Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [57]
cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the turkey is tender.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6
* * *
pine-nut savvy
There is no need to toast the pine nuts for this preparation; the stuffing is wet, and the toasted flavor will be lost in the moist ingredients.
Salsa Turkey Loaf
A south-of-the-border twist on traditional meat loaf, this spicy bite is terrific to serve with refried beans and rice to soak up the delicious sauce.
SAUCE
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 Anaheim chile, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder
One 28- to 32-ounce can tomato purée
1½ teaspoons salt
MEAT LOAF
Four 6-inch flour tortillas, coarsely chopped
¼ cup milk
2 pounds ground turkey
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup prepared mild salsa
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, chile, cumin, oregano, and chile powder and sauté until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato purée and salt to the pan and stir to combine.
transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low while making the meat loaf.
soak the tortillas in the milk in a large mixing bowl for 5 minutes, breaking them up with a fork.
add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Form the mixture into a 3-inch-wide by 8-inch-long loaf. Place the loaf on top of the sauce in the slow-cooker insert and spoon some of the sauce over it.
cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until the meat loaf is cooked through and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer. Skim off any fat from the surface of the sauce. Carefully remove the meat loaf from the sauce, cover with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
slice the meat loaf and serve with the sauce on the side.
serves 6
Asian Meatballs
Steeped in a soy and rice wine sauce, these delicious treats burst with the flavors of ginger, garlic, and green onions. Serve them as an entrée with stir-fried vegetables and steamed rice, or as a bite–size appetizer for entertaining, keeping them warm in the slow cooker.
SAUCE
1 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup rice wine (mirin) or dry sherry
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup white miso
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 dime-size slices fresh ginger
MEAT BALLS
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound lean ground pork
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
4 green onions, finely chopped, plus additional for garnish
1 large egg white, beaten
½ teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with
¼ cup water or chicken broth
Sesame seeds for garnish
put all the sauce ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir to combine.
cover and cook on high while preparing the meatballs.
combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and stir. Roll the mixture into 2-inch balls and place in the slowcooker insert.
cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through and register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.
remove the meatballs from the sauce and transfer the sauce to a saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil, add the cornstarch mixture, and bring back to a boil.
serve the sauce with the meatballs, and garnish with the additional green onions and sesame seeds
makes about 24 two-inch meatballs
Chicken Wings
Wings in the slow cooker make a terrific snack. During testing we found that they really need to be browned before going into the cooker though, or the skin, one of my favorite parts, becomes gummy. Once that step is done, it’s just a matter of making a sauce, pouring it in the slow cooker, and cooking