What’s for Lunch? or, Slow Cooker as Kitchen App

[Each week at ProfHacker, Billie Hara (and friends) offer "What's For Lunch?"—health-conscious recipe suggestions and a discussion space for readers to pick up some tips and share their own. At ProfHacker, we recognize that sometimes lunch is a lifehack.—Ed.]

Here at ProfHacker, we look for “hacks” that make our lives easier. Many of our posts are about apps (applications) that make computing easier (or at least more fun). Apps aren’t only for your computer or your smartphone, however. Have you ever considered that your slow cooker is an app? (Application / Appliance, get it?)

A slow cooker is an app that no kitchen should be without, as it will save you time, energy, and money.  We’ve supplied recipes for this appliance in the past: Pulled Pork, White Chili, Chicken Soup, and theme food from the television show “Lost.”

Today, we present a slight different take on this kitchen app. By cooking one single chicken, for example, you can make three different dishes. How’s that for time, energy, and money saving?

First, roast a whole chicken. When the chicken has cooked (8 hours or so), you’ll have enough meat for at least three different dishes. Slow cookers are wonderful apps, but they don’t (yet) have the ability/technology to debone chickens. You’ll have to go the manual route for this step.

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To roast the chicken, you’ll need:

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 lb. whole chicken
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. lemon peel
• 1 tsp. salt and ground black pepper
• 6 qt. slow cooker

Directions

Wash and dry the chicken thoroughly. Don’t remove the skin. Rub the surface of the chicken with extra virgin olive oil, including the under the legs and wings. Let chicken sit. Chop fresh rosemary and blend with the lemon peel. Add salt and pepper.  Season chicken, inside and out, with spice mixture.  Cover as much as the surface of the chicken as possible.

Place the seasoned chicken into the slow cooker. Cook for 3 hours on high, then turn slow cooker to low and continue cooking for 4 to 5 hours. Do not add any water or liquid, allow the chicken to roast in its own juices and the seasonings.

Once your chicken has cooked, let it cool for a bit before deboning. With the deboned chicken you can make the following simple recipes: Chicken Cobb Salad, Chicken Pesto Pine Nut Skillet Pizza, and Chicken Soft Tacos.

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CHICKEN COBB SALAD

Ingredients

• 9 cups shredded romaine lettuce (or 4 1/2 cups shredded iceberg mixed with 4 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded (skinless) roasted chicken breast
  3 hard-boiled egg whites, chopped
• 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 6 tbsp. blue cheese, crumbled
• 4 slices crisp-cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions (the white and part of the green)
• 3/4 cup lite ranch-style salad dressing

Directions

Distribute shredded lettuce into 6 individual salad plates or bowls. Arrange the chicken, chopped egg white, tomatoes, blue cheese, turkey bacon bits, avocado, and green onion on top of the lettuce, each in its own row. Drizzle about 1/8 cup of dressing over each salad and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

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CHICKEN PESTO PINE NUT SKILLET PIZZA

Ingredients

• 2 multigrain flour tortillas
• 1 tbsp. pesto sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded roasted chicken breast, skinless
• 2 slices part-skim mozzarella (2 ounces), each broken into about 4 pieces
• 1 tbsp. toasted pine nuts

Directions

Add a flour tortilla to a large, nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Spread pesto on top of the tortilla, then top with chicken and then cheese and pine nuts. Place the second tortilla on top. Once the bottom tortilla is nicely browned, carefully flip the pizza over to brown the other tortilla. This will take a minute or two more. Remove pizza to a plate and cut pizza into 8 wedges.

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CHICKEN SOFT TACOS

Ingredients

• 4-5 corn or flour tortillas
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 fresh Jalapeno pepper, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/4 tsp. each of thyme & cumin
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet, add tomato, onion and peppers. Heat for 3 minutes; stir in chicken, thyme, cumin, and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste; simmer 15 minutes. Before serving, stir in cilantro, if desired. Heat tortillas according to package directions and place in warmer, or in microwave to heat. Serve with above mixture and enjoy! Makes 4 or 5 servings.

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How about you? How do you use the marvelous Kitchen App called the slow cooker? Please leave comments and suggestions below.

[Creative Commons image by Billie Hara.]