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Baked Penne — Slow Cooker
Feb 15th, 2016 by Alice

Baked Penne

Not a great picture, but yummy!

From Alice

  • Olive oil
  • 2 generous pinches bonito
  • 1 tiny pinch xanthan gum
  • 1.5 lbs sausage (I make mine the same day with oregano, crushed garlic, pepper, thyme, and ground pork)
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper (green is prettier, but we like the taste of red), chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
  • (Or 1 package frozen, shelled edamame and 2 chopped zucchinis)
  • 4 oz (½ container) tofu cream cheese (Tofutti)
  • A handful of fresh oregano, chopped
  • A handful of fresh thyme, chopped
  • 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 package (16-oz) penne pasta, uncooked
  • 15-oz jar tomato sauce

Directions:

Makes one 6-quart slow-cooker’s worth.

Bring ½ cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the bonito. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Heat olive oil in heavy pan medium-high. Brown the sausage. Remove and set aside. Add the bonito broth to the leftover oil/fat in the pan while heating. Add the pinch of xanthan gum and whisk/stir to combine.

Add in the garlic, onions, and bell peppers. Cook until onions start to soften.

Add the cream cheese and melt while stirring.

When it is all combined, add the oregano, thyme, and crushed tomatoes. Cook for a short time, then add back the sausage. Stir to mix well, simmer 5-10 minutes.

Add penne, uncooked, stir until you can’t see any dry bits of penne.

If you’re already in the slow cooker, scrape everything away from the back wall and add a foil collar. Otherwise, put a foil collar in your slow cooker and oil the pan lightly. Pour in the penne and sauce.

Pour the tomato sauce over the top, carefully covering everything sticking up.

Cook 3 hours on high. Too much time in the “keep warm” stage does lead to crispy pasta.

Tuna Noodle Casserole – Dairy Free, Slow Cooker
Feb 15th, 2016 by Alice

From Alice

  • ½ stick butter, margarine, or other solid fat
  • 4 oz (½ container) tofu cream cheese (we use Tofutti)
  • 4 cups (1 container) chicken or vegetable broth
  • 4-6 Tbsp flour for thickening. (Try Wondra next time.)
  • 3 cans tuna (we use albacore in olive oil to avoid undisclosed “vegetable” broth contamination)
  • 1 bag frozen shelled edamame
  • ½ bag petite baby carrots, diced
  • 1 package penne or rotini
  • Spices of your choice.

Directions:

This fills one 6-quart slow-cooker.

Chop your carrots and bring a saucepan of water (enough for your pasta) to a boil.

Melt the margarine in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add flour to make a roux. Add cream cheese and stir until melted together.

Slowly add chicken broth, stirring, to keep the sauce creamy and well-mixed. Bring to a boil and cook for at least 2-3 minutes to cook the flour.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, keeping it al-dente or ever-so-slightly undercooked rather than overcooked. Drain.

Add carrots to a saucepan of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the edamame and cook according to package directions, erring on the side of too long rather than too short. Drain.

Mix pasta into sauce in slow-cooker pot.

Drain tuna and mix into pasta and sauce.

Mix in veggies.

Cook in slow-cooker on low for 3-3.5 hours. This cooks down any extra sauce and melds flavors. An extra 2-3 hours on “keep warm” won’t hurt it, but you might want to stir it once or twice in there.

Chicken and Dumplings
Jan 24th, 2016 by Alice

From Julie Enevoldsen

Stew:

  • 2-3 Lbs Stew-able chicken
  • a little oil
  • 1 Onion
  • Enough chicken broth (unsalted) to fill your pot — about 12 cups? 2-3 boxes.
  • 1 head Celery
  • 1 medium package Baby carrots (Medium package)
  • 1-2 Lbs Small potatoes
  • 1 can Hominy or fresh/frozen peas
  • Fresh parsley
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh oregano
  • Black pepper
  • Flour or potato starch for thickening

Dumplings:

  • 1 Cup Cake flour (or 1 cup minus 2 tbsp sifted regular flour)
  • 2 Tsp Baking powder
  • 1 egg replacer “egg” (or a real egg if you can have those)
  • ½ Cup milk replacement or water. I use Enriched Soy Milk

Directions:

Stew: Saute chicken parts and chopped onion. Add chicken broth and cook until chicken is tender. Add diced celery, carrots, potatoes, and herbs: fresh parsley, thyme, possibly oregano, and black pepper. Sometimes Julie adds green beans or peas with just enough time to cook through (10-20 minutes)

This first part would work in the slow cooker. Probably about 4 hours on high, or better, 8 hours on low. Make sure the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft. The following directions take place on the stovetop.

Thicken the stew: Mix a little flour with cold water and stir into the simmering broth. Stir until thickened. How much? Not sure. You don’t want it really thick. Maybe 2-3 tbs flour for 4 cups broth? Add some, wait until it thickens, add more if needed.

Dumplings: Measure, then sift the dry dumpling ingredients three times (yes, I usually do this). Break the egg into a measuring cup. Add milk substitute or water to make up ½ cup with the egg. Beat/mix well.

Stir liquid slowly into the sifted ingredients. Mix until blended, but don’t overmix. Batter should be stiffish.

Drop dumpling dough by heaping tablespoons, distributing evenly across the surface of the simmering stew. Put on the lid. Simmer *gently* for 5 minutes. Turn the dumplings over (they tend to float by this point), and simmer 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Mom’s Chicken Soup (Julie’s)
Jan 24th, 2016 by Alice

Julies-Chicken-Soup-004

Before all the broth is added (prettier, so you can see all the goodies), and after. Photo (c) attribution: Alice Enevoldsen

From Julie Enevoldsen

  • 2-3 Lbs Stew-able chicken
  • a little oil
  • 1 Onion
  • Enough chicken broth (unsalted) to fill your pot — about 12 cups? 2-3 boxes.
  • 1 head Celery
  • 1 medium package Baby carrots (Medium package)
  • 1-2 Lbs Small potatoes
  • 1 can Hominy or fresh/frozen peas
  • Fresh parsley
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh oregano
  • Black pepper
  • Flour or potato starch for thickening

Directions:

Saute chicken parts and chopped onion. Add chicken broth and cook until chicken is tender. Add diced celery, carrots, potatoes, and herbs: fresh parsley, thyme, possibly oregano, and black pepper. Sometimes Julie adds green beans or peas with just enough time to cook through (10-20 minutes)

Thicken the stew: Mix a little flour with cold water and stir into the simmering broth. Stir until thickened. How much? Not sure. You don’t want it really thick. Maybe 2-3 tbs flour for 4 cups broth? Add some, wait until it thickens, add more if needed.

This would work in the slow cooker. Probably about 4 hours on high, or better, 8 hours on low. Make sure the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft.

This is the same recipe as the stew for Chicken and Dumplings.

Julies-Chicken-Soup-005

A big bowl of the tastiest chicken soup. Photo attribution: Alice Enevoldsen

I have a theory that everyone loves their own mom’s chicken soup recipe when feeling ill. This is true whether your mom opened a can of Campbell’s, or boiled up bone broth overnight and spiced it according to her own mom’s mom’s mom’s tradition.

Julies-Chicken-Soup-Pinterest

Mom’s Chicken Soup (Debbie’s)
Jan 24th, 2016 by Alice

From Debbie Gift

  • 1 gallon of water
  • 1 ¼ pounds chicken
  • 1 Tablespoon parsley
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic
  • ⅓ teaspoon dried onion
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 carrots
  • Black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Put it all in a pot and cook until the chicken is done and the celery is soft. If you have enough energy, chop everything into bite size pieces first.

This recipe would be just as effective in a slow cooker. Try 4 hours on high, or better 8+ on low, but make sure the chicken is cooked through.

I have a theory that everyone loves their own mom’s chicken soup recipe when feeling ill. This is true whether your mom opened a can of Campbell’s, or boiled up bone broth overnight and spiced it according to her own mom’s mom’s mom’s tradition.

The greatest thing about this one, is that you can make it by just tossing all the ingredients in a pot if you’re the sick one. No chopping needed.

Potato Corn Chowder – Slow Cooker Dump Meal
Jan 22nd, 2016 by Alice

From Alice

  • 1.5 lbs diced red potato
  • 1 package frozen corn
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • a couple shakes garlic powder
  • a couple shakes onion powder

For adding at the end

  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon fake butter, margarine, or other solid fat
  • ⅓ cup soy cream cheese
  • ¼ cup milk substitute of your choice, I used enriched soymilk
  • tiny pinch xanthan gum

Toppings

  • a few pinches crumbled bacon
  • a sprinkle of alder-smoked salt
  • scallions/chives

Directions:

Mix potatoes and corn with flour in the slow cooker. Add spices and broth. Cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Optional final steps, but recommended:

Take cooked chowder (potatoes should be soft) off the slow cooker 30 minutes early, and put on stovetop. Once you have a good boil going, sprinkle in last 3 tablespoons flour and stir to combine. Allow to cook bubbling for at least 2 minutes.

In a separate pan over medium-high heat melt margarine and soy cream cheese, stirring constantly. Add xanthan gum and then slowly add the soymilk a little at a time. Once you have a thick cream about as thick as heavy whipping cream, pour that into the soup and stir to combine.

Dump Meal Version:

If you’re looking for the true “dump meal” version of this, skip all these last steps after the heading “Optional.” Consider adding ¼-⅓ cups of your heaviest milk substitute — an enriched soymilk or soy creamer at the very end. If it looks like it curdles a little with this, add a pinch of xanthan gum at the same time.

Eat:

Serve topped with bacon, chives, green onions, and/or alder smoked salt.

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