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2C ♦ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2006 Comforting crockpot meals fit bill on cold nights ARA Winter is right around the corner, and nothing says comfort like coming in the door and smelling a deli cious and nutritious dinner just a moment away. Crockpots, the wonderful invention of the late 19705, make all that possible. First introduced by Rival under the trademarked name Crock-Pot, they are a busy family’s lifeline. Put the ingredients in the crock the night before, stick it in the fridge, turn it on before you leave for work, and by the time you walk in the door at night, it’s done. Crockpot’s insulator properties keep the cooking temperature even so it doesn’t require constant attention. Many professional chefs are big fans of crockpots. Chef Ken Goodman, depart ment chair for Culinary Arts at The Art Institute of New York City says “Nothing beats the crockpot for con venience, and with its slow, gentle cooking action, you can get beautiful, braised meats just loaded with fla vor.” Among his favorite crock pot recipes is Crockpot Coffee Bean Pot Roast. “Add your How to work more fruits and vegetables into your diet ARA Remember that resolution you made at the beginning of the year to eat. better? Chances are you’ve forgotten all about it and are snack ing on chips or a candy bar right now. If that’s the case, put down your non-healthy snack and pick up some food for thought. When the USDA released its revised Dietary Guidelines in January 2005, the rec ommended number of serv ings of fruits and vegeta bles increased dramatically. The new guidelines call for the average person with an intake of 2,000 calories a day to eat two cups of fruit and two-and-a-half cups of vegetables every day, and for good reason. Having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables offers many health benefits. Among them, prevention of cardio vascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cer tain forms of cancer. So why aren’t more peo ple making an effort to add more servings of fruits and vegetables to their diets? Because they aren’t sure how to do it. Well here are some easy to implement recommendations. At break fast, top your cereal with bananas or peaches. You can also add blueberries to pancakes, drink 100 percent orange or grapefruit juice, or try a fruit mixed with low fat or fat-free yogurt. Try a main dish salad for lunch, or perhaps a slice of veg gie pizza with toppings like mushrooms, green peppers and onions. For dinner, plan a vegeta ble as your main dish. And how about trying a recipe that incorporates what the Center for Science in the Public Interest considers the most nutritional vegetable there is - the sweet potato. The complex carbohydrate provides the body with vita min A which is necessary for strong tissues and to maintain a healthy immune system, beta carotene which protects the heart and vas cular system, and potassium which helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body cells, as well as nor mal heart function, nerve function and blood pressure. The sweet potato is also an important source of vitamin 86, iron and fiber which aids in digestion. Here’s an easy to pre pare recipe provided by the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission: Southwestern yam bisque 1 1/2 lbs. yams (sweet potatoes) large diced 1/2 pound yams (small dice) leftover fresh brewed morn ing coffee to the meat, veg etables and tomatoes, cook for eight to 10 hours and you'll have an absolutely delicious meal waiting for you when you get home,” says Goodman. For something slightly more exotic, but just as easy, Goodman likes a simple Crockpot Lamb Stew. “It’s all about the slow cooking, and giving the meat and veg etables time to release all their flavors,” he adds. At the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Chef Odette Smith Ransome extols the virtues of crockpot cooking to her students. “Many of my students cook for their whole families, even though they are full-time students,” she says. “I encourage them to use crockpots and experi ment with different kinds of spices and vegetables” adds Ransome. Ransome’s crockpot cook ing tips include: ■ Only fill the crockpot 3/4 full with liquid to avoid spill over when the food comes to a full boil. This is especially important if you won’t be home when the crockpot is on. ■ A hot cooking trend JEL " W* jJk . ARA Sweet potato bread pudding with apple cider glaze. -3/4 cup sweet kernel corn 3/4 cup black beans 2 cups blanched broc coli heads (small dice) 1 pint whipping cream 1/2 - 1 1/2 cups chick en or vegetable stock (optional) 1 cup spinach chiffon ade, blanched Mixture of cheddar and monterrey jack cheese Directions: Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Add 1 1/2 pounds yams. In sepa rate pot, bring water to a boil and cook small diced yams just until tender-set aside for later use. In sauce pan, combine corn and black beans. Cook until tender. Remove yams and drain. Slowly add 1 pint whipping cream as you mix the yams. Return bisque (puree) to the stovetop. Add in corn and bean mixture, broccoli, and spinach. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Chicken or veg etable stock can be *added for desired consistency. Top with small diced yams and cheese before serving. Sweet potatoes are also the perfect main ingredient for some tasty and nutritious ARA Southwestern yam bisque. now in restaurants is slow cooking and comfort foods. This is the bread and but ter of the crockpot cook ing approach. Pretty much whatever grandma did can be done in a crockpot. Try some of her recipes and see for yourself. ■ When seasoning dishes for a crockpot, make sure to taste and season at the end of the cooking cycle as well. Spices can lose their strength as they cook. Chances are you already have a crockpot sitting in your basement. If you haven’t tried it recently, dust it off, add some ingre dients and turn it on. The end-product will be better tasting, better for you, and more satisfying than take out or pizza any night of the week. Recipes Courtesy of Chef Ken Goodman The Art Institute of New York City Crockpot coffee beef pot roast 2 to 3 pounds beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast 6 each carrots - peeled & diced 1 pound red skin pota dessert dishes, including Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Apple Cider Glaze, cre ated by David Gallent. Sweet potato bread pudding with apple cider glaze 3 large eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 1/2 cups half & half 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 stick butter, melted 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 medium sweet pota toes, peeled and grated 1 cup cubed French bread, lightly packed Directions: Combine eggs, sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl; beat until smooth with a whisk. Add half & half, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and grat ed sweet potato. Stir well. Add cubed French bread to egg mixture; stir until bread is well moistened. Cover and chill 30 minutes, stir- FOOP toes, diced 8 ounces whole peeled canned tomatoes with juice, crush with your hands 8 ounces freshly brewed black coffee 8 ounces water Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Trim exterior fat from beef and season with salt and pepper. Place carrots and potatoes in the bottom of your crock pot. Place the beef on top of the vegetables and add remain ing ingredients. Cover and cook on low for eight to 10 hours or until tender. Remove the beef and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. If desired, thicken the broth by whisking togeth er 6 ounces of flour with 6 ounces of water to a smooth paste and then slowly whisk it into the hot liquid. Crockpot lamb stew 4 pounds lamb shoul der, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces ring once. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spoon bread mixture into a well greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a 7xll-inch baking dish. Bake for one hour or until a wooden pick, inserted into the center, comes out clean. Serve warm with apple cider glaze. Serves six. Apple Cider Glaze 1/2 stick butter 3 tablespoons brown sugar 3 tablespoons sugar 6 tablespoons apple cider 2 tablespoons half & half Directions: Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir HANDBAG SALE! 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Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. ring well. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stir ring constantly. Let stand 3 minutes. Serve warm over Sweet Potato Bread Pudding. IW * 'Wmm 2 > l* yv fwra j&.£ HB & 10 W L. SBk iSL*,- ,r yQSBjI I- Come Check Out Our Wine Cellar. It's Napa Valley Next Door. 478-225-6633 4993 Russell Parkway, Suite 130 A Warner Robins, GA 31088 (Loeated in the new pkza it Rtmel Pnrkmy and US 4t.) HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Return all meat to the pot and add the onions, the rest of the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, scraping browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft, about five minutes. Stir in paprika, roasted peppers, tomatoes, bay leaf, chicken stock and red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medi um, and simmer until juices in pot reduce and thicken slightly, about 10-15 min utes. Transfer the stew into a crockpot set to medium low heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, two to two and a half hours. Add parsley, adjust seasonings and serve. This stew is great over rice or along side mashed potatoes. For more recipes visit The Art Institutes Web site at www.artinstitutes.edulnz. 1 The Art Institutes (www.art institutes.edu) with 31 edu cational institutions located throughout North America, provide an important source of design, media arts, fash ion and culinary arts profes sionals. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. For more recipes and nutri tional information about the sweet potato, log on to www. sweetpotato. org. ♦**24?