IT'S SLOWCOOKER TIME (673 views)

No, it's not slow cooker time. I refuse to take out the slow cooker just yet. I grill for as long as I can. I will revisit this thread when it's time.

I have the AC on all summer, so the kitchen never gets hot. I just prefer grilled food as long as I can enjoy it. There is a season for everything.

This one comes from Slow Cooker Revolution, which is my all time favorite slow cooker cookbook.  I don't think I have had a bomb yeet.


Black Bean Soup


3 onions -- minced
6 garlic cloves -- minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 pound dried black beans
3 stalks celery -- minced
2 carrots -- minced
2 bay leaves
1 ham bone
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Microwave onions, garlic, oil and chili powder in a bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir water, broth, beans, celery, carrots and bay leaves into slow cooker. Nestle ham bone in. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

Transfer ham bone to cutting board, let cool slightly and shred meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding bone. Let soup settle for 5 minutes and then remove fat from the surface using a slotted spoon. Discard bay leaves.

Transfer 1 cup of beans to a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Stir shredded ham and mashed beans back into soup and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Admittedly, I am giggling a bit at the "no, it's not slow cooker time yet" posts.
In addition to being The Antiplanner, I was also the rare bird on the CLBB who rarely uses a slow cooker. Mine is a tiny model I purchased around 1980 when I was single and I'd come home from work on a late night, tired and hungry. These days it's relegated to the back of a cabinet and rarely sees the light of day. I've just never had the urge to replace it with a newer, larger model. On the other hand, I will readily admit that it was a Godsend when the kitchen was remodeled and I was making lovely meals on the floor of the dining room with only my tiny crockpot, a toaster oven and an electric wok (a wedding gift; something I never would've purchased for myself.) So I keep it. Besides, we're due for another kitchen remodel and it may come in handy.

So why am I even on this thread? Hey, I've found some good recipes in slow-cooker threads. I just don't cook them in a slow cooker.

Here is a recipe which was extremely popular on CLBB around 2002, shared by member Wendy w



Merlot Pot Roast with Horseradish Smashed Potatoes
Prepare the smashed potatoes as soon as the beef is tender; the meat can continue to cook until they're ready.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings


1 tied fat-trimmed boned beef chuck roast (3 to 3 1/2 lb.)
Fresh-ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
3 carrots (about 1/4 lb. each), rinsed and peeled
1 onion (1/2 lb.), peeled and chopped
2/3 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 dried bay leaf
1 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
1/3 cup canned tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Horseradish smashed potatoes
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 to 2 cups watercress sprigs, rinsed and crisped (optional)
Salt

Preparation

1. Rinse beef, pat dry, and sprinkle generously all over with fresh-ground pepper. Melt butter in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat. When hot, add beef and brown well on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total.

2. Meanwhile, cut carrots into sticks about 3/8 inch thick and 2 inches long. In a 4 1/2-quart or larger electric slow-cooker, combine carrots, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Set beef on vegetables; add drippings. In a small bowl, mix wine and tomato paste; pour over meat and vegetables.

3. Cover and cook until beef is very tender when pierced, 8 to 9 hours on low, 5 to 6 hours on high. If possible, turn meat over halfway through cooking.

4. With 2 slotted spoons, transfer meat to a platter; keep warm. Skim and discard any fat from cooking liquid. Turn cooker to high. In a small bowl, blend cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons water; pour into cooker and stir often until sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

5. With a slotted spoon, lift vegetables from cooker and arrange beside meat. Spoon horseradish smashed potatoes onto platter; sprinkle with parsley. Garnish platter with watercress. Spoon sauce over meat. Slice meat and serve with vegetables, potatoes, and sauce, adding salt to taste.


Horseradish Smashed Potatoes

Yield: Makes 6 to 7 cups (serving size: 6 to 8 servings)

Ingredients

3 to 3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
2 1/2 quarts water
1 to 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or fat-skimmed chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Preparation

Scrub and peel 3 to 3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes; cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Put them in a 4- to 5-quart pan with 2 1/2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes mash easily when pressed, 20 to 25 minutes.

When potatoes are done, heat 1 to 1 1/2 cups half-and-half (light cream) or fat-skimmed chicken broth with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine in a microwave-safe container in a microwave oven at full power (100%) just until steaming (don't boil), 1 to 3 minutes. Or warm in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan over medium heat.

While cream heats, drain potatoes and mash in pan with a mixer or potato masher until almost smooth. Add cream, a portion at a time, and mix until potatoes have the consistency desired. Stir in salt, pepper, and 1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish to taste. Mound beside Merlot pot roast or scrape into a bowl.

(From: Sunset Magazine)