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by Mary K. Morgan
We all have one. They’re usually kept hidden out of sight. Need I say more? Of course, it’s a slow cooker, also known by its original, Rival trade name, Crock Pot®. Generations of family meals, both simple and gourmet, have been prepared in these convenient, under-stated appliances. Today’s programmable, streamlined models look nothing like their modest ancestors but still produce convenient, nutritious meals with minimum preparation time. The original concept was a contraption advertised only as a bean cooker, aptly named The Beanery. In 1970, Rival bought out the company that produced them and things started cooking fast, rather, “slow.”
Pot-Roasted Pork
A time-honored favorite, it doesn’t get any easier, or tastier, than this.
1 (3 to 4 lb) boneless pork loin roast
1⁄2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic, slivered
2 medium onions, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 whole clove
1⁄2 cup water
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Rub roast with salt and pepper. Make slits in meat and insert slivers of garlic. Put one sliced onion in bottom and add pork roast. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours, or cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.
Let’s get a little more creative:
Poire Cuit au Four (Baked Pears)
These look very impressive served on dessert plates and garnished with a mound of whipped cream on the side.
4 peeled pears
1⁄3 cup packed brown sugar
1⁄3 cup maple-flavored syrup or honey
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. grated orange peel
1⁄4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. orange juice
Peel pears and core from the bottom. Place upright in the bottom of the cooker. Mix sugar, syrup, butter, orange peel and ginger and pour over pears. Cook on high for 2 to 21⁄2 hours. Remove and stir in the cornstarch and orange juice in the cooker. Allow to cook on high for about 10 minutes, until thick. Spoon this sauce over pears.
Sweet-Hot Meatballs
These make a tasty, easy appetizer. They require no tending. Serve right from the pot.
2 lbs. frozen, pre-cooked meat balls
1 cup orange marmalade
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 bottle of Catalina salad dressing (16 oz.)
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and pour into cooker. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.
Once you try a slow-cooker you will be hooked, as were the cooks in the 1970s. The new models of slow-cookers are larger, easier to clean, programmable and much better looking than were their predecessors. You may decide to keep yours right out on the counter top.
| September Featured Stories |
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Coffee Break with the Barista
Creating Mind, Body & Spirit Health — One Peace at a Time, by Milan Galan, Ph.D.
Waking Up to the Truth About Sleep, by Jessica Wilson
The Power of Sound, by Marian Rein
Health Myths & Facts, by Pamela Kramer Childress
Mind, Body & Spirit Health at Midlife and Menopause by Diane G. Sanford, Ph.D.
Age – It’s Simply A Number, by Milan Galan, Ph.D.
Physical and Mental Well-Being Combining Body, Mind & Spirit, by Jill Barrett
Getting Better With Age: A Healthy Perspective, by Phylis Clay Sparks
A Piece of Kitchen Nostalgia Returns — Retro Appliance Comes to the Aid of Busy Families, by Mary K. Morgan
The Healthy Side of Your Morning Brew, by Marian Rein
Todd Lewis If you make a list, it will come by Pamela Kramer Childress
Toby’s Tale — More About Toby by Jessica Wilson
Live Large Spend Small by Mary K. Morgan - September 2008
Java Journal Movie Morsels by Mary Morgan - September 2008
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