I have three main motives for my love of crock pot cooking. I’m easily distracted, which can lead to burnt food when I’m cooking on the stove top. With a slow cooker, I don’t have to worry about that. I am an impatient cook when I am hungry. Slow cooking allows me to prepare a meal after breakfast or lunch when I am … Read more
A friend of mine from college lived on a version of this recipe during her year abroad in Greece, then cooked it for us on many Fridays after her return to the U.S. I’ve been making it ever since. Brining the lentils is a trick I picked up while watching America’s Test Kitchen with my mom over the holidays. It … Read more
We had turkey for Christmas and of course there were leftovers, so it’s time for the post-celebration ritual of making turkey stock in the slow cooker. Stock is made by slow simmering of bones and a small amount of trimmings in water. It’s a great way to use parts that would otherwise go unused. Stock tends to have more body than broth, … Read more
Groundut stew is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Groundnuts are a family of legumes that include the peanut, and most have a similar flavor. They originate in Western Africa, but are also grown in Eastern Africa and other parts of the world as a staple food. Groundnut stew is widely enjoyed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and with so many … Read more
This is a delicious, vegetable-rich stew that can easily be made vegetarian or vegan. It’s been a staple in my house for years. If you want a little kick in yours, sauté a jalapeño with the onions and garlic, or add some hot sauce at the end. Ingredients 2½ cups frozen corn 4 frozen vegetable or chicken stock cubes (about … Read more
The secret to making coconut-based curry in a crockpot is to add most of the coconut milk at the last minute. If you pour the coconut milk in at the beginning, the long exposure to heat will cause the liquids and solids to separate. If you prefer your food on the spicier side, double or triple the amount of curry paste. … Read more
More of the green tomatoes that I brought in before the last frost have ripened, so today I decided to make Greek-style green beans with tomatoes and feta in the slow cooker. This recipe is adapted from the Green Beans Athena recipe in The Essential Cook Book by Caroline Conran, Terence Conran and Simon Hopkinson. The cookbook says it’s a tradition … Read more