Diets & Weight Loss

The kids and I have been on a peanut butter kick lately. We seem to go through a jar a week---I smear it on rice cakes (we like the apple ones) and sprinkle on dried cranberries for breakfast, and mix it with honey and dip in green apples for an after-school snack. Ill even sneak a spoonful right out of the jar when no ones looking.

The baby still cant have peanut butter, so she stuck to quinoa  while the rest of us scarfed down this chicken (p.s. QUINOA MAKES A BIG MESS under the high chair).

a big one.

I used chicken quarters for this recipe because I bought a bunch on sale, but if I was to purchase chicken specifically for this dish, Id opt for boneless, skinless thighs.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut in chunks *

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky, your choice)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten free--La Choy or Tamari wheat-free)

1/2 cup chicken broth

* If you are going to use quarters, or meat with bones, be aware that the meat will probably fall off the bone, and youll need to fish out the bone pieces before serving. Ive used this sauce with a whole chicken (I doubled the sauce ingredients for a 4.5-pound bird) and it was fantastic, but the bones were a bit of an issue.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your pot and add the peanut butter. Toss in the vegetables and cumin. Squeeze in lime, and add soy sauce and chicken broth. Stir as well as you can to combine (the peanut butter will be clumpy, and thats just fine). Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Adam and I both think this sauce tastes like the Thai Peanut Butter chicken we order from our local Thai restaurant. Its delicious---and the whole pot costs less than 1 serving does at the restaurant! If youre not serving children and would like a bit of a kick, you can add red pepper flakes either while cooking (start with 1/2 tsp) or at the table to taste. If youd like, you can squeeze on some extra lime juice at the table.

 My kids love this meal, and eat much more than they usually do for dinner when I serve it.

2008 flashback:

January 23: Clean-Out-the-Pantry Minestrone Soup

January 24: Corn Bread

January 25: Chinese Lemon Chicken

January 26: Rice Krispies Treats

January 27: Super Simple Lasagna (we make this every 2 weeks. its fantastic.)

January 28: Baked Potatoes

January 29: Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings

January 30: Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry BBQ Sauce

January 31: Chicken Nachos

The Very First episode of Gluten FreeTV is up, and Im thrilled to share my friend, Shirley Braden, of Gluten Free Easily as the first guest!