Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (11 page)

BARBECUE BEANS AND WEENIES

serves
8
to
10

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the canned beans into the stoneware, and add the barbecue sauce. Toss in the Lil’ Smokies and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or high for 2 to 3 hours.

The Verdict

This is a kid crowd-pleaser. If you want to use dried kidney beans, it’s important to soak the beans for at least 5 hours in fresh water, then parboil them on the stove for 10 to 15 minutes. Then cook in fresh water in the slow cooker until the beans are soft and squishy. Add barbecue sauce and Lil’ Smokies. Kidney and red beans have the potential to be toxic if not thoroughly cooked.

BASIC CHILI

serves
6
to
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the browned meat into your cooker. Add the beans, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Do not cut the jalapeños, but instead place them on top of the beans and meat for a nice mellow smoky heat. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 6 hours.

The Verdict

This is a nice basic chili recipe. It has a kick, but isn’t too spicy for (my) kids. If you prefer to use dried beans, please soak overnight and parboil them for 10 to 15 minutes and cook in fresh water. When soft, drain liquid and add chili ingredients. Kidney beans can carry a toxin if they aren’t thoroughly cooked.

BEAN STEW

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chopped vegetables into the stoneware, and add the beans. Pour in the split peas. Cover with the broth, and stir in the dill, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours; soup tastes better the longer it cooks.

The Verdict

I had read somewhere that dill enhanced soups and stews and it was an under-utilized spice, so I threw some in. I think the dill works. It tastes too strong if the broth isn’t salty enough, so make sure to add salt and pepper to taste.

BEANS AND RICE

serves
4
to
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the olive oil into the stoneware, and add the rice. Swirl the rice around to coat it nicely with the oil. Add the beans. Drain the tomatoes, but reserve the liquid in a 2-cup measuring cup. Add the tomatoes, onion, salt, and Italian seasoning. Add water to the tomato liquid to make a full 2 cups. Pour the liquid into the slow cooker. Stir. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Your dinner is complete when the rice is tender. Brown or wild rice will take longer to soften than white rice.

The Verdict

I made this on a day I had two extra kids in the house, and couldn’t go to the store. I pulled stuff from the pantry to make a “free” meal for dinner. Slow cooking rocks for pulling together dinner when you don’t have a meal planned. Some of my best soups and meat dishes have come from dumping in a can of this, or adding some herb that I had never before used. We all enjoyed our dinner.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

serves
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Finely chop vegetables with a food processor or blender and put into your slow cooker. Put contents of all cans on top, no need to drain. Add broth and taco sauce. Mix. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 5 to 6 hours; the longer the better. Before serving, use a handheld immersion blender to soupify. Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some sliced avocado, if desired. I loved this and ate it daily for lunch for six days in a row.

BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the drained beans into the stoneware with the vegetables and the sliced sausage. Pour in the broth, and stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6 hours. Before serving, use a handheld immersion blender to smoosh up some of the beans. Don’t blend too much—just enough to get the broth thicker and creamy-looking. Ladle the soup into bowls, and add Tabasco sauce to taste.

The Verdict

This tastes amazing. I am so glad I made this; my first rendezvous with black-eyed peas didn’t go so well, and I was scared. They are earthier than other beans and make a fantastic soup base. My brother and sister-in-law liked this soup a lot, too. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is said to bring prosperity and good luck—two things everyone can use.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

serves
8
as a side dish

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Drain and rinse the beans, and put into the stoneware. Add the onion and the brown sugar. Pour in the molasses and ketchup. Add the salt, mustard, and pepper. Stir to combine. Lay slices of uncooked bacon over the top of the beans, or slice chicken and apple sausage and lay it over the top. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Remove the bacon, dice it, and return it to the pot, or stir in the sliced chicken and apple sausage.

CLEAN-OUT-THE-PANTRY CHILI

serves
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Dump beans into the crock. Add all the rest of the stuff—there aren’t any rules here (except to recycle the cans). Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

The Verdict

One of the reasons I love slow cooking so much is that you don’t really need to follow a recipe—many times I just start opening cans and clean out the fridge and create a delicious meal without trying. This is one of those meals. We had too much food in the house for me to feel comfortable buying more, so I dug through what we had on hand, threw it in the pot, held my breath, and hoped for the best. I was quite happy with the results.

DRIED BEANS, A TUTORIAL

yields approximately 45 ounces, or the same as
3 (15-
ounce
)
cans

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Pour the bag of dried beans into a colander and rinse under cold running water. If you see any beans that have broken in half, or skins that float to the surface, get rid of them. Also pick out any beans that look shriveled or weird. Dump all the beans into your slow cooker, and add enough water to cover the beans completely by an additional 2 inches. Cover. Do not turn on the cooker. Let the beans soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight. If you live in a very warm area, and the slow cooker won’t be in a room that is climate-controlled, put the stoneware in the fridge. You don’t want bacteria to have the opportunity to grow.

In the morning, drain the beans in a colander, discard the soaking water, and rinse the beans. The water will be bean-colored. If you are using kidney or red beans, you must boil the beans in fresh water on the stovetop for at least 10 minutes. Kidney and red beans can harbor a toxin and are unsafe if undercooked.

Put the beans back into your slow cooker and cover with enough fresh water to completely cover the beans by an extra 2 or 3 inches. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until bite-tender. Don’t worry if the water hasn’t all been absorbed. Drain the beans.

When cool, put 1
²
/
₃
cups of beans into storage containers or freezer bags (you’re adding this amount because you aren’t adding filler-liquid like cans have). The beans will store nicely in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for 6 months. Use as you would canned beans in your favorite recipe.

The Verdict

One bag of dried black beans costs $1.89 at our fancy-pants grocery store, and $.89 at our local produce stand. One can of organic black beans at Trader Joe’s costs $.99. One pound dried beans = 3 (15-ounce) cans of beans. This means that even if you buy expensive dried beans, you will save some money making them at home yourself. I like knowing what is in my food, and I like the idea that we can save money and reduce garbage by using dried beans.

LIMA BEAN CASSEROLE CASSOULET

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Soak the lima beans overnight in a generous amount of cold water. They will expand, so use enough water to cover them by at least 4 inches. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans, and pour into your slow cooker. Add a fresh cup of water. Dice up the ham and strew over the top. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Stir in the pepper and mustard. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

The Verdict

I “Googled” casserole versus cassoulet and didn’t get a very good answer, which is why this recipe is named twice.

I really was astonished at how much I liked these lima beans. I’m pretty sure I annoyed Adam by going on and on (and on some more) about how amazing it was that lima beans could taste so good. Don’t be scared to try lima beans; I got the kids to try them, and my parents both had two bowls.