The world of Crock-Pot cooking is not particularly kind to vegetables. Hours of slow simmering leave most in a state of taste and texture that is less than ideal. Or in a state of plain yuckiness.
But there are exceptions. Excellent exceptions. Over the 18 months that I’ve been reporting on my experiments with local-style slow-cooking, I’ve tried to give some attention to vegetables, partly in response to requests from vegetarians, and partly for my own good.
In terms of vegetarian dishes, the slow cooker does well with beans, whole grains and vegetable soups, but what I’ve been looking at lately are simple ways to slow-cook vegetables in their own right.
The easy answer is to treat your Crock-Pot as a miniature oven. Throw in some whole root vegetables — beets or sweet potatoes, for example — and let them go on low for four to six hours (don’t add any liquid), and they will essentially roast their way to tenderness.
The kabocha squash is my idea of a perfect Crock-Pot vegetable. Cut in wedges and brushed with a little olive oil, it roasts beautifully in about four hours in a slow cooker and can then be cubed for salads, added to soups or stews, or just eaten as is.
This recipe, though, is for simmering the squash Japanese style, in a broth of dashi, mirin and soy sauce. It can be eaten as a side dish or on its own with a serving of rice. If you choose the second route, check out the nutritional breakdown: A serving is incredibly low in calories and other bad things.
SLOW-COOKER SIMMERED KABOCHA
1 small kabocha squash, about 2 pounds
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon slivered ginger
» Dashi:
2-inch square piece konbu (dried kelp, sold in sheets)
2 cups water
1/2 cup bonito flakes
To make dashi: Place konbu and water in small pot over medium heat. When bubbles just begin to form around konbu, turn off heat. Remove konbu and set aside.
Add bonito to water and let steep about 5 minutes. Strain and return to pot. As an alternative to making your own dashi, use 1 teaspoon hon dashi powder (Japanese soup stock), dissolved in 1-3/4 cups hot water.
Scrub kabocha well; cut in wedges and remove seeds. Do not peel skin. Place in 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Add mirin, sugar, soy sauce and ginger to dashi broth. Stir to dissolve sugar, then pour over kabocha. Cut reserved konbu into strips and sprinkle over kabocha. Cook 4 hours on low, until very soft. Check at least once and rearrange pieces if they are not cooking evenly. Serve with liquid from pot. Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 60 calories, no fat or cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 2 g protein
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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. Write "By Request," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813. Email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.
