Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (9 page)
Read Make It Fast, Cook It Slow Online
Authors: Stephanie O'Dea,Stephanie O’Dea
HONEY LENTILS
serves
6
The Ingredients
1½ cups brown lentils
3 cups water
½ red onion, diced
½ cup shredded carrot
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
1
/
3
cup honey (plus 1 tablespoon if needed)
1 dried bay leaf, or 2 fresh
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear, and put into the stoneware. Add the water, onion, and carrot. Pour in the garbanzo beans and stir in the dry mustard, salt, and ginger. Add the soy sauce and honey. Stir again to combine. Float the bay leaf (or leaves) on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 5 hours. Taste. If desired, stir in the extra tablespoon of honey. Serve with white or brown rice if you’re a vegetarian, or a rib-eye steak if you’re not.
HORSERADISH SCALLOPED POTATOES
serves
6
The Ingredients
3 pounds red potatoes, such as Red Bliss, washed and sliced (no need to peel, yay!)
cooking spray
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish (regular, not the creamy kind; I went with extra hot)
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Scrub the potatoes well and cut into ¼-inch slices. Layer into a removable stoneware you’ve sprayed with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, horseradish, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour over the top of potatoes. Stir. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, high for 4 hours, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Garnish with shredded Parmesan.
The Verdict
Delicious! The kids surprised me and each had two bowls. The horseradish provides a bit of fun flavor that is not spicy as much as it is different and interesting. These are heavy; I’d say that this could serve 6 grownups as a side dish, yet Adam and I ate them as a main course—and then we went for a run.
JALAPEÑO CORN PUDDING
serves
6
The Ingredients
cooking spray
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup milk (2 percent or lower)
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour (I used a gluten-free baking mix )
1 teaspoon baking powder (omit if using baking mix that has it included)
2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels (I used frozen: 1 cup regular corn and 1 cup roasted)
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons jalapeño pepper slices, chopped
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Spray the inside of your stoneware with cooking spray. Add the butter, milk, eggs, salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder. Whisk ingredients together. Stir in corn kernels, cheese, and chopped jalapeños. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 hours. The corn pudding is done when the edges brown and begin to pull from the sides, and the center is set. Remove the lid for 20 to 30 minutes when the pudding is set, and continue to cook on low to get rid of any condensation. This dish would be a welcome addition to a holiday dinner or potluck supper.
MASHED POTATOES WITH SOUR CREAM AND CREAM CHEESE
serves
8
The Ingredients
5 pounds red potatoes, such as Red Bliss
½ cup water, reserved from boiling the potatoes
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature (I used light)
1 cup sour cream (I used light)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Wash and peel potatoes, leaving the skin on some if desired. Cut the potatoes into quarters to speed up the boiling time. Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover completely with water. Bring to a rapid boil on the stovetop for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Scoop out ½ cup of the water from the pot; add the bouillon cube to the reserved water. Drain the potatoes, and return them to the pot.
Put cream cheese into the pot with the hot potatoes. Add the sour cream. Pour in bouillon-water along with the parsley flakes and garlic powder. Mash with a potato masher.
After mashing well, scoop the potatoes out of the pot and place into your slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4. These can be kept on warm indefinitely.
The Verdict
Psst. Make these potatoes. You won’t be sorry. My kids seemed to have thought that they were spicy (makes no sense whatsoever) and weren’t thrilled with the bits of skin I left on (I like a bit of skin, but apparently the kids find it highly offensive). I proudly served these potatoes on Thanksgiving, and everyone loved them. Although I only used the slow cooker to keep the potatoes warm, readers on my Web site felt strongly that I should include this recipe; the potatoes are delicious.
PECAN-TOPPED BAKED SWEET POTATOES
serves
6
The Ingredients
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 (16-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup nonfat evaporated milk
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, cubed
1 cup chopped pecans
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Stagger-stack sweet potatoes in your slow cooker. Cover with the brown sugar. Squish the cranberry sauce all over the top. Mix the vanilla with the milk, and pour on top. Dot with the butter. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and salt. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. This is done when the sweet potatoes have reached the desired tenderness. We like ours pretty squishy. Unplug the cooker and uncover. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting. This is a wonderful addition to the holiday table.
RANCH VEGETABLES
serves
6
The Ingredients
5 cups fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and wished we had car rots and squash on hand)
1 to 2 (0.4-ounce) packets dry ranch dressing mix
3 tablespoons water
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Wash and trim all the vegetables, and add to the crock. Sprinkle in the ranch dressing packet(s). Toss the vegetables to coat. Add the water. Cover and cook on low 2 to 5 hours, or until the vegetables have reached the desired tenderness.
The Verdict
This is a simple way to have steamed, flavorful vegetables as an accompaniment to your main dish. My kids both really like broccoli, and they like ranch dressing. The taste is mild, it isn’t dripping in flavor. If you prefer to mask the vegetables completely, you might want 2 packets of dressing mix.
RICE
serves
4
The Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup white basmati rice (that’s what I use, but I’ve heard other varieties work well, too)
2 cups water
pinch of kosher salt
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Rub the butter on the inside of the stoneware. Pour in the rice. Stir in the water and salt. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, checking every 45 minutes or so. My rice cooked in 2 hours, 15 minutes.
The Verdict
I wanted to see if I could use the slow cooker as a rice cooker. Now I know I can. The end result was fluffy, lovely rice we had with some takeout—I felt like we needed some takeout.
RISOTTO
serves
6
The Ingredients
5 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1¼ cup raw Arborio rice
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup dry white wine
2
/
3
cup shredded Parmesan cheese
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Sauté the garlic with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until the garlic softens. If you skip this step, the garlic will remain crunchy in your risotto. Scrape the garlic and remaining oil into your slow cooker.
Add the uncooked Arborio rice and toss. Add the seasonings, and pour in the broth and white wine. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, or until rice is tender. It took 2½ hours for my rice to be completely tender.
Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese, and let the risotto stand with the lid off for 15 minutes before serving. The finished texture will be creamy and porridge-like.
The Verdict
This is such an easy way to make risotto, and it tastes delicious. The garlic was too much for the kids, but Adam and I couldn’t get enough. I love that risotto works so well when slow cooked and doesn’t need to be babysat.
ROASTED CABBAGE AND POTATOES
serves
12
The Ingredients
2 pounds tri-colored potatoes, cut in chunks
1 small head cabbage
10 to 12 whole garlic cloves (about 1 head)
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chunked (I didn’t peel them) potatoes into the stoneware. Cut the cabbage into wedges—no need to separate the leaves. Peel the garlic, and add the whole cloves. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or on high for 3 hours. The vegetables are done when the potatoes reach the desired tenderness. The cabbage on the edge of the stoneware will caramelize and get a bit crispy. This is a good thing.
The Verdict
It’s no secret to my family that I don’t like corned beef. I also don’t like boiled vegetables. I tolerate them out of respect to whomever prepared the meal, but it’s just not my thing. I happily ate three platefuls of these slow-cooked vegetables for St. Patrick’s Day. They were perfect—not soggy—and didn’t taste like salty meat.
ROASTED WINTER ROOT VEGETABLES
serves
12
The Ingredients
2 pounds carrots
2 pounds rutabagas
2 pounds parsnips
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Peel the vegetables, and cut them into 2-inch chunks. I’m usually a huge fan of the baby carrot (because of laziness), but wanted a more rugged look for this dish. If you would like to use baby carrots, go for it, but don’t cut them. Put all the vegetables into your stoneware, and add the parsley, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands to fully coat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. The vegetables are done when they have reached the desired tenderness.
The Verdict
I love the ease of roasting vegetables in the slow cooker. Not only do they taste marvelous, I would have needed to make quite a few batches in the oven for this much food and would have risked burning them (I am no good with the oven!), but in this case, I put the veggies on in the morning and was out for most of the day. The kids picked out a few carrots, but found them to be spicy.
SEASONED POTATO WEDGES
serves
8
The Ingredients
12 brown baking potatoes, such as Idaho or Russet
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ to ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
cooking spray
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Scrub the potatoes well with a vegetable brush (this is a great job for children) under cold running water. Slice the potatoes into long wedges; no need to peel. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the seasoned salt, basil, and chipotle chili powder to taste. Spray the inside of your stoneware with cooking spray, and add the seasoned potatoes. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, discarding accumulated liquid after 2 hours. Drain again before serving. The potatoes are done when they have reached the desired tenderness.
The Verdict
This was our contribution to a family barbecue. These are remarkably similar to oven-baked French fries. The wedges weren’t overly moist, and the ones on the side of the crock even got a bit of a crust on the skin—an unexpected happy bonus. I was happy not to have to heat up the oven on an unseasonably warm day, and I was able to fit more food into the slow cooker than would have fit on baking sheets.
