Crockpots vary but the low setting is typically around 100
degrees and its high setting is around 300 degrees.
Knowing this, it is fairly easy to convert most recipes for
use in your slow cooker. Some adjusments to cooking times
will be a judgement call on your part, but some simple
guidelines should help. Just follow a few simple rules
and you're on your way.
You should decrease the liquid since it does not boil away
in a crockpot.
Add cheeses and other milk product towards the end of your
cooking since they tend to break down if they are cooked
for too long.
Brown any ground beef before adding to the crockpot. It
will taste better and have better texture this way.
Add rice and noodles at the end of your cooking as well.
They will turn mushy if they are cooked too long. You can
cook these separately and then combine them when it's time
to serve.
Add your spices at the end.
If a stovetop recipe calls for 15-30 minutes, the crockpot
should cook it for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hrs at a high temperature
and 4 - 8 hours at its low temperature setting.
If a stovetop recipe calls for 35-45 minutes, the crockpot
should cook it for 3-4 hrs at a high temperature setting
and 6 - 10 hours at its low temperature setting.
If a stovetop recipe calls for 50 min to 3 hours, the crockpot
should cook it for 4 - 6 hrs at a high temperature setting
and 8 - 16 hours at its low temperature setting.
Following these guidelines will allow you to be
able to convert a stovetop recipe to its delicious
slow cooking counterpart!
Tony
http://www.my-crockpot-recipes.com
About the author:
Tony has been working diligently to provide
free cooking related resources for the chef
in all of us. His website http://www.my-crockpot-recipes.com
is a labor of love which provides delicious and easy
to make crockpot recipes and related tips and advice.
www.my-crockpot-recipes.com
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Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Converting a Recipe for your CrockPot
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Crockpot Cooking - Advantages and Disadvantages
by: tony buel
In my 'un-biased' opinion, the crockpot / slow cooker is one of the most
convenient and easy to use appliances in my kitchen. The time savings
features of the slow cooker and the delicious dinners that have resulted
more than offset any minor drawbacks.
Before I list my top reasons why the crockpot is the most useful appliance
in any kitchen, I will list a few of the areas where it does not perform
as well.
- Large cuts of meat such as boneless prime rib or leg of lamb are still
best when oven roasted.
- Except for stews and chowders, the slow cooker does not cook fish very
well.
- The slow cooker collects a lot of the juices since the steam does not
escape during cooking and these juices can become diluted and watery,
which can affect the flavoring of the food.
- If not careful, a slow cooker can overcook food -especially some of
the more tender meats and poultry.
These drawbacks are relatively minor compared to the positives which
I will list now.
- The slow cooker needs virtually no tending while it cooks, freeing you
up to do other chores or recipes.
- The slow cooker will tenderize less expensive, tough cuts of meat and
make great stews out of them.
- The slow cooker allows you to be out of the kitchen for extended periods
of time -sometimes even all day.
- Burning your food is rarely a problem. The slow cooker will make many
dishes for you better than any other appliance -especially those that tend
to stick to the bottom of a pan.
In my opinion the slow cooker is one of the most under-utilized and yet
superior of kitchen appliances. When used for what it does best, you will
find that you are able to prepare great dishes in less time than you thought
possible!
About the author:
Tony has been working diligently to provide
free cooking related resources for the chef
in all of us. His website www.my-crockpot-recipes.com
is a labor of love which provides delicious and easy
to make crockpot recipes and related tips and advice.
www.my-crockpot-recipes.com
Circulated by Article Emporium
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Pesticides, Can we avoid them
by: anna maria volpi
Why, unfortunately, just washing vegetables is not enough to ensure produce clean enough for consumption
We all ingest lots of chemicals, one way or another. We breathe them, we drink them, and we eat them. The most troublesome are pesticides in produce. It makes me uncomfortable to think that while we are eating fruits and vegetables in reality we are also ingesting poisons that can accumulate in our bodies and make us very sick. This is food that supposes to be healthy and good for us!
Even if the most toxic chemicals have already been banned for use in agriculture, pesticides in general are poisons designed to kill insects, weed, small rodents and other pests. The long time effects of these poisons on people are not completely known. Even the minimal risk with these pollutants is too much, when we think we may expose children. We should try to do every effort to minimize our intake of these adverse chemicals.
Education is the key. Knowing which produce contain more pollutants can help us make the right choices, avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least polluted, or buy organic instead. In simulation of consumers eating habits has been demonstrated that changing a little bit the eating practices can lower considerably the ingestion of pesticides.
The results of an investigation on pesticides in produce by the USDA Pesticide Data Program, show that fruits topped the list of the consistently most contaminated produce, with eight of the 12 most polluted foods. The dirty dozen are: Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Imported Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Red Raspberries, Spinach, and Strawberries.
You don’t like broccoli? Too bad because they are among those least contaminated. In fact the 12 least polluted produce are: Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sweet Corn, Kiwi, Mangos, Onions, Papaya, Pineapples, and Sweet Peas.
Can washing of produce help get rid of pesticides? Not really. The fruits and vegetables tested by the USDA PDP are “prepared emulating the practices of the average consumer” before testing for pesticides. That is: “(1) apples are washed with stems and cores removed; (2) asparagus and spinach have inedible portions removed and are washed; (3) cantaloupes are cut in half and seed and rinds are removed; […] and (9) tomatoes are washed and stems removed”.
Washing before consuming is highly recommended because helps decrease the pesticide residues present on the surface of the vegetables, but the majorities of pollutants are absorbed into the plant and can’t be just washed away. Some pesticides are specifically created to stick to the surface of the crops and they don’t come out by washing. Peeling can help eliminating some of the chemicals but not all, and a lot of important substances will be discarded with the skin.
So, on one hand we have to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables for a healthy diet, and on the other hand we have to reduce as much a possible the intake of pesticides. What to do if you are unconvinced by the claims of the chemical companies that certain levels of pesticides are not dangerous?
We have very few options to defend ourselves: (1) Wash all vegetables and fruit very well; (2) Change eating habits in order to consume more of the produce with low pollutants; (3) Consume a diet as varied as possible; (4) Buy organic foods.
Anna Maria Volpi
About the author:
© 2005 www.annamariavolpi.com
Anna Maria Volpi is a cooking instructor and personal chef in
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