New cookbook aims to help you help your slow cooker perform to its fullest potential
What’s inside: Best known for long-simmering cuts of meat to make them fork-tender, the slow cooker is often an underrated and underused appliance. This new cookbook strives to show home cooks how to use slow cookers to their fullest potential.
The soft-cover, 304-page book covers foods people don’t often associate with slow-cookers – from cakes, breads and sauces to grains and pasta, sandwiches and salads, candies, snacks and egg dishes. There are also chapters dedicated to holiday dishes and dishes aimed at entertaining.
Icons indicate whether a dish is low in calories or quick- cooking or can feed a crowd or make great gifts (such as Fiery Chili Mixed Nuts). Many also come with breakouts noting fresh touches and smart tricks.
Recipes are modern and often feature ethnic influences. Look for Greek Stuffed Meatballs, Korean Beef Short Ribs, Chicken and Mushroom Pho, Falafel and Chicken Tamales.
The first recipe is Dill Dinner Rolls. The last is Lemon, Lavender and Rosemary Soufflé. In between, find Cinnamon Rolls, Dried Cherry Scones, Pumpkin-Pomegranate Cheesecake, Salted Caramel Fudge, Double Smokie Jalapeño Poppers, Slow-Toasted Granola, Acorn Squash with Rustic Raisin Sauce and Maple and Cranberry Farro Cereal, which cooks overnight on low so that it’s ready for breakfast in the morning.
Many recipes are accompanied by color photos. Each includes nutrition information.
What’s not: Each chapter offers about a dozen or so recipes, and some of the 10 chapters cover more than one topic. While recipes stick to the theme of the book, they don’t specialize in any one type of food. There’s a sampling of many different kinds of foods.
Maple and Cranberry Farro Cereal
From “I Didn’t Know My Slow Cooker Could Do That” by Better Homes and Gardens
It takes 8 hours for this cereal too cook on low, so put it on at bedtime and wake up to hot cereal for breakfast.
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 cup farro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
In a 1 1/2- or 2-quart slow cooker or 1 1/2-quart casserole, combine the water, apple cider, farro and salt.
If using the 1 1/2-quart casserole, place casserole inside a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker and add enough water to cooker to reach halfway up sides of casserole. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
Stir in raisins, dried cranberries and maple syrup into hot cereal. Sprinkle servings with pecans.
Yield: 5 servings
Per 1 cup: 274 calories, 4 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 153 milligrams sodium, 53 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber and 6 grams protein.