Hey, hey, hey. So I know it’s been a lot about running lately. So I thought I’d talk about one of my other loves (no, not cake today). FOOD.
So I thought I’d join in with WIAW this week to liven things up (check Jenn’s blog out for more info).
I’ve been really loving using my slow cooker lately. OK yes it does involve a little forethought and preparation to get things going but once you’ve mastered the planning, it’s a dream. I love coming in at night from work and smelling a meal already on the way.
Bless Ben, I love him to be bits, but he doesn’t cook (beyond scrambled eggs or pasta with ready-made sauce). I don’t mind at all because I love cooking and, though I hate the term ‘housewife’, I love the idea that I’m fulfilling an ancient wifely duty of making a meal for my man. Plus I can bribe Ben with meals 😉
First up is a meal which is a firm favourite.
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken (Serves 2)
- Two chicken breasts
- One jar of salsa (I used Discovery)
- Tin of adzuki beans (I’ve also used borlotti as well – any works)
- Extra seasoning and spices
- Optional toppings: cheese, sliced avocado, crumbled tortilla chips
– Put everything in the slow cooker.
– Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
Yep that’s it. Embarrassingly easy really. I suppose you could make your own salsa but this is simply an easy weekday meal if you know you’re going to be rushed. As you can see, I served mine with roast butternut squash and, er, a lot of broad beans. Ben grated cheddar over his.
My next successful slow cooker meal that I’ve recently tried was also very simple (why make things complicated on a weekday?)
Slow Cooker Tandoori Turkey (Serves 2)
- One turkey leg (remove skin if desired)
- One white onion, chopped (not diced)
- Tandoori spice blend (I used the one in the photo but you can use any or THIS recipe)
- Juice from a lemon
– I removed the turkey’s skin as we’re not fans. Mix the lemon juice with your tandoori spice blend so it becomes a paste that you can spread evenly over the turkey.
– Put the onions at the bottom of the slow cooker, place the turkey on top. This helps it stop sticking and you get some lovely juicy onions to go with your turkey.
– Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
**Word of warning: don’t then go to your personal training appointment (at 6.15am) straight afterwards. You will smell of Indian spices. It takes a while to stop smelling that way!**
– Remove turkey when done and basically the meat should fall off the bone. Remove any small bones.
Ben had his with onion rings and vegetables, while I threw mine in a monster salad.
The photo is dreadful. I’m sorry. It’s also in a salad bowl if you can’t tell. *Hangs blogger head in shame*
Side note: can you believe I ate an entire turkey leg on our honeymoon?
Though not something particularly to be proud of…I do see this as an achievement.
And on a non-cooking note…The other week my work friends and I went out at lunch for Thai food. I went for fisherman’s soup to start (which was basically like a broth with seafood in it) and a spicy beef salad with crackers for my main.
Well, the soup blew my head off. It was so spicy. My mouth was on fire and my eyes started to run. But I persevered!
Then the main came. My poor taste buds were inflamed once again. This meal was literally the hottest meal I’ve ever had. My mouth was burning. My eyes were running. I was sweating. I had to order a glass of milk. I kid you not. I felt sick by the end. It was nice, in a perverse “I’ll never taste anything again” way but seriously, 10 minutes later and I was still suffering. Everyone thought it was oh so hilarious.
Snacking-wise both Ben and I have been loving the Cocofina coconut and date bars that I won from lovely Lauren’s blog.
When I get that drop in energy mid-afternoon at work I have one of these bad boys and it helps perk me up. Very tasty.
This weekend, after Reading half, can you guess where we’re going to eat? My favourite restaurant of all time…Jamie’s Italian. And can you guess what I’m going to have? I’m so predictable. I swear if they don’t have the Turkey Milanese I will cry. It’s the best meal in the world (in my humble opinion). Happy days.
What’s your favourite restaurant? And favourite meal?
What have you been snacking on lately?
Do you use a slow cooker?
This post kind of brought a tear to my eye… as we sold our slow cooker before moving to Kuwait. You’d think after living here for 2 years we would’ve bought a new one. Nope, I always forget I need one! GRR.
Favorite Restaurant – tough one! I’m not so sure I have a favorite come to think of it. I do know my favorite bread comes from a spot about 10 minutes away in the city of Fahaheel. I’ve never tasted better whole grain bread LOL
Snacking lately: Quest Bars!
Ahh definitely buy another. I’d love to see the recipes you could create 🙂
I really need to get my slow cooker out again, it’s been a while and your recipe ideas sound so lovely. Yay for eating a whole turkey leg, quite an achievement me thinks. 🙂
Haha my stomach definitely thought so! I wasn’t hungry for HOURS and HOURS.
Now I totally want a slow cooker!! These recipes look seriously yum. I’m not sure what my favourite restaurant would be, but I definitely have loads of favourite meals – one for every occasion! 🙂
Hehe yes. I have favourite Indian meals, favourite pub meals, favourite Italian meals…the list is endless.
I love slow cookers, too. The meal doesn’t have to be exciting, filled with a million ingredients, but it always ends up tasting good!
Exactly. Cooked chicken is 100x better in the slow cooker.
I’m glad you’ve posted these as you’ve inspired me to get my slow cooker out for tomorrow’s dinner! It’s been on my to-do-list for a LONG while now. Most of the recipes I found when I looked initially were for like 4-5 hours but I tend to leave home at 8am and often don’t get back until 8pm+! Dan gets home before me though so this week I WILL pull it back out!
My favourite restaurant is Frankie & Benny’s. I used to work as manager there before I became a teacher and loved being able to experiment with meals in the kitchen. It’s always where I choose to go if I get the choice!
Believe me, my slow cooker stays on from 8.30am until like 6.30pm so well above the time limits. Sometimes the chicken can be *slightly* tough but most of the time things are fine and dandy.
Please post some of your slow cooking adventures. I always need some inspiration!
Wait, what? Cake isn’t food now? I never realised the two were mutually exclusive topics 😉
Good luck for your half marathon!
Haha so true. Cake is definitely food. Maybe I meant ‘sustaining food’. Hmm but then I find cake sustaining too? Or ‘proper food’…’nutritious food’… hmmm. Or ‘food that is not cake’… that probably works best!
I’m so tempted to buy a slow cooker but haven’t caved yet – I’m trying to convince James we have space in our very teeny kitchen! Those bars sound so delicious 🙂
Believe me we have a TINY kitchen. It’s worth it.
That salsa chicken actually sounds amazing and so easy! I might have to make it one night for my family (although I can already predict my Mum will complain about the heat from salsa – even if it is mild! She is SO sensitive to spice its amazing).
Maybe have some yogurt (or yogurt with mint and cucumber) to go alongside it? That will cool it down. But the salsa we got was very mild so it was only slightly spicy.
I have totally eaten an entire turkey leg before. And on days where I’m super hungry, you should see how fast I can get through a whole chicken. Lol. It’s just so tasty.
I’ve always thought the chicken salsa recipes that I’ve seen on pinterest sounded good! I’ll have to keep this in mind and experiment one weekend. I think it’d be fun to make up a homemade salsa and try it out too. Such a versatile recipe… I bet it would be great on rice or in a taco wrap too.
Yep a whole chicken could be possible. Thankfully I have to share these things with Ben now. Whew.
I do love homemade salsa. So refreshing and infinitely better. And you can make it really chunky as well, which I adore.
We. Have. The. Same. Taste. Buds. Annnnnnnnd I’m a little proud of you for finishing that turkey leg too and I’ve definitely had moments where I’ve eaten everything and been a little proud. It’s weird, but hilarious and I’m so glad you feel the same hahaha
Haha yes! It’s when I eat so much more than Ben in a restaurant (and we’re with friends) that I feel both proud and ashamed simultaneously.
Ha my favourite food after a half marathon is a Starbucks cinnamon roll and chai latte! Something sweet to give me some energy back! Although I think after ours on Sunday we might go to Bill’s.
I have been snacking on satsumas a lot- we got a bit addicted to them when we went to Nice at Christmas (we ate 2kg between us while we were there- not sure if that is a good thing??) and so last week we bought a huge bag in Italy for snacks- so zesty and tasty.
I’m not a huge fan of oranges but when you get a good one it’s like there’s no better fruit. I imagine Italian ones were delicious! It’s a bit pick and mix here I think.
Mmm the cinnamon roll sounds divine. Usually after a run I prefer to have a proper meal – something that I can inhale and feel hugely satisfied with afterwards. Later (evening time) I’ll probably have a slice of cake to reward myself for those hard miles 😉
Lately I’ve been snacking on a lot of almonds! It’s hard to name a favorite restaurant, I just love charming local eateries in the neighborhod. I love cooking with the slow cooker, so quick and easy!
Yes local restaurants are so lovely, aren’t they? Especially when they use local produce as well.
Glad you liked the bars! I never understand why food needs to be that spicy, it’s just awful, and you end up not enjoying it.I’ve been in a big smoothie/juice snacking phase at the minute
Love the sound of the slow cooker chicken with salsa, well I’m just said that and realised I’m currently not loving chicken, but in the future (i.e. after the first trimester) I’m sure I would 😉 Love that you ate that big turkey leg!