The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (22 page)
Read The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook Online
Authors: Diane Phillips
1 cup/115 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Bring 6 qt/5.5 L of salted water to a boil. Boil the noodles for 5 minutes (or half the time suggested on the package). Drain the noodles, and separate them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil to cool.
TO MAKE THE FILLING / In a large skillet, over medium-high, heat melt the butter. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the spinach; sprinkle with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper; and cook, turning the spinach as it wilts in the pan. When the spinach has wilted, scrape the mixture into a food processor and set aside.
Put the veal and pork in the same pan, and cook over high heat until the meats lose their pink color, stirring to break up any large clumps. Drain any excess fat or water from the meat, and transfer to the food processor. When the meat has cooled, process it and the spinach into a paste. Add the egg and cheese and process again. Or, if you don't have a food processor, use a sharp knife to mince the spinach into the meat, transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in the egg. (The filling can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
TO MAKE THE SAUCE / In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes for 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften and the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cream, basil, and parsley and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. (If not using immediately, cool the sauce and refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.)
Coat the inside of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, or line with a slow-cooker liner. Spread a thin layer of marinara cream sauce over the bottom of the slow cooker. Using a small offset spatula, push 2 tbsp of filling into each manicotti tube. Lay the tubes in the slow cooker, and cover with the remaining sauce. If your slow cooker is small or round, layer the tubes, alternating them with layers of the sauce. Sprinkle the top with the Parmigiano. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
Uncover the slow cooker and allow the manicotti to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Emerging from the slow cooker creamy and smooth, without any stirring, this polenta recipe is a miracle for many cooks who love this dish. I Like to serve it with sautéed greens Like Swiss chard, or as a bed for beef stews or pork ragùs.
SERVES 6
1½ cups/150 g coarsely ground cornmeal
1½ tsp salt
3 cups/720 ml chicken or vegetable broth
2½ cups/600 ml whole milk
4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter
½ cup/60 g freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese
In the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker, whisk together the cornmeal, salt, broth, and milk. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours.
Uncover the slow cooker and stir in the butter and cheese. Re-cover the slow cooker and cook the polenta for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve the polenta immediately, or keep it on the warm setting for up to 1 hour.
SLOW COOKER SAVVY
If you have any leftover polenta, pour it while still warm into a small square baking dish, and spread ½ in/12 mm thick. Cool the polenta, cut into squares, and sauté in olive oil until crisp on both sides. Top the polenta with bruschetta toppings like chopped tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, or marinated artichoke hearts.
Farro is an ancient Roman grain that has become quite popular in recent years. A terrific source of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber, it is also delicious. Farro has a nutty quality, similar to wild rice, but it's creamier. Serve farro as a bed for grilled meats and poultry. Store the leftover farro in the refrigerator or freezer and use it in soups, casseroles, or vegetable dishes.
SERVES 6 TO 8
2 cups/240 g farro, rinsed with cold water
4½ cups/1 L chicken or vegetable broth
Salt (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Add the farro to the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker. Stir in the broth. Cover the slow cooker, and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the farro is tender.
Season with salt or pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.
Farro makes a Lovely risotto with a creamy quality. Similar in preparation to traditional risotto, this dish will soon become a favorite in your house.
SERVES 6 TO 8
4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter
½ cup/80 g finely chopped shallots
2 cups/240 g farro, rinsed with cold water
½ cup/120 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth
4 cups/960 ml chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup/30 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat and sauté the shallots for 3 minutes, or until the shallots begin to soften. Add the farro, and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes to evaporate some of the wine. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker and stir in the broth. Cover the slow cooker, and cook on high for ½ hours.
Add the remaining butter and the cheese to the farro, stirring to blend. Cover the cooker, and turn the heat to low or warm. Cook for another 30 minutes, and serve the risotto immediately.
Creamy Arborio rice becomes tender and delicious in one hour without the Laborious stirring that is associated with this famous dish from the area of Emilia Romagna in Italy. Flavored with saffron, risotto alla milanese is usually served as a bed for
Veal Osso Buco
or
Beef in Barolo
, but it is also a delicious first course.
SERVES 6
6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter
½ cup/80 g finely chopped shallots
1 tsp saffron threads, crushed in the palm of your hand
2 cups/430 g Arborio rice
1½ cups/360 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth
4 cups/960 ml chicken broth
½ cup/60 g freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp of the butter and sauté the shallots and saffron for 3 minutes, until the shallots are softened. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with the butter mixture. Raise the heat to high, add the wine, and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the wine is reduced by a third. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker, and stir in the broth. Cover the slow cooker and cook the rice on high for 1 hour. It should be creamy and tender.
Uncover the slow cooker and stir in the remaining butter and the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the risotto immediately, or keep it on the warm setting for up to 30 minutes before serving.
Pilaf is a preparation that requires toasting the rice in fat-either olive oil or butter or both-and then cooking the rice in stock or broth. The flavorings vary with the region in which it is prepared: dried fruits in Morocco, onion and garlic in Greece and Turkey. Pilaf is generally served with dishes that have a rich sauce, so the pilaf will soak it up.
SERVES 6 TO 8
4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter
½ cup/50 g finely chopped shallots
3 cups/360 g long-grain rice
5 to 6 cups/1.2 to 1.4 L chicken or vegetable broth
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and sauté the shallots and rice until the rice begins to toast, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker and stir in the broth. Cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until the rice is tender and the liquid in the cooker is absorbed.
Uncover the slow cooker, fluff the rice, and serve.
Couscous can be found daily on tables along the North African coast, as well as in southern Spain and France. Made from crushed durum wheat semolina, couscous is a perfect foil to absorb the juices from savory stews, and it's a terrific addition to soups, as well.
SERVES 6
3 cups/720 ml chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups/400 g couscous
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the couscous, and stir to blend. Remove the pan from the heat, cover the saucepan, and let the couscous sit for 15 minutes. Remove the cover from the pan, and fluff the couscous with a fork. Serve immediately. Any leftover couscous can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Couscous does not freeze well.
Pita bread is found in many countries along the Mediterranean, and it's really quite simple to prepare at home. The baking technique is unique; when the puffed bread comes out of the oven, it's wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep it soft. Flatbreads are used as a utensil to scoop up food or they can be stuffed with
falafel
, kebabs,
meatballs
and conventional sandwich fillings. Treating your family to homemade bread is simple, and the results are terrific!
MAKES 10 TO12
4½ cups/540 g bread flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling the dough
2½ tsp instant dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1
1
/
3
cups/315 ml warm water (110°F/43°C)
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the bowl and baking sheet
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt, stirring to blend. Add the water and olive oil, and stir until the dough begins to come together. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary when the dough becomes sticky. Coat the inside of a large bowl with a little olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning it to coat with the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. (I usually use a warmed and turned-off oven.)
Turn the dough out onto the floured board, and divide into ten equal small balls. Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C/gas 8.
Oil a baking sheet. Roll two balls of dough into 6-in/15-cm circles and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. The dough should puff. Bake for another 2 minutes, and remove the breads from the oven. They should be pale gold. Transfer to a platter and cover the breads with a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough, two at a time, until all the flatbread has been baked. Be sure to keep the freshly baked breads wrapped in kitchen towels. Once all the bread is baked, they can be used immediately. Or you can cool them and store in zipper-top plastic bags at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or store in zipper-top freezer bags, pressing the air out, for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Variations on the refrain "eat your veggies" are heard every night at family dinner tables in thou-sands of different Languages around the world. In the Mediterranean region, vegetables are a greater part of the diet than meat, poultry, or seafood. Fresh vegetables in season are served at most meals in the Mediterranean.
In North Africa, conical tagines slow-cook vegetables over low heat for hours; in the north-ern Mediterranean, cooks stew vegetables or roast them in all manner of pots. The slow cooker can mimic this type of cooking at a low and slow simmer, to reveal beautifully flavored and bril-Liantly colored meatless entrées and side dishes. I love using the slow cooker in the summer to
roast potatoes
, make a
potato gratin
,
Ratatouille
, or a lovely
Eggplant Moussaka
without turning on the oven and heating up the kitchen. Slow-cooked vegetables are terrific to take along to a potluck. And if you're making dinner at home, the vegetables can stay warm in the slow cooker while you prepare the rest of the meal.