a peek inside the fishbowl

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a “will they eat it” post here on the Fishbowl… mostly because I’ve been cooking up the same dozen recipes over and over. I felt like it was high time to get out of my rut so I poked around for a new chicken recipe that might win my family over. And guess what. I DID IT.

I liked the sounds of this slow-cooker recipe and made a few little adjustments here and there.  Most notably, I made the sauce and tossed it in a big zip-loc back along with the chicken the night before. (Woot!) By shifting my prep time to the night before I saved myself some time in the kitchen the next day as well as garlicky hands and cooking smells that I can’t really stomach before I’ve had my morning coffee. :)

This shot is from lunch the next day:

Seriously. This is my new favourite recipe. Make ahead! Slow cooker! Lots of leftovers that actually Tastes Good.

Anyway, this is my version of the recipe:

• 1kg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5) I bet this would work with tofu too! Hmm.
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chilli sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
• thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 Tbsp cold water
• sesame seeds, for garnish
• green onion, for garnish

1) Combine the honey, soy sauce, chilli sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, onion, and pepper in a bowl, stirring well to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat. At this point you can either put it all in the fridge until the next day (which is what I did), or throw it all in the slow cooker.

2) Once you’re at the slow-cooker stage, cook for 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. Remove the chicken to a plate and cut into pieces. (I liked the original author’s suggestion of shredding it, so that’s what I did.)

3) Combine the corn starch and cold water together in a small bowl. Set aside. Using a ladle, transfer the sauce from the slow cooker to a small saucepan set to medium-high heat. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for a few minutes until it thickens.

4) That’s it! Dinner is ready to go.

I put the shredded chicken and the sauce out in the kitchen – buffet-style – along with some cooked rice, a mixture of lightly sautéed broccoli and snow peas, and the garnishes.

Everyone enjoyed dinner and mum was happy she found something new to add to her family’s dinner repertoire. A big success!

My mother-in-law made a batch of these homemade bits and bites and it suddenly dawned on me… we used to make these all the time but somehow it totally fell off my radar. I’ve decided it’s time to revisit this little treat. It’s easy, yummy, and it makes A LOT, but you can totally make this work in your favour.

1) If it’s packaged up in a little tins it makes a nice little gift for school friends, neighbours, work friends.
2) It freezes well. Toss everything in large freezer bags and pull it out when you have company over.

It’s not as fancy as this candied nut recipe (I like to bring that one along as a hostess gift this time of year) but homemade bits and bites are a lot cheaper, AND they are appreciated by kids and adults alike.

As an extra bonus, this recipe is super forgiving as it pertains to tastes and nut allergies. You basically toss in whatever you like!  I don’t usually add peanuts (my MIL did in the batch pictured above) or cheese crackers (like goldfish) but you can add both if you’re keen. We’ve made this with regular Cheerios, no-name brand, honey-nut Cheerios, Shreddies, Chex, Crispix … whatever! Bulk stores are your friend here. You can tinker with the quantities too.

Bits and Bites party mix recipe

4-5 cups Cheerios
4-5 cups Shreddies
6 cups pretzels

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder (optional)
4-6 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)

1. Place your rack in the lower position and preheat the oven to 250°F. Get out your turkey roaster, or a foil pan used for this purpose.

2. Combine the cereals and pretzels in your roasting pan.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and spices and stir well to combine. Drizzle over the cereal mix and stir well to coat.

4. Bake for about 1-2 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes with a wooden spoon. Let cool and pack into freezer bags.

5. That’s it! You’ll have enough to last you from now until Christmas I bet!

Awhile back I bought a package of chicken drumsticks, somewhat grudgingly, with a sigh. They were on sale ($4.23 for 8 pieces), but I had no clear idea what to do with them. This dry rub makes the chicken very flavourful, and it works with the skin on or off. (We make drumsticks with the skin on here at Casa Fishbowl.)

The Fishbowl dry rub recipe for drumsticks (makes enough for about 8)

1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder

This doesn’t sound like it makes very much, but it’s fine. Trust me.

Mix the spices together in a small bowl. Dry rub is forgiving so don’t worry if you aren’t a patient and precise measurer (like me). Lightly sprinkle the meaty parts of the chicken. Try for even coverage on all sides of each drumstick. Let them sit quietly – gathering flavour – on a plate while you pull the rest of dinner together, maybe for 30 minutes or so to let the spices soak in a bit. Grill the drumsticks as you normally would, and serve. I imagine you can broil them in the oven too.

We are serving these tonight with a tossed salad and some sweet potato fries. We’ve found that chicken made with this dry rub makes great leftovers for lunch the next day too. Let me know if you try this recipe!

Many moons ago Ottawa Magazine asked me if I’d be interested in answering a few questions about my favourite neighborhood for a special “Neighborhoods” edition. There was a quick interview and a very fun photoshoot with the talented Jessica Deeks, and then I promptly forgot about it. Check out this wee write up on Jessica’s website. I’m there along with some other Ottawa folks. I look BEYOND THRILLED to be eating that gelato eh? You’d think I’d never had ice cream before. Cracks.Me.Up. (FYI, this edition will be on newsstands in the spring.)