"Hoppy" Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Chicken (5 simple ingredients!)

I know the Super Bowl is over.....

but let's be honest, sporting events are happening every day and there is always an excuse to get out the meat, beer, and BBQ sauce!  This weekend, as you sip on a nice cold beer (if in fact you like beer) think about how delicious it would taste in your BBQ recipe!

Looks good....right?!

It was.

In fact, it was amazing.  And the best part about this recipe was that is was as easy as 1, 2, 3.  Literally; put the chicken in the slow-cooker, add four ingredients, turn it on, and wait (ok, was that four steps?).  

So what made me think to add beer to my slow cooker chicken?  I was perusing blogs one day and came across this recipe on Tiff's blog.  She used BEER in the slow-cooker, and I started to drool, seriously, all over the place.  I love beer, and I love my slow-cooker.  Ok, so maybe "beer in the slow-cooker" has been done before, but this was new to me (I mean, I am a newbie to the slow-cooker, and still learning....).  She used 4-ounces of beer in her recipe, but I thought...why not more?!  And so, here is what I came up with.

"Hoppy" Slow-Cooked BBQ Pulled Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 frozen chicken breasts (find in your grocers freezer, I used a favorite Organic brand)

6 ounces BBQ sauce (approximately)

1/4th cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp. liquid smoke

12 ounces of your favorite light beer 

Directions

Add all ingredients together in the slow-cooker, and cook on low for 6-7 hours (or high for 3-4 hours).  Turn off the slow-cooker and use two forks to shred the chicken in the slow cooker.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken without making a juicy mess.

Enjoy.  You will.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/6th of recipe (~3/4th cup)

Nutrition Highlights:  Ok, there aren't many nutrition highlights, but if you compare this to any restaurant's pulled/shredded chicken I'd bet my life it's lower in calories, fat, and sodium (especially sodium!).  If you want this to be a more "complete" meat, serve it with whole grain bread for some fiber, or on top of brown rice.  Add some veggies too, to create a balanced plate.

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CREATE YOUR PLATE! Chicken for protein, broccoli (our household's veggie of choice) for vegetable, extra veggies for the "Fruit" (because there is less sugar and typically more fiber in vegetables anyway), brown rice or whole grain bread for the grain, and a glass of milk or a slice of cheese for the dairy (or you can have some soy or almond milk, because let's be honest, you don't need dairy)

 Instagram!  Are you on it? Follow me at "The Candid RD"

QUESTION:  Ok creative readers, how would you be unique and eat this shredded chicken other than on sandwiches??  Tell me your ideas in the comment section!


What are you doing this weekend? Anything exciting?  Nick and I are not doing much, mainly because I work all weekend (this is what I get for taking last weekend off! It's always worth it though).

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Magic Salmon in Foil Packets (Mess-Free and Delicious!)

Happy "Motivational Monday"! Today my goal is to help you let go of your fears of preparing salmon and get motivated to go to your local supermarket, buy some salmon, and make it for your next dinner gathering.  This was a "no fail" recipe that was simple to prepare and easy to clean-up (nothing beats not having to clean up fish stuck to pans!).  Not to mention, it tasted outstanding.

Magic Salmon in Foil Packets

Source: Cancer Support Community of Ohio, Chef Bryan Loveless

Serves 4

1.5 lbs. salmon (Wild Alaskan seems to work best in this recipe)

1 small red or green bell pepper, slivered

1 small zucchini, slivered

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)

2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Tear off about a 3 foot strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and fold it in half to make a double thick square that is about 1.5 feet long.  Place the foil on a baking sheet.  Place the fish in the center of the foil.  Top it with the slivered peppers and zucchini.

2.  In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and saute them until they are fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and hoisin sauce and simmer it for about 2 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.

3.  Pour the sauce evenly over the fish and vegetables.  Wrap the foil into an airtight packet around the fish, vegetables, and sauce, folding and sealing edges.  Bake the fish for 20-25 minutes (use the longer time for thicker filets).

4.  Remove the fish from the oven and open the foil packet immediately so the fish doesn't continue to cook.  Serve over rice, or by itself.

Note:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet just throw in 4 whole garlic cloves for flavor, and do not chop them (or if you're really sensitive, omit them completely).  They can then be taken out once the salmon is ready, and you can still get the garlic flavor.  Alternatively (or additionally!) you can use a garlic-infused olive oil for even more garlic flavor.  Also, the Hoisin sauce will likely contain garlic, so if you are really sensitive you may need to omit this, or reduce the amount.

I'm not joking when I tell you this is my new favorite way to cook salmon.  I'm pretty sure I've see it on other blogs before int he past, such as Nicole's (Prevention RD), but why did I wait to long to try?!

Estimated Nutrition Facts
Despite the poor grade, this is a healthy meal (I typically ignore the grades that this calorie-count.com website provides!)

Nutrition Highlights:  ~1500 mg combined EPA and DHA (types omega-3 fatty acids, not noted on nutrition facts), excellent source of vitamins A and C.  

QUESTION:  Have you ever cooked fish in foil?  If not, are you enticed?!

I had to share this photo from our amazing weekend. We stayed in a villa in Berlin, Ohio for a night and had an amazing time.  We had a heart-shaped jacuzzi, and gas fire place, and breakfast in bed!  So wonderful.  

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd