Book Nook Cafe discussion
Health-Exercise-Diet- Beauty
>
Recipe Thread #1
Bobbie57 wrote: "Linda wrote: "Bobbie57 wrote: "Susan Mallery wrote: "Bobbie57 wrote: "My understanding is that pressure cookers are much safer and easier to use then they once were..."I'm afraid to try!"
Sh..."
Well Bobbie, I certainly did read the directions and I'm pretty sure I followed them. While I didn't have an explosion, I couldn't release the lid and I did have a very charred roast !
I think the explosion stories got to me, so I'm a tad bit fearful of the pressure cooker! I also tend to multi task and sometimes get distracted.... and the cooker needs 100% attention. I might just not be the perfect candidate for a slow cooker! The slow cooker, however is perfect for the laid back cook! Although I have to tell you, one of my favorite meals to cook is risotto, which is very hands on, needs a lot of love, but when done right so good!
Donna, I'll be trying the cranberry pork recipe the next time the gang is here. Sounds wonderful!!Kate
BTW, snow is coming again and I felt the need for some real good comfort food! Mac and cheese with stewed tomatoes! Also a spiral sliced ham from my free, or almost free holiday coupon. I love those hams. I get at least 4 meals from each one. Including my daughters favorite, split pea soup!
Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "There are many ways to find recipes for the slow cooker. The first place would be the book that came with your slow cooker or crock pot. It should also tell you how to adjust your own recipes. I ..."
Donna, I love Allrecipes. My cookbook there has close to three hundred recipes in it! And a very nice selection of slow cooker recipes . I also like Food.com, formerly, Recipezaar!
Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: On the OWN network, there's a show that I've seen 3 times that comes oon at 11am Eastern. With 2 girls, called Grocery Bag."-----------------
Thanks for the tips, Donna.
I'll look for the show. So far nothing really has grabbed me on OWN.
Madrano wrote: I know what you mean, Alias. For years the only think i cooked in my crockpot was whole chicken, which came out perfectly every time, even though it fell apart when i removed it. I recommend starting with that.."------------------
To make the whole chicken...
- do I cover the whole chicken with liquid or just partially?
- The liquid is broth or water?
- I assume I also add a mix of spices, anything else?
Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Recipe================
Wow ! That sounds delicious.
I passed the recipe on to family/friends.
It was on this day in 1896 that Fannie Merritt Farmer published The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, later renamed The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It was the first cookbook to use accurate measurements.The Writer's Almanac is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented by American Public Media.
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook: Anniversary
Alias Reader wrote: "To make the whole chicken...- do I cover the whole chicken with liquid or just partially?
- The liquid is broth or water?
- I assume I also add a mix of spices, anything else? ..."
Alias, i added no liquid, which seems odd, as most of the recipes call for something. However, the whole chicken seems to make it's own juices as it cooks (i don't ask).
For the rest, i've experimented. Mostly i throw something in the cavity, such as lemon quarters or celery or carrots, but do not eat them, just for flavoring. I have added spices but that would be your choice; i usually only add pepper &/or salt.
I saw a recipe once which called for aluminum foil to be loosely balled at the bottom of the pot first, but i didn't see a big difference. (I think the idea was so the meat didn't stick to the crockpot, but it ended up sticking to the foil, so why bother?)
In the past i've put some vegetables under the chicken but haven't been happy with any of the results. This is why i mainly end up serving it whole one night (with sides i make separately) and using the rest in casseroles or sandwiches.
It's my understanding you can use the liquid created as you cook for a gravy but i've never even tried that. Good luck!
deb
Bobbie57 wrote: "As to the slow cooker -- I have one of the smaller size but most of the recipes I have come across are for the 6qt. Really annoying!! ..."This is what prevented my sister from using her small one. Most cookers come with instructions which tell you to make sure the pot is at least half full when you cook. From my experience, if you don't the meat isn't as tender as it should/could be.
deb
Alias asked To make the whole chicken...- do I cover the whole chicken with liquid or just partially?
- The liquid is broth or water?
- I assume I also add a mix of spices, anything else?
I'll tag on to what Deb said. No need to add any water. That's for if your're cooking on the stove. What happens in that case is that you are heating up the water to cook the chicken. In the slow cooker, you don't need that, the slow cooker is surrounded on the sides by heater coils, so that's what cooks the chicken. You will end up with broth in the bottom.
Deb's right about the foil balls. They are to keep the chicken from sitting directly on the heat coils, so that won't cook faster or burn. Instead, I usually will rough chop a few onions, carrots and some celery into BIG CHUNKS, then sit the chicken on that; after I strain out the broth, the dogs get the carrots & celery chopped up in their dry food.
You can also, at your choice, throw the same veggies inside the cavity, OR cut up a lemon or orange and squeeze a little juice over the chicken first.
Spices? Salt and pepper, then, what do you like? How are you going to use the meat? Chicken salad? Mexican?
I'd use Paprika for sure, then depending on how I was using the meat, I'll use Mrs. Dash/chili powder/ Montreal Chicken Seasoning/ garlic powder/onion powder.....whatever you like!
I also am back to teaching how to cook whole chickens in the microwave in less than a half hour. YUM! I love when I cut the breast meat and they taste it!
Hope that helps!
Donna
Now you have me wanting to cook a chicken in the crockpot! Have I skimmed over the part where you say how long and at what temperature?Kate
Kate, many recipes offer different times but they usually all end up cooking it 7-8 hours but on different temps. Weird they all work. I usually cook it 7-8 on low. The following site had a good idea, skin the bird first. This way your meat isn't stewing in the fat all day. http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/... Sounds like a good idea.
Frankly, i used to get grossed out when i bought whole chickens, so just didn't. They resemble headless infants, imo, which was the problem. (Well, by that i mean when you wash an infant & they bend over, looking headless.) Now i buy whole chickens (well priced, they are) and put into the pot to cook. When complete, the similarity to humans has vanished.
deb
Donna in Southern Maryland wrote:'ll tag on to what Deb said. No need to add any water. That's for if your're cooking on the stove. What happens in that case is that you are heating up the water to cook the chicken. In the slow cooker, you don't need that, the slow cooker is surrounded on the sides by heater coils, so that's what cooks the chicken. You will end up with broth in the bottom.
*********************
Thank you Deb & Donna. I was totally misinformed about how to use a Crockpot. I thought everything in the Crockpot had to have liquid. Basically, I thought everything made in a Crockpot was some version of a stew/soup. Thanks for setting me straight.
Deb, you are right, a whole chicken is a bargain price wise.
Thanks !
Alias said: Thank you Deb & Donna. I was totally misinformed about how to use a Crockpot. I thought everything in the Crockpot had to have liquid. Basically, I thought everything made in a Crockpot was some version of a stew/soup. Thanks for setting me straight. Deb, you are right, a whole chicken is a bargain price wise.
Just wait until you see the Deborah & Donna Cooking Show! LOL I'm glad we/I were able to help. The chicken cooked that way for you would be good as you could get several meals out of it.
And you are right, it's not's just for soups and stews.....everything from Overnight Oatmeal to Lasagna, Applesauce, to WONDERFUL Pulled Pork made from a Pork Shoulder!!!
Donna
Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: Just wait until you see the Deborah & Donna Cooking Show!-------------------
Well, until you get your network show, you can practice here at this thread. :)
======================
Donna wrote: The chicken cooked that way for you would be good as you could get several meals out of it.
======================
I know some people don't like leftovers. I know quite a few who throw them out. Not me. I love leftovers. I intensionally make more so I have leftovers. It gives me a day off from cooking !
I know some people don't like leftovers. I know quite a few who throw them out. Not me. I love leftovers. I intensionally make more so I have leftovers. It gives me a day off from cooking ! I have never had the luxury of being so wasteful. In any case -- one of the early James Beard cookbooks that I have always gave interesting and creative ways of using the leftovers of the recipe immediately preceding it. Like -- making a roast leg of lamb and then lamb curry with rice from the leftovers. There are lots of things that you can do so that it isn't totally just serving the same exact meal again.
If I like something I can eat it for a week. When I make my chicken veg soup, I eat it all week. One of the cooks on the cooking channel, Robin Miller, makes one meal and then turns it into 3 different meals. It's a good show.
I've seen Robin Miller and I think she has some great ideas. I also can eat the same thing for days in a row but I didn't do that when I was married with young children. In any case I always used leftovers.
Alias, if the fondue restaurant The Melting Pot? If so, it is a chain -- and I love it. It is not cheap, but it is a great social "experience".
I started using a pressure cooker when I was about 12 years old...and those were in the unsafe days! The pressure cookers of today - well, you barely need a brain to use one!
I do a whole turkey breast in my crock pot. I take a small container of cream cheese (it can be the no-fat kind) and mix it with some soy sauce, a little butter (optional), and herbs (I usually use herbs de Provence and dried parsley).
I take this mixture and smear it under the skin and also on top of the skin, then cook it. Cannot remember how long.....6 hours on high, I think. It falls off the bone when it is done. I make a gravy from the drippings.
I am not sure I have ever used liquid in a crock pot unless it is a splash of wine.
....adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentis - someone just e-mailed me and told me she made it in her crock pot.I have never loved minestrone....it always seems to have little flavor and the broth is often insipid. And I am not a fan of "broth-y" soups in general.
I saw Giada make this on TV, and so did a "good cooking" friend. After she made it and raved about it, I decided to make it, too, using her changes/suggestions.
Giada claims that this takes 15 minutes of prep time, which must surely be a joke! It took me longer than that to get out the ingredients. But it was worth the time as this is extremely delicious.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1+ pound spinach, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
56 oz. low-sodium beef broth
large piece of Parmesan cheese rind
4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until almost crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pan. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir a few times. Add garlic during the last two minutes. Put pancetta back into pan. Add the spinach and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the spinach is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, blend one can of the beans with 1/2 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. (I used my immersion blender). Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup thickens a little, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprigs (the leaves probably will have fallen off the stems.)
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Delicious. Makes about 6 servings.
Bobbie57 wrote: "I have never had the luxury of being so wasteful. In any case -- one of the early James Beard cookbooks that I have always gave interesting and creative ways of using the leftovers of the recipe immediately preceding it. Like -- making a roast leg of lamb and then lamb curry with rice from the leftovers. There are lots of things that you can do so that it isn't totally just serving the same exact meal again. ..."DH & i eat leftovers, too. In fact, he'll eat leftovers of meals i won't touch again. (A long ago Tofu Spaghetti dish is a family joke. The first night only 3 of us suffered through it, the next THREE nights only DH did. It was as though he'd been given some sort of food challenge. Gross!)
ANYway, the cookbook you describe, Bobbie, and the Robin Miller stuff sound perfect for me. I like cooking big roasts & such but sometimes have a tough time using some of the leftovers. Thanks for the tips.
deb
JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "I do a whole turkey breast in my crock pot. I take a small container of cream cheese (it can be the no-fat kind) and mix it with some soy sauce, a little butter (optional), and herbs (I usually u..."
JoAnn, thanks for the recipe. This sounds like something my dad will like, so it's going on my TBC (To Be Crockpotted--LOL) list.
deb
JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "I started using a pressure cooker when I was about 12 years old...and those were in the unsafe days! The pressure cookers of today - well, you barely need a brain to use one!"
Me too!! My mom worked parttime in the afternoons starting when I was 12 so I was very often the one who started dinner. This of course means that I have been cooking since the prehistoric times.
I want to BE Robin Miller. I would only have to really cook twice a week!
Gee, remember peeling potatoes? Something we did all the time and thought nothing of it? Now there are all these frozen and refrigerated mashed potatoes....I am continually amazed be the prepped food they have in stores now.....even boiled eggs, and sliced onions!
Donna
I'm still peeling potatoes the old-fashioned way.......kate
JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Alias, if the fondue restaurant The Melting Pot? If so, it is a chain -- and I love it. It is not cheap, but it is a great social "experience"."------------------------
I don't know the name. I'll ask her next time we speak.
JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "I do a whole turkey breast in my crock pot. I take a small container of cream cheese (it can be the no-fat kind) and mix it with some soy sauce, a little butter (optional), and herbs (I usually u..."
--------------
That sounds good, JoAnn. I never would think of cream cheese and turkey.
I recently tried cream cheese on pasta and I liked it. It also had ricotta cheese and red sauce on the pasta. The cream cheese added some bite to the meal.
Alias Reader wrote: "That sounds good, JoAnn. I never would think of cream cheese and turkey..."
by the time it cooks for all those hours, it bears no relationship to cream cheese as we know it. LOL
JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "That sounds good, JoAnn. I never would think of cream cheese and turkey..."
by the time it cooks for all those hours, it bears no relationship to cream cheese as we know it. LOL"
LOL--no doubt! This reminds me of something we saw in NYC. We were at Zabar's, where they have a little cafe-like room. The woman across the bar from us added a tad of cream cheese to her hot coffee. The idea repulsed and made me curious simultaneously. Not enough to try it, you understand, but curious, nonetheless.
deb
maybe her coffee was too hot and she did not feel like getting more cream/milk? UGH
JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "maybe her coffee was too hot and she did not feel like getting more cream/milk? UGH"I had that same thougt JoAnn. But don't think I would try that.
JoAnn & Bobbie, that was the conclusion we had, that she just didn't want to get up for more cream. This made me think of substitutes i'd use in coffee. Buttermilk? Sour cream? Yogurt? I think i'd just pass on the coffee.deb
Madrano wrote: "JoAnn & Bobbie, that was the conclusion we had, that she just didn't want to get up for more cream. This made me think of substitutes i'd use in coffee. Buttermilk? Sour cream? Yogurt? I think i'd ..."If I wanted the coffee badly enough, I would just drink it black.
Bobbie57 wrote: "Madrano wrote: "JoAnn & Bobbie, that was the conclusion we had, that she just didn't want to get up for more cream. This made me think of substitutes i'd use in coffee. Buttermilk? Sour cream? Yogu..."Yuck! I would do without! If she wanted to cool it down, there's always an ice cube!
Donna
Donna
It's been a rough past few days, my sweet Mother-In-Law passed away on Friday. So on a snow day, with all of us home it's time for some real comfort food as well as a treat. I have the Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork in the crockpot and am baking their favorite pumpkin chocolate chip bundt cake.
TY, for the recipe Donna, we can't wait till it's done.
Linda wrote: "It's been a rough past few days, my sweet Mother-In-Law passed away on Friday. So on a snow day, with all of us home it's time for some real comfort food as well as a treat. I have the Slow Cooke..."
Linda, I am sorry for your family's loss. I hope your family enjoys the snow day, AND the Roast.
Donna
Linda wrote: "It's been a rough past few days, my sweet Mother-In-Law passed away on Friday. So on a snow day, with all of us home it's time for some real comfort food as well as a treat. ----------------
I am very sorry for your loss, Linda.
Linda wrote: "It's been a rough past few days, my sweet Mother-In-Law passed away on Friday. So on a snow day, with all of us home it's time for some real comfort food as well as a treat. I have the Slow Cooke..."
Linda, I'm so sorry for your loss and for your husband's.
Linda -- so sorry for your family's loss.
Linda, i am sorry to learn of your family's loss. Sympathy to you & your loved ones.
Ladies, Thank you all for your very kind thoughts. She'll was a wonderful woman and will be very missed, but she has left all of us with many great memories.I feel very lucky to have stumbled upon such a nice book group with such lovely ladies.
Donna, hugs for the Cranberry Pork recipe! It was a big hit here and the sauce, yum! I would definitely try this with country style ribs or some nice thick pork loin chops. Maybe even a ham. Do you think this recipe would work with a turkey breast?
Oh Linda, I like your idea of trying the Cranberry Pork recipe sauce with ribs or chops. I think that may happen sooner than the original recipe.Kate
Linda wrote: I feel very lucky to have stumbled upon such a nice book group with such lovely ladies.------------
And we are lucky you found us. I enjoy your posts a great deal.
I would be remiss not to add that we have some really terrific guys here, too. :)
Linda Posted: I feel very lucky to have stumbled upon such a nice book group with such lovely ladies.Donna, hugs for the Cranberry Pork recipe! It was a big hit here and the sauce, yum! I would definitely try this with country style ribs or some nice thick pork loin chops. Maybe even a ham. Do you think this recipe would work with a turkey breast?
We are so glad to have you join our conversation! Books brought us together, but many things have held us together!
I am SO glad the recipe was a hit! I love to be able to pass on good recipes and good ideas! I absolutely agree that it should be a great idea to try it on other things. The Turkey Breast sounds yummy to me. Well, to be honest, they ALL do!
Hugs!
Donna
Book Nook Cafe
Books mentioned in this topic
Onions and Roses (other topics)The Joy of Cooking (other topics)
Sink Reflections (other topics)
The School of Essential Ingredients (other topics)
Irish Traditional Cooking: Over 300 Recipes from Ireland's Heritage (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Vassar Miller (other topics)Robin Miller (other topics)
Rocco DiSpirito (other topics)
Lorraine Bodger (other topics)
David A. Kessler (other topics)
9-12 ServingsPrep: 10 min. Cook: 6 hours
Ingredients
1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (3 to 4 pounds), halved
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 can (14 oun..."
Thank you! I'll make this over the weekend!