Slow Cooker Cassoulet

Slow cookers usually mean autumn soups and winter stews—comfort foods on cold nights. But I love my slow cooker in summer. Most people barbeque; however, I don’t enjoy flipping burgers over hot flames and warning kids to stay away from the grill. If I throw food in a slow cooker, I avoid standing over a hot stove (or grill), and the grub can cook while we’re at pool. So dust off the slow cooker, play in the backyard sprinkler with the kids, and still have dinner ready at 6.

Slow Cooker Cassoulet
serves 4-6

Make sure to the layer the ingredients in the order specified. Acidic foods can make beans tough, so leave the tomatoes on top. The beans will have a chance to soften before they mingle with the tomatoes’ acidic juices.

1 cup dried white beans (navy beans, cannellini beans or white kidney beans), rinsed
2 ½ cups water
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 mild italian sausages
2 carrots
3 stalks celery
1 onion
2 lbs pork shoulder butt, cut into 3 inch chunks
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz.)
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Loaf of rustic bread, for serving

1. Place beans, water, thyme and garlic into slow cooker.
2. Chop carrot, celery and onion into 2 inch chunks. Layer vegetables on top of the beans.
3. Add sausages and pork to slow cooker.
4. Pour diced tomatoes on top, and do not stir.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
6. Prior to serving, stir in salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
7. Serve in shallow bowls with thick slices of crusty, rustic bread.

For your child: Puree some vegetables and beans for baby—there should be plenty of liquid for thinning to the correct consistency. Your toddler may enjoy dipping pieces of bread in a little bowl of the stew’s juices.

Turkey-Salsa-Cheese Burgers

When your kids move beyond rice cereal and diced bananas, but haven’t yet graduated to steak, then you’re probably in the ground meat phase. You can't drop a whole pork chop on their plate, but toddlers can manage a couple meatballs. However, hamburgers and meatloaf easily become boring, so try varying the meat, spices and cooking method. Instead of always turning to beef, consider ground turkey, chicken or pork that you can stir-fry, stew, grill, steam, broil or roast. There are lots of options for simple ground meat dinners that will satisfy the entire family.

Turkey-Salsa-Cheese Burgers
serves 4

Salsa
4 large tomatoes, diced (about 4 cups)
¼ onion, minced (about ½ cup)
1 can diced green chiles (7 oz)
2 limes, juiced (about ¼ cup)
½ teaspoon salt

Avocado Spread
1 avocado
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ teaspoon salt

Burgers
1 lb ground turkey
¾ cup shredded monterey jack

For serving
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
tortilla chips

1. Combine salsa ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, use a fork to smash avocado spread ingredients together until smooth.
3. For burgers, gently mix turkey, cheese and 1 cup of the salsa. Form into 4 burgers.
4. Heat frying pan on stove to high. Place burgers in pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook until well browned on one side, about 10 minutes. Flip burgers, reduce heat to low and cover pan slightly. Cook until well done (160º F), about 20 minutes.
5. Place burgers on bun bottoms and top with large scoop of salsa. Spread avocado mixture thickly onto bun tops, and serve burgers immediately with tortilla chips and the remaining salsa.

For your child: Reserve a portion of the avocado spread for your baby—you may want to thin the consistency with some water, milk or formula. If your toddler has graduated to finger foods, cut a burger and bun into bite size pieces. You may also serve some diced tomatoes.

Garbanzo Bean Curry

My 2 year old son requires ongoing attention during meals, but I try to minimize his effect on my cooking. When he began sampling solids, my mini blender became a godsend. This convenient device turned almost any food into a smooth puree for baby or a chunky mash for the toddler who is learning to feed himself. Cooking one meal is challenging enough—you shouldn’t have to make a separate meal for your child.

Garbanzo Bean curry
serves 4

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 small onion, thinly sliced
* 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
* 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
* 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
* 1 can garbanzo beans (15.5 oz), drained
* 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* ½ cup chopped cilantro
* 1 lemon
* cooked long grain white rice, for serving

1. Combine olive oil, onions and garlic in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until onions are soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add cumin and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes, stirring to loosen any cumin that has stuck to the bottom of the pot.
4. Add garbanzo beans and broth. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Remove cover and simmer on medium heat to thicken sauce, about 15 minutes.

For your child: Use a mini blender, such as the Beaba Babycook ($150) or the Bella Cucina Rocket Blender ($30), to turn a small portion of curry into a smooth puree—if necessary, add water or broth to thin. If your child is learning how to use utensils, pulse the mini blender to make a chunky mash that will stick to a spoon. If your toddler has graduated to finger food, mash a portion with a fork to prevent choking hazards.

7. Stir in cilantro and juice from half of the lemon (about 2 teaspoons). Cut the remaining lemon into four wedges. Serve immediately over long grain, white rice. Garnish each portion with a lemon wedge.

V is for Variety

Some people never look at a menu. They know what they like, and they know what they want. Well, I know what I like too. . . VARIETY. I could order the ham and cheese sandwich on rye like you, but I like looking at menus. In fact, I enjoy searching for things that I might like just as much or hopefully even more. So just wait a second-- I need to decide what I’m ordering. Oh, and if I don’t like it, can I have half of your sandwich?

U is for Utilitarian

I’m often seduced by clever design. I am drawn to Alessi’s toothpick holders in the shape of a rabbit coming out of a hat. However, if I have to choose, I’ll take utilitarian design over anything else.

At the moment, my favorite piece of cookware is the cast iron pan. Utilitarian in every respect. No extra materials. No decorative elements. Nothing fancy. Just the ultimate non-stick pan. Seasoned correctly and heated appropriately, you can flip a pancake in the pan, no problem.

So toss out your heart-shaped pan with its special coating, rubber grip, heat indicator, and molded lip. Because really, isn't the pan already scratched anyway?

T is for Trinity

Celery, bell peppers, and onions = the holy trinity of Creole and Cajun cuisine

I’m not certain who originally borrowed Christian terminology to describe the essence of Creole and Cajun cooking. The description is catchy, but it unfortunately makes Creole and Cajun cuisine sound dull. Celery, bell peppers, and onions are basic vegetables without a hint of spice. If I didn’t know better, I would probably pass on the jambalaya.

But maybe that’s the point. A Cajun/Creole chef brings out the best in humble ingredients. The secret flavor in that spoonful of gumbo? It’s not some mysterious herb or expensive sausage. Everyday vegetables can be the hidden root of good cuisine.

S is for Simplicity

I won’t refuse a ten course tasting menu, and I’m drawn to entrees featuring a single item done “three ways.” I’ll order desserts with blown sugar architecture, mini milkshakes in shot glasses, and foam. But I must confess that in the end, I crave simplicity.

Ripe strawberries. Macaroni and cheese. A square of dark chocolate. Roast chicken. BLT sandwiches. Soft scrambled eggs. Soy sauce chicken and white rice. Sake nigiri. Hiyyayako. Chicken Pho.

Note: Simplicity can be deceiving. See this Washington Post article about foodmakers’ tricky marketing schemes.