The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (27 page)
Read The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook Online
Authors: Diane Phillips
A basic tomato sauce is part of the Mediterranean diet. Whether you’re serving it with pasta or adding it to a dish, this sauce will get you where you need to go. You can freeze the sauce in 1- or 2-cup/240- or 480-ml portions, to quickly defrost when you need it. A marinara is the basis for many different sauces, like
Bolognese
or
Beef Pizzaiola
. It’s a great basic to have in your repertoire, and so easy to produce in the slow cooker.
MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS/1.9 L
¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Four 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g cans crushed tomatoes, with their juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup/20 g packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes for 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker, and stir in the tomatoes, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 to 9 hours.
At the end of the cooking time, stir in the basil and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. If you are not using the sauce immediately, allow it to cool to room temperature and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
VARIATION
Although marinara is traditionally made in Italy, it is a basic sauce that is easily adaptable to the flavors of other Mediterranean regions. For a North African flavor, replace the basil with chopped cilantro. Or replace the basil with fresh thyme or tarragon for a sauce with French notes. For a Spanish sauce, stick with the parsley, and for a Greek touch, replace the basil with oregano.
A relish or side dish to serve warm or cold with grilled entrées, caponata is said to haue originated in Sicily. But you will find versions of it all around the southern Mediterranean. Sweet, spicy, and salty, it's great for serving with crostini, or for topping grilled fish or chicken. I have also been known to toss it with penne or shell pasta for a pasta course.
MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS/1.4 L
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 medium purple eggplants, finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
½ cup/120 ml balsamic vinegar
One 14½- to 15-oz/415- to 430-g can chopped tomatoes, drained
1½ cups/255 g golden raisins
1
/
3
cup/30 g capers packed in brine, drained
½ cup/50 g pitted kalamata or your favorite olives
½ cup/30 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Add the eggplant, bell peppers, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and sauté over mediumhigh heat until the eggplant begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook until it evaporates a bit. Add the tomatoes and raisins, and stir together. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
Add the capers, olives, and parsley to the slow cooker and cook for another 1 hour, until the eggplant is tender. Remove the caponata from the slow cooker and serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Caponata will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
I'm indebted to my friends Allison and Dane Millner, owners of Sierra Subs and Salads in Three Rivers, California, for this brilliant idea. Both are terrific cooks, and their little shop turns out some of the best food in the area. This roasted garlic is one of the secrets of their famous baked potato soup. It yields lots of garlic. Use it to flavor dishes, spread it on bruschetta, and make garlic butter. The garlicflavored oil can be used when you need a garlic flavor as the base for your dishes. Although the garlic is perishable, the oil will keep in the fridge for months.
MAKES ABOUT 1¾ CUPS/175 G
4 cups/960 ml good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups/200 g peeled garlic cloves (about 6 heads; see Slow Cooker Savvy)
Pour the olive oil into the slow cooker, and add the garlic. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, until the garlic is tender.
Remove the garlic from the oil, and mash with a fork. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Garlic doesn't freeze well.) Strain the oil into a jar with an airtight cover, and refrigerate for up to 6 months. Makes about 3¾ cups/890 ml garlic oil.
SLOW COOKER SAVVY
I usually don't recommend using the peeled garlic you find in the supermarket, but for this recipe, it is a great time-saver.
These sweet and tart onions are a wonderful condimento to serve with bruschetta, or with grilled meats, poultry, or pork. The slow cooker cooks down the onions until they almost melt into the sweet and tart sauce. I Love to serve these with a soft chèvre on toasted baguettes.
MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS/1.2 L
½ cup/115 g unsalted butter
6 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
1 cup/200 g firmly packed dark brown sugar
1½ cups/360 ml balsamic vinegar
½ cup/30 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Divide the butter between two large skillets and melt it over medium-high heat. Add half the onions to each skillet and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes to soften them. (Or sauté the onions in one pan in batches.) Transfer the onions to the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker, stir in the brown sugar and vinegar, and toss to coat. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. The onions should be softened, and the sauce should be thickened.
Cool the onions and sauce to room temperature; the sauce will thicken as it cools. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
I can't count the number of times I have shared this recipe with friends; it is the quintessential melding of sweet, tart, and savory. Although it is customarily made with prunes in the Dordogne area of France, I find that Americans prefer to use dried figs or a combination of figs and prunes. This jam is traditionally served with seared foie gras, but I Loue to use it with creamy goat cheese or other cheeses on toasted slices of baguette. The jam is also delicious to add to the slow cooker when cooking pork. The savory juices are great served over buttered noodles.
MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS/1.4 L
½ cup/115 g unsalted butter
6 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
1 cup/200 g firmly packed brown sugar
1½ cups/360 g balsamic vinegar
24 dried figs, coarsely chopped
Divide the butter between two large skillets and melt it over medium-high heat. Add half the onions to each skillet and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes to soften them. (Or sauté the onions in one pan in batches.) Transfer the onions to the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker; stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, and figs; and toss to coat. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. The onions and figs should be softened, and the sauce should be thickened.
Cool mixture to room temperature; the sauce will thicken as it cools. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
Oranges Poached in Port and Honey
Ruby port from Portugal and oranges from Spain are a match made in culinary heaven, especially when simmered with honey, cloves, and allspice. This dish can be served as a dessert, or as a side dish with pork or poultry.
SERVES 6 TO 8
8 large oranges
2 cups/480 ml ruby port
1 cup/240 ml honey
2 whole cloves
2 tsp whole allspice berries
Cut off the ends of the oranges to expose the fruit. To remove the peel, stand each orange on a cutting board, and using a flexible knife, such as a boning knife, cut away the peel and pith, following the contour of the fruit. Continue around the orange in this way, until the all the peel and pith are removed. Once the oranges have been peeled, slice them crosswise ½ in/12 mm thick.
Arrange the oranges in the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the port and honey and pour over the oranges. Add the cloves and allspice berries to the cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1½ hours, or on low for 3 hours.
Carefully remove the oranges with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a serving platter. Strain the sauce into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and continue boiling to reduce the sauce by half. It will be quite syrupy and coat the back of a spoon. Cool slightly, and serve over the oranges. The oranges will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and the sauce can be frozen for up to 4 months.
SLOW COOKER SAVVY
I have served these oranges with a potato tortilla and a vegetable frittata to rave reviews. I make them the day before so that the slow cooker is available to cook the frittata for brunch.
Poached pears make a terrific ending to any meal, but they can also be served as a side dish or garnish, which is especially tasty when the pears are flavored with this exotic mix of honey, sweet Muscat wine, and cinnamon sticks. Muscat grapes are thought to be the oldest known domesticated grapes in the world. They are found throughout the Mediterranean region, where some countries use the grapes for sparkling wines (Muscat d'Asti in Italy) or fortified wines (sherries in Spain and Portugal), and as table grapes (North African countries).
Muscat wine is generally sweet, almost like a syrup. When it's combined with honey, spices, and pears in the slow cooker, the whole is euen more delicious than its parts. Try seruing the pears with a dollop of Greek-style yogurt in the center, and drizzle the sauce over the yogurt. Or serve the pears filled with vanilla gelato, and spoon the warm sauce over them.
SERVES 6 TO 8
2 cups/480 ml Muscat wine
½ cup/240 ml honey
Three 3-in/7.5-cm cinnamon sticks
2 whole cloves
4 firm large red pears, cored and halved
Pour the wine and honey into the insert of a 4- to 6-qt/3.5- to 5.5-L slow cooker. Whisk to blend the honey into the wine. Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves, and put the pears into the slow cooker, wedging them to fit. You may have to stack them. Spoon some of the wine mixture over the pears. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour, or on low for 2 hours, until the pears are softened.
Carefully lift the pears out of the slow cooker using a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a serving platter. Strain the sauce into a saucepan, bring the sauce to a boil, and continue boiling until reduced by half. It should be quite syrupy and coat the back of a spoon.
Serve the pears warm with some of the sauce spooned over them. The pears can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days. The sauce can be frozen for up to 4 months.
SLOW COOKER SAVVY
I'm always asked how many pear halues to serve to guests. For this dish, I would say one half per person is a nice portion, but it will depend upon what else is served and whether this is dessert or a side dish. You may end up with a few extra halves, but they won't be around long, trust me!
