We’re talking foreign-born chefs on the radio this week. So, I thought it would fun to do a Minnesota-meets-the-world mashup, with slow cooker appropriate dishes you can make to get some global-oomph into your busy routine.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka MasalaI’ve been on an Indian kick lately, and this recipe is a life-changer—creamy, spicy, and it freezes so well. I like to make big batches of basmati or brown rice and freeze those, as well—now your freezer is full of an all-microwave Tuesday night dinner you can be proud of.
Italian Pork RoastA very basic pork-roast crock-pot recipe. So good with polenta or noodles. If you want some spice to it, think about using a porketta roast from the butcher shop or grocery store, the kind that’s been marinating in fennel and spices. So good.
Moroccan Tagine StewTechnically this recipe is an oven one, but you can figure out the conversion to a crock pot. It’s not hard. And it’s worth it! Long cooking lamb and prunes together with North African spices makes the best stew—it tastes dinner party worthy, and is as easy as any basic crock-pot stew recipe should be. Serve it with a deep dark red wine—maybe a Zinfandel?—for a nice and fancy but good and easy weeknight dinner.
Chipotle Chicken ChiliYou could make a different chili every night for the rest of the year and have a really good year—or you could make this Chipotle chicken chili once and have a really good night. A can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce are what makes the dish. You can double it and freeze lots for later, too. Very good to have on hand for emergencies!
Beef Goulash!One of life’s most underrated dishes, beef goulash! The secret is to have good paprika. Good, fresh paprika. It’s better to buy just as much as you’re going to use, because it gets old and stale eventually. I get mine at Penzey’s, and like a combination of sweet and hot paprika. What a great dish. Goulash all around!