Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken

Slow cooker recipes are wonderful anytime of the year, but I especially appreciate them when the weather starts to turn cool. My niece contributed this recipe in a recipe group that we were a part of last year, and I readily tried it. The recipe is very easy, and so flavorful. Inexpensive chicken thighs are slow cooked until the meat falls off the bone. It is then shredded, added back into the sauce and served over stir-fried broccoli and cooked rice. A sprinkling of toasted sesame seed and dinner is ready! This recipe comes from www.emilylovesfood.com  Blessings...

Recipe:

6 skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
1/2 an onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water (I used chicken broth; it adds better flavor)
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. sesame oil to stir-fry the broccoli
rice
toasted sesame seed, if desired

1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and turn the heat to high while the sauce is being prepared.
2. Whisk together the onion, garlic, honey, soy sauce, tomato paste and oil in a bowl; pour over the chicken. Cook on high heat for 1 hour; reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 hours.
3. About 20 minutes before serving, remove the chicken from the slow cooker to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. It's easy to shred the chicken in a large flat dish.
4. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and the water, or chicken broth, and stir into the sauce in the slow cooker. Turn the heat up to high to thicken the sauce.
5. Prepare the rice according to package directions.
6. Shred the chicken and add it back to the sauce to warm through.
7. In a skillet, heat the 1 tsp. sesame oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the broccoli pieces until they turn a fresh rich green color, their outsides look moist and they are crisp-tender. This only takes a few minutes.
8. To serve, top rice with broccoli, then chicken and sprinkle with sesame seed, if desired. Yummy!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings