I cook this when I don't have the time to sit in the kitchen preparing an entire meal, but I do have time for prep-work.

I mix up the homemade BBQ sauce, chop up the onions and garlic, plop the chicken into the crock pot- turn it on, and let it GO!

And I am rewarded with a ready for later dinner for that night. It only gets better with age, and the leftovers seem to be better than the first night.

I'd never heard of adding chocolate to BBQ sauce, but when I tasted it, it seemed Oh so right! (Just make sure it's the dark variety).

I paired this BBQ pulled chicken with a toasted bun. Enjoy.

Spicy-Sweet-Smoky BBQ Slow Cooked Chicken

 

Ingredients: 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup minced red onion 1 yellow onion-sliced into thin slices 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups ketchup 2 tbsp molasses 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce 2 tsp chipotle chili pepper, ground 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ¼ tsp Ancho chili powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder ½ cup Adobo sauce 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon Siracha 3 tablespoons soy sauce Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup water 8 ounces dark chocolate squares (I used Godiva) or 1 cup cocoa powder 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast   Directions: In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire, adobo, honey, vinegar, siracha, soy sauce, water, olive oil and spices. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the ketchup & spice mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat.   Turn crockpot to medium. Add chicken, chocolate squares, and then cover with sliced onions, & pour BBQ sauce over the top.  Cook for 4-6 hours, turning heat down to low after the first hour. Stir chicken about once an hour. In the last hour, shred chicken, and then place back into sauce. Stir again. The longer you let it simmer in the sauce, the better your chicken will taste. The sauce will thicken as it cooks down. Taste before serving and make any seasoning adjustments. If the BBQ sauce gets too thick, dilute with water until you get the desired consistency.

 

Pasta Fontina Rustica with Chicken Sausage

The hubby was getting "pasta" homesickness, so I knew it was time to make him what he likes best. I used a Williams-Sonoma recipe as a basic guide for this, but added a few of my own ingredients. I changed the dried herbs to fresh, and added mushrooms, and a few extra spices. I think it came out wonderfully. I used Penne, but you could also use any other ridged pasta. Enjoy!

Pasta Fontina Rustica with Chicken Sausage

*adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. Olive oil

1 yellow Onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh Garlic, minced

3/4 lb. Chicken sausage, with casings removed (about 4 sausages)

2 tablespoons fresh Basil (I used my fresh Basil infused in olive oil which I have in the fridge for an occasion just like this)

1 tsp. fresh Oregano

1-2 sprigs fresh Rosemary

¼ cup flat leaf Parsley-chopped

1/4 tsp. Red pepper flakes

1 can (28 oz.) Tomatoes in puree, tomatoes coarsely chopped and puree reserved

Salt, & pepper to taste

1 lb. Penne pasta

1 1/4 cups Ricotta cheese

½ pound sauteed fresh Mushrooms-chopped

2 cups shredded Fontina or Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into bite-size pieces, until no longer pink. After 2 minutes add mushrooms & cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Add the tomatoes, puree, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt.

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a baking dish.
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water, add the pasta, stir well and cook until barely al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the sauce, the ricotta and fontina. Spread in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake until the cheeses are melted and the tips of the pasta are crusty, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot.

Spicy Lamb and Red Lentil Soup

1 cup Red Lentils

½ lb. ground Lamb

2-3 Celery stalks-diced

3 cloves fresh Garlic-minced

½ yellow Onion-diced

2-3 green onions-sliced

2 teaspoons Turmeric

1 tablespoon ground Cumin

1 can Hot Rotel

1 large can diced Tomatoes

2 cups chicken or veggie stock

¼ teaspoon green whole peppercorns

1 teaspoon chicken stock concentrate (or you can use a bouillon cube)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Olive oil

Directions:

Begin by browning onions, garlic, green onions, and olive oil. Add lamb, and brown. Add celery & cook for about 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover & reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender, stirring frequently. Serve with bread, or over white rice.

Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant)

1 can 28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes (blend till smooth in blender)

3-4 medium cloves garlic chopped finely

¼ cup Olive oil

¼ cup fresh basil chopped

½ of a yellow onion –diced

½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1 medium sized Purple variety Eggplant (about 2 ½ cups once diced)

1 cup Ricotta Salata (or you can also use Parmesan)

Red chili pepper flakes (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Nature’s Seasoning

1 pound Rigatoni pasta

In a large pot, bring pasta water to a boil, add salt & a little olive oil. Once boiling, add pasta & cook according to directions. Once cooked, drain water & top with sauce, and ricotta or parmesan, stirring well. Serve immediately.

Brown onions & garlic in olive oil, add basil & flat leaf parsley, and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add diced eggplant & sauté over medium heat until fragrant. Add blended tomatoes. Stir and reduce heat. Cover, stirring frequently. Add seasoning (salt & pepper). Cook down, adding ¼ cup water if needed after reducing heat. Simmer on low for about 1 hour.

 **I always have a few containers of my marinara sauce frozen so I just defrosted one & added this which reduces the cooking time by over half).