RE: Group Questions (and a recipe, of sorts)

[Guest guest]

5a. Group question: How many crock pots do you own?

    Posted by: " ~ PT ~ " patchouli_troll patchouli_troll

    Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:03 am ((PDT))

 

Time for some new group questions.

 

1. How many crock pots do you have?

 

2. What size crock pot do you use most?

 

Share when you can, and please share your recipes, too!

 

~ VegCrockPotCooks Moderators ~

 

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   Sure, I'll answer the questions!  I tend to get long-winded, so bear with me,

please!  :-)

      

     I have 2 large, round crock pots (also called slow cookers--neither one are

Rival brand).

These are about 5 1/2 qt capacity.  I have an oval large slow cooker (forget

what brand it is) that I was given thru our local Freecycle last year--it is

about 6 qt. capacity (think it's West Bend or Hamilton Beach brand).  All of

those have removable crockery liners--I love them!

      I also have a " regular " size (I think it's 3 1/2-4 qt.) Rival Crock-Pot,

non-removable liner--and it's probably over 33 years old.  My Dear Mother-in-law

gave it to me, but I bought it for HER as a Christmas gift back in the

mid-70's.  I had 2 Crock Pots of my own at the time, and I was just beginning to

learn their use.  I loved using a slow cooker and thought she would too.  (At

the time, she wasn't yet my MIL--my (future) husband and I were " just dating " . 

I think, if truth be know, I wanted to gain her " favor " --LOL!  DMIL only used

this lovely appliance about 3 or 4 times--to make baked potatoes, and to heat

hot dogs in (!!!)

She kept it in pristine condition for all those years, and then about 2 years

ago, gave it " back " to me--and of course, I use it a LOT!!!  (I've had probably

3 other C-P's of the same type and size that I have used in the past--used until

they just wore out! )

      This size is a " workhorse " for us--especially when I want to cook the

amount that is too small for the big pot and too large for the smaller one!

      I also have a medium-small slow cooker that I just recently bought from

Walgreens.  It wasn't expensive, and it replaced a similar-sized small Rival

Crock Pot (I think it's called the " Crock-ette " ).  I used the Rival one until

the cord got frayed, and it wouldn't heat reliably anymore.  I kept the crockery

liner of that first one, and this one (the one from Walgreens) is exactly the

same size--I can still use the old Rival Crock-ette liner on this one.  It is

about 2 qt or so capacity, and right now, the right size, as now it is just DH

and me with our 2 kids grown and on their own.  I LOVE the new small slow

cooker--it has " high " , " low " and " warm " settings, which the other one only had 2

settings, if I remember--maybe not even that. 

      I use this (small) one the most right now, unless we're having a lot of

people here, then I'd pull out one of the larger slow cookers to use.

      Lastly, I have a very small " Lil Dipper " crock pot.  (I think it, too, is

a Rival.)  I don't know why I bought this one--it's almost useless, unless I am

serving a lot of food, buffet-style, and I want to keep a dip or gravy warm--or

maybe if I want to leave out ONE serving for DH to eat by himsellf, like soup or

something.  It only has one setting, and I think it cooks (or heats) way too

hot.  It has a limited use, but I still keep it, so far.

 

     So, that makes 6 slow cooker/Crock Pots, doesn't it?  I also have a DEEP

capacity all-stainless steel electric " skillet " , which does have a low setting,

and DOES do some sort of slow-cooker function.  I also use it as a table-top

" buffet " serving device, when we have a holiday dinner or whatever.  Count it as

a sorta-slow cooker and that makes 7 we have here!  I use them ALL--except the

Lil Dipper fairly often.  Love to cook and love to " fix and leave " it!

 

      My favortite recipes (vegetarian) are not strictly " follow the recipe "

recipes.  I love cooking beans and rice dishes--a Caribbean woman gave me her

recipe orally, and I usually do it that way, adding just a couple of variations,

yet keeping the general flavor the same.

(Season with sauteed garlic, onion, chopped celery with leaves and stalk, thyme,

black pepper and a pinch of sugar...I also add sometimes, a pinch of ground

coriander, and maybe a pinch of ground bay leaf--don't know why,  I just do.  I

also add a bit of chopped red sweet bell pepper and/or some finely-diced carrot

occasionally.  It adds color and a little extra flavor, I guess.) 

 

     Step #1:  Cook the beans first.

     Step #2:  When the beans are cooked to tenderness and not crunchy,  then

saute the veggie additions and seasonings in a little (I use light olive oil)

oil. 

     Step #3:  Drain the beans and save the cooking liquid. Measure the rice. (I

use brown rice and rinse it a bit first.)  Measure the bean cooking liquid, and

add to it enough water to make the " right " amount of cooking liquid for the

amount of rice you are cooking.

 

    When I make this, I usually use equal measures of dry beans (like 1 cup) and

rice.  It's easy to remember that way.  My rice takes about double the volume of

liquid as rice is used, (1 cup rice to 2 cups liquid). 

 

     Step #4:  Back to the pan that the veggies were sauteed in..  Add the beans

and sort of  heat them a bit--the woman told me it kind of lets the beans absorb

some of the  seasoning flavors.

     Step #5: THEN, add in your cooking liquid, bring it all to a boil, and THEN

stir in the measured and rinsed rice. 

     Step #6: Bring it all to a nice boil, then lower the heat to " simmer " ,

cover it and let it cook for the amount of recommended time for the rice.  (For

my brown rice, that is about 45 minutes--give it maybe an extra 2-3 minutes and

it's just fine.)

 

     The key is to make sure the beans are cooked and not at all " crunchy "

before you do the adding of liquid and rice and so on.  It will come out very

nicely--a well-flavored " casserole " type of dish for beans and rice.

 

       Cooking this in the crock pot is a little harder, as I learned at first

to cook it on the stove top.  What I do is to cook the beans in a slow cooker

until they are tender, then saute the vegetables and seasonings in a pan on the

stove (step #2).  I do steps 3-5 on the stove, but also add BOILING water to the

crock pot as soon as I remove the beans and bean-liquid from it.  Then, I set

the crock pot on HIGH to maintain the " boiling " heat temperature as I heat the

beans, seasonings & liquid on the stove to boiling, just prior to stirring in

the rice. 

     

       Instead of keeping it in the pan, covered, to simmer on the stove-top, I

instead empty the hot water out of the crock pot, pour the rice/beans hot

mixture into the crock pot, set it to low (and I can leave it alone without

worrying) and finish it that way. 

 

      Time-wise, if the liquid is BOILING and the crock pot is HOT, setting it

to low is about the same as cooking the rice step on the stove-top--it takes

about 45 minutes to an hour to finish.

 

      I do it about 50% or the time in the slow cooker and 50% of the time on

the stove top.  " Beans and Rice " , in any of it's manifestations, is something my

DH seems to like and he doesn't protest if I make it often.  It's really

inexpensive, too--quite a satisfying and filling main dish.