Despite a few obstacles (mainly a lack of motivation and planning on my part), we still managed some new and good recipes last week. Over the next two weeks, I’ll share some of my own creations….you know those ones when you don’t plan very well and just throw things together? Yes, that was part of my week. I know you’re thinking, “But Michelle, you are a meal planner. What do you mean you didn’t plan very well?” Well, sometimes motivation just falls through the cracks and meal planning goes with it! That’s okay. Everyone still ate around here last week 
Anyway, one of the recipes we enjoyed last week was my friend Kelly from The Nourishing Home’s recipe for Sweet-n-Spicy Crockpot Chicken. I loved the simplicity of this dish, the healthiness of it, and indeed, the superb flavor. We all loved it! In fact, I must tell you a “pat-on-my-back” story. There is a Japanese boy in my sons class who always has the most delicious lunches. I help with lunch room duty one day a week and I’ve been kidding him for 2 years that he needs to tell his mom to pack me some lunch too. We’re talking sushi, orange chicken, and on and on. Pure deliciousness! Well, my son took the leftovers from this Sweet ‘n Spicy Chicken in his lunch one day last week. And guess what? The little boy wanted my son’s lunch. Score! I was very pleased with myself
I did make some changes to the recipe, but not because they needed any. I just didn’t make it to the store until later in the day for the ingredients, so I wasn’t able to let it cook in the crockpot all day. Instead, I did the following:
- I diced 2 lbs of chicken breast, dredged them through tapioca flour, and browned them in a skillet. Once they were brown, I removed them from the skillet to a plate.
- I diced up the bell pepper and add it to the skillet to cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Once it was boiling, I added the browned chicken back to the skillet and coated thoroughly. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes. There is no need to add in the additional starch for thickening because the tapioca starch from the chicken thickens up the sauce very nicely.
- I served the yummy chicken over coconut rice with a side of steamed broccoli.
We will make this recipe again and again. We love Asian inspired dishes, so this one definitely fits the bill. Perhaps I’ll dust off the crockpot the next time.
How about you? Did you try any great recipes recently?
~~~
October 7-13, 2012
Sunday: Grilled Steak, Steamed Vegetable Medley, Chips & Salsa
Monday: Sweetened Clove Ham, Baked Apple & Brown Rice Casserole (recipe coming soon!)
Tuesday: Cuban Black Beans & Rice
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Ham & White Beans (with leftover ham from Monday)
Thursday: Roast Chicken (This has become one of our favorite roast chicken recipes b/c of its simplicity & deliciousness), Malt Vinegar Oven Fries, Creamed Spinach (experiment)
Friday: Gluten & Dairy Free Crispy Pizza Night
Saturday: Refrigerator Round-up
What’s on your meal plan this week? Please share in the comments.
Shared at Better Mom Mondays, Meal Plan Monday.
