Pulled Chicken

Who’s excited for football season to start?? Not me haha I don’t follow football but my husband does & he’s a huge Steelers fan. In honor of kickoff tonight, I slow roasted chicken thighs with a ton of seasoning in order to make pulled chicken sandwiches with baked fries for dinner!  So full of flavor & so easy! I just seasoned the chicken with all of the ingredients for my homemade bbq sauce & let those flavors cook into the meat for 6.5 hours. Using the slow cooker is the best way to get this done, it’s ready by the time you come home. 

Time: 10 mins prep, 6.5 hours cook time, 5 mins assembly  

Ingredients:  

• 4 chicken thighs, skin removed 
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon coconut nectar
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic  
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion  
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  
• 1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika  
• 1 teaspoon salt  
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar  
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke  

Recipe:  

1. Put the chicken thighs in your slow cooker & pour all of the above ingredients on top of them. 
2. Turn the slow cooker on low for 6.5 hours & cover it. If you can, use tongs to turn the chicken over every 2 hours or so, so that the sauce coats evenly around the meat. It’s not necessary if you’re not home to do this step.
3. When the time is up, use tongs to remove the bones. The meat should break apart very easily, just use the tongs or two forks to break it. You should be able to mix it around so it gets coated in the sauce from the bottom of the slow cooker. 

That’s literally all it is to it! Make a sandwich, little sliders, whatever you want. 

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Fasting for Navratri has never been easier! We had guests this past weekend, my cousins from Orlando [heart emoji] and they love football. So you can imagine the desire for wings & football food. I was determined to make a bunch of snacks that would satisfy the wings cravings but be meatless, eggless, and somewhat healthy. Challenge accepted.  

Time: 30 mins  

Ingredients:  

• 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
• 1/2 cup Franks red hot sauce  
• 3 tablespoons butter (we used a butter substitute)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour  (can use rice flour for a glutenfree version) 
• 1/2 cup water  
• salt & pepper to taste 

Recipe:

1. In a large basin, mix the flour & water together, seasoning with salt and pepper.  You want it to be a batter, so add more flour or water as needed. 
2. Dip the raw cauliflower into the batter & place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  
3. Bake the battered cauliflower on 450 for 10 mins.  
4. While the cauliflower is baking, mix the hot sauce & butter together.  
5. Remove the pan from the oven, then liberally brush the buffalo sauce on each one using a pastry brush. 
6. Place the cauliflower back into the oven for another 20 minutes.  

Enjoy at room temperature, they're not as good when super hot.  These are great with ranch dip!