Growing up, our chicken was always boneless, skinless breast from what I remember and it’s only in the last year, since purging my cupboards of processed foods and my freezer of meats like sausage and beef (though I do still have a roast in there), that I’ve eaten chicken thighs. I can’t say that I absolutely love them but I’ve found a few recipes that I do like them with, one of which I’ve included below from Not Your Mother’s: Slow Cooker Recipes for Two. I bought the book from Amazon one day when I was hunting for smaller meals. It’s just my son and I and he’s recently turned four; together, eating-wise, we total one-and-a-half people on a good day. This book is perfect. I haven’t made very many things out of it yet though I hope to. It uses my small slow cooker (can’t remember if it’s a 2 or 3qt one) and is perfect for supper with just enough leftovers for me for lunch or supper on a night shift. It serves two people so you’ll have to adjust accordingly if you’re feeding more than that. For me, the ingredients are all things that I have on hand (the currants I keep specifically for this recipe) so it’s easy to throw together in the early afternoon. The almonds make the recipe, in my opinion; don’t go without them unless you’re allergic or abhor them.

Moroccan-Spiced Tomato Chicken with Almonds

Cooker: 1.5 to 3 quart
Setting and cook time: Low for 2 to 2.5 hours
Serves: 2

2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp slivered almonds
1 clove garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup tomato salsa
2 tbsp dried currants
4 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Spray the inside of a the crock with non-stick cooking spray. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the almonds and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towels. When cool, coarsely chop.
2. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker.
3. Combine the salsa, currants, honey, cumin, and cinnamon and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the chicken is fork-tender and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with the toasted almonds.

We had this tonight and I served it with brown rice and sweet potato squash (actual name is delicata squash). I used five thighs since that’s what I had frozen and I also added in about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chopped celery that I had in the freezer. I’m not a celery fan but I felt too guilty to throw out the inner stalks the last time I had some. It worked in this recipe; I didn’t even notice it was there. B loved it and had two chicken thighs while I was strangely full after just one. So I now have two thighs, a bit of rice, and a good amount of sauce in the fridge. The thighs and rice will be another meal and I will either use the sauce this week or freeze it to pour over chicken breasts another time.

And in case you’ve forgotten who is behind the blog (it’s been awhile, I know), I’ll leave you with a picture and one of the proud budding photographer.