I’ll make this short for all of you who, like myself, are trying to fit 25 hours of living into a 24-hour day. First, if you don’t have a slow cooker, buy one. Don’t be afraid to leave the house with it on and don’t attempt to make anything fancy in it. The slow cooker can do a lot, but it doesn’t make pretty food. Stephanie O’Dea has a great slow cooker blog and now a companion cookbook, where I found this recipe. It’s the “working mom” version of one of my childhood favorites — my German great-grandmother’s stroganoff. It would be best served on her homemade spaetzle, but good-quality egg noodles are a fine substitute.

The strawberry bread is perfect for using up the last of the great strawberries of the season. It can be made ahead and lasts for several days, covered, at room temperature. It can also be wrapped tightly in wax paper, then plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for a few months. Like banana bread, this strawberry bread is healthy enough to eat for breakfast but tasty enough to eat as dessert.

Creamy Slow Cooker Stroganoff
adapted from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking by Stephanie O’Dea

Serves 6

2 lb (900 g) beef stew meat
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, diced
8 oz (225 g) mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml) broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence or thyme
4 oz (110 g) cream cheese, diced
egg noodles, for serving

Put the meat into the slow cooker (frozen is fine). Add the butter, milk, Worcestershire sauce, onion, mushrooms, broth, salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, or until the meat is tender. Stir in the cream cheese and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese is fully incorporated into the sauce. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if necessary. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

***

Strawberry Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1 lb (450 g, or about 4 cups) sliced strawberries
1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
2 1/8 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (125 g) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup (120 ml) applesauce
4 eggs, beaten lightly
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups (125 g) chopped toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour two 5 x 9 inch loaf pans.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and strawberries; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the strawberry and sugar mixture. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, then fold in the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the loaves on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and continue cooling on rack. Serve at room temperature.

Sometimes I’ll try a new recipe and find myself shocked that it isn’t already part of my regular recipe rotation. You know the ones — quick, easy, cheap. This is one of those recipes. In the time it takes to preheat your grill, you can make a fabulously fresh-tasting paste of fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic to top the chicken. Serve the chicken with already cooked slow cooker baked potatoes (another I-can’t-believe-how-easy-this-is preparation) and fresh steamed vegetables for a light but memorable dinner. If you have an extra half hour, you can whip up the equally quick, equally fabulous coconut cake. I knew it was a successful dessert when I noticed my usually sugar-avoiding mother-in-law sneaking slivers of it before dinner the following night.

Grilled Chicken with Gremolata
adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

1/4 cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lb (900 g) skin-on, cut-up chicken (breasts, thighs, and/or legs)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the parsley, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, oregano, thyme, and garlic. Set the gremolata aside.

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill for medium heat. Rub the olive oil over both sides of the chicken. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken over medium heat until it’s just cooked through (10 to 15 minutes for breasts, 15 to 20 minutes for legs/thighs). Transfer the chicken to a platter. Immediately spoon the gremolata over the chicken and serve.

***

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

baking potatoes (as many as your slow cooker can hold)
aluminum foil

Wash the potatoes and prick them with a fork in a few places. Wrap each potato with aluminum foil. Place the wrapped potatoes in your slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook the potatoes on low for 8 to 10 hours.

I gussied these up in the picture above by dicing the cooked potatoes, leaving the skins on, then topping them with melted butter, salt, pepper, and freshly chopped chives.

***

Key Lime Coconut Cake
adapted from Gourmet, March 2008

Serves 8

1 cup (90 g) sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated Key lime zest
2 extra-large eggs
1 3/4 cups (210 g) self-rising flour
3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) plus 1 tablespoon fresh Key lime juice, divided
1 1/4 cup (150 g) confectioner’s (icing) sugar
1 tablespoon rum (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with the rack in the middle. Generously butter a springform cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Toast the coconut in a small baking pan in the oven, stirring once or twice, for 8 to 12 minutes, until it’s golden. Cool. Leave the oven on.

Beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and zest with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Stir together the flour and 1/2 cup coconut (reserve the remainder for the topping). Stir together the milk and 2 tablespoons lime juice. At low speed, mix the flour and milk mixtures into the egg mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake to warm, then turn out of the pan and remove the parchment paper.

Whisk together the confectioners sugar, the remaining 3 tablespoons lime juice, and rum (if using) and pour over the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

I’ve been trying to go back to cookbooks I haven’t used in awhile, so last week I pulled The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall down off the shelf and cassoulet caught my eye. While I wound up using a different version, it ticks a lot of boxes — this one can be made in a slow cooker, is good value (cassoulet is a traditional French peasant dish), is hearty, rib-sticking food for cold nights and makes more than enough for two meals.

This takes more time to pull together than most slow cooker recipes, especially if you use dried beans and then have to boil them, so unless you aren’t in a rush in the mornings, it might be best to make this at the weekend. It would make plenty for Sunday’s dinner and Monday too, and you’ll probably still have enough to stash in the freezer. If you like the idea of a cassoulet but don’t have a slow cooker or don’t have all day to let it cook, you could try Jacques Pépin’s 30-minute version. In his recipe, Hugh F-W suggests serving this with an orange and watercress salad.

Slow Cooker Cassoulet
adapted from Thomas Keller

Serves 8 to 10

In Hugh F-W’s recipe for cassoulet, he adds 1 onion, 2 peeled garlic cloves and 1 bouquet garni to the dried beans when they’re cooking, which is a nice touch if you want to make a little extra effort. And as much as I love bacon, I don’t actually think it’s necessary here — it gets overpowered by the chorizo and all the other flavors. Dare I say it, but next time I’m going to leave it out.

1 lb (450 g) dried Great Northern, cannellini or haricot beans, or 2 x 14-oz (400-g) cans of beans
3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces (you can ask your butcher to do this for you)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz (110 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips (optional; see above)
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 cups (480 ml) dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc (or use stock or water if you prefer not to use alcohol)
1/4 cup (60 ml) tomato paste
1 x 28-oz (or 2 x 400-g) cans whole plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock
1 lb (450 g) fully cooked or smoked chorizo or garlic sausage links, sliced on the diagonal
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
1 cup (100 g) panko or breadcrumbs
a handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
crusty bread, to serve

If you’re using dried beans, soak the beans in plenty of cold water overnight. Drain the beans and put them in a large pot with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch (see above if you want to add some aromatics). Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender but still retain their shape, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, season the pork generously with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan and add the bacon, if using. Cook until crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels but reserve the bacon fat in the pan. Once drained, add to the slow cooker.

Add half of the pork to the pan and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to the slow cooker and repeat with the remaining pork.

Add the onions and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Transfer the onion and wine mixture to the slow cooker, then stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, stock, cooked beans, chorizo and garlic.

Set the cooker to low and cook, covered, until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 hours (though it could be as much as 10 hours). Skim off any fat and remove and discard the garlic. Fold in the panko or breadcrumbs and the parsley. Taste and season as needed.

Let the cassoulet stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and serve with warm crusty bread.

“I have a great idea, Mom.”

“What’s that, Sam?”

“I know, let’s make chocolate muffins. With whipped cream. And sprinkles.”

Some days, folks, that all the encouragement I need to grab the sugar from the cupboard and butter from the fridge. It didn’t hurt that our main course required little more than a few minutes of prep and the able assistance of my (er, Reuben’s) new slow cooker.

Green Chile Pork Tacos

Serves 6

3 lb (1.4 kg) pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
1 x 4-oz (110-g) can diced green chilies
1 x 10-oz (280-g) can Rotel tomatoes (or other diced tomatoes with green chilies)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
corn or flour tortillas
toppings: avocado, salsa, cheese, green onion, cilantro, pickled jalapenos, lime wedges

In a large frying pan, brown the pork cubes in the oil until they just begin to brown. Drain the meat and place into a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients through salt and pepper and cook on low until the pork is tender, about 8 hours. Gently shred the pork with a fork.

Warm the tortillas and serve the pork, taco-style, with desired toppings.

***

Devil’s Food Cupcakes
adapted from Alpineberry

Makes 1 dozen

1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (30 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (don’t use Dutch-processed cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) water
1/3 cup (80 ml) unflavored oil (canola, grapeseed, etc.)
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the wells of a standard muffin pan with paper liners.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and the batter is smooth. Be careful not to overmix.

Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the wells of your muffin pan. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool fully on a wire rack.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
adapted from Magnolia Bakery

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes [Note: I halved recipe for 1 dozen cupcakes]

1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups (720 g to 960 g) confectioners’ sugar (a.k.a. icing sugar)
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups (480 g) of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup (120 g) at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled. Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Kristin brilliantly thought to add a slow cooker category to our site. Slow cookers really can be a working mom’s best friend. This stracoto (fancy word for pot roast) is my favorite slow cooker recipe. I’ve made it in the oven as per the original recipe, but actually prefer my adaptation in the slow cooker, which results in a moister piece of meat. It’s awfully hard to dry out a piece of meat, or anything else for that matter, in a slow cooker. Reuben must have liked the dinner, since he added this programmable slow cooker to his Amazon wish list within a few hours of finishing it.

Don’t forget to enter our first cookbook giveaway contest. Entries are due tomorrow. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment in Kristin’s October 26 post.

Slow Cooker Stracoto with Porcini Mushrooms and Carrots
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network

Serves 6

1 x 4 lb (1.8 kg) boneless beef chuck roast or arm roast
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine
1 3/4 cups (420 ml) canned beef broth
1/2 oz (15 g) dried porcini mushrooms
1 bunch carrots, peeled and halved if large, and cut into 3-inch pieces
egg noodles or mashed potatoes, to serve

Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over a medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total cooking time. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, add the onions and saute until tender, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Bring the liquid to a boil. Carefully pour the liquid into the slow cooker. Add the carrots. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat and carrots are tender.

Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots to a serving bowl. Tent the beef with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off the top of the sauce in the slow cooker. Using a hand-held blender, blend the sauce, onions, and garlic into a smooth puree. (If you don’t have a hand-held blender, transfer the sauce and vegetables to a blender and puree.) Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut the beef across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the sliced beef on a platter and spoon the sauce over. Serve with egg noodles or mashed potatoes, passing the remaining sauce in a sauce boat.

I have a friend who used to work in the famous Bewley’s Cafe on Grafton Street in Dublin. She told me once about about the letters they got around this time of year, usually from tourists who had bought a loaf of barm brack in the store to take back home with them. The people writing the letters were concerned that they’d found a ring in their bread, with one person saying they’d had it appraised, and another one joking that they were relieved they hadn’t also found the finger that came with the ring. Most people sent the ring back.

They obviously didn’t know just what they’d bought. Barm brack (or báirín breac in Irish, from báirín, a loaf, and breac, speckled, due to the raisins in it) is a traditional Halloween treat, falling somewhere in between regular bread and cake. What makes it special is the ring and coin that are usually baked into the bread, turning it into a bit of a fortune-telling game: whoever gets the coin will be rich, and whoever gets the ring will be married within the year. Who knows what chances for love those well-meaning tourists sent back?

This is the ring that came in the store-bought barm brack I bought last year (oh, those chubby, dimpled little toddler hands get me every time). But after making my own this year and seeing how quick and easy it is, we’ll only be having homemade brack from now on.

Chicken a la Veracruzana
adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Serves 6

Rick Bayless suggests using 2 lb (900 g) of pork shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes, in place of the chicken. If using pork, he recommends replacing the potatoes with sweet potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes. If using beef, try quartered sweet turnips, cubed carrots or peeled, cubed yuca. Chicken a la Veracruzana can also be used as a soft taco filling — just shred the chicken and stir it into the sauce with the olive and parsley and smash the potatoes into smaller pieces (this is how I served this meal to my kids, with a little grated Cheddar cheese too).

1 lb (450 g) new potatoes (or you could cut 4 medium potatoes into wedges)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 x 28-oz (or 2 x 14-oz/400-g) can diced tomatoes (preferably fire roasted), drained
4 to 6 canned pickled jalapeños, stemmed, deseeded and cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (100 g) coarsely chopped green olives
1/4 cup (loosely packed) (10 g) roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Place the potatoes over the bottom of a slow cooker and put the chicken breasts over the potatoes. In a medium bowl, mix together the drained tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, Worcestershire, thyme, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken. Set the lid in place and cook on high for 6 hours (the dish can hold on the slow cooker’s “keep warm” function for 4 more hours or so).

Carefully transfer a chicken breast and a portion of potatoes to each of 6 dinner plates, leaving as much sauce behind as possible. Mix the olives and parsley into the sauce, then taste and season with more salt if it needs it. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and potatoes and serve.

No slow cooker?
Put the chicken in a medium-large heavy pot, preferably a Dutch oven, and top with the potatoes. Cover with the sauce, set the lid in place and braise at 300°F (150°C) for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the chicken is completely tender. Complete the dish as described above.

***

Barm Brack
adapted from Good Food Channel

Makes 1 loaf

If you want to include the traditional coin and/or ring, wrap them up well in greaseproof paper before adding them to the batter. You’d probably better wash the coin beforehand too. You can also make a yeasted version of barm brack, but you can’t beat this recipe if you want something quick and easy — it takes 10 minutes to make. If you want to elevate brack into a dessert, try this recipe for toffee apples on sugar-glazed barm brack.

3/4 cup (120 g) dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) strong black tea
2 cups (320 g) raisins
2 tablespoons mixed candied peel
1 egg, beaten
2 cups (240 g) flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dissolve the sugar in the tea. Add the raisins and candied peel and leave to soak overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease an 8-inch loaf tin or small round cake tin. Add the beaten egg to the raisins and peel as well as their soaking liquid. Sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir well. Spoon the batter into the tin (add the charms now if you’re using them) and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. This is traditionally served toasted and buttered with a cup of tea.

I’m back at work after a wonderful 16 weeks of maternity leave (probably shockingly short to our non-U.S. readers). Life is hectic now, to say the least. There is less time for sleeping, cleaning, snuggling, and, of course, cooking. Family dinners together are still one of my top priorities though. I’d rather have a messy house than skip the half-hour table time with my husband and little ones. So, in an attempt to protect our family dinnertime, I’ve taken my Crock-Pot out of storage. I have a feeling I may need to clear a permanent space on the kitchen counter for it.

Beans are one of my favorite dishes to make in a Crock-Pot. Unlike a lot of other ingredients that tend to dissolve in the slow cooker, the texture of beans doesn’t suffer much after a full day of slow cooking. Since Reuben took care of the beans in the morning, dinner was a cinch to put together. I even had enough to energy to bake a cake when he mentioned that he “could go for some cake” after we finished our burritos. Thank you to my friend Lucinda for this bars/snack cake recipe. It’s quick and easy enough to throw together after dinner and I almost always have the ingredients in my house. Kristin also pointed out that this cake would be a great way to celebrate Apple Day, which is today.

Eight-layer Burritos with Slow Cooker Black Beans

Serves 6

1 lb (450 g) dry black beans, rinsed and picked over
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
8 cups (2 liters) water
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
salt
12 flour tortillas
2 to 3 cups (200 g to 300 g) cooked rice (white or brown)
toppings: shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, salsa, sour cream, avocado, diced tomatoes, julienned bell pepper

Combine the beans, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, water and bacon (if using) in a slow cooker. Cook on the low setting for 7 to 9 hours, until the beans are tender. Add salt to the cooked beans to taste, usually 1 to 2 teaspoons.

Toast the tortillas over an open flame on a gas burner for 10 to 20 seconds on each side. If you don’t have a gas stove, warm on a baking sheet in a preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Fill each tortilla with rice, beans and toppings, to taste.

***

Apple Bars

from allrecipes.com

Makes 16 bars

1/2 cup (110 g) butter, melted
1 cup (200 g) white sugar
1 egg
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (110 g) apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
1 cup (100 g) chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour an 8 x 8-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with the sugar and egg. Mix in the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, and then stir in the apple and walnuts. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a small knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Depending on who you ask, we have been blessed or cursed with an early fall here in Wisconsin. The air is crisp but the sky is still blue and sunny. I usually love fall, not for the leaves or cooler weather, but for the return to school when I was younger, the start of field hockey season when I played it, and the presence of hearty vegetables and fruits in the market after I learned to cook. I’m actually dreading this fall though, since I return to work after a wonderful summer of maternity leave with my new daughter, Anabelle. While I still have the chance, I’m going to spend September baking cakes, simmering soups, and slow cooking meats. October (and my return to work) will come soon enough.

Today’s menu is in honor of the cooler weather and the basketball-sized head of red cabbage in last week’s CSA delivery. In my adaptation of Bon Appétit’s version of pork chops and red cabbage, I cooked the cabbage in my Crock-Pot instead of on the stove for an hour. Not having to watch an open flame frees up your day considerably. The apple cake was made the day before and actually improved after sitting at room temperature for 24 hours. The cake was wonderful after dinner but would be just as good for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea. The patty pan squash recipe is a repeat from last month’s Crusty Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce post.

Pork Chops with Red Cabbage
adapted from Bon Appétit, February 1995

for the cabbage:
1 tablespoon olive oil (only needed if making on the stove top, not in a slow cooker)
1 small head red cabbage or 1/2 large head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the pork:
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 x 5-oz (140-g) 1/2-inch-thick, bone-in pork chops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/3 cup (80 ml) chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For the cabbage, combine the cabbage, onion, garlic, salt and oregano in a slow cooker. Cook on high for about 4 hours, until the cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally. (If you don’t have a slow cooker, follow the original recipe: heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over a medium heat. Add the cabbage, onion, garlic, salt and oregano and cook until cabbage and onion are tender, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes.) Stir the balsamic vinegar into the cooked cabbage and season to taste with salt and pepper. (This can be prepared up to 3 hours ahead. Cover skillet/slow cooker and let stand at room temperature. Bring to a simmer before continuing with recipe.)

For the pork, heat the oil in another heavy large skillet over a medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and rub with the oregano and sage. Add the pork chops to the skillet and fry until cooked through, turning once, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the cabbage to a platter. Place the pork chops atop the cabbage. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar to the skillet. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the sauce over the pork and serve.

***

Mom’s Apple Cake
from Smitten Kitchen

6 apples (Note: I used 7 small Early Goldens)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups (330 g) flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
2 cups (400 g) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop the apples into chunks. Toss with the cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, orange juice and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Spread half the apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. (Note: I baked my cake a full 1 1/2 hours and it was a bit overcooked, even though the tester still didn’t appear to be clean.)

My husband and I were browsing Time’s fascinating photo essay, What the World Eats, Part 1 and Part 2 yesterday. The differences in food costs, food variety, and presence of packaged foods is remarkable. In many parts of the world, dried legumes and grains are the backbone of daily eating, yet unfortunately, here in America, these items are rarely prepared by your average middle-class family.

If you become a regular visitor to our website, you will see that I frequently serve beans and rice. Not only are these items a complete protein when eaten together, containing all necessary amino acids, but they also serve as a very economical base to a meal; rice and beans for a family of four costs about $2.00. I also love that I can put the rice and beans on to cook before I leave for work (rice in our programmable rice cooker and beans in a slow cooker). With the addition of a few fresh, chopped vegetables or other accompaniments, dinner can be on the table in a matter of minutes. This menu takes a bit longer, as the ceviche must marinate for at least 1 hour, but it is a good example of what you can do with rice and beans as a starting point.

Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro and Green Chile
adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Serves 4

3/4 lb (340 g) raw shrimp
1/2 lb (225 g) raw squid, cleaned, with tentacles separated and “body” cut into 1/4-inch rings
1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves
1 cup (about 30 g) loosely packed cilantro, roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 jalapeno, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 avocado, flesh scooped from the skin, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into medium dice
1 head Boston/butterhead lettuce or 8 large leaves red or green leaf lettuce
2 green onions, sliced diagonally

Simmer the shrimp in boiling well-salted water until just cooked, about 2 minutes. Drain, then chill. Repeat with squid, simmering 20 to 30 minutes, until tender, then draining. Peel and chop the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces.

Put lime juice, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno and salt into a food processor and blend till smooth. Pour over the seafood in a bowl. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours, depending on your taste. When done, pour off half the marinade. Add the avocado, cucumber and salt, if needed. Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Scoop a portion of the ceviche into the center of each arrangement. Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

***

Slow Cooker Black Beans

1 lb (450 g) dried black beans
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon good-quality chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried epazote or oregano
6 cups (1.5 l) water
salt

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the beans are tender. Season to taste with salt (usually about 1 teaspoon).