Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips Page A

and bring the mixture to a boil.
    transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the corn, cover, and cook on high for 2 hours. Stir in the crabmeat and cream and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
    season with salt and pepper. Garnish each serving with chives.
    serves 8
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    seafood-stock savvy
    Your local grocer or gourmet retailer may sell seafood stock. My preferences are More Than Goumet seafood stock or Better Than Bouillon lobster stock. Another way to approximate seafood stock to is mix equal parts clam juice and chicken broth.

Mediterranean Shrimp and Rice Soup
    Simmered with garlic, oregano, tomato, and lemon zest, this soup will have you dreaming of Greek islands and the blue coastal waters of the Mediterranean. This soup can also be made with fish, such as halibut or sea bass, cut into one-inch chunks.
    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    2 teaspoons dried oregano
    1 teaspoon dried basil
    Grated zest of 1 lemon
    1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
    One 14- to 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
    4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
    1 cup raw converted rice
    1½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    ½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnishing
    1 cup crumbled feta cheese for garnishing
    heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, oregano, basil, and lemon zest and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.
    deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and transfer the contents of the sauté pan to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
    stir in the tomatoes, broth, and rice. cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours, until the rice is tender. Stir in the shrimp, cover, and cook for an additional 20 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through.
    serve garnished with the parsley and feta.
    serves 8

Veracruz-Style Fish Soup
    Another example of fishermen making the most of everything they catch, this simple soup combines zesty south-of-the-border flavors and seafood to make a terrific one-pot meal for a casual fiesta or weeknight dinner.
    Four 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
    2 medium red bell peppers, finely chopped
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    One 12-ounce bottle Corona or other light
    Mexican beer
    One 28- to 32-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
    One 8-ounce bottle clam juice
    1 pound sea bass, halibut, or red snapper fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks
    2 cups cooked long-grain rice
    ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    place the tortillas in the bottom of the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
    heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, bell peppers, cumin, and oregano and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
    deglaze the pan with the beer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert and stir to combine with the tortillas. Stir in the tomatoes and clam juice.
    cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in the fish, rice, and cilantro and cook for an additional 1 hour, until the fish is cooked through.
    season with salt and pepper before serving.
    serves 8

Miso Soup with Tofu, Shiitakes, and Shrimp
    Miso soup, like mom’s chicken soup, is good for what ails you. A recent television show in Japan had contestants do a blind taste test of miso soups and all of them identified their mom’s soup on the first try! Early use of miso soup as a restorative dates back to the 7th century, when it was served to Samurais to heal their bodies and minds. Miso is generally started with a dried sardine-based stock called dashi ,