Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (3 page)
Read Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever Online
Authors: Diane Phillips
Depending upon your dish, these flavors will give it a boost without too much trouble:
Soy sauce, Asian fish sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives, peanut butter, ham, prosciutto, bacon, and the rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano (chop it into pieces and add to soups, stews, and sauces).
Last, remember that this is not (an exact) science. Just as your home oven may cook a bit hotter or colder than the stated temperature in a recipe, so may your slow cooker. The cooking times in this book are approximations. To gauge how your slow cooker will cook, check the instruction manual that came with it, look at recipes similar to the ones in this book, and see what times they suggest. This will give you a good idea of how your slow cooker cooks. Remember that an instant-read thermometer is invaluable for determining if your food is cooked through.
1. As a general rule, dishes cooked on low can be cooked safely on high for half the time.
2. Keep a lid on it. Slow cookers can lose 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time when the lid is removed.
3. Don’t place frozen foods in a slow cooker; make sure foods are totally defrosted.
4. Never fill a slow cooker more than twothirds full, and no less than halfway, for optimum performance.
5. Use dried herbs and spices for long, slow simmers. At the end of the cooking time, add fresh herbs to refresh the flavor of the cooked sauce.
6. For best results, remove excess fat from meats and the skin from poultry before putting it into a slow cooker.
7. Always brown ground meats before adding them to a slow cooker.
8. Layer ingredients so those that are the most dense and take the longest to cook (think potatoes) are on the bottom.
9. Cut all the ingredients into uniform pieces so they will cook evenly.
10. Buy a slow cooker for your needs. If there are only two of you at home, the 7-quart model that’s on sale will give you beef stew into the next millennium. (A 7-quart model would be terrific for entertaining though, so don’t rule it out altogether.) Buy the one you’ll need for everyday cooking first.
4-quart serves 2 to 3
5- to 6-quart serves 4 to 6
6- to 7-quart serves 6 to 8
11. Separate pre-prepped meats and veggies into zipper-top plastic bags and refrigerate before using.
12. Browning meats and poultry before adding them to a slow cooker will give a deeper flavor to the finished dish.
13. Don’t forget to use your slow cooker as a warmer for gravy, mashed potatoes, or other side dishes on a buffet table for entertaining or holiday meals.
There are a few terms that will help you when using this book, and I think it’s important to read through this section so you know what I’m talking about.
When something is tender, the tip of a knife inserted into it will go through easily without any resistance.
Fork tender means that a fork can shred the meat when inserted into the meat.
When you push a finger into the meat, it doesn’t feel squishy or wobbly.
Also called “condensed,” this broth is usually diluted with an equal amount of water. For stronger flavors, don’t dilute it.
One medium onion yields about ½ cup chopped. One lare onion yields about ¾ to 1 cup chopped.
¼- to ½-inch pieces
1- to 2-inch pieces (the veggies will either retain their shape or be pureed later into a smooth soup or sauce)
White wines used in cooking should be crisp and dry without a lot of oak flavor; therefore, I don’t recommend Chardonnay because the oak flavor will overwhelm any dish. Try for a Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc. If you are out of white wine, dry vermouth makes an adequate substitute and keeps in your pantry for months.
For most braises, a medium- or full-bodied red wine is what is needed to draw out the flavor of the ingredients. Medium-bodied wines would be Chianti, Pinot Noir, and some wines from the Burgundy region. Full-bodied wines would include Merlot, Syrah (or Shiraz), Zinfandel, Bordeaux (older vintages), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Barolo.
Many people would prefer not to add wine to their braises, and for them I would recommend adding an equal amount of broth to the braise in place of the wine called for in the recipe.
“Crock-Pot” is a trademark owned by the Rival Corporation, who introduced the cooking vessel to America in 1971. If you
buy a Rival-brand pot, it’s truly a Crock-Pot; but if you buy a different brand, it’s a “slow cooker.” Either way, they do essentially the same thing: low and slow cooking.
REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER
Unsalted butter
Heavy cream
Cheeses: your favorites here, but Parmigiano-Reggiano, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Swiss or Gruyere are staples in my home.
Whole milk
Frozen veggies: keep an assortment, including white and yellow corn, frozen chopped spinach, petite peas, and artichoke hearts.
Fruits: fresh or frozen berries, mango, and rhubarb.
Fresh citrus: lemons, limes, and oranges. You can’t get zest from that plastic lemon at the supermarket.
When you put your hand in the freezer case at the supermarket, make sure that the veggies you buy aren’t frozen in a block. They should be somewhat loose in the bag. If they are frozen solid, that means at some point they have defrosted a bit (in transit) and may have some freezer burn. Also make sure to thoroughly defrost vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker, because frozen vegetables will lower the temperature of the cooker, adding to the cooking time and adding extra moisture as well.
Vegetable oil: use it to start dishes when you want the sauteed ingredients to have the starring role. Vegetable oils offer a flat palate and are used when you want a neutral base for starting a saute or braise. Canola and safflower oils are my choices; corn oil can sometimes have too strong a flavor, and peanut oil has a very strong flavor.
Extra-virgin olive oil: if a recipe specifies extra-virgin olive oil, it is to flavor the dish. Extra-virgin olive oil has a strong taste, so use it when its flavor won’t overpower the other flavors in a dish. It is also used as a base flavoring, as when sauteing vegetables before adding them to a slow cooker.
Olive oil: I am referring to golden olive oil, which is refined and has a less pronounced flavor than extra-virgin olive oil. It’s a good starting point when you don’t want the stronger flavor of extra-virgin olive oil.
Canned and dried beans
Canned tomatoes: The Andy Rooney effect, as I call it, has happened to standard cans of tomatoes. (Andy is always complaining
when manufacturers change the weight of the can of coffee and other items that he uses.) The range of size in tomato cans is 15 to 18 ounces for small and 28 to 32 ounces for large. Just when you think the manufacturers have it standardized, it changes—again. Since slow cooking is casual in terms of ingredients, I’ve stated in each recipe the range of ounces for the cans that should be used.
Tomato paste in a tube
Broths: chicken, beef, and vegetable. I’m fond of College Inn and Swanson’s, as well as Superior Touch “Better than Bouillon” soup bases that can be reconstituted.
Pastas: assorted small sizes. I prefer imported Italian pastas; they are made from hard Durham wheat and hold up well in the low and slow cooking. Barrilla is a favorite at our house.
Rice: white, wild, jasmine, arborio, and basmati.
Balsamic vinegar
Soy sauce
Sesame oil, toasted Asian
Miso paste
Fish sauce
Rice vinegar
Rice wine (mirin)
Hoisin sauce
Mustards: Dijon, ballpark yellow, and whole grain
Tabasco sauce
Chipotle chiles in adobo
Canned roasted green chiles
Prepared salsa
Dried fruits, such as apricots, figs, golden raisins, and plums.
Allspice (both whole and ground)
Basil
Bay leaves (Bay leaves can be dangerous when left in a dish for serving because they are stiff and one can choke on them unwittingly. Make sure to remove any bay leaves before serving.)
Cayenne pepper
Celery seeds
Chile powders (ancho, chipotle, and all-purpose chili mix)
Chinese five-spice powder
Cinnamon (ground and whole sticks)
Cloves (whole and ground)
Coriander (ground)
Cumin (ground)
Curry powder
Dill weed
Fennel seeds
Garam masala
Herbes de Provence
Jerk seasoning
Marjoram
Mustard seeds and powdered mustard
Nutmeg (whole for grating fresh)
Oregano (Greek and Mexican—if you can only get one, Greek is my favorite)
Paprika
Peppercorns (black, white, and assorted)
Rosemary
Saffron
Sage
Thyme
Turmeric
Souper Bowls—Soups and Chilies
The slow cooker is made for slow-cooked soups and chilies. A bowl of comfort can be prepped and then tossed into the slow cooker for a day of slow simmering. Warming bowls of soup can be the balm that soothes your family after a hectic day. Serve the soups in hollowed-out bread bowls or with biscuits, crusty breads, or cornbread, and you’ll have your family singing the hallelujah chorus. The best part is that you put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and at the end of the day you will come home to a pot of delicious homemade soup.
Chilies are also terrific to make in the slow cooker. Sauté the ingredients ahead of time to allow the dried spices to bloom, then stir it all together in the slow cooker to simmer for hours. You’ll come home to a pot full of spicy goodness to soothe and satisfy after a long day.
Vegetable stock, rich in flavor, can be frozen for use in soups, stews, or vegetarian chilies. A slow cooker takes the mundane task of making stock and makes it simple by allowing you to pile everything into the cooker and let it slowly simmer for hours. You just need to strain the goodness into refrigerator or freezer containers for later use.
¼ cup olive oil
2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
4 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 stalks celery with leaves, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 medium parsnips, cut into 1-inch chunks
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bunch Swiss chard, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 cups water
put all the ingredients into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and toss to combine. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
remove the cover and take out the large pieces of vegetables with a slotted spoon. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids.
skim off any fat from the top of the stock. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
makes about 8 cups
Meaty chicken thighs make a terrific chicken stock, and this stock is gold in your freezer for making sauces, soups, or casseroles. Forget that can or box of broth, even though they can save you in a pinch. This is homemade goodness you can’t buy and it’s so simple to make. The best news is that you don’t have to watch it all day!
3 pounds chicken, skin removed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups water
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 stalks celery with some leaves, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
sprinkle the chicken evenly with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and brown evenly on all sides.
transfer the chicken to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onions to the same skillet over medium-high heat and sauté until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
transfer the onions to the slow-cooker insert. Deglaze the pan with the wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Add the carrots, celery, thyme, and sage to the insert. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
remove the chicken from the slow-cooker insert (it should be falling off the bone) with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate or cutting board. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and discard any solids. Skim off any fat from the stock and store in refrigerator or freezer containers.
remove the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the bones and any gristle or tendons. The meat can be used in soups, casseroles, or salads. Store the meat in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
makes about 6 cups
slow-cooker savvy
Skin off please! When cooking chicken in the slow cooker, the skin acts as a tourniquet and buckles around the meat. It is also very unappetizing and adds to the fat that you need to skim off any stock or broth. It is best to remove chicken skin before cooking.
