Beer isn’t the only reason friends show up at Charlie Buess’ office on Fridays. One week he put together a batch of chili in a slow cooker, and “everybody enjoyed it so much I sort of expanded. I’ve cooked all kind of things – chili and pulled pork, sloppy joes. Dora Wat, which is an Ethiopian dish. Pizza, lasagna and all kind of crazy stuff.”
Here are two recipes that have become favorites:
Slow-Cooker Jalapeno Corn
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
- 4 cans (15 oz. each) whole sweet corn, drained
- 1 can (4 oz.) diced jalapenos
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Melt the butter in the slow cooker. Add softened cream cheese, allowing it to blend with butter. Add corn and jalapenos, stirring until evenly coated. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. If desired, add chopped onions, shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro.
Slow Cooker Doro Wat
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken pieces
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 tablespoons Berbere spice mixture (available in most supermarkets)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 4 hard-cooked eggs
Add chicken pieces to bowl with lemon juice and set aside.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Soften for two minutes and remove from heat. Add onion mixture to the slow cooker.
Add chicken pieces with lemon and salt to the slow cooker. Add the turmeric, Berbere spice mixture, tomato paste and broth. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add the halved eggs to the dish and serve with traditional Ethiopian Injera bread, flat bread or rice.
