Four-helpings-worthy!

Yep, FOUR helpings. And this from the kid who doesn't like pasta or sandwiches... That is an indication of success, and when coupled with the fact that everyone else around the table liked it too, it is enough to send the average home chef into a celebratory post-dinner stupor that merits another glass of wine, and maybe some of that leftover Christmas chocolate that she cunningly hid in the back of a cupboard containing stuff that the kids would never ever even try to access. Oh yes.

The dish in question is indeed pretty tasty, and is easy too (what a combo), being another slow-cooker dish. I accompanied it with some sautéed kale and some soft creamy polenta. I confess that the child in question did eschew the polenta (how can you NOT like polenta, particularly when it has parmesan in it?!), but you can't have everything. The recipe came from Judith Finlayson's The Vegetarian Slow Cooker, with the polenta side one that I have already blogged about here. The woman is a goddess.

Given that we needed quite a quantity of this dinner to feed the five (thousand) around our dinner table, I've doubled the quantities of this recipe, which left us with enough for two packed lunch portions today. If you have normal family members (as Judith clearly does), a smaller family, or smaller family members, then you might want to halve the quantities listed below.

 

 

Cheesy Fennel and Leek Bake

Serves 6 huge appetites

 

olive oil

4 bulbs fennel, leafy stems discarded, cored and sliced

6 leeks, halved and cut into 1/2" slices

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tsp dried Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

1 28oz can diced tomatoes in juice

2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

 

1. In a skillet heat some olive oil over medium high heat and sauté fennel in batches until lightly brown (about 5 minutes per batch). Transfer batches to slow cooker stoneware.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add more oil to pan if necessary. Saute leeks until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a further minute. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to the boil. Transfer to slow cooker and mix together with fennel.

3. Cook on LOW for 6 hours (or HIGH for 3 hours). Stir in cheese, cover and cook for a further 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.