Mar 28, 2009 -
Tonight, make a low-maintenance dinner that you and your family can still get excited about. Here, classic Italian-American meatballs get a modern twist with the help of ingredients such as dark meat turkey, roasted red peppers, and smoky paprika — and the ridiculously convenient slow cooker.
Add this to your favorite pasta for a complete meal.
- 8 Comments
Mar 22, 2009 -
Hand me any soup with dumplings, and I'll devour it; I simply love them that much. Not quite bread, not quite noodle, dumplings are the perfect chewy bite of comfort — especially when served with a myriad of different vegetables.
Aside from the slow cooker doing all the work, and the delectable dumpling aspect, the beauty of this dish is its versatility: substitute zucchini for green beans, or fresh, in-season morels for cremini mushrooms.
- 5 Comments
Mar 15, 2009 -
Make the most of the rest of your weekend by playing hooky and celebrating the luck of the Irish rather than laboring over a Sunday meal.
Using cooked pork sausage not only cuts down on your meat prep time, but it also provides a satisfyingly smoky depth to the other elements of the stew, such as carrots, cabbage, and chicken broth.
As an added bonus, the bold spices of the sausage pair really nicely with any full-bodied beer.
- 4 Comments
Mar 08, 2009 -
If you're looking to get into the St. Patty's Day spirit with a hearty Irish dinner, you're in luck: There's no easier way than to make this rustic Irish lamb stew. Not only does it require little to no preparation work, but you can also step away from the stew as it cooks low and slow in a crock pot.
- 4 Comments
Mar 01, 2009 -
If you're in search of a dramatically different recipe for dinner this Winter, take a stab at Welsh rarebit, a classic British dish made of bread topped with a melted cheese mixture.
This contemporary rendition not only makes use of a low-maintenance crockpot, but also incorporates bacon and chicken to add flavor and substance. To get the crowd-pleasing recipe, read more
- 9 Comments
Feb 22, 2009 -
Looking for a low-key Sunday night meal? Look no further than tender, slow-cooked red bell peppers, stuffed with a Greek-inspired filling of fiber-rich cannellini beans, crumbled feta cheese, scallions, and herbed couscous.
Like many Mediterranean specialties, this meal is satisfyingly hearty, yet light and nutritious at the same time.
- 7 Comments
Feb 15, 2009 -
After a weekend of opulence and seduction, perhaps you're craving a return to the simplicity of Winter basics. For that, turn to a stew that's soothing yet also a refreshing departure from, say, mother's pot roast.
This turkey stew, with its cumin, allspice, and dried fruits, is the ideal dinner for a casual Sunday evening.
- 5 Comments
Feb 08, 2009 -
I like to think of this meal of warm, creamy polenta with ground beef and vegetables as comfort food on its best behavior. The soothing texture of polenta is everything your body craves in Winter, but, unlike so many other carbo-licious foods, the ground beef and stewed vegetables are actually wholesome and nutritious. When I make it for dinner tonight, I'll be stirring in some sun-dried tomatoes and my favorite Italian pesto.
- 7 Comments
Feb 01, 2009 -
Got guests over watching the Super Bowl this weekend? You can employ the help of a low-maintenance slow cooker during the game yet still impress your party with cassoulet. One of the benchmarks of classic French cooking, it's characterized by a copious mélange of grand meats, from duck confit to fine sausages.
- 5 Comments
Jan 25, 2009 -
This weekend, I'm hosting a book club in my home, and a few of the attendees are vegetarians. I was torn about what to make for them, but I think I've been sold by this luscious black bean soup. It's tinged with the smoky aromas of chipotle peppers and cumin, and I'm excited that I won't have to worry about frantically making it before the event, since my slow cooker's got it covered!
- 11 Comments