Slow Cooker Chili
Posted on December 10, 2008
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One of the best uses of a slow cooker or crock pot is preparing a meal that cooks while you are at work, and is ready for you when you get home. You put in all of your ingredients first thing in the morning, set the timer (on the digital models) and head out the door knowing that supper is already taken care of. No need to run around getting your meal ready after a hard day at the office, you merely dish up and enjoy. Slow cooker chili is one of my favourites, so I plan ahead and reap the full use of my crock pot.
Slow cooker chili actually is as much work as regular chili, except you can do it all ahead of time. For instance, I don’t like to use canned beans. The night before, I soak the dried beans and pre-boil them for 10 minutes, then put them in the fridge over night. I still have to pre brown the beef, which I also do the night before. My chili always has fresh celery, mushrooms and onions, and these I cut in the morning. The tomatoes usually come out of a can, to get more tomatoe sauce. The only work that the slow cooker chili avoids is stirring, which is a necessity for stovetop preparation.
You can make slow cooker chili without a slow cooker or crock pot. All you need to do is put your chili ingredients in a roaster, set the oven for 300 degrees F and cook away, checking it every 45 minutes or so. The results are very similar. Experimentation will give you a method that works for you.
Cooking chili in your slow cooker realy shows off the abilities of this handy kitchen gadget. Happy cooking!
Space Saving Kitchen Appliances
Posted on February 25, 2008
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Refrigerators and microwaves are one of the most space hungry items in any kitchen. As time goes on, new designs have been released by manufacturers that will take some of that space back. Integrating appliances into the cabinets and under the counter can maximize the kitchen space usage and maximize your working area.
These new kitchen gadgets aren’t for everyone. The under counter refrigerator, for instance, may be big enough for one or two people. A family just wouldn’t be able to get all their food in one of these. However, a single person in a small condo might not need any more than a couple drawers of fridge room.
Stoves can be built into the counter top, and microwaves are now produced that double as a range hood and fan. Tucked up under the cupboards, these new microwaves save counter space.
Other new items include on demand beverage and cooking water heaters that are built into the under sink area, and under the counter ice makers. More of these space saving handy kitchen gadgets will be in the works all the time. Anyone remodeling a small kitchen might be interested in a look at these smaller appliances. Incorporating these into you kitchen design ideas might really help add functionality to a smaller kitchen.
Slow Cooker
Posted on January 7, 2008
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In today’s busy world, it is easy to get takeout or snack on potato chips and soda pop instead of preparing food after work. A good slow cooker can really help out if you want home cooked meals but are on a tight schedule.
There are many cookbooks that show how to make tasty main dishes and complete meals with your slow cooker. After prepping the ingredients and putting them in before you leave for work, this awesome kitchen gadget does the rest. The food is cooked at a relatively low temperature, over a long period of time, and the cooker can run by itself all day with no fear of burning or boil-over. The lower temperature never reaches boiling point and the lid is not sealed tight, so there is no danger of food escaping during the heating process.
The simplest slow cookers have a low heat setting, and a high heat setting. More advanced models have timers, total cook time settings and more. There may be different heat settings for roasts, stews and soups, fish and poultry. Many also have a ‘keep warm’ setting, for when the cooking is done. they come in all sizes, from a four cup mini-crock to a six quart family size cooker. They are priced from $20 to $100 in most department stores.
The larger models have a removable stoneware cooking bowl, which is dishwasher safe and doubles as a container to temporarily store left-overs in the fridge. Some of the smaller models have a permanently mounted cooking container, which isn’t as handy.
Stews and roasts are exceptionally good when made in the slow cooker, as the meat becomes extra tender. Others swear by the Crock Pot baked beans that have been slowly simmering all day. They also double as a chocolate melter for those who make their own chocolates, and even desserts are made with the slow cooker.
One thing to keep in mind is that raw kidney beans need to be boiled for 10 minutes before adding into your slow cooker. This is because toxins in this kind of bean are destroyed at boiling temperatures, but no at the lower temperatures that a slow cooker operates at. Canned kidney beans have already been cooked and are safe.
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