Crock Pot Teriyaki

Here is another Chinese inspired recipe that I totally love. And it's very easy. 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds) - I've used breasts and it's super tasty 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup soy sauce 6 tablespoons cider vinegar 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch 4 1/2 teaspoons cold water Hot cooked long grain rice Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. Serve with chicken and rice. Note: I halved the recipe and it still worked fine in my crock pot. It might not need the full 4 hours time.

Baked General Tso's Chicken

My husband loves Chinese food and I do not. Until I started cooking it at home. I have found a few recipes that I am in love with. This is one of them. 2 -3 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut in strips 1 egg + 2 tbsp water whisked together to make an egg wash Combine 1 cup flour ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 3 tbsp ground ginger 2 tsp salt Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash then dredge them in the flour mixture. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and lightly drizzle or the tops with a little more olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25-3o minutes. Flip the pieces at half way through the cooking time. While the chicken is baking, prepare your sauce. Don’t walk away from this sauce; it gets very hot when making the caramel base and can burn easily so pay careful attention while cooking it. In a small bowl, mix together 4 tbsp soya sauce 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar (white wine vinegar is fine in a pinch) ¼ cup water 2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil 2 tbsp hot chilli paste or sauce (use more or less to taste if you don’t like it very hot) ½ tsp salt 2 tsp corn starch 3 cloves minced garlic 3 tbsp freshly grated ginger Set this mixture aside In a medium saucepan boil together 1 cup sugar ¼ cup water Boil this over medium heat, watching constantly until the caramel starts to turn a light amber color and you can begin to smell the caramel. When it reaches this stage, give the other ingredients in the bowl a quick stir to make sure the corn starch is dissolved then add it all at once to the hot caramel. Be careful at this stage because this sauce can foam up considerably for a few seconds and it is very hot. Simmer for only few minutes and remove from the heat and allow to cool down slightly. Toss the sauce with the cooked chicken pieces and serve over plain steamed rice.

Man Pleasing Chicken

Holy smokes... I love this. It was easy and delicious. I used chicken breast because I didn't have any thighs but I think I'll try the thighs next time. Chicken thighs- 1 package Dijon mustard- 1/2 cup Maple syrup- 1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar- 1 tablespoon Fresh rosemary Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through. I find that a meat thermometer is essential in cooking because it allows me to check for doneness without cutting into the meat and losing its precious juices. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary. If there is ever a time to use fresh herbs, THIS IS IT! The flavors are just so good together. Enjoy the savory goodness of this meal! This is from the blog "Witty in the City" and here is the link: http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/