What's nice about this dish is that you can make it in your slowcooker or on the stove top. If you choose the stove top then you'll get a more "crunchy" exterior coating on your chicken. I've seen people say they can get a crunchy coating doing the same in a slowcooker - I don't agree. A slowcooker or crockpot traps steam and you can't sustain a crunch with constant steam. In any case, when made in a slowcooker - skip the one extra step you'd do when making on the stove top because (as far as I am concerned) its a wasted step because of the aformentioned - steam. Enjoy! Diane
General Tso's Chicken Ingredients: 3-4 chicken breasts, cut into 1" bite sized pieces 1/2 Cup Hoisin Sauce 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced 3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 teaspoons hot chili oil or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake 1 small can water chestnuts ground pepper 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch Garnish: Green Scallions Toasted Sesame Seeds Extra Ingredients for Stove Top Version *see below: 1/4 Cup Cornstarch 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil IF making on your stovetop:
IF making in slowcooker or crockpot:
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Set it and forget it - a meal that develops a rich flavorful stew, that can satisfy even the hungriest folks. Enjoy! Diane
Beef & Barley Stew Ingredients: 1.50 lbs flat iron or stew beef, cubed 3 cups beef broth* ((you can use home canned beef broth)) 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbs tomato paste 1 14.0oz. can diced tomatoes* ((I use a pint of my home canned diced tomatoes)) 3 large carrots, chopped 1/2” slices 3 large celery ribs, chopped 1/2” slices 1 medium onion, diced 1/2 cup pearl barley 1 Tbs brown sugar 1 large russet potato: peeled, diced* ((I use 1 pint of my sliced, home canned potatoes)) Directions: Lightly pepper the beef and brown in a skillet on the stove top. Let cool while you add all the other ingredients to the cooker. *You can skip this step and add beef without browning (but, a little depth of flavor will be lost) Combine all ingredients together into crockpot or slow-cooker, stir gently and set on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. If I am going to be around the house while this is cooking, I personally like to start my CrockPot for an hour on High and then move to Low the remainder of cook time. K This recipe is similar to my other peach fruit butter recipes but, this is finished off in a slowcooker - this makes a rather large batch - if you want to start smaller - try my Homemade Peach Butter (small batch) or my Peach Butter with a kiss of vanilla.
All are easy to make and taste great! ~Enjoy! Diane SlowCooker Peach Butter Ingredients: 8 Cups Chopped Peaches (approx 15 Med) 1/2 cup water 2 1/2 Cups sugar 2 1/2 Cups honey 1 small lemon, zested with juice added in (Approx 1 Tbs zest and 2 Tbs juice) 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste Directions: Wash peaches in cold water to remove dirt and fuzz. Cut an 'X ' mark on the stem end of each peach. Blanch peaches in boiling water for about one minute. Plunge peaches in ice water and let set for two minutes. Peel away skins, slice and remove the pit. **If your peaches are fully ripe - the skins will be easy to peel off using a paring knife - I sometimes luck out and can do this without blanching. To me, peaches are ripe when you can press the flesh with your thumb and leave a slight indentation into the peach. Once peeled, slice and pit your peaches. Combine all in a stainless pot on stove top, cook down until peaches Are soft, blend with immersion blender, pour carefully into a Slowcooker To cook-down all day (or overnight) on LOW until it reaches the consistency You like, (Keep in mind, this can take some time - I like my butter to be firm enough to round up on a spoon and not runny) The last batch I made cooked down approx 12-14 hours. Prior to jarring, I do the "plate test" by placing a small dish in the freezer for at least 10 mins. I place a spoonful of peach mixture onto plate and tip plate - mixture should not run at all. As well, the mixture should mound/round up easy onto a regular spoon and not run off back into slow-cooker. Wash jars in warm soapy water, rinse and place in canning pot/water to warm up jars for canning. Place lids and bands in warm (not boiling) water. Setup your area to process the butter. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch head space. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe rim of jar to remove any food particles. Adjust two piece caps on jar and tighten finger tight. Process in a water bath canning pot for 10 minutes (or according to regs in your area) Remove and place on cloth towel in a draft free area. Do not move jars for 24 hours to allow for proper seal. Any jars that haven't sealed properly place in fridge for immediate use. Date and Label your jars, Peach Butter will keep up to one year in storage. Yield: Approx 5 pints Recipe & Photos by: Diane Baker Peaches From: Washington Fruit Commission One of my go-to slow cooker dishes that never fails to deliver on taste! So Easy! So Tasty! Enjoy - Diane Pepper Steak (Slow Cooker) Ingredients: 1 .5 pounds, stew beef, cubed (I used petite tip steak or flat iron) 1 onion, chopped 1 1/4 cup beef stock 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 sweet pepper, sliced 3 ribs celery, chopped 1 15oz can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes 10 oz can mushrooms *optional 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp dried basil 1 Tbs soy sauce *salt to taste cooked rice Directions: Combine all (but, cooked rice) in slow cooker and set on high for 6-8 hrs. *NOTE: I removed most liquid into fat separator, then made a roux with 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs flour, added in 2 Cups liquid and made a thicker sauce/gravy then poured back into slow cooker. Served over cooked rice. Adapted From: GooseberryPatch Photo by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home |