The Great American Slow Cooker Book (67 page)
Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
6
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the cheese has melted. Unplug the appliance, uncover it, and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges or scooping out with a large spoon.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
A bit complicated, no doubt, but this recipe yields satisfying family fare—or a retro kick.
•
For a more intense flavor, toast the walnut pieces in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until aromatic and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
•
Cut the tortillas so they’ll make single layers in the cooker, using the extra bits to fill in any gaps.
SHORTCUTS
Skip making the enchilada sauce in steps 1 through 3, and instead use 2 cups purchased enchilada sauce for a small slow cooker, 3 cups for a medium cooker, or 5 cups for a large cooker.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
4 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
2 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
1¼ cups boned, skinned, and chopped supermarket rotisserie chicken meat
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
½ cup chopped drained canned tomatillos
½ cup corn kernels, fresh cut from the cob, or frozen, thawed
1 small yellow or red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 tblsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
3 ounces dried whole wheat farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 cups boned, skinned, and chopped supermarket rotisserie chicken meat
2½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1¼ cups chopped drained canned tomatillos
1¼ cups corn kernels, fresh cut from the cob, or frozen, thawed
1 medium yellow or red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
7 ounces dried whole wheat farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
6- TO 8-QUART
5 cups boned, skinned, and chopped supermarket rotisserie chicken meat
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups chopped drained canned tomatillos
2 cups corn kernels, fresh cut from the cob, or frozen, thawed
2 medium yellow or red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
½ tblsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
12 ounces dried whole wheat farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
1
Stir the chicken, broth, tomatillos, corn, bell pepper, cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt in the slow cooker. Pour in the pasta and stir well.
2
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, stirring once or twice while cooking, or until the pasta is tender and the flavors have blended.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
This easy casserole is a great way to gussy up supermarket rotisserie chicken meat. The fresh cilantro does much of the heavy lifting; the tomatillos give the dish a slightly sour spark.
•
We use vegetable broth to give the casserole a lighter, brighter finish. Substitute chicken broth for a more classic, comfort-food taste.
•
For more oomph, add a small amount of crumbled soft goat cheese with the other ingredients.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
Let a rotisserie chicken cool for 20 minutes (that is, the time probably equal to the ride or walk home) before beginning to work with it. Cut the chicken into pieces—legs, thighs, breast, wings—then peel off the skin. The meat should come straight off the bones, but check thoroughly for stray bits of cartilage or small bones. Your best tools for this entire operation are your clean, dry hands.
Serve It Up!
Make a
Southwestern Bean Salad
as a side dish for four people: Drain and rinse a can of black beans, then mix those beans with about 1 cup chopped jarred roasted red pepper and some minced red onion. Stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1½ tablespoons walnut oil, ½ teaspoon chili powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
5 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6
2- TO 3½-QUART
1 tblsp unsalted butter
1 pound chicken sausage, cut into 2-inch lengths
½ pound winter squash (such as butternut), peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
¼ cup golden raisins
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp cayenne
⅛ tsp saffron
½ 4-inch cinnamon stick
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4- TO 5½-QUART
2 tblsp unsalted butter
2 pounds chicken sausage, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 pound winter squash (such as butternut), peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
½ cup golden raisins
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cayenne
¼ tsp saffron
1 4-inch cinnamon stick
1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
6- TO 8-QUART
3 tblsp unsalted butter
3½ pounds chicken sausage, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 pounds winter squash (such as butternut), peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 large yellow onion, chopped
¾ cup golden raisins
½ tblsp ground coriander
½ tblsp ground ginger
¾ tsp cayenne
½ tsp saffron
2 4-inch cinnamon stick
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage pieces (as much as will fit). Brown on several sides, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. (If necessary, divide the butter among several batches.) Transfer to the slow cooker and continue browning as needed.
2
Add the squash, onion, raisins, coriander, ginger, cayenne, saffron, and cinnamon stick to the slow cooker. Toss everything together, then pour the broth over the mixture.
3
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the squash is tender and the chicken sausage is cooked through.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Vary this dish by using another type of winter squash you prefer, perhaps buttercup, hubbard, or even pumpkin. (Shoot, you can even use cubed sweet potatoes.) By the way, acorn and delicata squash don’t need to be peeled, just seeded.
•
Since there are plenty of spices for the squash, use a fairly mild chicken sausage, which will be flavored mostly by the aromatics used in this recipe.
turkey suffers from an unconscionable holiday hangover—and so quietly withdraws from the scene for the rest of the year. Except for the occasional sliced deli turkey sandwich, or maybe the lamentable appearance of turkey bacon when we’re feeling that we’ve overindulged, the noble fowl Ben Franklin wanted as the national bird is a culinary no-show. Few people make turkey for a run-of-the-mill weeknight.
Too bad. turkey is, yes, very lean—and contains far less of that alleged sleep-inducing L-tryptophan than eggs. But more importantly, it’s perhaps the tastiest bird from the supermarket. It also cooks more evenly than chicken—and proves more versatile, thanks to the ways the meat absorbs and revamps essential flavors, muting sweet notes in favor of the savory. With a slow cooker, that sort of magic is all the easier. But don’t think we’ve forgotten about Thanksgiving or any other holiday. We’ve even got a recipe for a whole roast turkey from the slow cooker—provided you’ve got a large model of the appliance in the cupboard.
However, we might as well admit it up front: there are some problems. Since turkey is low in fat, it can be a quick-cooking meat, particularly when the bones and joints have been removed, as in a boneless breast roast or even turkey cutlets. Neither is a good choice for us here—unless we’re willing to make some adjustments. (We are.) boneless white meat needs protection, whether that’s with a lot of vegetables offering their moisture to a braise or a rich, moist stuffing for cutlets.
Of course, there’s little necessary fandango when it comes to the dark meat bits: thighs, legs, and wings. These take well to braises, to slow-cooker roasts, even to barbecue. Just take a look at our three basic turkey thigh braises: with cherries and orange zest,
with chestnuts and marmalade, and with mustard and white wine. turkey can stand up to that wide range of flavors!
We round out our turkey compendium with recipes using ground turkey as well as a few recipes for leftover turkey. We hope these will be welcome problem-solvers for after the holiday meal.
However, even if we’re on a mission to bring turkey back to the weeknight table, your supermarket may not be on board our campaign. While turkey wings and legs are often available ready-to-cook in the meat case, breasts and whole birds are too often dropped in the deep freeze for year-round storage. So practice good thawing procedures. Set the turkey on a plate in the refrigerator to catch drips. A 5-pound turkey breast can take up to two full days to thaw properly; a larger bird, up to four days. If you’re pressed for time, use the quick-thaw method: set the bird in its wrapping in a large bowl and fill the bowl with cool water. Set on the counter and change the water every 20 minutes to keep it from getting warm. You’ll be able to thaw even a whole bird in a few hours.
So let’s plan on a ham this Thanksgiving and make every other day Turkey Day.
over butternut squash and chard
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
4 TO 5½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
1 HOUR
•
SERVES:
5 TO 10
4- TO 5½-QUART
3 tblsp unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
¾ pound Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped, and packed
2 tblsp dry white wine, such as Albariño
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
2 tblsp maple syrup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2½ pounds bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
6 fresh sage leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
6- TO 8-QUART
5 tblsp unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1½ pounds Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped, and packed
3 tblsp dry white wine, such as Albariño
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
5 to 6 pounds bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Dump in the onion, drop the heat to low, and cook slowly, stirring frequently, until golden and somewhat sweet, about 10 minutes.
2
Raise the heat to medium, add the chard, and stir well to begin the wilting process. Add the wine and keep stirring until the chard fully wilts.
3
Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker; stir in the squash cubes, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
4
Loosen the skin over the turkey breast by running your clean, dry fingers between the skin and the meat. Slip the sage leaves between the skin and the meat. Pat the skin back into place and set the breast skin side up in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
5
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours in a medium slow cooker or 5½ hours in a large one, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the meat (without touching the bone) registers 165°F.
6
Transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl. Pour the liquid in the cooker into a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, and cook until the sauce has reduced to a glaze, perhaps 3 to 5 minutes. Carve the turkey breast into thin slices and serve the sauce and vegetables on the side.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Wash the chard leaves, then cut out the large veins that run along their centers. Don’t worry about drying the leaves after chopping; the extra moisture will help them wilt quickly.
•
Although the onion is not yet caramelized after only 10 minutes, it does show the brilliance of the slow cooker. You can start the caramelization on the stove, then let it continue in the appliance until the onion is ridiculously sweet, the same as if you’d let it go an hour stovetop, stirring frequently.
•
There is no recipe here for a small slow cooker because you’ll never find a bone-in turkey breast small enough to fit in one. Okay, someone is surely going to prove us wrong, but everyone else should consider a larger model.
with dried fruit
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
4½ TO 5½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
3 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 10
2- TO 3½-QUART
2½ tblsp packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 pound boneless skinless turkey breast
½ pound (1½ cups) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup chopped pitted prunes
1 4-inch rosemary sprigs
4- TO 5½-QUART
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless turkey breast
1 pound (3 cups) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
½ cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup chopped pitted prunes
2 4-inch rosemary sprigs
6- TO 8-QUART
⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tblsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 pounds boneless skinless turkey breast
1¾ pounds (5 cups) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup chopped pitted prunes
3 4-inch rosemary sprigs