Slow Food

     It's been a week since we have seen the sun here.  January can be damp, dreary and generally dismal for many.  So it's a great time to dust off the slow cooker and prepare a healthy warming meal to lift sagging spirits and boost the soul.

     We all know the benefits of slow cooking.  Low temperatures and moist heat is the way to produce tantalizing stews and roasts that take all day to reach their culinary perfection.  But don't limit yourself to just a hearty beef stew.  The slow cooker (aka "crock pot") can be the "go to" kitchen device for everything from appetizer to dessert for the creative mind (or someone like me who has a cook book dedicated to slow cooker recipes.)

     Here is one of my favorite seasonal dessert recipes made in the slow cooker:

WINTER FRUIT CRISP

 



cooking spray                                                    1 whole cinnamon stick

6 oz mixed dried fruits                                      grated zest of an orange

     (apples, pears, apricots, plums)                   1/2 cup sugar

2 large golden apples                                         1 tsp ground ginger

     peeled, cored, cut into 1/8" dice                   1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

2 Bosc pears                                                      3/4 Tbsp dark rum or brandy

     peeled, cored, cut into 1/8" dice                   1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup dried cranberries

 

for the crumb topping:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour               1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1 cup uncooked oats, quick or regular          12 Tbsp unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar                                   ( 1-1/2 sticks)

 

     Lightly coat the interior of the ceramic pot of the slow cooker with cooking spray.  Cut any large pieces of dried fruit into 1 to 2 inch pieces; place in prepared slow cooker.  Add dried fruits; stir gently.  Add cinnamon, orange zest, ginger, sugar, nutmeg, rum and vanilla; stir gently to combine.

 

     Place the four, oats, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; stir.  Add the butter and knead, using fingers, until the mixture resembles large crumbs.  Sprinkle this crumb topping over fruit, patting it down lightly.  Cover and turn on slow cooker and set to four hours on low.  When done, fruits will be tender and bubbling and topping will be lightly browned.

 

     Serve warm with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

 

recipe courtesy of Slow Cooker Cookbook by Cuisinart.