Recipe Of The Day: Slow Cooked Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs w/ Jamaican Rice & Peas

We have been getting some emails from people who love our Recipe Of The Day ideas, but after a long 10 hr day at work, they just don't have it in them to stand on their feet any longer to make dinner.  The sad fact is, in this economy no one has the time to stand in the kitchen and cook all day.
When money is as to hard to come by as it is lately, people are being forced to eat meals that cost less and do not pack nearly enough of the daily nutrients we all desperately need to survive.
Just because the economy is forcing us to work ten times harder, doesn't mean that we have to work that hard in the kitchen to get a great meal that is full of flavor and is easy to clean up after creating.

I took a few moments and put together a slow cooker recipe that should bring back some good home cooking memories for some. For others this recipe should help you begin to understand that great food can come out of a crock pot, its just about what you put in it and more importantly, when you put it in.
I hope you enjoy the Recipe Of The Day: Slow Cooked Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs w/ Jamaican Rice & Peas.

Ingredients:

1 cup Onion (sliced)

1 cup Celery (peeled & diced) 

1 cup Carrot (peeled & diced)

4 lbs Chicken Thighs (boneless & skinless)

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Tonys Seasoning

1 (15-ounce) Can Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup Lime Juice

1 TBS Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce (minced w/ with 1 teaspoon sauce from can)

2 Garlic Cloves (minced)

1 Avocado (diced)

1/4 cup Cilantro Leaves (fresh & chopped)

Lime Wedges (for garnish)

Directions:

Arrange onion, celery and carrots in bottom of slow cooker.

Season chicken thighs with salt & pepper, cayenne, paprika and Tony’s, then arrange over the vegetables.

In a medium bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce, and garlic. Pour mixture over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve half of the thighs with this meal (topped with diced avocado and cilantro and garnished with lime wedges) and reserve remaining thighs for another meal.

Jamaican Rice and Peas:

2 cups Instant White Rice

1 (14-ounce) Can Coconut Milk

1 cup Water

1 (15-ounce) Can Red Beans (drained)

1 tsp Dried Thyme

1/2 tsp Finely Grated Lime Zest

1/4 cup Chopped Scallions

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, beans, thyme, and lime zest.

Set pan over high heat and bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

Fold in scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper.