Italian Wonderpot!

It has been raining ALL weekend. That, paired with Seamus being gone makes me want to stay inside and just take it easy. On weekends like this, I like to cook a big pot of comfort food that I can eat all weekend and even into the next week.

I actually heard about this recipe for the first time on BuzzFeed. It made sense to me; recipes always say to add pasta water into your sauces, so why not just cook it all right in? Turns out, it makes a tasty, velvety sauce, and there is no easier meal out there (plus it is CHEAP to make)! Give it a try!

Italian Wonderpot!

Courtesy of BudgetBytes at http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/05/italian-wonderpot/

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable broth $0.52
• 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.32
• 12 oz. fettuccine $1.33
• 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach $0.79
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes $1.73
• 1 medium onion $0.43
• 4 cloves garlic $0.32
• ½ Tbsp dried basil $0.07
• ½ Tbsp dried oregano $0.07
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes $0.02
• freshly cracked pepper to taste $0.05
• 2 oz. feta cheese $0.87

Instructions

1. Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half to make stirring easier later, and then add it to the pot. Also add the canned tomatoes (undrained), olive oil, frozen spinach, onion (thinly sliced), garlic (thinly sliced), basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
2. Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high. Allow the pot to come up to a full, rolling boil over high heat then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
3. Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky and mushy. The pot must be boiling the entire time.
4. After the pasta is cooked, crumble the feta cheese over top and serve.

Slow Cooker Soy-Braised Chicken

Believe it or not, it is St.Patrick's day and we are having a snow day here in Washington DC! I spent the weekend drinking outside in the sunshine celebrating my birthday and St. Patrick's day all weekend, and we were suddenly hit by 4 inches of snow that shut the whole city down today. There is nothing better on a cold, snowy day than using the slow cooker, so luckily I had some chicken thighs on hand to make this dish!

I was drawn to this recipe because it reminded me of two things that I loved to eat in Hawaii; pork adobo (basically pork boiled in vinegar) and chicken shoyu (basically chicken boiled in soy sauce). I decided to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they were on sale at the store, and I added some fresh ginger to the recipe. After about 5 hours of cooking, the chicken was tender and flavorful. It's no corned beef, but I'm still happy to be eating it this St. Patrick's day!

Slow Cooker Soy-Braised Chicken

Courtesy of Real Simple at http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-adobo-with-bok-choy-00000000050978/

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• black pepper
• 8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 3⁄4 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 large head bok choy, cut into 1-inch strips
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the onions, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, bay leaf, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle with the paprika.
2. Cook, covered, until the chicken and onions are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total cooking time).
3. Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
4. Ten minutes before serving, if the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. Gently fold the bok choy into the chicken and cook, covered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.