Slow Cookers and Crock Pots - Helpful Info Regarding Your Best Friend In The Kitchen

As an avid cooker and lover of excellent food I have found that my best friend in the kitchen is my slow cooker. The most amazing thing about today's crock pots is how easy they are to use for beginner cookers. You would be amazed at how fantastic tasting simple dishes such as spaghetti and macaroni and cheese taste when prepared in a crockpot instead of the traditional pot and pan method. Even though they are simple to use, it is still important to understand a few basic facts when it comes to how crock pots work.

Before you decide to purchase a crockpot you should already have an idea of how you will be using it. Since most slow cookers function better when they are filled between halfway to two-thirds of the way full it is vitally important that you know the portion sizes you plan to serve from the recipes you will be making using your cooker.

Smaller size crockpots in the 2 and 4 quart range work well for serving a single person or a couple. Larger crock pots are better suited to serving bigger meals such as large family meals. I have a family of four and we routinely use a 6 quart slow cooker to make our mouth-watering recipes with no problems.

Other features to consider when trying to decide which cooker to purchase include the heating element, the liner and the shape and design. For example, an oval-shaped cooker is better suited to chickens, turkeys and larger sized pot roasts. I personally prefer a heating core that is on the sides of the cooker and the bottom. This allows for a more evenly and properly cooked meal which results in that special taste and tenderness that only a slow cooker can provide.

As with any cooking product it is highly recommended that you read all of the included instructions in order to ensure that you use the kitchen appliance properly. Once you understand how to make meals you can then begin to experiment with the hundreds and thousands of recipes that can be easily found online or in cook books sold on the Internet or in your traditional brick and mortar book stores

Continue reading for more helpful information on choosing the best slow cooker for your kitchen in order to create delicious mouth-watering recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Trust me, you'll be glad you did and your family will be thanking you profusely for the fantastic food you begin serving them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jackie_Beam/296452

Top Benefits Of Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Crock pots are the new American idols. Healthy slow cooker recipes are stealing the limelight from the regularly prepared meals. Sorry, microwaves and non-stick pans.

Top Benefits Of Slow Cooking
Cooking meals in a slow cooker comes with immense benefits. The four topmost benefits that immediately come to the mind are:

• You save time because what you need is only to put the ingredients in the cooker and let it cook.
• It's convenient when you're out of the house the whole day. You come home to a prepared dinner.
• The food retains all its nutrients because there is no deep frying or over-cooking.
• As the food is cooked slowly, the flavor gets distributed evenly and makes the food tastier.

Nutritional Benefits Of Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes

• When you cook in water or broth, your meal does not contain additional calories - ideal for those on a weight loss program.
• Hard vegetables get converted into tender and juicy meals.
• You can easily prepare an all-in-one meal by blending lean proteins and vegetables. Such a meal is highly nutritious and delicious.
• The cooking liquid such as the broth or water is not discarded in healthy slow cooker recipes. You make it a part of the dish and they contain the nutrients released from the vegetables.

Introducing Slow Cookers And Crock Pots
This kitchen appliance is a ceramic pot enclosed in a metal container. The food ingredients of healthy slow cooker recipes are put inside the ceramic pot. You place the lid on, plug the cooker in, switch on the power, and let the ingredients release their aroma, flavor, and nutrients generously in every inch of the pot. The natural condensation that occurs due to slow cooking traps in the heat as well as the flavor. As you lift the lid of the pot when the meal is ready, your senses are tantalized by the heavenly aroma of freshly cooked food - enough to give you a horse's appetite.

How To Buy The Right Slow Cooker Or Crock Pot
The size of the crock pot depends on the size of your family. For a big family, a 4-6 quart pot is ideal. For just a couple of people, a one quart pot is best to prepare easy slow cooker recipes. Choose a cooker with multiple settings and other features like a timer, automatic shut-off, or a warmer. Such features prove to be quite helpful for people who remain outdoors for 8 to 10 hours. There are cookers that feature digital temperature reading or temperature gauge. It ensures that the pot maintains a safe temperature for cooking food. This cuts off the risk of illnesses related to over-cooking or under-cooking food.

Generally, crock pots are available in oval and round shapes. For easy cleaning, get a pot with detachable inner ceramic container, which is safe to wash in a dishwasher.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Albertina_Belmont/237984

Crock Pots - Every Busy Mom's Dream

For those of us who have used a crock pot before...the secret is out. They are amazing - a "must-have" for family meals!

So how long have families been slow cooking their dinners?
The act of slow cooking has been going on for hundreds of years - ever since people started using an iron pot. People would hang food over a fire to cook, but unfortunately, it would take hours and hours.

Everyone knows how great it is to come home to a yummy smelling house and the relief that dinner is already done. I often hear complaints, however, about food drying out or not tasting as good as it normally would. There are definitely some rules of thumb that will make every crock pot meal delicious.

Cook meats with bones and/or fat. Have you noticed how dry chicken breasts become in the crock pot? Thighs however never dry out. Often times, it's the cheaper cuts of beef and pork that are full fat. That's an extra bonus. These fatty meats do not dry out in the crock pot.

If you are planning on using lean meat, be sure to use plenty of liquid. Don't forget that liquid cooks out of the crock pot, so you will want to use more than you would in a conventional pot.

Unless you are cooking dried beans, 6 hours should be max cook time. This is often not possible for people who work and are gone all day. Sometimes you have no choice but to cook a dish for more than 6 hours. In this case, I suggest putting your meat in the pot frozen. This will eat up some of the cook time.

For an easy side dish, stretch tin foil loosely over the top of your crock pot - leaving room for the lid to still fit on. Place vegetables, small pats of butter, and seasonings on the tin foil. Secure tin foil with clips to the handles of the pot. Cover with lid and cook along side of (or on top of) your main dish.

For an anytime, any meat crock pot meal; Combine 1 can of beef broth, 1 package of onion soup mix, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of red wine or red cooking wine. This is great with any meat. My favorite is pork tenderloin.

There are endless amount of recipes you can cook in a crock pot - pulled pork, lasagna, soups, desserts, dips, breads and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dawn_Billesbach/137671

Crock Pots: Cooking Healthy With Them

If you didn't know by now, crock pots or slow cookers can be used to cook a variety of things. You can make bread, oatmeal, brownies, and and even drinks. They're very convenient kitchen appliances to have in your kitchen.

A slow cooker is a counter-top kitchen appliance used to cook food for hours, unattended. They cook food for a few hours using low heat and liquid. The liquid keeps the food heated. They're especially convenient to people with busy lifestyles. Just put on a meal, go about your day and do what you have to do, and when you get done, your food will be cooked without you even paying any attention to it.

Crock-Pot is actually a trademark and IS a slow cooker. The only difference is the name. A slow cooker will not always be a crock pot. For instance, some people say "kleenex" for all tissue even when its not the Kleenex brand. If you search for them on Amazon, you'll notice that brands such as Hamilton Beach do not have crock pots. It's because they're not allowed to use that name. They have slow cookers. Hamilton Beach Crock Pots do not exist, or else Hamilton would probably get in trouble.

Now that you know some of the basics of what they are and how they work, you should try out some delicious recipes. One of the things people like to do with them is cook healthy recipes. Why? Because it's easy, convenient, and good for you. You're also not limited to only a few select meals.

A good, healthy recipe is overnight cinnamon apple oatmeal. Just combine oats, apples, flax, milk, sugar, and butter, put them in the slow cooker, and then go to bed. Wake up in 7-8 hours, and you'll have a delicious healthy crbreakfast already prepared. You're mouth will water the instant you smell the oatmeal. Just add salt and then enjoy.

There are many more recipes like this. There's pumpkin bread, brownies (yes, brownies made in a slow cooker), greek yogurt, tacos, etc. Once you start cooking healthy meals in a crock pot, you won't stop.
Eating better is made way easier when using these slow cookers. You have no more "I have no time to prepare a healthy meal so i'll stop at the nearest fast food place" excuses.
If this doesn't convince you to go and get one, I don't know what will.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Reylin_Bates/1777931