Grams Made Slow Cooked Moroccan Chicken

Grandad has been on the South Beach Diet for just over two weeks now. I'm not complaining. I've lost eight pounds. It's a great eating plan and, mostly, I don't mind it. But the first two weeks are very restrictive when it comes to carbohydrates. That means for the past couple of weeks I haven't been cooking any of my usual rice, orzo, ziti, capellini, sweet potatoes, or potatoes of any kind, etc. You get the idea.

Taking those items completely out of my cooking severely limits my meal planning. As of today, he is officially through the two-week induction period of the diet so now I can slowly begin adding a limited amount of healthy carbohydrates back to our meals.

One of the emails I subscribe to is a Healthy Recipes publication from Better Homes and Gardens. As luck would have it, yesterday's edition had a recipe for Slow-Cooked Moroccan Chicken. It looked really good to me and pretty healthy. I will admit that it was a little unconventional. Yes, it has carrots and chicken cooked with dried plums prunes. I was afraid that Grandad would balk, but he said he was game to try it. I put it in the crock pot about mid morning and it cooked for 10 hours on low. It smelled wonderful all day long. I served it over brown rice with a side of sauteed yellow squash and onions. It was as good as it smelled.

The original recipe called for eight bone-in chicken thighs. I substituted four boneless, skinless chicken breasts because Grandad doesn't eat dark meat.

Slow Cooked Moroccan Chicken

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (½ cup)
8 oz. baby carrots with tops, trimmed, or baby carrots, halved lengthwise if large
½ cup pitted dried plums (prunes)
1 14-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1¼ teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker combine onion and carrots. Add plums and broth. Top with chicken. In a small bowl combine curry powder, salt, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over chicken.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Remove chicken, fruit, and vegetables from cooker with a slotted spoon. Spoon some of the cooking juices on each serving. Makes 4 servings.

Be brave ... try this recipe. You won't regret it. It's delicious!

Grams Made Old Time Beef Stew

Grams has told you before that I didn't cook much when my kids were at home. There were a few exceptions. I taught myself to make this old fashioned stew as a young bride. The first time I made it, I couldn't believe that I made something that tasted this good.

The original recipe came from a Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book that I received as a wedding gift in 1975. Over the years I haven't changed it very much. The original recipe called for shortening; I use olive oil instead. And we like lots of broth so I add more water than the original recipe called for and I over the years I have increased to spices and seasonings to make up for adding extra water.

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut in 1½ inch cubes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 medium onions, sliced
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dash ground cloves
6 carrots, pared and quartered or a 1 pound bag of baby carrots
4-6 potatoes, pared and quartered
1 pound small white onions
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

In a Dutch oven, thoroughly brown meat in 2 tablespoons hot olive oil, turning often. Add 4-6 cups hot water and next nine ingredients. Cover; simmer for 1 ½ hours stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Remove bay leaves. Add vegetables. Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes, or till vegetables are tender.

Slowly blend 1/3 cup cold water into the 3 tablespoons flour. Stir slowly into hot stew moisture. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir 3 minutes longer to thicken broth.