Maybe my favorite slow cooker cookbook ever
As I mentioned in last week's meal planning post, "300 Slow Cooker Favorites" is one of my all-time favorite slow cooker cookbooks. The publisher, Robert Rose Inc., was kind enough to allow me to share three recipes from the cookbook with you today. Enjoy!
Note: I'm planning to make Chicken Cacciatore this week - you'll see it on my next meal plan.
Image credit: Mark T. Shapiro
Courtesy of 300 Slow Cooker Favorites by Donna-Marie Pye © 2007 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission. Available where books are sold.
Image credit: Mark T. Shapiro
Chicken Cacciatore
This Italian specialty is prepared hunter style, which means it is slowly cooked in a tomato sauce seasoned with onions and herbs.
Tip: I like to serve this over plain spaghetti or noodles, but you can also serve it with roasted potatoes and a green salad.
• Slow cooker size: 31⁄2 to 6 quart
1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour 50 mL
1⁄2 tsp salt 2 mL
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning 5 mL
(see box, page 105)
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 mL
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 1.5 kg
1 onion, chopped 1
8 oz mushrooms, sliced 250 g
(about 3 cups/750 mL)
2 stalks celery, chopped 2
2 cloves garlic, minced 2
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) diced 1
tomatoes, with juices
1 cup pasta sauce or tomato sauce 250 mL
2 tbsp dry white wine 25 mL
1 bay leaf 1
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley 50 mL
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese 25 mL
1. In a heavy plastic bag, combine flour, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper. In batches, add chicken pieces to flour mixture and toss to coat. Place chicken in slow cooker stoneware.
2. Add onion, mushrooms, celery, garlic, tomatoes, pasta sauce, wine, bay leaf and parsley to slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 7 hours or on High
for 21⁄2 to 4 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Discard bay leaf. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 6 to 8
Image credit: Mark T. Shapiro
Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Serve this soup after a football game, accompanied by big bowls of chips and dip.
Tip: Italian sausage is highly seasoned and adds a wallop of great flavor. For less heat, stick to the mild variety.
• Slow cooker size: 31⁄2 to 6 quart
1 lb mild or hot Italian sausages, 500 g
casings removed
1 large onion, chopped 1
2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2
4 cups beef or chicken stock 1 L
1⁄2 tsp dried Italian seasoning 2 mL
(see box, page 105)
1⁄2 tsp salt 2 mL
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 mL
1 can (71⁄2 oz/213 mL) tomato sauce 1
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) diced 1
tomatoes, with juices
2 cups sliced mushrooms 500 mL
1 package (10 oz/300 g) fresh 1
or frozen cheese-filled tortellini
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise 1
and chopped
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley 50 mL
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese 25 mL
1. In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, cook sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned, stirring to break up meat. With a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
2. Add onion, carrots, stock, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, tomatoes and mushrooms to slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 10 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, until vegetables are tender.
4. Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain. Add tortellini, zucchini and parsley to slow cooker and cook on High for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until heated through and zucchini is tender.
5. Spoon into individual bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4 to 6
Image credit: Mark T. Shapiro
Carrot Orange Bisque
This is a wonderful starter for an elegant meal - or it can be a meal on its own.
Tips: This recipe can easily be doubled, but don't change the quantity of orange zest: it will be too overpowering.
To extract the most juice from oranges, use fruit that has been sitting at room temperature. Roll firmly on a flat surface using the palm of your hand. Or microwave a whole orange on High for 30 seconds, and then roll. Juice can be frozen in ice cube trays, then stored in recloseable plastic bags for later use. Peel can also be wrapped and frozen for later use.
To zest an orange, use the fine edge of a cheese grater, ensuring you don't grate the white pith underneath. Or use a zester to remove the zest, then finely chop. Zesters are inexpensive and widely available at specialty kitchen shops.
• Slow cooker size: 31⁄2 to 5 quart
1 onion, finely chopped 1
11⁄2 lbs carrots, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) 750 g
chunks (about 5 cups/1.25 L)
3 cups chicken stock 750 mL
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1⁄2 cup whipping (35%) cream 125 mL
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. In slow cooker stoneware, combine onion, carrots, stock and orange juice.
2. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours, until carrots are fork-tender.
3. Strain vegetables, reserving stock. In a blender or food processor, purée vegetables until smooth. Transfer back to slow cooker and add zest and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat on High for 15 minutes.
Serves 4.
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