Stay cool by cooking slow
A string of hot days can leave you with a dinner dilemma. Eating out and grilling are good options, but these choices can become tiresome. For a change of pace without using the oven, break out your slow cooker. It creates very little heat and does the cooking for you whether you’re busy working or enjoying a lazy summer day.
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Slow Cooker Saucy Sausage
8 4-ounce links fresh Italian sausage
1 26-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1 large green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Place the sausage links, spaghetti sauce, green pepper and onion into a slow cooker; stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve on sandwich rolls or over rice. Makes 6 servings.
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Slow Cooker Pork Chops
4 pork chops
1 16-ounce jar sauerkraut, undrained
Place the chops in the bottom the slow cooker and pour the sauerkraut over the top. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch strips
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Makes 6 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
A slow cooker works by simmering at low temperatures. The heat is lost easily, so don’t remove the lid unless necessary. Every time the cover comes off, you lose heat that is equal to 30 minutes of cooking time.
Root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes can cook more slowly than meat. To avoid undercooking these vegetables, cut them no bigger than 1-inch pieces and place them on the bottom of the slow cooker with the meat on top of them.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
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