One-pot wonders
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Updated: October 27, 2009 2:44 PM
The leaves are falling, the morning fog is barely burned off by noon and there is a definite chill that we didn’t feel just a couple of weeks ago...that can only mean one thing — the soup is on!
I absolutely love the fall. Finding a new routine, getting back into some of the organized events and activities we give up over the summer in an effort to be a little more footloose, breaking out the blankets, the cozy scarves and the inevitable turning on of the furnace.
The food of fall is always so comforting — like putting on a cozy sweater, the soups, the stews, the slow cooked braised meat and veggies warm you from the inside out. At my house, the slow cooker comes out of the cupboard and spends the next few months living on the counter — cooling off just long enough to be cleaned in between uses.
I actually have two slow cookers, one at home that I use on the weekends or start a meal for the next day if I have a night off; the second one is at work where I can start a meal on the fly in the middle of a busy day.
I know most people don’t work in a gourmet food store where they can start a meal in the middle of a work day but that’s just me being cheeky or disorganized depending on how you look at it. You can start a meal anytime you want in a slow cooker and get a great result.
At my house a big beef stew is always a big hit and there are a few steps you can take to make sure your stew is still rich and delicious and doesn’t taste like a pot of meat that has been on the boil all day.
Instead of adding all of your veggies in at the beginning of the cooking time, add some of them closer to the end, that way there is more than one texture in the dish.
Try adding some red wine or dark beer into your beef stock, it adds another layer of flavour. When you are ready to serve your beef stew, sprinkle on a fresh gremolata (an Italian condiment) of freshly chopped parsley, a little freshly minced garlic and some orange zest.
It will add another dimension to the finished flavours in your stew and cut through some of the meaty richness.
Drag your slow cooker out of the cupboard and you will find some fall food inspiration in a hurry I’m sure.
Angie Quaale is the owner of Well Seasoned gourmet food store.
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