Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (8 page)
Read Make It Fast, Cook It Slow Online
Authors: Stephanie O'Dea,Stephanie O’Dea
BROCCOLI WITH TOASTED GARLIC AND HAZELNUTS
serves
8
The Ingredients
2 pounds broccoli florets
1 head garlic, cloves peeled (about 12 cloves)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup large raw hazelnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Wash and trim broccoli, and add to the stoneware. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the hazelnuts, olive oil, and lemon juice. Toss with two wooden spoons. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for about 4 hours. This is done when the broccoli has reached the desired tenderness. The broccoli tastes quite lemony, while the garlic adds a great depth of flavor, and the hazelnuts provide a nutty burst.
CANDIED SWEET POTATOES
serves
12
The Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
7 to 8 sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick
½ cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup mini marshmallows
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Rub butter on the inside bottom and sides of your removable stoneware. Put the sweet potatoes inside. Add the orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt. Toss to coat. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. When the sweet potatoes have reached the desired tenderness, scoop into an oven-safe serving dish, and top with the marshmallows. Broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the marshmallows have begun to brown.
COMPANY’S COMING POTATOES AU GRATIN
serves
10
to
12
The Ingredients
6 brown potatoes, such as Idaho or Russet, peeled and sliced in ¼-inch-thick pieces
2 parsnips (they look like big white carrots)
1 white onion, diced
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter
6 tablespoons flour (I used a gluten-free baking mix)
3½ cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 green onion (optional garnish)
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the potatoes, parsnips, and onion into your slow cooker, and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add flour to create a roux. Stir continuously while slowly adding cream and thyme, mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour the cream and butter mixture over the potatoes, parsnips, and onion. Toss gently with a large spoon. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. My potatoes were still a bit crunchy at 4 hours. Before serving, stir in the cheddar cheese until it disappears. Garnish with green onion if you are feeling fancy.
The Verdict
This would be an excellent take-along for potlucks, or holiday dinners when you want to bring something but aren’t sure exactly what. These potatoes would make Paula Deen proud—they’re full of cream and butter and all that’s good and yummy.
CORN ON THE COB
serves
6
The Ingredients
6 ears fresh corn, shucked and cleaned
aluminum foil
The Directions
Use a 6-quart oval slow cooker. Wrap each ear of corn completely in a piece of aluminum foil, twisting the ends to seal. Pile the corn into the crock. Do not add water. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until corn is tender. I prefer my corn to have a nice crunch, and 2 hours was perfect in my cooker.
The Verdict
Slow-cooked corn on the cob is super easy, and doesn’t take long to cook. I prefer cooking corn this way, because it doesn’t heat up the kitchen or leave it steamy. The corn steams in its own juices and is cooked to absolute perfection.
CORNBREAD STUFFING
serves
10
The Ingredients
8×8-inch pan of baked cornbread (I used a gluten-free cornbread mix)
4 slices of toasted bread (I used brown rice bread)
2 cups chopped celery
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, plus additional ¼ cup, if needed
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Bake the cornbread according to package directions. Cut cornbread and sliced bread into cubes and bake at 300°F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until toasty.
While the breads are toasting, put the celery and onion into the stoneware. Add the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix the melted butter together with the eggs. Stir into veggies and seasonings. Toss cubes of bread well with the ingredients in the stoneware. Pour in broth, and stir gently to combine. Cook on high for 2 hours. This can be on warm successfully for another 2 hours. If you’d like a more moist dressing, add up to ¼ cup of broth before serving.
CORN RISOTTO
serves
4
The Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1¼ cups Arborio rice
1 teaspoon onion flakes
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on taste
1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon butter
1¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the olive oil into the stoneware, and swirl the rice and the onion flakes around in it. Add the chopped garlic, salt, and cayenne. Stir in the frozen corn and broth. Drop in the butter. Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours, checking every 45 minutes or so. Your risotto is done when the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Unplug the cooker, and add the cream and Parmesan. Cover for 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts completely. Serve immediately.
The Verdict
Creamy and delicious. Making risotto is usually quite a pain (or so I’ve been told—I haven’t actually made any on the stovetop because after reading the directions, I needed a nap), but it’s quite easy in the slow cooker. You plug it in and turn it on. The kids said it was like corn oatmeal, and they’re right—it kind of is.
CRANBERRY SAUCE
serves
12
The Ingredients
12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup water
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
The Directions
Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Rinse the cranberries and put them into your stoneware. Add the orange juice, water, sugars, and cinnamon. Stir. (There will be an awful lot of liquid, the cranberries will float, and you’ll wonder how on earth this could possibly turn into cranberry sauce.) Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring every hour.
When the skin on the cranberries has softened, the cranberries will “pop” when pushed with a spoon against the side of the crock. Smoosh all cranberries and stir well. Continue to heat enough for it to be warm throughout. Take the lid off and heat on high for another 30 to 45 minutes (your house will smell wonderful!). Serve or store in the refrigerator. This can be made up to 2 days in advance.
The Verdict
I’ve made cranberry sauce exactly once before, for a kindergarten class. We followed the directions on the bag, and it came out quite bitter. No one (except one little boy who enjoyed shocking his classmates with odd behavior) would eat it. But this? I liked this! It’s way better than the canned stuff.
CREAMED SPINACH
serves
4
The Ingredients
1 cup milk (use 2 percent or lower to prevent curdling)
1½ cup cream cheese
1¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 (6-ounce) bags baby spinach
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the milk, cream cheese, shredded cheeses, butter, and nutmeg into the stoneware. Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours, stirring a few times to keep the cheeses from clumping. When everything is hot and melted, add baby spinach. You’ll need to push it down to make it fit. Cover again and cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir. The spinach will wilt and incorporate into the sauce.
CREAMY VEGETABLES
serves
8
The Ingredients
12 ounces broccoli
16 ounces green beans
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garam masala (my new favorite spice!)
2 tablespoons water
2 whole jalapeño peppers (don’t chop them up, just place them nicely on top)
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Wash and trim vegetables, and dump them into the crock. Add the sour cream, cheeses, butter, spices, and water. Lay the jalapeño peppers on top. Do not stir. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until vegetables have reached the desired tenderness.
The Verdict
We shared these vegetables with friends, and all of the adults really enjoyed them—the kids weren’t interested. I was happy that the sauce was creamy and flavorful without needing to make a roux beforehand. The jalapeño peppers provide a nice smoky heat without being overwhelming.
GARLIC BAKED POTATOES
serves
4
The Ingredients
4 big brown baking potatoes, such as Idaho
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
sour cream, for garnish
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Wash the potatoes and pat dry. Do not peel. Carefully slice each potato crosswise every ½ inch, almost but not all the way through. The potato should start to separate a bit like an accordion. Shove as many garlic slices as you can into each potato slit. Nestle the potatoes into your crock. I used an oval 6-quart, and the potatoes didn’t fit all the way down to the bottom—they were kind of nestled against each other. It doesn’t seem to matter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the melted butter with olive oil and drizzle over the top of each potato, trying to get it into the garlic-filled slits, if you can. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 2 to 4 hours. The potatoes are done when a knife inserts easily and the potato pulp is fluffy. Top with sour cream.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
serves
6
The Ingredients
1 pound green beans
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, or 2 cups of homemade
1 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce
½ cup skim milk (omit if using homemade soup)
1
/
3
cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup French-fried onions, or 2 cups General Mills Gluten-Free Rice Chex Cereal, smashed and mixed with ½ teaspoon onion powder
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Wash and trim green beans in even lengths, and put into the cooker. Add the soup, soy sauce, and milk (if using). Toss the beans gently to coat. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese, and add the French-fried onions or homemade topping. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, high for 2 to 3 hours, or until the green beans have reached the desired tenderness.
The Verdict
I don’t like canned green beans. My grandma makes a three-bean salad that uses canned green beans, and I like that. But that’s it. I liked this much better than the traditional canned green bean casserole—the green beans still had a crunch, even after being slow cooked. The topping wasn’t as crisp as it would have been if I had used the French-fried onions, but the flavor was there, and the cheese added a nice salty touch. The homemade cream of mushroom rocks, and was quite flavorful.
HONEY AND CINNAMON GLAZED CARROTS
serves
6
to
8
The Ingredients
4 cups baby carrots
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Throw everything together in your cooker, and stir to distribute the juice, honey, and spices. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. These carrots are sweet without being
too
sweet, and will please young children.
