Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online
Authors: Bruce Weinstein
The Great American Slow Cooker Book (6 page)
1
Stir the tomatoes, hominy, celery, onion, broth, chiles, oregano, cumin, pepper, and cloves in the slow cooker. Crumble the sausage into quarter-size chunks over the stew; gently stir it in without breaking it up.
2
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the vegetables have softened and the flavors have blended.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Breakfast stews like this one are popular in small eateries across the American Southwest. It’s a big taste in the morning, laced with chile and onion.
•
A 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes with juice or of drained hominy yields about 1¾ cups; a 28-ounce can of either yields about 3½ cups.
Serve It Up!
Offer warmed corn or flour tortillas on the side—and perhaps a poached or fried egg to “float” in the bowl.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED:
Hominy is made from dried field corn that has been soaked in an alkali solution to loosen the hulls and tenderize the kernels. Even the oil and protein structure of the grain is changed. Hominy has been a staple of North American diets for centuries, a chewy, sweet way to relish the corn harvest all year long. It should definitely be a breakfast staple in your home.
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
10 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
2 cups water
½ cup whole-grain corn grits
½ cup chopped, peeled, and cored tart apple
2 tblsp minced scallions (white and pale green parts only)
½ tsp Cajun spice blend
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4- TO 5½-QUART
4 cups water
1 cup whole-grain corn grits
1 cup chopped, peeled, and cored tart apple
¼ cup minced scallions (white and pale green parts only)
1 tsp Cajun spice blend
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6- TO 8-QUART
6 cups water
1½ cups whole-grain corn grits
1½ cups chopped, peeled, and cored tart apple
6 tblsp minced scallions (white and pale green parts only)
1½ tsp Cajun spice blend
¾ tsp red pepper flakes
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Stir all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the grits are smooth and creamy.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Skip the instant grits and instead use whole-grain, yellow grits, made from dried field corn and available at larger supermarkets and most health-food stores.
•
Although we’ve campaigned for sweeter, softer apples in some porridges, these grits benefit from tart, firm apples like Granny Smith or Empire.
•
Look for Cajun spice blends that aren’t simply doctored cayenne, but instead include a wide range of herbs and spices.
•
Because the Cheddar has plenty of sodium, and also because Cajun spice blends often include salt in the mix, there’s none added in this recipe.
Serve It Up!
Most Southerners wouldn’t consider this a breakfast on its own. It needs a fried egg (or two) to round out the meal.
with apricot nectar and almonds
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 12
2- TO 3½-QUART
3 cups water
2 cups pitted and sliced fresh apricots
¾ cup
polenta
6 tblsp apricot nectar
6 tblsp ground almonds
6 tblsp packed light brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 cups water
4 cups pitted and sliced fresh apricots
1½ cups
polenta
¾ cup apricot nectar
¾ cup ground almonds
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
9 cups water
6 cups pitted and sliced fresh apricots
2¼ cups
polenta
1 cup plus 2 tblsp apricot nectar
1 cup plus 2 tblsp ground almonds
1 cup plus 2 tblsp packed light brown sugar
½ tsp salt
Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker, stirring until the polenta is thoroughly moistened. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the polenta is thick and creamy.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Breakfast polentas have a delicate creamy texture, less hearty than the more familiar side dish.
•
Although this is a sweet dish, you can add an elegant touch by stirring in 1 to 2 teaspoons stemmed fresh thyme leaves before cooking.
with smoked ham and dried cherries
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
15 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
7 TO 8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS
•
SERVES:
4 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 cups water
½ pound smoked ham, chopped
1 cup
polenta
½ cup chopped dried cherries, minced
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and pale green parts only)
1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems
½ tsp ground black pepper
¾ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 cups water
¾ pound smoked ham, chopped
1½ cups
polenta
¾ cup chopped dried cherries, minced
6 tblsp thinly sliced scallions (white and pale green parts only)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems
¾ tsp ground black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tblsp grated Monterey Jack cheese
6- TO 8-QUART
8 cups water
1 pound smoked ham, chopped
2 cups
polenta
1 cup chopped dried cherries, minced
½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and pale green parts only)
1 tblsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems
1 tsp ground black pepper
1½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1
Mix the water, ham, polenta, cherries, scallions, thyme, and pepper in the slow cooker until the polenta is moistened. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours in a small cooker, 7½ hours in a medium cooker, or 8 hours in a large cooker, until the liquid has been absorbed and the cereal is almost velvety.
2
Stir in the cheese just before serving.
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Chop the ham, cherries, and scallions so they are all about the same size; that way, they’ll “balance” each other in every spoonful. Yes, you should further cut up the chopped dried cherries; otherwise, they end up as bloated bombs of searingly hot juice.
•
Because there’s so much sodium in the ham and cheese, we’ve not included any additional salt in this recipe.
•
For more zip in your cheese topping, use pepper jack or even jalapeño jack.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Although so-called instant polenta is a boon for quick cooks, it doesn’t work too well in the slow cooker: the texture is compromised after long cooking. For this dish and all others that use polenta, search out the standard Italian variety, a slightly coarser grind of cornmeal that normally requires hours of stirring over a hot stove. Don’t substitute regular cornmeal. Or look for whole-grain polenta from online suppliers like Anson Mills. Slightly coarser grinds of whole-grain polenta, often labeled “corn polenta or grits,” work best.
Now we come to the decadent breakfasts—most of them sweet, all of them potential family favorites, and every one a great use of the slow cooker. Yes, you can even “bake” in a slow cooker, although as you can tell from the quotes around the word, there are some caveats.
For one thing, nothing will brown. In baking, browning occurs because of (1) the caramelization of sugars; and (2) the breakdown of proteins found naturally in milk, butter, and even some flours. Both effects require dehydration, and the slow cooker is famous for keeping every drop of moisture under the lid; so you’ll have to make some adjustments to keep up the browning, as we’ll discuss. You just have to face facts and work around them—you know, as you do in the rest of life.
Although the lack of evaporation can be a problem, it can also be a bonus. Coffee cakes and breakfast puddings come out incredibly moist. Yes, we also need to balance the flavors carefully; subtle tastes get lost over a long cooking time. But once these problems are solved, you can use the slow cooker to make some pretty fine morning fare.
That said, no recipe in this section is an overnighter; most take just a few hours. You can’t set up the cooker before bed—unless you’ve pulled an all-nighter and think you can power-nap your way into coherence while the coffee cake cooks. For the rest of us, we’ll have to plan on a later breakfast, which isn’t all that bad given that these recipes are perfect for weekend mornings. Head to the kitchen, toss together some simple ingredients, then go to your workout or the shower. By the time you’re back, the feast will be in sight. Or better yet, make a coffee cake the night before, have the first piece for dessert, then save the rest in the fridge for breakfast the next morning (and maybe for a snack that afternoon, too). A coffee cake’s not just for breakfast. Or what’s a heaven for?
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
2½ TO 3 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
4 TO 8
2- TO 3½-QUART
4 tblsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, plus additional for buttering the inside of the slow cooker
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
3 medium apples, preferably Braeburn, Empire, Granny Smith, or Pippin, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
¾ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
6 tblsp (¾ stick) unsalted butter, plus additional for buttering the inside of the slow cooker
¾ cup plus 1 tblsp packed dark brown sugar
4 large apples, preferably Braeburn, Empire, Granny Smith, or Pippin, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1¾ cups milk
7 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tblsp all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 1 tblsp granulated sugar
1½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
8 tblsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus additional for buttering the inside of the slow cooker
1 cup plus 2 tblsp packed dark brown sugar
6 large apples, preferably Braeburn, Empire, Granny Smith, or Pippin, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2½ cups milk
10 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1
Generously butter the inside of the slow cooker.
2
Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the brown sugar; stir until bubbling, about 1 minute. Add the apples and cinnamon. Cook until the apples have softened a bit, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Pour and scrape the apples into the cooker.
3
In a large bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, flour, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together until there are no lumps or pockets of dry flour in the mix. Pour over the apples.
4
Cover and cook on low for 2½ hours to 3 hours, or until the cake has puffed and set, until it feels somewhat firm to the touch, and until a flatware knife inserted into the center comes out without any eggy liquid on it. (There may be some buttery, syrupy liquid on top of the cake, but the interior should be cooked.)
TESTERS’ NOTES
•
Here’s a reinvention of the classic skillet breakfast using the slow cooker to keep the apples luscious. You won’t be able to turn the cake out onto a plate, as with the traditional recipe. Instead, scoop out the servings with a large spoon; make sure you get all the way to the bottom for all the apples, cake,
and
sauce.
•
The cake will be somewhat softer than the traditional “pancake,” since the moisture is kept inside the cooker as the pancake bakes. It’s no sweat really—just a more luxurious consistency. The apples will also rise to the top, with the custard-like cake on the bottom.
ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
Buttering or greasing the inside of a slow cooker isn’t much of a chore. Save the wrapper from a stick of butter, then use the butter-coated side to grease the insert. Take care to butter the angle where the side meets the bottom. If you don’t have a butter wrapper, put a little softened butter on a paper towel or a piece of wax paper to rub around the inside of the cooker.
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
2½ TO 4½ HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
NO
•
SERVES:
4 TO 12
FOR THE CAKE
2- TO 3½-QUART
⅔ cup granulated sugar
3½ tblsp Canola oil
1 whole plus 1 white large eggs/white
⅔ cup (about 1½ medium) mashed ripe bananas
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
4- TO 5½-QUART
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup Canola oil
2 whole large eggs/white
1 cup (about 2¼ medium) mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
6- TO 8-QUART
1⅔ cups granulated sugar
½ cup plus 1 tblsp Canola oil
4 whole large eggs/white
1⅔ cups (about 3½ medium) mashed ripe bananas
1½ tsp vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
FOR THE TOPPING
2- TO 3½-QUART
4½ tblsp finely ground pecan pieces
1½ tblsp packed light brown sugar
2 tsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4- TO 5½-QUART
½ cup finely ground pecan pieces
2 tblsp packed light brown sugar
1 tblsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
6- TO 8-QUART
¾ cup finely ground pecan pieces
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tblsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
