The Everything Kosher Slow Cooker Cookbook (22 page)

Ginger-Lime Salmon

The slow cooker does all the work in this recipe, creating a healthy yet impressive dish that requires virtually no hands-on time.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12

1 (3-pound) salmon fillet, bones removed

¹
⁄
₄
cup minced fresh ginger

¹
⁄
₄
cup lime juice

1 lime, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

Cracked!

Before each use, check your slow cooker for cracks. Even small cracks in the glaze can allow bacteria to grow in the ceramic insert. If there are cracks, replace the insert or the entire slow cooker.

1. Place the salmon skin side down in a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker. Pour the ginger and lime juice over the fish. Arrange the lime slices and then the onion in single layers over the fish.
   
2. Cook on low for 3–4 hours or until the fish is fully cooked and flaky. Remove the skin before serving.
   

Halibut in White Wine Sauce

You can omit the wine in the sauce and replace it with more evaporated milk. Then, when you taste the sauce for seasoning before you pour it over the fish, whisk in a little white wine vinegar and mayonnaise.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4

Nonstick spray

2 (12-ounce) packages frozen halibut fillets, thawed

¹
⁄
₄
cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon sea salt

¹
⁄
₃
cup dry white wine

²∕³ cup evaporated milk

Fresh dill (optional)

Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Treat the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray. Rinse the halibut and pat dry with paper towels. Place them in the slow cooker.
   
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour, sugar, and salt. When well blended, whisk in the wine and evaporated milk. Cook and stir for 5 minutes (allowing the sauce to boil for at least 1 minute), or until thickened. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt if needed.
   
3. Pour the sauce over the fish. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with fresh dill and lemon wedges if desired.
   

Salmon Loaf

If you’re using saltine crackers, add dill pickles to Salmon Loaf. If you prefer butter style crackers, use sweet pickles. Serve it as you would meatloaf, topped with Creamy Dill Sauce (see sidebar) instead of gravy.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4

2 (7
¹
⁄
₂
-ounce) cans red sockeye salmon, drained, skin removed

¹
⁄
₄
cup crackers, finely crushed

1 small onion, peeled and minced

1 large egg

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons pickles, finely minced (optional)

Creamy Dill Sauce

Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Whisk in 1 tablespoon flour,
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon sea salt, and
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk and 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute; lower heat and simmer and stir until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Serve over the Salmon Loaf.

1. In a large bowl, add the salmon, crackers, onion, egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, dill, pepper, and pickles, if using. Gently mix with a fork until evenly combined.
   
2. Place two long pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil across each other in the insert of the slow cooker. Press into the insert and top with a piece of nonstick foil shaped to hold the salmon loaf. Use your hands to shape the salmon loaf and place it on top of the nonstick foil.
   
3. Cover the slow cooker, tucking the ends of the heavy-duty foil under lid. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or on high for 3–4 hours or until the salmon loaf is cooked through and set.
   
4. Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and let the salmon loaf stand for 15 minutes. Use the heavy-duty foil as handles to lift the loaf out of the slow cooker.
   
5. Transfer the loaf to a serving plate. Slice and serve with Creamy Dill Sauce if desired.
   

Asian-Style Mahi-Mahi

This recipe works well with any thick cut of fish like halibut or salmon.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4

4 tablespoons (
¹
⁄
₂
stick) unsalted butter, divided

1 medium onion, thinly sliced into rings

4 portions mahi-mahi fillets (about 1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds total)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons white wine

2 cups cooked white or brown rice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnish

1. Grease the bottom of a 4- or 6-quart slow cooker with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Separate and scatter onion rings in cooker. Arrange mahi-mahi fillets in a single layer over the onion rings.
   
2. In a saucepan, melt remaining butter and combine it with the soy sauce and wine. Pour over fillets. Cover and cook on high for 3–4 hours or until fillets are opaque and flake easily with a fork.
   
3. Serve mahi-mahi over rice. Discard onions. Stir lemon juice into remaining sauce; spoon sauce over fish. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.
   

Salmon with Lemon, Capers, and Rosemary

Salmon is very moist and tender when cooked in the slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 2

2 salmon steaks, about 1" thick each

¹
⁄
₃
cup white wine

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 thin slices fresh lemon

1 tablespoon nonpareil capers

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon kosher salt

The Easy Way to Debone a Fish

A pair of needle-nose pliers easily removes bones from fish, especially those tiny ones. Just grab and pull!

1. Place the salmon on the bottom of a 2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Pour the wine and lemon juice over the fish. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer on top of the fish. Sprinkle with capers, rosemary, and salt.
   
2. Cook on low for 2 hours. Discard lemon slices prior to serving.
   

Sea Bass with Mango Salsa

The buttery flavor of sea bass is enhanced by the olive oil.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4

Cooking spray

4 sea bass fillets

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 ripe mango, peeled and finely diced

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely diced red onion

1 baby red pepper, finely chopped (optional)

6–8 sprigs cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon kosher salt

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Other Uses for Mango Salsa

Leftover mango salsa can be served as a very easy appetizer! Spoon into store-bought mini-phyllo cups and garnish with a cilantro leaf before serving.

1. Lightly coat the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the bottom of the cooker. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the fillets. Cook on low for 3–4 hours or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix the remaining olive oil with the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.
   
3. Carefully lift cooked fillets onto a serving platter. Spoon mango salsa over fillets and serve immediately.
   

Sea Bass with Tofu and Garlic Sauce

If kosher black bean and garlic sauce is not available, substitute with hoisin sauce.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4

Cooking spray

4 sea bass fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons black bean and garlic sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and diced

3–4 scallions, green parts thinly sliced for garnish

Slow Cooker Fish

To avoid overcooking, be sure to use fish that is of a firm variety and is at least 1" thick. Salmon steak, sea bass, cod, halibut, and mahi-mahi are excellent examples of fish that can be easily cooked in a slow cooker.

1. Lightly coat the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the bottom of the cooker.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, ginger, black bean and garlic sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and black pepper. Use a spoon to gently mix in the tofu. Pour over the fish. Cook on low for 3–4 hours or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Transfer fish to covered dish; keep warm.
   
3. Increase heat to high and cook sauce uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve fish with sauce, garnished with sliced scallions if desired.
   

Poached Salmon with Lemon-Parsley Sauce

Salmon steaks are usually cut thicker than most fish fillets, plus they’re a firmer fish, so it takes longer to poach them. You can speed up the poaching process a little if you remove the steaks from the refrigerator and put them in room temperature water during the 30 minutes of Step 1.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 thin slices sweet onion

2 cups water

4 (6-ounce) salmon steaks

Kosher salt, to taste

1 lemon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon Dijon mustard

Freshly ground white or black pepper, to taste (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, minced

Salmon Salad

Triple the amount of lemon-parsley sauce and toss two-thirds of it together with 8 cups of salad greens. Arrange 2 cups of greens on each serving plate. Place a hot or chilled salmon steak over each plate of the dressed greens. Spoon the remaining sauce over the fish.

1. Use the butter to grease the bottom and halfway up the sides of the slow cooker. Arrange the onion slices over the bottom of the slow cooker, pressing them into the butter so that they stay in place. Pour in the water. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes.
   
2. Place a salmon steak over each onion slice. Salt to taste. Thinly slice the lemon; discard the seeds and place the slices over the fish. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes or until the fish is opaque.
   
3. Transfer the (well-drained) fish to individual serving plates or to a serving platter.
   
4. In a small bowl, add the oil, lemon juice, mustard, and white or black pepper, if using; whisk to combine. Immediately before serving the salmon, fold in the parsley. Evenly divide the sauce among the salmon steaks.