2- TO 3½-QUART
2¾ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup plus 2 tblsp wild rice
½ cup chopped yellow onion
½ cup chopped celery
6 tblsp chopped roasted unsalted almonds
6 tblsp dried sour cherries
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups wild rice
¾ cup (about 1 small) chopped yellow onion
¾ cup chopped celery
⅔ cup chopped roasted unsalted almonds
⅔ cup dried sour cherries
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium vegetable broth
3¼ cups wild rice
1¼ cups chopped yellow onion
1¼ cups chopped celery
¾ cup chopped roasted unsalted almonds
¾ cup dried sour cherries
½ tblsp dried sage
½ tblsp dried thyme
½ tblsp ground black pepper
¾ tsp salt
1 Mix the broth, rice, onion, celery, almonds, cherries, sage, thyme, pepper, and salt in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the wild rice is tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the appliance and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Since this simple side dish offers big flavors, like those in the dried sour cherries, it will work best when paired with sweet-and-savory dishes—anything with a sweet barbecue sauce, or a deep pot roast braise with dried fruit in the mix.
• Look for roasted unsalted almonds either in the specialty foods aisle of your supermarket or in the nut section near the produce. Chop the almonds into bits so they blend throughout the dish, no piece of almond greater than a grain of rice.
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ cup mild canned chopped green chiles
3 tblsp thinly sliced whole scallions
2 tsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
½ medium garlic cloves, quartered
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1¾ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
3¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
4- TO 5½-QUART
¾ cup mild canned chopped green chiles
¼ cup thinly sliced whole scallions
1 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
1 medium garlic cloves, quartered
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
4½ cups (1 quart plus ½ cup) low-sodium chicken broth
6- TO 8-QUART
1 cup mild canned chopped green chiles
6 tblsp thinly sliced whole scallions
1½ tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
2 medium garlic cloves, quartered
1½ cups chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3¾ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
6¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 Place the chiles, scallions, jalapeño, and garlic in a large blender. Pulse a few times to get everything going on the blades, then scrape down the sides, add the cilantro, and blend into a paste.
2 Scrape this paste into the slow cooker. Stir in the rice and broth. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
3 Stir well, then cover and continue cooking on high for 1 additional hour, or until the rice is tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the appliance and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Here’s a spicy, flavorful side dish that’ll go great with your next Tex-Mex meal. If you’ve got a second slow cooker, make refried beans, too.
• The jalapeño will carry the slightly sour, spiky heat into the dish, rather than the duller heat that would come from canned hot green chiles. Once again, there’s no added salt here because the green chiles are notoriously doped with the stuff. Pass extra salt at the table.
• There’s a ton of cilantro here—it is green rice, after all. Use down to half that amount, if you fear the herb.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW Cilantro leaves can be quite sandy and leave behind unwanted grit. To wash them, clean your sink, then fill it halfway with cool water. Add the leaves, submerge them, agitate a bit, and leave them be for 5 minutes. Any grit will now sink to the bottom. Fish out the leaves without draining the sink and dry them on layers of paper towels laid out on your work surface. Finally, drain the sink to wash away the grit.
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice, such as jasmine or basmati
2 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ tsp salt
3½ cups boiling water
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice, such as jasmine or basmati
3 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¾ tsp salt
5¼ cups boiling water
6- TO 8-QUART
5 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice, such as jasmine or basmati
5 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1¼ tsp salt
8¾ cups boiling water
1 Mix the rice, butter, and salt in the slow cooker. Pour the boiling water over the rice.
2 Cover and cook for 2 hours on high, or until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• We find that without other starches or culinary safeguards, white rice turns gummy in the slow cooker; but brown rice works perfectly.
• Measure just how much water you need into the saucepan, then bring it to a boil over high heat. Watch closely so you can pour it over the rice the moment it’s at a boil (and so you don’t lose too much water to evaporation). Cover the slow cooker quickly to preserve the heat.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW Cooked rice should be left off the heat to steam a few minutes before serving. The temperature cools somewhat as the steam settles and the grains plump from the extra moisture at the end.
Serve It Up! Add minced chives or any other fresh minced herbs to the batch, or substitute sesame oil for the butter.
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1¼ cups uncooked long-grain brown rice, such as brown basmati
¼ pound thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
⅓ cup chopped toasted unsalted cashews
3 tblsp minced shallot
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice, such as brown basmati
½ pound thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup chopped toasted unsalted cashews
¼ cup minced shallot
1 tblsp minced garlic
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium vegetable broth
3¼ cups uncooked long-grain brown rice, such as brown basmati
¾ pound thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup chopped toasted unsalted cashews
7 tblsp minced shallot
1½ tblsp minced garlic
1 tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
¾ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1 Stir the broth, rice, asparagus, cashews, shallot, garlic, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the rice is tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the appliance and let stand for 10 minutes, covered, before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This simple pilaf offers fairly big flavors as a payoff for a simple prep. You can’t beat that!
• Brown jasmine rice is a tad aromatic for this dish. The rice should simply become the starchy background to the other ingredients.
• Asparagus stalks can be woody and tough, particularly if they’re more than ½ inch in diameter. Shave the thicker ones down with a vegetable peeler to a more appropriate size; always remove and discard any woody or desiccated bottoms to the stalks.
1½ tblsp unsalted butter
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
4 ounces (about 1¼ cups) cremini or brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced
¼ tsp salt
3 tblsp dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
2½ cups peeled, seeded, and diced pumpkin
1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup plus 1 tblsp uncooked medium-grain brown rice, such as brown Arborio
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¾ ounce (about 3 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 tblsp unsalted butter
¾ cup (about 1 small) chopped yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
6 ounces (about 2 cups) cremini or brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
4 cups peeled, seeded, and diced pumpkin
2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup uncooked medium-grain brown rice, such as brown Arborio
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 ounces (about ½ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
6- TO 8-QUART
3 tblsp unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tblsp chopped yellow onion
1 tblsp minced garlic
10 ounces (about 3 cups) cremini or brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced
¾ tsp salt
½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
6 cups peeled, seeded, and diced pumpkin
3¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1½ cups uncooked medium-grain brown rice, such as brown Arborio
½ tblsp dried thyme
¾ tsp ground black pepper
2½ ounces (about ⅔ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1 Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it softens and begins to turn golden, between 5 and 8 minutes.
2 Add the garlic, stir over the heat for 10 seconds, then dump in the mushrooms and salt. Raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms give off their liquid and that liquid reduces to a thick glaze, between 5 and 8 minutes.
3 Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Pour and scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker. Stir in the pumpkin, broth, rice, thyme, and pepper.
4 Cover and cook on high for 2 hours 15 minutes, or until the liquid has been mostly absorbed and both the rice and pumpkin are tender.
5 Uncover and cook on low for 15 minutes, until the risotto is creamy and moist without much noticeable moisture. Stir in the cheese to serve.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This whole-grain side dish could also be a quick evening meal, perhaps started before you head out to the movies and then finished when you get home.
• It’s important to dice the pumpkin—that is, prep it into bits no larger than ¼ inch. Otherwise, the rice will be done long before the vegetable.
• The chicken broth gives the dish a bit more heft. Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian side.
SHORTCUTS Omit the pumpkin and substitute diced peeled and seeded butternut squash.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW Mushrooms are stocked full of moisture, sometimes near 90 percent of their total weight. All that water comes out when they are heated and turns a sauce soggy. Anyone who’s baked raw mushrooms on a pizza knows the problem. It’s important, then, to get rid of the moisture by cooking the mushrooms a bit. Don’t crowd the skillet; rather, use one large enough so that the released liquid can boil away quickly and efficiently.
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 cups corn kernels, fresh cut from cob, or thawed frozen
¾ cup evaporated milk
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tblsp all-purpose flour
1½ tblsp sugar
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 cups corn kernels, fresh cut from cob, or thawed frozen
1 cup plus 2 tblsp evaporated milk
6 tblsp heavy cream
3 tblsp all-purpose flour
2½ tblsp sugar
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
9 cups corn kernels, fresh cut from cob, or thawed frozen
1¾ cups evaporated milk
½ cup plus 1 tblsp heavy cream
4½ tblsp all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 Whisk the corn, evaporated milk, cream, flour, sugar, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker until the flour dissolves.
2 Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Stir well, mashing some of the kernels against the sides of the cooker before stirring them back into the mix. Cover and cook on high for 1 more hour, or until somewhat thickened.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Once you make creamed corn at home, you’ll never go back to the can. You can use regular or low-fat evaporated milk, and light cream or half-and-half instead of the heavy cream.
• Use either frozen corn kernels, thawed, or fresh kernels cut off the ears. An ear of corn should yield about ½ cup of kernels.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED In the United States, there are marked differences among types of cream. heavy cream, also called whipping cream, has a butterfat content of between 36 and 40 percent. Light cream is no diet product, but at about 20 percent butterfat it is indeed “lighter” than heavy cream. Half-and-half, despite its name, is a combination of cream and whole milk that leans toward the milk part of that equation, with about 12 percent butterfat.
2- TO 3½-QUART
¾ cup fine- or medium-ground cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk (regular or low-fat)
½ cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
2 ounces (about ½ cup) Cheddar cheese, shredded
3 tblsp canned chopped green chiles, hot or mild
2 tblsp unsalted butter, melted
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 cup plus 2 tblsp fine- or medium-ground cornmeal
1 cup plus 2 tblsp all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups buttermilk (regular or low-fat)
¾ cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
3 ounces (about ¾ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
4½ tblsp canned chopped green chiles, hot or mild
3 tblsp unsalted butter, melted
6- TO 8-QUART
1½ cups fine- or medium-ground cornmeal
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk (regular or low-fat)
1 cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
4 ounces (about 1 cup) Cheddar cheese, shredded
6 tblsp canned chopped green chiles, hot or mild
4 tblsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 Generously butter the inside of the slow cooker canister.
2 Whisk the cornmeal, flour, and baking soda in a bowl until combined.
3 Whisk the eggs in a second bowl until creamy, then whisk in the buttermilk, beans, cheese, chiles, and butter. Stir the cornmeal mixture into the buttermilk mixture for a smooth but fairly thick batter. Pour the batter into the slow cooker. Lay overlapping paper towels over the top of the cooker.
4 Cover and cook on high for 1 hour 5 minutes in a small slow cooker, 1 hour 10 minutes in a medium cooker, or 1 hour 15 minutes in a large model, or until the top of the cornbread is set when touched. Uncover and cool in the cooker for at least 1 hour—or remove the insert from the cooker and set it, uncovered, on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. Use a nonstick-safe spatula or knife to cut squares of the cornbread right out of the canister.
• You could make a meal of this well-stocked side dish with a bowl of tomato soup on the side.
• Because of the cheese in the batter, the cornbread has a tendency to stick in the cooker, no matter how much you buttered it. Run a nonstick-safe spatula around the edge of the cornbread before you cut it.
2- TO 3½-QUART
5 medium yellow onions, cut in half through the root and then into very thin half-moons
4 tblsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into small bits
½ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
5 large yellow onions, cut in half through the root and then into very thin half-moons
6 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits
¾ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
7 large yellow onions, cut in half through the root and then into very thin half-moons
8 tblsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small bits
1 tsp salt
1 Separate the onion half-moons into individual half-rings. Stir the onions, butter, and salt in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 12 hours in a small slow cooker, 14 hours in a medium cooker, or 16 hours in a large cooker, or until the onions are incredibly soft, sweet, and even mahogany brown.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• If you want to make softened onions for just about any sauce or condiment, look no further for the ultimate recipe. Not only will the onions caramelize but the butter will also brown a bit, adding a nutty, earthy flavor to the sweetened onions.
• Set the onion halves cut side down on your cutting board and slice them as thin as possible. And make sure the individual strips have separated from the slices for even cooking.
Serve It Up! These are great on burgers or hot dogs, with grilled brats or kielbasa, in omelets or on eggs of all kinds, in baked potatoes, or alongside roasted just-about-anything. They’re also a good sandwich spread. Mix them with sour cream and mayonnaise for a dip. Or pump up store-bought hummus by stirring some in. Or stuff them into trout or whole fish before grilling.
2- TO 3½-QUART
5 medium white onions, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced
⅓ cup olive oil
⅓ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
½ tblsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
9 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp salt
1 Stir the onions, olive oil, cranberries, walnuts, and salt in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 12 hours in a small slow cooker, 13 hours in a medium one, or 14 hours in a large cooker, or until the onions have become dark, thick, and rich.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This may well be the ultimate Thanksgiving side dish for the roast turkey. Or just ladle these onions onto a baked potato with some sour cream.
• For more flavor, toast the walnut pieces in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until very aromatic and lightly browned. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 15 minutes before chopping into small bits.
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 medium white onions
2 cups cooked white rice
½ cup finely chopped cremini or brown button mushrooms
¼ cup stemmed, seeded, and minced red bell pepper
½ ounce (about 2 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
½ tsp dried marjoram
⅛ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 medium white onions
3 cups cooked white rice
¾ cup finely chopped cremini or brown button mushrooms
6 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced red bell pepper
¾ ounce (about 3 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
¾ tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp dried thyme
¾ tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
¾ tsp dried marjoram
¼ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
8 medium white onions
4 cups cooked white rice
1 cup finely chopped cremini or brown button mushrooms
½ cup stemmed, seeded, and minced red bell pepper
1 ounce (about ¼ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp salt
1 Cut the top quarters of the onions off the root ends and discard the tops. Peel the papery skins off the onions, then slice a small bit off the root ends, just so the onions will stand up on a flat surface.
2 Use a melon baller or an apple corer to remove the cores of the onions, taking care to leave plenty of support (and layers) around their walls and making sure you don’t break through the bottoms.
3 Dab some olive oil on a paper towel and grease the inside of the slow cooker. Brush the outside of each onion with olive oil.
4 Mix the rice, mushrooms, bell pepper, cheese, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and salt in a small bowl. Stuff this mixture into the hollows of each onion; stand them up in the slow cooker.
5 Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the onions are very soft and lightly golden. Remove them from the slow cooker with a large slotted spoon.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• These stuffed onions can be a side dish to almost any meat—lamb to pork, beef to turkey.
• The mushrooms need to be very finely chopped. An easy way to do that is to drop them into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground but not yet a paste. Likewise, the bell pepper should be minced, no single piece bigger than a grain of cooked rice.
SHORTCUTS Omit the oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and salt; instead, use a bottled Italian seasoning blend: 2 teaspoons for a small batch, 1 tablespoon for a medium batch, and 1½ tablespoons for a large batch. If the blend includes salt, omit the additional salt from the recipe.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 pound whole cauliflower
3 tblsp unsalted butter
2 tblsp sliced almonds
¼ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¾ pounds whole cauliflower
6 tblsp unsalted butter
3 tblsp sliced almonds
½ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
2½ pounds whole cauliflower
8 tblsp unsalted butter
¼ cup sliced almonds
1 tsp salt
1 Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, then slice the head in half stem to top. Cut out the stem as well as the hard core from each half. Chunk the cauliflower into large pieces, 2 inches each, and set these in the slow cooker.
2 Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and salt; cook until the nuts are golden, stirring often, between 2 and 4 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet over the cauliflower chunks.
3 Cover and cook on low for 2½ hours, or until the butter has browned and the cauliflower is tender. Transfer to plates by the spoonful, get-ting some buttery sauce with each serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• As butter browns, it takes on a nutty, slightly bitter flavor, a perfect match for cauliflower.
• In order to make sure the cauliflower has some firmness after cooking, cut into larger chunks rather than florets.
• Check the cauliflower occasionally, sticking a toothpick or cake tester into a piece to make sure you still meet some resistance. It should be tender, not mushy.
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 4-inch long chunks
⅔ cup dry vermouth
2 fresh oregano sprigs
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tblsp olive oil
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 4-inch long chunks
1 cup dry vermouth
3 fresh oregano sprigs
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
2 tblsp olive oil
6- TO 8-QUART
6 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 4-inch long chunks
2 cups dry vermouth
5 fresh oregano sprigs
5 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tblsp olive oil
1 Place the fennel chunks in the slow cooker; pour the vermouth over them. Tuck the oregano sprigs and garlic cloves among the chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil.
2 Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the fennel is crisp-tender. Lift the fennel out of the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and discard the poaching liquid.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• You can use large fennel bulbs cut into quarters, medium bulbs cut in halves, or small bulbs left whole.
• The liquid in the slow cooker isn’t a good sauce—but don’t miss those softened garlic cloves, especially if you can spread them on a slice of crunchy bread.
• For more fennel flavor in the poaching liquid, add some of the feathery fennel fronds to the mix. One warning: they may well glom onto the fennel chunks.
2- TO 3½-QUART
⅔ cup olive oil
3 tblsp thinly sliced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and cut into 4-inch pieces
½ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 cup olive oil
¼ cup thinly sliced garlic
½ tblsp red pepper flakes
2 pounds broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and cut into 4-inch pieces
1 tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
2¼ cups olive oil
⅓ cup thinly sliced garlic
2 tsp red pepper flakes
3½ pounds broccoli rabe, trimmed of tough ends and cut into 4-inch pieces
½ tblsp salt
1 Pour the olive oil into a skillet. Heat slowly for 3 or 4 minutes over low heat. Add the garlic and fry, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned around the edges and even a little blistered, about 4 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2 With the skillet still over low heat, add the red pepper flakes and cook until aromatic, 20 to 30 seconds. Scrape into the slow cooker. Add the broccoli rabe and salt; toss well.
3 Cover and cook on high, stirring twice, for 2½ hours, or until the broccoli rabe is tender. Remove the vegetables from the slow cooker with tongs, leaving the oil behind. Slice the browned garlic into small bits and serve with the rabe.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Look no further for the ultimate side dish for your next Italian-themed supper or dinner party. The olive oil here will give the broccoli rabe a velvety sheen and texture, a luxury indeed.
• Some broccoli rabe, particularly organic selections or those from farmers’ markets, may have grit adhering to the heads. Wash them well and dry completely before adding to the oil. There should not be a drop of water anywhere.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Broccoli rabe—also called rapini or broccoletti—is a prized vegetable in southern European and even Chinese cooking. A member of the mustard family, high in vitamins A and C as well as potassium and iron, broccoli rabe has a spiky, peppery flavor. Each stem has a number of curly leaves that surround a small head of buds that somewhat resemble broccoli.
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 medium artichokes
2 lemons, halved
1 4-inch rosemary sprigs
½ cup moderately dry white wine, such as a French Chablis
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 medium artichokes
3 lemons, halved
2 4-inch rosemary sprigs
¾ cup moderately dry white wine, such as a French Chablis
6- TO 8-QUART
10 medium artichokes
5 lemons, halved
3 4-inch rosemary sprigs
1¼ cups moderately dry white wine, such as a French Chablis
1 Trim each artichoke by first removing the stem, then cutting off the top third, thereby removing many of the thorny leaf tips. Pull off the very fibrous outer leaves, then pry open the vegetable and scrape out the hairy, thistle bits that cover the heart. Rub the artichoke all over with a cut lemon, then set it in the slow cooker and continue trimming and preparing the remainder, placing them in one layer, preferably cut side down.
2 Tuck the lemon halves and rosemary sprigs among the artichokes. Pour in the wine, then add enough water to the slow cooker so that the liquid comes halfway up the artichokes.
3 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the stem ends of the artichokes are tender when pricked with a fork. Use tongs to remove them, draining them of excess water by turning them upside down before placing on plates.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Although it seems you lose a lot when you trim an artichoke, most of what disappears is too fibrous or thorny to make for good dining. That said, if the stems are not too thick, toss them into the slow cooker.
• If you add some purchased cooked shrimp and a tangy cocktail sauce, you’ve got dinner.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW Artichokes are prone to discoloration, thanks to the way oxidizing compounds turn brown when exposed to the air. Rubbing the prepared vegetables well with lemon juice may take care of some of the problem. However, the artichokes may still turn brown during the long cooking. It may be unsightly but they are still perfectly edible.
Serve It Up! Eat the artichoke by pulling off the leaves and drawing the inside curve against your upper teeth, thereby scraping off some of the edible bits. Once you get down to the heart, it becomes a fork-and-knife affair. Melted butter is the usual dipping medium for the leaves, but there’s no reason to stand on ceremony. Try cocktail sauce, ketchup, mustard, Ranch dressing, Russian dressing, a creamy vinaigrette, or even salsa.
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 cups small Brussels sprouts, trimmed
¾ cup jarred roasted chestnuts
¼ pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, the interior sections washed for sand, and thinly sliced
2 tblsp unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp dried sage
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp grated nutmeg
4- TO 5½-QUART
5 cups small Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1¼ cups jarred roasted chestnuts
½ pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, the interior sections washed for sand, and thinly sliced
3 tblsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp dried sage
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
6- TO 8-QUART
8 cups small Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 cups jarred roasted chestnuts
¾ pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, the interior sections washed for sand, and thinly sliced
4 tblsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ tblsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 Put the Brussels sprouts, chestnuts, leeks, butter, sage, salt, and nutmeg in the slow cooker. Stir well.
2 Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, tossing after the first and second hours, until the Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender when poked with a fork.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• The best Brussels sprouts are the smaller heads, sweeter and not quite so bitter. You may have to poke around in the bin to find the small ones.
• To trim Brussels sprouts, cut off the woody stem end and pull off any fibrous, yellowing, or loose outer leaves until you have a compact head. If you’re lucky enough to find Brussels sprouts still on the stalk, slice them off one by one and trim them as well.
• For some heat, add up to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 pound green beans, trimmed and tipped
1 medium whole scallions, minced
2 tblsp ginger jam
2 tblsp soy sauce
2 tblsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp white sesame seeds
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¾ pounds green beans, trimmed and tipped
2 medium whole scallions, minced
3½ tblsp ginger jam
3½ tblsp soy sauce
3½ tblsp toasted sesame oil
1 tblsp white sesame seeds
6- TO 8-QUART
2½ pounds green beans, trimmed and tipped
3 medium whole scallions, minced
5 tblsp ginger jam
5 tblsp soy sauce
5 tblsp toasted sesame oil
1½ tblsp white sesame seeds
1 Stir the green beans and scallions in the slow cooker. Whisk the ginger jam, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a large bowl until the jam dissolves. Pour over the vegetables and toss well.
2 Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the beans are crisp-tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• These green beans would be a welcome treat alongside almost any Asian stir-fry, as well as most things off the grill—especially tuna steaks with a wasabi rub.
• We like some crunch to our green beans. If you want them softer, cook for 3 hours.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Ginger jam is a salty, spicy condiment often found in the international foods aisle, usually near other British foods.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW Most green beans have a small bit of their stem and blossom at one end; this should be removed. The other end has a small “tail,” as it were, which can be excessively fibrous. While edible, it’s considered culinarily unappealing and so is usually snapped or cut off—and thus, the green beans will have been tipped.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1⅔ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2½ tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
¾ pound kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped
4- TO 5½-QUART
2¼ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
¾ cup drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
¾ cup (about 1 small) chopped yellow onion
1½ tblsp minced garlic
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 pound kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped
6- TO 8-QUART
3½ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
1¼ cups drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1¼ cups chopped yellow onion
2 tblsp minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1¼ pounds kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped
1 Mix the tomatoes, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.
2 Add the kale; stir well. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes. Stir again, then continue cooking on high for another 45 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Good enough to be a light, vegetarian entree on its own when served over whole wheat pasta, this tasty side dish would also be welcome alongside a steak, a veal chop, or roast chicken.
• Kale leaves often have a tough, fibrous center stem that should be removed from each leaf before chopping. However, some varieties of kale have a much smaller center stem that tenderizes quickly. Ask the person in the produce section of your supermarket for guidance—or the farmer, if you’re lucky enough to buy the kale at a farmers’ market.
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 ounces thin strips of bacon, chopped
1½ tblsp minced garlic
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
⅔ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
2 tsp white wine vinegar
¾ pound collard greens, washed, stemmed, and chopped
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 ounces thin strips of bacon, chopped
2 tblsp minced garlic
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 tblsp white wine vinegar
1 pound collard greens, washed, stemmed, and chopped
6- TO 8-QUART
8 ounces thin strips of bacon, chopped
3 tblsp minced garlic
¾ tsp red pepper flakes
1⅔ cups dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
2 tblsp white wine vinegar
1½ pounds collard greens, washed, stemmed, and chopped
1 Fry the bacon in a large skillet set over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally, between 4 and 7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until the garlic begins to brown at the edges, about 1 minute.
2 Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker, then set the skillet back over the heat and pour in the wine. Raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Continue boiling until the wine has reduced by half its original volume, between 2 and 4 minutes. Pour the reduced wine sauce into the slow cooker.
3 Stir in the vinegar. Add the collard greens and toss well, getting the garlic and red pepper flakes distributed evenly throughout the greens.
4 Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the greens are tender but not squishy.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• If you’re making fried chicken or a pan-fried slice of ham, you’ll want to have this side dish going—and maybe have some cornbread baking in the oven as well.
• Collard greens can be quite sandy, particularly if you bought them at a farmers’ market. Wash the leaves well, then dry them between sheets of paper towels before chopping.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 small spaghetti squash (about 2½ pounds)
6 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
¼ cup pine nuts
2 tblsp chopped fresh sage leaves
½ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 small spaghetti squash (about 2½ pounds)
8 tblsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
⅓ cup pine nuts
3 tblsp chopped fresh sage leaves
¾ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
3 small spaghetti squash (about 2½ pounds)
10 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
½ cup pine nuts
¼ cup chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tsp salt
1 Use a metal skewer or a meat fork to poke holes all over the spaghetti squash. Set in the slow cooker. Pour water into the cooker to come 2 inches up the squash.
2 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the squash feels tender to the touch and is perhaps even collapsing at points.
3 Transfer the squash to a cutting board; drain the liquid from the cooker. Turn the cooker off and cool the squash for 30 minutes, or until easily handled.
4 Stir the butter, pine nuts, sage, and salt in the slow cooker; cover and cook on high while you complete the next step.
5 Slice the squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds, then use a fork to scrape the flesh into threads. Transfer the squash threads to the cooker and stir well.
6 Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes to heat everything through. Stir well again and scoop up by the spoonful.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Spaghetti squash cooks up into little threads, about like spaghetti only sweeter and a bit firmer. Mixed with butter, sage, and pine nuts, it’s a wonderful side dish—or even a simple vegetarian dinner.
• Use the squash as a bed for pan-fried pork chops or chicken breasts. For a fancier presentation, mound the squash on a platter, and top with one or two whole grilled fish.
• If you can only find large spaghetti squash, say 5 to 7 pounds, you can make it in the large slow cooker; however, plan on cooking it on low for 8 hours to get tender.
Serve It Up! Toss the cooked squash with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 medium delicata squash, halved, seeded, and sliced into 2-inch-thick half-moons
¼ cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
½ cup no-sugar-added apple cider
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tblsp honey
4- TO 5½-QUART
5 medium delicata squash, halved, seeded, and sliced into 2-inch-thick half-moons
⅓ cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
¾ cup no-sugar-added apple cider
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tblsp honey
6- TO 8-QUART
8 medium delicata squash, halved, seeded, and sliced into 2-inch-thick half-moons
½ cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1¼ cups no-sugar-added apple cider
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 tblsp honey
1 Stir the squash and cranberries in the slow cooker. Pour the cider over them, sprinkle with the salt and cinnamon, then drizzle with the honey.
2 Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until the squash is tender when poked with a fork.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Since the skin of delicata squash is edible, there’s no need to peel it before it goes into the cooker.
• For a richer dish, drizzle up to 2 tablespoons melted butter over the squash with the honey.
• The juices and cranberries make a great sauce for roast chicken, turkey, or ham.
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ pound zucchini, cubed
6 ounces eggplant, cubed
1 medium green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
½ pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1½ tblsp minced mixed leafy green herbs, such as marjoram and rosemary, or oregano, thyme, and parsley
1½ tblsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¼ pounds zucchini, cubed
1 pound eggplant, cubed
2 medium green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2½ tblsp minced mixed leafy green herbs, such as marjoram and rosemary, or oregano, thyme, and parsley
2½ tblsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
2 pounds zucchini, cubed
1½ pounds eggplant, cubed
4 medium green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1½ pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
¼ cup minced mixed leafy green herbs, such as marjoram and rosemary, or oregano, thyme, and parsley
¼ cup olive oil
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Stir the zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, herbs, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the tomatoes break down and the mixture has a stew-like consistency.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• There’s no need to peel the eggplant or tomatoes for this easy version of the side-dish favorite. Those skins will soften beautifully during the long cooking.
• Chop the zucchini and eggplant into 1-inch cubes so they retain some texture in the final dish.
• Add up to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the other ingredients for some spiky heat.
Serve It Up! Our favorite way to enjoy ratatouille is to poach eggs and then set them in a bowl of the warm vegetable stew, letting the runny yolk mix with the tomatoes and vegetables.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 pound eggplant, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 medium celery ribs, diced
¾ cup minced pitted green olives
¼ cup drained, rinsed, and minced capers
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup no-salt-added tomato paste
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 tblsp packed dark brown sugar
3 tblsp minced golden raisins
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp red pepper flakes
4- TO 5½-QUART
1½ pounds eggplant, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 medium celery ribs, diced
1 cup plus 2 tblsp minced pitted green olives
6 tblsp drained, rinsed, and minced capers
6 tblsp olive oil
6 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
6 tblsp red wine vinegar
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
⅓ cup minced golden raisins
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tblsp dried oregano
¾ tsp red pepper flakes
6- TO 8-QUART
3 pounds eggplant, diced
1 large red onion, diced
3 medium celery ribs, diced
1¾ cups minced pitted green olives
½ cup drained, rinsed, and minced capers
½ cup olive oil
½ cup no-salt-added tomato paste
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup minced golden raisins
1½ tblsp minced garlic
1½ tblsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Stir the eggplant, red onion, celery, green olives, capers, olive oil, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, golden raisins, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on high for 5 hours, or until the eggplant breaks apart into an almost spreadable relish, the whole kit and caboodle thickened to a soft, sauce-like condiment.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This traditional Italian side dish is best served as a sauce on steamed or roasted vegetables—or with almost anything off the grill. It’s also great as an appetizer, spread on toasted baguette slices.
• Dice the eggplant into small bits, about ½ inch each, so they melt into the sauce.
• This caponata freezes exceptionally well for up to 3 months. Thaw containers in the fridge overnight (rather than quickly in the microwave) for the best texture.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 pound red cabbage, cored and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
½ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup red currant jelly
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 fresh thyme sprigs
1 4-inch cinnamon stick
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 pounds red cabbage, cored and chopped
2 small red onion, chopped
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup red wine vinegar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup red currant jelly
1½ tblsp finely grated orange zest
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1½ 4-inch cinnamon sticks
6- TO 8-QUART
3 pounds red cabbage, cored and chopped
2 medium red onion, chopped
1½ cups fresh orange juice
1½ cups red wine vinegar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup red currant jelly
2 tblsp finely grated orange zest
½ tblsp salt
½ tblsp ground black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 4-inch cinnamon sticks
1 Dump the red cabbage, onion, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, red currant jelly, orange zest, salt, pepper, thyme sprigs, and cinnamon sticks into the slow cooker. Stir until the brown sugar and jelly dissolve.
2 Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the cabbage is tender but with just a little firmness to the bite. Discard the thyme sprigs and cinnamon sticks before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• If you’re assigned to bring the side dish to a potluck buffet, here’s a great option. The blend of flavors will work with almost anything else others bring.
• Make sure you remove the tough core from the cabbage before chopping the leaves. And keep the pieces fairly small—thin strips of cabbage no more than ¼ inch wide.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 large (about 2¾ pounds) rutabaga
2 tblsp minced chives or scallion greens
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1½ cups evaporated milk
2 tblsp unsalted butter
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 medium (about 4 pounds) rutabaga
3 tblsp minced chives or scallion greens
1 tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
2⅓ cups evaporated milk
3 tblsp unsalted butter
6- TO 8-QUART
2 large (about 5½ pounds) rutabaga
¼ cup minced chives or scallion greens
1½ tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 cups evaporated milk
4 tblsp (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 Peel the rutabaga, then slice in half. Lay the halves cut side down on a cutting board and slice into half-moon sections no more than ¼ inch thick—and even thinner, if possible.
2 Lightly butter the inside of the slow cooker canister well, making sure you get into the seam between the wall and the bottom. Mix the chives, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
3 Create a single, barely overlapping layer of rutabaga slices in the slow cooker, then top with a sprinkling of the herb mixture. Continue making more rutabaga layers, sprinkling each with the herb mixture. Then make a final layer of rutabaga slices and pour the condensed milk over the casserole. Dot with butter.
4 Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the rutabagas are tender when pierced with a toothpick or cake tester. Spoon off any excess liquid sitting in the cooker before slicing the gratin with a nonstick-safe spatula and lifting out individual portions.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Rutabagas add a mustardy earthiness to the traditional gratin, a nice side dish to sausages off the grill or out of the frying pan.
• There’s no moisture reduction in the slow cooker, of course, so there is still plenty of liquid around the gratin when it’s done. Nonetheless, the rutabaga itself will have condensed into a tighter, more uniform casserole.
• You can remove the whole gratin from the slow cooker. Spoon off as much of the liquid as you can, then slip two large spatulas under the entire casserole to lift it out—or cut it in half widthwise and remove one half at a time.
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed
1 cup corn kernels, thawed frozen, or fresh, cut from the cob
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup minced celery
¼ cup shredded carrots
¼ cup drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1 tblsp unsalted butter
½ tblsp mild paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tblsp heavy cream
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 cups frozen lima beans, thawed
2 cups corn kernels, thawed frozen, or fresh, cut from the cob
½ cup chopped yellow onion
½ cup minced celery
½ cup shredded carrots
½ cup drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
2 tblsp unsalted butter
1 tblsp mild paprika
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
6- TO 8-QUART
6 cups frozen lima beans, thawed
3 cups corn kernels, thawed frozen, or fresh, cut from the cob
¾ cup (about 1 small) chopped yellow onion
¾ cup minced celery
¾ cup shredded carrots
¾ cup drained no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
3 tblsp unsalted butter
1½ tblsp mild paprika
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tblsp dried marjoram
½ tblsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
6 tblsp heavy cream
1 Mix the lima beans, corn, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, butter, paprika, garlic, marjoram, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the mixture becomes stew-like.
3 Stir in the cream and cook on low to heat for 10 minutes before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Make sure any frozen vegetables are fully thawed for use in this Southern favorite. (They must not chill the other ingredients.)
• Shred the carrots through the large holes of a box grater.
• Feel free to substitute light cream or half-and-half if you want a slightly less rich dish. However, never use so-called fat-free half-and-half, a mix of stabilizers and sweeteners that will sugar up the dish inexcusably.
• The cream should not be cold from the refrigerator. Leave it out on the counter for 20 minutes before adding it to the slow cooker.
INGREDIENTS FOR A 1-QUART, HIGH-SIDED, ROUND BAKING DISH
½ cup finely ground fresh breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried thyme
1 pound cream cheese (regular or low-fat)
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup sliced almonds
2 large eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tblsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Set a 1-quart, high-sided, round soufflé or baking dish in a slow cooker of any size or shape. Pour water into the slow cooker to come a third of the way up the outside of the baking dish. Remove the dish, cover the slow cooker, and set to cook on high while you prepare the recipe.
2 Grease the inside of the baking dish with unsalted butter. Mix the breadcrumbs and thyme in a small bowl, then pour into the baking dish. Turn the dish this way and that to coat evenly the bottom and inside walls of the dish.
3 Put the cream cheese, blue cheese, and almonds in a large food processor; process until smooth, stopping the machine occasionally to scrape down the interior.
4 Add the eggs one at a time and continue processing until smooth each time. Pour in the cream and again process until smooth. Scrape down the interior, add the flour and pepper, and again process until smooth and somewhat thick.
5 Scrape and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish; use a rubber spatula or an offset spatula to smooth the top of the batter. Set the filled baking dish in the slow cooker. Lay overlapping, long strips of paper towels across the top of the slow cooker before setting the lid in place.
6 Cook on high for 2½ hours, or until the cake is set to the touch. Use paper towels or silicone baking mitts to lift the baking dish out of the cooker. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before unmolding and flipping right side up onto a serving platter.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• There are no sizes for the slow cookers here because you make the savory cake in a 1-quart round, high-sided baking dish set into a slow cooker. It should fit in all but the very smallest, oval slow cookers, ones actually smaller than the dimensions we’ve been working with.
• This savory cake can be cut into wedges to serve instead of potatoes or rice with almost any meal. Or better yet, slice it into wedges and offer as a nibble with cocktails or wine before dinner.
• The paper towels are to keep condensed water from dripping from the lid and onto the cake. Lay long swaths of them over the cooker before you set the lid in place so that the edges of the paper towels can’t inadvertently fall onto the cake as it bakes.
SHORTCUTS Any sort of blue cheese will work here, although the packaged blue cheese crumbles may well be the best shortcut for this recipe.
If vegetables are the neglected stepchildren of the slow cooker’s story, beans and whole grains may be the tattered orphans. And that’s a shame because the slow cooker’s gentle heat renders this long-cooking fare easier than ever. Beans don’t go mushy as they do in roiling water; whole grains maintain their essential crunchy exterior and creamy interior.
Although most of these dishes can function as sides to substantial meals, many can do double-duty as main courses; just pair them with a salad and a creamy vinaigrette.
There’s one drawback we might as well address right off the bat: dried beans and whole grains don’t last forever. They have a shelf life—a little over a year in most places, maybe a few months shy of that if you live in a humid locale. Store them in a sealed container in a cool, dry, dark place at the very back of your pantry. You’ll be able to tell if they’re good by both appearance and aroma: beans, lentils, and whole grains should have a smooth skin or exterior surface, not be shriveled or mottled. They should smell slightly earthy, without any bitter tang or acrid odor.
We don’t buy these items in bulk. First off, we’re not sure whose hands have been in the bin. Second, we’re not sure how long those lentils or beans have sat in that bin—and how many have been crushed. We’d rather buy ones in a clear plastic bag so we can see what we’re getting. Plus, many of those bags include a packed-on date as well as a sell-by date.
So let’s get down to business: whipping up some pretty hearty fare in the slow cooker.
2- TO 3½-QUART
⅔ cup dried pink beans
1⅓ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 small yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
⅓ cup maple syrup
1½ tblsp cider vinegar
1 tblsp minced jarred pickled jalapeño rings
½ tblsp dry mustard
½ tblsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp liquid smoke
4- TO 5½-QUART
1⅓ cups dried pink beans
2⅔ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
⅔ cup maple syrup
2½ tblsp cider vinegar
2 tblsp minced jarred pickled jalapeño rings
1 tblsp dry mustard
1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
6- TO 8-QUART
2 cups dried pink beans
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 cup maple syrup
¼ cup cider vinegar
3 tblsp minced jarred pickled jalapeño rings
1½ tblsp dry mustard
1½ tblsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tblsp liquid smoke
1 Put the beans in a large bowl, fill it two-thirds with cool tap water, and set aside on the counter for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours.
2 Drain the beans in a colander set in the sink. Stir them and add the broth, beans, bell pepper, onion, maple syrup, vinegar, jalapeño, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke to the slow cooker.
3 Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the beans are tender and the flavors have blended.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Nothing could be easier than this family favorite. Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup with its artificial sweeteners and flavors.
• If you’re concerned about stomach upset, bring the beans to a boil in a large pot of water set over high heat, and boil for 5 minutes, then drain them in a colander set in the sink, rinse, and cool to room temperature under running water before using in this recipe.
• Feel free to use frozen chopped vegetables; thaw them before adding.
• If you want to make this for a potluck crowd, double the ingredients in the medium slow cooker but prepare the dish in a large one.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Sometimes called chili beans, pink beans are small, pinkish-brown, oval-shaped beans popular in the western United States and the Caribbean. The beans have a meaty, velvety texture with a semisweet but mild taste.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 cup dried navy beans
1 cup plus 3 tblsp boiling water
2 ounces salt pork or salted fat back, diced
2 tblsp molasses, preferably unsulfured
2 tblsp packed dark brown sugar
2 tblsp chopped yellow onion
¾ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 cups dried navy beans
2⅓ cups boiling water
4 ounces salt pork or salted fat back, diced
¼ cup molasses, preferably unsulfured
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
1¼ tsp dry mustard
¾ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
3 cups dried navy beans
3½ cups boiling water
6 ounces salt pork or salted fat back, diced
½ cup molasses, preferably unsulfured
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Fill a large bowl two-thirds full with cool water, then add the beans and stir until they sink. Set aside to soak overnight—or 12 hours but no more than 16 hours.
2 Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
3 Drain the beans in a colander set in the sink; clatter them into the slow cooker. Pour in the boiling water; stir in the pork, molasses, sugar, onion, mustard, and pepper.
4 Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 12 hours, or until the beans are tender and the liquid has become thick, syrupy, and dark.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Bring on the hamburgers or brats! Here’s the classic, tweaked a bit with salt pork.
• Salt pork, the salted fat from the belly of the pig, won’t add any smoky flavor to these beans the way bacon would. If you wanted to substitute diced slab bacon, feel free.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Navy beans—so called because they were a staple ration in the U.S. Navy in the early part of the twentieth century—are pea-sized white beans with a mild flavor and a firm texture.
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups water
1¾ cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 medium green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tblsp finely grated orange zest
2 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
½ tblsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
2 bay leaves
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 cups water
3¼ cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
1½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 large green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tblsp finely grated orange zest
3 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
1½ tblsp dried marjoram
2 tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp salt
3 bay leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
5 cups water
4¾ cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
2½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 large and 1 medium green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
1¼ cups chopped fresh cilantro leaves
⅓ cup finely grated orange zest
⅓ cup stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
2½ tblsp dried marjoram
1 tblsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
5 bay leaves
1 Mix the water, beans, rice, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, orange zest, jalapeño, marjoram, cumin, salt, and bay leaves in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on high for 2 hours 15 minutes or on low for 5 hours, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Discard the bay leaves before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Our version of this Caribbean specialty is a little more fragrant and complex, thanks to the orange zest and marjoram. With a green salad on the side, it’s truly a main course.
• If you peel the zest off the orange with a vegetable peeler, make sure you mince those strips into tiny bits, the better to balance them throughout the dish.
• We crafted this as a quick-cooking dish, using canned black beans. You can, however, use dried black beans; you’ll need to plug the various ingredients into the formula in the recipe for Red Beans and Rice (recipe follows), plus make a few changes: boil the dried beans for 5 minutes, drain them, use the amount of liquid (water or broth) called for in the red beans recipe, cook the beans and everything else on low for 5 hours, add the rice, and cook an additional 4 hours on low.
Serve It Up! Top this dish with an easy picadillo: cooked ground beef, generously spiced with ground allspice and red pepper flakes, laced with dried currants, chopped onion, minced garlic, and minced ginger.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 cup dried red kidney beans
5 cups (1 quart plus 1 cup) low-sodium chicken broth
¼ pound spicy turkey sausage or kielbasa, cut into ¼-inch rings
½ cup chopped yellow onion
½ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
½ tblsp minced garlic
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp celery seeds
Up to ¼ tsp cayenne
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
4- TO 5½-QUART
1⅓ cups dried red kidney beans
6⅔ cups low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ pound spicy turkey sausage or kielbasa, cut into ¼-inch rings
⅔ cup chopped yellow onion
⅔ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
⅔ cup chopped celery
2 tsp minced garlic
¾ tsp dried thyme
¾ tsp dried sage
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp celery seeds
Up to ¼ tsp cayenne
1⅓ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
6- TO 8-QUART
2 cups dried red kidney beans
10 cups (2½ quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound spicy turkey sausage or kielbasa, cut into ¼-inch rings
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
½ tsp celery seeds
Up to ½ tsp cayenne
2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 Pour the beans into a large saucepan, cover with water to a depth of several inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain the beans in a colander set in the sink and rinse with cool water until room temperature.
2 Stir the beans with the broth, sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, sage, salt, celery seeds, and cayenne in the slow cooker until the spices are evenly distributed throughout. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
3 Stir in the rice. Cover and continue cooking on low for 4 more hours, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• A meal on its own, this Louisiana favorite would be even better with some bottled hot sauce on the side.
• The consistency here shouldn’t be stewlike, nor should it be like fluffy, white rice. Rather, the rice should be moist but firm to the bite. If you find there’s too much liquid in the cooker, let it go another 30 minutes on low—or if there’s only a little, set it aside, unplugged but covered, for 15 or 20 minutes before serving.
• For a more authentic kick, substitute Cajun andouille for the turkey sausage or kielbasa.
SHORTCUTS Omit the thyme, sage, celery seeds, and cayenne; substitute ½ tablespoon Creole seasoning for a small slow cooker, 2 teaspoons for a medium cooker, or 1 tablespoon for a large one. If the seasoning blend includes salt, omit the salt as well.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Red kidney beans have a high quantity of phytohemagglutinin, a sugar-binding protein that can yield toxic side effects in humans, particularly dire digestive distress. boiling the beans will take care of the problem, unless you live at high altitudes where the boiling point of water is below 212°F. In that case, soak the dried beans in water for at least 5 hours, then boil them as directed and continue with the recipe.
Serve It Up! Boil some shell-on, deveined shrimp until pink and firm, drain well, and serve warm right on top.
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 cups water
¾ cup dried pink beans
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1½ tblsp rendered bacon fat or lard
1½ tblsp minced yellow onion
½ tsp minced garlic
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 cups water
1¼ cups dried pink beans
½ tblsp salt
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 tblsp rendered bacon fat or lard
2 tblsp minced yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
6- TO 8-QUART
8 cups water
2½ cups dried pink beans
1 tblsp salt
¾ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ cup rendered bacon fat or lard
¼ cup minced yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Mix the water, beans, salt, and red pepper flakes in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the beans are brilliant tender, almost mushy.
3 Melt the bacon fat or lard in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened and aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes.
4 Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans from the cooker to the pot, about 2 cups at a time. Stir, mashing the beans against the walls of the pot with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to form a paste, adding a little cooking liquid if the paste becomes dry.
5 Continue ladling beans into the pot with a slotted spoon, mashing them as before and also stirring in judicious amounts of cooking water to create a soft, fairly smooth paste, about like mashed potatoes, stirring all the while to prevent scorching.
• Refried beans are not fried twice! Rather, the original name (frijoles refritos) means something like “beans fried very well.” In lard or bacon fat, they are! Bacon fat will give the beans a smoky flavor; lard will allow them to have a cleaner and more velvety finish.
• Pinto beans are the usual culprits for refried beans, but we find that pink beans mush up better after being cooked in the slow cooker. If you can’t find pink beans, substitute pinto beans for a somewhat grainier finish.
• We don’t first soak the beans. Soaking them to improve their texture would actually be wasted energy since we’re just going to mush them up.
• After turning the beans into a thick puree, you can scrape them back into the slow cooker and set it on keep warm for another 3 hours.
• If you want to make refried beans for a mob, triple the stated amounts for the medium cooker but cook this behemoth batch in a large cooker.
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups canned diced tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel
1 cup drained and rinsed canned pink beans
1 cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
1 cup drained and rinsed canned kidney beans
1 medium green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
¾ cup shredded carrots
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2½ tblsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
3½ cups canned diced tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel
1¾ cups drained and rinsed canned pink beans
1¾ cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
1¾ cups drained and rinsed canned kidney beans
1 large green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1½ cups shredded carrots
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
¼ cup chili powder
1 tblsp ground cumin
1 tblsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
5½ cups canned diced tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel
2¾ cups drained and rinsed canned pink beans
2¾ cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
2¾ cups drained and rinsed canned kidney beans
2 large green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2½ cups shredded carrots
1 large yellow onion, chopped
⅓ cup chili powder
5 tsp ground cumin
5 tsp dried oregano
1¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tblsp salt
1 Mix the tomatoes with chiles, beans, bell peppers, carrots, onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and salt in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the flavors have blended.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This bean chili is ridiculously easy, thanks to the canned beans and the flavorings already in those canned tomatoes. Since it keeps well on warm for so long, it’s perfect to have ready for when you get home from work.
• If you’re concerned that this chili is too hot, use canned tomatoes without any chiles. You can always spike servings with hot sauce at the table.
• Standard chili powder is used almost like a thickener in some Southwestern dishes, so we don’t advocate buying it in small jars. Purchase the larger, more economical containers, because you’ll go through it faster than, say, the more esoteric ancho chile powder.
• Shred the carrots through the large holes of a box grater. You can also use pre-chopped carrot matchsticks, available in the produce section or even on the salad bar. Dice these into small bits for even cooking.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1½ cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
¾ cup quinoa, preferably black quinoa
½ cup no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
2 tblsp minced celery
1 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
1 tblsp chili powder
1 tblsp molasses, preferably unsulfured
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, preferably black quinoa
⅔ cup no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
⅓ cup chopped yellow onion
⅓ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
2½ tblsp minced celery
4 tsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
4 tsp chili powder
4 tsp molasses, preferably unsulfured
¾ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp salt
⅓ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
6- TO 8-QUART
3 cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1½ cups quinoa, preferably black quinoa
1 cup no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup chopped yellow onion
½ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup minced celery
2 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
2 tblsp chili powder
2 tblsp molasses, preferably unsulfured
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
½ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 Stir the beans, broth, quinoa, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño, chili powder, molasses, cumin, coriander, oregano, and salt in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the flavors have melded and the quinoa is tender.
3 Stir in the cilantro before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Quinoa adds a musky heft to this veggie-heavy chili. Although any quinoa will work, black quinoa would be the best choice, partly because of the aesthetics of black quinoa and black beans, and partly because black quinoa has a slightly more bitter bite that works better against the sweet beans.
• Some quinoa needs to be rinsed before using to get rid of a bitter chemical left on the grains. Read the package carefully for instructions.
• For an even larger batch, double the quantities for the medium slow cooker but cook them in a large model.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1⅓ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
⅔ cup drained and rinsed canned red kidney beans
½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3 ounces dried ziti, farfalle, or fusilli pasta
6 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
3 tblsp chopped yellow onion
¾ ounce (about 3 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried rosemary
pinch garlic powder
4- TO 5½-QUART
2¼ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1 cup drained and rinsed canned red kidney beans
¾ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
5 ounces dried ziti, farfalle, or fusilli pasta
⅔ cup stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
⅓ cup chopped yellow onion
1¼ ounces (about 5 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried rosemary
⅛ tsp garlic powder
6- TO 8-QUART
3½ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1¾ cups drained and rinsed canned red kidney beans
1¼ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
8 ounces dried ziti, farfalle, or fusilli pasta
1 cup (about 1 medium) stemmed, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 ounces (about ½ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 Stir the tomatoes, beans, broth, pasta, bell pepper, onion, cheese, oregano, rosemary, and garlic powder in the slow cooker. Make sure the pasta is submerged in the liquid.
2 Cover and cook on low for 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir well, then continue cooking on low for an additional 1 hour 15 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This recipe is a slow cooker, main-course adaptation of pasta e fagioli, or pasta and beans, a popular comfort food among Italian immigrants in North America, but here with more vegetables. For the more traditional soup, see this page.
• For a sweeter dish, substitute a dry white wine such as Chardonnay for the broth—or use half broth and half wine.
Serve It Up! This stew could also become the bed for grilled or pan-fried sausages. Drizzle some cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil over each bowl.
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 ounces slab bacon, diced
1⅓ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup plus 2 tblsp no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
⅔ cup dried pinto beans
⅓ cup minced whole scallions
1 ripe medium peaches, pitted and finely chopped
2 tblsp packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp molasses, preferably unsulfured
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
¾ tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp chipotle chile powder
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 ounces slab bacon, diced
2⅔ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2¼ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1⅓ cups dried pinto beans
⅔ cup minced whole scallions
1½ ripe medium peaches, pitted and finely chopped
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tsp molasses, preferably unsulfured
4 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tblsp dried oregano
½ tblsp ground cumin
½ tsp chipotle chile powder
6- TO 8-QUART
6 ounces slab bacon, diced
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium vegetable broth
3½ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
2 cups dried pinto beans
1 cup minced whole scallions
2½ ripe medium peaches, pitted and finely chopped
6 tblsp packed dark brown sugar
2 tblsp molasses, preferably unsulfured
2 tblsp Dijon mustard
2 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tblsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chipotle chile powder
1 Mix the bacon, broth, tomatoes, pinto beans, scallions, peaches, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, and chile powder in the slow cooker until the brown sugar dissolves and the beans are evenly distributed throughout.
2 Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened to a chili-like, but still somewhat soupy, consistency. Serve in bowls.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• There’s no need to brown the bacon or soak the beans. The whole mélange slowly melts into a wonderful side dish, hearty enough for a main course meal if you’ve got something like Loaded cornbread on the side.
• Make sure the peaches and the bacon are in fairly small chunks, no larger than ½ inch.
SHORTCUTS Thaw frozen sliced peaches, then dice them into pieces no larger than ½ inch.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Pinto beans are moderately sized, mottled brown beans the same color as a pinto horse. The beans have a long history in the Americas as a staple food; they’re a favorite in chilis and soups, particularly in the American South.
2- TO 3½-QUART
2¼ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
2¼ cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
⅔ cup canned chopped mild green chiles
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2½ tblsp chili powder
½ tblsp ground cumin
¼ cup milk
2 tblsp corn kernels, thawed frozen, or fresh cut from cobs
1 yolk large egg/yolk, at room temperature
2½ tsp canola oil
¼ cup fine- or medium-ground yellow cornmeal
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tblsp sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
3½ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
3½ cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
1 cup canned chopped mild green chiles
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
¼ cup chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
½ cup milk
¼ cup corn kernels, thawed frozen, or fresh cut from cobs
1 white large egg/yolk, at room temperature
1½ tblsp canola oil
½ cup fine- or medium-ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tblsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
6 cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
6 cups drained and rinsed canned black beans
1¾ cups canned chopped mild green chiles
2 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large red onion, chopped
7 tblsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
¾ cup milk
6 tblsp corn kernels, thawed frozen, or fresh cut from cobs
1 whole large egg/yolk, at room temperature
⅓ cup canola oil
¾ cup fine- or medium-ground yellow cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tblsp sugar
½ tblsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 Stir the tomatoes, beans, chiles, bell pepper, onion, chili powder, and cumin in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
2 After 1 hour and 40 minutes have passed, start the cornbread. Puree the milk, corn kernels, egg, and oil in a large blender, scraping down the inside of the container once or twice, until smooth.
3 Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until a loose batter forms. Let stand for 10 minutes.
4 Spoon the batter over the stew in tablespoon-size blobs. Use the back of a wooden spoon to connect those blobs into a single top layer as well as you can without submerging them.
5 Lay long, overlapping strips of paper towels over the top of the slow cooker, with excess hanging down over the sides. Cover and cook for 1 additional hour, or until the cornbread is set and somewhat firm to the touch. Serve by scooping up heaping spoonfuls of the cornbread with the stew underneath.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Not a straightforward casserole, but rather cornbread over a bean-rich stew, this slow cooker dinner needs nothing except a green salad on the side.
• Use either thawed frozen corn kernels or corn kernels cut right off the cob. Since you’re pureeing them with the milk, their texture is not as important as in some other recipes.
• The batter is fairly loose with just enough stiffness to float. If you need help connecting those blobs of batter in the stew, wet the back of the wooden spoon occasionally.
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 tblsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1¼ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1¼ cups dried gigante beans
1 cup dry vermouth
3 tblsp honey
2 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1 bay leaf
¼ cup chopped fresh dill fronds
2 tblsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
2 cups dried gigante beans
1¾ cups dry vermouth
¼ cup honey
3 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1 bay leaf
⅓ cup chopped fresh dill fronds
3 tblsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
6 tblsp olive oil
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
3½ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
3½ cups dried gigante beans
3 cups dry vermouth
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup no-salt-added tomato paste
2 bay leaves
½ cup chopped fresh dill fronds
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ tblsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 Set a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then swirl in the oil. Add the onion, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the onion is soft, golden, and sweet, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
2 Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, vermouth, honey, tomato paste, and bay leaf until the tomato paste dissolves. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
3 Stir in the dill, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cover and continue cooking on low for an additional 5 hours, or until the beans are tender but still slightly firm to the bite. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Here’s a side dish often served as part of a meal of small plates in Turkey or Greece. The beans become incredibly silky in the slightly sour tomato sauce.
• There’s no heat here, partly because we feel any spiciness can obscure the tart dash of the sauce. If you would like a little fire, add up to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes with the tomatoes.
• A sweet Vidalia onion would work even better in that tomato sauce.
Serve It Up! If you want to put together your own spread of small plates for dinner, serve this with hummus, baba ganoush, and tabbouleh, as well as pita bread wedges.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 medium whole scallions, minced
1½ tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
2 tsp minced garlic
⅔ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
4- TO 5½-QUART
1¾ cups dried black-eyed peas
1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1¾ cups canned diced tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 medium whole scallions, minced
2 tblsp stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
1 tblsp minced garlic
¾ cup plus 2 tblsp uncooked long-grain white rice
6- TO 8-QUART
3 cups dried black-eyed peas
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups canned diced tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel
2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
5 medium whole scallions, minced
¼ cup stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeño chile
2 tblsp minced garlic
1¾ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 Pour the black-eyed peas into a large bowl and fill it about two-thirds full with water. Set aside to soak overnight, for at least 12 hours, or up to 16 hours.
2 Drain the peas in a colander. Pour them into the cooker, then stir in the broth, tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions, jalapeño, and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
3 Stir in the rice, making sure the grains are submerged in the liquid. Cover and continue cooking on low for an additional 3 hours, or until the rice and peas are tender and quite a bit of the liquid has been absorbed (although the final consistency is more stew than pilaf).
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This Southern dish of rice, black-eyed peas, and tomatoes may well stand in for a main course on its own.
• Since the rice can get a little gummy if the dish sits too long on warm, it’s best to eat this side dish when it’s ready.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1½ tblsp olive oil
½ cup minced yellow onion
⅓ cup drained and rinsed canned cannellini or white beans
2½ tblsp almond milk
2¼ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
¾ cup plus 2 tblsp dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
⅔ cup brown lentils
⅓ cup minced carrot
⅓ cup minced celery
1½ tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
½ tblsp minced garlic
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 tblsp olive oil
¾ cup minced yellow onion
½ cup drained and rinsed canned cannellini or white beans
¼ cup almond milk
3½ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
1½ cups dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 cup brown lentils
½ cup minced carrot
½ cup minced celery
2 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1 tblsp dried oregano
1 tblsp dried basil
2 tsp minced garlic
6- TO 8-QUART
3 tblsp olive oil
1¼ cups minced yellow onion
¾ cup drained and rinsed canned cannellini or white beans
7 tblsp almond milk
6 cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
2⅓ cups dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1⅔ cups brown lentils
¾ cup minced carrot
¾ cup minced celery
3½ tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1½ tblsp dried oregano
1½ tblsp dried basil
1 tblsp minced garlic
1 Set a large skillet over low heat for a couple of minutes, then pour in the oil. Dump in the onion and cook, stirring often, until golden and softened, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
2 Plop the beans into the slow cooker; pour in the almond milk. Use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash the beans into a smooth paste with the almond milk. Scrape the contents of the skillet into this paste and stir until fairly smooth.
3 Stir in the tomatoes, wine, lentils, carrot, celery, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and garlic. Leave no lumps of tomato paste in the mix.
4 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the lentils are tender and the sauce has thickened somewhat.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This is a creamy, vegan, Bolognese-style pasta sauce best served over wide noodles like papardelle.
• Some almond milk is sweetened; some is not. Choose which you like, based on whether you want a sweeter taste against the acidic tomatoes or a more savory finish to complement the lentils.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Lentils are the edible seeds of various plants in the legume family, related to beans but with a muskier flavor. There’s a wide variety of lentils, from the common brown to the more elegant French green lentils (sometimes called le Puy lentils), from the murky red lentils favored in East Indian cooking to the inky black lentils with their sweet, creamy texture.
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup red lentils
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
1 cup no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
6 tblsp chopped yellow onion
½ tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
½ tblsp minced garlic
1 tblsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
¼ cup minced cilantro leaves
½ tblsp honey
½ tblsp lemon juice
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups red lentils
2 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
1¾ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
¾ cup chopped yellow onion
1 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tblsp minced garlic
2 tblsp curry powder
2 tsp salt
½ cup minced cilantro leaves
1 tblsp honey
1 tblsp lemon juice
6- TO 8-QUART
6 cups (1½ quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups red lentils
3 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
2⅔ cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes
1 cup (about 1 medium) chopped yellow onion
1½ tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1½ tblsp minced garlic
3 tblsp curry powder
1 tblsp salt
¾ cups minced cilantro leaves
1½ tblsp honey
1½ tblsp lemon juice
1 Mix the broth, lentils, spinach, tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and salt in the slow cooker.
2 Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours, until rich and creamy, the lentils broken into a paste.
3 Stir in the cilantro, honey, and lemon juice. Cover and keep warm for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This luxurious stew is great for a chilly evening. Rather than bread, offer na’an, an East Indian flatbread, on the side. Or just flour tortillas.
• Squeeze the spinach in very small handfuls over the sink so excess moisture doesn’t bog down the stew.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Red lentils, which actually are more salmon colored, are the sweetest lentils. A favorite in East Indian cooking, they cook up in no time and turn soft, a natural thickener.
2- TO 3½-QUART
½ cup brown lentils
1 tblsp olive oil
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup shredded carrot
2 tblsp minced celery
½ tsp minced garlic
2¼ ounces (about ½ cup) cremini or brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced
¼ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 large eggs, well beaten in a small bowl
½ ounce (about 2 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
2 tblsp chopped parsley leaves
2 tblsp finely chopped walnuts
1 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
½ tsp Italian seasoning
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 cup brown lentils
1½ tblsp olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
½ cup shredded carrot
¼ cup minced celery
1 tsp minced garlic
3½ ounces (about 1 cup) cremini or brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, well beaten in a small bowl
1 ounce (about ¼ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
¼ cup chopped parsley leaves
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
1½ tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
6- TO 8-QUART
2 cups brown lentils
3 tblsp olive oil
1 cup (about 1 medium) chopped yellow onion
1 cup shredded carrot
½ cup minced celery
2 tsp minced garlic
7 ounces (about 2 cups) cremini or brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
3 large eggs, well beaten in a small bowl
2 ounces (about ½ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
½ cup chopped parsley leaves
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
3 tblsp no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Pour the lentils into a large saucepan, then fill that saucepan about two-thirds full of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue boiling until the lentils are a tad beyond tender, in fact mushable, about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander set in the sink.
2 Put a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then pour in the oil. Tilt the skillet to grease its interior, then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, between 3 and 5 minutes.
3 Add the garlic, stir over the heat for 20 seconds, then dump in the mushrooms. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give off their liquid and it evaporates to a thick glaze, 8 to 12 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into a large food processor fitted with the chopping blade; cool for 5 minutes.
4 Pour the drained lentils into the food processor; add the breadcrumbs, eggs, cheese, parsley, walnuts, tomato paste, and seasoning. Cover and pulse to a coarse paste, about like wet sand, not smooth at all, scraping down the inside of the container occasionally. There is almost no way the ingredients for a large slow cooker will fit in even a very large food processor. Work in batches if you must, scraping each into a bowl before adding the next and using fairly proportionate ratios of the various ingredients in each batch to get the right consistency; mix all the batches well with a wooden spoon to make sure they’re evenly blended.
5 Scrape down and remove the blade. Dab some olive oil on a paper towel and grease the inside of the slow cooker. Dump the lentil mixture into the cooker and use your clean, still-wet hands to form it into a lump with at least ½ inch space between the lump and the slow cooker’s walls, smoothing the top to create a fairly flat surface.
6 Cover and cook on low for 4 hours in a small slow cooker, 5 hours in a medium cooker, or 6 hours in a large one, or until the meatloaf is firm and set to the touch, even in the middle. Remove the crock if possible and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes—or unplug the machine and cool, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Use a nonstick-safe knife or spatula to cut the meatloaf into slices right in the crock.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Mince the vegetables before they go into the food processor so there’s no chance of random bits of this or that in the final, rather smooth meatloaf.
• The loaf doesn’t freeze well; it will fall apart when thawed.
• The amount of ingredients for a large slow cooker may well be too much for your food processor. If so, work in batches, making sure each batch contains proportioned amounts of the ingredients.
SHORTCUTS Omit the Italian seasoning and use Italian-seasoned dry breadcrumbs.
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
⅔ cup coarse-ground polenta (not instant)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 ounces (about ¼ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1½ tblsp minced chives (optional)
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup coarse-ground polenta (not instant)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
2½ ounces (about 6 tblsp) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
2 tblsp minced chives (optional)
6- TO 8-QUART
7½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2½ cups coarse-ground polenta (not instant)
1¼ tsp salt
1¼ tsp ground black pepper
3 ounces (about ¾ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
⅓ cup minced chives (optional)
1 Stir the broth, polenta, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on high, stirring once, for 1½ hours, or until the broth has been absorbed and the polenta is creamy. Stir in the cheese and chives (if using) to serve.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• You don’t need to stir this polenta over a hot stove!
• Add herbs with the polenta: up to 1¼ teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled dried rosemary, or dried oregano.
• For a bolder flavor, substitute aged Asiago cheese for the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Or do a French twist by substituting half the amount of minced fresh tarragon for the chives and using aged Gruyère instead of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• If you can’t find coarse-grain polenta at your supermarket, substitute standard grits (not instant).
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, washed for internal sand, and thinly sliced
1 cup plus 2 tblsp pearled barley
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp ground black pepper
Up to ⅛ tsp Saffron
⅔ cup green peas, thawed frozen or shelled fresh
3 ounces (about ¾ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits
4- TO 5½-QUART
5¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¾ pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, washed for internal sand, and thinly sliced
1½ cups pearled barley
1 tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
Up to ¼ tsp Saffron
1 cup green peas, thawed frozen or shelled fresh
4 ounces (about 1 cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
1½ tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits
6- TO 8-QUART
8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, washed for internal sand, and thinly sliced
2¼ cups pearled barley
1½ tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves
½ tblsp ground black pepper
Up to ½ tsp Saffron
1¾ cups green peas, thawed frozen or shelled fresh
7 ounces (about 1¾ cups) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
2 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits
1 Stir the broth, leeks, barley, thyme, pepper, and saffron in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 4½ hours, or until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the barley is tender.
3 Stir in the peas, cheese, and butter. Let stand, unplugged but covered, for 5 minutes before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• If you’re looking for a side dish with a little more heft and a lot less sweetness than the more standard risotto made with rice, consider this grain risotto your answer. Or serve it as a vegetarian main course with a crunchy salad on the side.
• For a dish that’s a little closer to whole-grain goodness, substitute semi-pearled (semi-perlato) barley for the pearled barley.
• Slice the leeks thin enough so that they almost melt into the sauce. If you like, substitute thinly sliced onions, softened in a skillet over low heat in a little butter, for the leeks. (If you’re substituting onions, omit the unsalted butter at the end of the recipe.)
2- TO 3½-QUART
6 cups water
Up to 1½ cups wheatberries, spelt berries, Kamut, triticale berries, rye berries, whole-grain farro, sorghum, or oat groats
4- TO 5½-QUART
10 cups water
Up to 3 cups wheatberries, spelt berries, Kamut, triticale berries, rye berries, whole-grain farro, sorghum, or oat groats
6- TO 8-QUART
16 cups water
Up to 5 cups wheatberries, spelt berries, Kamut, triticale berries, rye berries, whole-grain farro, sorghum, or oat groats
1 Mix the water and grain of choice in the slow cooker. Cover and soak overnight, at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours.
2 Keep covered and cook on high for 4½ to 5½ hours, until the grains are tender. Drain in a colander set in the sink, then rinse with cool tap water until room temperature. Drain thoroughly before using.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Whole grains are so easy in a slow cooker—especially since you can set them to soak, then turn the machine on the next day.
• Although the cooking time is set at 4½ hours, it may not tell the tale, given the way whole grains lose moisture as they sit on the shelf (and may then take longer to get tender). Check the grains after 4 hours—bite into one and see if it’s tender. From there, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time, checking about every 30 minutes until done.
• We’ve listed a range of whole grains, some of which will turn rather sticky (like oat groats) and some which will stay separate and firm (like hard red winter wheatberries). Choose any you like. However, it’s best not to mix-and-match, since cooking times may vary.
Serve It Up! Once drained, store the whole grains, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Toss them into salads with any number of chopped vegetables: fennel, tomatoes, celery, carrots, asparagus, or peas; add your favorite dressing to taste. Or add these grains to soups, stews, and braises for a savory pop among the other ingredients. (We particularly like them in marinara sauce with meatballs—and then hold the pasta.)
2- TO 3½-QUART
1¾ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
¾ cup shredded carrots
½ cup frozen shelled edamame (soy beans), thawed
⅓ cup wheatberries, hard red winter or soft white spring
¼ cup pearled barley
¼ cup medium-grain brown rice, such as brown Arborio
¼ cup minced yellow onion
¼ cup minced celery
½ tsp dried sage
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4- TO 5½-QUART
3½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1½ cups shredded carrots
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (soy beans), thawed
⅔ cup wheatberries, hard red winter or soft white spring
½ cup pearled barley
½ cup medium-grain brown rice, such as brown Arborio
½ cup minced yellow onion
½ cup minced celery
1 tsp dried sage
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
5¼ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2¼ cups shredded carrots
1½ cups frozen shelled edamame (soy beans), thawed
1 cup wheatberries, hard red winter or soft white spring
¾ cup pearled barley
¾ cup medium-grain brown rice, such as brown Arborio
¾ cup minced yellow onion
¾ cup minced celery
½ tblsp dried sage
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1 Stir the broth, carrots, edamame, wheatberries, barley, brown rice, onion, celery, sage, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are tender. Fluff with a fork, then cover and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• The wheatberries will determine the final texture of this grainy side dish: hard winter wheatberries are firm and chewy; soft white ones, luxurious and silky.
• If you can’t find edamame, substitute frozen peas, thawed.
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 pound green cabbage, cored and chopped
¼ pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, washed well for internal sand, and thinly sliced
⅓ cup pearled barley
¼ cup chopped golden raisins
½ tsp dried dill
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp caraway seeds
1 cup beer, preferably a pale ale or a lager
4- TO 5½-QUART
1½ pounds green cabbage, cored and chopped
½ pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, washed well for internal sand, and thinly sliced
½ cup pearled barley
6 tblsp chopped golden raisins
1 tsp dried dill
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp caraway seeds
1½ cups beer, preferably a pale ale or a lager
6- TO 8-QUART
2½ pounds green cabbage, cored and chopped
¾ pound leeks (white and pale green part only), halved lengthwise, washed well for internal sand, and thinly sliced
¾ cup plus 2 tblsp pearled barley
⅔ cup chopped golden raisins
½ tblsp dried dill
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp caraway seeds
2½ cups beer, preferably a pale ale or a lager
1 Mix the cabbage, leeks, barley, raisins, dill, salt, pepper, and caraway seeds in the slow cooker. Pour the beer over everything.
2 Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Stir well. Cover and continue cooking on low for 4 more hours, or until the cabbage is tender and the dish is stew-like.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• This rib-sticker has flavors influenced by traditional German or Jewish cooking—and so might be best alongside roasted or grilled sausages, sauerbraten, or a stewed brisket.
• To keep the beer from foaming, pour it slowly down the inside wall of a large glass measuring cup, tilted to meet the bottle. Pour the beer very slowly over the ingredients in the slow cooker, a slow drizzle to keep the froth from building.
2- TO 3½-QUART
6 large leaves from green cabbage
1¼ cups boiling water
¾ cup plus 2 tblsp quick-cooking barley (instant barley, not pearled)
⅓ cup chopped dried apple
3 tblsp minced red onion
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground allspice
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
1⅓ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
3 tblsp unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1½ tsp dried dill
⅛ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
10 large leaves from green cabbage
2¼ cups boiling water
1½ cups quick-cooking barley (instant barley, not pearled)
½ cup chopped dried apple
¼ cup minced red onion
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2½ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
¼ cup unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 tsp dried dill
¼ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
16 large leaves from green cabbage
3½ cups boiling water
2⅓ cups quick-cooking barley (instant barley, not pearled)
¾ cup chopped dried apple
½ cup minced red onion
½ tblsp dried thyme
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground black pepper
2¾ cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 tblsp dried dill
½ tsp salt
1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Drop the cabbage leaves in the water; submerge them by pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until slightly softened, not quite tender, about 5 minutes. Use tongs to transfer them to a cutting board. Cool the leaves a few minutes and slice out the tough, thick stem at one end if necessary. Dump out the water.
2 Bring the precise amount of water for your size slow cooker to a boil in a second saucepan set over high heat. Stir in the barley, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the water has been absorbed and the barley is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the dried apple, onion, thyme, cinnamon, allspice, and pepper. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
3 Lay a prepared cabbage leaf on your work surface. Scoop up ⅓ cup of the barley filling and plop it near the bottom center of the leaf. Roll the leaf up, enclosing the filling, then fold the sides closed as well. Set the stuffed cabbage roll seam side down in the slow cooker and continue making more as required and stacking them neatly in layers as necessary.
4 Whisk the tomatoes, apple juice concentrate, dill, and salt in a large bowl. Pour over the stuffed leaves.
5 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the dish is aromatic and the leaves are quite tender. Lift the stuffed cabbage leaves gently out of the slow cooker into individual bowls, spooning the sauce over them.
TESTERS’ NOTES
• Yep, this vegan main course is labor-intensive—which is why these sorts of recipes are probably a lost art, made by our grandmothers. But the results are also wholesome and hearty.
• Not every cabbage leaf needs its center vein removed. After they’ve all cooled a bit, see if the center vein will easily roll with the leaf. If so, there’s no need to remove it. If not, cut it out in a triangular shape, leaving as much of the leaf intact as possible.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Quick-cooking barley is not pearled barley; rather, it’s rolled and steamed, about like rolled oats. It cooks in no time and is the preferred type of barley for a filling like this one.