Rice Cookers Steamers

I was looking to maybe get a rice-cooker but wanted to know if a crock pot(which I already own) will do the same job, and how well it would do it. Basically is a rice-cooker worth buying?

2 Comments | Tags: Cook, Cooker, Crock, Dont, Meaning, Need, Rice, That

Imagine getting home from work to the tantalizing smell of dinner, ready to dish out, hot and delicious. For a busy working mom, corporate couple or live-alone single, that’s a dream that doesn’t seem likely, unless you can afford your own chef. But it’s not unattainable. All you need is one handy-dandy little appliance that will simplify your life and have you dishing up your dinner before you even kick off your good shoes.

They’re an old stand-by from the 70s, and they’re making a huge comeback. Crock pots, also known as slow cookers, are one of the handiest tools for a busy working woman – or man, for that matter. With a crock pot, you can spend ten minutes of prep time before you leave for work in the morning, flip it on, and return home in the evening to a fully cooked meal – nutritious, delicious and far less expensive than takeout.

I grew up with a crock pot in the house, but it was seldom used. My grandmother was home full time, and it was far more common for her to slow cook on top of the stove. When I moved out on my own, those delicious slow-simmered dishes that were a staple of my diet were out of reach. I didn’t have time to stay at home and stir the pot. I turned to convenience meals and microwave cookery, but I missed the wonderful meals I grew up with – coq au vin, slow simmered spaghetti sauce, beef stew, stewed chicken and baked beans.

That all changed when I discovered a recipe for ‘Mom’s Busy Day Chicken’ in a recipe book offered by, of all places, the La Leche League. The recipe was incredibly simple – just put one cut up chicken in a crock pot, add two cans of stewed tomatoes and an onion, and flip the crock pot to low, and then walk away for six to eight hours. I was skeptical, but I tried it – and the results quickly became a family favorite. The chicken was tender enough to fall off the bone, and flavored through and through with spices and tomato sauce. The sauce was thickened and perfect for spooning over rice or pasta and best of all, it was nutritious and healthy. Why is crock pot cooking so great?1. You don’t have to watch the pot.

They say a watched pot never boils – neither does a crock pot. When you set the crock pot’s temperature to low, you can be sure that the food inside will cook at temperatures low enough to avoid overcooking, and high enough to prevent the formation of harmful bacteria. 2. Ten minutes in the morning makes a home-cooked meal in the evening.

Prep time for crock pot cooking is almost none. Cut up your ingredients, add them to the pot, cover it and walk away. The most elaborate recipes may require that you cut things uniformly or that you layer ingredients in a particular order, but all it takes is a few minutes in the morning, and you’ll come home to a home-cooked meal at the end of the day. 3. Cleanup is quick and easy!

Crock pots used to be a real hassle to clean, but no more. Today’s crock pots feature removable liners so washing the pot is as simple as washing a dish. Just lift out the liner and wash. You can even put most in the dishwasher. In addition, slow cooking means no crusty crud to scrub off. 4. Convenient features let you time things perfectly.

One of the drawbacks of crockpot cooking used to be overcooking. Let that meat simmer too long, and you ended up with unpalatable mush. Today’s crock pots feature timers that turn the crock pot off when it’s time, or lower the temperature when needed. 5. Slow cookers are energy efficient.

What? You thought that leaving your slow cooker plugged in and cooking all day was a waste of energy? Think again. A crock pot uses wraparound heat to cook the food, without wasting all the heat that would simmer away in an oven or stove top. You actually use less energy.

If you have a slow cooker tucked away somewhere, pull it out and give it a try. You’ll find dozens of recipes that break the traditional “mushy” meals syndrome that has given crock pots a bad name. Test a few, and you’ll find yourself upgrading to a new family friendly model so you can treat your family to wonderful, tasty, home cooked meals with almost no effort.

Comments Off | Tags: Crock, Easy, Hectic, Life, Pots, Quick, Simplify

Imagine getting home from work to the tantalizing smell of dinner, ready to dish out, hot and delicious. For a busy working mom, corporate couple or live-alone single, that’s a dream that doesn’t seem likely, unless you can afford your own chef. But it’s not unattainable. All you need is one handy-dandy little appliance that will simplify your life and have you dishing up your dinner before you even kick off your good shoes. They’re an old stand-by from the 70s, and they’re making a huge comeback. Crock pots, also known as slow cookers, are one of the handiest tools for a busy working woman – or man, for that matter. For more details go to www. chow-chows-secrets. com. With a crock pot, you can spend ten minutes of prep time before you leave for work in the morning, flip it on, and return home in the evening to a fully cooked meal – nutritious, delicious and far less expensive than takeout. I grew up with a crock pot in the house, but it was seldom used. My grandmother was home full time, and it was far more common for her to slow cook on top of the stove. When I moved out on my own, those delicious slow-simmered dishes that were a staple of my diet were out of reach. I didn’t have time to stay at home and stir the pot. I turned to convenience meals and microwave cookery, but I missed the wonderful meals I grew up with – coq au van, slow simmered spaghetti sauce, beef stew, stewed chicken and baked beans. That all changed when I discovered a recipe for ‘Mom’s Busy Day Chicken’ in a recipe book offered by, of all places, the La Lecher League. The recipe was incredibly simple – just put one cut up chicken in a crock pot, add two cans of stewed tomatoes and an onion, and flip the crock pot to low, and then walk away for six to eight hours. I was skeptical, but I tried it – and the results quickly became a family favorite. The chicken was tender enough to fall off the bone, and flavored through and through with spices and tomato sauce. The sauce was thickened and perfect for spooning over rice or pasta and best of all, it was nutritious and healthy. Why is crock pot cooking so great? 1. You don’t have to watch the pot. They say a watched pot never boils – neither does a crock pot. When you set the crock pot’s temperature to low, you can be sure that the food inside will cook at temperatures low enough to avoid overcooking, and high enough to prevent the formation of harmful bacteria. 2. Ten minutes in the morning makes a home-cooked meal in the evening. Prep time for crock pot cooking is almost none. Cut up your ingredients, add them to the pot, cover it and walk away. The most elaborate recipes may require that you cut things uniformly or that you layer ingredients in a particular order, but all it takes is a few minutes in the morning, and you’ll come home to a home-cooked meal at the end of the day. 3. Cleanup is quick and easy!Crock pots used to be a real hassle to clean, but no more. Today’s crock pots feature removable liners so washing the pot is as simple as washing a dish. Just lift out the liner and wash. You can even put most in the dishwasher. You can also visit us at www. cooking-groundbeef. com.   In addition, slow cooking means no crusty crud to scrub off. 4. Convenient features let you time things perfectly. One of the drawbacks of crackpot cooking used to be overcooking. Let that meat simmer too long, and you ended up with unpalatable mush. Today’s crock pots feature timers that turn the crock pot off when it’s time, or lower the temperature when needed. 5. Slow cookers are energy efficient. What? You thought that leaving your slow cooker plugged in and cooking all day was a waste of energy? Think again. A crock pot uses wraparound heat to cook the food, without wasting all the heat that would simmer away in an oven or stove top. You actually use less energy. If you have a slow cooker tucked away somewhere, pull it out and give it a try. You’ll find dozens of recipes that break the traditional “mushy” meals syndrome that has given crock pots a bad name. Test a few, and you’ll find yourself upgrading to a new family friendly model so you can treat your family to wonderful, tasty, home cooked meals with almost no effort.

Comments Off | Tags: Abridge, Crock, Frantic, Life, Pots

One of the best ways to warm up winter is to load the crock pot with goodies in the morning and let it cook all day. The crock pot is an awesome way to have a delicious home cooked meal after working or playing all day long. Beef Fajitas Crock Pot Recipe 1-1/2 lbs boneless sirloin, cut into thin strips 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon seasoning salt 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 onion, thinly sliced 6-8 flour tortillas shredded cheddar cheese salsa sour cream lettuce tomato Brown the steak in oil. Place the steak and drippings into the crockpot. Add lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and chili powder; mix well. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender. Add green pepper and onion; cover and cook for 1 hour more. Warm the tortillas. Spoon beef and veggies down the center of the tortillas. Top each with cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes if desired. Crock Pot Pizza Casserole 1 1/2 lb Ground beef 1 can (14 oz) pizza sauce 1 pkg (12 oz) noodles 4 oz Cheese, mozzarella 1 small can Mushrooms 1 Onion, diced 1 can (14 oz) Spaghetti sauce 4 oz Cheese, cheddar 1 pkg Pepperoni 1 green pepper, diced Brown meat & onion. Drain grease & add sauces. Cook noodles. Put layer of noodles, meat mixture, cheeses & pepperoni In Crock Pot. Repeat layer. Cook on High for 30 minutes. Reduce heat & cook for 1 hour until cheese melts. Serves 6 Crock Pot Meat Loaf Recipe 2 1/4 pounds ground beef 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoon brown sugar 1 egg 1 cup breadcrumbs or crushed crackers 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 large onion (diced) 1/4 cup water Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into a meatloaf shape that will fit into your crock pot. Cut a strip of foil and place under the meatloaf in crock pot. Cut it long enough to cover the bottom and sides of meatloaf. Place meat loaf in crock pot and top with additional 2 tablespoons ketchup. Cover and cook on low for approximately 8 hours. Serve with fresh, hot rolls. All Day Slow Cooker Delight Recipe 2-3 lb Boneless chuck; cut in 1″cubes 1/2 c Flour 1/4 c Butter 1 Onion; sliced 1 tsp Salt 1/8 tsp Pepper 1 Clove garlic; minced 2 c Beer (I usually use Guinness Stout) 1/4 c Flour Coat beef cubes with the 1/2 cup flour. Brown in melted butter. Drain off excess fat. In slow cooker, combine browned meat with onion, salt, pepper, garlic and beer. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours (all day) until meat is tender. Turn control to high. Dissolve remaining 1/4 cup flour in small amount of water. Stir into meat mixture, cook on high 30-40 minutes. Serve with rice and salad. Chicken and Dumplings 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in small chunks 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup 1/4 cup onion, finely diced 2 cups water 2 10 oz packages refrigerated biscuits 1 chicken bouillon cube Combine all ingredients, except biscuits, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, tear biscuit dough into 1-inch pieces. Add to your slow cooker; stirring gently. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes or until biscuits are fluffed up and cooked through.

Comments Off | Tags: Crock, Easy, Meals

I’m cooking them in a merlot and beef base sauce. Thanks in advance!

9 Comments | Tags: Cooking, Crock, During, Even, Necessary...to, Okay...or, Open, Slowcooking, Steak, Tips

When it comes to crock pot cooking (using a slow cooker), I enjoy using mine all year long. One of the recipes I enjoy making in it are Cabbage Rolls, which are also known as Pigs In A Blanket. This recipe does take some preparation time, but is well worth your efforts. To Prepare Cabbage: Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a rapid boil. Take the core out of each head of cabbage. Place head into boiling water, cover and cook for 5 minutes, remove from water immediately. With one head, start taking the leaves off, being careful not to tear them. They should be pliable, if not, place back into the water for an additional minute or two. Cabbage Rolls2 large heads cabbage2 to 3 lbs. lean ground beef1 large onion, chopped6 cups cooked rice1 hot pepper, finely diced1 teaspoon paprika1 teaspoon salt1 can tomato soup1/2 can warm waterFry the lean ground beef and chopped onion in a large skillet over medium heat until it’s not longer pink; drain grease. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked ground beef mixture with cooked rice, diced hot pepper, paprika and salt, set aside. On a clean surface, such as a cutting board, place 2 to 3 tablespoons of meat mixture onto the center of the cabbage leaf. Overlap the sides of the leaf and roll. Repeat until your meat mixture is completely used up. Place rolls into your slow cooker (crock pot) and pour the can of tomato soup over top along with a 1/2 can of warm water. Turn the dial to high heat, cover and slow cook them for 4 hours or until done. If desired, you can freeze the left-overs for up to 6 months in your freezer as this recipe will make approximately 25 to 35 cabbage rolls.

Comments Off | Tags: Blanket, Cabbage, Crock, Pigs, Recipe., Rolls

A slow cooker or crock pot is an electrical cooking device for countertop cooking. A crock pot works in different ways. Learn the different methods of crock pat and cook better meals. Slow cooker is one of the versatile tools famous for making soups and stews. Cooking can be left unattended for hours. It has a removable pot made from ceramic glaze or porcelain, along with a lid and housing that contain a thermostatic electric heating element. Crock pots can both be utilized as a cooking container and a heat reservoir. Operation Slow cookers come in different sizes, from 16 oz to 7 quarts. There are different temperature settings used – low, medium, high, and keep warm options. Slow cookers typically operate at an approximate of 200 °F in low setting. It is 300o F on high setting. Medium heat is qualified at 225o to 250o F, Raw food with water or stock can be placed inside the pot, covered and switched on. Some foods need to be preheated. Some slow cookers can switch automatically from cooking to warming (160 °F to 165°F). The heating element can stop at a constant temperature when maximum heat is reached. Vapor turns to liquid and transfers heat back to the food. Cooking Techniques Most slow cookers come with free recipe booklets and guidelines. Here are some methods that may help cooking with a crock pot: Browning Meats – Raw ground meats can be added directly to the crock pot, but browning it first will give better flavor and texture. It will also reduce meat fats. A roasted meat does not need to be browned at all. Dried Beans – There are 3 methods of cooking beans on a crock pot: • Beans can be cooked on a high-heat setting until tender. • Another way is to cook about 2 to 3 hours on high heat and switch to low-heat for the next 8 to 10 hours. • beans are cooked for about 2 hours in the traditional way. Turn off the crock pot and let it sit for about 8 to 24 hours. Other ingredients can be added. You can then cook this on low heat for about 8-12 hours until it is done. This method is best for baked beans because it allows the flavor to blend. Vegetables – Chop root crops like carrots and potatoes no larger than 1-inch thick. Chop thinly because they take longer to cook compared to leaf vegetables. Rice and Pasta – Cook rice with ¼ extra liquid or ¼ cup of uncooked grain rice for better results. Cook pasta only until it becomes slightly tender. Do not overcook. Liquids – Liquids easily evaporate in the cooking process. It is always safe to add a little extra when needed. Herbs and Spices – Spices and ground herbs easily lose taste when added early in the cooking process. It is best to add them when the dish is nearly done. Soups – To make a thinner soup, add more water after cooking. For milk-based soups, one or two cups of water is enough. Stir in milk during the last hours of cooking. Most crock pot cooking can be made into one dish. Use a single pot to reduced washing chores. Cooking on lower temperatures make cleaning easier. Pre-boil kidney beans first before cooking in a crock pot. Otherwise, it can cause food poisoning.

Comments Off | Tags: Convenient, Cooking, Crock, Methods, Pots

The recipe called for a 4lb roast to cook for 8 hours. Do I simply divide the cooking time in half?

5 Comments | Tags: Cook, Cooking, Crock, Does, Long, Need, Roast, Time

I know that’s sort of the idea behind them but I can’t get past leaving something cooking while I am away for 6 hours. So, I mainly use mine on weekends. Do you leave your crock pot on with nobody home?

Hummer Parts

15 Comments | Tags: Cooking, Crock, Leave, Safe, While, Work, You're, Your

I’m cooking the roast for 6 hours in a crock pot. When can I add my baby carrots so they will be tender but not over cooked.

6 Comments | Tags: Carrots, Cooking, Crock, Roast, Should, When