Free The Gourmet Slow Cooker Volume II by Lynn Alley Page A

Electric
    Hamilton Beach
    Kuhn Rikon
    Proctor-Silex
    Rival
    Russell Hobbs
    West Bend

Tips for Using a Slow Cooker
    Fill the slow cooker no more than two-thirds full. The food just doesn’t cook properly if the container is filled to the top.
    The optimum temperature for obtaining tender meat is around 180°F, which is the low setting on most slow cookers. As temperatures rise, protein fibers begin to constrict and toughen, so in general you don’t want to cook meats on the high setting.
    Having said that, I hasten to add that you should never try to cook on the warm setting, which falls below 140°F. The temperature is just too low for food safety. Once it is cooked, food can generally be held safely on the warm setting for up to 4 hours.
    To ensure even and thorough cooking, always be sure that meat and other foods are completely defrosted before consigning them to a slow cooker. Adding frozen foods to the cooker will lengthen your cooking time considerably.
    To thicken foods in the slow cooker, you can use one of these three methods:

Stir 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into the cooking liquid before you add it to the pot.
Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of Gold Medal’s Wondra quick-mixing flour to the sauce and stir in thoroughly. Wondra is designed to easily incorporate into liquids without clumping.
Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of rice to anything you plan to purée before serving.

    Browning meats and veggies before adding them to your dish will always add extra dimensions of flavor. Although it’s not a necessary step in making a good stew, browning begins caramelization, breaks down cell walls, releases flavors, and extracts fat-soluble components from the ingredients.
    To keep them fresh and aromatic, add tender vegetables and herbs to your dish during the last twenty to thirty minutes of cooking time.
    Contrary to what many slow cooker manuals will tell you, I suggest you lift the lid, smelling, tasting, and poking the food around. What kind of cook wouldn’t? It may throw your cooking time off by up to 15 minutes or so, but the slow cooker is designed for flexibility and forgiveness.
    To save time, do the prep work the night before, store the various ingredients in separate containers in the refrigerator, then arrange them in the slow cooker before you leave the house in the morning.
    Always refrigerate leftovers within an hour or two after cooking to prevent the growth of dangerous bacteria.
    Your slow cooker uses about the same amount of electricity as a 75-watt light bulb, much less than either a conventional gas or electric oven. And it won’t heat up your kitchen in warm weather. Relaxing over a slow cooker is better than slaving over a hot stove any day.

Useful Equipment

    There are only a few pieces of kitchen equipment that I find indispensable when I am using the slow cooker.

I used to suggest puréeing slow-cooked soups in batches in a conventional blender. What a mess. Then I discovered the handheld blender. You plug it in, insert the blender end into the slow cooker, being careful not to touch the insides of the interior, and gently move it around until everything has been neatly puréed. I would never go without one now.
Silicon spatulas are essential for stirring the contents of a slow cooker without scratching the interior.
A plastic whisk is also a good investment, again to avoid scratching the interior of the slow cooker.
A simple probe thermometer is good for testing the temperature of meat and for getting to know your slow cooker’s overall temperature range.
Good spoon rests are a must. Get one and park it right next to the cooker.
A good food processor can be helpful for chopping and other prep work.
Some nice, cushy potholders will be helpful for lifting the hot inserts out of the casings.
And, of course, a glass of wine or cold microbrew for the cook while he or she works.

Soups, Chilis & Stews

    Santa Fe Sweet Potato Soup

Santa Fe Sweet Potato Soup

    The sweet potatoes in this comforting soup