The slow cooker is indispensable in my kitchen.
When my husband and I decided to move to the country, we bought a home
next-door to my in-laws in Washington State. To enjoy country life to the
full we tried to find employment close to home. Instead we found good
employment albeit in the city, which entailed a rather long commute.
The first Christmas we spent with them in the country, my mother-in-law wisely gave me
a gift that ensured Dan and I would both continue enjoying the most
convenient of all cooking methods for our fast paced life-style - a
slow-cooker, along with some of her own
easy
slow cooker recipes.
Her invaluable gift inspired me to get my own crock pot out of storage
and start us on the road to fixing some of the best tasting slow cooked
meals.
Now on week-days, in the evenings, we had time to enjoy our country living
to enjoy long walks in the woods; time to tend our prolific garden; time
for Dan to chop wood and potter around the wood-shed.
As the recipe data base started taking shape; I modified and added to the
many recipes I used during my busy work-a-day world days. These I share
with you.
Some of the criteria I have used:
Almost all the recipes are cooked in
the Medium sized slow cooker. By Medium size I mean 3, 3 ½- to 4,
and 4 ½ quart capacity unless otherwise noted.
Serving portions are all
between 6 to 7 depending on whether you are serving a large or small eater
and whether the meal includes a large variety of other items.
I use non stick cooking spray
to prevent food from sticking to the slow cooker and also to cut down on
fat. I prefer using Kroger brand olive oil spray.
I use garlic and ginger paste
for most of my easy slow cooker recipes. You can always substitute fresh.
In recipes that call for unbrowned
meats I prefer to preheat the slow cooker to 140 degrees F (out of
the bacteria “danger zone”.)
At the moment I am very
involved with
Passage Project for International Education. Whenever
I have extra time, I try to work on my cook book of
memories from Kathmandu to Ketchikan- Recipes and Stories from A Life-long
Culinary Sojourn.
