"C" is for...

CHICKEN

I love chicken. Alright, I love the versatility of chicken. I don't really love the skin, the bones, the rubbery texture of microwave-defrosted chicken, the wiggly bits that require trimming...you get the idea.

The trouble is, as much as we love chicken around here, I don't have a great go-to chicken recipe. Each and every time I take chicken out for dinner, I spend an inordinate amount of time searching my recipe books and the internet for THE chicken recipe. Part of this problem stems from the fact that I really dislike repetition in my cooking. Many a time we have sat at the table with a delicious meal in front of us - a meal we ALL like - and Mike will comment, "This is so good! Guess we won't be having it again for a while..."

Last night that pile of frozen chicken breasts was magically transformed into coconut curried chicken. With tomatoes. The leftovers consist mostly of a pile of tomatoes, a little sauce, a spoon of rice and maybe if I dig really deep, a piece of chicken. But they all liked it...see you in a few months, coconut curry chicken. But what a great recipe to cook the night before my "C" entry, eh?

The rest of the family adores chicken legs. "Drumsticks, drumsticks!" they beg in the meat aisle at the supermarket. I cannot think of anything chicken I would rather NOT have...well, chicken wings are right up there, actually. I do have some chicken thighs (wiggly bits picked off before being put in the freezer of course) and perhaps I will get them in the slow cooker in time to produce this:

Baked Chicken with Mustard Barbecue Sauce (from 300 Slow Cooker Favorites by Donna-Marie Pye)

12 skinless chicken drumsticks (I used thighs)
19 oz / 540 mL can tomatoes - drained
1/4 packed brown sugar
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp prepared mustard
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Place chicken in slow cooker stoneware.
2. In a blender, or food processor, puree remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 7 hours or on High for 2 1/2 to 4 hours until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.
4. For a thicker sauce, transfre chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Transfer sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil gently until reduced by half, or until sauce reaches desired consistency. Serve over chicken.