Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup

 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons cornstarch

 1/3 cup water
2 packets minute rice, optional
1/2 tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds

3 scallions, chopped

Directions
Place chicken in Crock Pot and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

Remove chicken to a cutting board, leaving sauce. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; set aside. Prepare rice according to package instructions.

In a small bowl, dissolve 4 teaspoons cornstarch in 1/3 cup water; add to crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Cover and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Add cooked rice to 4 plates, top with chicken and spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Maple Sesame Salmon Fillets

My husband and I bought a bunch of Salmon patties from Costco and they have really proven time and time again as a great versatile meal. I have prepared them many different ways, not just as "salmon burgers" and they have been tasty! A little dry sometimes... but they take any flavor well, and are a great alternative to our usual, chicken.
This recipe is for "fillets" but I had the ingredients (except for the seeds... I didn't want to splurge on those yet...) so I thought I would try it on our patties! My husband said they were a winner and they get crispy edges which as always a YUM!

Maple Sesame Salmon Fillets

Salmon or trout fillets (enough for 4 to 6 people)
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce (or hot sauce of your choice)

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Mix all the ingredients except the salmon and the sesame seeds. You can either use a bowl or a ziptop bag. Place the salmon in the marinade and let rest, in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Since the marinade is sweet, I usually line a baking sheet with aluminum paper, it makes clean up much easier. Preheat your broiler and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Place the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and broil for about 10 minutes. If you like, you can baste the fish with the marinade once or twice during cooking. To see if the salmon is ready, use a fork to flake the fillets and check if they are cooked through. You'll know that the fish is cooked when its flesh turns opaque. You might need to cook the salmon a little longer, depending on the size of your fillets.

Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with a side of rice and veggies of your choice.