Moist and flavorful set-it-forget-it chicken with oregano, olives, sweet potatoes and dried plums.
{Disclosure: As co-owners of The Recipe ReDux, Deanna & I were compensated to manage this contest but not eligible to win associated prizes. Thoughts and opinions are my own.}
I’m on the second week of my personal Pantry Challenge: To eat only what’s in my pantry, freezer and fridge for 2 weeks.
Inspired by Sally @RealMomNutrition and her similar, but MUCH longer 1-Month Pantry Challenge, I decided to take on the spring-cleaning healthy pantry challenge.
So, starting on Earth Day, we took the plunge to stay away from the grocery store for two weeks.
I thought it would be a snap; I knew many of our Boston readers had done it this winter during their totally snow-bound days, right?
But we’ve had our ups and downs with this pantry challenge.
Downs :
- After we ran out of milk, we resorted to the pantry-staple powdered dry milk. While it’s a magical ingredient in Homemade Protein Powder, the kids decided it’s not so magically delicious on breakfast cereal.
- Running out of yogurt. Even the frozen stash of Yogurt Pops.
- The fight over the last egg was fierce.
Pretty minor in the scheme of things.
Now for the Ups:
- Getting to be really creative in the kitchen. Here’s a picture of what I was working with: Random condiments and whole grains galore.
- Finding a whole container of our favorite frozen Mushroom Bolognese.
- Dried plums! They’ve served as super sweet spot as the cupboards have become more bare.
The truth is that we always have a giant stock of dried plums on hand. We eat dried plums (formally known as prunes) for dessert, snacks and treats on a regular basis. My kids equate their sweetness with candy – really. They love the chewy texture of dried plums because they are just fun to eat.
When the California Dried Plums Board challenged The Recipe ReDux to the “No Bones About It” Challenge to kick off National Osteoporosis Month, I also was reminded of the bone-health benefits of dried plums. So, strong bones are just one more reason to feel good about serving dried plums to my kids – and enjoying them myself.
What I haven’t done yet, is cook with dried plums.
But, after throwing together this chicken dish, everyone in the family decided cooked dried plums are tasty too. I called it Mediterranean Chicken as most of the ingredients I found in my pantry were of sunny Mediterranean origin – except possibly sweet potatoes. (Do sweet potatoes grow near the Mediterranean Sea??) But they were the last veggies in my pantry! And the combo of dried plums plus sweet potatoes plus salty olives was a true crowd-pleaser.
PrintMediterranean Slow Cooker Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed (peeled if you like)
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup green olives, chopped + 1/2 cup olive ‘juice’
- 3/4 cup California Dried Plums, halved
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In slow cooker combine onion, bell pepper, sweet potato, chicken, oregano, olives, olive juice, dried plums, crushed red pepper, bay leaf and salt/black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with vinegar and 1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth. Set the slow cooker on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours.
- Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
Notes
Flavorful, moist set-it-forget-it chicken with sweet potatoes, olives, dried plums and oregano.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4-6 servings
Do you cook with dried plums? Would you take on a pantry challenge?
More creative California dried plum recipes from ReDuxers in thumbnails below!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
Thursday 7th of May 2015
Such a delicious way to combine two challenges! And I loved reading about the "ups and downs"- lol!
Amee Livingston
Tuesday 5th of May 2015
This sounds amazing Serena! I love all of these flavors in your dish and the convenience of the slow cooker! It looks like a winner to me! :)
Selena @ The Nutritious Kitchen
Tuesday 5th of May 2015
Holy yum! Yes this recipe is totally my style. I adore mediterranean food and my slow cooker is the best thing that couldve happened to me! Pinning!!
Diane
Tuesday 5th of May 2015
Wow you are a winner in the pantry challenge for sure; avoiding the grocery store for 2 weeks and this for dinner! Terrific, Serena!
EA-The Spicy RD
Monday 4th of May 2015
I don't know what's more impressive...this dish (sounds super yummy!) or the fact that you cooked it with only the ingredients you had on hand! I've seen a lot of people doing the pantry challenge lately-something I'd really like to try-you've definitely encouraged me to :-)