Who said weekday dinners had to be boring? It’s simple to keep the fresh and fun with just a little preparation. Stock your kitchen with staples like whole-wheat pasta, organic fish, poultry, meats, and organic fruits and vegetables (go frozen if you can’t buy fresh). Then, either cook double on the weekends when you have time and freeze (this way you don’t have to worry about your meals during the week), or put food up in your slow cooker in the morning.

I have been a big advocate of freezing doubled meals ahead for many years.

Recently, however, I gave my Crockpot a second look while putting it away on a Motzei Shabbos.  I remembered an old recipe I had featured in my book, Not Just A Cookbook entitled Shipwreck Stew.  It was a delicious meal I prepared on those cold days when my children were much younger and my schedule was more hectic.  I would put all the ingredients in the crockpot right after my children left for school, then plug it in and forget about it for eight hours!  In this way, no matter how busy my day was, I knew I would have a nutritious meal ready for my “crew” that evening.  I could be involved in any myriad of school activities, or my Tupperware business, and not feel pressured to rush back home to cook supper.

I decided to try another recipe I had acquired using chicken. This time I put the slow cooker on HIGH, which meant the food would be ready in 4-5 hours.  It could also cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. I added sweet potatoes, halved and walked away.

The result – the entire house had the most wonderful aroma.  When a family member dropped by in the afternoon, he inquired what was I cooking that smelled so good. This recipe will now become my “go to” recipe when I have little time to prepare a meal.

I used a whole chicken, while only needing a half.  The next day, I used the cooked chicken in another recipe I share with you below.  This flavorful pasta dish calls for cooked chicken, Dijon mustard, onion, and parsley  – and a delicious meal can be had in just 30 minutes.

There are several important things to remember when using a slow cooker. Now, most of the people I speak to never remember to hold on to the instructions that come with their appliances, but it’s a good idea to keep a file with all those booklets in one place for future reference as they are something you should hold on to until you are completely sure of the proper way to use the appliance.

Remember that many vegetables benefit from slow cooking which allows them to develop their full flavor – without the overcooking that can happen in the oven or on your stovetop.  When cooking recipes with vegetables and meat, place the vegetables at the bottom of the slow cooker, before the meat.

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

4-6 lb. roasting chicken

½ tsp. Kosher salt

½ cup onion, chopped

2 Tbsps. fresh parsley

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. dried thyme

Juice of one lemon

1/3 tsp. paprika