I do not love chopping vegetables. Yes, I know there are all sorts of amazing kitchen gadgets and processors that do this for you in the blink of an eye. But I’m always calculating whether I’m actually saving any time when I use them because I have to wash all their crazy parts when I’m finished. And then I have to re-assemble them in the right way. (I get my French press out only on Saturday mornings since putting it together the right way takes me too long on a weekday morning when I have a schedule. Shameful to admit, I agree.)
Pretty often I need to chop just 1 onion or 3 potatoes or a single bell pepper—hardly worth the effort of hauling out the food processor or even the little buzz chopper our younger daughter gave me a few years ago. Apparently I’ve been talking about this chopping burden.
Merle and I were away all last week, and we got home too late Saturday night to go grocery-shopping. I was glad to be home and wanted to cook Sunday, but there weren’t many ingredients around since I had nearly emptied the fridge and pantry before we left. Except for the good old staples—carrots, potatoes, onions, celery. Right, things that require chopping.
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We have become big fans of Brussels sprouts. People have made way too many unfair comments about these guys. Don’t pick on them just because they look like miniature cabbages. And it’s not their fault that they’re often over-cooked.
Try mixing these babies with herbs and spices or cooking them gently with some of your other favorite fall vegetables, and you’ll have a great treat. We have convinced our most skeptical co-workers to try them… and now they are recommending them to everyone!
Here is a slow-cooker recipe that we made recently for our co-workers. It is a great side dish for our Asian–Style Country Ribs!
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Brrr! It’s a little brisk outside the office today. In fact, it’s downright chilly.
And that means it’s time for chili! (Ha. Ha.)
But instead of the typical red-kidney-bean-and-ground-beef-soup, we’re warming our bellies with Pumpkin Black-Bean Turkey Chili.
We can’t resist cooking with pumpkin at this time of year because it’s in season and because we love the gentle flavor of the squash.
In this soup, the pumpkin cuts the acidity that tomatoes can add to many chili recipes, and it adds a soft, sweet flavor that complements, but does not over-power, the turkey and black beans.
We love each hearty bite of Pumpkin Black-Bean Turkey Chili. But even though it’s sturdy and filling, we don’t think it’s quite as dense or heavy as other chili recipes. Plus, it looks simply smashing on a table beside Tomato-Zucchini Ratatouille and Apple Caramel Pie.
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It was a crazy night in the QVC kitchens. All the usual stages and sets were full of gurneys bursting with food and kitchen gadgets and accessories. In fact, things were so nuts that about 60 seconds before my airtime, I couldn’t find my table of goodies. Panicking, I asked a staffer where it was and where I was supposed to be. She pointed and whispered, “Go through the living room and the laundry sets. You’ll be in the bedroom set.”
QVC was doing one of its all-day “Cooking on Q” bonanzas. Let me tell you, that brings out an army of food-prep people, food-stylists, and clean-up crews.
When I first went back to the kitchens to meet with my food-stylist and talk about which recipes my host would taste on air, we had to yell to each other over top a huge stove and prep table, with tables-on-wheels traveling between us and behind us.
I had had one breathless moment earlier when I almost stepped in front of a live camera when I took my usual path into the kitchen.
I caught up with my table enroute to the bedroom, which had already been pushed nearly a quarter of a mile from the kitchens. It was loaded down with eight gorgeously prepared dishes, some of which were still bubbling away in their slow cookers, despite having been pulled away from their electrical outlets so they could make the trip.
I got myself calmed down and made sure I had a serving spoon for each of the three dishes I was going to offer the host during my interview. The food-stylist zipped in and deposited a bowl with two scoops of ice cream to accompany the Chocolate Mud Cake I’d be serving, just as the cameras swung our way.
And we were on! I asked Carolyn, the host, whether she wanted to start with dessert or chili. She reached for a bowl of the White Chicken Chili since she had just been outside doing an interview about a home-sized meat smoker. She loved the chili! “My mom and I have been on the phone trying to decide which slow-cooker recipes we’re each going to make for our football-watching get-together,” she explained on air. Clearly, the chili was now in contention.
Then she spotted the Mud Cake—all gooey and chocolate-y extravagant. It had turned out perfectly, and Bonne, my food-styling magician, had edged the cake with fresh strawberries. Carolyn suddenly had a new idea for her football feast. And we still had six more amazing dishes to ogle and eat and exclaim over.
I hope I’ve tempted you irresistibly to try the chili and cake. Stay tuned for the other “this-fabulous-food-can’t-be-made-in-a-slow-cooker” recipes in my upcoming blogs.
White Chicken Chili
Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep. Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 ½-5 hours
Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 5-quart
2 whole skinless chicken breasts
6 cups water
2 chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. oil
2-4 4-oz. cans chopped green chilies
1-2 diced jalapeno peppers
2 tsp. ground cumin
1½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt
3-lb. can navy beans, undrained
1-2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa
1. Place chicken in slow cooker. Add 6 cups water.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 3-4 hours, or until tender.
3. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Cube and set aside.
4. Saute onions and garlic in oil in skillet. Add chilies, jalapeno peppers, cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt. Saute 2 minutes. Transfer to broth in slow cooker.
5. Add navy beans.
6. Cover. Cook on Low 30-60 minutes.
7. Right before serving, add chicken and cheese.
8. Serve topped with sour cream and salsa.
Cornbread or corn chips are good go-alongs with this chili.
Variation:
If you’re in a from-scratch mood and want to use dried beans, use 3 cups dried navy beans. Cover with water in a stockpot, soaking them overnight. In the morning, drain the beans. Cover with fresh water. Cook in the stockpot on low for 7-8 hours, or until beans are tender. Drain off excess moisture. Stir into chicken and broth.
Chocolate Mud Cake
Makes 8 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-2 hours
Cooling Time: 25 minutes
Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 4-quart
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. butter
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, or 1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 cup sugar, divided
3 Tbsp., plus 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, divided
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup skim milk
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1½ cups hot water
1. Coat inside of slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray.
2. In mixing bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave. Mix well.
4. Whisk in 2/3 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, milk, and egg yolk.
5. Add the flour mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
6. Pour batter into slow cooker. Spread evenly.
7. Whisk together remaining sugar, cocoa, and hot water until sugar is dissolved. Pour over batter in slow cooker. Do not stir.
8. Cover. Cook on High 1-2 hours. The cake will be very moist and floating on a layer of molten chocolate when it’s done. And you’ll know it is done cooking when nearly all the cake is set and its edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pot.
9. Turn off slow cooker and remove lid. Try not to let the condensed steam from the lid drip onto the cake. Let cool for 25 minutes before cutting and spooning onto individual plates.
10. Dig deep when you serve to get the molten liquid beneath the cake-y part. Serve with frozen ice cream, gelato, or ice cream.
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