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.