As promised, I give you a Slow Cooker Roasted Vegetable Recipe. This Mediterranean medley is inspired by one of my French cookbooks. Zucchini squash, red bell pepper, eggplant, tomatoes, red onion seasoned with thyme, parsley and garlic.
Well, there is no recipe today. I got nothin. It’s not for lack of trying. This week I have been experimenting with the slow cooker again. I have seen where some folks swear that vegetables “roasted” in a slow cooker are as good as when you roast them in the oven. I did not find this to be the case.
Now it could be the combination of vegetables that I used. I tried zucchini, tomatoes, and radishes seasoned with basil. Nope, didn’t care for the combination. I think the vegetables need to be a similar texture. That way they all cook to the same degree.
Next I tried sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips and brussel sprouts seasoned with some cinnamon. Nope, brussel sprouts do not belong with root vegetables. Lastly, I tried chicken leg quarters. Supposedly when you cook chicken without any liquid, skin on, in the slow cooker the skin comes out crispy but the meat stays nice and moist. No crispy skin for me. The chicken was nice and moist. But, it was a bit overdone. I cooked it as directed on low for what was supposed to be seven hours. It was fall apart tender at six hours. I did however, get some really good broth out of that little experiment. My next endeavor will involve the temperature sensor that goes with my slow cooker. I am going to see how long it takes to get it to 160° with chicken, and I am going to try some different vegetable mixes. I love a good medley. So stay tuned.
Meanwhile back here at the ranch, (I really can say that) the weather continues to be unseasonably warm (and unfortunately dry). This is really nice especially when one heats the house with wood. On really cold nights we have to get up a couple of times to feed the wood stove. With this warmer weather we are able to sleep through the night.
The best thing for me about February is that calving season starts for us. The first momma with her calf in tow showed up a couple of days ago. The first day or so they are so spindly on their new legs. By the second day they are already testing out their running skills. It’s really fun to watch two calves meet each other for the first time. Just like a couple of toddlers meeting at the playground. A bit shy and tentative and then they are off to play. Seeing those new babies tells me that Spring is not too far off.
So tomorrow, it’s back to kitchen. These experiments will prove to be fruitful eventually.
This flu season has been a tough one. So, I thought it was high time to make some homemade Chicken Soup. Flo’s Chicken and Vegetable Soup has a few twists to it. The first one is okra. For all of you out there that are wrinkling up you nose right now at the thought of slimy okra, stick with me. First of all, you can buy frozen sliced okra and use as much or as little as you like. You just open up the package and pour some into the soup. No sliminess involved. Here is why you want to use okra in your soup, it will thicken it a bit and give it a sort of silky texture. The okra itself will literally melt in your mouth as you eat it.