Sunday, January 17, 2010

Adapting Your Recipes For The Slow Cooker

By Ethan O. Tanner

Now that you have started using your crock pot slow cooker on a regular basis, you are probably wondering how you are able to adapt your traditional recipes to use in a crock pot. The ease of organizing a meal with a slow cooker has literally changed the lives of busy families. With the aid of their slow cookers, families are eating healthier and devouring less greasy fast-food. The crock pot is an excellent kitchen appliance for the busy lifestyle of America.

Here are some hints for adapting your favorite traditional recipes for crock pot cooking.

Add vegetables like peas and broccoli to your recipe in the last 15 - 60 minutes. If you're using frozen vegetables, remember to add them to your crock pot recipe during the last 30 minutes. Make sure to soak your dried beans so that they are completely softened before adding them to your recipe. If your recipe includes tomatoes, salt, or sugar, then your beans should definitely be soaked before cooking.

If your recipe calls for pasta, any kind of seafood, milk or other dairy products, then only add them during the last 60 minutes of cooking, and cook pasta to just a bit tender before adding them to the cooker. Condensed cream soups are good alternatives to dairy products because they can withstand longer cooking times. When cooking a recipe with rice, add an extra cup liquid for every cup of rice.

Always remember to reduce the liquid in your recipe by when you're using a traditional recipe in your crock pot. A good idea for cooking stews and soups that call for vegetables is to put the veggies on the bottom and sides of the slow cooker and then place your meat on top. When selecting the cut of meat for your crock pot, a roast beef or wild game such as venison or elk works very well.

A good measure to convert Traditional Recipes to Slow Cooker Use is as follows. Whenever the formula is 15-30min. traditional and so cook for 1.5-2hrs High or 4-6hrs Low in Crock pot. If the recipe demands 35-45min. traditional then go 3-4hrs High or 6-10hrs Low in Crock pot. Now, If your recipe takes away 50min.-3hrs traditional then apply 4-6hrs High or 8-18hrs Low in Crock pot.

If you are like most families, your slow cooker supplies lots of food per meal, so you will likely have leftovers. Always think to never reheat your leftovers in the crock pot. Among the additional rewards of slow cooking is the ability to make lots of food and freeze for future meals. The convenience and beneficial savoring meals from your crock pot will bring smiles to your family at dinnertime. Happy slow cooking!

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