Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (21 page)

Ideal slow cooker size: 6-qt.

7 cups water

4 chicken,
or
vegetable, bouillon cubes

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 lb. frozen peas

1 lb. frozen corn

1 lb. frozen lima beans

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. dill seed

28-oz. can whole tomatoes

1 cup diced raw potatoes

1 cup chopped onions

2-3 tsp. salt

½ tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

1. Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and ¼ cup water in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Simmer on High 4-6 hours, or until vegetables are tender.

3. Thirty minutes before end of cooking time, mix cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until smooth.

4. Remove 1 cup broth from cooker and mix with cornstarch-water. When smooth, stir into soup.

5. Cover and continue cooking another half hour, or until soup thickens slightly.

Serving suggestion: A loaf of fresh
Italian bread
goes well with a hot bowl of this soup.

Note:

My aunt always makes this in the winter and freezes an extra batch for unexpected guests. I converted the recipe to slow-cooker use a few years ago, but I think of her whenever I make it.

Diet Soup Unlimited

Eileen Lehman

Kidron, OH

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3½- to 4-qt.

4 cups water

2 cups tomato juice

2 beef,
or
vegetable, bouillon cubes

1 Tbsp. soy sauce,
optional

2 tsp. sugar,
optional

1 cup sliced cabbage

2 carrots, sliced

1 celery rib, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 cups frozen green beans

1 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 4-8 hours, or just until vegetables are as tender as you like them.

Variation:

Add fresh mushrooms, if you like, after the first 2 hours of cooking.

Note:

After the holidays this tasty, low-calorie soup is a welcome meal. It improves in flavor the longer it cooks.

The Soup

Joanne Kennedy

Plattsburgh, NY

Makes 8 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 9 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-qt.

2 14½-oz. cans vegetable broth

2 vegetable boullion cubes

4 cups water

1 qt. canned tomatoes

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrots

1 small zucchini, cubed

1 small yellow squash, cubed

2 tsp. fresh basil

1 tsp. fresh parsley

pepper to taste

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 9 hours, or until vegetables are as tender as you like them.

Variation:

Add cooked pasta after soup is done cooking.

Norma’s Vegetarian Chili

Kathy Hertzler
, Lancaster, PA

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes • Cooking Time: 8½ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

2 Tbsp. oil

2 cups minced celery

1½ cups chopped green bell pepper

1 cup minced onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

5½ cups stewed tomatoes

2 1-lb. cans kidney beans, undrained

1½-2 cups raisins

¼ cup wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

2 tsp. salt

1½ tsp. dried oregano

1½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 bay leaf

¾ cup cashews

1 cup grated cheese,
optional

1. Combine all ingredients except cashews and cheese in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Simmer on Low 8 hours. Add cashews and simmer 30 minutes more.

3. Garnish individual servings with grated cheese.

When guests visit I provide a set of slippers for each one to keep their feet toasty and more comfortable. I invite them to keep them when they leave.

Donna Conto, Saylorsburg, PA

Wintertime Vegetable Chili

Maricarol Magill

Freehold, NJ

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 6-qt.

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, diced

3 tsp.—3 Tbsp. chili powder, depending upon how hot you like your chili

2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes

4¼-oz. can chopped mild green chilies, drained

1 tsp. salt,
optional

1 cup vegetable broth

2 16-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

sour cream,
optional

1. In slow cooker, layer all ingredients, except sour cream, in order given.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours, or until vegetables are as tender as you want.

3. Stir before serving.

4. Top individual servings with dollops of sour cream.

Serving suggestion: Serve with crusty
French bread
.