After my recent success with the slow cooker and baking kale, I was on a mission to find another recipe ASAP.

Then, my cubemate (and super trendy/hipster friend) Lizz said she had a recipe that was delicious, sounded gourmet and was easy to make.

In return I said, “I want to go to there.”

The recipe is called: Balsamic Poached Chicken. Whenever I say it, I feel like I should be doing a demo and gabbing with Martha. Because we’re cooking besties.

When I first read through the recipe it sounded a little challenging, but after talking to some friends about my questions, I felt more confident about it.

One friend even asked, “[The recipe] Sounds good, do you have a date or something?”

Sadly, I had to say no, but this is a great dish to make for a date, friend or even family in town. And yes, it was pretty easy.

(Forgive the crappy food styling)

Balsamic Poached Chicken (from Real Simple)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound red potatoes, halved or quartered
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan. Drizzle with the oil. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper, and toss. Roast for 30 minutes, shaking the pan once.
2. Add the asparagus to the pan with the potatoes, season with the remaining salt, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the broth and vinegar to a boil. Add the chicken and, if necessary, enough water (up to 1/2 cup) to cover it. Simmer for 1 minute. Cover, remove from heat, and set aside until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Return the liquid to medium-high heat and simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes.
5. Thickly slice the chicken. Divide the ingredients among individual plates. Drizzle with the balsamic mixture.

The verdict: YAY!

The chicken was absolutely delicious and the asparagus was very tasty thanks to the kosher salt and olive oil.

I did mess up the potatoes a little bit because they weren’t as soft as I hoped, but Lizz told to use the broiler to add more color and to cook it on a cookie sheet instead of casserole pan. Good to know for next time.

Sadly, this week I’m traveling for work so I won’t get to do any cooking and I’m actually pretty bummed out. Wait, I cannot believe I just said that. Something must be wrong with me. Me, miss…cooking?

Well I’m off to find another recipe. A slow cooker adventure is in my future :)

What are some of your favorite things to cook?

I am officially in love with my slow cooker.

It completes me.

I’ve been trying to cook more and become a little more skilled in the kitchen. I also wanted to start mixing up what I make for my week night meals, so I asked Santa to bring me a slow cooker. And he did!!

And then, per usual, I didn’t do anything with it for a few weeks.

But I finally started digging around for recipes and with some help from Jenn, I found one on Taste of Home that seemed pretty easy. I didn’t want to go too far out of my comfort zone, considering this could have been a disaster. Or the slow cooker could have exploded and set my house on fire.

You never know.

So I stayed home while it was cooking and the smell was amazing. Seriously, I didn’t want to wait for it to finish because I was hungry right away.

But I let it finish and I give myself an A because it turned out great and took minimal time to prep.

I present to you all, my first slow cooker success story: Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes.

Taste of Home Recipe:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian diced tomatoes
• 1 envelope savory herb with garlic soup mix
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Hot cooked pasta
• Shredded Parmesan cheese

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the chicken, tomatoes, soup mix and sugar. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with pasta; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Seriously it is that easy.

I added more chicken to mine and used some whole grain pasta with it and it was insanely delicious. Slow cooked chicken is probably my new favorite thing. It is so flavorful and tender, love love love.

I’m looking for more slow cooker recipes too so if you have one pass it along! Do you own a slow cooker? If so, what do you love making in it?