Monday, October 02, 2006

Slow Cooker Tapioca

Tapioca seems to be one of those food that people either love or hate. Like cilantro. It tastes like soap, so many say. And that fish-eye texture of tapioca turns a lot of people off.

I like it, myself. But it has to be the real McCoy; not a tapioca "pudding pack", whatever the hell that is, or that plastic jug tapioca, that tastes more like the vessel than the contents inside.

It's a Royal PIA to make though; what ever made them call it "Minute" Tapioca, when you have to stir constantly for 3o minutes?

But I have the greatest little secret: A Slow Cooker Tapioca recipe, that makes perfect tapioca every time. It's not that big of a secret though, it's right here in my Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with your Slow-Cooker, by Dawn J. Rank & Phyllis Pellman Good.

It's pretty much the only recipe that I've ever used from the book, and the only reason I keep it on the bookshelf. Most of the recipe's call for "stuff" that I don't consider an "ingredient" like tater tots and canned mushroom soup. Seriously, there's a "Ham Barbecue" in this book that calls for: ham, ketchup, and a can of coke. Cook 8 hours and serve on a bun.

I'd sooner die.

But I digress. Someone named Nancy Huber submitted the slow-cook tapioca recipe, and I stand behind her 100 percent. I'll shut it now, and just give you the recipe:

2 quarts milk
1 c. small pearl tapioca
1 to 1.5 c. sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
whipped cream or fruut of choice, optional (I never use these)

  1. Combine milk, tapioca, and sugar in slow cooker. Cook on High for 3 hours.
  2. 2. Mix together eggs, vanilla, and a little hot milk from the slow cooker. Add to the slow cooker. Cook on High 20 more minutes. Chill.
    (I'd be done there, but...)
  3. Serve with whipped cream or fruit.
Enjoy your fish eyes.

Bleu Cheese Mushroom Turkey Burgers

Sometimes the most interesting meals are those thrown together at a moment's notice. No photo tonight, because I ate the evidence before I had any idea how yummy it would be.

Honestly, this probably isn't something I'd serve up to others, as it's "too casual" and there are lots that don't like bleu cheese. Who servers burger on toast?

Me, when I'm home alone, and no one's looking, whip this up:

Throw a turkey burger on the grill.

Saute a few mushrooms. I'm cooking for one, so I just sliced a few into a tiny sauce pan.

No buns for this sandwich: I'm hooked on Brownberry's German Dark Wheat bread. I toasted mine.

So, it's german bread, with a turkey burger, mushrooms, and a tablespoon or so of bleu cheese. Real bleu cheese.

I will revise this post, adding a photograph, when I fix this again. And I will fix it again. Seriously. I could charge $13 for this sandwich. And you'd buy it.

I'd like to know: What do YOU toss together, that people would pay for?