Tasty Tuesday with Steph ( General Tso’s Chicken)

I was recently given the opportunity to check out Stephanie O’Dea’s new book, More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow. If you’ve learned anything about me at all, I LOVE USING SLOW COOKERS. So when Stephanie O’Dea came out with her first book, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (based on her blog, A Year Of Slowcooking), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. The recipes were so awesome and so slow cooked. Be still, my heart. And for those who may struggle with gluten intolerance, all of her recipes are gluten free. Woot!

I’ve already tested out some of the recipes in Ms. O’Dea’s new cookbook. So far, Hubby and I are pretty impressed. This time around, she also categorizes her recipes into budget brackets ($7 and under, $10 and under, etc). So, if you are one of those people who made saving money one of your resolutions, start by getting this book!

This week and next week, I’ll share with you two of the recipes we’ve made here at our house from the book. Both tasted great, and are happily healthified for the “new you” of 2011!

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General Tso’s Chicken

(from More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O’Dea)

• 1 lb bonelesss, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks

• 4 garlic cloves

• 3 TBS brown sugar

• 2 tsp dried ginger

• 2 TBS of soy sauce (gluten-free if you need it to be)

• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper glakes

• 1 (16-oz) pkg stir-fry vegetables (to add later)

Put the chicken into the bottom of your slow cooker and add the garlic, brown sugar, ginger, soy suace and red pepper flakes. Toss the chicken with 2 spoons to coat it evenly. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, then add the frozen stir-fry vegetables. Re-cover and cook on high for 1 hour, or until the veggies are heated through. Serve over rice.

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Hubby remarked that it tasted more like a good stir-fry than General Tso’s chicken. But it was nonetheless delicious. Next time, I might double the “sauce”/coating for more flavor and moisture. Also – adjust the time for your slow cooker. My slow cooker (which has seemingly taken offense at something I’ve done, and is burning thing without my consent) cooks much faster, so the chicken only needed about 3 or so hours on low, and then another 30 minutes on low once I added the veggies. Keep an eye on your meal as it cooks to avoid a burnt dinner!

Great recipe and a great book – I highly recommend it! I’ll share a second recipe from the cookbook next week! So check back!

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her blog, Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom.