adapted from The 150 Best Slow-Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

1 tbsp oil
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts, chopped into 1″ cubes (I used two large breasts and 4-6 thighs)
2 large onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice (if you can grate fresh, do it!)
1 tsp cinnamon and 1 two-inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 serrano chili or 1/2 a scotch bonnet, minced (or 1-2 tsp chili powder depending on heat)
4 cups cubed squash*. 
1/2 cup low-sodium, organic chicken broth (homemade is best, but who does that? Admittedly, I do, and then freeze it in 500 mL containers…)
Zest of 1 lime
3-4 tbsp lime juice
Fresh cilantro, to garnish

First brown the chicken pieces in the oil (preheat a large skillet over high heat, add the oil, then add the chicken when the oil’s hot. Sprinkle with half the salt. Don’t touch it for about 2 minutes, then turn the pieces. They should be browned, not just “not pink” anymore. If they’re just white, turn up the heat and flip them back over. Then turn and brown on the other side. Don’t touch for another minute. Rotate the pieces again. Brown. You can do the fourth side, five side, and 6th side if the pieces stand, but I usually just do it on two or three sides. It depends how rushed I am).

Transfer chicken using a slotted spoon to a slow-cooker. You can pat it down with paper towel to soak up excess fat, but it’s flavourful so it’s your call. It’ll still be plenty juicy and tender without the excess fat. Drain the skillet of excess fat, reserving a thin coating to fry the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook the onions for about 4 minutes then add the garlic, ginger, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, and chili. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Add squash to the slow-cooker on top of the chicken pieces. Pour contents of skillet over top. Stir to combine, but it’s fine to leave the chicken on the bottom. Anyone know if you can use a metal spoon here? Will it hurt the ceramic slow-cooker stonewear?

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5. To serve, stir in the lime zest and juice (start with 3 tbsp juice, taste, and add more if necessary) and scoop onto a bed of rice on individual plates or a large platter. Garnish with cilantro.

*Acorn or kabocha are great. Buttercup or butternut work in a pinch but aren’t as creamy or flavourful. If you can find those huge gnarly, green and yellow pumpkins that are weird and beautiful, use that. Peeling the squash can be annoying. I use a chef’s knife to chop it in half, scrape out the seeds and pulp (wash and toast the seeds with salt and pepper until brown on a baking sheet, or just discard them. It can be a lot of work), and peel it using a vegetable peeler. Cutting up the whole squash, even if you only need 4 cups, is a good idea. Then you can steam the rest and purée it into a mashed potato replacement, or roast it with the same spices as above and a little oil in a 415°F oven for 20 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway. Heaven.  

 

Note: If you don’t have a slow-cooker, bake the chicken in a large casserole, covered, at 350ºF for 45 minutes.

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (however big the package is)
2 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup tequila
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 red pepper, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 bunch cilantro
1 tbsp oil

Combine all the ingredients except the cilantro and oil in a large bowl or bag. Dice the cilantro stems, reserving the leaves. Add the stems to the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken for at least an hour, or up to 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve marinade) and pat dry. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the chicken in batches. Brown on all sides, up to 1 minute per side. Transfer to a the slow-cooker as each batch browns. When all the chicken is in the slow-cooker, pour the marinade into the skillet and bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow-cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4. When cooked, use two forks to shred the chicken.

Meanwhile, make the salsa:

Guajillo Salsa

4 oz dried guajillo chili peppers, seeds and stems removed (or about 4 fresh Anaheims if you can find them. If you use fresh, skip the soaking and draining step and just stem and de-seed the peppers)
4 cups boiling water 
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1-2 limes
pinch of sugar

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Pour over the dried chilies in a heat-proof bowl. Weigh down with a plate so chilies are completely immersed in water for at least an hour. Drain the chilies, reserving the water.

Combine the chilies with the salt, lime juice and pinch of sugar in a blender. Add a tbsp of liquid and blend. Add more liquid a tbsp at a time as needed to blend. Don’t add too much, though, or your salsa will be watery and diluted.

To assemble tacos, scoop some chicken (don’t skip the pepper and onions!) onto a corn tortilla and top with salsa. You know how tacos work. Get to it. You’ve got this.

 

Lamb Tajine with Sweet Potatoes and Apricots