Book Review: Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes
Check out these easy-to-make kosher slow-cooker recipes for the holidays.
Gone are the days when kosher food, which disallows pork, shellfish and the combination of meat and dairy, is thought of as boring and predictable. Chef Laura Frankel, a seasoned restaurateur and author of Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes: 120 Holiday and Everyday Dishes Made Easy, wanted to attain the same level of flavor in her home cooking as she could in a restaurant, but found the task difficult. With limited time and ingredients, she turned to her slow cooker, which she’d only been using during Shabbat (the Jewish sabbath), when use of the stove or oven is not permitted. Realizing she could achieve restaurant-quality dishes every day of the week with her slow cooker, a new world of recipe development opened up.
Frankel’s recipes feature seasonal ingredients, and blend convenience with tradition. The flavors of her dishes are pleasing to eaters of all backgrounds, and while the recipes are designed to be kosher, anyone can benefit from these time-saving meals. Each recipe in the book clearly states whether the dish is made with meat, dairy or is pareve (prepared without meat or dairy), and recipes are organized by course.
We’ve provided three recipes below. So what are you waiting for? Grab a slow cooker and let it work its magic.
Artichoke Caponata
Makes about 4 cups
“This is essentially a relish of vegetables. While most caponatas feature tomatoes and eggplant, they can really include anything in season. This brightly flavored version is a concoction of late winter and early spring vegetables, delicious as a first-course salad or topper for your favorite flatbreads or crostini. I serve it with roasted chicken, duck and even fish. It adds springtime flair to any table, and for Passover, we drizzle our matzah with olive oil and herbs, and then dollop some of this caponata on top for a crunchy snack. The caponata can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days.”
– Chef Laura Frankel
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and sliced into thin strips (Reserve the fronds for garnish.)
2 medium leeks, white part only, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as chardonnay
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 pound (12 to 14) baby artichokes or frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn or cut into thin strips
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped mint for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Preheat a slow cooker to high.
Place a large saute pan over mediumhigh heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Cook the fennel and leeks until lightly browned and softened, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, wine and raisins, and continue cooking for one minute.
Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on high for three hours.
To clean the fresh artichokes, use a paring knife to cut the outside leaves free from the body of the vegetable. Continue turning the knife around the artichoke until there’s an equal amount of green leaves with yellow tops. Leave the stem intact, as it gives the artichoke a pretty shape. If you like, peel some of the tough green fibers from the outside of the stem with a paring knife. Cut the artichoke in half lengthwiseand scoop out the choke with a melon baller. Place the artichoke pieces in a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice to keep the artichokes from turning dark.
Add the pine nuts, artichokes, mint, parsley and thyme to the vegetable mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and cook on high for one hour more. Serve the caponata warm or cold. Drizzle it with additional olive oil and garnish with fennel fronds or chopped mint, if
desired.
To toast the pine nuts, place pine nuts in a small, dry saute pan over low heat.
Stir occasionally until they are lightly browned. Watch them carefully, as they can go from perfect golden brown to unpalatable black in just a few moments.
Cool before using.
To toast nuts in the oven, spread them on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated oven at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant.
The time will vary for different nuts.
Cool before using.
Cholent
Makes eight servings
“Cholent, a hearty beef and potato stew, feels as familiar and easy to me as my favorite reading chair. While there are infinite ways to flavor this Eastern European classic, I tend to save my more exotic spices and ingredients for other dishes. Some traditions, like this dish, are better left intact, although the modern touch of using the slow cooker makes it much easier to keep the tradition alive. A big pot of cholent is the perfect companion on a long Saturday afternoon with family and friends.”
– Chef Laura Frankel
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds chuck roast or brisket, cut into 3-inch chunks
3 large Spanish onions, cut into large wedges
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups dark beer (Guinness or Aventinus)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups dried kidney beans, sorted through, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup pearled barley
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1 1/2 inches thick
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 large eggs in their shells
1 recipe Kishke, cooked (recipe below)
Directions:
Preheat a 6 1/2-quart slow cooker to low.
Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with
olive oil. Salt and pepper the meat on all sides. Place the meat in the heated pan and brown it on all sides, in batches if necessary. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker insert.
Add the onions to the pan. Cook the onions until they are browned and slightly
softened. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is very fragrant and has softened slightly. Transfer the onions and garlic to the insert.
Add the beer to the saute pan. Scrape up any browned bits with a spatula. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Transfer the liquid to the insert.
Add the kidney beans, barley, potatoes, salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir with a
large spoon to combine. Gently bury the eggs in the mixture. Cover and cook on low for at least 10 hours.
About three hours before serving, place the whole unwrapped, cooked kishke on top of the cholent. Cover and cook until you are ready to eat.
“While many families serve the cholent right out of the slow cooker, I like to spread out the ingredients a bit. I recommend using a slotted spoon and scooping the kishkeonto a platter. Then scoop some of the cholent onto another platter or into a large bowl. Finally, peel the eggs from their shells, slice them into wedges and add the
wedges to the kishke platter.”
– Chef Laura Frankel
Kishke
Makes 12 servings
“This savory homemade dumpling simply has more flavor than the store-bought version. Traditionally, kishke is held together with schmaltz (chicken fat). Today, many cooks substitute vegetable oil for the animal fat to have a pareve version, but I prefer working with a flavorful twist on the original: duck fat!”
– Chef Laura Frankel
Ingredients:
2 celery stalks
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 large Spanish onion
1/2 cup duck fat, melted and cooled, or canola oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Grate the celery, carrotsand onion in a food processor fitted with a grating blade or by hand on the coarse side of a boxgrater. Mix the celery, carrots, onion, fat, flour,
paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl by hand or in a mixer until the mixture forms a ball and clings together.
Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Roll the dough on the parchment into a log
shape about 1 1/2 inches thick and 12 inches long. Roll the parchment paper around the log.
Wrap the parchmentwrapped kishke log with several layers of plastic wrap to form a waterproof package. Place a large sauce pan filled with several inches of water over medium heat.
Bring the water to a simmer. Poach the kishke in the water for one hour until the kishke feels firm and solid.
Carefully remove the kishke and allow it to cool completelybefore unwrapping or slicing it.
Kishke may be made up to three days before serving and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. It may also be kept frozen for as long as three months. Reheat the kishke in a covered casserole in the oven at 350 degrees.
Chocolate Ancho Chile Pudding Cake With Sparkling Sabayon
Makes six servings
“You will never be able to say you didn’t have time to make dessert when you taste how luxuriously rich and deeply flavored this cake is and see how easy the recipe is
in the slow cooker. You will need a rack to support the soufflé dish in which the cake bakes. If you do not have arack, roll a large piece of foil into a long, thick rope.
Bring the ends together to form a ring that will support the soufflé dish, with a bit of space all around it. You want the heat to circulate evenly around the dish. If the
idea of a spicy dessert is too unusual, you can leave out the ancho chile powder, and the dessert will still be fabulous.”
– Chef Laura Frankel
Ingredients:
Canola oil
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably Callebaut, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brewed coffee or water
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Sparkling Sabayon (recipe below)
Directions:
Lightly grease a 3quart soufflé dish with canola oil. Insert a rack or foil ring in a slow cooker insert large enough to hold the soufflé dish.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Place a heat-proof bowl over the pan so the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Stir together the chocolate, vanilla, coffee, espresso powder and ancho chile powder in the bowl until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool
completely.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whip the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer at high speed for three to five minutes, until a ribbon forms when the beater is lifted and the egg mixture holds the ribbon on top of the surface. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, being careful not to deflate the eggs. Fold in the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared soufflé dish.Cover and cook on high for three hours.
Allow the cake to stand atroom temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Scoop it into dessert glasses and drizzle Sparkling Sabayon over the top and around each serving.
Sparkling Sabayon
Makes 2 cups
“I make this simple sauce when I want to dress up a quick pareve dessert. Use a good-quality sparkling wine and the best vanilla you can find. You don’t have to spend a fortune on the wine; there are many great kosher sparkling wines and Champagnes
on the market. The sabayon can be stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to a day.”
– Chef Laura Frankel
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
Seeds scraped from 1/2 split vanilla bean
1 cup sparkling wine or Champagne (Leftover wine works well.)
6 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Directions:
Place a nonreactive metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not allow the bowl to touch the surface of the water.
Place the sugar, vanilla seeds and sparkling wine in the bowl.
Whisk the mixture untilthe sugar has completely dissolved.
Add the egg yolks and cornstarch, and whisk constantly until the mixture has tripled in volume and an instant-read thermometer reads 140 degrees, the temperature recommended for egg safety.
Remove the bowl from over the water and continue whisking for several minutes until the mixture has cooled.
Serve or store.
Book Cover photo courtesy of Agate Publishing, Inc.
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