With the holidays behind us, it's time to get back to basics: healthful, hearty meals.
Add 1 inch of water (water should not come to top of rack). Place baking dish on rack. Cover; cook on high for 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare dipping sauce by combining the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and oil in small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves.1 tablespoon sugar"I cook because I have to," said Petersen. "But it's been interesting and fun, and I've learned a lot. Now I'll have a lot of recipes that are easy, with simple ingredients.""But I did some lasagna using uncooked noodles that turned out great," she said.Dipping Sauce:1/2 cup caramel ice cream toppingCover and cook 30 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is no longer pink. Stir well.It's true that many typical recipes call for a can of cream-of- something soup. That's partly because dairy products tend to separate during the long cooking process, so soup was used as a sauce base.Pulled Pork Stuffed BiscuitsCaramel Chocolate Cake2 tablespoons soy sauceGenerously spray a 2-quart baking dish (that fits inside your large slow cooker) with non-stick cooking spray.3/4 cup peanuts or cashews choppedMix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup broth in small bowl until smooth. Turn slow cooker on high. Stir in green onions, peanut butter and cornstarch mixture.Generally, rice, pasta and tender vegetables should be cooked separately or added near the end of the cooking time to keep them from turning mushy.Likewise, "there are better ways to eat fish. It cooks so quickly."2 tablespoons rice vinegarShe finds that bone-in chicken and thighs do better than boneless breasts.2 tablespoon cornstarchPlace small rack in bottom of slow cooker (if you don't have a rack, use balled up pieces of foil).Place in large bowl; stir in sour cream, cocoa powder and egg. Mix well. Add both packages muffin mix and stir just until combined.Karen Petersen of Woods Cross is part of a new generation that has embraced slow cooking. She's just two weeks away from her goal of making a slow-cooked meal every day for a year (she began on Jan. 27, 2009). Petersen recorded her recipes on a blog, 365 Days of Slow Cooking at www.365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com. Petersen has done it all using just a three-quart cooker and a six-quart pot that was a wedding gift.Serve over vermicelli or rice. Sprinkle with peanuts or cashews and cilantro.Also, cooking times vary with the different slow cookers, Petersen said.3/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to tasteIn small microwave safe bowl, combine cream cheese and milk. Microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute; remove and stir. Continue microwaving for 30 second intervals until cream cheese melts; stir with wire whisk to blend.Thai Chicken and NoodlesPlace pork roast in slow cooker. Fill slow cooker with 1 inch of water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until meat is very tender.Place chicken, bell pepper, 1 cup of broth, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.1 cup sour creamServe biscuits with dipping sauce. Serves 8.So it's time to haul out your slow cooker. Throw in a few ingredients, then let the pot do the work.Back in 1971, the Rival Co. launched a small "slow cooker" appliance, trademarking the name Crock-Pot. It was a huge hit -- until the microwave came along a few years later and short- circuited its popularity.According to Rival Crock-Pot Web site, a cook time of 3-4 hours on the high setting will take 7-8 hours on the low setting.Arrange all filled biscuits in a single layer, overlapping slightly if necessary. If all 8 biscuits don't fit in a single layer, spray a piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray on both sides. Place foil lightly on top of layer of biscuits and place the rest of the biscuits on top of the foil.In small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, ice cream topping and water; heat to boiling, stirring until blended. Carefully pour over batter in slow cooker.The moist, gentle heat can tenderize tough, inexpensive cuts of meat. The liquid in the pot usually turns into a sauce or gravy, retaining any water-soluble vitamins that leach into the liquid.But Petersen has slow-cooked a variety of ethnic cuisines, including Thai, Mexican, Chinese and Italian. She was also made dips, breads, breakfast dishes and desserts, such as Caramel Chocolate Cake.Both Petersen and O'Dea found that it's a misconception that slow- cooker dishes are all bland and boring.She contacted O'Dea, and O'Dea did a guest post on Petersen's blog.1/2 cup water2 tablespoons buttere-mail: vphillips@desnews.com1 red bell pepper, cut into short thin stripsCook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Uncover, turn off slow cooker, top loosely with foil and let stand for 30 minutes.Peterson said she started her slow-cooking project before learning of Julie Powell's blog or book. She was also unaware that another blogger in the San Francisco area, Stephanie O'Dea, did A Year of Slow Cooking in 2008, at crockpot365.blogspot.com. O'Dea's resulting cookbook, "Make It Fast, Cook It Slow," came out in October 2009. Petersen is also planning to publish a cookbook or her favorite slow-cooker recipes.Nonstick baking spray containing flour3/4 cup cilantro chopped1 container large butter-flavored refrigerated biscuits (8 biscuits)1 pound pork picnic roast"Tender cuts of meat don't really work," she said. 'The whole point is to be economical and use tough cuts of meat that will tenderize over time."-- Karen Petersen, www.365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com1/2 cup milk3 cloves garlic, minced12 oz hot cooked vermicelli pastaBut some folks never stopped using their Harvest Gold pots from the '70s. And today's slow cookers are enjoying a renaissance as people are trying to stretch their budgets.But not every type of food lends itself to long, low temperatures.1/2 cup brown sugarBroccoli should be added near the end, "because it gets too pungent after awhile, and it flavors the whole meal that way."When finished, cover the dish with another piece of buttered foil, buttered side down.2 (8.2-ounce) packages chocolate chip muffin mix1/3 cup creamy or chunky peanut butterPetersen's experience sounds similar to the recent movie "Julie and Julia," where blogger Julie Powell spent a year cooking all of Julia Child's recipes from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."Drain liquid. Shred the meat using 2 forks. Pour barbecue sauce on the pork and mix. Refrigerate, if making a day ahead. If not, cut each biscuit in half with a serrated knife. Spoon 1 tablespoon of pork in center of bottom of biscuit. Cover with the top of the biscuit, gather edges around filling and press to seal.Petersen, a stay-at-home mom, usually assembles her recipe at lunch time and it's ready for dinner. But, some recipes can be cooked for 8-10 hours for those who want to fill their slow cooker in the morning and then go to work for the day.Red peppers retain their color, but green peppers turn gray. Stir in dairy products like cream, milk or sour cream at the end, to avoid curdling.3 green onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces"The older pots took so much longer to cook than new newer ones. And if it's a bigger pot, it will cook faster," said Petersen. "So get to know your own slow cooker."1 egg1 1/2 lb chicken cut into 1/2 inch piecesSpray a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker with nonstick baking spray. Spread batter evenly in slow cooker.3 ounces cream cheese, cubed1/4 cup soy sauceFor easier cleanup, you can spray the pot with nonstick cooking spray, or use one of the plastic liner bags made by Reynolds for slow cookers.1 cup plain barbecue sauce1 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided"I had no idea that this other lady did it until one day I was online looking for recipes and found her blog," Petersen said.1 teaspoon sesame oil1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Uncover, turn off slow cooker, top loosely with foil and let stand for 30 minutes.
