Slow Cooker Indonesian Chicken with Peanut Sauce

It's funny how when people talk about an event as happy as the birth of your first child, it can sound a lot like a death sentence. We've been getting a lot of great advice from people, and one piece of advice that we get frequently is to enjoy this time with each other because this will be the last time we are alone together again. Ever. No more alone time. Got that? None. It always sounds so final and so ominous. And this is from people who love having children. Still, when you think about how much our life is going to change in the next few weeks, I can see why people would tell us to soak up the time together while we can.

In any case, that's what we've been doing lately. I'm still working, but in the evenings we're just trying to spend time together and not get caught up in too many chores or cleaning tasks. (Okay, so maybe it's me who is making more of a change than my husband.) We've been eating out a little more so I don't have to spend time cooking and I'm letting the mess that is our basement stay that way for a little while.  

I do have to cook occasionally so I have food to bring to work for lunch, so when I saw this easy slow cooker recipe on Natalie's site, I decided to make it. Not only did it come together as quickly as I was hoping it would, but it tasted wonderful, too. I'm a big fan of peanut sauces and this one is very good. It's not overly peanutty, but it has a great blend of flavors and keeps the chicken moist and juicy.  I like the peas and carrots for the sweet flavor they add, and I added just a splash of lime juice to brighten the meal up at the end. I would definitely suggest that you don't skip adding the chopped peanuts and cilantro when you serve the dish because they round out the flavor and the peanuts add crunchiness. In all, it was a delicious meal that took less than 10 minutes to prepare, leaving me plenty of time for those last few moments alone with my husband. 

Slow Cooker Indonesian Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 medium to large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb baby carrots, chopped in half
• 1 onion, chopped medium
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• salt
• lime juice
• dry roasted peanuts & cilantro, for topping
• cooked rice or noodles for serving

Directions

1. In the bowl of a slow cooker, add chicken, carrots, onions, and garlic.
2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together water, peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, and hot pepper flakes. Pour sauce into slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (high for 2 hours).
3. Ten minutes before serving, add peas and vinegar. Remove the chicken and shred it, then return to the slow cooker. Cover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes.
4. Add salt and lime juice to taste. Serve mixture over rice or noodles, topped with peanuts and cilantro.

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 4-5 hours Serves: 4

Recipe Source: thesweetslife.com, originally from familycorner.blogspot.com