Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [114]
pour the contents of the skillet over the lamb and add the artichokes, stirring to distribute the ingredients in the pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the lamb is tender.
using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the lamb and artichokes to a serving bowl. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan. Skim off any fat from the top and bring to a boil. Boil until the sauce is reduced to about 1½ cups to concentrate the flavor. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
spoon the sauce over the lamb and artichokes and serve.
serves 6–8
Lentils and Lamb, Mediterranean-Style
Stretching the protein in your slow-cooker dishes not only saves you money but also introduces legumes into your family’s diet. In this dish, which is served frequently in French bistros, lentils pair well with lamb and help thicken the thyme-flavored sauce.
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds lamb shoulder meat, fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
One 14- to 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with their juice
1 cup green lentils (see savvy)
2 cups chicken broth
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the lamb evenly with the salt and pepper. Add the meat a few pieces at a time to the skillet and brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
add the onions, carrots, celery, and thyme to the same skillet and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes and heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert and stir in the lentils and chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat and lentils are tender. Skim any fat from the top of the stew.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
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lentil savvy
If you can only find brown lentils, increase the broth to 3 cups and add about 40 minutes to the cooking time.
Tandoori-Style Lamb
A tandoor is an oven used in India. Meat for the tandoor is usually marinated in spices and yogurt and then roasted with very high heat. Although the slow cooker doesn’t roast at a high temperature, it can deliver the flavor and tenderness of tandoori with its long, slow, moist cooking. Tandoori seasonings, such as ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, and garam masala, can all be found in your supermarket, and there are now tandoori spice blends that you can purchase. This same recipe will work as well for boneless skinless chicken thighs.
1½ cups plain yogurt (see savvy)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 pounds lamb shoulder, fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into quarters
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths
½ cup chicken broth
whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and spices in a large bowl. Add the lamb and toss to coat well with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
drain the marinade and add the lamb to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the vegetables and broth and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until the lamb is tender and the vegetables are cooked through. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 8
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yogurt savvy
Full-fat yogurt is used in this dish because the nonfat variety will separate and leave you with too much liquid in the cooker. If you strain nonfat yogurt through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to eliminate the water,