Pollo a la Gato

I've been experimenting with new ways to use roasted tomatoes (thanks to the fabulous yield of tomatoes from family and friends, since my garden didn't quite take off due to the timing of our recent move).  I came up with this idea since I wanted to incorporate some of the chicken from the freezer along with the tomatoes and some cilantro I picked up at the farmer's market earlier this week. So, here goes!

First, you roast the tomatoes:

Preheat your oven to 200F for cherry tomatoes, 350F for medium and large tomatoes.

Cut the tomatoes in half, removing any bad spots and the tops.  For this recipe, I used local yellow tomatoes (they have a little more of a tart flavor), but you can use any tomato for this.

Place the tomatoes on the skin-side on a nonstick baking sheet or pizza pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt.  Add some fresh garlic (peeled and sliced) on top of the tomatoes to allow the flavor to bake in.  You can also sprinkle on some seasonings like oregano, cayenne pepper powder, etc. depending on your tastes.

For medium/large tomatoes, cook for about 30 minutes (longer for super-large varieties - you want them nice and roasted through).

After roasting, you will put the tomatoes into a blender or food chopper and chop until you're happy with the consistency.  It can be as chunky or smooth as you like.

Place your chicken in your crock pot and pour on the tomatoes.

Add a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, the juice of 2-3 limes, and some sliced green onions.  Salt to taste. 

Stew in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 hours.  

Serve over rice.  Accompany with margaritas.

Enjoy!