Double Boiler

I'm on a tear this morning, either because it's the last Monday of school or because it's been cooler at night (around 55F last night) with pleasant mornings.  I've already got two slow cookers going with dinners for the first part of the week:  Slow-Cooker "Baked" Chicken for the kids and Indian Beans and Peas for the adults.

Besides cooking dinner at breakfast time, I'm spending the last few school days, half days!, breakfasting with a couple of friends, reading, blogging, and, frankly, lazing around.  I don't think summer is too bad, though--especially because the kids start camp next week!  And we have lots of other fun plans.

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Slow-Cooker "Baked" Chicken
1 whole chicken (around 4 lbs)
1 cup water
onion, garlic, salt, pepper to taste

Place chicken breast-side down in 6-quart slow cooker.  Salt and pepper (sometimes I even oil it a bit) to taste.  Add one cup of water and garlic and onion as desired.  Cook on LOW or HIGH until chicken is cooked (I'll get back to you on times--I think it's 8-10 on LOW, with 1 hour on HIGH to start, or 6 hours on HIGH).

NOTE:  You can also raise the chicken up on balls of aluminum foil or on vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes.  I like it in the water to make stock; some people cook it dry.  Some people also flavor with lemon or paprika.

Mommy Hungry

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Indian Beans and Peas
1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 bay laeves
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cups vegetable broth
1 cups frozen sliced (French cut) green beans
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup coconut milk

Heat peas in 6 cups of water, boiling for 3 minutes and soaking for 1 hour.  Drain and rinse thoroughly and set aside

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium and saute onion, cooking until softened.  Add spices and cook another minute.  Add tomatoes and peas and bring to a boil.  Transfer to slow cooker.  Add broth and green beans.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8-20 or HIGH for 4-5.  When peas are tender, add lemon juice and coconut milk.  Cook an additional 20 minutes on HIGH.  Discard bay leaves.

adapted from Judith Finlayson, The Vegetarian Slow Cooker