What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken

A few minutes of prep time and a couple of hours in the slow cooker is all it takes to make this delicious recipe for Honey Soy Chicken. 

And then it was 2017. Oof! Question: Am I the only person in the world that didn't start a Whole 30 on January 2nd? Because by the looks of my instagram and blog feeds, I appear to be the only one.

I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to start the year off with a post about healthy salads or green juices, but I'm more of an ease-into-the-healthy-eating-in-the-new-year kind of girl. Even if I'm totally in the oy-I-ate-too-much-over-the-holidays camp. After a week spent out of town visiting family in Georgia and Michigan, I was definitely ready to hit up large plates of greens for several meals upon our return to Northern Wisconsin. (I may not have been as excited to trade Georgia's 65+ degree temperatures for our sub-freezing weather, though there's a chance I also may have complained about it being too hot the entire time we were down south.)

That's not to say this recipe for slow cooker honey soy chicken is an unhealthy choice ... it's actually quite wholesome and delicious. And perfect for eating on a cold winter's night ... which appears to be in our forecast as I think I spied a high of -2 for this Thursday. Urgh.

Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken (printer-friendly version)
makes four servings

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
sesame seeds, for garnish
1 cup cooked rice, for serving

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the diced onion, minced garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, toasted sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry and place in the slow cooker. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Add the honey-soy mixture and gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour and 30 minutes or cook on low for 3 hours and 30 minutes. After the chicken is cooked, remove from the slow cooker and shred. Add the water to the cornstarch and stir to make a slurry. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Place the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
3. Serve over rice. Garnish the chicken with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.

(adapted from this Damn Delicious recipe)

What's For Dinner: Honey Dijon Chicken Breasts

And, voila! Here is the first dish baked in my new oven. My new oven that actually heats to the temperature you set it to -- and stays there! A miracle, indeed. (Technology!) Perhaps a honey Dijon chicken breast isn't the most exciting or innovative inaugural dish -- but I can assure you it was mighty delicious. I suppose I have plenty of time to cook more extravagant meals in my new oven, right? As per my MO, this chicken dish is super-simple to put together and is ready to be put on the table in less than 30 minutes, making it an ideal option for an easy weeknight meal. I served our chicken breasts over rice; you could also serve it over quinoa or couscous, or even a simple salad.

Honey Dijon Chicken Breasts (printer-friendly version)
makes 2 servings

2 six-ounce boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the honey and Dijon mustard until smooth.
3. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and set them in the prepped baking dish. Spoon the honey mustard mixture over the chicken. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the chicken with the sauce. Add more sauce with the spoon if necessary. Avoid contaminating the sauce with the raw chicken so that you can add more sauce after the chicken has baked.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top of each chicken breast.
5. Bake the chicken in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the interior temperature reaches 165 degrees.
6. Serve the chicken alone or over a bed of rice alongside your favorite vegetable side.

What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Yep, this is definitely the Summer of the Slow Cooker. It just makes cooking dinner so easy, and if using a slow cooker means that my kitchen isn't 1000 degrees, that's a major bonus. This slow cooker chicken dish is spicy and sweet and full of flavor. Since without fail I don't come up with a dinner idea until the day-of, I rarely get around to thawing chicken in time. Luckily, this slow cooker dish works just as well with frozen chicken as it does with fresh.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken (printer-friendly version)
makes four servings

4 6-oz boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts (frozen is fine)
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy or tamari sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/2 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup diced red pepper (seeds and ribs removed)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
sesame seeds for garnish (black or white will do)

1. Spray a 2-quart slow cooker bowl with cooking spray. Place the chicken breasts in the bowl, taking care to make sure they don't overlap.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ketchup, and white wine vinegar. Stir in the onion, red pepper, salt, pepper, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
3. Pour the mixture over the chicken breasts, covering them evenly.
4. Cook on low for 2-3 hours (if using thawed chicken) or 4-6 hours (if using frozen chicken), or until chicken is cooked through (and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees).
5. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the crock pot. Stir in the corn starch, and cook the sauce on high for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Shred the chicken with a fork and return to the crock pot.
6. Serve the chicken over rice, quinoa, or noodles. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top before serving.

(adapted from this Six Sisters' Stuff recipe)

What's For Breakfast: Cinnamon Coconut Granola

As I've mentioned before, I make a new batch of granola about every two weeks, since I eat it everyday for breakfast with Greek yogurt. For this latest batch, I decided to make it a little "healthier" by significantly reducing the sugar content. Instead of the typical addition of oodles of brown sugar or granulated sugar, I just went with a scant one-third cup of honey. I think there's still plenty of sweetness in this granola; but without the added sugar (or butter), the resulting granola lacks clumps. (And I have to admit, the clumps are typically my favorite part.) Regardless, this muesli-like granola is delicious, and it's always nice to switch things up from time to time.

Cinnamon Coconut Granola (printer-friendly version)
about 10 cups

4 cups rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon granulated orange peel [optional]

3/4 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup raw honey

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients. Pour in the vegetable oil and honey. (If you add the vegetable oil first, the honey will slide right out of the measuring cup of you add it second.) Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until all the ingredients are lightly moistened.
3. Spread the granola onto the prepped baking sheet.
4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the coconut is lightly toasted.
6. Remove the granola from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet, stirring occasionally as it cools.
7. Store in an airtight container.

(inspired by this recipe)

What's Baking: Honey Poppy Seed Banana Bread

A few weeks ago, my friend Sheri posted a recipe for banana bread that featured honey and poppy seeds, and I immediately pinned the recipe. Fast forward to last week, and what should I find on my kitchen countertop but three bananas that were quickly reaching the overripe stage. Ah, kismet! I listened to what the universe was telling me and made a loaf of banana bread using the new-to-me recipe. The addition of honey really gives this banana bread an additional depth of flavor, and I also was a huge fan of the added texture and crunch provided by the poppy seeds. This recipe (which is from the book Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito) is a keeper, for sure.

Honey Poppy Seed Banana Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes one 9" loaf

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup organic skim milk
1/2 cup raw honey
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9"x 5" loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, milk, honey, and eggs.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Stir in the poppy seeds; do not overmix.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
7. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack, and allow it to cool completely.
8. Once cooled, wrap tightly in aluminum foil.

(adapted from this recipe)

What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

This coming Sunday marks the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, and though I am not looking forward to losing an hour of sleep (I suppose I could just go to bed earlier...), I am so looking forward to more light in the evening. Rule #1 of food blogging is using natural light for photography, and since I typically don't start cooking each evening until the sun has begun to set, I have been failing at this rule all winter long. (Many food bloggers prep all their posts over the weekend, I, ahem, am not quite that organized ... and/or I'd rather spend the weekend cross-country skiing, catching up on sleep, or running errands (aka, making the 45-minute drive south for a chai latte) -- perhaps that is why my blog isn't yet a household name? Hmmm...) All this just to say that the other night I cooked up a batch of sweet and sour pork chops in my slow cooker, and though the post-sunset photograph (above) doesn't do them any justice, the resulting pork chops were actually quite delicious. The last time I made pork chops in my slow cooker, I was pining for a more substantial sauce, and the thick sweet and sour sauce in this recipe definitely does the trick.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork Chops (printer-friendly version)
makes 4 servings

4 boneless organic pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons corn starch

1. Place the pork chops in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, honey, ginger, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic.
3. Pour the mixture over the pork chops, covering them evenly.
4. Cook on low for 4 hours, or until the pork chops are tender and cooked through. Prior to serving, stir in the corn starch to thicken the sauce.
5. Serve over rice.

 (adapted from this recipe)

What's For Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Granola

We've been in the fall season for almost a month now, and I have yet to post a recipe involving pumpkin -- the horror! Since I just ran out of granola this morning, I needed to bake up another batch. I quickly decided that doing so would be the perfect occasion to add a little pumpkin flavor to my normal yogurt-and-granola breakfast routine. A bonus to baking up this granola? It makes the whole house smell like pumpkin pie. Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Granola (printer-friendly version)
makes about 8 cups

5 cups 7-grain flakes (alternately, you can substitute in rolled oats)
1/4 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the 7-grain flakes (or rolled oats), shredded coconut, sliced almonds, roasted pumpkin seeds, and chopped almonds. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, sea salt, honey, applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Stir in the dried cranberries.
6. Spread the granola evenly onto the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir, patting the granola down evenly before putting the baking sheet back in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes more, or until the granola is golden brown.
8. Remove the granola from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 1-2 hours.
9. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Made From Scratch: Slider Buns

I was listening to the Joy the Baker podcast during my morning walk with Leroy, and Tracy mentioned  that Joy had put "make hamburger buns from scratch" on her summer bucket list. Seeing as we had a package of ground local grass-fed beef in the fridge, but no buns in sight, I knew that I had just figured out what I would be making for dinner. And, it turns out that making hamburger buns is kind of ridiculously simple -- if you're on your game, you should have fresh buns cooling on your kitchen counter in less than 40 minutes. That's my kind of baking!

Slider buns (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 buns

2 packets active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110° to 115°)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups 100% whole wheat flour
poppy seeds or sesame seeds [optional]

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Stir in the olive oil and honey. Let stand for five minutes.
3. Add the egg, salt, and flour. Stir to form a soft dough. (Add more flour if necessary.)
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth, about five minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 12 evenly-sized balls. (If you want hamburger-sized buns, make the balls a little larger in size; your yield will be less.) Place the dough balls about 2-3" apart on the prepped baking sheet.
6. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
[7. Optional: Brush the tops of each dough ball with water and sprinkle seeds of your choice, such as poppy seeds or sesame seeds, over top of each ball.]
8. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Remove from the baking sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack.
10. Use immediately and freeze any leftovers.

(adapted from this Taste of Home recipe)

What's Baking: Easy Fruit-and-Nut Granola

Without fail, my breakfast consists of plain Greek yogurt, chia seeds, a drizzle of honey, and a healthy serving of granola. I won't lie; I think the granola is my favorite part. Since my stash of purchased organic granola is quickly dwindling, it was about time that I baked up my own batch. Not only is making granola easy, the aroma while it's baking will make your kitchen smell delicious.

Easy Fruit-and-Nut Granola (printer-friendly version)
makes about six cups

3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup raw honey
1/4 cup raw (unrefined, unbleached) sugar
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried cherries, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon (or your clean hands) to mix together all of the ingredients, stirring in the chopped cherries last.
3. Pour the granola onto the prepped baking sheet. Use the back of the wooden spoon to press the granola evenly and firmly into the baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir, patting it down evenly before putting it back in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes more, or until the granola is golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 1-2 hours.
6. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

What I'm Snacking On: Toast (Yeah, Toast!)

Sometimes when I'm hungry, all it takes is a toasted slice of bread and some simple toppings to satiate my appetite. I almost always pick up a loaf of French or sourdough bread from the grocery store at least once a week, as I love to have fresh bread on hand. (Though I think it's fair to say that, given my love of all-things-bready, I might be in need of a carb-intervention.)

I also typically have a fridge stocked with some interesting ingredients that need to be used up, so I decided to top a couple of slices of bread with some different flavor combinations. First up: toasted French bread with fig butter, melted gruyere, fresh arugula, and a drizzle of honey. Holy yumtown.

And of course, an oldie but a goodie -- simple bruschetta on a toasted slice of French bread with pesto, a Wisconsin-grown sliced tomato, a few fresh mozzarella pearls, and some freshly-torn spinach leaves. (Look at me, all wild-and-crazy by substituting spinach for basil. That, or I didn't have any fresh basil on hand...)

The great thing about toasted French bread is that your options for toppings are nearly endless -- whether you want something sweet (such as a simple slather of ricotta cheese, a drizzle of honey, and a few fresh berries), or something savory (such as melted provolone and some thinly-sliced sausage) -- you're only limited by the ingredients you have on hand and your own imagination. Yeah, toast!

What's For Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with Blueberries and Honey

I went for my old standby this morning for breakfast -- yogurt with a little honey and a small handful of blueberries. Last weekend I trekked around town and over to Trader Joe's (just over a mile from our apartment). While there I picked up a few items, including a couple containers of store brand Greek yogurt (one plain and one vanilla flavor). I don't like Trader Joe's as much as I like Chobani Plain 0% Greek yogurt, but the price is definitely a bit more wallet-friendly.

To amp up the protein content even more I added in about a half-scoop of vanilla soy protein powder that D had picked up at Whole Foods over the weekend. I topped it all off with the honey and blueberries, and after I took the photo above I also sprinkled on a little Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! for a little added texture (and even more protein!). This should definitely keep me full 'til lunchtime!