Heading East

Having just typed that title, I'm now thinking that it would probably be quicker for me to head west to get to Thailand (or thereabouts), but there you go. Mercator projection has ruined my sense of the earth's spherical reality. Yes, we are going Thai-style with this blog post, and as usual, please note the disclaimer-esque use of the appendage '-style'  - I make no claims for the authenticity or the Thai-ness of this dish. However, the use of peanuts in the sauce did remind me of satay, so there you go.

The original recipe came from my imaginary best friend Judith Finlayson. No, she isn't imaginary. I assume she does exist somewhere (probably in a kitchen, standing next to a bubbling slow cooker). However, I have sadly never met her. If I ever do, I will probably become a blubbering mess and say something stupid, rather than what I really should say, which is "Thank you - my family need not starve because of your wonderful slow-cooker books". Instead I will no doubt say something more like, "Gulp, blub, mumble, I love you, blub, mumble snort". It's probably a good job I don't get out much.

You've probably gathered by now that this gem is another slow cooker hit, which takes a bare minimum of prep time before slowly cooking away all day, and making the kitchen smell decidedly yummy. All it needs to serve is a bowl of steaming jasmine rice, or some noodles. And in case you're wondering, the sauce is not spicy-hot, but rather spicy-flavorful. My kids all lapped this up, then begged for more :-)

Mixed Vegetables in Spicy Peanut Sauce
adapted from The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson
Serves 6

canola oil
2 onions, finely chopped
6 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups total)
4 stalks celery, diced (about 2 cups)
2 TBSP ginger root, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups frozen sliced green beans
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP maple syrup
2 tsp Thai red curry paste
4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Heat some canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions, carrots and celery for about 7 minutes until softened. Add ginger, garlic and pepper and cook for a further minute, stirring. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
2. Add vegetable broth and green beans to slow cooker and stir together. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or HIGH for 3 hours, by which time the vegetables should be tender.
3. In a bowl, beat together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup and red curry paste with a whisk until combined. Add to the slow cooker with the shredded cabbage and stir well so that all the vegetables are submerged in the liquid.
4. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on high until heated through.
5. Stir in bean sprouts, and serve over rice with a sprinkle of green onions and peanuts on the top.

New tactics

Greetings again from the frozen wastes of our downstairs, where the furnace is still not fixed. Actually, full disclosure: at time of writing, we have just got it fixed, and my toes are decidedly more toasty than they have been for some time. Why tomorrow, I may even only wear one pair of socks. However, another day came and went without heating, so I tried new tactics for heating our downstairs - the slow cooker.

Now, you know how much I love my slow cooker, but this was a new task for it, warming up a frigid kitchen. I have to say, that it wasn't really up to the task - standing close to it, with hands cupped around its bubbling fragrant cauldron gave some relief to the fingertips, but that was about it. However, since the slow cooker was designed to cook delicious food, we should probably not judge it too harshly, particularly, since it certainly succeeded in that regard.

This recipe came originally from a book called Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook produced by the American Heart Association. As a responsible parent, trying to instill healthy eating habits in my children (no, that is definitely not a large basket of chocolate easter eggs on the counter behind me...nope, definitely not), I bought this book, and have had mixed results. Several of the recipes I have tried have needed significant 'tweaking' to make them less bland. I have never understood why healthy food often equates with bland food. There really is no need for that, and it gives healthy food a bad name. I may have to redeem this book after trying out this gem though, as it was delicious.

The only major tweak I made was substituting butternut squash for sweet potato, as the latter are not popular in our house, however healthy they may be. If you are a fan of the yam/sweet potato, then feel free to substitute back and enjoy. I changed the seasonings a touch, reducing the amount of chipotles in adobo that I used, since I find them very spicy. If you are a heat-lover though, feel free to add some more. And I even reduced the amount of salt in the recipe, since it just didn't feel like it needed that much. Finally, I also added some toppings, namely avocado (healthy) and cheese (OK, not so healthy, but in small quantities, and delicious!). All it needed to complete the meal was some steamed broccoli (healthy :-))

Chicken with Butternut Squash and Black Beans
Serves 6

20oz butternut squash, chopped into 1" cubes
1 1/2 cups of chopped onion
2 15oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 large chicken breast halves, cut into halves, or 6 smaller ones
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup mild salsa
2 TBSP chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt

Toppings
2 avocados, cubed
2 medium limes, cut into wedges
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)

1. In the slow cooker stoneware layer the squash, then the onions, then the beans. Lay the chicken breasts on top.
2. In a bowl, combine the broth, salsa, chipotle peppers, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, allspice and salt. Pour this mixture over the chicken, but do not stir.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours (or HIGH for 3 1/2 - 4 hours), or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Serve sprinkled with avocado, cheese and cilantro, with lime wedges to squeeze over it all.

Grilling for warmth

Our furnace has broken. Now, before you dissolve into floods of sympathy, do remember that we live in California. Nevertheless, as I write this, I'm wearing a fleece jacket, my toes are decidedly icy, and we are even considering lighting a fire tonight. So yesterday evening, the decision to grill outside was made in part so that we could all enjoy the warmth provided by the BBQ!

Whatever the reason, the recipe I tried out was definitely a keeper, even if our cockles were only warmed for a few minutes while it cooked. I am not a huge fan of lamb, but like to dabble occasionally, especially as it seems to be getting more readily available in your average supermarket over here. This recipe was perfect for me, as the burgers are made with a combination of ground lamb and ground beef. In fact, if you wanted to, you could make them with all beef (or all lamb, if you are a lamb lover). It made for a delicious meal with some slow-roasted tomatoes (click here for recipe) and a kale salad (the one here is awesome!) on the side.

Lamb Burgers with Feta-Mint Spread
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine
Serves 5

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
grated rind of one large lemon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
12 oz ground lamb
12 oz lean ground beef

For spread:
3/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yoghurt
6 TBSP crumbled feta cheese
3 TBSP finely chopped fresh mint
3 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 cups baby arugula
5 whole-wheat burger buns, toasted

1. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together gently using your hands.
2. Divide mixture into 5 equal portions, and shape each into a patty the width of the burger buns you have. Mark each with a thumb sized depression in the middle of the patty, which will stop them from shrinking when you grill them.
3. Grill them outside to desired level of doneness (should take about 4 mins each side for medium).
4. Meanwhile combine spread ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside until you are ready to assemble the burgers.
5. Assemble with burgers on toasted buns, topped with 1/5 of the spread and arugula leaves.