Slow Cooker Hot and Sour Soup Recipe

Day 13.

I am sick. I've been sick on and off since Christmas, and it's getting old. No, I haven't been to a doctor. I prefer the Internet. I've tried steam, I've tried drinking more water, I've tried exercising, I've tried sleeping more, hot water and honey, and whining. Lots of whining.

Please don't tell me to get a neti pot.

You're going to tell me to get a neti pot, aren't you?

But I'm scared!

In-between nose blows, I made some hot and sour soup to help with the sinus-draining. I adore hot and sour soup. Is there a stronger word than adore? I am infatuated with hot and sour soup. That doesn't sound right.

Hot and Sour Soup. It's the bomb.

It is very tasty, and I think you should make it and bring me some more. Because I ate it all. While you're at it, you can bring me those really nice Puffs tissues imbedded with aloe lotion.

The Ingredients:
serves 2-3

--1 cup cubed firm tofu (I used one-half of that Trader Joe's two-pack.)

--2 cups chicken broth
--2 cups water
--1 package of sliced mushrooms
--1 can bamboo shoots
--1 can sliced water chestnuts
--2 tablespoon soy sauce (La Choy is gluten-free)
--1 teaspoon sesame oil
--2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (and some more later)

--1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (and some more later)
--green onion for garnish



The Directions:

Wash your hands. Stop blowing nose.

Combine everything in your slow cooker. I used a 5 quart, and I think it was filled about 2/3 of the way full. Here's a picture since I am horrible at judging fraction-y type things:





If I did it again, I'd use a 3 or 4 quart. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high 4-5. I was impatient (have I mentioned that I'm sick?) and cooked it on high for 3 1/2. The mushrooms would have been better if I had waited.

Taste. If you need more of the sour flavor, add more rice wine vinegar. If you need more of the hot flavor, add more red pepper flakes. I like my soup very hot and sour, so I added another 1 tablespoob of the vinegar and another 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper flakes. Garnish with sliced green onion.

The Verdict:

I could probably eat this all day long. So I did. My kids really like it--they eat the broth and the tofu and leave the rest. You could easily slip in lots more veggies that you have on hand---carrots, celery, those cute little canned corncobs, etc. Many recipes call for cooked chicken or pork, which would be a great addition if you have some on hand or wanted to meat it up.


other soup recipes you might like:

Thai Coconut
Moroccan Lentil
Jamaican Pumpkin
Restaurant Tomato
Potato Leek
French Onion Soup

Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe

This recipe has been updated from the first time I wrote it.
Here is the one you should use:

1 tablespoon butter
7 to 8 sweet potatoes, or yams, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 to 1 cup mini marshmallows (to add after cooking)

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Rub the butter onto the inside of your slow cooker. Layer in the sweet potato slices. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and kosher salt. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes. 
Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. When potatoes are soft, scoop into an oven-safe dish, dot with marshmallows, and broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until marshmallows have JUST begun to brown.

Enjoy!!!

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 Day 10.

It is not Thanksgiving. But I promised the kids that I would make something yummy tonight. They chose "those really good potato things that grandma makes with marshmallows."

I am pretty sure that my mom makes them from a can. Which is totally fine--but I did happen to have a bag of sweet potatoes in the crisper drawer. (new ones. not the bag from here.)

After opening and closing cabinet doors way too many times, I settled on the following:

The Ingredients:

--12 oz bag of peeled and sliced sweet potatoes (or 3-4 peeled and chopped real ones)

--1 t vanilla

--1/4 cup brown sugar

--1/2 t cinnamon

-- a teeny tiny pinch of Kosher salt

--pat of butter (not a lot, it's just to grease the crock)

-- 1/4 cup of orange juice

--enough mini marshmallows to dot on top

after I took the photo I realized I didn't account for any liquid. Luckily, we had these little guys:

The Directions:

Butter the inside bottom and sides of your stoneware. Dump in the chopped sweet potatoes and all ingredients. Toss with your hands (or spoons if you are feeling dainty). Dot enough marshmallows on top to satisfy young children. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hrs or 2-3 on high.

See how the marshmallows are all clumpy and weird looking? That is apparently what happens when you buy marshmallows 18 months ago and then forget all about them.





The Verdict:

I'd make this again, but I think next time I'll use the small 1.5 qt crock or double it. This was plenty of food for a side dish for one meal for us four, but there weren't any leftovers.


It tasted amazing. I could have gotten away with 1/2 of the sugar amount. The taste was exactly like the canned stuff. But this cooked for 5 1/2 hours--so it has to be better, right?


right?


The marshmallows completely disappear while cooking. Warn small children.

Trust me.

updated 12/08: I made these for our Thanksgiving dinner, and they were amazing. I doubled the recipe and didn't add the marshmallows until the very end. Instead, I scooped the finished sweet potatoes out of the crock, and put in a round corningware dish. I added the marshmallows, and broiled in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the marshmallows were browned nicely. We had 10 adults and 5 kids for dinner, and everyone loved them. It seems the secret to feeding kids is to starve them beforehand... ;-)

other great side dishes to make for a holiday meal:

company's Coming Potato AuGratin
pecan-topped baked sweet potatoes
traditional stuffing
cornbread stuffing
corn risotto

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder Recipe

Day 7.

Wow. This is a total keeper recipe. It is creamy, nutritious, light and healthy all at the same time.

I used a recipe found on page 193 of

The weird thing though, is that it was a recipe in a slow cooker book and you are supposed to make it on the stove-top, using the "master chicken broth" recipe from the book. I cooked it all the way in the slow cooker, so, technically it's my recipe. Or at least that's my story for when I get sued.

kidding.

don't sue me.

I don't have any money.

The Ingredients:

--2 quarts of chicken broth

--1 small onion

--1 red pepper

--1 peeled and chopped carrot (I used a handful of baby carrots)

--2 (16-ounce) bags frozen corn (I used Trader Joe's roasted corn, which I highly recommend---the flavor is smoky and wonderful without any added salt)

--2 medium potatoes (I used 6 mini white potatoes)

Directions:

Finely chop the onion and brown in a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan. You want the onion to be cooked, but not totally translucent since it will continue to cook in the slow cooker.

Finely chop the carrots and the red pepper. I used my pampered chef chopper. I love that thing.

Wash and coarsely chop the potato(es). I kept the skin on---it's up to you.

Dump all the veggies into the stoneware.

Add the bags of frozen corn.

Empty both cartons of chicken broth (2 quarts; 8 cups) on top.

Plug in your slow cooker and set on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours.




This is the tricky and totally fun part:


Use a hand blender to chowderify.


If you don't have a hand blender (you really should get one...) you can-- VERY CAREFULLY because OMG it is HOT. HOT!!!! See the Ove Glove?!-- pour into a blender and pulse to desired consistency. I left some chunks of corn and a few veggies, but tried to get rid of most of the potatoes.
The kids ate it! My parents came for dinner and they enjoyed it, also.
And, since it's pretty much straight corn, I'm, um, feeling very clean and light. 




An added bonus.
other recipes to try:
corn risotto
creamed corn
corn on the cob
sweet potato soup
cream of asparagus soup