the slow cooker

loaf is an herbivore. i am an omnivore. this has already made life interesting. especially since my definition of "omnivore" means something like "i eat most things, but not mushrooms if i can avoid them, and neverNeverNEVER tofu!*" i am very suspicious of not-meat products. boca burgers disgust me (though Amy's brand texas burgers are AMAZING), and it'll be a cold day in hell before i try another not-meat hot dog. there is one company that makes a tasty chicken "alternative", and that's Quorn. even my cat will eat Quorn!
anyway, while i've always been able to enjoy vegetarian fare, i never really cooked it until i was faced with the reality of a vegetarian wife. but since i love to cook, the last 9 months have been a fun and tasty adventure...i've tried new recipes, and found ways to make some of my favorites veg-friendly. (but not all of them. we're already referring to the weekends loaf will be away from home as "chicken weekends", in which the cats and i will have a roasted chicken all to ourselves!)
surprisingly, until yesterday i had never used a slow cooker. for anything. ever. but several months ago i bought this great book by Robin Robertson called Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, and promptly dog-eared most of the pages. there are so many great recipes! the one i chose to make as my intro to slow-cookery was Pesto-Infused White Bean and Sundried-Tomato Stew. i picked it because i heart all things pesto, and because we convieniently had a jar of sundried tomatoes in the fridge. :o) i didn't get to try it before running off to school, which was sad...but let me tell you, once i got home and had a bowl, i was NOT disappointed! this is some hella good soup! and here is the recipe, for your nomming enjoyment:

Pesto-Infused White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Stew
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1 Tbs olive oil
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (actually, i used a jar of tomatoes canned by my mom last summer)
1/4 Cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 cans cannelinni beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 Cups vegetable stock
salt to taste
1/4 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought; i did store-bought)

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Transfer the onion to a 4-qt slow cooker. Add the bell pepper, both kinds of tomatoes, the beans, and stock; season with salt, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

3. Just before serving, stir in the pesto. Taste to adjust the seasonings.



(* the exception being the nutloaf at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival. i can't find the tofu, and can't taste it...)