This is stupid easy, makes a ton, and is flexible – so you can tweak this according to your tastes . . . want to crank up the heat? Add cayenne pepper. Want to lighten it up a bit? Use ground turkey, or a combo of ground beef & turkey. Have veg you want to use up? Chop it up and throw it in. Love beans? They’d be great in here too. Whatever you do, make this soon – it’s tasty & quick & feeds a crowd.

© 2014, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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After making this soup, I realized something funny: I’ve been married to D. for almost 12 years, known him for 15, and we’ve NEVER had split pea soup. I cook such a wide variety of meals, with so little repetition that he sometimes begs for repeats, and yet, no split pea soup. So I didn’t realize that D. thought he didn’t like split pea soup, at all. So much so that when he called on his way home from work and I told him it was for dinner, there was a pregnant pause followed by an ” . . . okay . . . .” Awesome. This was gonna be great.

But guess what? He liked it! And I, as a split pea soup lovah, loved it. I’ve never used yellow split peas for soup before, and I think the flavor is cleaner and brighter than with the green ones, but maybe I’m imagining it. You’ll have to let me know. In any case, it’s pretty, and this was a great way to use up leftover Easter ham. I think this recipe is good enough to warrant buying a ham steak at the market. And to top it all off: It’s full of fiber and protein and is a true a dump-n-go slow-cooker recipe. Your house is gonna smell so good while this is cooking!

Slow-Cooker Yellow Split Pea Soup With Ham (adapted from Eating Well Magazine)

1 lb. yellow split peas, rinsed and drained (if you need GF, make sure package says they’re GF, because there may be cross-contamination issues)
8 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 c. diced carrot
1 c. finely diced celery
8 oz. ham, trimmed and diced
1 teaspoon dried marjoram (you can sub oregano and it’s great – I had no marjoram on hand)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to a 5-6 quart slow-cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low. Season with more pepper to taste.

Serves 8.

© 2012 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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What? How could I not know this? March 26, 2012 is National Spinach Day?? Did you know that my Baby Spinach Salad, 7 Ways is one of the most popular posts of all-time here on Semi-Sweet? Check out scads of other delish spinach recipes right here, right now! Let’s party down, Sweeties.

Spinach is a superfood that’s ridiculously easy to incorporate into your repertoire – whether you like it cooked, raw or both. Baby or mature, it comes pre-washed and pre-bagged for EZ daily use. I “eat” about 4 cups of organic baby spinach every a.m. in my green smoothie . . . what’re your favorite ways to enjoy this lovely leafy?

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© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Yeah, no, that’s not a typo. This is not your average chicken divan, it’s Chicken Divine, people. It’s cheesy and starchy and warm, and even though I lightened up the America’s Test Kitchen recipe, it’s decadent. If you wanted to mess around with this and try the pre-cooked brown rice from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you could, but I wonder if it’d be starchy enough. But me? I’m not going to bother. Because the alchemy of the instant white rice (yes, you read that right, had to make a special trip to Stah Mahket for that one) and the sauce and the cheese . . . well, you better hustle up to make this before the thermometer slides back up to 50, ’cause what we have here, folks, is certified winter comfort food. Just enjoy it.

Chicken Divine (adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution Cookbook)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and the thyme and cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and smoothing out any lumps. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir the 1/2 and 1/2 and the dry mustard into the mixture in the slow cooker. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and add it to the slow cooker, coating it evenly with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Break up the chicken into bite-sized pieces with a spoon (don’t be over-zealous – the chicken will break up more as you stir in the other ingredients). Stir in the rice and cheeses, cover, and cook on high until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

Microwave the broccoli in a covered glass dish, stirring occasionally, until tender; about 3 minutes total. At this point, you can either 1) stir the broccoli into the casserole, re-cover the slow-cooker and let stand until heated through (about 5 minutes); or 2) serve up some broccoli-free casserole for your veg-haters (you KNOW who you are) and then serve up casserole atop broccoli for those of the veg persuasion.

Serves 4 generously.

A note: Fear not the 5 cloves of garlic. Remember, the slow-cooker dumbs everything down, flavor-wise. Neither D. nor I would describe this as garlicky at all, just flavorful. Besides, garlic and onions are GREAT for your immune system, and it is winter, after all.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Let me just preface this by saying, “I know.” I know this is not a dump-n-go slow cooker recipe, and yes, I know I bill myself as a dump-n-go kinda girl, but I think this one is worth the effort. Because although, yes, there is some pre-cooking involved (am I at shock & awe yet?), you will be richly rewarded with a stew that does not taste like it came out of your slow cooker. Nope. This is more of the “simmering all day on the stovetop in a wildly expensive Dutch oven” taste. Does this appeal to you? Read on.

Before my surgery, I decided to torture myself by picking up the America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook. Just to make myself feel bad, you know? I couldn’t resist this when I saw it at Costco – I love my Crock-Pot and am constantly looking for new, tasty material. ATK tests the hell out of every recipe, and although, yes, many of their recipes involve machinations, they are usually worth it (See, for example, cooking the apples before you put them in your apple pie crust. This is to prevent shrinkage so that your pie is filled to the brim with sweet juicy apples. Genius.).

So the other day, I embarked on this recipe with an open mind. I grumbled as I browned and cooked the veggies, but this came out great. And to bolster my case – I did all the cleanup after I got the ingredients in the Crock-Pot, so all I had to do post-dinner was load the bowls & plates into the dishwasher and wipe up. Ta-daaa!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Stew (adapted from the ATK Slow Cooker Revolution)

Dry the chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken on both sides. Transfer to the slow cooker. You will probably have to do this in two batches.

Add the sausage to the skillet, brown it well, and transfer it to the slow cooker.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the onions, fennel, garlic, tomato paste, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned. Add those to the slow cooker.

Lower the heat to low, and add the flour to the skillet. Stir it for about 30 seconds, and then slowly whisk in the wine/vermouth, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Whisk in 1 cup of broth, smooth out any lumps, and transfer this to the slow cooker. Stir the remaining 3 cups of broth and bay leaves into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook for 6 hours on low.

Skim the fat off the top of the stew using a large spoon and discard the bay leaves.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken back to the slow cooker, and also add the beans and kale (You will need to stir in the kale ’til wilted – it will dramatically decrease in volume. You may need additional broth here to thin the consistency of the stew). Turn the cooker up to high and let warm through, about 30 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with Parmesan (and a lot of crusty bread, if you like that sort of thing).

Serves 6 to 8.

© 2011 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Couldn’t resist that one . . . And you won’t be able to resist this easy slow-cooker chicken molé. It’s got a deep, smoky, slightly spicy flavor and is great served over rice. Pair with a crisp green salad and cuddle up for a delicious dinner that’s ready when you are.

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole (adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food)

Season the chicken with salt and place in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Place the tomatoes through the cinnamon in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the mixture to the slow cooker, cover and cook on high until chicken is tender, 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Serve chicken and sauce over rice and topped with cilantro.

Serves 6.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2011 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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You might recall the Butter Chicken I made a while back. It still reigns as THE BEST thing I’ve ever made in the Crock-Pot, according to my gentle and discerning mate. The other thing I did this morning was chop chilies and garlic like a woman possessed for this tasty recipe called “Dad’s Rajmah”. (FYI, in that Google books preview, you can see a lot of the recipes from the book – I got my copy from the library, another inexpensive way to get new ideas without forking over a lot of cash).

I’ll let you know how it turns out, but by the way it smells and its ingredient list, I am thinking VERY positive thoughts . . . .

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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This, my friends, might be your favorite slow cooker recipe – if you like the flavors of Indian food, that is. It’s rich and silky and perfect either over rice, or with naan. Enjoy a crisp salad on the side, or better yet, steam up some fresh green veg and season with a splash of lemon juice – you’ll want something light and a little bit acidic to counteract the lusciousness of the chicken.

Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken (adapted from food.com)

3/4 cup plain lowfat Greek yogurt (see note below)

Put chicken in the slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, and all of the dry spices. Add the butter, tomato paste, lemon juice and coconut milk. Give it a little stir and ensure that the mixture is covering the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. The chicken should shred easily with 2 forks when fully cooked. Shred the chicken and if you’ve been cooking on high, turn the heat to low or warm. Stir in the yogurt 15 minutes before serving. Salt to taste and serve.

Serves 4.

A note regarding Greek yogurt: You could certainly use fat-free Greek yogurt here, but your sauce won’t be as silky. I used home-made Greek yogurt from Sophia’s Greek Pantry in Belmont . . . I have mentioned this stuff on Facebook, and if you haven’t tried it, it’s worth a trip to Belmont to get yourself a tub. Sophia says it’s made from 2% milk – I say it is the tangy cousin of creme fraiche and is fabulous in both sweet and savory applications. I am undeniably addicted to the stuff.

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2011 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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It’s been cold here in the Boston area – a couple of days last week barely squeeked out of the 40′s, and it was drizzly and gray to boot. So, still soup weather, my friends! After an evening at the soccer field, we were frozen though. This light spicy soup filled our bellies and warmed us up quickly. Try it over rice, or with store-bought naan that’s been heated for a bit in the oven or toasted on the grill.

Indian Lentil & Spinach Slow Cooker Soup (adapted from the Soup Chick)

1 c. light coconut milk

In a slow cooker, combine the lentils, ginger, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, salt, pepper, and broth. Set the cooker to LOW and cook for 4 hours, stirring once or twice.

After 4 hours, stir in the spinach leaves and coconut milk. Turn off the slow cooker and let the soup sit, covered, for 15 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed. Serve hot.

Serves 6.

This’ll keep leftover in the fridge for a few days, or else freeze a portion to pull out when you TRULY have no time to cook!

© 2011 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Oh. My. Goodness.  This was so tasty, and wait, guess what?  You make it in the CROCKPOT!  Yes!  All you’ve gotta do is open a few containers and chop an onion.  Super delicious and a dump-n-go preparation?  Too good to be true?  No, folks, trust me, it’s not.  Read on for the deets!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Put the raw chicken breast, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, chiles and garlic into the slow cooker.  Pour in chicken broth and season with cumin, chili powder, salt and bay leaf.  Stir in the corn.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.  Shortly before serving, shred the chicken and return it to the cooker to mix with the soup.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Remove the bay leaf and serve topped with your fixings – crushed corn tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, etc.!

Serves 4.

© 2011 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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