Slow cookers lend themselves well to cooking casseroles. One of the best
things about it is that you don’t have to constantly tend to the
casserole for fear of it drying out or burning. This slow cooker
casserole is made from zucchini squash and eggplant.
The zucchini and eggplant casserole makes a great side dish and an
excellent vegetarian main dish. The added cheese adds to the protein,
and if you use whole wheat bread crumbs to top the casserole they add
even more protein. Also, the nature of the dish makes it pretty low in
calories and very high in fiber.
Ingredients
450g of zucchini squash (1 pound)
450g of eggplant (1 pound)
450g of potatoes (1 pound)
2 green bell peppers
5 garlic cloves
500 ml of tomatoes (2 cups)
5 ml of white sugar (1/2 teaspoon)
2 onions
salt and pepper
30 ml of fresh parsley (2 tablespoons)
10 ml of fresh dill (2 teaspoons)
60 ml of olive oil (1/4 cup)
500 ml of shredded mozzarella (2 cups)
parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
Procedure
Oil and preheat a covered slow cooker to low heat.
Rinse all the vegetables. Peel the potatoes and eggplant (you can use a
potato peeler for this). Cut the zucchini squash, the eggplant, and the
potatoes into slices ½ inch thick. You may have to cut the eggplant
slices in half to make them conform more to the size of the zucchini.
Remove the stem, the seeds and membrane from the bell peppers and
coarsely chop them. Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Chop the tomatoes.
Peel and thinly slice the onions.
In a small medium sized bowl, mix together the sugar, the garlic and the
tomatoes and set them aside for a few minutes. In another bowl, mix
together the zucchini squash, the eggplant, the green bell peppers and
the potatoes.
Put about 1/3 to 1/4 of the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker and
add a layer of the squash, eggplant, pepper and potato mixture, using
the same ratio. You’re going to make 3 or 4 layers depending on the
width of your slow cooker.
Add some of the tomato mixture that you set aside to the top of the
vegetables. Add salt and pepper to your liking, and sprinkle some of the
parsley and dill on top. Drizzle some of the olive oil over the top.
Now, start over and make another identical layer, and continue until you
have used all of the vegetables and tomato mixture. You should end up
with the olive oil being the last thing you add for now.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for about 6 hours. Remove the lid
and add the shredded mozzarella cheese. If it looks like it’s going to
be too much cheese, hold some back and you can use it to garnish the
dish during meal time. Replace the lid and cover on low another 2 hours.
While you are adding the mozzarella cheese, it would be a good idea to
check the tenderness of the eggplant. If it is not yet tender, cook the
recipe on high the last 2 hours instead of on low.
When it’s time to serve the slow cooker zucchini eggplant casserole, you
can garnish it with any leftover mozzarella and herbs, or you can add
some parmesan cheese to it.
When purchasing a crockpot, look for one with a removable liner. They
are much easier to clean. If you have a nonremovable liner, however, all is
not lost! Line your crockpot with a cooking bag and you'll have no cleanup
at all. Spray the inside of the liner with cooking spray before you fill it
to make cleanup easier.
140F/60C is the temperature the food needs to reach as quickly as
possible. If you are at home during the cooking times, test the food
temperature after four hours of cooking on LOW - the temp should be at least
140F/60C.
For food safety reasons, it's a good idea to cook on HIGH for the first
hour to quickly bring the temperature up to 140F/60C. Then turn the dial to
LOW and finish cooking.
Experts recommend you do not put frozen foods in the crockpot. All foods
should be defrosted before cooking so the food temperature can reach
140F/60C as soon as possible. However, since none of my family members are
in a high-risk group, I often cook frozen foods in the crockpot. The
informed choice is up to you.
Remove cooked food from the crockpot or liner before you refrigerate the
cooked food. Because the liner is made of such thick material, the food
won't cool down quickly enough to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
