Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [136]
serve each pepper in a pool of the marinara sauce on a dinner plate.
serves 6
Stuffed Tomatoes
Stuffed tomatoes were a staple at my mother’s house in the summer when the tomatoes were picked ripe from the vines. Mom would split them and top them with a delicious mixture of fresh bread crumbs, Romano and Parmesan cheeses, garlic, and fresh parsley and basil. She would cook them on the stovetop, but the slow cooker does a great job with these tomatoes. They are a stars during the summer months, served with grilled meats, fish, or chicken. The tomatoes are best warm or at room temperature.
½ cup olive oil
3 large meaty tomatoes, cut horizontally in half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups fresh bread crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
pour ¼ cup of the oil into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Arrange the tomato halves in the slow-cooker insert and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the bread crumbs, both cheeses, the garlic, parsley, basil, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl.
mound the mixture on the tomato halves and drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup oil. Cover and cook on low for 3½ to 4 hours, until the tomatoes are cooked through.
spoon some of the pan juices over the tomatoes, turn off the cooker, and serve the tomatoes warm.
serves 6
All-American Stewed Tomatoes
When the tomatoes in your garden are threatening to overrun everything else, put your slow cooker to work and make this flavorful stewed tomato dish. Keep them on hand to use as you would canned tomatoes, or serve them covered with buttered bread crumbs as a side dish. The tomatoes will keep in in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to six months; store them in zipper-top plastic bags.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
10 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the tomatoes are tender.
allow the tomatoes to cool before serving.
serves 6–8
South-of-the-Border Stewed Tomatoes
A variation on All-American Stewed Tomatoes, this south-of-the-border version can be used to make all manner of Southwestern dishes, or it can be served as a sauce over grilled meats, chicken, or fish. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to six months.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
10 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chiles, cumin, and oregano and sauté until the onion begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.
transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir in the sugar, salt, and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
allow the tomatoes to cool before serving.
serves 6
Herbed Cherry Tomatoes
Multicolored cherry or grape tomatoes, roasted slowly with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, create a lovely side dish for any main course. The tomatoes can also be served as a relish or condiment.
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried chervil
½ teaspoon dried dill
6 cups varicolored cherry or pear tomatoes
combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1½ hours or on low for 3 hours.
serve the tomatoes at room temperature.
serves 6
Zucchini, Tomato, and Leek Gratin
Zucchini the size of baseball bats can appear in your garden without notice; that’s when you start shredding