Chicken and Vegetable “Stir-Fry”

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Serves 4

Cooking Time 2 to 3 hours on Low

Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Making a stir-fry usually means quick, last-minute cooking in a skillet that’s splattering hot oil. Surprisingly, we found a way to replicate this dish in the slow cooker for an easy, make-ahead, and mess-free dinner. First we poached boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a flavorful cooking liquid, which later doubled as a sauce. A combination of chicken broth, soy sauce, and ginger was a good start. Hot pepper jelly helped to thicken the sauce and contributed a great sweet and spicy flavor. To get perfectly crisp-tender vegetables from the slow cooker, the key was using a steamer basket. Placing the steamer basket on top of the chicken allowed the vegetables to steam gently throughout the cooking time. We finished the dish with fresh ginger to give it a nice spicy bite and stirred in water chestnuts at the end for appealing freshness and crunch. Serve with rice. See the sidebars that follow the recipe.

½	cup chicken broth
½	cup hot pepper jelly
3	tablespoons soy sauce
2	tablespoons grated ginger
2	tablespoons instant tapioca
4	(6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1	teaspoon five-spice powder
	Salt and pepper
2	red bell peppers, cored and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
1	(15-ounce) can baby corn, rinsed
1	(8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed
3	scallions, sliced thin

1. Combine broth, pepper jelly, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger, and tapioca in slow cooker. Season chicken with five-spice powder, salt, and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Place steamer basket on top of chicken and place bell peppers and baby corn in basket. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 2 to 3 hours on low.

2. Remove steamer basket and transfer vegetables to bowl. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, and slice into bite-size pieces.

3. Whisk braising liquid to recombine. Stir in vegetables, sliced chicken, water chestnuts, and remaining 1 tablespoon ginger. Let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.