Posted on 10/20/2010 1:23:38 PM PDT by JoeProBono
Slow-cooker cooking is a rite of fall.
In this hurry-up society, cooking a hot, nutritious meal seems almost a thing of the past. But, if you have the discipline to think about dinner at breakfast time, your reward can be a meal that’s ready when you get home.
The slow-cook crock pot not only improves the variety and flavor of the food you serve, but it can cut the time you spend in the kitchen almost in half. The slow cooker won’t replace the stove top or the oven because it cooks foods in a different way. Main dishes, casseroles and soups are particularly adaptable to this method.
Slow cookers can be purchased in a variety of sizes. There is a one-quart model for singles and a 12-quart roaster oven that not only slow cooks, but performs a variety of other cooking functions. So slow cooking can fit any family’s needs.
Here are a few tips for using your slow cooker:
• The slow cooker should be 1/2 to 3/4 full when in use.
• Liquids do not boil away, so the liquid amount should be reduced by half from what an oven or stove top recipe requires.
• Keep the lid on the slow cooker while it is in use. There is no need to stir the food once cooking has started. Do not remove the lid until you are adding final ingredients during the last half hour of cooking or the cooking process is done.
• It is not safe to use the slow cooker to thaw or cook frozen meats.
Pressure cookers are awesome. And there are some great modern models. They cook the BEST beans!
Peel and core 2-3 apples and coarsely chop. Coarsely chop a medium Vidalia type sweet onion. Combine the apples and onion in the bottom of the slow cooker with 2T apple cider vinegar and 2T apple jelly. Place a piece of boneless pork loin on top..fat side up. Salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low about 5-6 hours. Serve apple/onion sauce on the side.
bfl
Just last weekend i had some slooooow cooked Chicken Cacciatore over white rice from the Crockpot.
I’t was reallllly goood.
I want some now!
...and the vegetables tend to loose their integrity.
Apple and Pear Butter in the Crock Pot / Slow Cooker
Ingredients 8 Pears 5 Apples 1 cup Water or apple cider 1 cup Brown Sugar 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves Put all the ingredients into the crock pot / slow cooker. I had frozen up left over pieces of apple and pear from the girls PreSchool snacks, the bits they hadn’t eaten. Much of it was not peeled even and I worried that would effect the end result but it didn’t at all. So now I know not to waste time peeling all the apples and pears. Cook on low for 6 hours stirring occasionally. Leave a toothpick or chopstick under the lid to vent some of the steam and help the liquid reduce. After 6 hours use a stick blender to mush everything together until it is smooth and spreadable. Cook in the crock pot / slow cooker for a couple more hours on low with a tooth pick or chopstick in the side to vent the steam. Basically at this point I was aiming to make it really thick, if you prefer a thinner consistency you could stop after blending and move straight onto bottling. Once finished you can bottle it up to give away as gifts or keep it all for yourself and don’t share the yummy goodness. Tastes great on toast, sandwiches or as a spread for roast pork.
There are much better ways to use that tenderloin, like dry heat of charcoal...
My GF made uf a batch of Boston Baked Beans in the Crockpot a few months back.
It was Reallly good.
Lot’s of great recipes for stuff like that out there.
“crock pots tend to dry out whatever meat is being cooked.”
Then you’re not using it right. Keepp trying, you’ll find the food is great and easy too!...red
save for great recipes for later
I agree. Tried corn once and hated it. We do add beans to ours though. It must be a regional thing.
Crockpot Baked Beans With Leftover Pulled Pork
Just made a batch of that myself last night! Full apple/sugar recipe.
LOL baked beans in the crock pot was the second to last failure. I did however do them in the oven after that and they were awesome. I do think the crockpot recipe called for too much liquid, but the oven was way faster. Going to have them for Thanksgiving in fact.
Thaks Joe.. I use mine all the time.. for my food & pup’s food which I make.
Love to do soups year round.. I am a vegetarian so the only meat I cook is for Josy/Toby.. but the frangrances of the onions,garlic, spices when the crock pot is cooking.. well, just wonderful.
The smells of the meats for dog, make me sick! LOL
Too much good stuff here, BTTT for later reading.
Thanks for this interesting way to cook an eye of round. I’ve always been told not to salt beef before cooking as it dries it out, but I can see the logic for inexpensive cuts of beef and I had no idea an overnight salting would tenderize. So, I’m definitely going to give your method a try.
By the way, if you want that extra special flavor for your beef roasts, the secret is to heavily season the outside with nutmeg, do not be skimpy. Of course, use your other favorite seasonings, too.
Thanks again!
DollyCali, I’m a vegetarian myself and cook food for my cats. I use the vegecat supplement on this site:
And they have ones for dogs as well. It’s actually easier for dogs to be healthy vegetarians since they are techincally omnivores, whereas cats are straight carnivores. The coyote and fox scat around here often has plant materials in it, grape and blackberry seeds, etc; whereas the cougar and other cat scat (lynx? bobcats?) is strictly animal stuff like fur.
I checked with the vet and he said my cats were well-nourished and healthy and the diet with the supplement was good.
I’ve used the vegecat stuff for quite a few years and their basic diet is lentils and rice although I do often cook garbanzos which they love, plus they eat all kinds of leftovers that are good for them and they love many vegetables. I add in addition to the vegecat powder, yeast, kelp, oil, a bit of mineral salt (aka “Real Salt”), often parsely. They also catch rodents and lizards here and there so get additional amino acids, but not much in winter.
Cats use 1 t. of vegecat a day, I haven’t looked into the vegedog but since dogs vary in size so much I’m sure good directions are there.
I’ve made cat kibble too, they really loved it.
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