I like to make soup on Wednesdays. I think I have a tendency in general to make my meals too involved, and it's good to know that I don't have to come up with meat/2 side dishes/starch/bread one day a week (other than Fridays, also simple with homemade pizza).
Also, it's good, isn't it, to try to show that we can discipline ourselves to sit back from the plenty we enjoy pretty effortlessly.
I have thought that the slow cooker could really help me keep things simple, but I've found that I don't really know how to use it. At intervals I borrow a stack of cookbooks from the library to help, but I confess that I am skeptical that these recipes would be really as tasty as their conventional counterparts.
Also, I try hard to keep prepared foods out of our daily lives. I'm not a fan of cans of mushroom soup, packets of beef onion flavoring, and jars of instant bouillon. Most contain soy and its derivatives — plenty of MSG, even if not labeled as such. They are tasty in a fake way, and I don't think they are good for you.
But if I eliminate the recipes calling for those ingredients, I'm down to… not much in the way of slow cooker repertoire.
I'm on the hunt for some really good ideas for my slow cooker, so if you have any that you really love, please share!
In the interest of keeping it simple, yesterday I made split pea soup in my slow cooker. This is one recipe I think is truly convertible to this appliance. I have a 6 quart cooker, so I double the recipe.
Put your smoked ham hocks or ham bone in with a chopped onion, two chopped carrots, and two stalks of chopped celery. You need two bay leaves. Bay leaves are essential! Don't leave them out!
Rinse and pick over 2 packages of split peas (green or yellow, doesn't matter) and throw them in. The recipe on the package says 2 quarts of water per package of peas, but I only put in 3 1/2 quarts. There isn't the evaporation in the slow cooker that you get on the stove top — but then, there isn't the scorched bottom either!
My cooker can be put on “auto”, which is two hours of high and then down to low. I read in one of the cookbooks I borrowed that starting at a higher heat makes for better flavor, and I think that might be true. But I confess that my problem with the slow cooker is that it's… too slow.
Anyway, put in some salt and pepper (yes, you will need salt even with the ham) and let cook all day. You can stir every 5 hours.
Remove the ham bones to a cutting board and chop up the meat, discarding the bones and fat. Put the meat back in, stir, and it's ready to go!
Serve with cornbread or cornmeal yeast bread. My kids always say, “it doesn't look that good but it tastes good!”
Share your tried and true recipes!
Anne R Triolo says
I'm new at the slow cooker too. Two things I've found that I like are:Pot roast. I put in onions, carrots, potatoes and whatever seasoning i usually like on a roast and then cook it as long as I feel like but pretty much all day. Yum.Salsa chicken. That's it. Put in a chicken and a jar of salsa and cook all day. I serve this over rice. I've used boneless skinless chicken as well as split breasts, I have heard that you can put in a whole chicken, but we don't need that much food!
Pippajo says
I don't use my slow cooker much because I detest the clean up. My cooker is so large and heavy that it's hard to clean, but at least the crockery part pulls out so I can immerse it in water to give it a good scrubbing!I've been doing lots of soups lately, too, thanks to the frosty weather. Chili (I know, technically not a soup), Chicken Noodle, Broccoli-Potato-Cheese, mmmmmmmmmmm!I'm on the prowl for a few good soup recipes for this week. Unfortunately, no one in our house will eat split pea so that's out, but hopefully I'll find something hearty, cheap and easy!Great photos!
April says
Leila,My favorite food is soup! We had ham and been today too! With cornbread that I didn't mix well enough, all the baking powder was in two spots, it tasted okay, but was pretty dense. Who messes up cornbread? Me.I love, love, love, love the yellow clapboards on your house. My dream is to rip off the vinyl siding on our old house and restore the clapboards and paint it buttery yellow.Oh, and I use my crock pot at least once a week. I do like your blog.
Anonymous says
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katie says
I love my slow cooker for lentils! i put in a pound, plus some veggie bullion and water (you could, of course, use broth or any type) with chopped up onions and carrots. i season it with cumin, a healthy amount of curry powder, garlic, a little bit of red pepper, and some salt. when it's near done i sometimes add a few tablespoons of butter. serve it as is, with some yogurt or sour cream stirred in, or over rice. full of protein and fiber, plus very inexpensive!
SS says
A neighbor gave me a taco recipe that’s really good
2.5 cups dried beans, soaked overnight
3 lb pork loin
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
4 cups water
Cook on low 8 hours. Shred the pork. Season to taste with salt, cayenne/chipotle, cumin, and oregano. Garnish with cilantro if desired. This makes 12 burrito sized portions. It can be stretched further by adding frozen corn or cooked rice at the end.
I am Indian, and I really like The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla. There are other cuisines in the series (Mexican, French, Mediterranean) but I am not convinced the recipes from the latter are as good as their stovetop counterparts. Cooks Illustrated has a good make ahead cook book with one chapter focused on slow cookers.
SS says
This curried chickpea and vegetable curry is also a big hit with my family- I probably make it at least twice a month. It has been very popular with our church meal ministry recipients too. I sub 1 lb dried chickpeas for the canned.
http://www.thekitchn.com/slowcooker-recipe-curried-vege-67520