NO TIME IS SLOW TIME

I had a late afternoon meeting and wouldn't be home until 8 pm.  What to do about dinner?  I looked in the fridge, examined the cupboards and pulled out my slow cooker from a cabinet -- a perfect solution for my evening meal.




ON THE CUTTING BOARD:  boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots, scallions, fresh rosemary, onions, jalapeño, napa cabbage, dandelion greens.




OTHER PRINCIPAL FLAVORS: tamari, rice vinegar, fennel seed, thyme, whole peppercorns, black mustard seed, smoked sea salt, organic chicken broth, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame oil, butter


STEP ONE:



Lightly season the chicken with the smoked sea salt and pepper and sprinkle with a tsp. of thyme.  Saute in a little oil until browned. You need to do this or else the chicken will be an unappetizing color when it comes out of the cooker.

STEP TWO:

Throw the chicken, potatoes, onions and carrots (cut into quarters) in the slow cooker with the broth. Add a minced jalapeño pepper and a large bunch of dandelion greens. Add about a quarter tsp. of peppercorns and a 1/2 tsp. of fennel seeds.  Close the lid and set on HIGH. This concoction will cook for about 6 hours and then shut off to WARM.

STEP THREE:



Shred 2 cups cabbage and add to a bowl.

STEP FOUR:



Place pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in a small pan with a T. of butter and roast until golden. Add the black mustard seeds until they start to dance around the pan. Can add 1/4 tsp. of coriander, cumin and crushed red pepper if on hand.



Remove from heat and set aside.

STEP FIVE:

Cut off the white part of the scallions and chop. Cut the green parts in half and then slice length-wise into thin strips.



STEP SIX:

In a small bowl, mix 2 T. vegetable oil, 2 T rice vinegar, 1 tsp. tamari, 1 tsp. sesame oil and 1/2 tsp. sugar (I use raw sugar which has a golden color). You might want to adjust the proportions according to taste. Experiment as you go.  Add this dressing to the cabbage with the scallion and sesame/pumpkin seed mixture and toss well.




STEP SEVEN:

Open the slow cooker and serve the chicken into bowls.  Serve the salad on the side.  A nice crusty french bread is great for soaking up the juices.






Enjoy a healthy meal that's been cooked for hours with very little labor!

Dandelion greens are bursting with nutrients and because they are sealed in the slow cooker, these nutrients are preserved.

1 cup chopped:

Fiber 14%, Protein 2.7 g. (not a complete protein since it lacks all the amino acids), Vitamin A 203%, Vitamin K 973%, Calcium 19%, Iron 17%, Vitamin C 58%, Vitamin E 17%, Thiamin 13%, Riboflavin 15%, Potassium 11%

Source:  USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!