Rainy Days With the Crockpot

posted September 6, 2006
  by Pamela Chester, The Savvy Slow Cooker

With the impending change in weather to chilly and rainy days, one can almost feel autumn just around the corner. Although I am never happy to see the summer go, I do welcome the time when I can once again cook in my kitchen for hours without worrying about heating up the whole place. The availability of fresh produce at the farmer’s market is also at its peak around this time of year, and that provides additional inspiration for seasonal cooking. While some may see this time of year as back-to-school season, and others as the beginning of football season, I see it as the official start of the cooking season. I look forward to cooking more complicated meals with heartier ingredients.

Because the rain has kept me stuck inside a little more often lately, I have begun to think about all kinds of cooking projects, my usual choice of activity to while away a rainy day. With nothing but showers (and a few tropical storms) in the forecast, I am going to stock up on some essential ingredients. As long as the power stays on, I will be cooking!

This is the perfect time to get your slow cooker out since it is the ideal tool to create the “stick to your ribs dishes” such as stews and pot roast, the kind of food that damp and stormy weather demands. This past weekend, I decided that lamb stew would be in order. I started with a very basic recipe that involved seasoning and coating the cubed lamb with flour, sautéing it in a little bit of olive oil and adding the meat to the slow cooker with some chopped carrots, onions, celery, red potatoes, and thyme. At this point I decided to get a little creative so I added a half pound of trimmed frozen artichoke hearts, and a handful of dried cherries for good measure. Dried fruits always seem to match well with savory cuts of meat. I covered the mixture with chicken stock, turned the cooker on a low and then after a few hours and after readjusting the seasoning, the lamb stew was ready.

The results were very satisfying and a small investment of time really paid off! Along with some freshly made couscous, we had dinner for Sunday night with leftovers to eat during the week. One of the great things about slow cooking is that you can add enough ingredients to make more than one meal. I find that it almost always tastes better one day later! It is also useful if, like many families, you have members who are on different schedules who eat at different times of the day. If you are stuck indoors with stormy weather, one of the most reassuring things to know is that you can always turn to slow cooking as a creative and fun way to pass the time. So during this indecisive late summer weather, stay warm, safe, and dry inside with a nice hearty meal and some good company!

Lamb Stew Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 6
Ready in: > 5 hrs

* 2 pounds lamb, cubed
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/4 cup flour
* 2 cups water
* 3/4 cup red cooking wine
* 1/4 teaspoon powdered garlic
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 6 medium carrots, sliced
* 4 small onions, quartered
* 4 ribs celery, sliced
* 3 medium potatoes, unpeeled, diced

Sprinkle lamb with sugar. Brown in oil in skillet.

Remove lamb and place in a slow cooker (4 quart size), reserving drippings. Stir salt, pepper, and flour into drippings until smooth. Stir in water and wine until smooth, stirring until broth simmers and thickens.

Pour into cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.

Cover. Cook on Low 8­ to 10 hours.

Basic Nutritional Values: Calories 388 (Calories from Fat 116), Total Fat 13 gm (Saturated Fat 3.2 gm, Polyunsat Fat 2.3 gm, Monounsat Fat 5.9 gm, Cholesterol 98 mg), Sodium 943 mg,Total Carbohydrate 32 gm, Dietary Fiber 5 gm, Sugars 9 gm, Protein 35 gm

©2008 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction of this article may be made without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.



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