Creamy Country Chicken & Veg (Slow cooker, GF, DF, WF)

This recipe is so simple and yet truly hits the mark when wanting a satisfying and wholesome dinner.

Creamy Country Chicken & Veg (Slow cooker, GF, DF, WF)

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts
1kg Chopped fresh Seasonal Veg (I bought a prepared bag at my grocer containing Baby marrows, patty pans, carrots and cauliflower)
2 Stock cube
3C Water
1 Clove crushed garlic
10ml Mixed Herbs
15ml Maizena (cornflour)
1C cold water
6 tsp Cremora (or other dairy substitute)

Method:
1. Season the breasts with Salt and pepper, place in the Slow cooker (from now on SC)
2. Pour the veggies in top
3. In a cup of hot water, dissolve the stock cube and stir in the garlic and herbs. Pour this over everything
4. Switch the SC on to HIGH for 3 hours.

LATER...
5. Remove the chicken pieces and shred the meat. Discard the bones and skin.
6. Dissolve the Maizena in 1C cold water.
7. Remove 2C broth and pour into a small saucepan on the stove.
8. Add the Cremora and stir well.
9. Add the Maizena mixture and stir while it thickens. Taste test and season again if necessary.
10. Now put everything back into the SC and stir it all in gently.
11. Serve generous portions on a bed of rice.

Serves: 6-8

How the time flies!

I cannot believe that it has been almost 2 years since my last blog post! Well Hello! Time to get re-acquainted and re-focused. My kids have been doing a lot of growing up over these 2 years, we now have a teen in the house! She has also hung up her ballet pointe shoes, and is now revelling in her horse riding! Our second daughter is a true dancer through and through and cannot get enough of her ballet or her friends there. She also LOVES spending time in the kitchen and is a real entrepreneur. And our Last born son is a Cub at the Knysna Sea scouts who loves Mine-craft and is learning to program his own mods. They aren't my babies any more!

These days our lives can become so busy, rushing from here to there with little time to think ahead about preparing dinner. That needs to change in my house, urgently. My family's health is important to me, and what better way to show motherly love than to bless them with a delicious wholesome home-cooked meal at the end of a busy and full day.

At the moment my slow cooker is my new best friend. I've been experimenting with new recipes and I cannot get over how simple and easy cooking can be with a little planning and a few minutes in the kitchen in the morning... And the aromas that greet us at the door after a busy day are so welcoming and rewarding! 

So if you'd like to journey along with me and my Slow cooker and bless yourself and your family with delicious and easy meals, then it's time to get yourself a Slow cooker, or find the old one deeply stashed away in your pantry and give it a prime spot on your kitchen counter!

I'll be posting what I've been up to soon!

Day 9 - Beef Bourguignon

This recipe for Beef Bourguignon (also known as Beef Burgundy) is my adapted version, the original is from the Pick n Pay web site. It makes a mouth watering, tender and tasty Beef Stew. It get's the name Burgundy from the red wine. The original recipe uses a whole bottle or Red, but I've tweaked the recipe a bit. I love making this in my slow cooker, the amazing aroma teases us all day!

Photo Credit: Pick n Pay

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:
350 ml Shiraz (red wine)
750kg Stewing beef, cubed
60ml Olive oil
4 Fat garlic cloves, crushed
8 Bacon rashers, diced (optional)
4 Celery sticks, sliced
10 Peeled pickling onions
7 Carrots, peeled and sliced
410g can tomatoes
1C Beef stock
3 Thyme sprigs
1 Rosemary sprig
2 Bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
250g Baby mushrooms

Method:
1. Pour wine into a bowl, add stewing beef, cover and marinate overnight.
2. Drain and set liquid aside.
3. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan, Sauté garlic, bacon, celery, onions and carrots for 3-4 minutes.
4. Transfer this to the slow cooker, switch it on.
5. Using the remaining oil, fry meat in batches until browned and also put into the Slow cooker.
6. Pour wine, tomatoes, herbs and stock into the Slow cooker. Add salt and pepper t taste.
7. Cook on High for 5 hours
8. Add mushrooms and cook for another hour.
9. Serve with mashed potatoes or on a bed or rice.

Serves 6