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So over the last couple years as I've lived by myself and had to do my own cooking far more then when I was w/ someone, I've been using my crock pot more and more. I just love the how useful it is for so many things but I was wondering if anyone had any real special dishes they make using one that they can share.
I do so much chili, stew, pulled pork/chicken and a few other dishes but was wondering what I may be missing out on...
Is there anything you can do w/ seafood in it? I've never tried that...
So over the last couple years as I've lived by myself and had to do my own cooking far more then when I was w/ someone, I've been using my crock pot more and more. I just love the how useful it is for so many things but I was wondering if anyone had any real special dishes they make using one that they can share.
I do so much chili, stew, pulled pork/chicken and a few other dishes but was wondering what I may be missing out on...
Is there anything you can do w/ seafood in it? I've never tried that...
Seafood Gumbo. It's a little labor intensive with all of the prep but well worth it. The roux is the most important component, IMO. If you can get the roux at desired consistency, the other ingredients will fall in place. If you put okra in Gumbo, make sure you cook it before putting into dish to cook off the slime. I use Jasmine rice to put in my Gumbo. You can use seafood, andouille sausage, chicken in gumbo. I've used all three or just seafood. The sausage adds a great flavor so I always have it in my Gumbo.
I cook in crock pot all day on low and serve with toast points or cornbread with jalapenos.
I would never use it for seafood, as things such as shrimp cook so fast on the stove top, it might ruin them to sit for ages. I sometimes make crock pot baked potatoes, to have with leftover meats, they turn out pretty good.
I would never use it for seafood, as things such as shrimp cook so fast on the stove top, it might ruin them to sit for ages. I sometimes make crock pot baked potatoes, to have with leftover meats, they turn out pretty good.
I prefer to cook mine in the microwave but have a friend who will cook 3 or 4 ears of corn in the crock pot. Believe he cooks on high for about an hour.
I love my slow cooker and use it a lot (in the summer it's great to not have to heat up my oven, and in the winter, coming home to the wonderful smells from the slow cooker is really nice! ).
I've never tried making seafood in it, though; as evening sun wrote, seafood usually cooks pretty quickly. Some of my favorite crock-pot meals are beef stroganoff, pot roast, and garlic-lime chicken with rice. I've made those three dozens of times and they ALWAYS turn out great. For beef, I tend to use shoulder steak for London broil or a chuck roast -- they are tougher cuts of meat so are perfect for long slow cooking. By the time the food is cooked, the beef is fork-tender.
Here's beef stroganoff (I even made it for a Russian friend of mine and she loved it -- had 2nds and took home some too) ...
Here's beef with gravy (basically, the same recipe as beef stroganoff except I don't add the noodles at the end) ...
Here's pot roast ...
Here's the garlic-lime chicken with rice ...
Now you've got me craving one of these slow cooker meals for dinner tonight!
What's the best way to cook rice, white or brown, in a slow cooker. I tried and it came out mushy.
Not sure to whom your question was directed, but in the case of the lime-garlic chicken with rice that I mentioned in the post before yours, the rice is added only 15 minutes before you expect to eat, so it is fine. That particular recipe calls for instant rice, which in a microwave takes just 5 minutes to cook, so it makes sense that you'd use it only at the very end of slow-cooking.
Of course, you could always just cook the rice separately on the stovetop or in the microwave or whatever, if you're not sure if you can get the timing right. But generally speaking, you'd add it at the very end of the slow cooking.
I've made that lime-garlic chicken with rice (a Betty Crocker recipe -- maybe it's garlic-lime instead of lime-garlic, I've made it so often I know what to do so I don't have to look it up! ) probably dozens of times and it has NEVER failed to be great. So good luck with your cooking!
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P.S. It's basically the same kind of thing with noodles -- e.g., the noodles I add to the beef stroganoff slow-cooker recipe, I add at the very end (like 20 minutes or something before the food is due to be finished in the slow cooker). It turns out fine, not mushy at all. Now, if I added it at the beginning, it would be pretty awful by the end, but I have never done that!
I frequently make Thai curry in the crockpot; it's my husband's favorite.
Start with Thai Curry paste, which has all the spices in it. I prefer Mae Ploy brand. Use a lot if you like spicy food.
Stir in big chunks of vegetables--I generally use 4 or 5 kinds, such as carrots, celery, water chestnuts, butternut squash, onions, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, cabbage, potatoes--and meat if you like (I use chicken thighs). Pour in a couple of cans of coconut milk. stir it all up, cook on high for 3-4 hours, until veggies are soft and chicken is 165 degrees.
are good in this.
Serve over rice. White is okay, but cargo rice is better. (Though we usually eat it with naan bread. Different cuisine, but a nice combination.)
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