) and additional  1 1/4 c chicken broth before adding
okra. 
Cook until rice is almost tender, ~25 minutes (or according to package instructions)
Add okra, simmer until tender.

Tip: If you prefer, substitute 1 c reduced-sodium chicken broth mixed with 1 T fresh lemon juice for wine.

For easy cleanup, try a slow-cooker liner. These heat-resistant, disposable liners fit neatly inside insert and help prevent food from sticking to bottom and sides of slow cooker.

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