More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Empty the contents of the canned tomatoes into your slow cooker. Put in the chicken thighs and lemon juice. Add a pat of butter, diced onion, and all the spices. Pour in the water. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Ladle into bowls with a peeled but intact hard-boiled egg.

The Verdict

The inspiration for this stew comes from Mary Ostyn, who writes at OwlHaven.net and is the author of Family Feasts for $75 a Week. Mary writes that this spicy stew is called Doro Wat, and is traditionally served in Ethiopia at Christmastime. She says to make it authentic, you should use 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper but to begin with 1 teaspoon. This amount was plenty spicy for me. I really liked taking a bit of hard-boiled egg in each bite.

HUNGARIAN BEEF STEW

serves 6

The Ingredients

3 pounds beef stew meat

combine in a food processor or blender:

2 green bell peppers, seeded

2 onions, peeled

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ cup water

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the meat into your slow cooker. Combine all the other ingredients in a food processor or blender, and pulse until mixed well and a sauce forms. Pour the sauce over the meat. That’s it! Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the meat chunks are super tender and can be cut easily with a spoon.

The Verdict

Ayalla, who writes at saltandpaprika.com, sent me this recipe. She serves it to her family with homemade biscuits and a spinach salad. I loved how easy this stew was to make, and smiled watching my kids eat it up, bell peppers and all. This is a great technique to “sneak” in extra vegetables.

LEAN, MEAN & GREEN TORTILLA SOUP

serves 6 to 8

The Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

6 cups chicken broth

1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn

1 (14-ounce) jar prepared salsa verde (I’d go for mild; you can always add more spice at the table)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

6 tablespoons sour cream (to add before serving)

crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, and cilantro as garnish (optional)

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken into the bottom of your slow cooker insert. Stir in the chicken broth, corn, salsa verde, and cumin. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. Shred the chicken using two large forks before serving. Ladle into bowls with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado, and cilantro, if you’d like.

The Verdict

This recipe comes from Sara W., who adapted Rachael Ray’s Mean Green Tortilla Soup to work in the slow cooker. We both decided to use salsa verde instead of blending tomatillos (which can be quite expensive in some areas), and the result is fantastic. Sara likes the “tequila lime” salsa verde—yum!

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

serves 4

The Ingredients

2 (6.5-ounce) cans clams (and juice)

1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes (and juice)

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

½ cup chopped carrot

2 cups finely diced peeled potato

¼ teaspoon red cayenne pepper

1 cup chicken broth

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the clams and tomatoes in the cooker. Add the chopped vegetables and red pepper. Pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the potatoes are quite tender.

The Verdict

This was great! My kids really liked this a lot. They had never tried red clam chowder before, and were a bit hesitant at first. I served it with a batch of drop biscuits (made from a gluten-free baking mix), but if we weren’t gluten-free, I’d opt for a nice crusty sourdough roll.

MINESTRONE SOUP

serves 6

The Ingredients

8 cups beef broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (whole can)

1 cup dry pinto, black, or lima beans, rinsed in hot water

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1 small onion, diced)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

½ cup dried pasta (to add later, I used brown rice fusilli)

Parmesan cheese for garnish

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the broth and tomatoes into your slow cooker. Add the dried beans. I didn’t soak my beans ahead of time since there was so much liquid in the pot, but if you live in a high-altitude area, you should soak them overnight or boil on the stove for 10 minutes.

Add the vegetables, Italian seasoning, and drained spinach. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the vegetables and beans are bite-tender. Stir in the raw pasta and cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pasta is fully cooked. Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan cheese.

The Verdict

My kids loved their soup, and both big girls ate two bowls. I served our minestrone with mini corn muffins made from a gluten-free mix. This soup freezes and reheats quite well. If you decide to use dry red beans in this soup, remember to boil them for at least 10 minutes before adding to the cooker to kill a possible toxin that occurs naturally in red beans.

SPINACH BISQUE

serves 8

The Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

½ cup chopped onion

¼ cup butter, melted

¼ cup all-purpose flour (I used a gluten-free baking mix)

2 cups low-fat milk

1 cup water

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (16-ounce) package Velveeta^®, cubed

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the spinach into the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the chopped onion. In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter and flour to form a roux. Slowly add the milk and water to the bowl. Stir in the salt and nutmeg. Pour the milk mixture into the slow cooker. Add the Velveeta^® cubes. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until the onions are tender and translucent. Stir well before serving in soup bowls.

The Verdict

This is a creamy and decadent soup that will warm you up on a cold day. I loved it and so did my grandma. The kids loved this cheesy soup and each ate a big bowlful. It’s difficult not to love anything made with Velveeta^®!

TURKEY STEW

serves 8

The Ingredients

There are two parts here. The first part is to make broth with your leftover turkey carcass. If you don’t have a carcass on hand and would still like to make this soup, jump to the next step and use 8 cups chicken broth and 2 to 3 cups chopped turkey.

for broth

turkey carcass or rib cage bone sets from 2 turkey breasts

9 cups water

2 tablespoons gluten-free granulated chicken bouillon

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 large onion, finely diced, OR 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

Put all the ingredients into a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on low overnight, or for about 8 hours. Unplug and remove the stoneware from the cooking element. Uncover and let cool. When cool enough to “go fishing,” remove all the bones from the broth, leaving the meat in the pot.

Note: If your slow cooker releases a bunch of steam and condensation while cooking, put a layer of foil or parchment paper down over the top, then put the lid on so you don’t lose your cooking liquid.

for stew

2 cups peeled and diced sweet potato

1 (28-ounce) can diced or stewed Italian-style tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 (15-ounce) can corn and juice

4 garlic cloves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Throw everything into the pot and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or until the sweet potatoes have reached the desired tenderness and the flavors have melded.

The Verdict

We all really liked this a lot. The girls were slow to warm up because they thought the name “turkey stew” was weird and didn’t like that the broth wasn’t clear, but I didn’t offer them anything else to eat. When they finally tasted it, they happily finished their bowls. This stew does not have any spicy taste, just lots of flavor. It’s been very well received by my Web site readers.

VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP

serves 8

The Ingredients

1 cup dry pinto beans, soaked overnight

1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon chipotle chile powder

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 cups vegetable broth

4 cups water

4 whole serrano chiles

1 to 2 handfuls baby spinach (optional)

shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream (optional garnishes)

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the presoaked and drained beans into the slow cooker. If you don’t have time to soak the beans, you can boil them rapidly on the stove for 10 minutes, then let them sit in the hot water for 1 hour before draining and using in the slow cooker.

Add the entire can of tomatoes, the onion, and garlic. Follow with all the spices, broth, and water. Wash the serrano chiles and float them on top of the soup—do not cut. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the chiles before serving (unless you’re much braver than I am). If desired, drop a handful of baby spinach into the pot and stir to wilt. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and/or sour cream.

The Verdict

There is some heat to this soup. I found my nose running a bit, but my tongue was never uncomfortable. I put the end of a bag of Tostitos^® into the kids’ servings, but it was still too spicy for them. Adam and I happily ate the leftovers for lunch. Stretch the leftovers by stirring in already-cooked rice or pasta when reheated.

YELLOW SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA

serves 4

The Ingredients

1 cup yellow split peas

1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, peeled and finely diced

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Rinse the split peas in hot water and add to the slow cooker. Pour in the broth, and stir in the garlic and onion. Add the smoked paprika and salt. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, 4 to 5 hours on high, or until the split peas have softened and soaked up the broth. Use a handheld stick blender to puree the peas into a creamy soup.

The Verdict

This soup is a great starter to a meat-and-potatoes meal or to enjoy as a light lunch. My mother-in-law took this soup home and happily ate it for lunch for three days. Smoked paprika is a great spice—I use the McCormick^® brand, and can find it at my neighborhood Safeway.