Crockpot Arroz Con Pollo

Ingredients :

3 lbs chicken chopped into 1" cubes
1 1/4 C chicken stock
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C diced mushrooms
1/2 C diced green pepper
1 Tbs black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cloves
4 Tbs annatto seeds
8 allspice
1 C frozen peas
1/4 C orange juice
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 C brown rice

Cook onions with oil in large sauce pan until translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook another minute. Spray inside of crockpot with nonstick and put onions and garlic inside. Brown chicken in same pan. Once all sides of chicken pieces are browned add to crockpot. Put rice in sauce pan, with tomatoes and their juice, orange juice and chicken stock. Grind all spices and also add to pot. Bring to boil and then add to crockpot. Put lid on pot and cook on low for 5 1/2 hours. Add frozen peas and peppers then cook another 30 min. Enjoy!

Vegan Mini Rose Pies

Whole Wheat Pie Crust :
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C white flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C cold vegetable shortening
4 Tbs ice water

Mix dry ingredients then cut in shortening and add water until dough is formed. Roll out to 1/8" thick and use the  top of a glass or circle cutter to cut out 12 dough circles. Grease a muffin tin and line with dough circles, then put in fridge to chill.

Apple Filling :                                                

2 large apples (halved, seeded and sliced as thin as possible)

Juice of one lemon

1 Tbs strawberry jam

1 Tbs vegetable shortening

1 Tbs honey

4 Tbs raw sugar

Melt shortening and stir in honey, sugar and jam. Pour over apples and then stir in lemon juice. Microwave apple mixture for 45 sec. Line apple slices on cutting board in a horizontal line slightly over lapping each other. Have skins facing you. Make row of about 10 slices then, beginning with the first apple slice, roll the line of apples to the end and place in refrigerated pie cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 min. Brush hot pies with extra jam, lemon, honey and sugar mixture. Let cool and enjoy!

Vegan Vanilla Chai Cream Pie

Whole Wheat Pie Crust:
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C white flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
8 Tbs cold vegetable shortening
4 Tbs ice water

Mix dry ingredients then cut in shortening and add water until dough is formed. Refrigerate 30 min then roll out and put in pie tin. Poke bottom of crust with fork to keep air pockets from forming and weight pie crust with oven safe sauce pan and bake for 20 min at 350 degrees. Let cool.

Coconut milk pudding filling:
16 oz coconut milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 C corn starch
1/8 C water
1/3 C honey or sugar (or 1/2 C for a sweeter pie)
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp chai spice (equal parts black peppercorns, allspice, cloves, star anis, nutmeg, cinnamon, dried ginger, cardamom. Pop whole spices in dry sauce pan over heat until fragrant then transfer to grinder and grind until fine powder is formed.)

Put milk, honey and salt into sauce pan and cook until melted together. In a seperate bowl mix together corn starch and water into a paste. Slowly stir into milk mixture. Cook on a low temperature,  never letting the pudding boil too vigorously. Cook until thick, about 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Turn off heat and add vanilla and chai spice. Let cool completely then put in pie crust. Top with sprinkled cinnamon.