Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

I made this for dinner yesterday. It was delicious and kid approved!!!

Ingredients:

One onion
One whole chicken, giblets removed
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

I always use lemon too. If it's small enough that it fits in the crockpot than 1 lemon is enough. I cut it in half and then put 2 quarters in the chicken, and slice the remaining half and lay it all over the top.

Quarter the onion and place it in the bottom of the crock pot. Remove giblets from chicken, and rinse and dry it. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the spices. Rub over the entire chicken. Place the chicken on top of the onions in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. You'll know it's done when the chicken is falling off the bone.

Quinoa, to rinse or not to rinse?

I LOVE Quinoa. It is so versatile and healthy and pretty easy to cook with, BUT, the one question that I have asked my self over and over again is in regards to rinsing it!!! “Do I really have to do that?” Turns out you do!!! This is not the step to skip when looking for mom corners to cut.

The part of Quinoa that we eat is actually a seed! This seed has been a high-protein mainstay in South America since long before Machu Picchu. Ok, so now you know it’s a seed but do you know why we’re supposed to rinse it and, more importantly, if we really have to?

Quinoa has a natural bitter coating of saponins (which has a soapy taste to it!). Saponins are a class of chemical compounds found in particular abundance in various plant species. Its natures way of preventing the birds from eating the seeds and can be mildly toxic to some people. The saponins dissolve when quinoa is rinsed.

“Unless the box specifically says that it’s been pre-rinsed, yes, you do still need to rinse quinoa,” Alejandra Ramos, the writer-cook behind Always Order Dessert said in n interview. “Not all brands do this automatically so you can’t assume.” Even when it has been rinsed, our experts want us to do it again.

The good news is that it’s fairly easy to rinse. The easies way is to rinse quinoa is in a fine mesh strainer. Just pour the dried quinoa in and hold it under cold running water, using your hands to stir. Let it drain right in the strainer while you measure your water or stock and then dump it in!!!

So, long story short, RINSE and ENJOY!

Creamy Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole

We made this delicious recipe the other night for dinner. The entire family enjoyed it….even our four year old. We have found that the trick with a new recipe is to get her to help! Not only does she love helping in the kitchen, but then she is excited to eat her creation!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk (I used skim)
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ½ cup flour
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• ¼ cup cooked, crumbled bacon (optional… sort of)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons seasoning (like Emeril’s Essence (my recipe is here) or any basic blend you like)
• ¼ cup shredded Gruyere cheese (any kind will work)
• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and generously grease a 9×13 baking dish (seriously, be generous because it really really sticks to the sides). Bríng the chícken broth and ½ cup mílk to a low boil in a saucepan. Whisk the other ½ cup milk wíth the poultry seasoning and flour; add the mixture to the boiling liquid and whisk until a smooth creamy sauce forms.
2. Assembly: in a large bowl, mix the sauce from step one, one cup water, quinoa, and bacon and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. 
3. Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips and lay the chicken breasts strips over the top of the quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with the seasoning. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
   
   
4. Broccoli: While the casserole is in the oven, place the broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute until it turns bright green and then run under cold water. Set aside.
5. Bake: Remove the casserole from the oven, check the mixture by stirring it around in the pan, and if needed, cover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. When the quinoa and chicken are cooked, add the broccoli and a little bit of water (up to one cup) until the consistency is creamy and smooth and you can stir it up easily in the pan. Top with the cheese and bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or just long enough to melt the cheese.

Cajun Shrimp Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs. butter
• 1 Tbs. Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound medium (or extra-large!) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Hass avocados
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs (or more to your liking) fresh lemon juice
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Melt half the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add 1/2 Tbs. of the Cajun seasoning to the butter. Stir it all in. Let it bloom and fall in love. Add half the shrimp and sear on one side for 2 minutes. Flip and sear another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the remaining butter and Cajun seasoning. Bloom for a second, then add the remaining shrimp. Sear her up, you know the drill. Set shrimp aside.
3. Half each avocado and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh into a big bowl. Add the red bells, scallion, onions, lemon zest and juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash it all together with your fork, until it’s smooth, but still good and chunky. Taste it. BIGGIDY.
4.  Add salt and pepper and more lemon juice to your liking.
5. Serve with the Cajun shrimp!