I am buying a slow cooker!!

[jkath]

Jkath that sounds really yummy. Do you have a breakdown of the amounts if you just wanted to make this for 4 people and not have leftovers (or not a ton of leftovers)?

Also, I have never had good luck with chicken in the crockpot. I find it dries out. I have been told that if I used chicken with the bone in then it should not dry out. Do you find that the chicken dries out in this dish or does it stay juicy?

GB! I'm sorry I didn't see this post till now! (really, I wasn't ignoring you)

The chicken scampi is a very forgiving recipe! You can cut it down in size and all things will still come out perfectly. For four people, I'd say you'd want maybe 3 chicken breasts? (These are the typical half breasts, like the kind you can buy frozen in a big bag at Costco)

I've never had chicken dry out in a crockpot - quite the opposite! As long as you have liquid in there, and don't keep checking up on it, you're fine! I do prefer to go bone-in, as the meat is so much cheaper (unless you'll be doing a chopping of the meat, such as the scampi).
The turkey I made on Sunday (the other recipe I posted here) was so moist! And, since it had cooked so long, I literally pulled the clean bones out in about a minute.

Good luck!

 

[GB]

Thanks Jkath! I will be trying this one for sure

 

[jkath]

You are so welcome!

(PS --it's a really great dish for potlucks! Even though I prefer it over pasta, it's also good over rice)

 

[Dove]

We like to put a whole chicken in the CP, top it with butter pats and crush dry Basil over the top. When the chicken is done, remove the broth and if needed add more water and cook rice in the broth (in another pot)

Dove

 

[tknaps]

Thanks a lot for the tips, looks like I've got one more kitchen item to add to my whishlist now...

 

[Bangbang]

My mother was a slowwwwwwwwww cooker.

 

[mrsmac]

I got it!!!! Its a 5 litre Breville Avance and it has digital controls. Tomorrow night is the big test, I just have to decide which fabulous recipe to use

 

[crewsk]

Have fun with it mrsmac!!

 

[Sunflower]

Need "hot & spicy" slow cooker recipes

Hi,

My mother-in-law gifted me a slow cooker (Rival brand) and I used it only once when she was here. I am from India and love hot spicy food and what she prepared was a little bland for me. I am a vegetarian but my husband isn't. Does anybody have hot spicy recipes for slow cooker ?

 

[Ishbel]

There are a couple of members here who are Indian and Pakistani ethnic origins.... although I don't know whether they use a slow cooker or not.

 

[Paint]

Sunflower, most curry recipes will work great in the slow cooker - especially lamb or beef curries. Slow cookers are perfect for this as the spices have a chance to really get into the meat and develop their full flavour.

Paint.

 

[Von Glassoff]

Mrsmac,

I have to put my 2 cents in here with the rest of the crock pot cooks. I love a crock pot. I am going to get another one so I can have two different things going at once. What I like about the one where the crock pot comes out so you can wash it is also because I like to sometimes prepare something the night before and put the lid on and put in the fridg. Take it out the next morning and set it in the heating unit and out the door for the day. I am not a morning person. My favorite recipe for the crock pot is beef short ribs. Do you get that cut of meat in Australia? They are best with some fat still on them. I take potatoes, peel and slice. Throw in some peeled and cut up carrots. Sprinkle a little salt on the carrots and potatoes. Then I brown my beef short ribs on all side. I lay them on top of the vegetables fat side up. I can fit them all in one layer. Then I sprinkle with garlic powder so that it actually looks like too much. Salt and pepper. Sometimes I throw some sliced onion on top. Cover and put in the refrigerator. Cook the next day or same day. I cook this for 8 hours. The meat just melts in your mouth and tastes like the best prime rib you ever ate. I believe that short ribs are located in near the prime rib of a cow. Perhaps that is why it tastes so similar. If it has no fat on it then it will be more dry. I know that you will be so glad that you bought one.
(By the way. We have a vitamin & supplement company here in the U.S. that only can be purchased from a doctors office. A very high quality supplement. If they need any ingredient that is from a bovine they get it from a pristine heard in Australia. The name of the vitamin company is called Metagenics. Just remembered that thinking of Australia.)

 

[Von Glassoff]

Oh I forgot to say add a little bit of water to carrots and potatoes. Sorry.

 

[Little Miss J]

We don't have Rival here, I think I'm going to go with the Breville. Are there any features anyone has found really useful???
Thanks too for the recipe GB and thankyou for explaining what kielbasa is its been bothering me!!!
Luvs I wish they had them in pink cause thats what I'd get but silver or white with vegies on it seems my only option.
Little Miss J (that makes me think of my daughter cause she's Jessica) your mum prob. has the Breville or the Tiffany from what I can gather. Could you please ask her what she thinks of it?
Thanks again everybody

My mum has a breville and she likes it! I think it came in two sizes but she got the larger one....just in cases
uses it heaps in the winter and dad takes soups and casseroles to work for lunch

 

[Andy M.]

Hi,

My mother-in-law gifted me a slow cooker (Rival brand) and I used it only once when she was here. I am from India and love hot spicy food and what she prepared was a little bland for me. I am a vegetarian but my husband isn't. Does anybody have hot spicy recipes for slow cooker ?

Sunflower:

My Indian neighbors insist this recipe must be cooked in a pressure cooker. I cook it in a pot on the stovetop since I don't have a pressure cooker.

You can also cook this in your crockpot. I cannot judge the time for the crockpot. The pressure cooker version calls for 40 minutes + 10. On the stovetop, I do it for about two hours. Judge accordiingly for teh crockpot.

Dal Makhani

2 Red Chile Peppers
1” Ginger Piece
2 Garilc
1 C Urad Saboot (whole black beans)
2 Tb Channe Ki Dal (split gram dal)
1 Tb Ghee or oil
1 1/2 tsp Salt
5 C Water
4 Tomatoes (14 oz. Can)
3 Tb Butter
1 Tb Kasoori Mehti (dry fennugreek leaf)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Ketchup
1/2 C Milk (if needed)
1/2 C Cream
1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Soak the peppers in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Make a paste of the peppers, ginger and garlic in a food processor.

Wash and pick over the beans. Place them in a pressure cooker with the garlic, ginger, pepper paste and the tablespoon of ghee or oil, the salt and the water.

Bring the pressure cooker up to pressure and cook for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Puree the tomatoes in a food processor and add them to the pressure cooker along with the butter, Kasoori Mehti, the Garam Masala and the ketchup. Simmer for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally and mashing the beans slightly.

Add some milk if the mixture appears too thick.

Continue cooking to thicken.

Stir in the cream and nutmeg.

 

[mrsmac]

Well I made my first dish in my slow cooker and it came out beautifully except it caught and stuck on the sides in a few places. Are you supposed to stir during the cooking?? I didn't cause I thought you had to leave it alone. I made a beef stew with diced gravy beef prebrowned and they came out really tender. The whole family loved it which was great.

 

[GB]

Generally you are not supposed to stir. As a matter of fact, I rad somewhere that every time you lift the lid you have to add 20 minutes to the cooking time. I am not sure how true that is, but basically you are supposed to put the lid on and leave it there until it is done.

I do not think I have ever cooked something that did not stick to the crockpot. That is one of the reasons that the ones that the crock comes out and can go in the dishwasher are so great.

I am so happy you had such a good experience your first time around. Sounds like you had a great meal.

 

[mrsmac]

Thanks for that GB, you have reassured me! I took my dad some of the stew and he loved it so much he's decided to get a slowcooker for himself! I said we'd get him one for Father's Day (September)

 

[mrsmac]

I made Von G's recipe with beef short ribs which I asked my butcher to get for me cause I'd never heard of them here. It was great!!!! The meat was so tender it fell off the bones.

 

[Von Glassoff]

Mrsmac,

I am so very glad that you were able to get short ribs. I am also glad that you enjoyed them. That is one thing I can make for company and it is always a sure thing to come out wonderful and everyone loves it.