RECIPE FOR CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES RECIPES

Steps:

• Place onion wedges in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl combine dried onion, parsley flakes, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, thyme, and dill. Place one-third of the chicken thighs in an even layer in the slow cooker atop onions. Sprinkle chicken with about one-third of the spice mixture. Repeat layers twice, using the remaining chicken thighs and spice mixture.
• In a medium bowl stir together condensed soup, sour cream, and chile peppers. Pour over chicken in cooker.
• Cover and cook on low-heat setting 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting 3 to 3 1/2 hours. If using low-heat setting, turn cooker to high-heat setting. Add sweet pepper strips and squash slices to cooker. Cover and cook 45 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds and strings. Place one half, cut side down, in a microwave-safe baking dish. Using a fork, prick the skin all over. Microwave on 100% power (high) 10 to 12 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork; carefully remove from baking dish. Repeat with the other squash half. Cool squash slightly. Using a fork, shred and separate the squash pulp into strands.
• Remove all of the chicken thighs from the slow cooker (see Tips). Place 6 of the thighs on a plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Allow vegetables and sauce in cooker to cool slightly (sauce will thicken slightly as it cools). While the sauce cools, remove the meat from the remaining chicken thighs. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Discard bones. Place shredded chicken in a very large bowl; set aside.
• To serve, divide spaghetti squash among six serving plates. Place one of the whole chicken thighs atop squash on each serving plate. Stir the vegetable-sauce mixture in the slow cooker. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the vegetable-sauce mixture over each serving. If desired, sprinkle with fresh parsley.
• Stir the remaining vegetable-sauce mixture from the cooker into the shredded chicken in the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days; use to make Chipotle Ranch Chicken Pasta (see associated recipe), if desired.

Steps:

• Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Griddle pan, high heat • Large lidded pan, high heat • Food processor (coarse grater & bowl blade) START COOKING On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with sea salt, black pepper and the five-spice. Fold over the paper, then bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin. Place on the hot griddle pan, turning after 3 or 4 minutes, until nicely charred and cooked through. Pour about 800ml of boiling water into the large pan and crumble in the stock cube. Trim the stalk off the squash, roughly chop the neck end (don't peel, and keep the seed end for another day), then grate and tip into the boiling stock. Peel the garlic and ginger. Swap to the bowl blade in the processor and add the garlic, ginger, chilli, turmeric, trimmed spring onions, peanut butter, lime leaves, coriander stalks (reserving the leaves), sesame oil, soy and fish sauces. Blitz to a paste, then tip into the stock and add the noodles. Trim the asparagus and cut in half. Add to the pan, pour in the coconut milk, and as soon as it boils, taste, correct the seasoning with soy sauce and lime juice, then turn the heat off. Drizzle the honey over the charred chicken, squeeze over the juice of 1 lime, scatter with the sesame seeds and toss to coat. Serve with the laksa and lime wedges, sprinkling everything with the coriander leaves and slices of fresh chilli.