Kids Dish

I had no intention of posting this recipe for two reasons:

1. It was not an especially easy dish to make
2. My kid refused to eat it.

Let me start with number one. The dish requires that you start the chicken and the vegetables on the stove top and transfer them to the slow cooker later. After cooking for three hours you’re then supposed to add more to the slow cooker and cook for another hour. Then you’re supposed to remove the chicken from the slow cooker, whisk flour to some stock, add that to the slow cooker and cook it for another half hour. Why bother using the slow cooker if you have to do all of that work? With all of the additions/subtractions you might as well just cook it in a dutch oven and have one less pot to clean.

Then there’s number two. My kid said, “I don’t like chicken.” Then he said, “I don’t like chickpeas.” Then he wanted to eat the flour. He even refused to eat the quinoa I served with the chicken. For dinner he ate a carrot.

But then, later, he was hungry. And not only did he eat the chicken, he ate the chickpeas, the apricots and the onions. Then he ate more chickpeas and more onions. And some quinoa for good measure. So here’s the recipe. I’ve adapted it for a dutch oven, but I’ll add slow cooker directions at the end for those of you who are gluttons for punishment.

2 teaspoons hot paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into 8 pieces (or 3-4 lbs of just chicken thighs and legs, the dark meat is more flavorful)
Salt

6 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, chopped

3 1/2 cups chicken stock (reserve half a cup)
1 cup apricots cut in half
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Pat dry and salt and pepper the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides in oil in a dutch oven for about ten minutes.
2. Remove the chicken to a plate and add the onions and spices to the dutch oven and cook until soft, about five minutes more.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about 15 seconds.
4. Pour three cups of stock into the dutch oven and scrape up the brown bits.
5. Add the apricots and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer.
6. Put the chicken back in the pot, add the chickpeas, bring back to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
7. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
8. Whisk the flour with the remaining stock and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened, and the sauce no longer tastes like flour.
9. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, parsley and cilantro. Serve the chicken and the vegetables over couscous or rice. (I used quinoa)

For the slow cooker follow steps 1-5, only remove the chicken to the slow cooker and pour the simmering stock over the chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add the chickpeas and cook for one hour more. Follow steps 7 and 8 only add the flour mixture to the slow cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients and serve.

I’ve been trying to clean out my freezer to make room for Thanksgiving and I found a little more than a pound of stew meat from my buying club and a little less than a quarter of a pound of lamb tenderloin butt. I don’t know what to do with lamb tenderloin butt, especially since it’s such a small amount. And it doesn’t help that the fact that it’s called “butt” just makes me giggle like a nine year old boy. I decided I may as well combine the two and make a big pot of beef stew.

Beef stew is pretty easy to prepare, it just takes a long time to cook. If you like to use a slow cooker, you can do the prep either the night before or the morning of, and let it cook all day. I just cook mine on the stove, but I keep telling myself that I’ll use the slow cooker one of these days.

Beef Stew

Ingredients
* 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 pounds stew meat (you can buy stew meat or buy chuck and cut it into cubes)
* 1 large onion, chopped (I used leeks because I had them)
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 6 large potatoes, peeled and diced (I don’t peel mine)
* 6 carrots, sliced ( I used two handfuls of baby carrots)
* 2 bay leaves
* 3 stalks celery, sliced (I omitted this because I didn’t have any)
* 3 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth (I used 3 cups homemade turkey stock and a can of beer)
Optional
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon cold water

1. In a large pot or dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat. In a resealable plastic bag mix together the flour, salt and pepper. Add a small handful of meat at a time and shake until well coated; brown in hot oil, about 1 minute per side. Remove the browned meat and continue until all the meat is browned.
2. Lower heat to medium and add onions. Brown onions on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add garlic to pot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the onions and garlic from pot and set aside. Drain excess fat from pot.
3. To pot add potatoes, carrots, celery, reserved onions, browned meat, bay leaf and broth. Stir all together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. For a thicker broth: 1/2 hour before stew is done, combine 3 tablespoons flour and water in a small bowl and mix well, then slowly stir mixture into stew.

For the slow cooker

Personally I think it’s worth browning the beef, but if you’re pressed for time you can omit that step. Put the beef in the slow cooker, pour in the flour mixture, and stir to combine. Stir in the remaining ingredients and follow the cooking time above.

If you don’t like beef, get yourself into a Thanksgiving frame of mind by trying this crockpot turkey roast recipe.

My girls love soup. It’s easy to make and the epitome of comfort food. And fish chowder is a terrific warm weather or cool weather food unlike some soups that just feel very weather specific (I, for one, can only eat chili during football season).

Serve it up with oyster crackers, biscuits or corn sticks.

Yum, and good for you, too!

Fish Chowder

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 stalks celery, chopped with tops removed
2 T tomato paste
1 pound fresh white fish, cut into chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 whole red pepper, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
dash salt
pinch black pepper
2 c water (or fish stock, if you have it)
1 1/2 c tomato juice
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, saute the onion, garlic and celery and saute until onions are transparent and tender. Stir in the tomato paste and fish, mix to coat. Add the rest of the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Slowly add water, tomato juice and Worcestershire. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for at least one hour.