Read The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook Online
Authors: Diane Phillips
The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (26 page)
Using a large serving spoon, ladle the eggs and some of the sauce onto plates. Serve immediately.
Braised Green Beans, Tomatoes, Feta, and Mint
Bright red tomatoes and garlicky green beans combine in your slow cooker to make a tasty side dish that is terrific served alongside grilled meats or seafood.
SERVES 6
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
½ tsp dried oregano
One 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
1 cup/240 ml chicken or vegetable broth
1½ lb/680 g green beans, ends trimmed, and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces
3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup/60 g crumbled feta cheese, for garnish
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic and shallots for 3 minutes, or until the shallots begin to soften. Add the oregano and tomatoes, and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Stir in the broth and green beans. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4 hours.
Sprinkle the beans with the mint and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with the feta cheese.
SLOW COOKER SAVVY
I am not a fan of dried mint, and prefer to let oregano flavor the beans and tomatoes while they cook. The finish of fresh mint leaves gives the dish a bright touch.
This is definitely comfort food for the Egyptian soul. There are more recipes for this dish, called
kushari
in Arabic, than I can count. The recipe is basically caramelized onions, stewed lentils, and rice topped with a garlicky tomato sauce. In many homes it is a four-pot meal: one for each of the elements in the dish. But with your slow cooker, you can have the onions, lentils, and tomato sauce simmering. Just pop the rice into your rice cooker and you have a satisfying, inexpensive meal any night of the week. Serve this with pita bread and a dollop of Greek-style yogurt for a real treat!
SERVES 8
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
6 garlic cloves, sliced
Two 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g cans tomato purée
1 cup/200 g brown lentils, rinsed and picked over for stones and grit
3 cups/720 ml chicken or vegetable broth
Cooked rice, for serving
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Stir in the onions, cayenne, salt, and sugar and cook until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook until the onions begin to turn golden brown, then add the tomatoes.
Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Stir in the lentils and the broth. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 hours on low, until the lentils are tender.
Uncover the slow cooker and skim off any excess fat from the top of the lentils. Serve the lentils over rice.
Falafel in Saffron Tomato Sauce
Falafel, a popular street food in the Middle East and North Africa, is usually deep-fried and tucked into pita with a salad of lettuce and tomatoes. This dish is a little bit of a riff on the original chickpea balls. They’re sautéed in olive oil, and then dropped into a savory saffron tomato sauce to simmer and soak up all the flavor. Serve the falafel over couscous, or wrapped in
pita
with a topping of yogurt to cool the spicy sauce.
SERVES 6 TO 8
FOR THE SAUCE
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp saffron threads, crushed in the palm of your hand
Two 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g cans chopped tomatoes, with their juice
1 cup/240 ml chicken or vegetable broth
FOR THE FALAFEL
Two 14½- to 15-oz/415- to 430-g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 medium shallots, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup/240 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup/130 g all-purpose flour
¼ cup/15 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
TO MAKE THE SAUCE / In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and saffron for 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker and stir in the broth. Cover the slow cooker and set it on high while making the falafel.
TO MAKE THE FALAFEL / In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, shallots, garlic, cumin, coriander, and lemon juice. Pulse on and off to break up the shallots, and then process for 30 seconds, until the mixture is puréed. Transfer the chickpea mixture to a mixing bowl, and stir in the cilantro, parsley, and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Form the mixture into 1-in/2.5-cm balls. Put the flour in a shallow dish, and roll the falafel in the flour. Heat the remaining olive oil over high heat, and cook the balls, a few at a time, being careful not to crowd the pan, until the balls are crisp all over.
Drain the falafel on paper towels and transfer to the sauce in the slow cooker. Cook the falafel on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4 hours.
Stir the parsley into the sauce, taste for seasoning, and adjust with salt or pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
A change of pace from the plain beans in the usual preparation, these are flavored with pancetta, which is an Italian bacon, and rosemary. This is a typical dish in the Umbrian and Tuscan countryside.
SERVES 8
1 lb/455 g dried small white beans
¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 thin slices pancetta, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
6 cups/1.4 L chicken or vegetable broth
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash the beans in cold water, picking them over for any broken beans or stones. Put the beans in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by about 2 in/5 cm. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight.
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta until crisp. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for another 2 minutes, until the oil is fragrant.
Rinse the beans and put them in the slow cooker. Add the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker, and stir in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the beans are tender.
Season the beans with salt and pepper and serve.
White Beans in the Slow Cooker
Small white beans and larger cannellini are a part of Mediterranean cuisine that can’t be ignored. A pot of white beans is left simmering on many stove tops in the regions, to cook into creamy goodness and serve as part of the meal. The slow cooker is the perfect vessel to cook these beans over a long, leisurely period of time. The result is a creamy pot of beans to flavor any way you would like. Serve the beans as a side dish or as a bed for grilled or slow-cooked meats and vegetables.
MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS/1.9 L
1 lb/455 g small white beans
6 cups/1.4 L chicken or vegetable broth
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash the beans in cold water, picking them over for any broken beans or stones. Put the beans in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by about 2 in/5 cm. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight.
Rinse the beans and put them into the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Add the broth, cover, and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the beans are tender.
Season the beans with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or keep the beans on the warm setting for up to 6 hours.
SLOW COOKER SAVVY
Always salt the beans after cooking. Adding salt to the slow cooker can toughen the skin of the beans.
If you are cooking cannellini beans (large white beans), they will need from 10 to 12 hours on low.
White Beans Smothered with Tomatoes and Garlic
Creamy, spicy, and tender, this white bean dish is a perfect complement to any grilled entrée, or it can be served as a vegetarian entrée. This type of bean dish is served in the central and southern regions of Italy, and in areas of France and North Africa, with regional seasonings: wild oregano in Sicily, herbes de Provence in France, and harissa in North Africa.
SERVES 6 TO 8
1 lb/455 g dried small white beans
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 large sweet yellow onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
2 tsp dried sage (not rubbed)
One 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
6 cups/1.4 L chicken or vegetable broth
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash the beans in cold water, picking them over for any broken beans or stones. Put the beans in a large bowl, and add enough cold water to cover them by about 2 in/5 cm. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic, onion, and sage for 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Rinse the beans and put them in the slow cooker. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker insert, and stir in the broth. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the beans are tender.
Season the beans with salt and pepper and serve.
Sauces and condiments are a nice backup for you to have in your culinary repertoire. They add color, texture, spice, and zest to many dishes. And the slow cooker cooks them low and slow in large quantities, so that you can save some for another day. Most can be refrigerated for a few days, others can actually be frozen and kept on hand for emergencies. Best of all, when served alongside your Mediterranean dishes, they bring the flavors together, balancing sweet, salty, tart, and smoky.