Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (12 page)

MOROCCAN LENTIL SOUP

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Chop the vegetables and add to the stoneware. If you are rushed in the morning, consider chopping the vegetables the night before—it took me longer than I wanted it to.

Drain and rinse the beans and add to the mix. Add the dried lentils. Add the ginger, garlic, and spices. Stir in the vegetable broth and the entire can of tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Before serving, use a handheld immersion blender and pulse to blend some of the vegetables and beans together. This isn’t necessary, but it really improves the texture of the soup and melds the flavors nicely. This makes a lot of food, but freezes and reheats well. I’ve discovered soups, stews, and chili dishes sometimes taste better as leftovers than they do on cooking day.

PRESIDENTIAL CHILI

serves
6
to
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I used ground chicken and opted not to brown the meat. If you use a fattier type of meat, or enjoy browning meat, go ahead and do so. Otherwise, crumble the meat directly into your stoneware. Add the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Add the beans. Stir in all of the herbs and spices, the salt, and the red wine vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Season to taste with a bit more salt and chili powder, if desired. President Obama serves his chili over rice.

The Verdict

Good Morning America
posted Barack Obama’s “secret family recipe” on their Web site during the 2008 presidential campaign, and I was eager to modify it for the slow cooker.

This chili isn’t hot and spicy, which makes it suitable for all ages. The kids gladly ate this, and not once complained about spice—a complaint that is quite common at our dinner table.

REFRIED BEANS

serves
10

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. You need to soak the beans overnight to soften them, and to help release gas. Rinse the beans well in a colander, and pour into your slow cooker. Add enough water so that the beans are fully immersed, with an additional 2 to 3 inches of water on top. Put the lid on the slow cooker. Do not turn on the cooker.

In the morning, drain and rinse the beans under cold running water. Put them back in the crock with enough clean water to cover the beans with about 1 inch of water. Stir in the cumin and coriander. Peel and cut the onions in half, and put them in, too. Peel all of the garlic and toss it in whole. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are tender.

Fish out the onions and garlic cloves. If you want to keep some of the garlic in for flavor, you may; it’s your choice. If the beans are soft and you still have a bit of liquid left, carefully drain, saving a little liquid to help with the smooshing and for added flavor. Use a potato masher, or handheld mixer, to mash the beans.

Now you have two options. You can just start using the beans (the way I did, because I’m pretty darn lazy), or you can scoop hunks of smooshed beans out of the crock and fry them on the stovetop with a bit of butter, olive oil, or lard. No salt was added, so you’ll need to season to taste. I was able to make four freezer containers to pull out for lunches and snacks. This is a very cost-effective way to make refried beans.

TACO SOUP

serves
12

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use at least a 6-quart slow cooker. There are a lot of cans here; recycle and make Al Gore happy.

Put the meat and onion into the slow cooker. Drain and rinse beans, and add to the cooker. Add the corn and tomatoes. Stir in contents of the seasoning packets. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Ladle into bowls.

Add a handful of cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream to each bowl before eating.

The Verdict

This is the dish that made me fall in love with my slow cooker a hundred million years ago. I can’t estimate how often I’ve made this, but each time I’m thrilled with the ease in preparation and the finished result. I’ve proudly served this soup at birthday parties and potlucks. The leftovers make fantastic burrito filling.

WHITE CHILI

serves
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Dump everything in. Seriously—you need to chop the onion and garlic, but the rest of the stuff can just go right in. You don’t need to drain the beans or the chiles. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 6 hours.

Ladle the chili into bowls, garnish with shredded mozzarella if desired, and serve with cornbread. This is more soup-y than chili-y, and since the corn floats while the beans sink, you need to dig to the bottom of the bowl to make sure you get beans in each bite.

WHITE BEAN AND APPLE CHILI

serves
6
to
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 5-quart slow cooker. Put the butter into the stoneware. Dump in the beans. Add the onion and apple. Add the garlic, chili powder, thyme, cumin, salt, and pepper, and pour in broth. Stir in the yogurt. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. The chili is done when the onion has softened and the flavors have melded. Stir in cheddar cheese before serving, if using. These beans pair wonderfully with cornbread.

The Verdict

This is a creamy, lightish chili that doesn’t taste at all like there is fruit in it, but it isn’t so light that you walk away from the table hungry. You might want to sprinkle some Tabasco on top, or add more chili powder to the grown-up portions. This was mild enough for the kids to eat.

WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE SOUP

serves
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the drained beans into the stoneware, and add the vegetables. Slice the sausage, and add. I chose to use two spicy turkey sausages—if you would like your soup to have a kick, use more than two. Two just kind of gives flavor without spice. Add the thyme, rice, and broth. Cook on low for 6 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. The soup is done when it’s heated through and the vegetables are tender, but it’s not going to hurt anything to cook it longer and give the flavors more time to meld. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired, before serving.