Post: #1

So after talking with my friend (who is a fantastic cook), I expressed my concerns about not having much time to cook due to work and my busy schedule ...he suggested that I buy a slow-cooker(crock pot).

I gotta tell you it's a life saver. I'm far from a great chef but the last few dishes I put together from internet recipes came out AWESOME!!

Today I'm making Chicken Cacciatore. I bought all the ingredients the day before. 15 minutes of prep time and toss everything in the slow cooker. Set it on low for 8 hours and I'll have a delicious meal ready for me when I get home later around 6.

The meat cooks so well that it just falls off the bone.

Here's the recipe:
http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenthi...iatore.htm

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Total Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning(I used Vegata Seasoning)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt ( I used sea salt)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. water

I'll toss it over some pasta and I'm good to go.

Post: #2

Thanks for the share, I've been looking for time saving options for cooking meals and this is exactly what I need! The idea of coming home to a warm delicious meal without having to go through the hassle of long prep and cooking time after woek and gym is really appealing.

What size cooker, in terms of volume, would you recommend based on your experience so far? Any other tips in terms of usage??

Post: #3

(04-21-2013 01:58 PM)Artfull Dodger Wrote:  Thanks for the share, I've been looking for time saving options for cooking meals and this is exactly what I need! The idea of coming home to a warm delicious meal without having to go through the hassle of long prep and cooking time after woek and gym is really appealing.

What size cooker, in terms of volume, would you recommend based on your experience so far? Any other tips in terms of usage??

I bought the biggest one they had. 6.5 quarts. I like to have leftovers for the week.

You can also slow cook breakfast type dishes overnight. I'd recommend a much smaller one for that. You only need enough for one decent serving.

Post: #4

I have been really trying to gain weight and I have a solid workout. I know diet is a really important part of getting big but I'm really lazy. Will a slow cooker allow me to cook meat without having to do much on my part or do I have to check on it periodically. I'm thinking put lots of meat in the morning, come back from school and then I have food for the week?

Post: #5

(04-21-2013 04:20 PM)ozzyyooo Wrote:  I have been really trying to gain weight and I have a solid workout. I know diet is a really important part of getting big but I'm really lazy. Will a slow cooker allow me to cook meat without having to do much on my part or do I have to check on it periodically. I'm thinking put lots of meat in the morning, come back from school and then I have food for the week?

It's all "set it and forget it" my friend. It's the best thing I've bought in a while.

Post: #6

I have one but have never used it. Very intrigued by this thing. Need to get off the grill.

Thoughts on cooking a massive meal for the week in one of these?

Post: #7

Yes!!!!!! I am so lazy I was even thinking on going on a raw food no cooking diet. Thanks Parlay!! +1

Post: #8

Until you find a slow cooker that gives great head im still gonna need a lady friend

Post: #9

Slow cookers are great. One of my favorite cuts to use is pork shoulder. I shop mostly at Whole Foods and pork shoulder is $6/lb there, so at other places I'm sure it's even cheaper. You can throw a rub on it, sear it on the stove for a little bit and then let it braise in the slow cooker in stock, wine, beer, bbq sauce, whatever.

Another great thing to do with pork shoulder is to cook it with cabbage, apples and onions. I like to sweat down some onions, sliced shitake mushrooms and julienne some granny smith apples, throw them in the slow cooker with cabbage and a mix of stock, beer, and apple cider vinegar. You can even add some sauerkraut into the mix. And to kick it up even more, throw a smoked ham hock, pork belly or bratwurst in there as well. What comes out will make you very happy.

Post: #10

Using slow cookers and eating baked dishes (I bake my chicken) make cooking much easier.

Post: #11

Next on my list is Borscht. I haven't had a good Borscht in a long time. A big ass bowl of it with a few scoops of yogurt or sour cream is to die for

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/109254/sl...er-borscht

Post: #12

Someone needs to start a crockpot recipe thread.

Post: #13

(04-21-2013 09:43 AM)Parlay44 Wrote:  So after talking with my friend (who is a fantastic cook), I expressed my concerns about not having much time to cook due to work and my busy schedule ...he suggested that I buy a slow-cooker(crock pot).

I gotta tell you it's a life saver. I'm far from a great chef but the last few dishes I put together from internet recipes came out AWESOME!!

Today I'm making Chicken Cacciatore. I bought all the ingredients the day before. 15 minutes of prep time and toss everything in the slow cooker. Set it on low for 8 hours and I'll have a delicious meal ready for me when I get home later around 6.

The meat cooks so well that it just falls off the bone.

Here's the recipe:
http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenthi...iatore.htm

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Total Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning(I used Vegata Seasoning)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt ( I used sea salt)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. water

I'll toss it over some pasta and I'm good to go.

Looks good. If I may make a couple suggestions:

Don't slice the mushrooms too thin. I would quarter or even just halve them. After cooking for 7 hours they'll be quite tender. It's nice having the textural elements of large chunks of mushroom and even carrot. I would cut the onion and garlic small.

Ditch the dried Italian seasoning and get a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and a couple fresh bay leaves. Shouldn't be too hard to find these days. Fresh herbs instead of dry will give your cooking a huge boost in flavor.

Experiment with using white and red wine. For braised chicken, I prefer white.

Report back. I love me a good cacciatore.

Post: #14

(04-21-2013 07:51 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  

(04-21-2013 09:43 AM)Parlay44 Wrote:  So after talking with my friend (who is a fantastic cook), I expressed my concerns about not having much time to cook due to work and my busy schedule ...he suggested that I buy a slow-cooker(crock pot).

I gotta tell you it's a life saver. I'm far from a great chef but the last few dishes I put together from internet recipes came out AWESOME!!

Today I'm making Chicken Cacciatore. I bought all the ingredients the day before. 15 minutes of prep time and toss everything in the slow cooker. Set it on low for 8 hours and I'll have a delicious meal ready for me when I get home later around 6.

The meat cooks so well that it just falls off the bone.

Here's the recipe:
http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenthi...iatore.htm

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Total Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning(I used Vegata Seasoning)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt ( I used sea salt)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. water

I'll toss it over some pasta and I'm good to go.

Looks good. If I may make a couple suggestions:

Don't slice the mushrooms too thin. I would quarter or even just halve them. After cooking for 7 hours they'll be quite tender. It's nice having the textural elements of large chunks of mushroom and even carrot. I would cut the onion and garlic small.

Ditch the dried Italian seasoning and get a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and a couple fresh bay leaves. Shouldn't be too hard to find these days. Fresh herbs instead of dry will give your cooking a huge boost in flavor.

Experiment with using white and red wine. For braised chicken, I prefer white.

Report back. I love me a good cacciatore.

I find fresh herbs don't hold up well in slow cookers, the low heat and time nukes them into nothing. I guess adding them in the end would be best to add punch right at the end.

Slow cookers are great and a wise investment for any player along with a rice cooker and a legit Cast-iron. I like to make chicken, curries, and Sausage and peppers in it. I made a "greek" turkey crockpot with turkey thighs a few months back and it turned out great. A ton of lemon and white wine went in there I'll try and dig up that recipe.

I have not figured out how to get a good meat sauce/bolognese in it yet. To many fuck ups with spicing, and that magic point of when to take it off has alluded me.

Post: #15

(04-21-2013 09:21 PM)kosko Wrote:  

(04-21-2013 07:51 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  

(04-21-2013 09:43 AM)Parlay44 Wrote:  So after talking with my friend (who is a fantastic cook), I expressed my concerns about not having much time to cook due to work and my busy schedule ...he suggested that I buy a slow-cooker(crock pot).

I gotta tell you it's a life saver. I'm far from a great chef but the last few dishes I put together from internet recipes came out AWESOME!!

Today I'm making Chicken Cacciatore. I bought all the ingredients the day before. 15 minutes of prep time and toss everything in the slow cooker. Set it on low for 8 hours and I'll have a delicious meal ready for me when I get home later around 6.

The meat cooks so well that it just falls off the bone.

Here's the recipe:
http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenthi...iatore.htm

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Total Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning(I used Vegata Seasoning)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt ( I used sea salt)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. water

I'll toss it over some pasta and I'm good to go.

Looks good. If I may make a couple suggestions:

Don't slice the mushrooms too thin. I would quarter or even just halve them. After cooking for 7 hours they'll be quite tender. It's nice having the textural elements of large chunks of mushroom and even carrot. I would cut the onion and garlic small.

Ditch the dried Italian seasoning and get a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and a couple fresh bay leaves. Shouldn't be too hard to find these days. Fresh herbs instead of dry will give your cooking a huge boost in flavor.

Experiment with using white and red wine. For braised chicken, I prefer white.

Report back. I love me a good cacciatore.

I find fresh herbs don't hold up well in slow cookers, the low heat and time nukes them into nothing. I guess adding them in the end would be best to add punch right at the end.

Slow cookers are great and a wise investment for any player along with a rice cooker and a legit Cast-iron. I like to make chicken, curries, and Sausage and peppers in it. I made a "greek" turkey crockpot with turkey thighs a few months back and it turned out great. A ton of lemon and white wine went in there I'll try and dig up that recipe.

I have not figured out how to get a good meat sauce/bolognese in it yet. To many fuck ups with spicing, and that magic point of when to take it off has alluded me.

I have also found this to be true. When cooking with a crock pot I add most of the veggies, herbs and spices in the last hour, or else they will become mushy.

Post: #16

Wait... Who's gonna clean the slow cooker???

Post: #17

(04-22-2013 11:25 AM)Dulceácido Wrote:  Wait... Who's gonna clean the slow cooker???

Surprisingly it cleans very easily. It's just a big ceramic pot

Post: #18

To save even more time and energy get a food processor

Post: #19

i saw an infomercial about the Ninja cooker. what do y'all think of it ?

http://homecooking.about.com/od/kitchene...Review.htm

Post: #20

I'm raging against my slow cooker machine. I just made boneless leg of lamb in it, and it tasted exactly like the short ribs I made last week, completely bland. When I baked lamb in the oven (the first time I ever made lamb), it turned out muuuuuch better, and I could taste the garlic, rosemary, butter and salt, plus the gamey rare flavor of the meat. Starting to think the slow cooker is unsuited to cooking meats that are best eaten rare. It was fall apart tender, sure, but that's irrelevant when it has no taste or scent.

FUCK YOU SLOW COOKER.

First time I made the lamb, it had some sliced potatoes underneath, which got coated in lamb fat and baked to a crisp, tasted amazing. The girl with me said the potatoes were better than the lamb.

Post: #21

(05-07-2013 11:51 PM)basilransom Wrote:  First time I made the lamb, it had some sliced potatoes underneath, which got coated in lamb fat and baked to a crisp, tasted amazing. The girl with me said the potatoes were better than the lamb.

That's how I make roast pork. I slice my potatoes into silver dollar size slices and cover the bottom of the pan with them and put the pork loin on top. It does taste amazing.

The slow cooker is great for stew type dishes I think. The chicken cacciatore I made came out great. Very flavorful.

I like the convenience of it. I can load it up in the morning and it's done when I walk in the door at 6 that night. If you had to make roast lamb and potatoes for dinner it would take you 2-3 hours. Which means dinner is not until 9

Post: #22

The most favorite thing I have crockpotted so far is cow tongue tacos. Get a tongue and throw it in with a packet or two of taco seasoning and then add a bottle of beer. Let it cook all day and you will have the most tender, delicious tacos that you have ever had.

Also, when cooking meat like pot roasts in a crockpot add a can or two of cream of mushroom soup. It turns all the juices into delicious gravy.

Post: #23

It works great for briskets and turkey breasts. Use a plastic liner if you really want easy clean up.

Food processor is worth it too. Takes cutting time from an 30 minute-45 minutes for a lot of veggies to a few minutes. I have a cheap food processor to which has held up for several years too.

Post: #24

Who needs a wife period?

Post: #25

Another gay thread.

Instead of spending time cooking with a "slow" cooker, you could be working out, learning a language, reading about international affairs, or even better having an international affair. Read the latest Return of Kings post on following sports.