Yummy in the Tummy

About a month ago, my mother gave me a cookbook that she had recently purchased herself, and had great success with- The Looneyspoons Collection. I had tried a couple recipes at her house, and thought they were de-licious, so I was quite happy to get my hands on this book and try some out on my own. The first few I tried were quite pleasing, although I did manage to screw up a chicken recipe by taking the cheap route and using sodium-jammed chicken breasts. I do not recommend buying cheap chicken- there's a reason it looks like such a good deal. Even Clinton, who puts salt on his food regularly, was having trouble getting it down. However, the sauce on the chicken was delicious, and I will try it again.

I decided the other night to try a slowcooker recipe from the book. Thursdays I tutor right after work, and by the time I get home (after 7:00), the last thing I want to do is cook. Slowcookers are great for these kinds of evenings. You just throw everything in in the morning, and voila- dinner is ready when you get home. I wanted something that didn't require a lot of prep before going in the pot. I love making stews, soups, and spaghetti sauces, but I find there's a lot of chopping, and while I could do this the night before and just have it ready, I need to be realistic. I won't do that. So, as I sat making my grocery list earlier in the week and choosing what recipes I would like to try, I decided to go with one called "The Nutcrocker" (page 152 for anyone who has the book). It looked yummy, and required basically no work in the morning to get it ready. Before you go ahead and read this recipe, and even perhaps try it, you should probably be sure you answer "Yes" to the following:

1. Do you like Thai food?
2. Do you like peanut sauce?
3. Do you eat meat?
4. Do you own a slowcooker?

Okay, so here is the recipe- super easy. I often modify some ingredients to suit what is already in my fridge/cupboards, so I will add my modifications (not many with this recipe):

1 C medium salsa
1/3 C light peanut butter
2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate (I used non-frozen Oasis Breakfast Blend OJ)
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (I used a gluten free soy sauce that we had)
1 tbsp liquid honey
1 tbsp grated gingerroot
1/2 tsp curry powder
12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (okay, there's only 2 of us, so I used four, with bones and skin. I did not alter the amounts of any other ingredients, and there was zero sauce left in the pot when we were finished)
Chopped green onions and chopped peanuts for garnish (I had these, and forgot to use them!)

Basically, you mix everything together (except the chicken) and pour it into the slowcooker. Put the chicken in, and flip it over a couple times to be sure the top and bottom are covered in the sauce. The recipe says to cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 2 1/2-3 hours, but since I was going to work, I cooked on low for 3 hours, and then let it sit on "keep warm" for the rest of the day. It was done to perfection! The book recommends serving over basmati or coconut rice, but we used rice noodles instead.

This was sooooooo good, I just had to share it. Clinton opened the slowcooker when we got home from work to taste the sauce, and ended up eating a piece of his chicken right out of the pot! When it came time to actually sit down and eat, he regretted that, but it really was just that good. I can't fault him for that.

I recommend this to anyone who likes Thai food, or who wants to try Thai food. This will definitely become a regular in our household!