Time to talk about slow cooking

One of my passions as a cook is using slow cookers to make life easier.  Almost any soup, stew or chili recipe can be adapted to the slow cooker, and with a little forethought, dinner can be ready for you when you get home.

I like a slow cooker that has some flexibility. It should be able to cook for a specified period and then hold your food warm until you get there. It's nice, but note essential, to be able to start a dish on high and have the cooker reduce it to low. A 7 quart slow cooker in an oval shape is very versatile. It's big enough to do a good amount of soup or chili. and shaped to roast a chicken if you want.  Smaller sizes are available for smaller jobs. I have a 1 1/2 quart slow cooker so I can have stone ground Irish oatmeal available in the morning for breakfast.   This machine has no bells or whistles, so I start it using a timer.

A couple of other things I have learned:

• It's worth the effort to brown on top of the stove before putting things in the slow cooker, if the recipe calls for it.  This can be done the night before, since the whole point of this is to avoid fuss and bother in the morning. When I make chili, I brown onions, garlic, peppers and beef, then add the spices, all the night before.  I refrigerate this mixture and then throw it in the slow cooker in the morning with tomatoes and beans and whatever else needs to go in there.  Voila, chili when I return in the evening.
• Recipes using chicken thighs work better in the slow cooker than chicken breasts, especially boneless, skinless breasts. The breasts tend to cook too fast and because they are so lean,they become a bit stringy.
• I have a couple of slow cooker cookbooks I think are great: Slow Good from Weight Watchers, Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, and Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook for Entertaining.   This last one has a lot of more sophisticated recipes you would be proud to share with guests, including a killer Country Captain.  I tend to shy away from slow cooker recipes using canned soup, but that may just be me.
• I have never tried to make dessert in a slow cooker....if you do, please share your experiences.

Here are a couple of easy things to do with a slow cooker:

Start Your Day Right Oatmeal

2 C water (or milk, if you like)
1/2 C stone ground oats (such as McCann's)
1/2 t salt
1/4 of a cut up apple
2-3 T raisins
1/2 t cinnamon

This takes 4-5 hours which is why I use a timer to have it ready when I get up. I usually spray the inside of the crock with Pam for easier cleanup.

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

1 4 lb chicken
1 t paprika
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t seasoned salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t ground pepper
1 T olive oil

Prep the chicken by removing the giblets and any loose fat or skin. Rinse and pat dry.
Make a paste with the spices and olive oil. Rub a little in the cavity and rub the rest all over the chicken. Cook on high 3-3 1/2 hours, or low 6 1/2 - 7 1/2 hours.  You can eat this immediately or use the cooked chicken in salads, pastas, casseroles.

-Robin