New season, new appliances.

As a newly-minted wife, my kitchen is full of lovely new Kitchenaid and Cuisinart tools and gadgets. As we roll into fall, I took this weekend to break-in some of these exciting culinary items.

First up, white bean dip with bagel chips.

Using the food processor, I mixed a can of drained and rinsed white beans, about a tablespoon of basil (well pureed), teaspoon of garlic (yes - jarred), and drizzled in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil while mixing. Add salt and pepper to taste. After all the ingredients were well-mixed, I stirred in a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice (about a wedge's worth). Serve with bagel chips, vegetables or any other tasty base.

Next on the list is Maple Dijon Chicken with sweet potatoes and carrots in the slow cooker.
Ingredients:

Not pictured: skinless boneless chicken tatas and bay leaves.

--1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
--1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable)
--2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 onion, chopped
--2 T dijon mustard
--3 T maple syrup 
--3 cloves garlic, chopped
--2 bay leaves
--1 tsp thyme (I had fresh thyme so I used about 3-4 sprigs
--3 carrots, peeled and chopped
Note: I like a lot of flavor in my dishes, so I used pretty heavy pours of maple syrup and dijon mustard!


Directions:
In a 4 quart slow cooker, put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and toss it with the thyme, maple syrup, and dijon mustard. Mix in the onion, carrots, and garlic.

Peel and cube the sweet potato, and add to the pot. 

Pour in the broth. Add the bay leaves. 

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables reach desired tenderness. 

I am cooking on low for 6 hours and will check to see if the chicken is done.

Outcome: quite good! I probably could have put the chicken in later (after giving the sweet potatoes and carrots about 2 hours) as skinless boneless chicken tatas cook rather quickly. The dish has a lot of good sauce/stock to spoon over the meat and veggies. Paired with a salad, this is a great Sunday night dinner. We also have at least 2 left over servings for lunches this week. Eat up!