Slow Cooker Savoury Chicken

I don’t know how it happens sometimes but I find an ingredient in my fridge or pantry and wonder how it got there. That’s how I stumbled across this Slow Cooker Savoury Chicken.

 

I would never have bought it. I know I sometimes get ingredients from family, friends or neighbours when they can’t use them. Why not? If they don’t want them, save them going to waste, I take them. (My sister is often cleaning out her pantry so I take what she can’t use.)

I can’t remember exactly where or when I got this jar of breakfast marmalade. We’re not really toast eaters here other than for Vegemite on toast. This marmalade was never going to get used on toast so I wondered how else I could use.

I remember I made this 4 Ingredient Apricot Chicken using just apricot jam so I thought I’d try the marmalade in a slow cooker chicken dish. Marmalade isn’t very sweet so it actually made the dish taste quite savoury.

 

I used up some red capsicum I had plus sliced an onion and put them on the bottom of the slow cooker.

 

Next, I put the chicken legs in a plastic bag with a couple tablespoons of plain flour, salt and pepper and made sure they were well coated. As the chicken cooks, the flour will help create the sauce.

 

In a bit of extra virgin olive oil, fry the chicken legs until golden. You don’t have to do this but I think frying the meat before putting in the slow cooker helps add a nice flavour. They’re now making slow cookers with a browning plate built in. When my slow cookers eventually go, I’ll make sure I get one of those.

 

Put the chicken in the slow cooker with 1 cup of chicken stock, the marmalade and set and forget. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

 

Serve on top of rice, pasta or mashed potato as I did with a side of vegetables. What a warm, hearty, tasty meal this was and one I’ll remember. I may even need to buy marmalade all the time now. You can use any meat like pork or turkey or any kind of marmalade. You can use other kinds of jams as well but they might be a little sweeter than this dish was. Never look past those hard to use ingredients. You can always find a use for them in some way.

 

Recipe

• chicken legs or thighs (or pork, turkey)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 capsicum, diced (or other vegetables like carrot, sweet potato etc)
• 1/2 cup breakfast marmalade (or other flavoured marmalade)
• 2 tbs plain flour, for dredging
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock

1. Add the sliced onion and red capsicum to the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. In a plastic bag, add flour, salt and pepper and the chicken and toss until well coated.
3. In a pan, add the olive oil and brown the chicken until golden.
4. Add to the slow cooker.
5. In the cup of chicken stock, add marmalade and stir well until mixed through and add to the slow cooker.
6. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours or until chicken is cooked through. (This recipe can be cooked in the oven or the stove top.)
7. Serve with mashed potato, pasta or rice and a side of vegetables.

 

Easy One Pot Savoury Rice

I’m always trying to think of different side dishes to serve with the main meals but I’m usually limited to what I have on hand. I don’t want to go out and buy something in particular that will compliment the meal but rather use what might be nearing it’s use by date. In this case I had a glut of tomatoes that the skin was starting to shrivel on so I came up with this easy One Pot Savoury Rice. It’s going to be a standard on our menu because it was delicious and easy and I’ve nearly always got the ingredients on hand.

I never used to like tomatoes as a child but I love them now and usually go through at least a kilo a week, even if it’s using them on bread or in a salad, winter or summer. When the skin starts to shrivel, they are always bound for a pot of pasta sauce or similar.

Start by chopping the tomatoes roughly. Doesn’t matter what they look like. They will be cooked down anyway.

Fry a chopped onion in a little olive oil.

Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer gently until they become part of the sauce. Add 1 cup of chicken (or whatever) stock, garlic, salt and pepper.

This is where the easy part comes in. Whenever I cook rice for a meal, I usually triple or quadruple the amount I cook. It allows me to have ready made, cooked rice on hand. I pop a 4 person serving of cooked rice in a ziplock bag and freeze. It just cuts out so much time when preparing a meal. It’s great for stir fries on a busy week night. I just need to chop all the meat and vegetables and pop the rice in a bowl and cover with hot water from the kettle. It will defrost within minutes and if needed, you can heat for an extra minute in the microwave. I don’t usually bother because the heat from the stir fry will usually heat up the rice enough.

This is so, so lazy, but it works. I just popped the frozen ‘slab’ of rice straight into the pot. Within minutes it was defrosted and it really only needs heating up because the rice is cooked. 

What you do want to happen is for the liquid from the tomato and onion mixture to be soaked into the rice, which does happen in a few more minutes. While this is happening, you can prepare a quick salad and grill your meat.

I certainly won’t win any awards for traditional cooking methods but this comes out very similar to risotto in texture, it’s fresh tasting and compliments any meal.

On this particular night, I had marinated chicken breasts which were flash fried and served with dressed lettuce leaves. I swear it took all of 15 minutes to cook the whole meal. So, so easy. I’m all about cooking easy lately and always trying to prep a lot of the ingredients to avoid takeaway but also to still not waste any ingredients in my pantry or fridge while still serving tasty meals. I’ve been run off my feet with my new job, I’m exhausted at the end of the day but sitting down to meals like this are always satisfying. Hope you give it a try. You could flavour it with any other spices to compliment the meal you’re having for example Mexican spices with burritos or enchiladas.

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Easy One Pot Savoury Rice

A very easy, one pot savoury rice, similar to risotto, that is made from tomatoes that are starting to turn and precooked rice.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Author Anne

Ingredients

• 3-4 to matoes chopped
• 1-2 cups cooked rice
• 1 medium onion chopped
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup stock I used chicken
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Chop tomatoes and onion.
2. Fry onion in a little olive oil.
3. Add chopped tomatoes.
4. Simmer gently until tomatoes have dissolved.
5. Add stock, garlic and salt and pepper.
6. Add cooked rice (mine was frozen and I popped it in still frozen).
7. Cook until liquid has been absorbed by the rice (approx 10 minutes).
8. Serve with grilled meat and salad.

Recipe Notes

Add different seasonings, herbs and spices to compliment the meal, eg add cumin, dried coriander and chilli powder for a Mexican version.

Sweet or savoury fritters

I have a bit of a running joke in our house. My extra fussy daughter always has to ask what the ingredients are in the food I make. In just about every case my answer is flour, eggs, milk and butter. It’s funny because if you have those ingredients in your pantry/fridge you can make just about anything including fritters.

I was particularly tired one evening and wondered what on earth we could have for dinner. Other than making baked beans on toast I came up with the idea to make apple fritters. A bit like a doughnut but with a slice of apple inside and then rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Let me tell you they were exactly like that and just delicious with a bit of ice cream. I didn’t win any points with the nutritionists but sure did win points with my son. My fussy daughter did have her regular Vegemite sandwich when we’re having an easy dinner.

I had batter left over so kept it in the fridge for the following night and added chopped ham and a small tin of corn and we had savoury fritters with a salad. I used to make a bulk batch of a pancake recipe that easily adapts to a fritter recipe so I could have sweet or savoury fritters at short notice.

You can add whatever you like to a fritter. For sweet, chop the fruit or keep it whole like a banana and just dip the whole banana into the batter. For savoury, add any meat or vegetable. 

And as for flour, eggs, milk and butter you can make an omelette, scrambled eggs, frittata, French toast (if you have bread, rolls, fruit bread, croissants, bagels). You can make cake, biscuits, scones, damper, custard or you can have a piece of toast. I love having a well stocked pantry.

This is a basic fritter batter recipe from www.taste.com.au but I use the one from my high school text book.

Bacon & Corn Savoury Slice

I’ve been so used to cooking a ‘normal’ meal for 1 plus 2 small extra meals for the little people in the house. One for an extremely fussy eater and the other meal made up of a bit of mine and a bit of the fussy one’s. I’ve always known my son’s been a good eater but just didn’t think about giving him what I had until he asks for it each time. Of course he doesn’t ask for the spicy stuff but I’ve started branching out, or going back to some old recipes, to use up what I’ve got and to introduce him to new flavours and textures.

This recipe is your basic Zucchini Slice. I didn’t have any zucchini so substituted it with a can of creamed corn. I should’ve cooked it in a smaller pan so it was a bit thicker. It didn’t matter though. It tasted great and will be a great filler for my son’s lunch box as well. I love cooking for people who will eat my food. I’m looking forward to trying some of these old family favourites for, well, my family. This would also make a great dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch or snacks and made in a slice pan like I did or in a muffin pan. This would freeze well too.

Bacon & Corn Savoury Slice

• 4 bacon rashers, chopped finely
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Fry bacon and onion until bacon just browned.
2. Add flour to beaten eggs and mix well.
3. Add bacon/onion mixture, grated cheese and oil and mix well.
4. Pour into a slice pan lined with baking paper and bake in a 170 deg C oven until browned on top (approx 25 mins).
5. Serve with potato wedges and salad or vegetables.

Anchovy, Caramelised Onion & Tomato Tart

With the last of the anchovies I had in the fridge, I decided to whip up this easy as pie (or tart in this case) Anchovy, Caramelised Onion & Tomato Tart. I love having puff pastry in the freezer because you can always make these things in a flash.

All I did was fry off some sliced onions in a dash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, topped the pastry, made a ‘noughts and crosses’ type pattern with the anchovy fillets and topped with a half of a Roma tomato. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and bung it in the oven.

I served it with some dressed salad greens and that was lunch. I love anchovies and this was a delicious way to use them up. You can check out some other ways to use them up from my Mystery Ingredient Monday post earlier this week.

Anchovy, Caramelised Onion & Tomato Tart

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3-4 egg Roma tomatoes, cut in half
• extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 175 deg C. Prepare baking try with baking paper and place sheet of puff pastry on baking tray.
2. Fry sliced onions in olive oil with a dash of balsamic vinegar. When soft, allow to cool slightly and then spoon onto puff pastry.
3. Place anchovy fillets onto onions in a ‘noughts and crosses’ pattern.
4. Place half a tomato inside each square.
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until pastry is golden brown.
6. Serve with salad greens.

Savoury Bread & Butter Pudding

This is one of those quick ‘throw together’ type meals that can be made with whatever you have on hand which is exactly what I needed last night after a chaotic day at home. My boy was home sick from Kindy with a bad cough which seems to be going around. He’s had it for a couple weeks now and it’s just not going away. I wasn’t up for much cooking after trying to keep him occupied all day and trying to get my housework done and I failed on all counts. This dish is great for a Sunday night quick supper, served with soup as a starter and you’ve got a hearty meal.

Savoury Bread & Butter Pudding

Leftover bread of any sort, ie sliced bread, bread rolls, croissants, bagels, sour dough etc
Eggs (depending on the size of the dish and the number of people – I used 3 for the dish above)
1 cup of milk (or more if you’re using more eggs)
1 cup grated cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt & pepper
butter
bacon/ham
tomatoes, capsicum or any other vegies you want to throw in (I didn’t use any as I served Brocolli & Cauliflower soup for dinner as well)

Spread butter on bread and cut or break up into quarters or pieces. Layer in a greased baking dish. Mix together beaten eggs, milk and mustard. Sprinkle chopped ham or cooked bacon (plus chopped vegies) over bread. Pour over egg mixture which has been seasoned with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in a 180 deg C oven for approx 20 minutes or until egg mixture has set and cheese has melted.

Lovely soft gooey egg bread and crunchy bits on top. Serve with a salad or vegies if desired.