Slow Cooker Use, Safety, and Recipes

The weather is quickly warming up, and last thing anyone wants to do is heat-up the kitchen. Cold salads are fine and dandy, but, sometimes we just want a warm meal. A great summer time solution is using a slow cooker. 

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Slow cookers are great for saving time and money. Ingredients can be added in the morning, and the meal is ready later that afternoon or evening. Less expensive cuts of meat are perfect because the long cook time and low-temperature helps break down and tenderize the tough meat cartilage. I'll be putting my slow cooker to work this coming summer, and have a few tips for you

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Test your slow cooker if you haven’t used it in a while to make sure it works properly. The temperature danger zone is above 40°F and below 140°F. When food is left in this temperature range, bacteria grows quickly, which can lead to food borne illness. To make sure your slow cooker will keep food out of the temperature danger zone, do the following.

1. Fill slow cooker 1/2 to 2/3 of the way with tap water, 
2. Turn slow cooker on low, secure the lid and wait eight hours. 
3. Dip a food thermometer into the water. Do this quickly, the temperature drops when the lid is removed. 
4. The thermometer should read 185°F, anything below this means the slow cooker doesn’t warm the food quickly enough to keep it out of the temperature danger zone. This can lead to bacteria growing in your food, yuck!

Now that we know our slow cookers are safe to use, let’s get cooking! 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/
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Getting Started 

Place the slow cooker a flat surface that can withstand high temperatures. Countertops can be damaged if the slow cooker gets too warm, so put a towel or placemat under the cooker. Spray the crock with a non-stick cooking spray before adding ingredients. You'll be glad you did when its time to clean up. For even faster clean up, use a slow cooker bag! If you plan to transport your slow cooker after cooking, line a box with a few towels and make sure the lid is secure. The towels will keep the food from bouncing around too much and will save your car incase of spills. 

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Keep Food Safety in Mind 

Refrigerated food should stay in the refrigerator until you are ready to turn on the slow cooker. You can chop any meats and vegetables ahead of time, but they should be stored separately in the refrigerator until cooking time. 
It may seem like you're saving time by putting all ingredients in the crock the night before and storing in refrigerator. But, placing a cold crock into the heating element can cause it to crack. For frozen foods, thaw them in the refrigerator before adding to the crock. 
Finally, preheat the crock. Turn the setting to high for the first hour of cooking. This helps to further reduce time the food spends in the temperature danger zone. After the first hour, you can switch over to the low setting to give the meal time to tenderize and infuse flavor.

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What about Beans? 

Dried beans can be cooked easily in the slow cooker, but require some prep. To rid the beans of their natural toxins, first rinse, then allow to soak in water for 12 hours. Next, boil them for at least 10 minutes. Now the beans are ready to be slow cooked with your choice of seasonings.

Setting Up the Ingredients

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Steam is required to throughly cook any meat in the crock. Make sure to completely cover all the ingredients with liquid to ensure efficient even cooking. Any liquid can be used for this: water, stock, and even beer! Vegetables take the longest to cook in a slow cooker, especially onions, carrots, potatoes, and celery. Add these ingredients to the bottom of the crock and set the meat on top of the veggies. The final tip in even cooking of foods is, don't overfill the crock. Leave at least 1/2 to 1/3 of the crock unfilled to allow the steam plenty of room to move around.


Waiting for Food to Finish

The best way to wait is to simply leave the house. Many people are tempted to lift the lid and look at or smell the food. Lifting the lid will drop the temperature 10-15°F, which adds another 30 minutes to cooking time. Instead, add all the ingredients, turn the cooker on high for 1 hour, set it to low, and go out to enjoy your day. When you arrive back home, your meal will be ready. If you're cooking a large cut of meat in the crock, it’s best to test the doneness with a food thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone. For poultry, temperatures should be at least 165°F, for beef, pork, or lamb shoot for an internal temperature of at least 145°F for a medium degree of doneness. 

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Leftovers

When food is left in the crock, it takes hours to cool down. If the crock is put into the refrigerator, the temperature in the refrigerator will rise and warm all the other food....not a good food safety practice. If you have leftovers, package them into individual servings, then store in the refrigerator. This will ensure they get below 40°F, out of the food temperature danger zone, as quickly as possible. Once the food has been cooked, reheat it in the microwave or the oven instead of using the slow cooker again. Using the slow cooker will take more time than you want to spend and will leave the food in the temperature danger zone for too long. 

What is your favorite slow cooker recipe???

Reference: http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/safe-meals/slow-cooker-safety/docs/factsheet.pdf

Recipe Corner

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 tbsp Greek rub

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

juice of 1 lemon

2 cups water

2 chicken billion cubes

feta crumbles for topping

Directions:

1. Spray crock with cooking oil or place liner bag in your slow cooker and then add the chicken.
2. Add all other ingredients except feta, cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. 
3. Serve with crumbled feta and steamed carrots. 

 http://www.foodcoach.me/2014/11/25/crockpot-greek-chicken/

Shredded Beef Taco Bowl

Ingredients:

2 pounds chuck tender roast

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 small white onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

Directions:

1. Whisk together the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly. 
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker sprayed well with cooking oil. 
3. Add diced onion to the sauté pan. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. 
4. Add the beef stock and stir the pan to deglaze it, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. 
5. Add tomato paste and minced chipotle, whisk into the pan sauce until combined. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 3-5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Pour the pan sauce down over the beed in the slow cooker. 
6. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours until the beef shreds easily. 
7. Shred the beef with two forks, and toss to coat with any remaining juices. 

http://www.foodcoach.me/2015/07/13/wls-soft-diet-italian-poached-eggs/

Slow cooker Sloppy Joe Bowl 
(May eat on Diet Stage 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small red onion, diced

1 (10 3/4 can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup (try to find one with the lowest sugars possible)

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, adding a pinch of salt and pepper to season and drain after cooking. Move to the slow cooker sprayed well with cooking oil.  
2. Add all the other ingredients, stir to combine.
3. Cook on low for 6 hours. 
4. Serve in a bowl with cooked veggies such as steamed cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. 

http://www.foodcoach.me/2015/02/03/slow-cooker-sloppy-joe-bowl/

4-ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups salsa verde

1 bottle beer (yes I am giving you permission to add beer to this dish)

2 teaspoons cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional:leave some seeds for extra heat, and use gloves or everything you touch will be on fire!)

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with cumin, salt and pepper. 
2. Spray slow cooker with oil. Add chicken, salsa, and beer to slow cooker. 
3. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours on low heat for 7-8 hours. 
4. Chicken will be ready when it shreds with a fork. Shred chicken completely and toss with juices. 

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/4-ingredient-slow-cooker-salsa-verde-chicken-recipe/