Winter is definitely the time to bring out the slow cooker, if you haven't been using it already. Winter time is definitely the time a slow cooker can shine, especially for those who get tired of the cold easily: Nothing can really beat putting together a stew in the morning and coming back to a piping hot meal in the evening.
Your basic beef stew is simple. Cube and brown a pound of stew meat. Caramelize half an onion (diced) and mushrooms at the same time. While you're doing that dice or slice up four medium potatoes. Put all of this in a container and put in the refrigerator. In the morning, right before you head off to work, put in the slow cooker on the warm setting. Throw in either four cups of water or a container of beef stock, and a total of four cups of vegetables, such as peas, carrots, or or virtually anything else. When you get home, add water as needed and crank it up a notch. By the time you are out of your clothes and ready for an evening in front of the television, it should be ready to go.
Feel more like chicken noodle soup? Dice up some chicken and onion, slice up some carrots and celery, and fry it all off. Put it in a container for morning, when you will add a container of chicken broth or four cups of water and two cups of vegetables, such as peas or corn. Throw in either a cup of rice or two cups of your favorite pasta (preferably some form of macaroni or egg pasta, but any bite-size pasta will do). A nice simple soup that makes everyone happy. Usually.
If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, you can try a simple clam chowder. The only real prep the night before is peeling and then dicing up three medium potatoes as fine as you feel comfortable making. In the morning, throw in a 16-ounce can of condensed or evaporated milk, a 24-ounce can of clams (drained), a stick of butter (or two cups of margarine), two cans of kernel corn, one can of cream corn, and two cups of water, as well as the diced potatoes, and let it cook during the day. When you get home, yoiu should have a good clam chowder.
These can be modified a little in order to fit your tastes. If you want a vegetarian version, you can eliminate the broth and substitute portobello mushrooms or tofu, frying as desired, and then adding soy sauce of miso flavoring as desired. You can also add leafy vegetables, such as kale or spinach, for a healthier soup. If you want any of these a little thicker, put a quarter of a cup of corn starch in a bowl and add a cup of cold water, mix well, and stir in. Also, don't forget to season; two tablespoons of pepper and some salt should work wonders, but don't forget garlic powder and onion salt.
So if you want to fight against the cold, your first step should be to get your slow cooker up and going and have some fun with it. The winter may be cold, but you don't have to be.
Your basic beef stew is simple. Cube and brown a pound of stew meat. Caramelize half an onion (diced) and mushrooms at the same time. While you're doing that dice or slice up four medium potatoes. Put all of this in a container and put in the refrigerator. In the morning, right before you head off to work, put in the slow cooker on the warm setting. Throw in either four cups of water or a container of beef stock, and a total of four cups of vegetables, such as peas, carrots, or or virtually anything else. When you get home, add water as needed and crank it up a notch. By the time you are out of your clothes and ready for an evening in front of the television, it should be ready to go.
Feel more like chicken noodle soup? Dice up some chicken and onion, slice up some carrots and celery, and fry it all off. Put it in a container for morning, when you will add a container of chicken broth or four cups of water and two cups of vegetables, such as peas or corn. Throw in either a cup of rice or two cups of your favorite pasta (preferably some form of macaroni or egg pasta, but any bite-size pasta will do). A nice simple soup that makes everyone happy. Usually.
If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, you can try a simple clam chowder. The only real prep the night before is peeling and then dicing up three medium potatoes as fine as you feel comfortable making. In the morning, throw in a 16-ounce can of condensed or evaporated milk, a 24-ounce can of clams (drained), a stick of butter (or two cups of margarine), two cans of kernel corn, one can of cream corn, and two cups of water, as well as the diced potatoes, and let it cook during the day. When you get home, yoiu should have a good clam chowder.
These can be modified a little in order to fit your tastes. If you want a vegetarian version, you can eliminate the broth and substitute portobello mushrooms or tofu, frying as desired, and then adding soy sauce of miso flavoring as desired. You can also add leafy vegetables, such as kale or spinach, for a healthier soup. If you want any of these a little thicker, put a quarter of a cup of corn starch in a bowl and add a cup of cold water, mix well, and stir in. Also, don't forget to season; two tablespoons of pepper and some salt should work wonders, but don't forget garlic powder and onion salt.
So if you want to fight against the cold, your first step should be to get your slow cooker up and going and have some fun with it. The winter may be cold, but you don't have to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment