I recently picked up an old cookbook (published in 1981) in a used bookstore, called Fifteen Minute Meals by veteran cookbook author Emalee Chapman. The dishes in the book are very quick and easy, even though the cooking methods and types of ingredients are somewhat outdated ( i.e., stovetop instead of microwave, bone-in chicken rather than frozen breasts, etc.). I found several recipes that can be easily adapted to modern cooking methods; most have minimal ingredients and can be quickly assembled. The following Slow Cooker Chicken with Plum Sauce is an adaptation of a recipe where the author used chicken wings cooked in the oven at high heat – chicken breasts are luscious done with this sauce and it was very convenient to throw them in the slow cooker rather than the oven. Hands-on time is less than 15 minutes, there is no oven to heat up, and there is enough luscious sauce to ladle over rice (cooked alongside in a separate slow cooker or rice cooker). All that is needed for a full meal is a green vegetable quickly cooked crisp-tender in the microwave or sautéed on the stovetop.

Since modern slow cookers cook at higher temperatures than their older counterparts, the chicken breasts, which start frozen, usually cook in less than four hours. If you plan to be away for longer than that, you can plug your slow cooker in to a timer (like the ones you use with the Christmas tree) to start four hours before you plan to return home. There won't be any danger of the chicken spoiling before the slow cooker starts up, since the breasts start out frozen and will simply be thawing. Incidentally, this sauce is also good on pork chops.

6 Servings

2 pounds frozen boneless skinless chicken breast halves, (6 small)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes
1/2 cup plum jam
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon granular chicken bouillon
Zest and juice of 1 orange

1. Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of a 2-3 quart slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients in the blender or MagicBullet and whizz until mixed and fairly smooth; pour the mixture evenly over the chicken.
4. Cover, set the slow cooker to low, and let cook 3-4 hours or until the chicken is just cooked through, but still very moist and juicy.
5. Remove the breasts to a serving platter and keep warm.
6. Pour the sauce through a fine sieve, discarding the solids, and spoon over the chicken.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 324 Calories from Fat 86
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 27% Protein 45% Carb. 28%

Nutrient Amount per Serving

Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 102 mg
Sodium 323 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 37 g

Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 22% Calcium 0% Iron 9%