For those who are concerned with leaving an appliance plugged in all day, unattended, it’s not a worry – the power is that of a single light bulb. Flip the switch in the morning, go about your day, and when you return home 8 – 12 hours later, you’ll have a healthy, flavorful meal, ready to serve.
A crock pot meal can be as easy as 3 ingredients - a lean protein (skinless chicken, lean beef or pork), fresh or frozen vegetables, and liquid to cover (low-sodium broth, canned tomato sauce) – or a complex one with a variety of ingredients.
There are dozens of crock pot recipes available online, in books, and in the newspaper. My personal favorites have come from those small “slow cooker” magazine-like books found at the check out counter in the supermarket.
While I’m not a fan of cooking everything, from appetizers to desserts in the crock pot, I think it’s a great tool for main dish “one-pot shopping” and eating! An added plus for beef-lovers: ultra-lean cuts of beef that are tough when grilled, cook tasty and tender with liquid and many hours of simmering.
Are you a crock pot lover? Please share some of your favorite recipes!
Pulled pork works extremely well in a crock pot
ReplyDeleteThanks, that is a great point and crock pot cooking idea! Here's a suggestion from guest blogger and Senior Director of Clinical Training and Program Development, Dr. Timothy Cline.
ReplyDelete"Fast Fall Stew"
This is one of my favorites – really simple, practical and delicious – as Fall brings a bounty of root vegetables to the table.
· A couple pounds of well-trimmed London broil – cut into ¾’’ cubes
· Two sweet potatoes and a yam - cut into ¾’’ cubes
· A large or two medium sweet (Vidalia) onions – cut chunky
· 3/4 pound of mushrooms (mix varieties for added flavor) - quartered
· A pound of carrots – cut into 1/4” slices
· A generous amount of garlic cloves – halved or quartered
· Fresh Ground pepper
Start with a 1-inch layer of potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot and layer the other ingredients repeatedly until all the ingredients are used up. Top with fresh ground pepper to taste. Add one cup of water and crock for 8 hours on medium or 4 hours on high heat.
There is no magic to mix of the vegetables. Use more of what you like better, but stay on the lighter side when it comes to the meat and potatoes. Experiment by adding or substituting different squash and spices. You can’t go wrong!
I prefer to make it up before I go to bed and put the covered crock pot in the refrigerator. Before I leave for work in the morning I put the crock in the base and turn it on medium. As soon as I get home from work I stir it up, cover and allow it to continue to simmer while I change clothes and prepare for dinner. Now it’s ready to serve!
Put leftovers in individual serving containers and freeze. Warms in the microwave to make a great, healthy, inexpensive lunch for work or a quick dinner when you are running late.