Slow Cooker Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tagine

Planning for the coming summer holidays, I expect there will be lots of picnics taking place, but there are also bound to be days when we want something more substantial for dinner. Here’s where the slow cooker will come to our rescue, cooking our dinner while we are having fun in the park, on the beach or at the swings.

This easy slow cooker chicken and summer vegetable tagine is an ideal summer meal you can make in your crockpot. Simply put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and it will be ready for you when you get home in the afternoon. If you serve the tagine with couscous, you can be eating a few minutes after you get home.

Summer vegetables are so delicious, one of my favourite being courgettes. We go to local pick-your-own farms in Surrey where we can get goodies like this, freshly picked and at a better rate then the supermarket.

The tagine looks delicious and fresh even before cooking. It will gently cook while you are out and be full of fresh summer flavours, gently spiced, when you come to serve it up.

Recipe:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 200 ml chicken stock made using concentrated liquid stock, or a cube
• 3 tsp ras el hanout
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 baby courgettes, chopped
• Handful of baby plum tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp ground almonds

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker pot and cook for 6-8 hours on low.
2. Serve with couscous, rice or pasta.
3. If you have any, chop some fresh herbs and sprinkle on top before serving.

I’m linking this thrifty slow cooker meal up with Credit Crunch Munch from Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All, hosted this month by Jen’s Food.

As this dish also contains plenty of veg, I’m also linking up with Extra Veg from Fuss Free Flavours and Utterly Scrummy Food for Families.