Crock Pot Magic!

Everyone who knows me knows that I'm a terrible cook. I have no idea why I'm a contributor to a food blog, considering I didn't learn how to boil water till I was about 13, and my parents have to leave me detailed instructions on how to heat up turkey in the microwave when I'm in charge of dinner. I usually opt for pasta (which is not kind to my waist) or going out (which is kind to neither my waist nor wallet).

However, now that I'm in New York City interning at a fabulous magazine, I can no longer afford to go out every night. So I am determined to learn how to make something semi-nutritious besides salad for my dinners.

Mama Williams helped tremendously in this endeavor by purchasing me the most adorable little red crock pot you've ever seen. I've dubbed it Rudy. It's too cute to not have a name, and Rudy just fits perfectly. Plus, the feminist in me snickers at the idea of giving kitchen appliance a male name.

(Isn't he adorable??)

But back to the food! My first attempt at cooking with Rudy tonight was nerve-wracking. I've seen my mother cook beef stew for my seven-person family with her gigantic crock pot from the 1980s. However, I don't eat red meat, I only had to cook for one, and my crock pot is presumably from 2009. So I did a few Google searches for "easy mini crock pot recipes."

While I didn't actually find an appealing or easy crock pot recipe that way, I took a few of the tips and made my own concoction with chicken breasts, garlic, onions, and broccoli. Very basic, yes, but I was erring on the side of not blowing up half of 12th Street. I just tossed in:

1 chicken breast completely slathered in garlic and herb spice mix

about 1/4 of a large red onion (Onions are possibly one of my favorite foods, so I always put in way more than a normal person would probably want to eat. Adjust accordingly.)

2 big cloves of garlic

a few florets of broccoli

a couple drops of olive oil (in the bottom of the crock pot, just to make sure it didn't burn)

I was so terrified of killing myself and possibly my neighbor over in 4C that I neglected to take pictures of the preparation of this dish. All I did, though, was layer the onions on the bottom to form a base, put the chicken on top of the onions, tossed in the garlic cloves, and put the broccoli at the top. Watching the Food Network 24/7 (seriously. I'm watching it as I write this) has taught me that you always put onions in first because they take longest to cook and get that deliciously sweet flavor, plus they're way less likely to burn and taste icky like the broccoli would if you put it on the bottom. Rachael Ray, Alton Brown, the Neeleys, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, and the Iron Chefs all say so, so to me, that's basically gospel.

I put Rudy's lid on and let it cook for about an hour or so, checking in every now and then. And lo, my dinner actually came out really, really good. The chicken wasn't dry at all, the onions were sweet but not mushy or burnt-tasting, and the broccoli and garlic made it smell (and taste!) like a fantastic hybrid Italian/Thai dish. Forgive the terrible lighting in the picture...my camera is just a little point-and-shoot, my apartment is poorly lit, and I'm an even worse photographer than I am a cook.

(I was so into eating it that I forgot to take pictures before I dove in. Oops.)

Of course, I'd change a few things about this dish next time I try it. I'd probably slice the onions a little thicker, add a smidgen less oil, and put the broccoli in a little bit later so it got just steamed and not so cooked.

I think that Rudy and I are going to become very, very close these next few months. Thank goodness for a good man in the kitchen.