Slow Cookers
By Lawrence
Reaves
With recent studies saying that more than 50%
of people in every state are overweight, more and more Americans
are trying to eat healthy. Good, quality, healthy food is often
more expensive. But there are ways you can feed your family a
healthy, nutritious meal and still save at the grocery store.
While you may be tempted to think that it’s summer and slow
cooking takes too much time and uses too much heat, think again.
Really your only time invested is the preparation time. As for
the heat, you’d likely be standing over the stove anyway if not
for the slow cooker.
You can buy a slow cooker in several sizes from one-quart to
12-quarts depending on whether you’re cooking for a couple of
people or a large group. Be sure to shop around because there
are lots of options.
Even in the summer months, using your slow cooker for a stew, a
soup or a chicken dish won’t overheat your home during the day.
Best of all, when you get home from your day, dinner is ready.
The healthy aspect comes from the way the foods are cooked.
Because they cook at a slower rate, the mineral contents of the
food are better preserved. But beyond that, you control the
ingredients. No reading of the package and wondering what
something is.
Some tips for cooking with a slow cooker include:
Choose the right ingredients. For example, cuts of meat which
traditionally take longer to cook such as brisket, pork butt or
a whole chicken do great in the slow cooker. Not only do they
cook long enough that the meat falls from the bone, you’re also
pulling nutrients from the actual bone.
If your recipe calls for produce, use fresh. Canned vegetables
will get soft and mushy when cooked for long periods of time in
a slow cooker. They’re already overcooked when they’re put in
the can. Canned tomatoes are okay because it’s likely you’re
looking for them to become more of a sauce anyway.
Don’t under season. The food will be cooking a long time
absorbing the flavors. Sauté onions, shallots or garlic before
adding them to your recipe. The flavors will seep into the oil
better if you do this. Add fresh herbs or a squeeze of lemon or
lime at the end of the cooking time. Include ingredients that
are high in flavor like roasted tomatoes or fire-roasted chilies
for added flavor.
The slow cooker should be only one-half to two-thirds full when
you add the ingredients. Adding too much or too little might
mean your food is undercooked or overcooked.
Taking the lid off during the cooking process will lose some of
the flavor and nutrients as well as increase your cooking time.
Here are a couple of healthy slow cooker recipes to try:
Chickpea and Spinach Stew
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pinches red paper flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 T dried parsley)
1 cup peeled, diced tomatoes, fresh or canned (I use 1, 14-oz
can diced tomatoes, with liquid)
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bag frozen chopped spinach
Garlic Mayonnaise (add minced garlic to mayonnaise to taste)
Combine the ingredients in a medium to large slow cooker and
cook on medium heat for 6-8 hours. Serve with a dollop of garlic
mayonnaise and garnish with fresh parsley.
Chicken and broccoli pasta
Ingredients
4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1©2-inch
pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package (1 ounce) Italian salad dressing mix
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (10 3©4 ounces) condensed low-fat cream of chicken soup,
undiluted 1 bag (10 ounces) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 package (8 ounces) low-fat cream cheese, cubed
1©4 cup dry sherry
Hot cooked pasta
Toss chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian salad
dressing mix. Place in five-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on
low for three hours. Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking
spray. Add mushrooms and onion; cook five minutes over medium
heat or until onions are tender. Add soup, broccoli, cream
cheese and sherry to skillet; cook and stir until hot. Transfer
to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for one additional hour.
Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.
About the Author:
Lawrence Reaves enjoys writing about cooking and he also enjoys
trying new recipes with his slow cooker. He has a nice
collection of kitchen appliances that he owns including a slow
cooker that he got here
http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/products/kitchen-appliances-slow-cookers.html
Source:
http://www.isnare.com
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