A busy Jewish woman’s guide to delicious cooking

I’m busy. Between work and my community involvement, I’m busy. The idea of coming home and making dinner every night seemed impossible – until now. I recently received a slow cooker as a gift, and it really is a game-changer. I’ve been able to make healthy, delicious meals because they cook while I’m at work.

I was able to get my hands on a cookbook called “Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes: 120 Holiday and Everyday Meals Made Easy,” by Laura Frankel, and tried a few recipes.

First, I tried the onion soup. I love soups, especially French onion soup, and this was a healthier take on the original. The hardest part was prepping the soup. I’m a crier when it comes to onions, so slicing two large onions was a little difficult.

Once everything is thrown into the slow cooker, you set the timer for four hours, and you’re off. If you are working, you can set the timer for longer. It’s called “slow cooker” for a reason! The best part is when you come home, the entire house smells amazing. I was also very excited to skip using an immersion blender. Most soups need that, and it’s another thing to clean.

Right before the soup was finished cooking, I made the baguette slices. It’s really like cheesy garlic bread, since you rub the slices with a garlic clove. This is the only part of the recipe that calls for cheese, which makes the soup look and feel healthier, as opposed to traditional recipes that cover the soup with a thick layer of cheese.

My conclusion: This onion soup looks and feels lighter and healthier than the traditional version and is really great to make in winter: The house becomes warm and inviting, and after eating, you feel warm and satisfied. I will definitely make this again, and would make it for company, too.

The other recipe I tried was the maple-pecan bread pudding. I had never made a dessert in a slow cooker before, and I wanted to see what I could do without using a cake mix, or something really unhealthy. This recipe also caught my eye because it uses challah and anything with challah can’t be bad!

Prepping the bread pudding wasn’t difficult. Arranging the challah slices in the slow cooker is the hardest part because it’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. The rest of the ingredients are simply whisked together and dumped into the container. After three hours you have to give it a stir, so the mixture is evenly distributed.

Right after the bread was done cooking, I made the maple-pecan sauce, which took about 10 minutes. I served the pudding in bowls and drizzled the sauce over it.

My conclusion: The bread pudding is probably one of the best desserts I’ve ever made. I usually bake cookies or pies, and I’ve become known as the dessert person in my family, but this is definitely a chance to wow everyone. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who feels they can’t do desserts, as it looks and tastes like you put in a lot of effort – even though it took about 20 minutes of actual effort.

Slow cookers have really changed the lives of busy people everywhere. Sure, you can throw a chicken in there with a bunch of vegetables and have a healthy dinner, but the options are endless. Having the opportunity to make appetizers, desserts and whole meals with one appliance is really a time-saver. I can’t wait to try more recipes from “Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes: 120 Holiday and Everyday Meals Made Easy,” as well as trying my own concoctions.

Onion Soup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large Spanish onions, cut in half and very thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 1 whole peeled garlic clove

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

3 thyme sprigs

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 bay leaves

3/4 cup dry white wine, such as chardonnay

1 quart veggie stock

1 1/2 cups water

Six 1/2 inch thick diagonal baguette slices

1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat a slow cooker to High.

2. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until the onions are very soft and lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic at the end of the cooking and cook for 5 minutes more.

3. Add the flour and stir over the heat for 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker insert. Add the thyme, nutmeg, bay leaves, wine, stock, and water. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

5. Just before serving, place the baguette slices on the baking sheet. Toast the baguette slices in the oven until they are lightly browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.

6. Rub the slices with the garlic clove. Divide the shredded cheese among the baguette slices. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese. Place the baguette slices back in the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned.

7. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide the soup among the serving bowls and top each bowl with a baguette slice.

Maple-Pecan Bread Pudding

Makes 6 servings

For the bread pudding

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the insert

One 1- to 1 1/2 -pound challah, sliced 1 1/2 inches thick

4 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half

2 cups whole milk

1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup best-quality maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans*

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the maple-pecan sauce

1 1/2 cups best-quality maple syrup

1/2 cup honey, preferably raw honey

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans *

Directions for the bread pudding

1. Generously butter a 6 1/2 -quart slow cooker insert.

2. Arrange the challah slices in the insert in layers.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugars, maple syrup, vanilla, pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the custard over the bread. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours.

Directions for the maple-pecan sauce

Combine the maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, and pecans in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Scoop the warm bread pudding into bowls or dessert glasses. Serve the sauce warm, poured over the bread pudding.

*You don’t have to toast the pecans. I didn’t and it still came out delicious.

HILLARY SCHULMAN is a Rhode Islander and Brandeis graduate. She loves finding new recipes for her fiancé, who loves being her taste-tester.