Smoked Pork Loin in Parsley Pesto with Ruzzais Dates

Slow Cook Bread Pudding with Raisins

Seeding a Pomegranate

Soon it will be the season for pomegranates and we do not like to miss out on this nutritious fruit. We missed out last year sine I had issues reconciling my super white kitchen with what looked like blood spattered on my walls since we did not know how to "do" a.

Easy Peasy Basmati

1 cup organic basmati rice
1 1/4 cup of water
1/4 tsp of butter or olive oil

1. Rinse the basmati rice in water, thrice
2. Add a 1/4 tsp of butter or olive oil
3. Cook the rice in the rice cooker

That's it! Easy Peasy Basmati! (Say it 50 times with gusto!)

Spicy Pork Belly on the Slow Cooker

I get carried away every time I am in the in the Provisions section of Whole Foods. I can't help it. I am an omnivore.

One weekend, I came across fresh pork belly. I just bought it, came home and stared at it for a long time. I don't have an oven, so the crispy skin everyone literally dies for is out of the question. I am not the kind who fries stuff in my kitchen due space and odor limitations I impose in my spartan kitchen. My options are limited. Actually, I only have one option - slow cook the pork belly.

My research on the web took me to...London, England. Jamie Oliver, a cook I know of but never really cared for (I just think British food is one of the best ways to lose weight - fast!), recommened a recipe for the slow cooker. But that meant me running back to an oven on the homestretch to finish the pork belly with the crispy exterior. Man, if I was going to do that schtick, I am better off ordering out. Thank you.

I was panicky. I don't know what to do. So, staying within England, I came across a recipe, which of course I modified. You can see the result in the photo. Habib loved it, I loved it and our cholesterol levels shot way up. Who cares? It's good!

Enough, here is the recipe:

1. Combine crush thyme, salt, fennel and coriander seeds and mix with with some olive oil to make a thick paste.
2. Score the skin (quite deeply) and rub in the paste. Make sure it is rubbed in deep to the scores and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
3. Place in the slow cooker, skin side up, add a glass of white wine or cider and cook on High for 4-5 hours. On Low for double the time. That is, if you have the time. Instead of wine, I used Grand Marnier. Another tip: replace cider with orange juice if you do not have cider.

Serve with white rice topped with scallions.
And credit for the inspiration goes to: http://www.cookbookinteractive.co.uk/
Thank you!

Red Bean in Coconut Milk

½ c adzuki beans
2 cups of coconut milk
½ c water
a handful or sprinkle of dried seaweed to eliminate "gas" from the beans (available at Asian grocers)

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker on HIGH. Leave it until the beans are tender and some have "popped."
Let is cool down for a while and serve. Sweeten to taste.

Deanna's Slow Cook Minestrone Soup

It is the beginning of the New Year and I want to be healthy and eat more vegetables. Here is a start.

1 cup Cannelini Beans, cooked and drained
Spinach, cleaned, with a little bit of the steams removed
Carrots, cubed
Celery, Cubed
Potatoes, cubed
Red onions, finely chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Rosemary

Saute the onions and garlic in the slow cooker on olive oil until semi-transparent.
Place the diced tomatoes and layer the vegetables.
Once they are all in the slow cooker, gently mix them.
Cook on High for 3 hours, then Low for another 2 hours.

To serve:
1. Add a little bit of rosemary and parmesan on top.
2. Serve with crackers.

If you want your soup to be more soupy, add a little bit of water. I want mine Manly! (Or Chunky, with Heft!)

Pasta with Chicken and Celery in Creamy Sauce

This is a no-brainer. Sometimes, you just want to have dinner done and still be able to serve it without having to spend an enormous amount of time in the kitchen.

1 can low-fat cream of chicken soup
chicken breasts
celery, finely chopped
red onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil

Rub salt and pepper on the chicken. Set aside. Not too far away.
Saute the onions in olive oil. When they turn transparent, sauté the celery as well. Set aside.
On the same frying pan, add a little bit more olive oil to brown the chicken.

In the the slow cooker, bring all the ingredients together.
Cook on HIGH for 2 hours.

Serve over a bed of pasta. Mangia!

The Year of the Dragon