The Imperfect Community

[prescott]

OK, I'm sure some of you out there use crockpots... do you use them a lot, i.e., are they worth having? It seems they are sort of marketed as being a time saver -- is that true? With natural gas prices on the rise, it does seem attractive over having the oven on.

The reason I ask is we're just getting busier and busier and 2006 is our last chance to push forward and make some life changes, so I'm trying to save as much time and be as efficient as possible!

If you do like your crockpot, share some recipes!

[Rebecca_R]

I love my crockpot. I mean think about it, you can throw a bunch of shit in have it simmer on low all day long and be ready to eat when you get home! What's better than that! I made tamale's for xmas and made all my filling in my crockpot. It was so fuckin good. Get the pot man.

[Scout]

Yes, I like using the crockpot. It can be kind of hard to find good recipes for it, but they are out there. There's a running thread on another board with some decent recipes I could post here.

But, being a poor planner, I love my pressure cooker way more than my crock pot. That thing can cook a whole chicken in like 20 minutes. Anything I can make in the crock pot, I can usually also make in the pressure cooker. It's really great if you want to cook chickens or roast in advance to shred for other dishes, too. I made frozen black eyed peas in it last night (boiled in low-fat chicken broth) in ten minutes and they turned out perfect.

[MedeaNJ]

Love the crockpot, except it is hard to find vegetarian/poultry recipes for our family. If you love meat, you will love the damn thing. The public library usually has a good collection of slow-cooker books (Note: The difference between slow-cooker and crock-pot is that slow-cooker is a method of cooking, crock-pot is a registered trademark of Rival, so when looking for recipes, look under the category of slow-cooker.)

As a matter of fact I have it cooking right now. I may have posted this before, but here is a recipe that I use a lot.

Country Chicken Breasts w/ Artichokes

Ingredients:

4 Carrots (Cut in med pieces)
3 Celery Stalks (Cut in med pieces)
3 Medium Potatoes w/ skins (Cut in 1/4" thickness)
1.5 lbs Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Can Artichoke Hearts In Water (Quartered and drained)
1 Package of Lipton Garlic/Herb Soup Mix
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Cup Water

Directions:

Place into the crock-pot the cut carrots on the bottom first, then layer potatoes, then celery, then chicken, and finally artichokes.

In a bowl, combine, soup mix, oil and water and whisk well. Pour mixture in the pot. Cover and set on low for 6 - 8 hours. Add more water if it begins to look a little dry.

Serves 4 - 6

[kathyjm]

we use ours every Thursday (it's a day where we have NO time to cook and run around a lot). We love it...we make soups, beef, etc..

I'll try to post some recipes later.

[Anthromomma]

I love my slow cooker! Mostly for soups and stews, stuff that doesn't have a narrow line between 'done' and 'overcooked.' I personally don't like it for large pieces of meat like roasts, but then again, we don't eat very much beef/pork, so if we're having meat, I want something nice. I also do whole chickens sometimes-- just put some halved onions in the crock to keep the chicken off the bottom , season the bird inside and out, and add a little (like 1/4 to 1/2 cup) broth, water or wine and let it go on low all day. I have a ridiculously large recipe file on this computer-- plenty o' crockpot recipes that I can post if you'd like-- what kind of recipes are you interested in?

Oh, something else I just thought of, if you decide to start trying recipes-- generally, most new slow cookers run a lot hotter than older ones-- and recipes are mostly written for the older ones. It might take some time to get used to using yours-- maybe make sure that you're at home the first few times you use it, so nothing scorches or overcooks. Personally, I've been hitting yard sales and consignment stores for a while now, trying to find an old one in good condition...

[Scout]

Hm, I've never cooked anything in the CP less than half-covered with liquid. That's why roast is so good in there--all that liquid becomes gravy!

Ok, here's my very favorite CP recipe:

Italian Beef

1 3-4 lb beef roast, trimmed of excess fat
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1 onion, sliced
pepperoncini peppers

Put meat in crock pot with enough water to almost cover it. Sprinkle all seasonings on top. Separate onion into rings and sprinkle around (you can use onion powder if you want). Cook until roast is tender enough to shred. Remove meat to a large plate and let cool just enough to handle. Shred and return to pot with 6 pepperoncini peppers, coarsely chopped, and 1/2 cup juice from the peppers. Let simmer at least 30 minutes. Serve on hoagie or French rolls. This is really juicy so "hard" rolls do better--soft ones tend to get soggy fast. I like to have additional chopped pepperoncinis for garnish. My parents like extra onions (blech, I hate onions, but the ones you cook with the meat pretty much dissolve in there). I also like it without any additional "dressing," but a vinegarette, mayo, or spicey mustard could all work. This sounds like it would be really spicey, but it's really just mildly spicey.

Ok, here are a few from the other thread I mentioned that people have tried and come back to post that they were good, but I haven't tried any:

Honey BBQ Ribs - Slow cooker style

INGREDIENTS:
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
3 tablespoons honey mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water 1/4 cup honey barbeque sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 pounds baby back pork ribs

DIRECTIONS:
1. In the crock of a slow cooker, mix together the beef broth, honey mustard, honey, water, barbeque sauce, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Slice ribs apart, leaving an even amount of meat on each side of the bone. Place them into the slow cooker so that they are covered by the sauce. If there is not enough sauce, you may add a little water or beef broth to compensate.
2. Cover, and cook on High for 5 hours, or until the meat falls easily from the bones.

*Personally, I don't like sweet BBQ. But I have put some Country Style ribs (really just boneless pieces of yummy pork that are cheap and tasty) in the cooker with a bottle of my favorite BBQ sauce (we love Stubbs) and cook. You can make BBQ chicken the same way. The sauce tends to thin a lot after cooking, so I serve it with sauce from the bottle on the side.

This whole thing is quoting:

"here's an easy one--
boneless pork loin roast
cubed winter squash
cup or so dried fruit (I use apricots and cranberries)
sprinkle brown sugar

cook in crock pot, I usually do on low for most of the day, when it falls apart it's done. yum."

I might try this one, but we always use brown rice:

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup flour
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 cups MINUTE Premium White Rice, uncooked

COAT chicken with flour. Place chicken and any remaining flour in slow cooker.
ADD all remaining ingredients except rice; stir. Cover with lid. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours).
COOK rice as directed on package. Stir chicken mixture to thicken sauce. Serve over rice.

Here's one for your Martha Stewart side--apple butter:

2Tbs. lemon juice
1.5 cup water
Peeled and cut apples to fill a 5-6 qt. crock pot
4 to 5 c. sugar to taste
2 and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 and 3/4 tsp. ground cloves

Place lemon juice nd water in crock pot. Add apples and cook 4 hours on high with lid on. Add sugar and spices. Cook another 4 hours, removing lid for the last hour. It will congeal like jelly as it cooks.

This one sounds weird but several people have made it and sworn it is awesome and doesn't taste like peanut butter:

Beef stew

2 lb stew meat
2 potatoes diced
2 carrots diced (I use a bag of baby carrots)
2 onions chopped
1 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 can tomato sauce
3 Tbsp chunky peanut butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce
water or beef broth to cover
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme

Place all in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Serves 6-8.
"I think the leftovers from this are even better than the original batch. The flavors really infuse after sitting in the fridge for a night or two."

Last one; onion soup:

oupe a l'Oignon Noctambles
http://www.godecookery.com/begrec/begrec09.htm

* 4 Tbs. butter
* 2 Tbs. oil
* 2 lbs. thinly sliced onions (she used 3 large sweet onions)
* 3 Tbs. flour
* 2 qt. boiling fresh or canned beef stock

Heat butter, oil, and onions until soft and colored, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle on flour and stir until golden. Add beef stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. **see below** Simmer 1/2 hour. Serve.

As an added treat, toast thick French bread slices brushed with butter in 350º F oven. Rub with garlic clove. Place toast in soup plates, top with grated Swiss & Parmesan cheese, and ladle hot soup over.

Actually, I guess that's not a crock pot recipe, but it sounds pretty quick and easy. I hate onions, though, lol. I also have that no-sweet-and-savory together thing, so a lot of these sound gross to me.

[prescott]

Thanks, you guys rock! I'm heading out tomorrow to pick up a 6-qt. number.

[Anthromomma]

I make apple butter in the crockpot every year. Yum. I made pear butter this year, too, but I don't know how it turned out-- it's still all in the freezer

Ok, here are some recipes. These have all been tested on my family at some point or another:

CALIFORNIA TAMALE PIE WITH CORN AND BLACK OLIVES
from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook

1 pound lean ground beef or white meat turkey
2 small white onions, chopped
3 tablespoons pure mild to medium-hot ground chile powder, such as ancho or pasilla
1 14-ounce can pitted ripe California black olives, drained and coarsely chopped or halved
1 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped
¼ cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal
1¼ cups whole milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to your taste
Pinch of ground cumin
3 to 4 fresh ears of corn, kernels cut off the cobs or 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese or a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Heat a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and onions and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is limp, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat. Drain the fat from the pan and sprinkle the meat with the chile powder, then fold in olives and tomatoes. Cook for one minute and transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, milk, egg, salt and cumin until smooth. Stir in the corn, then pour the mixture into the cooker on top of the meat mixture.
Cover and cook on high for three to four hours.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top, drizzle with the oil, cover and continue to cook on high for 10 minutes more to melt the cheese. Serve spooned directly from the crock.
Serves four.

Chicken and Carrots with Wine Sauce
Cooking Light September 1999

Hours of cooking mellow the garlic. Serve French bread to sop up the sauce

2 cups diagonally sliced carrot (8 oz)
8 chicken thighs, about 2 pounds, skinned
12 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine carrot, chicken & garlic in an electric slow cooker, add wine. Sprinkle with rest. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours.

Remove carrot, chicken & garlic with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid. Place 1/3 cup carrot, 3 garlic cloves & 2 chicken thighs in each of 4 shallow bowls. Spoon 2 T. of reserved cooking liquid over each serving.

Cal: 243, Fat: 6.8 g; Fiber 2 g.

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

2 onions, thinly sliced
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (usually about 4)...cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons sugar
2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup sliced mushrooms

1. Place onions in bottom of crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Stir.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
3. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti or brown rice.

Spicy Black Bean Stew

This versatile stew can be spooned into warm tortillas, or served over baked potatoes, rice, or pasta.

¼ cup water
1 large onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
2 medium red bell peppers, chopped (2 cups)
2 Tbsp. Minced garlic
1 stalk celery, diced
1 diced carrot (1/2 cup)
3 cups diced fresh or canned tomatoes
1 cup V-8 or tomato juice
2 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tsp. Chili powder, or to taste
¼ cup diced canned chilies
1 tsp. Cumin
½ tsp. Coriander
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a skillet, over medium-high heat, bring water to simmering; add onions, bell pepper and garlic. Cover and steam 3 minutes. Spoon into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until stew is thick. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

Crock pot Pozole

2 - 14 1/2 oz. cans hominy, yellow -- drained
1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies -- undrained
1 med. onion (1/2 cups) -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 pound boned and skinned chicken breasts -- cut in 1" pieces OR use pork tenderloin
1 14 1/2 oz. can tomatoes -- undrained, cut up
1 14 1/2 oz. cans chicken broth -- reduced sodium
1 teaspoon dried oregano -- crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 c. salsa
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro – snipped
juice of 1/2 lime.
Fat-Free sour cream -- optional

Place hominy, chili peppers, onion, garlic, chicken, tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, cumin and salsa in a 3 1/2-4-, or 5-quart crockery cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Garnish each serving with fat-free sour cream, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Notes: can use turkey kielbasa in place of chicken. Also, add 1 chopped bell pepper.

Serve over rice.

Thai Chicken Thighs

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. ginger root

AFTER COOKING
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/c cup chopped fresh cilantro

Put chicken thighs in crockpot and mix the salsa, peanut butter, lime, soy and ginger root and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts and cilantro


Crock Pot Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients:
2 pounds round steak -- cut 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Put steak cubes, onion, garlic in cooker. Stir in flour and mix to coat steak. Add all remaining ingredients except sour cream. Stir well and cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving and stir thoroughly. Serve over hot buttered noodles.

Curried Lentil Vegetable Stew
Serve this savory curried stew with a fragrant rice, such as basmati, or jasmine.

¼ cup sherry
½ medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 medium carrots, shredded (1 cup)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced (1/2 cup)
½ medium red bell pepper, diced (1/2 cup)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups dry lentils
6 cups very hot vegetable broth
¼ tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Curry powder
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, over medium-high heat, bring sherry to simmering. Add onion and sauté’ 2 minutes. Add carrots, sweet potato, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté’ 1 minute, or until sherry has evaporated. Spoon into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until lentils are very soft and stew is thick. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6 to 8.
PER SERVING: 156 CAL.; 8G PROT.; 0.3G FAT; 29G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 12MG SOD.; 4G FIBER. VEGAN
(2 POINTS PER SERVING)

Savory Lentil And Canadian Bacon Soup

1 pkg dried lentils (2 1/4 c), sorted and rinsed
2 cans 14 1/2 oz ea. ready-to-serve vegetable broth
1 pkg, 6 oz, Canadian style bacon, coarsely chopped
2 med carrots, cut in 1/2" pieces (1 c)
1 med potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces (1 c)
1 med onion, chopped (1/2 c)
1 med stalk celery, cut into 1/2" pices (1/2 c)
4 c water
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in 3 1/2 - 6-qt cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hrs or until lentils are tender. Stir well before serving.

Crock pot Split Pea and Ham Soup

2 c. cubed fully cooked ham
1 1/2 c. dry split peas
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery with leaves
2 Tbs. snipped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 c. chicken broth
2 c. water

In the crock pot, combine all ingredients. Cover; cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. For a smoother soup just before serving use a potato masher to mash peas in soup. Serve.

[Sewingsiren]

OMG just reading the name of this recipe
CALIFORNIA TAMALE PIE WITH CORN AND BLACK OLIVES
made my mouth water.

[DietCokeHead]

2006 is our last chance to push forward and make some life changes,

Last chance? Are you all making plans for the apocalypse in 2007 or what?

[Scout]

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice (out of Southern Living)

1 lb. dried red beans

7 cups water

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 lb. andouille sausage, sliced (can use kielbalsa sausage too)

3 TBS. creole seasoning

Hot cooked rice

Garnish: sliced green onions

Place the first 8 ingredients in a 4-qt. slow cooker. Cook, covered at HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender. Serve with hot cooked rice. Garnish, if desired. YIELD: 3 1/2 qts.

I think I would soak the beans in plain water overnight first, then drain and rinse before cooking.

[prescott]

[MedeaNJ]

[kathyjm]

Scott and Jessica...

HANG IN THERE! When Bob started his business in 2000, by about 2002 I was literally BEGGING him to get a 'real job'. But by 2004 things really took off and he's doing way better than he would if I ever would have talked him into it. Just have a plan and stick with it...I swear it will get better!