Have you ever noticed that dried beans often sit ignored on the supermarket shelf? I’m assuming it’s because people don’t want to take the time to cook them, or they simply don’t know how. Either way, it’s a shame, because dried beans are inexpensive, versatile and nutritious. Cooking dried beans should not cause you distress—and it won’t if you let your slow-cooker do all the work.
As the autumn air starts to turn crisp, there’s nothing more homey and satisfying to coming home from a long day of work and running errands to find a hot, healthy meal waiting for you. Slow cookers are a wonderful solution for eating well in the midst of a busy life. The problem with slow cookers is that many classic slow cooker recipes are high in fat and salt, and worse, if you don’t have a large repertoire, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and tire of your wonderful assistant. This recipe roundup is sure to help with both of those problems.
Throughout September, we’ve been gathering the best advice on slow cooking to help you master slow cooking through everything from food safety to converting your favorite recipes. As we send you out into the world with the recipe roundup on Friday and an arsenal of ideas, we’ve highlighted a few tips from Food Network to… Read more »
No one loves getting up an hour before the kids just to carefully tend a pot of steel cut oats, even if they make a delicious and wholesome breakfast with a delightfully chewy texture. If you have a slow cooker and the time it take to peel a couple of apples, you can have your oats and sleep in too. Better yet, when you wake up, your kitchen will be filled with the enticing scent of your favorite fall spice blend.
Who doesn’t have a few favorite recipes that they wish could be put together in a slow cooker? Searching the internet for converted recipes doesn’t always yield the results we’d like. Many recipes can easily be converted for a slow cooker. We like the tips from iVillage for creating a recipe with great flavor and texture, and the cooking time conversion chart from Taste of Home. Our favorite highlights are below.
Spice up your slow cooker routine with this easy soup that will bring your family together for a comforting, filling dinner even in the middle of back to school chaos. The spicy kick of cumin and chili powder provides a rich, southwestern flavor that will warm you up, and prepared with low-sodium ingredients, this is a dish you can add to your day-to-day repertoire with confidence that your family is getting great nutrition.
We’ve seen some great ideas on the web for prepping a large number of meals for a slow cooker, tossing the ingredients into a freezer bag and then dumping the bag into the slow cooker for a simple meal. The trouble is that not all of the recipes out there demonstrate a good understanding of best practices when it comes to food safety and slow cookers. You can read the USDA FSIS recommendations and consider this practical guide to safe slow cooking from Ellen’s Kitchen for a more detailed understanding, and we’ve pulled out a few important tips to keep in mind.
