Recipes

Daftar Hotel di Pangandaran - The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World by Lynn Alley (Ten Speed Press, $19.99) If I didn’t have a slow cooker, I would have starved to death years ago. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t prepare at least two or three meals using this most handy of kitchen appliances and I am not alone since more than 100 million American share my enthusiasm for slow cookers.

Hotel di Pangandaran - Lynn Alley, a freelance food and wine journalist, has gathered more than fifty of her favorite recipes, all vegetarian, for her new collection. The globally inspired recipes include a delicious Italian risotto, a Minted Potato and Chickpea Curry from India, a French Alpine Cheese, Tomato, and Onion Soup, a Greek Moussaka with Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Potatoes, and a Stacked Cauliflower Enchilada with Green Chile Sauce, a tribute to the foods of the American Southwest.
The recipes are divided by country and region” India, Mexico and the Southwest; Asia, Italy, France, Greece, and the Middle East. There is also useful information about cooking times, ingredients, and resources. Most of the recipes require a minimum of prep time and are perfect choices for busy parents, young professionals, and vegetarians and time-strapped omnivores alike.

Two recipes were tested from “The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker.” After finding some nice spaghetti squash in my local market, I prepared the Spaghetti Squash with Mexican Spices. It was tasty, especially when served with a cold Sol beer. My second choice was a peasant dish I found in the Italian section, Barley, Mushroom, and Onion Soup which I served with a loaf of country French bread from the bakery. The recipes are both accessible and innovative. This cookbook is highly recommended.

Barley, Mushroom, and Onion Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 c pearl barley, rinsed thoroughly
8 c water
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
One half oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tbs tomato sauce
One half c diced carrots
1 c diced celery
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
One half c freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions

Place the barley and water in the slow cooker insert.
In a sauté pan, heat the oil and sauté the onion until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Rinse the dried mushrooms and then soak them in a small bowl in about a cup of water for 30 minutes. Lift out the softened mushrooms, leaving any grit behind, and squeeze the excess liquid out of them. Pour the soaking water through a strainer lined with a damp paper towel or a coffee filter. Coarsely chop the mushrooms.

Add the mushrooms and the strained soaking water, the sautéed onion, the tomato sauce, carrot, and celery to the barley. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the barley is completely tender (I used the full eight hours). Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve sprinkled with a tablespoon or two of freshly grated Parmesan. I served this with French bread and a hearty Italian red wine.