With frigid weather consuming the vast majority of the country, we thought it would be a great time to put one of our favorite disability-aware brands to good use! We reached out to our staff member and  slow cooking enthusiast, Jenny Higgins, to test Zen for Slow Cooking’s Zen Blend Spices.

“Why?”, you might ask…

Zen Blends are packaged and shipped by individuals with developmental disabilities. Each purchase enables individuals with disabilities an opportunity to gain job skills and financial independence. Though they have several delicious blends, we asked Jenny to try Moroccan Tagine. This is what she had to say:

I find Indian or Moroccan recipes somewhat intimidating because the spices are so different and often hard to find. The Zen Blends Spice Infusion Bag (in a natural fiber tea bag,) changes the cooking experience from exotic to easy! Each Zen Blend comes in a small tin canister with the spice bag and a suggested recipe – Moroccan Tangine is made up of cinnamon, cumin, coriander seed, pepper, annatto and saffron.

The recipe was simple and easy to follow. There were a few steps to preparing the chicken before placing the chicken in the slow cooker with some broth, apricots, and the Zen Blends spice infusion packet. The dish simmered for eight hours in the slow cooker and filled the house with warm, sweet and spicy fragrances. I felt like I was an experienced chef of exotic dishes!  The recipe suggested couscous, but I served the Moroccan chicken over red lentil beans with steamed pea pods, a green salad and sauvignon blanc. It was a yummy, healthy hit!

I look forward to incorporating more Zen Blends into my cooking, for I appreciate its wholesomeness and simplicity, as well as The Zen of Slow Cooking’s mission to empower individuals with disabilities!

Jenny’s Ingredients:

2 tbsp flour

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper

1 cup lentil beans

1 cup steamed pea pods

3 tbsp olive oil

1 chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Moroccan Tagine Whole Spice Infusion Bag

2.5 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cube chicken bouillon

6 oz. dried apricots

Read the full recipe here!

Purchase Zen Blends today!

The Zen of Slow Cooking partners with the Planet Access Warehouse, where adults with disabilities are employed and package the Zen Blend products.

About the Author:

Jenny Higgins is a mentor at No Boundaries. Weekly, she assists Employment Specialists in the helping individuals with disabilities achieve independence through employment. If you have any subjects you’d like Jenny to discuss in a future blog, email the topic to: info@jjslist.com!