More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow-Gluten-Free Slow Cooking

Pesto Minestrone Soup-A Winner

A gluten-free slow cooking cookbook is something to get excited about. A second gluten-free slow cooking cookbook that has money-saving, budget conscious recipes makes me even happier. I couldn’t wait to get Stephanie O’Dea’s great recipes all in one new shiny cookbook from Amazon. I’ve spent the last two weeks trying out recipes and having the family think I’m brilliant when I serve them up.

Ingredients for Pesto Minestrone Soup

If you are familiar with Stephanie’s blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, you know her story of trying some wacky and some wonderful recipes everyday for a year, appearing on Rachel Ray, getting a cookbook deal and then another. That girl put everything into her slow cooker from candles to crayons to soap. The thing I love about Stephanie is her sense of humor. In the introduction to More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow she says,”I am not a chef. I have no formal training in anything culinary related, although I have been to quite a few Pampered Chef parties…” In a recent visit to Good Morning America to teach George Stephanopoulos a thing or two about slow cooking she says, “I hate cooking before I cook.”  You’ll get a bit of her humor in the ‘verdicts’ after each recipe where she describes her experiences as she serves up the end results.

Best Brussels Sprouts we served with bangers and mash

There are times when I want to pull out a cookbook from a famous chef and make a huge, elaborate mess in the kitchen and there are days when I need to get food on the table after a long and hectic day. I reach for Stephanie’s books when I need food that fills, satisfies and combines bright and unusual flavors that keep all of us happy. I don’t want boring food or dull flavors from my slow cooker just because I’m in a hurry to get people fed. Stephanie delivers that and with a budget in mind in her latest effort.

Ingredients for Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

Her new book has recipes for all the tastes in our house from a hearty, vegan Sweet Potato Chili that I added black beans to extend and then added leftover tilapia to the leftovers for lunch. Most of the dinners did turn into lunches with the generous servings. For gluten-free eaters who avoid restaurants most of the time, leftovers are important.

Sweet Potato Chili

I wanted to try some of the more unusual uses for the slow cooker like the Baked Feta. I had to run two extra miles this week after diving into that pile of melty goodness.

Ingredients for Baked Feta

We served this with my homemade flatbread and hummus and it would be great party food.

Baked Feta with Whole Grain Flatbread and Hummus

The leftover feta was tossed into a pasta skillet supper the next night.

Baked Tofu

The baked tofu didn’t even make it to a real meal as the eldest child begged to eat it right out of the crock after smelling it cook for a couple hours. I let it cook until it got brown and crispy on the edges because we like it that way.

Fried Rice with leftover Baked Tofu

The leftover slices were cubed and added to fried rice the next day and had a nice, meaty texture and great tamari and sesame flavor.

Salmon Loaf

The Salmon Loaf was a surprise. It made a garlicky, rich spread for sliced and toasted gluten-free ciabatta and would also be great party food. Next time I will make my foil strips longer and maybe serve it as a loaf for dinner.

Salmon Loaf served with Toasted Gluten-Free Ciabatta

I think we will have to do a midwinter party with a slow cooker full of soup, some Baked Feta and Salmon Loaf with flatbread, crackers and toasted gluten-free baguettes or ciabattas, a big salad and a fruit crisp for dessert. All we’ll need is a game of Scrabble to make it a night. We’ll just need the neighbors to bring an extra slow cooker and it’s a party.

For more reviews of Stephanie’s book visit Kim at Cook It Allergy Free who tried the Chicken Cacciatore and Diane from The W.H.O.L.E. Gang who tried the Sloppy Lentils. Tia at Glugle Gluten Free tried the Indian Spiced Lentils with Chicken and the Pork Carnitas. Elana made the Honey Garlic Chicken.

Stephanie has kindly offered up a copy of her book for a giveaway. For chances to enter:

• Follow me on Twitter
• Follow Stephanie on Twitter
• Comment below about your favorite slow cooker meals
• Tweet about my review and let me know
• Friend me on Facebook
• If you already follow me/Stephanie on FB and Twitter leave a comment. That counts!
• Giveaway open until midnight on Tuesday, February 1st. I’ll use one of those random number generator thingies and announce the winner on Wednesday, February 2nd.