Try a Trio of Stews Made the Slow-Cooker Way

There's nothing like a good, hot, home-cooked meal on a cold winter night. When properly prepared, a well-made stew is rich in flavor and texture, its ingredients bound together in a glossy sauce. Try one of these three satisfying stews, which you make in a slow cooker. (As with any stew, the leftovers taste even better the next day!)

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew
If you make only one dish in a slow cooker, let it be a good old-fashioned American stew full of fork-tender cubes of meat and chunks of fresh vegetables held together in a rich, flavorful gravy.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: Low 8 to 10 hours

Yield: 6 servings

Salt and pepper

3 pounds of your favorite cut of beef for stew, like chuck, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes

3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

1 large onion, cut in half and sliced thin

3 cups beef broth

3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups frozen peas

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1. Lightly spray a 6-quart slow cooker with vegetable oil cooking spray.

2. Salt and pepper the beef. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches. Remove to a large plate and continue browning the remaining meat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Remove the onion from the pan. Pour 1 cup of the beef broth into the pan, bring to a simmer, and scrape off any browned particles. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Layer the carrots, potatoes, and cooked onions in the slow cooker. Top with the browned beef, bay leaf, and black peppercorns. In a large mixing bowl, combine the liquid from the skillet, the remaining 2 cups broth, the tomato sauce, and thyme. Pour over the meat and vegetables.

4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beef and vegetables are fork-tender.

5. Stir in the peas 15 to 20 minutes before serving and cook on high. Add salt to taste. Stir in the parsley before serving.

Per serving: Calories 604 (From Fat 210); Fat 23g (Saturated 6.5g); Cholesterol 111mg; Sodium 902mg; Carbohydrate 36g (Dietary Fiber 7g); Protein 60g.

Chicken Cacciatore
Cacciatore refers to hearty, stewlike dishes usually prepared with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, wine, and peppers, ingredients that an Italian hunter might have in his pack. Cacciatore, in fact, is Italian for "hunter's style."

Chicken is an exciting addition to this popular Italian-American one-pot meal that is great served over cooked white rice. Make this dish with bone-in chicken. Slow simmering in the slow cooker brings out maximum flavor.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: Low 8 to 9 hours

Yield: 4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 chicken (3 to 3-1/2 pounds), cut into serving pieces

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 small pickled cherry or jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (optional)

10-ounce package white mushrooms, washed and sliced thin

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1. Lightly spray a 6-quart slow cooker with vegetable oil cooking spray.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken, onion, and garlic. Place the browned chicken in the slow cooker. Add the wine to the skillet, bring to a simmer, and scrape off any browned particles. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.

3. Add the cherry pepper, mushrooms, wine, tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

To reduce the fat content, remove and discard the chicken skin before browning.

Per serving: Calories 504 (From Fat 261); Fat 29g (Saturated 6g); Cholesterol 113mg; Sodium 1192mg; Carbohydrate 13g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 40g.

Moroccan Vegetable Stew with Couscous
Some of the most exciting Mediterranean cooking is found in the southern Mediterranean basin of northern Africa. In the savory, exotic cooking of Morocco, fragrant stews and light, fluffy couscous are standard fare.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: Low 8 to 9 hours

Yield: 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 leeks, trimmed and washed well, white and light green parts only, sliced into thin rounds (See Figure 1.)

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth, or 1-3/4 cups homemade

3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 can (19 ounces) chickpeas, drained

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1 package (10 ounces) frozen lima beans

1 package (10 ounces) couscous

1. Lightly spray a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with vegetable oil cooking spray.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and sauté over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the cumin, paprika, and cinnamon and sauté for an additional minute. Place the sautéed leeks in the slow cooker.

3. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Cut up the tomatoes. Mix the tomatoes, reserved liquid, chicken broth, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, celery, chickpeas, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.

5. Before serving, add the lima beans and cook on high for 15 minutes.

6. Serve the stew with cooked couscous, prepared according to package directions.

Per serving: Calories 449 (From Fat 55); Fat 6g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1135mg; Carbohydrate 82g (Dietary Fiber 11g); Protein 17g.




Figure 1: Leeks are very sandy — keep rinsing!