Found a new blog today (new to me that is) about crock pot cooking

H

heather_in_sf

Well-known member
It's called "A Year of Slow Cooking" and after looking at a few of her recipes I think I would like to try her cookbook.

I was particularly interested in the blog about making yogurt at home. Does anyone do this? I really miss eating yogurt but can't do cow's milk, and goat and sheep yogurt, while delicious, it terrifically expensive.

Once I finish using the crock pot with this cursed chicken dish (see Revision to Saturday Six above), and am well enough to go to the store I will try some goat yogurt in the crock pot! (excerpt below)

The Ingredients.

--8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized. (Debbie recommends starting with whole milk until you get the hang of yogurt-making)

--1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter)

--frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring

--thick bath towel

The Directions.

This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor.

I used a 4 quart crockpot. This is so exciting. My fingers are shaking!

Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.

Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.

Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.

Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. I did mango, strawberry, and blueberry. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually.

Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.

Be sure to see the end of her blog that talks about the cost savings. It was rather eye opening....

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

 
If anyone can disabuse me of a fear of leaving a crockpot on while away for the day, I'd love it smileys/smile.gif

What kinds of crockpots do you have, Heather and Dawn?

 
Heather - Dawn... whoever else -- could we start a crockpot recipes thread?

I don't have a crockpot (broke mine long ago and never replaced it), but I see recipes sporadically that have me thinking about buying another one.
Would love to see these recipes all together in one place.
Thanks!

 
That's a great idea - I'll post some when my finger stops itching/throbbing (see My Saturday Six!)

 
I have a gorgeous new Rival 5 qt one, a gift from a dear friend, I love it...

By the way, my chicken soup coq au vin came out just fine. The meat was overcooked and a bit dry but it tastes good and is healthy, whew!

 
Moroccan Chicken

This is a great one off the old swap



Next: Error! Bookmark not defined. (Vicki in VA)
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 17:06:12 GMT
From: Sally BR (Error! Bookmark not defined.)
A crockpot book & recipe
I ve been searching for crockpot recipes for
the past six months in books and the net.
Some of them were so-so, some of them so bad
that made me regret HAVING a crockpot!

Finally, someone gave me a tip about a
crockpot book - it is called "Slow cooker
Ready and Waiting", by Rick Rodgers.
There are several reader-reviews on
amazon.com

The recipes are definitely NOT for lazy cooks
- the crockpot is not going to be filled with
condensed soups and stew meat, turned on at
7AM and off at dinner time!
Most recipes require some preparation
(browning meat, sauteeing the vegetables etc)

So far I cooked three recipes (one chicken,
one beef brisket and one beef stew) and the
results were absolutely great every single
time! They pleased even my partner, who has a
profound dislike for anything coming off a
crockpot....

Now, for a sample recipe (this one does
NOT require advanced preparation, and was
delicious)

Moroccan Chicken and Vegetable Stew

--This North African stew of tender chicken
thighs with chunks of vegetables produces a
substantial amount of fragrant spiced broth
to spoon generously over a bed of couscous

Makes 4-6 servings

1 acorn squash (about 1 pound)(I used fresh pumpkin/ and butternut squash -E.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick
rounds

>>>> (I used 4 carrots)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 chicken thighs, skin removed if desired>>>>(I did remove it)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth, canned or homemade
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and
rinsed ---->>>>> (I did not use it, forgot to
get it in the store)(I did use it - E.)
1/3 cup dark raisins (This I did not add)

Cut the acorn squash crosswise into 3/4 inch
thick rings and scoop out the seeds. Cut the
rings into quarters and pare off the skin

In a small bowl, combine the salt, cinnamon,
ginger, turmeric and pepper.
In a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker, combine the
acorn squash, carrots, onion, and garlic.
Sprinkle half the spice misture over the
vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining spice
misture over the chicken thighs, and arrange
them over the vegetables. Pour in the chicken
broth, cover, and slow cook until the chicken
shows no sign of pink at the bone when
prodded with the tip of a sharp knife, 5 to 6
hours on low - 200F (I cooked for 6 hours
exactly). During the last 30 minutes of
cooking, add the garbanzo beans and raisins.

Serve over a bed of couscous.

 
Chicken Jambalaya

This is a good one too - I sometimes add stew meat as well - pork is especially good.
Subject: Weekend Tag: Slow Cooker-Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Slow Cooker-Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya
Makes 6 servings

1 cup sliced celery
1 large onion, chopped
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-sodium tomatoes, cut-up
1 14 1/2-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 of a 6-ounce can (1/3 cup) tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or 1 recipe homemade Cajun seasoning (see
recipe)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs, cut into
3/4-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups instant rice
8 ounces cooked peeled, deveined shrimp
3/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper

In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker combine celery, onion, undrained
tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and Cajun seasoning.
Stir in chicken. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on
high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in rice, shrimp, and sweet
pepper. Cover and let stand 10 to 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is
absorbed and rice is tender.

Homemade Cajun Seasoning:

In a small bowl combine 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic
powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper,
1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Per serving calories: 261 , total fat: 2g , saturated fat: 0g , cholesterol:
118mg , sodium: 391mg , carbohydrate: 30g , fiber: 2g , protein: 30g
Points: 5

 
Erin, I leave mine all the time. Put it on early in the morning and come home to a wonderfully ...

aromatic home! I never had a problem. Why don't you try it a few times while at home and then you will be confident. I have a Morphy Richards which I dont' suppose you have there. Be sure to get a large size.
If you are working there is nothing better.

 
I know I'll love this one.. Wonder what ever happened to Sally....Someone on the old Prodigy board

was named Sally....she was trying to gather cheesecake recipes to write a cheesecake book, I always wondered if it was the same Sally.

 
I tried Manicotti in the crockpot over the weekend and it was AWESOME.

I had doubts on this one but forged ahead and was thrilled with the results. The method could be done with your favorite lasagna recipe as well.

Manicotti

2 boxes manicotti (UNCOOKED)
5-6 cups of your favorite sauce
1 lb ground beef or italian sausage
4 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
3 cups mozzarella cheese

Brown beef (or sausage) with salt and pepper.

Pour about 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of slowcooker.

Mix ricotta cheese, egg, chopped parsley, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Fill uncooked manicotti with this mixture. (SO much easier when it's uncooked.)

Place one layer of manicotti in the slowcooker on the 1/2 cup of sauce. Pour 1/2 of remaining sauce over the manicotti. Add 1/2 of meat and 1/2 of grated mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of manicotti, sauce, meat and cheese.

Cook on low for 4 1/2 hours. (I cheated, I cooked it on high for the first hour and it was done in 3 1/2.)

The only drawback is if you really like the brown crust on your cheese. I don't, so this was perfect for us.

 
Favorite crockpot tips to share for the wary?

I've had friends tell me they used their crockpot once and never again. All they had was boiled mush. So maybe an offshoot thread to share tips for successful crockpot cooking?

Here are my top two:

1. Saute or sear your food first. A quick saute of onions, garlic and other flavor veggies. Don't cook all the way, but do get a little color on them. Brown your meats, too. Deglaze the pan with your cooking liquid.

2. Speaking of liquid GO LIGHT. You will end up with a lot more liquid than expected. Always reduce the amount called out if you are converting a recipe to crockpot and even most recipes for the crockpot will call out more liquid than necessary.

FYI, I cook a turkey breast in the crock with nothing more than a splash of balsamic, sprig of rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. I will end up with plenty of liquid even tho I don't add any.

 
Here are a few of my favorites: Rec: Hearty Bean and Beef Stew

1 1/2 pounds stew beef, cut in small pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 ribs celery, sliced
1 sweet green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed beef broth, undiluted
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, not drained

Toss the beef with flour. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion and saute, stirring frequently, until browned.

In a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the celery, green pepper, seasonings, beans, broth, tomatoes, and beef/onions. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.

 
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