Slow Cooking Thursday

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.


Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

We didn't have Slow Cooking Thursday last week due to it being Thanksgiving and most of us were busy with families or traveling and so forth, but I'm back again with 2 recipes today, one is mine and one was emailed to me by a wonderful lady named Jennifer who learnt about my SCT through her sister who participates.....which I'm embarrassed to say I have no clue who it is, but thank you all the same :)

Here's what Jennifer had to say:

I thought you might be interested in a recipe that's popular here among the Dallas Morning News food staff, who are experts at using their slow cookers well and also producing great gifts from the kitchen.

SLOW COOKER SPICY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Credit: The Dallas Morning News

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup coffee beans, finely ground
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
6 allspice berries
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Combine chocolate, cream, butter and coffee in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 40 to 60 minutes, until the chocolate melts. Stir once or twice during the cooking time, just to make sure the chocolate does not stick to the bottom or sides of the crock. Whisk the mixture vigorously when it is nearly melted.

Pour the melted chocolate onto a plate or into a glass bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour, until it is hard enough to form into small balls.

Combine the cinnamon, cloves and allspice in a coffee mill, or, using a mortar and pestle, grind them to a coarse powder. Transfer to a small bowl, add the cocoa powder and mix thoroughly.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a spoon or mini ice cream scoop, scoop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture and roll with your hands into balls the size of walnuts. Roll the balls in the cocoa mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Place the truffles in the refrigerator from 4 hours to overnight. Sprinkle the truffles with powdered sugar and allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving. Makes about 18 truffles.

Note: Recipe can be doubled.

PER TRUFFLE: Calories 179 (52% fat) Fat 11 g (7 g sat) Cholesterol 15 mg Sodium 10 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 21 g Protein 2 g

SOURCE: The Gourmet Slow Cooker, Volume II

Now here's my recipe for today, I LOVE Gumbo so this one is going to be a must try for me, probably in the upcoming menu for next week.

DOWN-ON-THE-BAYOU GUMBO

Credit: Gooseberry Patch Slow Cooker Recipes

3 T. all-purpose flour
3 T. oil
1/2 lb. smoked sausage, sliced 1/2 -inch thick
2 c. frozen okra
14-1/2 ox. can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
3/4 lb. cooked medium shrimp, tails removed
1-1/2 c. long-cooking rice, cooked

Stir together flour and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until mixture turns reddish brown. Spoon mixture into a slow cooker; stir in remaining ingredients except shrim and rice. Cover and cook on low setting for 7 to 9 hours. Shortly before serving, add shrimp to slow cooker; mix well. Cover and cook on low setting for about 20 minutes. Ladle gumbo over cooked rice in soup bowls. Makes 6 servings.