If you are trying to get away from today's preservative-laden fast food and convenience foods, it's time to rediscover your slow cooker.
Cutting fruits and vegetables is much easier when you are using tools that were designed specifically for the job. The handiest food prep tools to have in your arsenal include:- Apple Corers, melon slicers and pineapple corers make short work of cutting up fruits in uniform slices or wedges and getting rid of the core. A must if you like serving fruit salad or fresh melon to your family for breakfast or dessert2. Caramelize onions and brown meat beforehand. Many slow cooker recipes call for you to put all of the ingredients into the crock pot raw � and that's perfectly fine to do. In fact, that's going to be the most efficient way to go, if you are using your slow cooker as the ultimate time saving device that it is. But you can dramatically enhance the flavor of your final dish by browning your meat or chicken and sauteing your onions before you add them to the pot. This step also reduces some of the fat content of your recipe.1. Use a recipe specifically created for slow cookers. If you are dying to convert a traditional recipe to a slow cooking recipe, there are some rules to follow. For example, unless you're making soup, you'll typically want to decrease the amount of liquid you add. Because a slow cooker retains moisture, you can sometimes end up with more liquid at the end of the cooking time than you had when you started and this can dilute the flavors of your dish.The best thing about a slow cooker, of course, is that it frees you to do other things while the food is cooking. You can place all of the ingredients into your crock pot or other slow cooker, and your food will be ready and waiting when you arrive home.Slow cookers aren't just for grandmothers. On a busy day, who doesn't love to come home in the evening to a hot already-prepared meal? Whether it's a succulent pot roast, savory tender chicken or a simple casserole, slow cookers create amazing aromas and even better meals � and many slow cooker recipes make enough food to feed your entire family (and then some).Slow cooker recipes abound these days (especially on the Internet) and, to find them, all you need to do is search for the name of the traditional dish followed by +�slow cooker recipe.� But there are a few easy tips that will help you maximize flavor and ensure a mouth-watering meal, every time.One last indispensable cooking appliance is a countertop griddle like the Electric 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle. Grilling is so much healthier than frying, but firing up the grill can seem like a whole lot of work for a quick meal. An electric grill can make it so easy to grill steaks, chops and even vegetables. Pick a multi-purpose grill and you can make Panini, stuffed sandwiches, pancakes, eggs and more.As more people juggle trying to eat healthier with their busy lifestyles, they may find that Vegetarian slow cooking provides an answer. What I like best about slow cooker Vegetarian recipes is that the long, slow-cooking process enriches the flavor of the dish in a way that other cooking methods can't match. The gentle slow-cooking process actually draws more flavor out of the ingredients. In addition to convenience, slow cooking also scores high marks for taste and nutrition since the long cooking time allows both flavors and nutrients to concentrate in the food. While the slow cooker was once synonymous with cooking pot roasts and other meat dishes, just as my friend discovered, the Vegetarian cook will find a vast number of ways to use it.- 5-in-1 Egg Slicer, which makes it easy to slice, dice, chop and wedge hard-boiled eggs � and other things like strawberries, onions and mushroomsand add additional fresh herbs to taste. Fresh basil often complements Italian dishes. Rosemary and thyme taste delightful with pot roast. Experiment and find what works for you and your taste buds.
and add additional fresh herbs to taste. Fresh basil often complements Italian dishes. Rosemary and thyme taste delightful with pot roast. Experiment and find what works for you and your taste buds.
Author: Jamie Jefferson
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