Chayote Chicken Stew

Someone very very special asked me today to write a blog entry for something she could make in her Crockpot, because she had only tried to meals that were prepackaged to be cooked in it. Seeing as how tonight's dinner is simmering in the Crockpot at the moment, I decided to take this opportunity to write about it. It smells delicious, by the way. :)

This particular version of chicken stew (almost a tagine, I guess) is made with chayotes, which are Costa Rican squash. I am fully aware that everyone isn't lucky enough to have a Caribbean produce market down the street from their home, so you can easily substitute the chayote squashes (which are slightly larger than an apple or pear) with another kind of squash, or 2-3 potatoes.

What you need:
2/3 c. vegetable broth (can use chicken or beef broth as well, but this will add a few calories)
2 stalks celery
1/2 yellow onion
2 chayotes (or other squash)
3 large carrots
1-1.5 lbs chicken breast (the nutrition information below is calculated using 1.34 lbs because that's how much I had when I calculated it for my own)
1/2 c. raisins
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. tarragon
2 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. anise seed
1 Tbsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. basil
2 Tbsp. rosemary

What to do:
Chop celery and onion into fine pieces either by hand or using a chopper. I prefer mine chopped very fine, but if you're doing it by hand, it's okay if they're slightly larger chunks. Peel and chop carrots and squash into bite size pieces. Place vegetables in broth in the slow cooker.

Next, chop your chicken (defrosted) into bite size pieces as well. Combine them with the vegetables in the slow cooker. Add seasonings to the slow cooker, and mix everything together well.

Cook on high for 3 hours, and then low for 1-2 more hours, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition information:
(based on 8 servings of 200g using 1.34 lbs chicken breast)
Calories: 182
Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: .8g
Cholesterol: 59mg
Sodium: 107mg
Carbs: 16g
Fiber: 3.4g
Sugars: 8.1g
Protein: 24g

Vitamin A: 99% (maybe I should have thrown another carrot in there ;))
Vitamin C: 15%
Calcium: 7%
Iron: 13%

Enjoy!
-Mimi-