Summertime slow cooking!

Who wants to heat up their oven when it’s hot outside? I know I dread those times. So, what do we do? We bust out that slow cooker and avoid the oven heat altogether! Here we go!

Slow Cooker Summer Chicken Chili

Slow Cooker Summer Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 14-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 10 ounces of frozen corn
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely diced (plus more if you like more of a kick)
• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
• Cooked brown rice, for serving
• Shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and other chili toppings, for serving

Instructions

1. Combine tomato sauce, pinto beans, black beans, corn, onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in the basin of a large slow cooker. Place chicken breasts on top and close the slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10. Thirty minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred using two forks. Return to chili and stir well.
3. Spoon chili over cooked brown rice, and top with your favorite chili toppings.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

https://www.wellplated.com/asian-lettuce-wraps/#wprm-recipe-container-32926

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce – plus 1 tablespoon, use tamari to make gluten-free
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds ground chicken breast
• 1 small bunch green onions – thinly sliced, white/light green and dark green parts divided
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic – minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 8 ounces baby Bella cremini mushrooms – finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup grated carrots – from about 3 large carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes – reduce to 1/4 teaspoon or omit if sensitive to spice
• 2 cans water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped – (8-ounce cans) drained and finely chopped
• 2 heads butter lettuce

Instructions

1. Lightly coat a 5-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken and brown the meat, breaking it into small pieces. Continue cooking until no longer pink, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the white and light green parts of the green onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook 30 additional seconds.
3. Transfer the meat mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the chopped mushrooms, carrots, red pepper flakes, and sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours until the mixture is thickened and the chicken is ultra-tender. (Do not be tempted to cook on HIGH, as the chicken will become tough.) Stir in the water chestnuts and green parts of the green onions.
4. To serve, separate the butter lettuce leaves and fill with the chicken mixture. Enjoy hot.

Slow Cooker Mango Chicken Curry

https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/wprm_print/recipe/30891

Ingredients

For the curry:

• 1 1/3 Cups Full-fat coconut milk
• 1 1/3 Cups 100% Mango juice
• 2 tsp Fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Tbsp Green curry paste (useless if you don’t like some heat)
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 Large carrots, sliced
• 1 Lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR chicken thighs
• 4 tsp Tapioca starch
• 2 Cups Broccoli florets
• 2 Red Bell peppers, cubed
• 1 Mango, cubed
• Sliced green onion, for garnish
• Cilantro, for garnish

For the rice:

• 6 Cups Cauliflower florets
• 4 tsp Coconut oil
• 4 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Whisk together the coconut milk, mango juice, ginger, curry, and salt in the bottom of a 7-quart slow cooker. Stir in the sliced carrots.
2. Place the chicken breasts in the milk mixture and spoon the sauce over top. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender and cooked through about 5-6 hours.
3. Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker onto a plate and cover.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the tapioca starch with  8 tsp of the sauce from the slow cooker until smooth. Whisk it back into the slow cooker, along with the broccoli and peppers. Cover, turn the heat to high, and cook until the sauce thickens about 1-1.5 hours.
5. While the sauce cooks, place the cauliflower into a large food processor and process until broken down and “rice-like”
6. Heat the coconut oil up in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the cauliflower and coconut flakes. Cook until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cauliflower is tender about 2-4 minutes. Set aside.
7. Once the sauce is thickened, shred the chicken up and stir it back into the slow cooker.
8. Divide the rice between 4 bowls, followed by the chicken and the cubed mango.
9. Garnish with cilantro and green onion and DEVOUR!