Recipe: Slow Cooker Kebsa in Dakkous

I'm fond of converting recipes to slow cooker recipes. Here, I've combined kebsa, a traditional Saudi dish made with chicken and exotic spices, and dakkous (a flavorful tomato sauce served with kebsa) into one recipe, making it fast and easy to prepare.

Kebsa is traditionally served with rice made from the poaching broth used to cook the chicken, so if you'd like to enjoy your kebsa with rice, I suggest preparing the rice using chicken broth instead of water.

You can enjoy kebsa as is (as in the picture), in a sandwich, or served on rice or mashed potatoes, but my favorite way to enjoy it is on a pita, like an individual pizza. It's hardly traditional, especially if you add cheese, but it's delicious!

Slow Cooker Kebsa in Dakkous

Ingredients:

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (4-ounce) can mild green chiles
1/2 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins

Directions:

Combine tomatoes, paste, chiles, onion, coriander, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in slow cooker. Add chicken and cook on LOW 4 - 6 hours, until chicken is cooked through.

Recipe: Hot Spiced Cider

While this recipe isn't especially unusual, it's incredibly popular with guests when I serve it, so I'd like to share it with you. It's one of my favorites for get-togethers, because it's made in the slow cooker. So, I can prepare it in advance, and it's ready for company when they arrive...and it fills the house with the aroma of spices, too!

When I make it for company, I use apple juice, but when I prepare it for myself, I use a sugar-free apple juice drink mix. I'm okay with sugar substitutes, and it's a calorie-free holiday option.

Hot Spiced Cider

Ingredients:

8 cups (2 quarts) apple juice
3 (3") cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
3 allspice berries
1/2 orange, thickly sliced
1/2 lemon, thickly sliced
Brandy or rum (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on HIGH until boiling. Reduce heat to LOW. If desired, add a splash of brandy or rum to each glass before serving.

Recipe: Indian Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

It's that time of year when recipes for sweet potatoes abound! I love sweet potatoes, and I'll be sharing more of my faves as the month progresses. I've made this recipe on the stove top and in the pressure cooker, but I usually make it in the slow cooker: It's fast and easy, and fills the house with the exotic spices of India. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend; I strongly suggest using Rani's, which you can find online at www.ranifoods.com.

Indian Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

Ingredients:

1 (29-ounce) can sweet potatoes, drained
1 (14-ounce) can reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly slice
2 tablespoons bottled minced ginger
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground four-peppercorn seasoning
2 dashes ground cayenne
1 (10-ounce) package spinach
1 pound chicken tenderloins

Directions:

Combine sweet potatoes, broth, onion, ginger, garlic, garam masala, peppercorn, and cayenne in slow cooker. Add tenderloins and cook on LOW for 2 - 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Chunk tenderloins using two forks. Add spinach and cook briefly, until spinach wilts.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

We're headed to the Renaissance Faire tomorrow! -- and we're excited to share many of our favorite Spanish choreographies tomorrow, so it's no surprise I'm thinking about mole. Mole is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Given my sweet tooth, that's not surprising: Mole incorporates cocoa powder and sugar. That also makes mole the perfect recipe for Halloween -- a little chocolate in my dinner makes it easier to steer clear of all the candy and treats! I use the slow cooker to prepare mole, which makes this a terrific recipe if you're hosting a party or headed out to celebrate the evening.

My husband was reluctant to try my take on mole because his mother and aunts prepared mole that was more sweet than spicy. Mole is typically a high-fat dish, too. I've eliminated nearly all of the fat, and struck a balance between sweet, spicy, and savory flavors, so my husband and I can both enjoy mole. !Buen provecho!

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Ingredients:

1 (1 1/2 ounce) package dried pasilla, mulato, or ancho chiles
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins

Directions:

Remove stems from chiles, if necessary. Combine chiles and tomato sauce in blender, and puree until chiles are well-integrated into sauce.

Pour sauce into slow cooker. Add cornmeal, cocoa powder, sugar, garlic, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves, and stir to combine. Place chicken on top of sauce. Cook on LOW setting 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Kebsa in Dakkous

I'm fond of converting recipes to slow cooker recipes. Here, I've combined kebsa, a traditional Saudi dish made with chicken and exotic spices, and dakkous (a flavorful tomato sauce served with kebsa) into one recipe, making it fast and easy to prepare.

Kebsa is traditionally served with rice made from the poaching broth used to cook the chicken, so if you'd like to enjoy your kebsa with rice, I suggest preparing it using chicken broth instead of water.

You can enjoy kebsa as is (as in the picture), in a sandwich, or served on rice or mashed potatoes, but my favorite way to enjoy it is on a pita, like an individual pizza. It's hardly traditional, especially if you add cheese, but it's delicious!

Slow Cooker Kebsa in Dakkous

Ingredients:

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (4-ounce) can mild green chiles
1/2 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins

Directions:

Combine tomatoes, paste, childes, onion, coriander, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in slow cooker. Add chicken and cook on HIGH 4 - 6 hours, or on LOW 6 - 8 hours, until chicken is cooked through.