slowcooker fish in coconut milk

So apparently, poaching fish in a slowcooker is a good thing. 

I sauteed an onion in garlic-infused olive oil - I really wanted ginger but couldn't find it.  I added a can of coconut milk and heated it up, adding some thai basil and dried lemongrass and salt and pepper.

When it was all heated, put it in the slowcooker with the fish and cook on high for an hour. 

The fish was cooked perfectly!

kale & white bean soup

Kale & White Bean Soup in a slowcooker

I never really understand my cravings, but when it's for dark leafy greens I don't argue.  This turned out really good probably due to homemade chicken stock and just enough sausage to flavor.  

Saute:
*1 onion, chopped
*1 rib celery, chopped (or celery seed)
*2 links of chicken sausage, chopped (Note to self: skip the sausage)
(green pepper to make it the trinity)

Then add:
*3 cloves garlic, minced

When they smell lovely, put into a slowcooker..

Add:
*2 cans white beans
*1 bunch kale, with the ribs removed, chopped (I used lacinato because it's pretty)
*4 c chicken stock (preferably homemade of course) (I've been using the Better than Bouillon vegetable lately and it tastes great though not so sure about all the ingredients)
*bay leaf
*black pepper

*optional: a Parmesan rind

Turn slow cooker on high, stir up, and let it cook for a few hours to meld the flavors.  

If not using a slowcooker, simmer until kale is at desirable consistency (depends on the type of kale), about 30-45 minutes. 


(Note: Homemade stock is so easy.  Whenever I get a rotisserie chicken, I save the carcass and freeze it if I don't want to deal with it.  Then when I have the vegetables on hand, I throw it in a slowcooker with onions, carrots, and celery.  It's fine if the carcass is still frozen.  Then I cover with water, add some bay leaves, and let it cook on low all day.  Let it cool down, then pour through a colander.  I don't need a clear broth so I take it like that and freeze in 4 cup portions for using later.) 

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Pork

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Pork
Originally uploaded by gummychild

Mmm...it smells so good! I've made this for dinner, and it's been stewing wonderfully today, waiting for Shelton to get home from class so we could eat this together for dinner tonight. =)

Pictures of food in a crockpot aren't as nice looking as those that are plated, but I guarantee you that this smells heavenly. It's not the traditional Panda Express type of sweet and sour pork that one may envision when they hear "sweet and sour pork"...it's a different type, and not really Chinese either, ha ha. But if it tastes as good as it smells, it's a winner and keeper in my recipe book! =)

I got it online. =) Anyway, here's the way I made it, and you can make it too! =)

Ingredients:
- 1.5 to 2 pounds of Country Style Pork Shoulder meat
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped up.
- 1/2 an onion, chopped up.
- 1 can of pineapple chunks (20 oz); you will need 3/4 Cup of the juice.
- 1/4 Cup of Rice Vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- 1/4 Cup of water
- 1/4 Cup of brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tbsp. of light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. of starch
- 1/2 tsp. of salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Place the pork, bell pepper, and onion in the crockpot.
2. Mix well everything else except for the pineapple chunks in a bowl, and add it into the crockpot. Save the pineapple chunks in the fridge.
3. Turn the crockpot onto low and cook for 8 hours.
4. At about 45 minutes left of cooking, add the pineapples in.
5. Serve with hot rice! =)

Slow Cooker 20 to 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Slow Cooker 20 to 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
Originally uploaded by gummychild

From Crockpot365

Ingredients

-3-4 pounds chicken
-1 large onion, sliced
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-2 teaspoons kosher salt
-2 teaspoons paprika
-1 teaspoon pepper
-20-40 garlic cloves, peeled, but intact (I used about 30...I think 20 would be best, as the flavor in the end with 30 overwhelmed that of the chicken. I like garlic, but the main part of this dish, in my opinion, should be the chicken!)

Directions

1. Place onion slices on the bottom of the stoneware insert. Toss and mix in everything else on top of the onions: chicken, olive oil, salt, paprika, pepper, and all of the garlic cloves.

2. Do not add water.

3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The longer you cook chicken-on-the-bone, the more tender it will be. If you use drumsticks, the ones on the side will brown and may stick to the sides of the crock, burning a bit. If this bothers you, you can rearrange them with tongs an hour before serving.

Done!

oh crock pot how do I love thee, let me count the ways

I can wax poetic on slow cookers/crock pots ad nauseum. As y'all know. But SERIOUSLY, they are AMAZING. (Crock pot is just the Rival brand name for slow cookers. That's what I have - the 4 qt red, actually two of them (on one, I broke the crock - but I've super glued it back together and it holds pretty well, so when I really need two - I'm set). It runs a bit hot.)

I have no recollection of when I first discovered them ... there may have been one in the house when I was a kid but I don't think my parents ever used it. Never lived with somebody who used one really.

But at least since moving here, I have been a fiend. Right now, as you can see, I'm making yogurt and black beans (just threw everything in so it doesn't look like it!). Also this week I'll make chicken makhani and probably either black bean chili or tamale pie with the black beans. Stephanie O'Dea's website makes me feel more sane about my crockpot lovin' because she's over-the-top.

A crockpot can be a great tool to help reduce costs. Actually I think that's how I got so obsessed - I use it to cook the garbanzos to make my own hummus.

If I were at a job and away from home for 10 hours or so, I would definitely get a crockpot with a timer, because most things don't want to cook that long. But it's also great for making a big pot for the week on the weekends when home more.

But I was just thinking today, Gail, about how GREAT a crockpot will be for baby food down the road. Those little containers of baby food are ridiculously expensive, and they add all sorts of icky stuff to some of them (seriously, what baby needs SUGAR added to sweet potatoes? PLEASE!). But a crockpot can cook vegetables and fruits down to very soft, and wouldn't take much attention at all, and you could freeze portions (or can).

That can also be a problem - crockpots can make mush out of vegetables. Some vegetables are definitely better added late in the cooking. It's just a matter of figuring out what works for you. It's really good for cooking things that want a long, slow simmer time - like sauces and soups whose flavors richen with time. Also good for frozen meats - can just throw it in and let it cook all day.

Also, it seems that most things I can make in the crock pot, I can freeze portions for later. My freezer runneth over!

OK, there is so much crockpot joy for me to share, but there are other things I need to do today besides stare in awe and wonderment at them. I'm curious how other people use them - if there are uses I haven't thought of.

Indian butter chicken (chicken makhani)

This is definitely worthy of company! (especially if they are not on a strict fat regulated diet)

from here.

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (she says frozen solid is fine)
1 onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2-4 T butter
15 cardamom pods (or more - sewn together or in cheesecloth)
2 tsp curry
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garam masala
an inch or so of fresh grated ginger
1 can coconut milk (I used light)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 T lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt (to add at the end, I used nonfat)

Throw everything in (except yogurt), stir it up and turn it on. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 (or less - with my hot crock).

Stir in plain yogurt 15 minutes before serving. Discard cardamom pods. Salt to taste, serve with rice. Roasted cauliflower is a great side!

***

NOTE: If only cooking four hours (3 1/2 was sufficient for the chicken), then the onions will be a bit crunchy. So, either cook longer or saute them first (probably preferable, though it destroys the whole "I can put this meal together in 15 minutes" vibe).

roast in a crockpot

(Yeah, the meat is there, hidden under the mushrooms.)

(When first cooked, it was fall apart tender. A night in the 'fridge firmed it right up [above].)



*roast (I used sirloin tri tip because it was on sale; I read chuck is good); mine was about 2.5 pounds (can use larger)
*vegetables (I used: 4 carrots, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 7 cloves garlic, 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms) (potatoes would also be good, or other sturdy vegetables)
*liquid (I used 1 c tomato juice and 1 c chicken stock from freezer, then added probably two more cups of water and a vegetable bouillon cube - and that was TOO MUCH LIQUID)
*herbs/spices (salt, pepper, bay leaves, oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme - or whatever you like!)

***
Sear the roast. Heat up a pan to pretty high heat with a high heat point oil such as peanut oil. Roll the roast in flour and kosher salt & freshly ground pepper. Place roast in heated oil until you can smell it browned, then turn over and repeat for all sides.

While searing, chop vegetables in chunks (I usually chop quite finely, but I leave in larger chunks for the crockpot - so they don't lose all shape). Place in bottom of crockpot. However, don't put in more delicate ones - the mushrooms I added later.

Place seared roast on top of vegetables.

Deglaze pan. Pour some of the liquid into the hot pan and use it to scrape up the flavorful bits from the bottom (the "fond"). I then added all liquid to heat to boiling to speed along the cooking process.

Pour heated liquid into crock and add herbs/spices.

Cook on low for about 5 hours (meat thermometer about 160 degrees for medium). (see below)

Add mushrooms and other delicates the last hour or so.

****
I'm on a big marjoram kick lately and think I should probably get a plant. I find it blends so well with so many things. I also am liking thyme, and still have some fresh sprigs so tossed those in.

For liquid, a lot of people use wine but I really do not like the taste of meat cooked in wine. Blech. And yes, I've tried a variety of wines and I always feel like I've just wasted perfectly good food by doing that. I also am not loving Worcestershire sauce, though that could be a nice addition. I think that most people would not put tomato sauce/juice/paste into a roast, but I like the mild acid and the flavor richness it adds (and if not using it, I would add some apple cider vinegar). Of course a lot of people would throw in onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup, but I am most assuredly NOT those people. (You will NEVER see me cook with cream of anything soup because they most assuredly taste like crap. Trust me - I grew up in a household that went through cases of the stuff.) I'm trying to wean myself off bouillon, but as far as evils go the one bouillon cube for all that food - I'm not worried.

When I added all that liquid, I erred on the side of caution, and it ended up looking very much like soup. I will probably save the broth to cook rice with because it's very flavorful - but it is A LOT.

When figuring out how to cook a roast (never done it before in my life), I chanced upon a java roast recipe. It sounded intriguing, but my organic fair trade coffee is pretty expensive and I didn't want to waste it - plus, the idea of putting cream cheese into a saturated fat extravaganza of red meat - well, not really my thing. But if I have some extra coffee lying around in the future I might try it.

Regarding time: I guessed I would need more time than I really did. My roast was pretty small and my crockpot runs hot and I started it with boiling liquid - but when I checked it at 5 1/2 hours, the meat was well over 200 degrees. The vegetables were great texture then, carrots still a little firm. Didn't add mushrooms at end - will saute them tomorrow to accompany.

It turned out very tender, but a little on the dry side (probably because it was quite lean).

Would be awesome with mashed potatoes & gravy! Would also be good with a green salad or something fresh to balance this long-cooked food. I wanted to accompany it with roasted beets and sweet potatoes, but with the timing so off those will be dessert.

Yeah, since I didn't add the mushrooms to the roast because it cooked a lot faster than I expected, the next day I sauteed them and and then added some broth and let them cook down. YUM!!

borscht

This was long a stand-by for me - I love me some root vegetables, and then learned how to make it for real when I lived in Russia. But somehow it fell by the wayside. Yesterday when I went to the farmers' market, though, the beets called out to me provocatively. "Hey baby, you know you want to take us home." And there they were, so beautiful, so robust, so vibrant, so beety. And now they are in my fridge (and don't get me started on how upset I am that 2009 is The Worst Gardening Year Ever). So, back to borscht I go (though, there's there AMAZING beet/potato cold salad we used to eat in Russia that was to die for - that may be next).

****

Beef (or goat) meaty bones (make broth from them in slow cooker, drain fat, then add):

3 medium beets, peeled and diced

1 diced carrot

3 medium potatoes, cubed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded

can diced tomatoes and/or small can tomato paste

1 T lemon juice or vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dried dill (if don't have fresh - which is really far superior)
salt and pepper to taste

Toss it all in the slow cooker, give it a good stir and cover with water if necessary (and maybe a little beef bouillon if the broth doesn't look rich enough). Don't cook it too long or it'll all get mushy (I've never slow cookered it before, though I like not having to stir regularly).

[That's the easy & quick way; better to saute onion & garlic first and then toss it all in.]

Serve with sour cream or yogurt (сметана would be best but I've never seen it for sale here) and dark, grainy Russian bread.

white beans: it's what's for dinner

Around here, we have many special days. Red beans and rice on Mondays. Seafood on Fridays. Rules that most people observe (but I still forget).

I don't remember if there's a day for white beans, but since I missed red beans (and then heard about it from Ms. Makeda) this week, I got to craving some white beans.

I didn't get the Camellia beans, which was my first choice. I was at Whole Foods so just grabbed some white navy beans. That makes me sad, but at least they're organic.

And this video is pretty much exactly what I'm doing.



I did a search and found this and it tickled me because it was exactly what I'd planned on my own. Does this make me even just a little bit Cajun, that I cook like 'em? I just will use Crystal hot sauce instead of Tabasco (a little too vinegary). I'm not using Tasso like they're not because I have some andouille frozen that I got on sale.

So, to quickly state:

Soaking about a pound of white beans overnight (after cleaning).

The next day, saute the trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) and garlic. I'll saute the andouille in there to give a rich flavor.

Add all that to the beans in the crock pot, covering with water (not too much water though - not making soup).

Add some Tony Chachere's or other Creole seasoning, some bay leaves, some black pepper, some hot sauce and/or cayenne pepper.

Cook about four hours on high, check (beans should split a bit), adjust seasonings as necessary.

Serve on rice with cornbread.

Oh soul, now I'm hungry!!

the easiest chicken ever and chicken stock

Take a whole chicken (3-4 pound fryer). Take the skin off. Put it in the crockpot. Cook it (about 4 hours on high; 8 hours on low - but depends on how hot your crockpot runs - check its doneness close to the bone). Enjoy!

Seriously, it's that easy.

I buy chickens on sale at Whole Foods and freeze them - it takes a couple of days to really thaw. I don't worry about getting every little piece of skin off, but I take off most of it.

The slow cooker needs no liquid - just plop the chicken in. I recommend breast-side down so the juices keep the breasts moist.

There are many ways to fancy the chicken up - I originally made lemon/rosemary/garlic chicken from here (which I highly recommend!). But then the leftover chicken & stock all has that particular flavor, and I like to throw to use the leftover chicken in other dishes so plain is good, too (and the cooked chicken freezes well).

The lemon-rosemary chicken is a great dish to serve to company - they'll be awed and amazed. You can also take the juices from cooking to make a rice/pilaf to accompany and they will be blown away.

When the chicken is done, I take it out (keep the juices!) and when it's cool I strip it of meat. I throw the bones back into the pot (with the remaining juices) and cover with filtered water, throwing in stock vegetables such as carrots & celery if I wish. Then I simmer on low the rest of the day or overnight, strain the stock, and use it in soups or freeze for use later.

crockpot yogurt

I followed directions from here.

--8 cups (half-gallon) of milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized. (I use all nonfat and it works just great!)

--1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter) (You can also buy the dried starter packets. You can also freeze the yogurt in 1/2 c portions, which is what I do. You can only use starter from prior batches a few times before the bacteria lose their oomph.) (Note: the best starters are PLAIN YOGURT with live cultures. Dannon works well, and I've used Activia to start the last few batches and it turns out AWESOME. All generic plain is good as long as they don't add other junk like sugar, etc.)

--thick bath towel

I start in the evening about 5:00 pm and it's ready in the morning.

I used a 4 quart crockpot.

Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.

Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation. (I put it in my gas oven with the pilot on, which seems to keep it at the perfect termperature.)

Let it sit for 8 hours. (Or a bit longer - the longer it sits, the tangier it gets. I think I've left it up to 10 hours or so.)

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt. Put the crockpot directly in the refrigerator to let it chill and that will thicken it some. However, I find that the yogurt is still runny. If you want it thicker, strain it (I line a colander with a tea towel and put the yogurt in it with a bowl underneath. If you want it thick like supermarket yogurt, it only takes a few minutes. If you want it thick like yogurt cheese, it needs a few hours.) (Whey is the liquid you're draining out if you thicken it. Keep the whey and use it in soups, breads, or anything else calling for water or stock. It's pretty much flavorless and is packed with nutrients.)

I've tried other methods of thickening, such as adding in dry milk powder and I found that useless (and expensive). I could add in gelatin, but I like the texture better without that.

Note that you don't get the full amount of yogurt that you put in as milk if you strain it. I just now got (from 5 minute strain) about 5-6 cups of yogurt and about 3 cups of whey. (I don't know how much milk I put in because I just eyeball it - probably 8-9 cups.)

Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days (or longer ...).

****
Why make your own yogurt when you can just buy it from the store?

First and foremost, I find the taste far superior. Chop up some strawberries in it and it's heaven.

Plus, it's cheaper. Even buying cheap plain nonfat yogurt is more expensive than making it myself. And I can better control quality - I know exactly what's going in it.

black beans

I'm a bit loathe to post my black bean "recipe" here because after 23 years of making them fairly regularly, I don't pay attention to what I do.

But, black beans are a POWERHOUSE - they're super good for us, a cheap form of protein (even when organic), and just super darned yummy.

****
soak dry beans overnight in a crockpot with clean water (after washing them). Cover at least a couple inches above the beans level. Know that they will approximately double or triple in size, so don't overflow the crockpot or make too many (though, I frequently freeze leftovers and that works well too).

Add:
onions (dried are fine)
garlic, chopped up, or powder
cumin
oregano
epazote if you can find it
cayenne
cilantro
peppers: chili, bell, etc.
celery
tomatoes (fresh or canned, or sauce/paste)
black pepper
Anything else your heart desires! (I think most important are the onions, cumin, and oregano.)

For two cups of dried beans I put in (everything approximate) 2-3 T dried onions (I don't buy them, but inherited from a friend moving away), four cloves garlic, 1 T cumin, 1+ tsp oregano, three pinches epazote, dash of cayenne, few grinds of fresh black pepper, five chopped of peppers that were sweet instead of hot); the point is that whatever you do will be yummy! I also freeze the last bits of salsa that's left when the beans run out, and I thaw & toss that into cook with the new pot of beans.

Note that I didn't include salt. When they're all ready, taste to see if salt is necessary (I find it never is) and add then. If you add during cooking, I'm told it makes the beans tougher.

Cook in the crockpot on high about 4 hours - but it really varies a lot depending on crockpot but also how old the beans are. Sometimes it can take more like 7 hours, sometimes less. I'm not picky about how firm they still are - it's fine if they start to disintegrate to me, but if it really matters to you you'll want to check. Before cooking check the water level - make sure the beans still have at least an inch of water. I think it's better to have too much than too little water because I can drain them if they're runny, but burning them is a bummer.

The crockpot is amazing for bean cooking because you never have to check or stir - making it perfect for days away at work or even overnight (soak all day, cook all night - it's a wonderful aroma and breakfast to wake up to!)

To serve: I just ate on rice, with salsa, yogurt, and cilantro. Super yum! Also very good on tortillas.