Given as a wedding present nearly ten years ago, my slow-cooker hasn’t seen nearly enough use. I tend to reach for my cherry red Le Creuset French oven for braising and stewing. However, as our family is growing and appetites are expanding, I can see the practical side of having a large crock pot and keeping it busy.
Still, I could use some help. I’m no seasoned slow-cooker chef, and can count my fails up there with my winning dishes. That is one reason why I was happy to have Kelsey contact me to participate in her week-long Slow-Cooker Challenge.
January is the perfect month to give that slow-cooker a permanent place on the counter top and our challenge is sure to fuel you with plenty of inspiration. Don’t own a crock pot yet? Both The Naptime Chef and my friends at Big Girls, Small Kitchen are giving one away this week! So hurry over and enter.
Chicken and vegetables in the slow-cooker is pretty predictable, I admit, but thanks to a fragrant spice blend and a good dose of aromatics such as ginger root and garlic, this dish sings with flavor. It’s mellowed out with rich coconut milk and served over steamed rice; comfort food at its finest.
Note: This dish is not overly spicy as I serve it up to my kids. If you’d like a little more kick, double the ginger and add a 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes.
| Slow Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken & Vegetables |
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- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 inch cube of ginger (about 30 grams), roughly chopped
- 1 small sweet onion, peeled, quartered
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into four
- 2 cans coconut milk, not shaken
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 can of baby corn cobs
- 1 cup peas or frozen vegetables of your choice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground tumeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Combine ingredients from the spice blend together and set aside.
- In a mini food processor, combine garlic, ginger and onion and pulse until it forms a paste.
- In the bottom of a slow-cooker placed on a burner (see IMPORTANT note above), heat olive oil and melt butter. Add pureed aromatics and stir well. Cook for a few minutes, then add spice blend. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Move aromatics to one side of the pot and add chicken pieces to the pot. Cook chicken slightly on all sides, using a sturdy wooden spoon to move it around the pot. It should get thoroughly coated with the spice mixture.
- Open the cans of coconut milk and remove the cream from the top using a soup spoon. You should have about 1 cup. Pour the coconut milk over the chicken and with both cans, it should just barely cover the chicken.
- Drain the corn cobs and chop in half. Add to the slow-cooker.
- Place the slow cooker in the base and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Whisk cornstarch with coconut cream until smooth and add to the chicken. Stir well. Add frozen peas or other vegetables of your choice. Cook for another half an hour or until you deem the chicken cooked and the vegetables hot.
What is your go-to slow-cooker favorite? Feel free to leave a link to a recipe in the comments.
About Aimee
I halved the coconut milk, and doubled the veggies (snap peas, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, baby corn, bell peppers). It’s bubbling away in my slow cooker right now, smelling like heaven!
Where did the “coconut cream” come from?
The “coconut cream” is what you skimmed from the top of the two cans of coconut milk in step 5.
This was a pretty good meal. My crockpot insert isn’t stovetop-safe, so I had to do the first half in a large saucepan, which made this messier than most crockpot meals that I make. I was surprised at how mild it tasted, considering the amount of spices and aromatics – it was great for the baby, but my husband and I usually like a more intense flavor.