Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker - Lynn Alley [33]
Spoon over freshly cooked noodles, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve.
SUGGESTED BEVERAGE: I’d probably choose either a Greek or a Côtes de Provence rosé, or a young, medium-bodied, fruity red wine with this one.
YELLOW SPLIT PEA AND OREGANO PURÉE
Serves 4
As I have mentioned, lentils and split peas are big in the rustic cuisines of so many countries. Greece is no exception. This very simple dish can either be served on a plate by itself as an appetizer for dipping warm pita or as a side with grilled vegetables and a salad.
1 cup dried yellow split peas
6 cups water
½ cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
Salt to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Thoroughly rinse the split peas and place them, along with the water, in the slow cooker insert.
In a sauté pan, heat the oil, add about half the onion, and sauté until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the sautéed onion to the split peas, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the peas are soft and foamy.
Fluff the split peas with a fork or use a handheld immersion blender to thoroughly blend the split peas, then add the oregano, vinegar, and salt to taste.
Allow the split peas to cool, and then spoon onto appetizer plates or one large platter. Sprinkle with the parsley and the remaining onion.
SUGGESTED BEVERAGE: A dry rosé is perfect here.
BABY LIMAS WITH SPINACH
Serves 6 to 8
Here is another simple, delicious bean dish typical of what you might find in any Greek café. Be careful not to overcook the limas (unless you like them mushy), because they easily lose their shape with long cooking. The beauty of limas is that they have a very distinctive flavor and texture, both of which I adore. Serve the beans with a loaf of crusty country bread.
2 cups dried baby lima beans
6 cups water
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ pound fresh spinach leaves
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Rinse the beans thoroughly. Place the beans, water, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until the beans are tender but not falling apart.
When the beans are tender, stir in the spinach, olive oil, and lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm or cold.
SUGGESTED BEVERAGE: Again, if you can find it, why not try a Greek wine? Aghiorghitiko is a delicious red grape variety native to Nemea on the Greek mainland.
The Middle East
LEBANESE EGGPLANT STEW
CHICKPEA FATTET “TOSTADAS”
HOT OR COLD LENTILS IN LEMON JUICE
ARMENIAN APRICOT SOUP
ARMENIAN KHAVITS
CHICKPEA HARIRA
Clearly, many Middle Eastern countries and cultures have a long tradition of soups and stews cooked for long periods in an oven or over an open fire, so there is no dearth of inspiration here for slow cooker adaptations.
The Lebanese Eggplant Stew is much like traditional Provençal ratatouille. Same vegetable repertoire, different seasonings. Harira is a Moroccan classic, usually made with lamb, and cooked for many hours during the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan. For hundreds of years, its delicious smells must have filled homes with anticipation of that moment when the last rays of the sun disappear and devout Muslims can finally sit down at the table and dig in.
Although Armenia is not typically considered a Middle Eastern country, its heritage is much closer to that of ancient Persia than to most European countries, so I’ve chosen to include two rather unusual Armenian dishes in the collection. Khavits is close to American seven-grain breakfast cereals. So close, in fact, that you can use Cream of Wheat or a commercial seven-grain breakfast cereal for its base. The kicker is the topping of feta cheese, honey, and nuts. The Armenian Apricot Soup features one of our most popular stone fruits, which originated (like most of our stone fruits) in this region.
Hummus is a universal