Slow cooker Crockpot Moroccan Chicken Tagine - Serves 6

  Crockpot Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Tagine - 6 servings

From: Food.com

Time: 3-7 hrs

Equipment

Large saute pan

5-6 quart slow cooker / crockpot

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into large chunks (or assorted chicken pieces, about 1.5 lb)
• 1 tbsp flour (or 2 tbsp cornflour)
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1" fresh gingerroot, peeled and minced
• 6 oz dried apricots
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 x 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 2 x 14 oz cans chickpeas (see recipe for chickpeas from scratch)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp turmeric (or 1 pinch saffron)
• 4 tsp ras el hanout spice mix (OR 1 tsp ground coriander + 1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional))
• Salt & pepper
• OPTIONAL: 2 carrots, diced small. Garnish w/ chopped cilantro

Directions

**NOTE: This recipe lists canned chickpeas in the ingredients, NOT dried! If you use dried chickpeas, you must SOAK & COOK them! See HERE.

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan/skillet & saute chopped onions & garlic for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add chicken stock & gradually mix in flour or cornflour until well mixed & not lumpy. Add honey & tomato paste & mix well.
3. Add herbs, spices & finely chopped ginger with salt & pepper to taste.
4. Finally add canned tomatoes & mix well.
5. Pour the above tomato, onion & spice mix into slow cooker or tagine.
6. Add chicken & chickpeas & mix well.
7. Add dried apricots making sure they are covered by juice. 
8. Add carrots if using
9. Give it a gentle but good stir to mix everything together well.
10. Crock Pot or Slow Cooker - For our crockpot, cook on high for about 3 hours, or 6 on low heat. Turn off the slow cooker/crockpot 
11. Remove chicken, shred/cube, and return to the crockpot. Serve with naan, rice, or cous cous.

NOTES:

• If cooking in a Traditional Tagine, do as above & cook SLOWLY over gas or barbeque for about 2-3 hours.
• Electric Tagine cooking - same as the slow cooker. If you need to thicken it up towards the end of the cooking time, add flour which has been mixed with a little water & add to the tagine - mix well.
• Serve with freshly chopped Coriander/Cilantro sprinkled on top & either with couscous, rice, fresh flat bread, pitta bread or salads. It is also good (if not traditional) served with fluffy pureed or mashed potatoes & pasta.
• You can use chicken pieces or whole chicken which has been cut up into portions, but you will then need to brown them in a frying pan or skillet beforehand. Preserved lemons make a great addition, add them when you add the apricots and carrots.

10-60 min Pasta Sauce / Marinara - Serves 4

 Adapted from Cook Fast Eat Well

 INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 3-5 cloves garlic minced or put through a garlic press
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 pat butter, about 2 teaspoons
• 1 - 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes (diced is fine, use all the juices; optional to manually crush them using a potato masher)
• Optional: 1/4 cup water 

Equipment:

• Saucepan

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the olive oil over high heat until it shimmers. Saute the onions, stirring frequently, until they soften and shine, about three minutes. The onions should sizzle and hiss as they cook. 
• Add the garlic. Stir to combine. This prevents the garlic from burning. Cook an additional two minutes. 
• Add the basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine. 
• Add the butter. Stir, cook for about a minute.
• Add 1/2 can of the crushed tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on bits. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining tomatoes. If desired, stir in 1/4 cup water. If the sauce seems too thick, add additional water.
• Allow sauce to simmer for 10 minutes to up to 1 hour. If simmering for a longer, stir the sauce occasionally and add additional water as needed to keep the sauce at the correct consistency.

Slow-cooker Tortilla Soup - Serves 6 (or 10 lunches)

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, diced (or 1 roasted chile, ie Pueblo or Hatch, with blackened parts scraped off)
• 2 boneless chick breasts (or 3 small ones); or 3 to 4 thighs w/ bones
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can Rotel: diced tomatoes w/ green chilies (OR fire roasted roasted tomatoes)
• 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 32 oz Chicken broth (4 cups)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 to 2 tsp chili powder, red or green (depending on spice level)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Optional: 15 oz can black or kidney beans (adds heartiness)

Optional Garnishes:

• Baked tortillas (six 6" corn), sliced about 1/4" to 1/2" thick
• Baked tortillas (six 6" flour)
• Cilantro
• Avocado
• Lime wedges
• Cotija (3 Tbsp) or shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Saute onion for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for another minute or two until fragrant.
2. Add chicken to the bottom of slow-cooker. Add all other ingredients on top. 
3. Cook on low 5-7 hrs, or high for 4. 
4. *About 20 minutes before it's done, make crispy tortilla strips:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400degF for corn, or 420degF for flour
2. Brush tortilla strips with oil on both sides. Slice into 1/4" strips
3. Line a baking tray with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Place tortilla strips along with a pinch of salt (tossed to combine). Bake until they are golden and crisp, about 8 to 12 minutes. 
5. When slow-cooker is done, shred chicken and return to soup. Serve with garnishes.

*ALTERNATIVE: You can fry the tortilla strips before Step #1 (and skip Step #4) by doing the following:

If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not, put them on a baking sheet and put them in an oven for 10-15 min at 200degF to dry them out a bit. Best to start with tortillas with minimal moisture. 

Cut the tortillas in half, and then cut the halves into 1/4-inch wide strips.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 3-quart pot. Working in three batches, fry the tortilla strips in the oil, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove the tortilla strips from the pan and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. You can also pre-fry the tortillas in a pan in olive or avocado oil.

Cook the onion, garlic, and jalapeno using this leftover oil in Step #1.

Empanada Fillings

For dough, please visit http://ducbeemtnccc.blogspot.com/2022/11/empanada-dough.html

INGREDIENTS

Spicy Chicken (makes ~18 -5" Empanadas):

• 1 Chicken Breast
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 1 Garlic
• 1 Poblano
• 1 Jalapeno
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 14oz can Diced Tomatoes
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• Salt
• Pinch Cumin
• Pinch Cloves (3-4 Cloves crushed)
• ½ tsp Cinnamon Ground

Mushroom (makes ~18 -5" Empanadas):

• 1 pint Mushroom of Choice (Baby Portobella)
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 1 Garlic
• 1 Carrot (thinly sliced)
• 1 Jalapeno
• 1 14oz can Diced Tomatoes
• Cheese Optional (e.g., Manchego, Mozzarella, etc.)
• 1 cups Chicken Broth
• Salt
• Pinch Cumin
• Pinch Cloves
• ½ tsp Cinnamon Ground

Spinach (makes ~18 -5" Empanadas):

• ¼ cup onion, diced
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• pinch nutmeg

Steak (makes ~18 -5" Empanadas):

• 6 - 8oz Steak
• ½ Red Onion
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• ½ Jalapeno
• 1 Teaspoon Merkén (also known as merquén)

Beef (makes ~18 -5" Empanadas):

•  4 tablespoons of butter or oil
•  1 white onion diced
•  2-3 garlic cloves crushed
•  1 tablespoon of dry oregano
•  2-3 teaspoons of ground cumin
•  2 teaspoons of annatto or achiote powder
•  1 lb ground beef
•  Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat
2. Add onion and sauté for a couple of minutes, until it becomes translucent and soft
3. Incorporate chopped garlic and sauté for about a minute until it becomes fragrant
4. Incorporate the meat and the salt and let it cook for about 8 minutes, until cooked and lightly browned
5. Pour in tomato and let it season, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes, until it has deepened its color, thickened in consistency and lost the raw flavor
6. Pour in the chicken broth or water, cumin, cloves and cinnamon
7. Stir well and let it cook 15 minutes more
8. Add remainder of the ingredient, mix well, and taste for seasoning
9. Cook for 5 more minutes (add more salt as needed)

BAKING (Once Filled):

1. Bake the empanadas in a pre-heated oven. I usually bake them at 375F-400F, the temperature will vary based on the oven and the size of the empanadas. I bake the smaller sized empanadas at 375F. The baking time also varies (again based on the oven and size), but it’s in the range of 18-25 minutes – the empanadas will be ready once they are golden.