Mourning the Death of My Crock Pot + Coconut Ginger Chicken

The morning got off to a bad start.  I was scrambling around trying to get the prep work done so we could come home to a crock pot full of coconut ginger chicken.  I had the butter and oil heating on the stove top in the bowl of my crock pot and I was getting the spice blend ready while trying to figure out how I was also going to have the time to cut and clean the chicken and also dry my hair.  All of a sudden I heard a ‘POP.’  I looked over to the stove and saw that my ceramic crock pot bowl had just cracked straight down the middle.   I turned off the stove, put the prepared spice blend in the cabinet, the chicken in the fridge and ran upstairs to get ready.  Oh, and in doing all of this I also forgot the burner was still hot and burnt my finger quite badly.  I hate electric stoves.

As an adopted Midwesterner, the death of a crock pot is an event that warrants a period of mourning.   As such, I’ve put off sharing this recipe for a week or so now.  I suppose I’ve even been holding a bit of a grudge against this dish.  But it really is a great, easy winter meal, and since Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow I can’t hold off too much longer.

Plus, I must take full blame for this misfortune.  The recipe I was following specifically noted that not all crock pot bowls can be used stove top.  I just would have sworn that mine was the type that could.  Regardless, this dish fortunately can also be made in a dutch oven and you can shorten the cooking time from four to two hours if making this stove top.  Also fortunate, Courtney got home before me and since I’d already prepared all the components pre-tragic turn of events, was able to get this started in the dutch oven.  Below I note instructions for both a crock pot or a dutch oven.

Coconut Ginger Chicken and Vegetables

Adapted from Simple Bites

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 inch cube of ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 small chili pepper, deseeded
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into four
• 2 cans light coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 bag frozen vegetables of choice (I used Trader Joe’s Harvest Hodge Podge which has broccoli, baby corn, water chestnuts and a variety of other great veggies!)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground tumeric
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients from the spice blend together and set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine garlic, ginger, chili and onion and pulse until it forms a paste.
   
3. (You have a few options here.  You can use a crock pot or a dutch oven.  If you are using a crock pot, and your crock pot can be used stove top, go ahead and do this step directly in the bowl of your crock pot.  Otherwise, you will want to do it in a separate pan).  Heat olive oil and butter. Add pureed aromatics and stir well. Cook for a few minutes, then add spice blend. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Move aromatics to one side of the pot and add chicken pieces to the pot. Cook chicken slightly on all sides, using a sturdy wooden spoon to move it around the pot. It should get thoroughly coated with the spice mixture.
5. At this point, if you are using a crock pot that can be used stove top, place the bowl into the base.  If you were using a separate pan transfer the contents to the bowl of your crock pot.  If using a dutch oven, just proceed as usual.  Pour the coconut milk over the chicken. With both cans, it should just cover the chicken.
6. If you are using a crock pot, cook on low for 4 hours.  If you are using a dutch oven, bring to a boil and then simmer on medium-low for 2 hours.
7. Whisk cornstarch in a ladle of the hot broth.  Stir well.  Add additionally cornstarch as necessary to thicken.  Add frozen vegetables and cook for another half hour or until you deem the chicken cooked and the vegetables hot.