Chicken Pomodoro

Friday night's dinner is still dancing around in my stomach. It's a full chorus, with its arms spread out singing HALLELUJAH. It beckons my name. Slow Cooker Revolution, you are a genius. 

But let's be real here - I am no chef. In our little family, my husband is the cook. He makes dinner most nights (okay, just about every night) whereas I am the after dinner clean-up crew. I can make a mean Double Dutch Mac &cheese with Swiss Chard from Bon Appetit, and fried rice, not to mention, I can fry an egg to perfection and make rice at just the right consistency with a very small margin of error. See a pattern there? Anything that involves the word "egg" "rice" or "pasta noodle" or "fried" I can do well. Heck, I can even bust out my whisks and mixing bowls for some good ol' cakes & baked goods. But as far as making whole meals, like a thanksgiving turkey or lasagna from scratch? That's up to the good ol' hubster. 

Which brings me to another point - when you cook dinner a lot, you kind of get tired of searching around for recipes & ideas on what to make. So you turn to the Internet...or in his case, his wife. Good ol' wifey here suggested browsing through the Slow Cooker Revolution that I own, sitting on the top shelf of our bookcase, eagerly waiting to be used. Now, if you don't own this book - you are absolutely crazy and you must run out to the nearest Barnes & Noble and buy one right now. It will save your life, just like it saved the day for us the other night. 

Packed with simple recipes and clear cut instructions- not to mention, scrumptious mouth-watering pictures, this book is my Bible for quick dinners in a slow cooker. I love cookbooks with pretty pictures, and this one is no exception. For someone who rarely cooks, I often browse the pages of this cookbook to gain inspiration. It's the kind of place you go to when you have a few ingredients in your fridge and you wonder what you can make with it, while at the same time not in the mood to turn on the stove. The 90+ weather we've been having lately makes cooking from the book a breeze. (Haha, I had to). 

The end result: a marriage of creamy goodness on top of tender chicken breasts. We threw on a bed of baby lettuces from a Trader Joe's and sprinkled on a few dashes of Parmesan...and dinner is served!!* Even better: the summer's late sunset makes it an ideal lighting situation for me to snap up a few photos before we gobbled away. Even my daughter was a fan of the chicken. 

Chicken Pomodoro

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 2-3 hours on low

Slow cooker size: 5 ½ to 7 quarts

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup tomato paste

4 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt & pepper

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 (6-8 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

STEPS

Microwave onion, tomato paste, garlic, oil, oregano, ¼ tsp. salt, and pepper flakes in a bowl, stirring occasionally until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Whisk in cream. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 2-3 hours on low.

2.       Sprinkle chicken with Parmesan, cover, and cook on high until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

3.       Transfer chicken to serving dish and sprinkle with 2 tbsp. basil. Stir remaining 2 tbsp. basil into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chicken.

**Next time, I vow to put a little more effort into making a salad.