di Pollo Pomodoro: “a salubrious stew”

Say: (Dee POLO po-mo-DOOR-oh)

 2014 will be a healthy year.

Living Longer with Lycopene

Studies have demonstrated higher Lycopene intake helps lower prostate cancer risk, significantly protects against breast cancer, animal research is also showing benefit to lung cancer. Higher levels of lycopene have also shown protection against heart attack.
Does slave have your attention yet?
Tomatoes are a great source of Lycopene!
Nutritionists note that heating the tomato actually makes the lycopene more absorbent.
So lets cook with some tomatoes! We want something that is not expensive, lot in fat, easy to fix, oh and it must taste good! NO PROBLEM!

Here is an easy, healthy take on Chicken Cacciatore for the Crock Pot.

Lots of good for you vegetables carry this dish from being just a great taste to being a weight loss specialty for your family.

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bone and skin them yourselves!

½ large onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, cut

2 cans tomatoes diced

1 can condensed mushroom soup (low sodium)

1 can condensed celery soup (low sodium)

12 oz (low sodium) vegetable juice Like V8

16oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables

1 teaspoon of Basil

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

(slave happened to have a few green onions left so why not?)

Now since this takes 10 hours in the Crock Pot, that means it has to start by 8AM if slave wants a 6PM dinner. While slave is usually sending its first report in by 7AM, it does not really trust itself with that big sharp Chefs knife before the first cup of coffee.

So the chopping goes on the night before and it gets bagged until morning.

Directions:

If you haven't used your pot for awhile, wipe it out first with a damp paper towel!

Spray the crock pot with cooking spray

Set the Crock Pot to High to warm.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with kosher salt and a very light touch of pepper. Brown the outsides of the chicken breasts (About 4 to 5 minutes per side), in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cut the chicken into 2-3 inch pieces.

Pour the tomatoes into the crock pot and sprinkle with herbs and basil. Then add the onions and celery. Distribute the big chunks of chicken and spoon the condensed soups and vegetable juice over the top.

This should be everything except the mixed vegetables, take them from the freezer and place in refrigerator to thaw.

Cover the pot and turn down the setting to low.

Let it set and cook for at least 8 ½ hours before adding the mixed vegetables for an additional hour and a half. (total 10 hours) If you put them in sooner they would have cooked down into mush!

Note: Yes Slave knows that your crock pot is full! Don't worry! Just let all that goodness blend the flavors together.

When you serve this “full meal in a bowl”, you can go light on salad and just a nice whole wheat roll or sweet pumpernickel loaf to accompany.

IMPORTANT to NOTE: Keep your food safe! The best rule to go by is you have 2 hours for the food to go from being cooked to going into the refrigerator. Do NOT leave it in the crock pot. Transfer all of it into large serving bowls, before you sit down to eat, this will help it cool.. Never put food in the refrigerator that is too hot to hold on you hand! And then always pit it on the top shelf.

Now in this case, after dinner we are going to divide this into quart sized freezer bags. That way you will have plenty of healthy meals handy. Yes you will make a mess. However take steps to minimize the clean up.

 

Slave got 3 quart sized bags full. Again do not put them in the refrigerator until you can carry them in your bare hand. Later after they have been in the cool for an hour or two, take a couple and put in the freezer.

You can always make the left-overs stretch by adding a cup more of the vegetable juice when you reheat!

It is a joy to have the privilege to serve my Master Indy

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!