Collard green and turnip soup
My parents gave me a slow cooker for Christmas last year. I thought it was an odd gift, but I sweetly thanked them and took it home. Then I took the slow cooker out of the box and fell in love.
The thing is magic! You load it up, add water, turn it on, and when you come home 9+ hours later on a frigid night so hungry you could eat your dog, the warm smell of love hits you as you walk through the door. It's the only way a working stiff like me can come home to a delicious smelling dinner. And the only effort required is chopping and flipping a switch. Magic. Parents (often) do know best.
The magic isn't limited to meals - the slow cooker is great way to prepare slow foods like dried beans and lentils, or carrots on their way to being pureed.
Slow cookers are especially perfect during the winter. They're great for soups, chili and stews. I also understand they are great for braised meat (next on my list of things to try), but the most frequent meal in my slow-cooker is a turnip collard green soup.
In addition to slow cookers, there are a few other ways to cook healthy and fast.
Turnip and Collard Green Soup
Serves 2
5-6 small turnips
5 collard greens
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot
1/4 clove of garlic
1/2 barley, quinoa, brown rice or any other grain
water
any other vegetable you like - onions, potatoes, etc.
- Chop the turnips, celery and carrots into bite sized soup pieces. Turnips should be small (2 inches or less) and heavy.
- Strip the collard green stems off the leaves and slice leaves into strips. (collard stems can be saved for vegetable juice)
- Put all the vegetables into the slow cooker.
- Add enough water to cover the vegetables plus another 2-3 inches. Unless the water is 3/4 inches from the top of the cooker. If so, only fill it until it's 3/4 inch from the top.
- Turn cooker on low. Let cook for 5+ hours. I've let it cook for over 9 hours.
- When you're ready to eat, add the grains. Leave them in for the regular cooking time. If you have pre-cooked grains, add them in at the end. Do NOT cook grains for hours - they get overcooked, clumpy and gross.
You're done! One of the easiest meals ever. Feel free to experiment - slow cooking is flexible and nearly impossible to screw up.
What I ate: vegetable juice, 1 grapefruit, 1 c. steel-cut oatmeal + flaxseeds + dried cranberries + milk, 2 scrambled eggs, macadamia nuts, 1 latte, baby carrots, hummus, 1 green tea, lobster ravioli, salami, prosciutto, 2 slices bread, cheese, hot chocolate, water
Exercise: None
