Sometimes we're fortunate enough in this short life to find comfort and joy in simple things. For me, today, that simple thing is a potato casserole that could always be found on the table at family gatherings at my grandparents' house. I think it's my uncle's wife who made it first, but the recipe was shared and so the dish found its way into more and more homes.
My family is not so big on potatoes, but my friend's family more than makes up for what we lack in love for the root vegetable! Small disclaimer: this is not health food! It's a guilty indulgence that happens to feed a crowd very well with little effort. The main ingredient, the potatoes, can be easily found in the freezer section of the grocery store. For anyone wanting to cut their own potatoes, it's a small dice you're looking for. Little cubes. Here's the recipe. Share it, love it, and enjoy. (and feel free to make healthier substitutions where you can)
Potato Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the following in a large bowl:
32 oz (2lbs) Southern Style Frozen Hash Browns
16 oz Sour Cream
10 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Spread into a 9 * 12 baking dish.
Melt 1 stick of butter (8oz). Add to the melted butter 2 cups Corn Flakes that have been crushed/crumbled and then spread on top of the potatoes.
Bake at 350 for an hour.
A quick search for "potato casserole" on any recipe site (like www.allrecipes.com) will yield many variations on this recipe.
Click
HERE for a printable version.
I started using a crock pot, aka slow cooker, only a few years ago. I quickly noticed that most of the recipes for this appliance were full of canned foods, packets of seasonings, processed cheeses (lots and lots of it). The meals were very typical "American" foods like shredded ____ (insert type of meat) from which you'd make tacos or sandwiches. Others were for pots full of noodles, cream, cheese, milk, butter, and maybe some meat. It was looking gross.
I've figured out a few things I can make successfully in the crock pot without compromising the quality of the meal. And on top of that, I've figured out how to make a few Arabic dishes in there too! And that's the main idea about today's post is to share with my friends how to use the crock pot to prepare some of the Arabic foods I've adapted for the crock pot.
The first one is easy; it's a boneless leg of lamb. This is especially convenient for days when company is coming because the oven is free for your veggies or other side dishes.
Leg of Lamb:
Rinse and trim fat off of one leg of lamb (3-5lb).
Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and no more than 1/2tsp of allspice.
Sear the lamb in a hot skillet.
Transfer to a cold crock pot. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup water to pot.
Turn it on High for an hour or two and then turn it to low for the remainder of the time.
4-5 hours of total cook time is usually perfect. If you have a leg smaller than 3 lbs then cook it 3 hours, but the ones that are 4-5lbs can go 4-5 hours.
On a busy school day last year I decided to try prepping for the eggplant dish called Musa'ka and to put in the crockpot rather than have to bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes. I wanted to dish to be ready when we got home from being out all day rather than come home and have to preheat the oven and bake the dish. It worked!
I made my ground beef, onion, green pepper and tomato paste mix. I broiled the sliced eggplant under the broiler and lightly salted them. Then I sprayed the crockpot with a nonstick spray and put the eggplant in. After that I poured in the meat/onion/tomato mixture in. You don't need to add extra water because the lid keeps the steam in. And that is it. I put it on low and it was plenty warm when we returned home 4 hours later. If you like to top your Musa'ka with a béchamel sauce then this might not give a great result, however, I have read recipes where they say to take the lid off for 30 minutes at the end to allow cheese to cook up and not be gooey.
And finally, I made a great pot of Fasulieh bizZeit (green beans in olive oil) last night.
Green beans in oil:
Wash and trim 1.5 lbs green beans (I'm totally estimating on the amount. I had a Ziploc bag full of beans from my neighbor's garden, so I just used all that up)
Snap the beans into smaller pieces and set aside.
Pour 2-3 Tbsp olive oil in the crock pot.
Slice a medium onion and put over the oil. Chop a large tomato or 2-3 smaller ones and put over the onions.
Now put all the beans over the onions and tomatoes. Sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt.
I cooked on high for 4 hours. Results were fantastic.
I don't have any picture to post right now, but if I snap one I'll come back and add it.
Try some of your dishes in the crock pot and see if it can work for you!
