Yeah, no, that’s not a typo. This is not your average chicken divan, it’s Chicken Divine, people. It’s cheesy and starchy and warm, and even though I lightened up the America’s Test Kitchen recipe, it’s decadent. If you wanted to mess around with this and try the pre-cooked brown rice from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you could, but I wonder if it’d be starchy enough. But me? I’m not going to bother. Because the alchemy of the instant white rice (yes, you read that right, had to make a special trip to Stah Mahket for that one) and the sauce and the cheese . . . well, you better hustle up to make this before the thermometer slides back up to 50, ’cause what we have here, folks, is certified winter comfort food. Just enjoy it.

Chicken Divine (adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution Cookbook)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and the thyme and cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and smoothing out any lumps. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir the 1/2 and 1/2 and the dry mustard into the mixture in the slow cooker. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and add it to the slow cooker, coating it evenly with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Break up the chicken into bite-sized pieces with a spoon (don’t be over-zealous – the chicken will break up more as you stir in the other ingredients). Stir in the rice and cheeses, cover, and cook on high until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

Microwave the broccoli in a covered glass dish, stirring occasionally, until tender; about 3 minutes total. At this point, you can either 1) stir the broccoli into the casserole, re-cover the slow-cooker and let stand until heated through (about 5 minutes); or 2) serve up some broccoli-free casserole for your veg-haters (you KNOW who you are) and then serve up casserole atop broccoli for those of the veg persuasion.

Serves 4 generously.

A note: Fear not the 5 cloves of garlic. Remember, the slow-cooker dumbs everything down, flavor-wise. Neither D. nor I would describe this as garlicky at all, just flavorful. Besides, garlic and onions are GREAT for your immune system, and it is winter, after all.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
2. Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew
3. Slow Cooker Southwestern Chicken

Let me just preface this by saying, “I know.” I know this is not a dump-n-go slow cooker recipe, and yes, I know I bill myself as a dump-n-go kinda girl, but I think this one is worth the effort. Because although, yes, there is some pre-cooking involved (am I at shock & awe yet?), you will be richly rewarded with a stew that does not taste like it came out of your slow cooker. Nope. This is more of the “simmering all day on the stovetop in a wildly expensive Dutch oven” taste. Does this appeal to you? Read on.

Before my surgery, I decided to torture myself by picking up the America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook. Just to make myself feel bad, you know? I couldn’t resist this when I saw it at Costco – I love my Crock-Pot and am constantly looking for new, tasty material. ATK tests the hell out of every recipe, and although, yes, many of their recipes involve machinations, they are usually worth it (See, for example, cooking the apples before you put them in your apple pie crust. This is to prevent shrinkage so that your pie is filled to the brim with sweet juicy apples. Genius.).

So the other day, I embarked on this recipe with an open mind. I grumbled as I browned and cooked the veggies, but this came out great. And to bolster my case – I did all the cleanup after I got the ingredients in the Crock-Pot, so all I had to do post-dinner was load the bowls & plates into the dishwasher and wipe up. Ta-daaa!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew (adapted from the ATK Slow Cooker Revolution)

Dry the chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken on both sides. Transfer to the slow cooker. You will probably have to do this in two batches.

Add the sausage to the skillet, brown it well, and transfer it to the slow cooker.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the onions, fennel, garlic, tomato paste, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned. Add those to the slow cooker.

Lower the heat to low, and add the flour to the skillet. Stir it for about 30 seconds, and then slowly whisk in the wine/vermouth, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Whisk in 1 cup of broth, smooth out any lumps, and transfer this to the slow cooker. Stir the remaining 3 cups of broth and bay leaves into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook for 6 hours on low.

Skim the fat off the top of the stew using a large spoon and discard the bay leaves.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken back to the slow cooker, and also add the beans and kale (You will need to stir in the kale ’til wilted – it will dramatically decrease in volume. You may need additional broth here to thin the consistency of the stew). Turn the cooker up to high and let warm through, about 30 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with Parmesan (and a lot of crusty bread, if you like that sort of thing).

Serves 6 to 8.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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If you have the ingredients on hand, quiche can be a quick-prep meal that’s good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I always keep a couple of frozen one-crust pie crusts in the freezer, just in case I’m moved to do quiche. And eggs? Cheese? We always have eggs and various odds and ends of cheese. Quiche is forgiving – it’s essentially a frittata with a shell. Use whatever you have on hand for fillings, and just because most recipes call for heavy cream, doesn’t mean you can’t sub skim milk, whole milk or half-and-half, if that’s what’s in the fridge.

Bacon & Shallot Quiche

Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate, or ready a frozen crust in an aluminum plate. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the crust on top (this will catch drips and overflow and keep your oven neat).

Chop the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Place it in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until brown but not burned. Using a slotted spoon, remove it from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the shallots to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Again, using the slotted spoon, remove those to another plate lined with paper towels. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and half-and-half. Add the shallots, bacon and cheese and season with a sprinkle of salt (remember, your bacon is salty!) and the pepper.  Whisk to combine, pour into crust, and bake until center of quiche is just set, 40-45 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6.

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. Point of Clarification: “Blind Baking”
2. Riffing Off a Cooking Light Recipe
3. Chocolate Pecan Pie

Couldn’t resist that one . . . And you won’t be able to resist this easy slow-cooker chicken molé. It’s got a deep, smoky, slightly spicy flavor and is great served over rice. Pair with a crisp green salad and cuddle up for a delicious dinner that’s ready when you are.

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole (adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food)

Season the chicken with salt and place in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Place the tomatoes through the cinnamon in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the mixture to the slow cooker, cover and cook on high until chicken is tender, 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Serve chicken and sauce over rice and topped with cilantro.

Serves 6.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. Slow Cooker Taco Soup
2. It’s Time to get Crockin’ Again . . . .
3. Another Slow Cooker Soup: Escarole With Turkey Meatballs

I’m sure you’ve read the news: Dark, leafy-green veggies are great for you. I’ve heard them described as the “LBD of the vegetable world” (that’s “little black dress,” as in, they go with EVERYTHING).  Dark green leafies are one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. They’re a super source of several minerals, including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium as well as vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. In addition, leafy greens provide a number of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin and also contain small amounts of fatty acids. They’re low in carbs, and high in fiber. WHAT is not to love about them?

Well, one issue is that they can take time to prepare . . . and that’s where my new find comes in. Olivia’s Organics has put out a new line of “cooking greens” - these babies are pre-trimmed and triple washed, so you can literally open the box and dump them into whatever recipe you’re prepping. They apparently come in 5 varieties, although I’ve only seen the baby collards at my local Whole Foods.

Last night, I prepped an entire 11 oz. box of these for me and D. and we nommed them all up. So while the recipe serves 4, if you’re a greens lover, buckle in and eat up!

Baby Collards With Bacon & Onion

Set a medium-sized Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until crispy and brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon bits and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving the bacon grease in the pan. Add the onion to the pan and lower the heat to low. Fry the onion until it’s translucent. Add the collards and toss until wilted (using tongs helps here – the volume will decrease dramatically as you toss the greens with the hot oil). Add a splash of the sherry vinegar, stir, add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the bacon over the top, stir gently to incorporate, and serve!

Technically serves 4 . . . but like I said, you might love this so much you and your dining companion will eat it all . . . .

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. Greens & Ricotta Salata
2. Delicious Looking Recipe From Simply Recipes
3. Corn You’ll Want to Bathe In

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
2. Happy New Year!
3. Now What? Thanksgiving Leftover Remix!

OMG, this is so tasty, so easy . . . I thought my dear friend Lindsay made this one up – you should hear her talk about this dish – her eyes light up, her hands flutter, she smiles dreamily as she describes how easy it is and how it’s “the ultimate comfort food.” So why did it take me SO LONG to get around to making this? Dunno. What inspired me last weekend was again, my Shared Harvest CSA share. I had 5 pounds of Empire apples, beautiful leeks and fresh rosemary staring at me. How could I let this opportunity slide by?

Turns out, this was originally a Real Simple recipe . . . but to call it a recipe is overstating it. It’s a method, and you can tweak this to your needs in terms of quantity and taste. No matter what, it’s a hands-off preparation that yields a healthful dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight.

Roast Chicken With Apples & Leeks (adapted from Lindsay, who adapted it from Real Simple)

Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large roasting pan, toss the apples, leeks, rosemary, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and nestle it among the vegetables (if using skin-on, bone-in chicken, place it skin-side-up). Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the apples and leeks are tender, 40 to 45 minutes, tossing the apple and leek mixture about every 15 minutes.

Serve the chicken, apples and leeks, along with some of the pan juices, over hot cooked rice . . . and in this instance, I have to say I think white rice is better. So shoot me.

Serves 4.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. A Roast Chicken Twofer
2. Braised Cabbage With Apples & Chicken Sausage
3. Crispy Ginger-Lime Chicken

It’s been two months since my surgery, and I’m slowly coming back to myself. My strength is up, my stamina is up, and while I’d say I’m only about 80%, I can do SO MUCH MORE these days. It’s exhilarating to feel like me. To that end, I’ve been cooking again this past week. And since Saturday was the first distribution from the Shared Harvest CSA, I knew I had to get cracking in the kitchen in order use all we have.

This soup is a lip-smacking, hearty, nutritious, complete meal-in-a-bowl. The beauty of this is that it’s both forgiving and “hands-off”. If it’s taking you longer to clean your kale and your onions are done, just turn off the burner and finish your chopping. Just be sure not to chop your sweet potatoes too small, or to cook them for too long. It’s nice to have bright orange chunks of potato in this soup and otherwise, they’ll turn to mush. As always, this soup is even better day two. Serve with a really good loaf of crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Kale, Sweet Potato, and Kielbasa Soup (adapted from the LATimes)

1 large bunch curly kale, roughly chopped
2 very large sweet potatoes (or 6 small ones), peeled and cut into large bite-size chunks
3 large yellow onions, chopped
3 T. garlic, chopped
5 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
1¼ t. dried thyme
26-oz. box diced tomatoes (such as Pomi), and their juice
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
1 link fully-cooked turkey kielbasa (around 1 lb.), cut in slices 1/3” – 1/2” thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a 6-quart heavy pan or stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and then the onions and cook for about eight minutes, stirring frequently until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Pour in the chicken stock, tomatoes and their juice, thyme, bay leaves, a few grinds of pepper, kielbasa slices and the kale. Turn up the heat, bring to a boil, and then adjust heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, cover again, and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 more minutes. Remove from heat. Taste the soup and add salt or additional pepper as desired. Serve.

Serves 8-10.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. Caribbean Kale & Sweet Potato Soup
2. Kale, Kielbasa & Tortellini Soup
3. Sweet Potato Casserole

Oh, my goodness. Run – don’t walk – to your local farmstand and grab some sweet corn before it’s too late. You must, must try this recipe. It’s sweet and spicy and a little bit salty . . . has great depth of flavor from bacon. It’s worth every second it takes you to cut corn off the cob (more on that in a second). I whipped this up in very little time and served it alongside simple seared chicken breasts. D. and I both went for seconds of this stuff – don’t even trouble yourself making another side dish. A great green salad would be a great accompaniment, but really, you’re just gonna want the corn.

Sauteed Corn with Bacon and Scallions (adapted from Everyday Food)

4 slices bacon (preferably thick-cut), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 c. fresh corn kernels
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
2 to 3 scallions, sliced thinly

Supposedly serves 4, but this served 2 chowhounds with a little leftover for the mama for lunch tomorrow.

Freakin’ about getting corn off the cob? Don’t. It’s really pretty easy and once you do it, you’ll never want to buy frozen when you can get fresh in season. Shuck the corn and get as much silk off as possible. Then cut the bottom end off the corn to make it flat. Get a large bowl and place the flat end in the bowl, take a paring knife and just slice downward . . . your kernels will go willy-nilly off the cob, but they’ll land in the bowl, so you’ll be A-OK. Voila! You can use it uncooked in salads, or saute it up.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. Quinoa with Black Beans, Corn & Chipotle Lime Dressing
2. Delicious Looking Recipe From Simply Recipes
3. Wow Wow Wow White Bean Dip

Summer tomatoes . . . anything better? But bumper-crops can get you down. You don’t want to waste those goodies, do you? Sure, you can roast them, or bake up a tarte, but what about a ultra-quick weeknight dish that’ll highlight their deliciousness without breaking your back? Check out this recipe – 20 minutes from start to finish. Dinner. Is. Done.

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Pine Nuts (adapted from Everyday Food)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 garlic clove, minced (or 1 t. crushed garlic from a jar – even easier! I like Trader Joe’s)
3 T.extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. angel-hair pasta
4 T. pine nuts (beware Chinese pine nuts – they may give you “pine mouth,” a terrible metallic/bitter taste that lasts for days)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 10 minutes.  Cook pasta in boiling water according to taste; drain, and return to pot. Add tomato mixture; toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

Serves 4.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

You might also enjoy:

1. Garlic Scape Pesto
2. Expandable Side Dish: Kale & Chard with Tomato and Garlic
3. Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage