What's For Dinner is our weekly gathering place to learn about cooking, share recipes (without those bothersome troll diaries), and discuss methods/techniques.
Follow me below the squiggledeedoodle for this week's repast:
On September 23 at 9:04pm Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the seasons changed from summer to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. But to me, October is the official beginning of fall.
In some places, the weather begins to change. There's a crispness in the air, maybe you need to grab a light sweater for those early morning or late afternoon treks. The trees may be starting to turn from their vibrant greens to yellow-golds and oranges. The daylight hours shorten, as the sun dips below the horizon a bit earlier each day. You start thinking about covering the grill for the year, and moving your cooking activities indoors.
For me, autumn means slow cooking. Putting together a meal in the early morning hours, then coming home from a day of errands or fun to a home-cooked meal is ideal, with just a last bit of prep work such as throwing together a green salad or heating up some bread in the oven awaiting. And walking in the door, the scent of cooking food makes the entire apartment smell wonderful. Certainly, slow cooking does require some pre-planning, but the end product is more than worth it.
I have two slow-cookers: a small 3 quart one which I use for smaller dishes (such as Overnight Oatmeal listed below), and my workhorse 6 quart model which has a programmable timer; when the timer goes off it switches to Keep Warm mode, which is great if I'm delayed getting home.
One recipe that works great is chili -- the length of time the dish simmers adds to the mixture of flavors and makes it incredibly rich tasting. This uses a lot of canned beans, which store well, don't require soaking the night before, and are often found on sale so you can stock up. It can be made vegetarian by using the textured vegetable protein crumbles (such as Morningstar Farms):
Slow Cooker Chili -- serves 6-8 (leftovers freeze well)
1 16oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 16oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16oz. can chili beans, unrinsed/undrained
1 16oz. can corn, drained
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), diced
1 to 1-1/2 lbs. ground meat (beef or turkey)
1 16oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 pkt. chili seasoning mix (or make your own, recipe follows)
Hot water, tomato juice or V8 juice (if necessary)
In slow cooker, mix beans and corn gently. In large skillet, brown meat, onions and bell pepper; add to slow cooker. In medium bowl, mix diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and chili seasoning; pour over slow cooker contents and mix gently. If mixture seems a bit thick, add about a cup of hot water, tomato juice or V8 juice before cooking. Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours.
Chili Seasoning -- 1 serving (makes 1 batch of chili)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Stir all together in a small bowl. Store in airtight container up to 3 months.
Dried beans and legumes work really well in the slow cooker; you can soak them the night before right in the cooker, then cook them right there.
Bean & Sausage Soup -- makes about 6 servings, leftovers are delicious!
1-1/2 cups navy or Great Northern Beans
2 cups water
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup finely diced celery (approx 2 ribs)
3 links cooked smoked sausage, approx. 3/5 of a pound
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1 large can (46 oz.) chicken broth (to reduce sodium content, use reduced fat/sodium broth)
1 serving frozen mashed potatoes
1 cup milk
Rinse beans and pick out damaged ones; soak overnight in the 2 cups water.
Slice 2 of the sausages into thin slices; cut other sausage into quarters lengthwise and finely chop. Put beans into slow cooker; add carrots, celery, sausage and Italian seasoning, and mix gently. Pour chicken broth over mixture in slow cooker. cover and on LOW for 7-1/2 to 9 hours.
Within last 1/2 hour of cooking time, place the frozen mashed potatoes into a blender. Ladle about 2 cups of hot soup into blender; puree. Add pureed soup back to slow-cooker. Add milk, then cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
Slow cooking isn't just for dinner. During the wet weather months, sending yourself and your family off with a good breakfast can really start the day right. And oatmeal makes a great sendoff, since it also provides needed dietary fiber. This one cooks overnight in the slow cooker, meaning you can take your time getting ready in the morning knowing you've got a hot breakfast just waiting for you.
Overnight Oatmeal -- Serves 4 (or 2 very hearty appetites)
1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup diced apple
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc. -- dice fruits if necessary)
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Put all items in the slow cooker, mix gently. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
That's tonight's diary -- what's cooking in your part of the world?