Dust off your slow cookers...

Yep, fall is apparently on the way, and despite the fact that we are still reeling (and, Ill admit, sweating just a tad) in 80+ temps in my adopted home, according to family back in Blighty, they are already getting soaking in rain and bringing out the wellies (rain boots, if you must). To be fair, I never allow my slow cooker to gather dust, and it gets quite a bit of use in summer as well as in winter. However, I know a lot of you will have stashed it away for a spell, so grab a swiffer, wipe the poor neglected thing off, and get cooking. Apart from anything else, now that the kids are back in school, it means that dinner will already be bubbling away so that you can spend some quality time overseeing homework later on.... come to think of it, that might not be a motivating factor....

This particular recipe came from my desire to recapture that teriyaki yumminess on my tastebuds after a recent trip to Hawaii, where Teriyaki everything seems even more ubiquitous than Starbucks is here. I've also included a side which should be tried if for no other reason than it is green rice, so that's pretty cool :-)

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin
Serves 6
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

2 TBSP olive oil
2 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 fresh red chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBSP cornstarch (cornflour)
6 TBSP finely sliced green onions/spring onions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the tenderloins and brown on all sides (about 10 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, mix together the teriyaki sauce, broth, brown sugar, chiles, garlic, onion and black pepper in a bowl.
3. Once the tenderloins are browned, put them in the slow cooker stoneware. Pour over the sauce mixture.
4. Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
5. Remove the tenderloins from the sauce and tent them with foil on a chopped board for 5 minutes. Then slice into 1/2" thick slices and put on serving platter.
6. Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a small saucepan. Take out about 2 TBSP of the liquid from the sauce and mix it with 1 TBSP of cornstarch (cornflour) in a small bowl. Add mixture back to the sauce and bring to the boil. Allow it to simmer until it thickens to the desired consistency (should be pourable, but thick enough to coat the meat).
7. Pour some of the sauce over the meat on the platter to serve, then serve the remaining sauce in a pitcher, to be poured at the table.
8. Sprinkle green onions over meat to serve.


Cilantro Rice
Serves 8
Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

3 TBSP olive oil
2 1/2 cups jasmine rice
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves
1 bunch cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 quart reduced-sodium chicken broth/stock
1/2 tsp salt

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and cook, stirring, until the rice starts to turn golden in spots (about 8 minutes). Stir in the onion and continue to cook (stirring), until the onion turns translucent (a further 4 minutes or so).
2. Remove the stem ends from the cilantro, and place the leaves and remaining stems into a food processor with the onion, 2 cups of the broth, and the salt. Process until smooth. Pour over the rice and onion mixture, and stir in the remaining broth.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed (15-20 minutes).