Slow-Cooker Meals

One of my favorite memories from my childhood is that of my mother's cooking. I know I write about that a lot – but somehow just by closing my eyes I can smell her tomato sauce cooking in the slow-cooker - and every fiber in body longs to be in her kitchen enjoying a meal, and her company.

When I was very young, I remember coming home to the smell of my mother's home-cooking radiating from every corner of the house as it simmered undisturbed throughout the day, heaving its fragrant aromas into the surrounding air tempting us all to the table – making us yearn for dinnertime.

I remember sneaking into the kitchen upon getting home from school (when everyone else was still at work – or daycare) and dipping chunks of bread into the soup or sauce cooking and savoring the intense flavors, warm and wet on the flesh of the bread.

Now I find myself pulling out my own slow-cooker(s) on a weekly basis (sometimes even two or three times a week depending on my schedule) to recreate some of my mother's recipes that I miss so much, and even to create a few new ones of my own. I hope that someday those recipes (new and old) will linger in the memories of my children calling them home - much the way my mother's still linger in mine.

The great advantage of cooking soups and sauces in the slow cooker, as I have discovered since moving away from home years ago and being forced to rely on my own cooking skills, is that all the flavors have a chance to thoroughly develop and mingle. This technique is particularly well suited for rich and savory soups, with complex spicing, such as this vegetarian stew which I through together a few years ago after enjoying a similar version at a Moroccan cafe in Madison, WI. The original stew, harira, is traditionally made with the addition of lamb, lentils, fine noodles and egg and is often served to break the fast during Ramadan. My version leaves out the meat, eggs and noodles, but I find the simplified version to still be rich with flavor and hearty enough to be the main course for any dinner meal.

Moroccan Vegetable Stew
(Serves 6)
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cups vegetable stock (near boiling)
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
1 large Russet potato, finely diced
1 – 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 – 14.5 oz. can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger root
½ tsp cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste

First, throw together the onion and two in a half cups of the vegetable stock in the ceramic cooking pot of your slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH, cover with the lid, and cook for approximately 1 hour, or until the onions are tender and translucent.

Once the onions are soft, mix together the cinnamon, turmeric, ginger root, and cayenne pepper with two tablespoons of the remaining vegetable stock to form a paste. Add this paste and the carrots, celery, and remaining stock to the slow cooker. Cook for another hour (on high) and then season the broth with salt and pepper to your personal tastes.

Finally, throw in the rest of the vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes and chickpeas) and cook for 4-5 hours (still on high) until all the vegetables are tender. Stir in the coriander and lemon juice at the end, just before serving. Serve piping hot with a hearty chunk of bread. Enjoy!

Per Serving: approximately 339 calories, 15.5 g fiber, 16 g protein and high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Iron

Food for Thought

The problem with the traditional approach to dieting is that it is all about deprivation. It is impossible to stick with them because of the constant “can’t can’t can’t.” It ends up making you feel worse about yourself (as opposed to better) and you soon fall back into old patterns because, while they may not be healthy, they are comforting (and often easy). So, how can you ditch those bad habits (e.g., snacking when bored) without faltering? There is a trick! Turn dieting into a festival of opportunities. Make it about discovering new foods, new flavors, and new techniques. Try out new recipes, ones that you can and should eat and challenge yourself to try new ingredients, or old ingredients in new ways. And finally, once a week, CHEAT! If you allow yourself that small reward you’ll be less likely to binge (in both high quantities and high frequencies) on those guilty pleasures you just can’t resist.

If you have a favorite dish that you just can’t give up, try revamping it into a healthier version that you can feel less guilty about indulging. For me, one of those irresistible dishes is Eggs Benedict (eggs smothered in a rich hollandaise sauce over ham and English muffins). So when I came across this healthier version of my favorite breakfast in Good Housekeeping magazine I was so excited to test it out. All in all it was a very appetizing alternative to the traditional dish. While the sauce was not an ideal alternative to the hollandaise it still had a rich buttery flavor that complemented the lighter recipe. While this recipe itself still isn’t the healthiest breakfast option out there, it does pack some great nutrients and bright flavors into an otherwise heavy cream dish.

Spinach Eggs Benedict with Lemon Butter Sauce
(Makes 4 servings)

4 slices low-sodium ham
1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
8 large eggs
4 whole wheat English muffins
9 oz. baby spinach

For Sauce:
1 lemon
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk, warmed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a tea kettle (or saucepan if no tea kettle is available) with water and heat to boiling on high.

Meanwhile, you can begin preparing the sauce. From the lemon, grate 1/2 tsp. of the rind and squeeze 2 tbsp. of juice and set both aside.

In a 1-quart saucepan melt the butter on low. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then, with wire whisk, gradually add in milk. Cook on medium, stirring until sauce thickens and boils. Once the sauce has reached a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, still stirring, for 5 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the lemon rind and juice, a pinch of salt and approximately 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Set the sauce aside but keep it warm. This recipe will yield about 1 cup sauce (about 1/4 cup per serving).

Halve the ham slices and heat them in the bottom of a 12-inch skillet on medium for approximately 5 minutes, turning once. Remove them from the skillet but keep them warm.

To the same skillet, add vinegar and approximately 1 1/2 inches of boiling water. Break 1 egg into a small cup and then hold the cup at the water’s surface to slip in the egg gently. Repeat this with 3 more eggs and cook them for 3-5 minutes or until the whites are set.

With a slotted spoon transfer the eggs onto a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat this step with the 4 remaining eggs.

While the eggs are cooking, toast the muffin halves in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Cook the baby spinach in a nonstick pan over medium heat until just wilted. To serve, top each English muffin half with 1 piece of ham, 1/8 of the spinach, 1 egg and 2 tbsp. of sauce. Enjoy!

Per serving: 435 calories, 32 g protein, 5 g fiber