Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [134]
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium sweet onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
10 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 2 medium heads)
2 cups Riesling wine
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and caraway seeds and sauté until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
add the cabbage, Riesling, and pepper and stir to coat the cabbage and distribute the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the cabbage is tender.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
Cider-Braised Red Cabbage
This dish of brilliant red cabbage and red onions braised in apple cider with tart Granny Smith apples is a great choice to serve with pork or poultry. Leftover cabbage may be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days; reheat gently to serve.
2 medium red onions, cut into half rounds
10 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about 2 large heads)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and toss to coat and combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the cabbage is tender.
remove the cloves. Serve the cabbage from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
Spinach Parmesan Strata
A mixture of creamy spinach and Parmesan puffs up in the slow cooker, making a delicious side dish to serve with prime rib or roasted chicken. A strata is a casserole made with bread, eggs, milk, and cheese. It is usually served for brunch or a light dinner, but this one is great as a side dish or vegetarian entrée.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
Two 16-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 large eggs
2 cups milk
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
6 cups bread cubes, crusts removed (a sturdy bread like Pepperidge Farm)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
coat the inside of the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, until softened. Add the spinach and nutmeg and sauté until the liquid in the pan is evaporated. Set aside to cool.
whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and Tabasco in a large bowl. Arrange half the bread in the slow-cooker insert. Top with half of the spinach mixture and half the cheese. Layer the remaining bread, spinach, and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and press down to make sure the bread has absorbed the egg mixture. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 3½ hours, until the strata is cooked through.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
Butternut Squash Braised with Thyme and Cider
Sweet butternut squash is a perfect vegetable to braise in the slow cooker because it becomes caramelized and tender when cooked low and slow. The addition of thyme and apple cider gives this squash lots of personality. Serve the squash with pork or poultry as a colorful and interesting side dish (see savvy).
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups 1-inch chunks peeled and seeded butternut squash
combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3½ to 4 hours, until the squash is tender.
serve the squash from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
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slow-cooker savvy
This squash is also delicious puréed. When the squash is tender, use an immersion blender