Slow Cooker Tacos

3 large or 6 normal sized boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar of salsa
1 packet (1/4C) taco seasoning

Place all in crock pot and cook for 6-8 hours on low (4-5 on high). Remove chicken and shred with a fork. Return to crock pot until heated through and serve on tortilla wraps with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, cheese and sour cream

Fragrant Chicken Curry

3 T oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cl garlic, crushed
1 T Red Thai Curry paste
4 oz creamed coconut
4 C coconut milk
2 lemon grass stalks
6 lime leaves (or lime zest)
2/3 C plain greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)
2 T apricot jam
1 cooked chicken approx 3 - 3 1/2 lbs (or equivalent boneless skinless breasts, cooked)

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat for 5-10 mins until soft. Stir in the red curry paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the creamed coconut and coconut milk, then add lemon grass, lime, yogurt and apricot jam. Stir well, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and leave to cool slightly. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and process until a smooth puree, then strain it back into the rinsed out pan, set aside while you prepare chicken.

Cut chicken into bite size pcs, and add to sauce, bring sauce to simmer again, and season with salt & Pepper. Garnish with lime leaves, shredded coconut and cilantro/coriander. Serve over Jasmice rice.

Chicken Marsala

2 cl garlic, finely chopped
1 T vegetable oil
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
8 to 12oz of canned sliced mushrooms, drained
1 C sweet marsala wine OR 1 C dry cooking sherry
1/2 C water OR chicken broth
1/4 C cornstarch
3 T fresh chopped parsley

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, place garlic and oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; place in cooker over garlic. Place mushrooms over chicken, pour wine over all.
Cover, cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours
Remove chicken from cooker. In small bowl, mix water or broth and cornstarch until smooth, stir into liquid in cooker. Increase setting to high. Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
Return chicken to cooker. Cover, cook on high heat 5 minutes longer or until chicken is hot.

Serve with rice or noodles, spoon sauce and mushrooms over chicken. Garnish with parsley

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

From: Lindsey Williams

1 C  chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 T butter
4 T flour
1 quart half and half
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C carrots, finely shredded
1 C onion, finely diced
1 C fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese – optional
1 pound potato gnocchi – can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets
 
Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter, when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

Into the roux add in the carrots, celery, and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings.

Comments about this recipe: You can add more chicken if you like. While you could use left over cooked chicken breasts, I really think using the rotisserie chicken that are found in many grocery stores is the best way to get the optimal flavor of this soup. If you want to make the soup lower calorie you can use milk instead of half and half. Half and Half, does taste better, and it also reheats better than milk does.