Slow cooker recipes save time, money but still impress
BY NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
1/18/12 at 2:46 AM
In many households, the slow cooker is a forgotten appliance relegated to cheese dips and chili.
But this time saver deserves a second chance.
There are countless tasty recipes that are upscale enough to be served at a dinner party. And with the winter chill setting in, it's a perfect time to dust off the slow cooker and get simmering.
Tiffany Poe is a mother of three children and also offers both private and corporate culinary training and food styling through Avant Garde Culinary Services.
So it goes without saying that she knows a thing or two about multitasking.
Poe loves to slow cook, both in the traditional electric slow cooker and the Dutch oven-style braiser.
"Especially now, with everyone trying to pinch pennies, you can buy a less expensive cut of meat for slow cooking. The butcher can help you pick it out, something like a beef chuck roast or pork shoulder roast," Poe said.
And the less expensive pieces of chicken, like thighs and legs, work great in the slow cooker, she said.
"There is no muss, no fuss. Sear it and forget about it," Poe said.
Poe has four slow cookers and four Dutch ovens that she has collected over the years.
"I use them to cook ahead for the week. I don't cook every night. It is just unrealistic, especially when you cook for a living," Poe said.
One of her favorite dishes to cook is a chuck roast with pepperoncini. Just season the meat with salt and pepper and braise it. Poe then adds a whole can - juice and all - of the pickled peppers and a little beef broth.
The meat can be cooked until tender in the braiser, or transferred to the slow cooker and cooked for about four to five hours.
"It can be served on bread like a dripped beef sandwich or on tortillas, however you want," Poe said.
She said that her husband loves it so much she keeps the pepperoncini and beef chuck on hand so he can cook it anytime he wants.
Here are some other dishes for slow cooking that would be perfect for your next dinner party.
Slow cooker tips
1. Temperatures must reach at least 165 degrees for safe slow cooking. (The low heat on most models is about 200 degrees.)
2. To keep foods out of the food danger zone, always use fully thawed meats. Don't use whole chickens or roasts; cut the meat or poultry into chunks to ensure thorough cooking.
3. For best results, a slow cooker should be between half and two-thirds full.
4. Resist temptation to open the lid during the cooking process - each peek you take will add an additional 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time. Also curb your urge to stir; it's usually not necessary.
5. Cooking on low heat takes about twice as long as cooking on high heat. A general rule of thumb is that "low heat" means about 200 degrees and "high heat" is about 300 degrees.
6. The ceramic insert in a slow cooker can crack if exposed to abrupt temperature shifts. Don't put a hot ceramic insert directly on a cold counter; always put a dish towel down first. Likewise, don't put a ceramic insert straight from the refrigerator into a preheated base.
7. Fat retains heat better than water, so fattier foods, like meat, will cook faster than less fatty foods, like vegetables. For more even cooking, trim excess fat off of meats. If you're cooking a dish with both meat and root vegetables, place the vegetables on the bottom and sides of the insert and put the meat on top.
8. Dairy products, like sour cream, milk or yogurt, tend to break down in the slow cooker. To prevent this, add them during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
9. Liquid is not going to evaporate, so cut back on the liquids by about 20 percent.
10. For easier cleanup, spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray before adding the ingredients.
- adapted from FoodNetwork.com and The French Slow Cooker
CARNITAS
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 boneless pork shoulder roast, 3-4 pounds
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Mexican-style lager beer
Grated zest and juice of 1 large orange
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon dried oregano
For serving:
Warm corn tortillas
Lime wedges
Chopped yellow onion
Hot or mild salsa
Chopped fresh cilantro
1. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Season the pork roast generously with the mixture. Set aside.
2. In a large frying pan, over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the pork and cook, turning frequently until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat in the pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté just until they begin to soften, 1-2 minutes. Add the beer and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
4. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker and pour in beer mixture. Add the orange and lime zests and juices and the oregano. Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, 5 hours on the high-heat setting or 10 hours on the low-heat setting.
5. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Use a large, shallow spoon or a ladle to skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid. Using a large, sharp knife and a fork, coarsely cut and shred the pork into small bite sized pieces. Arrange the meat on a warmed platter or individual plates, moisten it lightly with the cooking juices, and serve at once with the tortillas, lime wedges, chopped onion, cilantro and salsa.
- from Essentials of Slow Cooking, Williams-Sonoma
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white or red wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and black pepper
3/4 pound spaghetti
Grated Parmesan, for serving
1. In a 4 to 6 quart slow-cooker, mix together beef, tomatoes and their juices, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, tomato paste, wine, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the meat is cooked through, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Twenty minutes before serving, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot. Toss the spaghetti with the Bolognese and sprinkle it with the Parmesan.
- from Real Simple Magazine
BISTRO CREME CARAMEL
serves 8
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 12-ounce can evaporated whole milk
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer the mixture without stirring until it begins to turn brown. Gently swirl the pan until the syrup is evenly caramelized.
2. Protect your hand with an oven mitt and pour the hot syrup into a 6-cup souffle dish, turning the dish to coat the bottom evenly. Let cool until the caramel is just set.
3. Whisk together the evaporated and condensed milks in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until blended. Pour the mixture into the souffle dish.
4. Place a rack in the insert of a large slow cooker. Place the dish on the rack. Pour hot water around the dish to a depth of 1 inch. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
5. Carefully remove the dish from the slow cooker. Let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until chilled, several hours or overnight.
6. To serve, run a knife around the inside of the dish. Invert a serving plate on top of the dish and turn the dish over. Carefully remove the dish, allowing the caramel to drizzle over the custard. Cut into wedges and serve.
- from The French Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone
SOUPE AU PISTOU (PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PESTO
serves 8
4 medium carrots
3 medium boiling potatoes, such as Yukon gold, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped canned tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, chopped
8 cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked or drained canned cannellini beans
1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini or elbows
Pesto, recipe below
1. In a large slow cooker, combine the carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, zucchini and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the beans and pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
3. Spoon the soup into serving bowls. Top each bowl with a spoonful of the pesto and serve hot.
For the pesto:
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and well-dried
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed and well-dried
3 garlic cloves, peeled
Coarse sea salt of kosher salt to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a food processor or blender, combine the herbs and garlic and process until finely chopped. Add salt to taste. Blend in the oil. Taste for seasoning.
2. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
(Note: the Provencal version does not contain nuts or cheese, like the Italian version, but feel free to add some if you like.)
- from The French Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone
LEMON POTS DE CREME
Serves 4
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1. Stir together the lemon juice, zest, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cream until blended. Stir in the lemon juice mixture.
3. Scrape the mixture into four 1/2-cup custard cups or ramekins. Place a rack in the insert of a large slow cooker. Carefully place the cups on the rack. Pour about 1 inch of hot water into the cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the creams are softly set and slightly jiggly in the center. Uncover and let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cups from the cooker.
4. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours or up to 3 days, before serving.
- from The French Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone
Original Print Headline: Slow & steady
Nicole Marshall Middleton 918-581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Tulsa World file
Carnitas are made with pork cooked in a slow cooker. STEPHEN PINGRY / Tulsa World
Lemon Pots de Creme Courtesy photo
Bistro Creme Caramel Courtesy photo
Soupe au PistouCourtesy photo
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