The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook
Read The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook Online
Authors: Diane Phillips
by DIANE PHILLIPS
Photographs by Tara Donne
Alla famiglia di Angelini—Roberto, Daniela, Irene, Luca, e Carlo— con la gratitudine per tutto, e per la loro ospitalità graziosa [To the Angelini Family—Roberto, Daniela, Irene, Luca, and Carlo— with gratitude to you all, and for your gracious hospitality]
As I wrote this book, I was so grateful for the people in my life, who have encouraged and enabled me to follow my passion. They are my superheroes, and I am overwhelmed by their love and support.
I know that this book would not have been possible without the support of my friend and agent Susan Ginsburg, who like any good girlfriend gives you the advice you need and keeps cheering you on; I’m grateful to have Susan in my corner as my agent because she can leap tall buildings in a single bound, but I’m more grateful for her lasting friendship, which is precious.
I’m so grateful to Bill LeBlond for bringing me into the Chronicle family and for his confidence in me and this book. My editor Amy Treadwell’s patience, and her generosity for once more blessing me with Deborah Kops as my copy editor, puts her and Bill in the Super Power Rangers category, along with the rest of the gang at Chronicle; David Hawk, Peter Perez, designer Supriya Kalidas, photographer Tara Donne, managing editor Doug Ogan, and production manager Tera Killip.
At home, I can’t think of having a better partner to test recipes on than my husband, Chuck; many times that I’m away, he will be left at home eating leftover test recipes, and I’m grateful for all the support he has given to this crazy path I’ve traveled. Our children, Carrie, Eric, and Ryan, along with our granddaughter, Poppy, are enthusiastic tasters and supporters, and I’ve always thought of them as the Incredibles, because there is nothing they can’t do!
On the road, I’m very grateful to all the cooking schools, their staff, and students who welcome me and let me play in their kitchens; although the hours are long, the rewards are the friendships I’ve made, that continue to strengthen with each year. It’s a privilege to work with each one of you and to know your students.
The industry professionals who gave me the latest (and greatest) machines to test with were invaluable sources of support and I’m grateful to George Bearden and the people at Breville, as well as Dan Kulp at Rachel Litner Associates and Mary Rodgers at Cuisinart for the use of their new multi-machine.
My love for Italy and the Mediterranean sparked the idea for this book; having an adopted family in a small Umbrian hill town has opened our lives and our hearts in ways I can’t even explain, but I would be remiss for not saying Grazie! to the family I’ve dedicated this book to. Their hospitality, generosity, and love know no bounds; I often tell people I know nothing about hospitality compared to la famiglia Angelini. So, grazie mille, Daniela, Roberto, Irene, Luca, and Carlo for teaching us what it means to be family.
Lastly, thank you to you, dear reader, for buying this book and bringing me into your kitchen; as you cook these recipes, let me know how you are doing by joining me online at my website,
www.dianephillips.com
, or at my blog,
www.cucinadivina.blogspot.com
.
And now, let’s celebrate at the table together!
Contents
Where Are We?
Mediterranean Flavors
Using Your Slow Cooker
A Mediterranean Pantry
Minestrone
Moroccan Chickpea Broth for Couscous
Spanish Meatball Soup
Tunisian Lentil and Lamb Soup
Portuguese Kale and Sausage Soup
Greek Egg and Lemon Soup
Nonna’s Soup for the Soul
Vegetable Soup Prouençal
Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Prosciutto
Creamy French Onion Soup
Slow Cooker Gazpacho
CH.02 Meats (Pork, Lamb, and Beef)
Pork Braised with Dried Fruits and Cipollini Onions
Pork Braised with Pomegranates
Braised Pork in Balsamic Vinegar
Tuscan Milk-Braised Pork
Portuguese White Wine-Braised Pork Loin with Roasted Red Peppers
Stuffed Pork Loin with Prunes and Port Wine
Pork Shoulder Stuffed with Fennel, Garlic, and Rosemary
Lamb-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Green Bean and Lamb Stew Provençal
Shepherd-Style Lamb of Crete
Syrian-Style Lamb with Saffron
Potato-Smothered Lamb from Calabria
Braised Leg of Lamb with Garlic
Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Oregano
Lamb Stuffed with Artichokes and Braised in Lemon and White Wine
Old-Fashioned French Beef Stew
Moroccan-Style Beef
Beef Bracciole
Beef Pizzaiola
Beef in Barolo
Bolito Misto with Salsa Verde
Short Ribs Bourguignon
Veal Osso Buco
Braised Veal with Forty Cloves of Garlic
Turkish Beef and Veal Meatballs
Two Big Italian Meatballs
Meatballs Languedoc
Bolognese Sauce
CH.03 Poultry (Chicken, Duck, Game Hens, and Turkey)
Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives
Braised Basque Chicken
Chicken Hunter’s Style
Saffron-Braised Chicken Thighs Stuffed with Serrano Ham
Chicken Stuffed with Serrano Ham in a Creamy Onion Sauce
Spinach and Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts in Lemon-Dill Sauce
Chicken Piccata
Duck Tagine with Dried Fruits
Duck Confit
Duck Cassoulet
Braised Duck Legs with Wild Mushrooms and Almonds
Game Hens Braised with Coriander and Apricot Rice Stuffing
Pomegranate-Glazed Turkey Breast with Bread Stuffing
Turkey au Vin
Slow-Cooked Salmon with Sorrel
Smothered Tuna Siciliana
Olive Oil-Poached Tuna
Swordfish Piccata
Braised Swordfish in the Style of the Greek Isles
Monkfish Braised with Peppers
Salt Cod and Potatoes
Pesto-Glazed Cod on a Bed of Risotto
Halibut Provençal
Shrimp with White Beans, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Basil
Paella Valenciana
Seafood Stews
Grecian Seafood Stew
Italian Seafood Stew
Portuguese Seafood Stew
Moroccan Seafood Stew
Bouillabaisse
CH.05 Pasta, Rice, and Other Grains
Pastitsio
Lasagna Bolognese
Seafood Lasagna
Wild Mushroom and Truffle Lasagna
Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti
Veal Manicotti
Polenta
Farro
Farro Risotto
Risotto alla Milanese
Pilaf
Couscous
Simple Pita Bread
Slow-Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes
Roasted Potatoes with Cherry Tomato Salad
Fennel-Potato Gratin
Timpani of Potatoes
Potato Tagine with Lemon and Olives
Spanish Potato Tortilla
Ratatouille
Peperonata
Briami
Eggplant Moussaka
Turkish Stuffed Eggplants
Braised Baby Artichokes with Dill Aioli
Stuffed Artichokes
Frittata
Portuguese Sausage and Eggs
Braised Green Beans, Tomatoes, Feta, and Mint
Egyptian Lentils and Rice
Falafel in Saffron Tomato Sauce
Pancetta and Rosemary Beans
White Beans in the Slow Cooker
White Beans Smothered with Tomatoes and Garlic
Basic Marinara Sauce
Caponata
Roasted Garlic
Balsamic Caramelized Onions
Périgord Fig and Onion Jam
Oranges Poached in Port and Honey
Pears in Honey and Muscat
The Mediterranean region produces some of the most varied cuisines on the planet—from Málaga, Spain, to Istanbul, Turkey, to Tunis, Tunisia. And many of the foods from this part of the world rely on a slow-cooked method to bring out the flavors of the ingredients and produce meltingly tender dishes.