Ready and Waiting

good food fast

Ready and Waiting

Slow-cooked food in a “Good Food Fast” column? No, it’s not a mistake. Today’s slow cookers are not like the crockpots your mom or grandmother rushed out to buy when this hot appliance hit the shelves in the early 1970s. Today some come with switches that automatically turn the heat down at a preset time. Some have inserts that can be used on the stovetop for browning meat or sautéing other ingredients before hand. Still others (above) have inserts pretty enough to go from the slow cooker straight to the table. What could be better than dishes that virtually cook themselves. Assemble the ingredients, toss in the slow cooker, then off you go to work or play. When you come home, dinner or dessert will be ready and waiting.

Chicken in Tomato-Peanut Sauce

Serve over basmati rice.

Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
1/4 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup canned lower sodium chicken broth
Chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts
Instructions
1. Dredge chicken in bread crumbs. In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a medium-size slow cooker.
2. Add onion and bell pepper to skillet; cook 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, peanut butter, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, red pepper and broth. Spoon over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve with peanuts and cilantro. Serves 6.

By Jean Kressy, "Good Food Fast," March 2006
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 354 calories, 22g fat, 22g prot., 19g carbs., 3g fiber, 848mg sodium.

Orange Rice Pudding with Golden Raisins

Ingredients
4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup uncooked medium-grain rice
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
1. Combine milk, sugar and rice in a medium slow cooker. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, on high for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until creamy. Pudding will thicken as it cools. Stir in raisins and orange rind. Before serving, sprinkle with a dusting of nutmeg. Serves 8 (about 4 cups total).

By Jean Kressy, "Good Food Fast," March 2006
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 162 calories, 3g fat, 5g prot., 30g carbs., 0.5g fiber, 64mg sodium.

White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard and Gruyère Croutons

Ingredients
1 pound dried Great Northern or cannellini beans
1 cup chopped fennel
3 large leeks, thinly sliced
1 (12-ounce) ham hock
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
7 cups water
3 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard
14 slices baguette (8 ounces)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
1. Place beans, fennel, leeks, ham hock and pepper in a large slow cooker. Add 7 cups water. Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or until beans are soft. Add another cup of water if needed.
2. If desired, mash some of beans with a potato masher to make a creamy consistency. Stir in chard and cook another 15 minutes.
3. Remove ham hock. Strip lean meat from hock and place in beans.
4. To prepare croutons, arrange cheese over bread. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Ladle into bowls and top with croutons. Serves 7.

By Jean Kressy, "Good Food Fast," March 2006
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 470 calories, 13g fat, 30 prot., 62g carbs, 17g fiber, 380mg sodium.

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