I was given a review copy of Slow Cook All Day written by Paula Jones. All opinions expressed are my own. “Excerpt from Slow Cook All Day: The Ultimate Cookbook of Hands-Off Slow Cooker Recipes, by Paula Jones, published by Rockridge Press. Copyright © 2020 by Callisto Media, Inc. All rights reserved.”
I cannot wait for you to make this recipe for Split Pea Dal. It is so good as well as so easy. The recipe is from my friend Paula‘s newest cookbook Slow Cook All Day. Paula is a friend so I might be biased but I can honestly say that I am 100% loving this cookbook. Before I talk about the split pea dal, I am going to share a few thoughts on the cookbook, and hopefully get you excited too. When Paula reached out to me to see if I would review her cookbook, I could not say no. With the seasons changing I knew I would be ready to reach for my slow cooker sooner than later.
I love how Paula refers to the recipes in the book as “one-pot wonder” because the recipes I have tried are that. I love a challenge but I also like it when my slow cooker does most of the work for me. Paula also talks about how cooking is her love language and I totally relate as it is mine as well. I get a high from serving my loved ones healthy, and nutritious meals which is what I have found in Slow Cook All Day.
The cookbook has 100 super-easy recipes ranging from plant-based vegetarian/vegan options all the way to hearty and meat beef options. When I say super-easy I mean it, not one I tried was hard. One of the chapters I really got into was the one on staples. Right now with the pandemic taking place I am always on the look-out for learning new ways to stock up my pantry with staples. Plus, I kind of love seeing how other home-cooks are doing it.
Let’s talk about a couple of the recipes I have tried. The first one I made was the Sausage, White Bean and Collards Soup. We are big soup eaters so I knew I needed to try this one. Also, I am never that good at cooking collards as they tend to take a bit longer than other greens. I am not very patient when it comes to cooking them. The recipe has everything going into the slow cooker from sausage to collards and then it cooks all day. I love “forget about it recipes” that reward me at the table at the end of the day. This soup was comforting as well as flavorful. I am not afraid of cooking collard greens any longer and cannot wait to try other recipes in the book using collard greens.
The next recipe I tried was the Enchilada Sauce. When the pandemic hit and the panic of grocery shopping took over I grabbed a few cans of premade enchilada sauce. I used them but every time I did I was so disappointed. The flavors were muddled, and the canned versions were heavily salted. They always left me parched. I made a batch of the Enchilada Sauce in the Slow Cook All Day cookbook and loved it. Again, super easy, toss everything in the slow cooker and forget about it. It was flavorful and not overly salty or too spicy. I am planning on matching a batch and storing it in the freezer for those lazy evening dinners this fall.
Last but not least this Split Pea Dal. I make a version of dal that I call the Chez Us dinner in a hurry; but, I usually do not make it unless I have red or yellow lentils on hand. I was very intrigued when I saw Paula’s recipe as it was made with split peas which I had in the pantry waiting to become soup. I have to be honest I was a bit nervous about cooking split peas for 8 hours. Guess what? It came out perfectly – it was the right texture and not overly mushy. This split pea dal is as easy as the other recipes as well as very flavorful, a little spicy but not overwhelming. It was a great bowl of comfort food. I did serve it with basmati rice as well as paneer that I lightly fried in coconut oil. I have a feeling this recipe will be on our table a lot during the upcoming colder months. I cannot recommend Slow Cook All Day enough, I would be doing so even if Paula wasn’t a friend. The recipes are accurate (they serve how many they say they will), they are super easy to make and the ingredients are basic and most likely can be found in your pantry already. This cookbook is the perfect addition to your everyday cooking collection.
Paula
Sunday 30th of August 2020
WOW - so incredibly happy y'all have enjoyed the recipes in the book and thank you so much for sharing xo