Read Online Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Dea - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stephanie O'Dea
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(16-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup nonfat evaporated milk
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, cubed
1 cup chopped pecans
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Stagger-stack sweet potatoes in your slow cooker. Cover with the brown sugar. Squish the cranberry sauce all over the top. Mix the vanilla with the milk, and pour on top. Dot with the butter. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and salt. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. This is done when the sweet potatoes have reached the desired tenderness. We like ours pretty squishy. Unplug the cooker and uncover. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting. This is a wonderful addition to the holiday table.
RANCH VEGETABLES
serves 6
The Ingredients
5 cups fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and wished we had car rots and squash on hand)
1 to 2 (0.4-ounce) packets dry ranch dressing mix
3 tablespoons water
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Wash and trim all the vegetables, and add to the crock. Sprinkle in the ranch dressing packet(s). Toss the vegetables to coat. Add the water. Cover and cook on low 2 to 5 hours, or until the vegetables have reached the desired tenderness.
The Verdict
This is a simple way to have steamed, flavorful vegetables as an accompaniment to your main dish. My kids both really like broccoli, and they like ranch dressing. The taste is mild, it isn’t dripping in flavor. If you prefer to mask the vegetables completely, you might want 2 packets of dressing mix.
RICE
serves 4
The Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup white basmati rice (that’s what I use, but I’ve heard other varieties work well, too)
2 cups water
pinch of kosher salt
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Rub the butter on the inside of the stoneware. Pour in the rice. Stir in the water and salt. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, checking every 45 minutes or so. My rice cooked in 2 hours, 15 minutes.
The Verdict
I wanted to see if I could use the slow cooker as a rice cooker. Now I know I can. The end result was fluffy, lovely rice we had with some takeout—I felt like we needed some takeout.
RISOTTO
serves 6
The Ingredients
5 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1¼ cup raw Arborio rice
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup dry white wine
2 / 3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Sauté the garlic with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until the garlic softens. If you skip this step, the garlic will remain crunchy in your risotto. Scrape the garlic and remaining oil into your slow cooker.
Add the uncooked Arborio rice and toss. Add the seasonings, and pour in the broth and white wine. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, or until rice is tender. It took 2½ hours for my rice to be completely tender.
Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese, and let the risotto stand with the lid off for 15 minutes before serving. The finished texture will be creamy and porridge-like.
The Verdict
This is such an easy way to make risotto, and it tastes delicious. The garlic was too much for the kids, but Adam and I couldn’t get enough. I love that risotto works so well when slow cooked and doesn’t need to be babysat.
ROASTED CABBAGE AND POTATOES
serves 12
The Ingredients
2 pounds tri-colored potatoes, cut in chunks
1 small head cabbage
10 to 12 whole garlic cloves (about 1 head)
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chunked (I didn’t peel them) potatoes into the stoneware. Cut the cabbage into wedges—no need to separate the leaves. Peel the garlic, and add the whole cloves. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt, pepper,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup nonfat evaporated milk
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, cubed
1 cup chopped pecans
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Stagger-stack sweet potatoes in your slow cooker. Cover with the brown sugar. Squish the cranberry sauce all over the top. Mix the vanilla with the milk, and pour on top. Dot with the butter. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and salt. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. This is done when the sweet potatoes have reached the desired tenderness. We like ours pretty squishy. Unplug the cooker and uncover. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting. This is a wonderful addition to the holiday table.
RANCH VEGETABLES
serves 6
The Ingredients
5 cups fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and wished we had car rots and squash on hand)
1 to 2 (0.4-ounce) packets dry ranch dressing mix
3 tablespoons water
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Wash and trim all the vegetables, and add to the crock. Sprinkle in the ranch dressing packet(s). Toss the vegetables to coat. Add the water. Cover and cook on low 2 to 5 hours, or until the vegetables have reached the desired tenderness.
The Verdict
This is a simple way to have steamed, flavorful vegetables as an accompaniment to your main dish. My kids both really like broccoli, and they like ranch dressing. The taste is mild, it isn’t dripping in flavor. If you prefer to mask the vegetables completely, you might want 2 packets of dressing mix.
RICE
serves 4
The Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup white basmati rice (that’s what I use, but I’ve heard other varieties work well, too)
2 cups water
pinch of kosher salt
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Rub the butter on the inside of the stoneware. Pour in the rice. Stir in the water and salt. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, checking every 45 minutes or so. My rice cooked in 2 hours, 15 minutes.
The Verdict
I wanted to see if I could use the slow cooker as a rice cooker. Now I know I can. The end result was fluffy, lovely rice we had with some takeout—I felt like we needed some takeout.
RISOTTO
serves 6
The Ingredients
5 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1¼ cup raw Arborio rice
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup dry white wine
2 / 3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Sauté the garlic with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until the garlic softens. If you skip this step, the garlic will remain crunchy in your risotto. Scrape the garlic and remaining oil into your slow cooker.
Add the uncooked Arborio rice and toss. Add the seasonings, and pour in the broth and white wine. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, or until rice is tender. It took 2½ hours for my rice to be completely tender.
Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese, and let the risotto stand with the lid off for 15 minutes before serving. The finished texture will be creamy and porridge-like.
The Verdict
This is such an easy way to make risotto, and it tastes delicious. The garlic was too much for the kids, but Adam and I couldn’t get enough. I love that risotto works so well when slow cooked and doesn’t need to be babysat.
ROASTED CABBAGE AND POTATOES
serves 12
The Ingredients
2 pounds tri-colored potatoes, cut in chunks
1 small head cabbage
10 to 12 whole garlic cloves (about 1 head)
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chunked (I didn’t peel them) potatoes into the stoneware. Cut the cabbage into wedges—no need to separate the leaves. Peel the garlic, and add the whole cloves. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt, pepper,
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