with garlic relish
Keywords: garlic, relish, pulled, pork, butt, crock, pot, crowder, peas, cajun, jb, trinity, Slap, Ya, Mama, Louisiana, southern, style, cooking, 007, bondjb
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Here's a quick and easy chili verde recipe that you can serve as a soup or over chimichangas.
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic pepper
3 pounds pork picnic roast
1 large onion, diced
1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies, drained
3 (7 oz.) cans green salsa
2 (15.5 oz.) cans great Northern beans, drained (optional)
Directions
In a slow cooker, pour in half of the Worcestershire sauce and half of the garlic pepper. Place the roast inside of the pan and sprinkle the remaining Worcestershire sauce and garlic pepper over the top of the meat. Add in the onions and chilies. Pour the chicken broth over all. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours.
When the roast is fork tender (you can pull it apart with a fork), stir in the green salsa and beans. Continue cooking until heated completely.
=> Chili Verde Recipes: Chili Verde Stew
This spicy chili verde recipe features roasted pork, salsa, green chilies, spices and fresh jalapeno pepper. Remember to wear rubber or plastic gloves when handling fresh hot peppers, and don't touch your face or eyes while handling.
3/4 pound boneless pork roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine or beef broth
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup salsa
2 tablespoons canned chopped green chilies, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 dash ground cloves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
Directions
In a large saucepan, cook the pork in oil over medium heat until it no longer looks pink; remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, sauté the green pepper, onion and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are tender. Stir in the pork, wine or broth, tomatoes, salsa, 1 tablespoon of the chilies, cumin, sugar and cloves. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes; stir occasionally.
Stir in the parsley, jalapeno and remaining chilies. Cover and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
=> Chili Verde Recipes: Basic Homemade Chili Verde
Here is a simple way to make homemade chili verde which uses fresh cilantro.
1 pound pork, cubed
5 tomatillos (green tomatoes)
3 serrano chili peppers
1 medium white onion
1/3 bunch fresh cilantro
4 cloves of garlic
Directions
In a pan, cook pork until nice and brown; drain off the fat. Wrap the tomatillos, chilies and garlic in aluminum foil and place them inside a pot. Cover and heat on medum high until the tomatoes are nice and soft; stir occasionally. Unwrap the vegetables and place in a food processor along with the onion and cilantro. Blend well. Pour sauce over the pork and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. You can add a little more fresh cilantro after about 5 minutes of cooking, if desired.
There are many home appliances in the market nowadays which help to make the food quickly and easily, and slow cooker is one such home appliance. It helps in making the food slowly in order to make the food delicious and relish the food by the family members as well. It is a counter top electrical cooking appliance which maintains a relatively low temperature compared to other cooking methods like baking, boiling or frying for many hours in order to allow uncooked food to get cooked.
But before buying one, you have to look for different features that help in the making the food easier and better. They help in making the food delicious. The 9 tips which would help you in buying the best one are as follows:
Choose the correct size: Always choose a cooker that is according to the usage and the quantity of the food to be prepared on day-to-day basis. The size of a cooker can be range from a small to a bigger cooker. It is always important to notice that large ones cook a small amount of food very quickly but if you think that the food that you cook on daily basis can be cooked in one.
Removable insert: Always go for a slow cooker, which has a removable insert that is essential for easier cleaning of the appliance. With this feature one can just remove the insert and wash it so that other components of the cooker do not get damaged.
Heat settings: Usually slow cookers have a low and high setting but some of the models also have a keep warm setting. In a family there are people of every age group and people prefer eating food according to their specified timings. So some of them even have the feature of warm setting that helps in keeping the food warm until a specified period of time.
Additional features: Slow cookers are now a days far more than a single appliance. They can also be used for baking, cooking rice and even for roasting the dishes.
Removable liner: one should always go for a slow cooker which has a removable liner in it so that it is easier to serve and store the cooked food.
Glass lid: Always opt for a slow cooker, which has a glass lid so that it becomes more durable as plastic lids crack down very easily. A glass lid tends to fit over the cooker very easily and helps in making the food softer and better.
Shape: oval shaped cookers are better for cooking non vegetarian food and deep cookers are great for cooking stews and food, so choose a slow cooker that's is according to your personal need as they help in making the food delicious and better in taste.
Top rim: Before buying one, it should always have this feature as the cooker should have a top rim which is at least one inch wide and slanted down towards the middle of the cooker so that bubbling juices and steam flow back into the pot.
Warm: Look for the slow cooker models that come with auto setting that turns to a lower "keep warm" temperature after cooking is complete.
Slow cookers are cool. This appliance helps you cook warming meals on chilly nights and gets you out of the kitchen on hot days. No wonder the popularity of slow cookers is soaring. Slow cookers are available in many sizes, colors, and some are programmable. If you don't have a slow cooker yet you may wish to buy one.
According to "One Pot Wonders," an article on the CBS News Web site, about 80% of American kitchens have a slow cooker. "Experts predict [slow cookers] will be a big trend in 2008," the articles notes. Grocery stores have picked up on the trend and sell pre-cut veggies and meat for slow cookers. Book stores have dozens of books devoted to slow cooker recipes.
Slow cooking is a safe way to cook if you follow the directions and clean your cooker properly. Here are some care and cleaning tips.
1. Never preheat a slow cooker. This advice comes from the Kraft Kitchens Canada Web site. Preheating an empty crock may cause it to crack.
2. Handle the crock carefully. In an article titled, "Cleaning Your Crockery Cooker," the Better Homes and Gardens Web site cautions users about hitting the crock on the kitchen faucet. (Apparently this has happened.) One hit could chip or crack the insert.
3. Coat the crock with nonstick spray before using. This prevents food from sticking and makes clean-up a breeze.
2. Put a liner in the crock. According to the Reynolds Web site, slow cooker liners are made of heat-resistant nylon and designed for easy clean-up. The liner is simply thrown away. But using a liner doesn't get you out of cleaning the crock. Even if you don't see a drip, you should still wash the crock for food safety.
5. Use the right utensils. Stir food with a wooden spoon, plastic spoon, or rubber spatula to prevent scratching.
6. After the food has finished cooking, unplug the slow cooker. Wipe the cord with a damp cloth.
7. Let our slow cooker cool down before you wash it. Never add cold water to a hot crock or put a hot crock in cold water.
8. Wash the crock in warm, soapy water. Use a soft cloth, plastic brush, or plastic scrubbie. Let the crock soak a bit if food is really stuck.
9. Wash the lid in the dishwasher. A glass lid can go anywhere. If the lid is plastic, put it on the top rack.
10. Wipe the outside with a damp cloth and dry completely. Do not use abrasive cleaners, harsh chemicals, or scouring pads on the outside of your slow cooker or you will damage it forever. These tips will keep your food safe and your slow cooker working for years.
Copyright 2008 by Harriet Hodgson
If you really want the best results from your crockpot recipes then you don't want to go too cheap on your spending. But on the other hand, you also don't need the deluxe super model either. You'll need to do a little bit of research here as I'm not in the business of endorsing any particular brand. But you may be pleasantly surprised that all you may need to spend is around .
If you decide on any of these brand names- brand names like Rival, Hamilton Beach, Kitchen-Aid, Cuisinart or Proctor Silex - you won't go wrong. Don't go cheap since you will get what you pay for -you will want your slow cooker to last for quite a few years.
Don't skimp on the quality and features in your search for a good deal. You will want an automatic shut-off and warm feature which means you don't have to make it home by the time the meal is finished cooking. The slow cooker will automatically switch to a gentle warming mode. This helps when you are serving a large meal by keeping stews, soups, and other dishes ready to serve.
Once you have settled on the brand and model, now pick the size. Some of the most popular sizes for slow cookers are the 3.5 and 4 quart models. Smaller and larger are available to suit your needs as well, depending on the size of your family.
Now as for what you should put into it, you can be as creative as you want. There is no 'perfect' recipe when it comes to slow cooking. The blended flavors of a few choice ingredients is what the slow cooker is good at. There is no end to the types of foods you can cook in a crockpot. From sauces and soups, stews and roasts, it does them all well.
Remember, fast food is out and slow cooked meals are in. A delicious meal can be as simple as tossing some ingredients into the pot before everyone leaves for the day.
And if you're short on recipe ideas you will find many websites online which are dedicated to crockpot recipes. You will find mega-ingredient recipes for when you have extra time to dedicate, and you will also find recipes which require as little as 3 ingredients! Or you can dig out some of your own family favorite recipes that you know will always go over well.
A good slow cooker will serve you well for a long time to come. And when you come home after a long hard day of working and doing errands, you will be greeted by an aroma-filled home that would make royalty jealous!
Let's begin with their similarities.
Let's first look at how the two appliances are similar. Most rice cookers and slow cookers have a removable liner and an insulated outer shell. The outer shell contains the heating device and controls. They are usually electronic devices. Both can be used to prepare entire meals.
Rice cookers work by quickly heating its contents to the boiling point
Some rice cookers contain steaming baskets that either fit inside the liner or stack on top. This allows for multiple items to be cooked at the same time. Rice cookers cook by raising the temperature of the contents to the boiling point. In the case of cooking rice, the boiling water is absorbed by the rice to cook the rice. Once the water is absorbed by the rice the contents starts to rise about the boiling point. The outer shell of the rice cooker contains a thermal sensor to monitor when the temperature rises above the boiling point (212 degrees F) and changes the unit to the warm setting. The warm setting keeps the contents at a steady temperature to prevent bacteria forming on the food. The liners can be non-stick coated, enamel or stainless steel. Rice cookers come with various features including programming, fully self contained for cooking food unattended and combination units.
Slow cookers work by heating at low temperatures for longer periods of time
The original purpose of the electric slow cooker was to slowly cook tough cuts of meat in their own juices for long periods of time to make them tender. The electric version was invented back when woman were entering the work force to allow them to cook their meals unattended during the day with the meal ready when they returned home. Slow cookers are sometimes also referred to as crock pots. This comes from the removable liners usually being made of some type of crockery material with an enamel finish looking like the original crock pots they used to bury in pits with coals to slowly cook the meat. Liners can also be made of enameled steel or non-stick steel. The shell contains the heating coils that surround the liner in a double insulated container. The liner distributes the heat evenly and consistently to cook the food. They also come with various temperature settings.
Benefits of rice cookers over slow cookers
Rice cookers cook quickly so no preplanned meals is required. Lots of recipes allow individuals to prepare healthy home-cooked meals in roughly 30 minutes. The steaming baskets that come with some models of the rice cookers allow multiple food items to be cooked at the same time saving both time and energy. Additionally, the steaming process allows more nutrients to be kept in the food. Slow cookers require preplanning and preparation at the beginning of already busy days. They can only prepare one item of a meal because of the single basin. Rice cookers come with thermal sensors that will automatically switch to warm mode after the cooking cycle to prevent burning and are usually set at one setting for the entire cooking cycle.
In a cooking respect, a crock pot is a slow cooker, but not all slow cookers are crock pots.
So what's the difference?
A crock pot is a small electrical kitchen appliance that uses moist heat over long periods of time to cook foods. Crock pots generally have three parts: a glass lid, a ceramic or porcelain round or oval pot, and a round or oval heating element that the pot fits snugly into. Crock pots come in a variety of sizes ranging from 16 oz. to 9 quarts or more, with the most common sizes being 5-6 quarts. They usually have two heat settings that offer continuous heat: high (approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit) and low (approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit) and surround the pot by heating from the sides.
Slow cookers are also small electrical kitchen appliances that use moist heat over a long period of time to cook food. They also have three parts: a glass lid, a pot, and a heating element. So what's the difference? Slow cookers generally describe a pot that sits on a hot plate and has many different temperature settings, usually notated by numbers one through five. The heat runs in cycles, rotating on and off. Because the heating element does not surround the pot and cook from the sides (and is not continuous), scorching food is more easily achieved with a slow cooker. But who wants to achieve that?
Sometimes crock pots are called slow cookers, but a true slow cooker (with the heating element underneath) is not called a crock pot. The terms crock pot and slow cooker are often interchangeable, but if a recipe states to be cooked on low or high, you can bet it's meant for a crock pot.
To confuse you even further, what's the difference between crock pot, crockpot, and Crock-Pot ®?
Crock-Pot ® is a registered trademarked name owned by Rival Industries - notice the hyphen, capitalization, and registered symbol. Much like Kleenex ® has replaced facial tissue as a household name; Crock-Pot ® has become a household name as well. However, here's where it gets grammatically technical. Without the hyphen, capitalization, and registered symbol, crock pot and crockpot are not owned by Rival, yet have the same meaning.
In the end, who really cares? If you're purchasing one of these small electrical kitchen appliances, I would recommend buying a crock pot, not a slow cooker. In other words, get one with a heating element that surrounds the entire pot and heats continuously, not just heats from the bottom on cycles. The bottom line is they both offer the benefits of a quick and easy dinner preparation, convenience, and low cost healthy meals.
Perhaps we should just change the name to "The Greatest Small Kitchen Appliance Ever". But then people might confuse it with their coffee pot. Or is it coffee maker?
To view the entire article by S. Mithra, please see www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-turtle-and-a-tortoise.htm
For all you busy cooks out there, get out your slow cooker or crock pot and make a tasty dish you can forget about for hours as you go about your busy day. And another bonus; you won't have to stand over a hot stove or heat up your kitchen on hot days! This Beef Stew recipe has a richness from the V8 juice that makes it special. Add a salad and crusty bread for an easy, comfort food meal. Do you enjoy broccoli casseroles but don't want to heat up the oven? Get out the slow cooker or crockpot and enjoy this casserole year-round!
CLASSIC BEEF STEW WITH V8 JUICE
1 tall can V8 juice
1 1-lb pkg baby carrots
3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 tsp original Mrs. Dash seasoning
1-2 lb beef stew meat
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup water
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
In crockpot or slow cooker, combine the V8 juice, carrots (cut in half, if too large), potatoes, and Mrs. Dash seasoning. In a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, brown the onions with the beef; add to the crockpot. Add the water and bouillon cube to the skillet stirring to dissolve bouillon and loosen residue in skillet; add to the crockpot. Season to your taste with salt and pepper. Set pot on high and cook for 4 to 6 hours or on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Add the peas the last 20 minutes of the cooking time.
SLOW COOKER BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
2 pkgs (10-oz each) frozen chopped broccoli, mostly thawed
1 can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup crushed butter-flavor (Ritz) crackers
2 tbsp butter
In a large bowl combine the broccoli, soup, 1 cup of the cheese, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Spray slow-cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Pour broccoli mixture into the slow cooker. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the top. Cut butter into small portions and dot over the crackers.
Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top of the casserole and cook another 10 minutes or until the added cheese melts.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Enjoy!
Pork roast is easy to cook in a slow cooker or crock pot. It stays moist and tender, and has a delicious flavor. You don't have to buy the best cuts when you plan to cook pork in a slow cooker or crock pot. You can purchase cheaper cuts and still get a very good result.
One of the best things about cooking pork in a slow cooker is that you can let it cook while you are away from home. The low heat does all the work for you. Here are 2 slow cooker pork recipes for you to try in your own kitchen.
Pork Roast
4-5 pounds pork roast
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Coat inside of slow cooker or crock pot with vegetable oil. Set cooker on LOW setting and allow to warm.
Mix paprika, chili powder, pepper and salt together to make a rub. Rub both sides of roast well with spices. Place roast in preheated cooker and cover.
Cook on LOW setting for approximately 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH setting for 3 to 4 hours. Roast is done when tender and no longer pink in the center.
Pork Barbecue
3-4 pounds pork roast
2 cups diced tomatoes
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients together in slow cooker or crock pot. Place roast in cooker, being sure both sides of roast are coated with mixture. Cover.
Cook on LOW setting for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours. When done, roast will be tender and ready to fall apart. Remove from cooker and shred pork before serving.
Tip: The pork barbecue recipe doubles well for taking large amounts of BBQ to social functions.
Today's cooks are usually very busy people. They are often parents, work outside the home, chauffer children to various functions, attend sporting events, etc. Yet they want to feed their families good home-cooked meals. One of the easiest way for these busy cooks to prepare delicious family meals, is to use a slow cooker or crockpot. These beef and pork recipes are easy and family perfect. A few minutes of prep, set the cooker, and go on about your day. Walk into your house hours later to the smells of a delicious meal.
APRICOT PORK ROAST
1 (2 1/2 lb) boneless pork loin, trimmed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil*
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 to 3 green onions, sliced
1 jar (12-oz) apricot preserves
1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
Sprinkle the roast with the salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, and add the pork. Brown roast, turning frequently to brown all sides; this will take approximately 6 minutes. Transfer the roast to a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker or crockpot.
In the same skillet, cook the red onion and green onion on low heat for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with the ginger and remove from the heat. Stir the apricot preserves and the mustard into the mixture. Pour mixture over the pork. Cover and cook until pork is fork tender and cooked through, approximately 4 to 5 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
Transfer pork to cutting board. This makes 8 servings. For less servings, cut off half or whatever needed. Slice the current piece and let the other part cool. When cooled, roast can be wrapped well and frozen for up to two months.
Serve sliced with the cooking sauce.
*If you don't have the olive oil you can use canola oil.
SLOW COOKER POTATO, CARROT, AND ONION POT ROAST
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, cut into wedges
3 lb rump roast
3 carrots peeled and sliced
3 medium russet potatoes, cut into large cubes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 box dry onion soup mix (both packets)
3 cups boiling water
1 tbsp cornstarch
Melt the butter in the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion wedges and roast. Brown the beef on all sides. Transfer the beef and onion to the slow cooker.
Arrange the potatoes, carrots, and bay leaves around the roast. Sprinkle the salt over all.
In a heatproof bowl, combine the onion soup mix with the boiling water. Stir until smooth. Pour over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover cooker and cook on high 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch and about 1 teaspoon water; stir to form a paste. Add 2 cups of the hot liquid from the slow cooker and bring to a boil, stirring until the gravy is thickened. Serve the roast with the vegetables and gravy.
Note: Replace the onion soup mix with onion-mushroom soup mix, if desired.
Enjoy!
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Slow cooker recipes allow you to prepare meals that are tender and succulent with very little effort. You can start your cooker in the morning and leave it while you go to work or spend time with your family, and your meal will be ready for you when you return at the end of the day.
All recipes are designed to take advantage of the unique properties of the slow cooker itself. Electrically powered, they can reach only moderate temperatures and cook food over very long periods, often for several hours.
They were first introduced in the 1970s, and are made of heat-resistant materials like ceramics or porcelain and are usually round or oval in shape with a close-fitting lid.
There are many different types of slow cooker recipes, but they all share some common elements. All of this type of recipe must involve some kind of liquid to prevent the main ingredient of the meal from drying out over the long cooking period. While water is the most common liquid used, wine or broths can also be used.
The liquid evaporates during cooking, but the lid re-condenses it and returns it to the dish, helping the food to stay moist and tender throughout. Many slow cooker recipes involve cheaper cuts of meat, as the long, gentle heating process breaks down the toughness of the meat and allows the flavour to grow and develop.
Slow cooker recipes have a number of advantages over cooking food in a more conventional manner, one of which being that it is very difficult to overcook a meal in this type of cooker. Even if you forget about the dish and let it cook for longer than is recommended, little damage will be done and the meal will still remain tasty and flavoursome.
Another advantage is that there's less washing up to do at the end of the meal - the cooker is the only pot used in making the recipe, so it's the only thing you'll have to clean.
Learning to use this type of cooker is simple, even if you don't have much experience of cooking. They can vary quite a bit in price, but you should be able to pick up a small one without having to spend a great deal of money.
Most cookers come with their own book of slow cooker recipes to get you started, and there are many cookbooks and websites that focus solely on slow cooker recipes, so you'll have plenty of variety in the meals you'll be able to make.
One of the most satisfying and delicious home cooked meals you will ever make is a pot roast cooked in a slow cooker, also known as a crock pot. It is especially wonderful during cold winter months. This easy to make, tender and savory pot roast recipe is sure to be a huge hit with your friends and family. There are many variations to this dish and if you ask 5 different people how they prepare a pot roast, you will more than likely receive 5 different answers. While the ingredients for making pot roast may vary from cook to cook, the method is generally the same: Season then brown a piece of meat on all sides and then slowly cook the meat along with a mix of vegetables in some type of broth mixture until the meat is fork tender.
CHOOSE YOUR CUT OF MEAT
The very first step to cooking a pot roast is to choose a cut of meat. There are several cuts of meat that will work for pot roast, but some are better than others. I recommend that you visit your local butcher and ask him or her to recommend a good piece of meat for your pot roast. If however, there is no butcher shop close by, visit your local supermarket. Most supermarkets will put helpful labels on the meat telling you what that cut of meat is generally used for. Common cuts of meat used for pot roast are Chuck, Brisket, Top Round and Bottom Round. Most people prefer chuck as the meat of choice, but I find it a bit too fatty and prefer to use Bottom Round. Experiment with different cuts to find the one you like best. For the purpose of this recipe, choose a cut of meat that is 3 - 5 Pounds.
THE VEGETABLES
I like to use a variety of different vegetables when I make this dish. It makes it more interesting than the usual carrots, celery and onions that many recipes call for. The best vegetables to accompany pot roast in my opinion are carrots, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, turnips and rutabaga. You are free to use all of these or just a few. The choice is yours and nothing is written in stone. I just love the different textures and flavors that these different vegetables provide. Here are the measurement estimates for the veggies I like to use. Use more or less depending on how big your crock pot or slow cooker is. You don't want to overcrowd the crock pot.
1/2 Cup of Chopped Turnip
1/2 Cup of Chopped Rutabaga
1/2 Cup of Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup of Chopped Carrot
1/2 Cup of Chopped Celery (Look for celery with celery leaves still attached. The leaves impart an excellent flavor to the broth)
3 Garlic Cloves Minced
THE COOKING LIQUID
People use a variety of liquids to braise a pot roast and add their own unique flavors to this dish. People use a combination of water, beef stock, red wine (choose a wine that you would drink, not a cooking wine) and even beer. I like to use simple water mixed with beef stock. I usually use one part water to one part beef stock and use enough to where the roast is only submerged half way.
LET'S GET COOKING
Ok, we are ready to start cooking this beautiful dish.
Step 1
Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meat on all sides, in a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Step 2
Place your chopped vegetables in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the meat on top of the vegetables and then pour your liquid over the top.
Step 3
Cover the slow cooker and cook at the lowest setting possible for roughly 8-10 hours. Meat should easily fall apart when pierced with a fork and vegetables should be soft. Remove meat and vegetables and place on a serving platter.
Step 4
Now to make the gravy. Whisk together, in a sauce pan, 1/4 cup of cold water and 2 tablespoons of flour until smooth. Slowly incorporate 1 cup of the hot broth from the pot roast and bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened.
Enjoy!
For people who like eating very delicious and juicy food, then they may consider slow cooker stew recipes. If time is of the essence then may be this method of cooking would not be very appropriate for you. Still you can make it work for you if you love cookery and are willing to try it. If you are the kind of person who has very busy schedules, then you may choose to prepare the recipes quickly then put your food in the slow cooker. The outcome will definitely be so lovely with very tender and mellow.
One can slow cook fish, beef, mutton, vegetables and many other ingredients with the results always as good as intended. Here is one of the simple recipes that will leave ones mouth watering. The ingredients include ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, 2 pounds beef well cubed, ½ teaspoon salt and the same amount for the black pepper, 1 onion sliced, 1 bay leaf, 1 clove garlic crushed, 3 cubed potatoes, 4 carrots chopped, 1 stalk celery chopped, 1 ½ cups beef soup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon paprika.
After doing the preparation of these constituents, the next thing to do is to put the slow cooker stew recipe to the test. The first thing for one to do is to put the beef in the slow cooker. Take another separate bowl and put together salt, pepper and flour mixing them well. Take the flour mixture and add it to the beef stirring until all the meat is covered. Now, add all the spices, herbs, soup, sauce and vegetables altogether to the cooker. Make sure that you blend all the ingredients together. You may choose to simmer under low setting where the food will cook for longer time that is, up to 12 hours.
You may also choose the high setting where the food cooks for lesser hours that is, 6 hours. Now you have your food ready for serving. Do you see that if you had a busy schedule, you could walk to the market and do other chores as your food slowly cooks to perfection. This method of cooking is very great because you end up with very tasty and tender meat without necessarily being physically present to supervise it cook. All you need to do is to set your timer and the cooker settings and be there in time to switch of the heat.
Cookery is fun and when the expected results will make people so satisfied, its worthy trying. For persons who like doing things in a hurry and be out of the business in no time, this method may not be what would please you. Being patient, enough is all that it takes to produce yummy foods that your whole family will reward you. slow cooker stew recipes are there to give you all that you have been missing in all your cooking, tenderness. Try any of the ingredients and the results will delight you. Just research more and learn more of the recipes available. You will greatly thank the slow cooker for the appetizing delicacies.
Slow cooker chili recipes are one of the easiest ways to enjoy the benefits of spicy fresh food cooked using a variety of spices.
Many amateur chefs or home cooks are scared by the prospect of cooking spicy food. Such cuisine is often perceived to be the domain of professionals or cooks that have grown up in regions famous for spicy foods such as Asia or south America. This could not be further from the truth.
Spices such as chili, turmeric, garam masala, all spice and cumin offer a very simple way for the inexperienced or amateur cook to liven up an otherwise bland dish. Take for example a tin of chopped tomatoes: place them in a pan with some garlic, fresh chili and some cumin and you immediately have a lively sauce that could form the base to many Indian dishes.
So assuming chili peppers and other spices offer the cook a simple way to liven up simple cooking, adding a slow cooker simplifies the process of putting dishes together such that the chef can focus more on flavour combinations and taste rather than cooking methodologies.
Using a slow cooker chili recipe simply involves choosing a nice selection of base ingredients that can be used in most dishes; chili peppers, potatoes, carrots, courgettes, onions, garlic. In addition the cook can then add other more specific ingredients such as chicken, beef, red or white wine, fish, liver etc. Once these two elements have been combined and are cooking slowly the chef has little to worry about.
Slow cookers therefore remove the need to be concerned about timings, browning onions, searing, crisping etc and instead let the chef free to concentrate on the 3rd element to a successful slow cooker chili recipe; spices. Once the first two elements are cooking, you should taste and experiment by adding different varieties of chili, turmeric or other spices and herbs in order to perfect the blend of flavours in your dish.
Perhaps the pork month puts you in the mood for some barbecue. What sounds more appetizing is a super tender textured pork meal with taste of a real smoked barbecue - pulled pork.
Pulled pork is usually a nice pork shoulder or butt that is smoked for hours at a low temperature. This easy recipe infuses the pork with a pleasant, smoky barbecue flavor and aroma while slow-cooked in a slow cooker or crock pot. Since I typically add just an ample amount of liquid for my sauce so my meat does not swim in a pool of water, my pulled pork usually ends up a little saucy resulting to an incredibly moist, tasty and tender meat that just falls at the touch of a fork.
Ingredients
6 lbs. pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed of any excess fat 1 large onion, sliced finely 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup tomato paste 2/3 cup of apple cider vinegar, or wine vinegar 1/2 cup of brown sugar 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons mustard 2 teaspoons paprika 3-4 pieces crushed garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder A dash of cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt, add more if needed 1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3/4 cup water
Directions
Scatter onions on the bottom of your slow cooker, or crock pot then put the pork on top so it sits on the onions. Form your barbecue sauce by whisking all remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add more pepper or salt if necessary. Pour half of the sauce over the pork. Reserve the other half. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours maximum.
After the long cooking, remove pork from slow cooker or crock pot and transfer to a large bowl. Cut the meat into strips, or shred with a fork then put back into slow cooker. Cook further for about 5 minutes, or until meat has soaked up sauce just enough. This easy recipe for pulled pork can be held on the "warm" setting in the slow cooker, or crock pot for serving. You may serve on soft sandwich rolls, or plain rice topped with extra barbecue sauce, and a side of coleslaw for some crunch.
At one time I forgot to take the meat out of the freezer the night before to defrost, I've been able to cook the same easy recipe for pulled pork in my pressure cooker, frozen, for about 40 minutes with excellent results. You may also add a healthy dose of liquid smoke to the sauce for a stronger barbecue flavor.
Have a barbecue-filled pork month!
No fuss - You can prepare your meal and have it cooking all day whilst you are at work - perfect for those busy mums and dads out there. Versatile - You can cook anything in a slow cooker from casseroles to curries to desserts. You don't need have specific curry pots or casserole dishes when you have one item as they can do it all! Delicious - Because meals are cooked for such an extended period of time, meals are always delicious. Meat falls off the bones and vegetables are tender but not too soft. Creative - You don't need to follow a recipe when using a slow cooker, you can make your own unique recipe by just using some basics, eg. stock and vegetables. Easy - It's so easy to use that your husband can cook in them - no need to worry about burnt dinner again! Popularity - They have remained popular over the last 3 decades. Healthy - most dishes that can be cooked are very healthy given that the key ingredients are veggies and lots of them. Kids love them - they provide an alternative and interesting way to be able to get your kids to eat their vegetables. Easy to clean - they are very easy to clean with removable parts that can often be placed in dishwashers. Left overs - you can make a great meal with enough left overs for the next day or prepare a whole weeks worth of meals at once, never have to worry about cooking dinner when you get home again as you can just grab it out of the freezer.
With the temptation of fast food, processed meals, and eating out, it's difficult to spend time to prepare good, healthy, home-cooked meals. If you're like many, the last thing you want to do after coming home from work is prepare a gourmet dinner. By using your crock pot and spending 5-10 minutes each morning, you can come home to delicious home-cooked meals without hours of preparation right before dinnertime. Below are three quick and easy chicken crock pot recipes you're sure to enjoy, and each with 7 ingredients or less!
Salsa Chicken
Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ cups salsa
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp lime juice
Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker, pour salsa over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3 hours, until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Stir in cumin and lime juice, cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.
Note: For an extra spicy kick, add a pinch of ground red chili powder with the cumin and lime juice.
Lemon Chicken
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ lemon juice
1/3 cup water
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in crock pot. Combine juice, water, garlic, and thyme in a small bowl, pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours.
Ranch Chicken
Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
½ cup water
½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp ranch dressing
2 tbsp flour
Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in crock pot. In a small bowl, combine soup, ranch dressing mix, and water; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot. Stir in sour cream, ranch dressing, and flour; replace chicken. Cover and cook on high 20 minutes.
Note: Ranch chicken leftovers are perfect for sandwiches, chicken tortilla wraps, or a tasty chicken casserole.
Visit Natalie's Recipes for more quick and easy chicken crock pot recipes.
So you use your crock pot almost everyday to cook the family meal but have you ever tried making desserts with your crock pot? Most people think of meat and vegetable dishes when they think of crock pot cooking but the fact is this handy cooking gadget is also great for making a wide variety of delightful desserts.
If you've never tried making a dessert in your crock pot, here are a few easy recipes to get you started. These recipes require a 3 ½ qt. crock pot.
Crock Pot... Cheesecake?
This one's sure to be a huge hit with the whole family - Yummy Cheesecake made in your crock pot
First, you will need a cheesecake pan - a heat resistant pan that is oval or round and fits into your crock pot.
To Make the Crust:
Crumble graham crackers until you have 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs. You can do this by putting graham crackers into a sealable bag and pounding them with the side of a meat hammer, or by "smooshing" the crumbs with your fingers. Pour into the cheesecake pan with 2 T brown sugar and 3T melted butter. Stir and press the mixture onto the bottom and sides of the pan.
Using a hand mixer, mix together:
16 oz. of cream cheese (rectangular package) - Make sure the cream cheese is soft by leaving it out of the refrigerator for a while before using.
¾ C of sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
¼ C of heavy cream
1T flour
Pour into the crust. Add ½ cup to 1 full cup of water into the bottom of the Crock Pot (what matters here is that the water does not come up over the edge of the cheesecake pan). Place the pan (with the cheesecake mixture in it) into the Crock Pot. Cover and cook for approximately 21/2 hours. Turn off the Crock Pot and let stand for one hour, then put the cheesecake into the refrigerator for an additional 2 hours before serving.
OK, so you are looking at getting one of these pots and you are wondering if pressure cooker cooking times will really save you a substantial amount of time. This is something many people wonder about. Will it save you more time to get home and quickly make something in it or will it save you more time if you use a slow cooker and start cooking in the morning already.
Well, the answer to this is not always as easy and as strait forward as one may think. Why? The thing is there are more that simply the cooking times involved.
How well organized you are and how much time you have in the mornings also plays a role. To successfully use a slow cooker, you need to be terribly organized. You have to get up a little earlier in the morning to get everything ready and to get the slow cooker going.
If you are anything like me, this is a major issue. I hate getting up early in the morning and it simply does not work for me to get everything going in the morning. To be honest I hardly have time for a cup of coffee in the morning, let alone getting dinner on the way!
The fast cooking times in one of these pots, save you all this hassle. You do not have to be so terribly organized as you can get home at night and have dinner on the table in no time with one of these pots. If you do not have defrosted meat ready, you can quickly defrost it and have the meal read in record time.
Here are a few examples of the cooking times to give you and idea:
Pinto Beans, soaked, using natural release-1 to 3 minutes Beef pot roast, 1-1/2 lb to 2 lbs. - 35 to 40 minutes Chicken breast, frozen, boneless, skinless - 7 to 10 minutes Chicken, whole 3 to 4 lb. - 18 to 25 minutes So, I think this makes it very clear, pressure cooker cooking times are substantially faster and it will make your life all that much easier.
Even rice can be cooked using a microwave nowadays. A microwavable container specifically for rice is now being sold and gaining popularity. The microwave rice cooker consists of three parts: an outer bowl, a fitted lid with steam vents and an inner bowl in a finely perforated base.
There are four factors to consider when buying this type of rice cooker:
1. Affordability - Ask yourself this question: How much is my budget for this particular item? Is the price of the rice cooker within my budget? Remember that better the brand, the higher will be the price and the least the cost, the lesser it lasts.
2. Easy to use - Many homebodies would opt for a kitchen gadget that is easy to use. Nobody likes a utensil which has a lot of buttons to press or a lot of wires to connect. A microwave rice cooker is always accompanied by a written instruction; you just have to follow it faithfully.
3. Easy to clean - Since you always wash your cooking paraphernalia after each use, you would naturally choose one that is easy to wash. You would prefer a microwave rice cooker that is washed simply by using soap and warm water and is dish washer-friendly.
4. Healthy - A microwave rice cooker that cooks rice and other food that can retain much of its nutritional value is an ideal buy. Its material must be non-resistant to rust and corrosion and must not react to acidic and other food.
The following brands are considered the best:
* Sanyo - ECJ -D55S -There is no problem in cooking rice; it is easy to use and easy to clean. (5.5 cups) 1.00
* Krups FDH2 - It is easy to use and clean and has a warming function. It has a non-stick pot. (10 cups) .00.
* Black Decker HS2776 - It is easy to use and clean. Durable quality. (7 cups) .00
* Zojirush NS TGCIO - It has the same features as the others. (5.5 cups) 4.00.
* Renal RC 61 -It is easy to use and has warming function. .00.
* Oster 5711 - It has the same features as the others. (10 cups) .00.
* Miracle ME81 - It has a warming function. .00.
* Sanyo ECJ-HC55S - It is easy to use with a warming function. (5.5 cups) 5.00.
You can view these products with complete information online.
You cannot do slow cooker pork roast recipes of any kind in one hour. Don't fall for it if someone or somewhere you see a recipe for a one hour meal. But you can have some very delicious pork roast that comes from a slow cooker and you do not need to be there to watch over it every minute of the day.
Not very often, but there have been times when we have used a slow cooker for a meal. The advantages are quite numerous, such as:
* you do not need to be present
* cooks all by itself
* does not heat up the whole kitchen
* less clean up (one pot)
* meat comes out wonderfully tender and moist
Now those are some pretty good advantages to using a cooker. Here is how they work: slow cookers operate at low temperatures. And since the lids are kept on there is hardly any evaporation or liquid loss so most of all of it stays in the pot to keep things moist.
In other words, if you were cooking on top of the stove, the liquid in the vegetables, etc. would turn to steam and just rise up and, poof, it's gone. When you cook it this way, it will rise but then hit the lid and fall back down, thereby keeping everything moist and the eventual result will be in more tender foods.
Because of that fact you would decrease the amount of liquid you use when using a slow cooker. Check with your manufacturer to determine the right amount for what you are cooking.
Let's get to some slow cooker pork roast recipes. Pork shoulder can really be a good meal if done right, but not done right will be dry, stringy and tasteless. If you are going to a BBQ flavored dish, you can season the meat real well with your favorite BBQ rub mixed with a half of a cup of ketchup, one half of a cup of firmly packed brown sugar, and one third cup of cider vinegar, or you can use dark beer.
Mix all of these together and pour all over the pork and then cover. Put it into your slow cooker (crock pot) and then cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high.
When it comes out, take a couple of forks and shred it up real good and then mix it with some of your favorite BBQ sauce. Put it back into the crock pot for about thirty more minutes.
Now after this is heated all the way through, pull it out and serve it on hamburger buns and some cole slaw on the side. Maybe some pork 'n beans on the side along with your favorite cool beverage and you have the makings of a good slow cooker pork recipes style meal for an afternoon barbecue.