The Great American Slow Cooker Book (98 page)

1
Mix the potatoes, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, olives, oregano, and red pepper flakes in the slow cooker until the potatoes are evenly coated in the spices. Top with an even layer of cheese.

2
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Scoop it up by the spoonful.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
These potatoes pick up all the flavors of pizza to make this a great vegetarian meal for kids.

•
For the best flavor, use only yellow potatoes. They have the right balance of starch to become creamy yet never turn waxy.

•
Substitute grated Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or Gruyère for the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

•
If you’re a pepperoni pizza fan, toss a handful of thinly sliced pepperoni into the slow cooker with the potatoes.

1
Pour the oil into the slow cooker; smear it around with a paper towel. Add the rice, vegetables, scallions, ginger, and garlic; stir well.

2
Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour, tossing twice.

3
Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, and five-spice powder. Cover and continue cooking on high for 1 additional hour, tossing two more times during the cooking.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Already-cooked rice makes a better version of fried rice in the slow cooker because the grains don’t turn gummy as they cook.

•
Use any mix of frozen vegetables you prefer, even an Asian blend for stir-fries (particularly a blend for broccoli stir-fry), provided said blend has no sauce or seasonings on it.

•
Skip the frozen mixed vegetables and use cored, seeded, and minced red bell pepper; thinly sliced cremini or white button mushrooms; thinly sliced carrots; small broccoli or cauliflower florets; and/or shelled peas.

1
Mix the onion, olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the slow cooker. Cook on high
uncovered
for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and smells sweet.

2
Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking on high
uncovered,
stirring occasionally, for 3 more hours in a small slow cooker, 4 more hours in a medium one, and 5 more hours in a large cooker, or until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is somewhat thickened.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Although this recipe doesn’t employ a traditional slow cooker technique—as it’s uncovered and stirred occasionally—it nonetheless yields a bright fresh tomato sauce, best on cooked fresh spinach pasta (and topped with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano).

•
Because globe or large tomatoes are not flavorful year-round, plum tomatoes make an adequate substitute in the cold months. However, if you’re able to make this sauce in the summer when all varieties of tomatoes are at their peak, do so without pause.

•
For better texture (and none of those irritating squishy skins in the mix), peel the tomatoes. Drop them a few at a time into boiling water just until their skins crack, about 15 seconds; immediately ladle them into a bowl of ice water. The skins will slip right off once they’re cold. (Keep replenishing the ice in the bowl as it melts with additional batches.)

•
This sauce freezes exceptionally well; store it in sealed containers for up to 4 months. It also can be used in all sorts of baked pasta casseroles—ziti, eggplant parmesan, and the like.

•
To morph this fresh tomato sauce into a pizza sauce, whisk 1 tablespoon no-salt-added tomato paste into every ½ cup sauce before smearing it on the pie.

1
Mix the eggplants, leeks, and dates in the slow cooker.

2
Whisk the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sherry, sambal oelek, and garlic in a large bowl until the brown sugar dissolves. Pour over the eggplant mixture.

3
Cover and cook on high for 5 hours, or until the eggplant pieces are meltingly tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Here’s a Chinese restaurant classic without the need to heat up a wok! But we added dates, very nontraditional, because they gave the dish a delicate richness.

•
There’s no need to peel the eggplant. The skin will get soft during the long cooking.

•
Pass extra sambal oelek at the table for those who want to spice up the dish.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Sambal oelek is one of a series of Filipino, Indonesian, and southwest Asian chile pastes, all grouped loosely under the name
sambal
. Sambal oelek is fiery, made from ground, red chiles, seeds
and all, with salt and vinegar. By contrast, sambal barjak includes garlic and spices in the mix. Almost any sambal will do for any recipe in this book, but sambal oelek is the most common bottling found in our grocery stores and has the brightest, cleanest flavor that will not compete with other ingredients.

Serve It Up!
Although white rice seems the traditional choice, this braise can also be served over wilted chard or spinach leaves for a more complex set of flavors.

1
Lay the eggplant slices on paper towels on a clean, dry work surface. Sprinkle half the salt over the slices, turn them over, and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Cover with a second layer of paper towels and leave them be to leach moisture for 30 minutes.

2
Meanwhile, dump the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, olive oil, oregano, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes into a large food processor. (For large amounts, you will need to work in batches.) Cover and process, scraping down the inside of the container once or twice, until a smooth puree. Pour into a bowl and continue processing as necessary.

3
Smear ¼ to ½ cup sauce over the bottom of the slow cooker. Build the layers of the casserole: eggplant slices, sauce, and cheese, working your way up layer by layer until you end with the last of the cheese on top. You’ll want to cut eggplant slices so they make even, not-overlapping layers with only a few holes.

4
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the sauce is bubbling and the eggplant is tender. Let stand uncovered for 10 minutes before slicing into chunks with a nonstick-safe spatula or knife right in the cooker—or dishing it up by the big spoonful.