Crock Pot Lemon Grass Chicken

After any holiday or change in routine it‘s not uncommon to feel a bit out of sorts due to a rich diet of fancy fare. This nourishing crock pot recipe assists in regulating your bodies system and puts you back in control. Good clean energy!

The crock pot or a slow cooker is a fantastic way to prepare a simple meal into a delicious flavorful fare. The beauty of the crock pot method is convenience. You can leave home for the entire day, then return to find your dinner ready to eat!

Soon after man tamed fire, slow cooking was used to soften and tenderize tough slabs of meat and fibrous, rooty vegetables. In prehistoric times, indigenous people cooked wild root plants in a slow burning fire pit for a full 24 hours. This released the nutrition locked in the bulbs and made them tender and tasty.

Tough meat cuts especially benefit from slow cooking. Slow cooking breaks down collagen and converts it into a gelatinous broth. Meat fibers separate and shrink during slow cooking. The natural juices help moisten the meat into a mouth watering meal. Crockpot lemon grass chicken tastes delicious and acts as a natural tissue cleanser with numerous inherent healing properties.

Lemon grass is a perennial, stalky plant native to Southeast-Asia, India and Nepal. It has a light, lemony scent and flavor, with a hint of ginger, and is a common ingredient in Thai cooking. Lemon or lime juice may be substituted for lemongrass in a pinch, but citrus fruits can’t replicate many of the unique properties of lemongrass.

Lemongrass has numerous health benefits, especially when used in combination with garlic, fresh chilies and coriander. It contains antibacterial and antifungal properties and helps detoxify the liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder and entire digestive tract.

Lemongrass is an immune system booster. It helps reduce uric acid, cholesterol and excess blood lipids. It’s a natural remedy for indigestion and gastroenteritis and can also reduce the formation of acne and pimples.

Shopping Tips

When purchasing lemongrass, look for firm stalks (not soft or rubbery, which means it's too old). The lower portion of the stalk should be pale yellow, almost white in color. The upper stalk should be green. Do not purchase if outer leaves are crusty or brown. Fresh lemongrass is usually sold in 1-foot long bundles of 3-4 stalks, secured with an elastic band. Look for fresh lemongrass at your local grocery store or any Asian market.

Lemongrass Crock Pot Chicken

• 2 1/2 to 3 lb whole chicken, cleaned and patted dry
• 6-8 six inch pieces of lemon grass stalk (trimmed and broken to release flavor)
• 1/ 2 cup water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 T. fresh grated garlic
• 1 T. grated fresh ginger
• 1 small yellow onion, minced fine
• ½ cup fresh chopped coriander
• 2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
• ½ cup thinly sliced carrots
• ¼ cup of each thinly sliced red and green bell peppers
• 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms of choice
  
  Cook at a low heat for 6-8 hours (time is approximate)

Method

• Insert 3 lemongrass pieces inside of chicken cavity then put whole chicken into crock pot.
• Add vegetables and remaining lemongrass around the chicken.
• In a mixing bowl add water, coconut milk, stir in ginger, garlic, onion and chili flakes. Pour mixture over chicken and vegetables, cover with lid.
• Test to see if chicken falls off the bone, if so, it’s ready.
• Before serving, discard lemongrass.
• Add Bragg’s or tamari sauce for more flavor if desired.
• Serve lemongrass crock pot chicken on top of a bed of brown rice with a side green salad

Note

• All vegetables should be cut in uniform pieces. If you can’t find lemongrass, add 2 whole lemons cut in quarters to crock pot as a substitute.
• If you don’t have a Crockpot, use a large baking pan with lid and bake in oven at 225 degrees for 4 hours. Do not leave the oven unattended while it is on.

Bon Appetite!...TKH