Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos

 

ngredients

SLOW-COOKER MEXICAN CHICKEN (SEE NOTE 1)

• 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast (see note 2 if you prefer to use thighs)
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
• 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo
• 400 g (14 oz) canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to finish
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

LOADED CORN TOPPING

• 1 cup (200 g) corn kernels (fresh, frozen and thawed, or tinned – I used fresh)
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• ¼ cup (35 g) crumbled feta
• ½ cup (15 g) coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish (optional)
• 1 tsp Tajin (or ½ tsp sweet paprika mixed with ¼ tsp sea salt flakes)

NACHOS

• 300 g (101/2 oz) corn chips
• 250 g (9 oz) shredded Mexican cheese
• ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
• 1 jalapeño, sliced (optional)
• ¼ tsp Tajin or sweet paprika, to finish (optional)

Instructions

PREPARE THE SLOW-COOKER MEXICAN CHICKEN

1. Place all of the slow-cooker chicken ingredients in the base of a slow-cooker.
2. Stir to combine the chicken with the spices and liquid.
3. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours until the chicken is tender and shreddable.
4. Once cooked, use a ladle to remove half of the sauce (the chicken releases juices during cooking). Shred the chicken directly in the slow-cooker using two forks or tongs. Ladle the sauce back into the slow-cooker, until you have reached your desired consistency (I like to serve any leftover sauce on the side for extra drizzling and dunking!). Season the chicken to your liking with extra salt, if desired.

PREPARE THE LOADED CORN TOPPING

1. Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

ASSEMBLE THE NACHOS

1. Preheat the oven grill (broiler) to high.
2. Spread the corn chips evenly across a baking tray or ovenproof dish. Sprinkle generously with the shredded Mexican chicken (see note 1 for quantities).
3. Cook under the grill for 6–8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

FINISH AND SERVE

1. Remove the nachos from the oven and top with the loaded corn topping, sour cream, sliced jalapeño and a sprinkle of Tajin/sweet paprika, if using.
2. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Hummus

 Makes 6 servings or about 1 1/2 cups

YOU WILL NEED

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 ½ cups (250 grams) cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 large lemon

1/4 cup (60ml) well-stirred tahini, see our homemade tahini recipe

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons (45ml) water or aquafaba, see notes

Dash ground paprika, sumac, or Za’atar for serving

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then process for another 30 seconds or until well blended.

Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process them until thick and relatively smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

The hummus will likely be too thick and still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water or aquafaba with the food processor turned on until you reach the perfect consistency.

Taste and adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika, sumac, or Za’atar.

Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to one month.

Cranberry Salsa

Description

The perfect sweet & savory holiday appetizer: bright and tangy cranberries combine with spicy jalapenos and are cooled by creamy cream cheese.

---

SCALE 

Ingredients

• 12 oz bag fresh cranberries, washed
• 2 jalapenos, minced (adjust according to taste)
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sugar, more to taste if desired
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

---

Instructions

1. Place cranberries, jalapenos, green onions and cilantro in a food processor and process until fine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in lime juice, salt, and sugar. Chill in fridge for about 2 hours or more. To serve, spread cream cheese evenly in a pie plate or other shallow serving dish. Spread salsa on top and serve with crackers.

---

Notes

• Feel free to adjust this basic recipe to taste. I like to be heavy-handed with the onion and cilantro, and if you like a kick, add more jalapeno peppers! One recipe makes enough for 2 blocks of cream cheese. Often I’ll just serve it over one block at a time and save the extra salsa for another night.