Crock Pot Cookery
SENIOR NUTRITION NEWSLETTER December, 2014 Kim Mullen, MS, Nutrition Educator Cornell Cooperative Extension Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County Unified Family Services Department of Aging
“Crock Pot Cookery” Wouldn’t it be great to walk into your home and smell dinner cooking? Since most of us don’t have a fairy godmother who prepares meals for us, the next best thing might be your crock pot! Crock pot cooking has become very popular in recent years. A crock pot has many benefits. It is convenient and saves time and money. You do have to be disciplined to plan ahead and spend some time in the morning or the night before preparing the crock pot meal. Once you have experimented with it, you will see how easy it is to prepare delicious, healthy meals. If you have never cooked with a crock pot before, here are some tips to remember:
Raw ingredients must be kept refrigerated until they are put into the crock pot. Meat or poultry should be defrosted and vegetables should be cut into small pieces. You want to be sure that the water or stock in the pot almost covers the meat to ensure good heat transfer.
Don’t overload the pot – most crock pot recipes will tell you what size pot you should use. A general rule is to fill it about half full. You can go ahead and cook big roasts and whole chickens; just make sure you use a large crock and that the lid fits snugly.
While you can cook just about any kind of meat in the slow cooker, some types of meat cook better than others. Chicken on the bone and cheaper, tougher cuts of beef, pork, and lamb turn very tender under the gentle, moist heat of the slow cooker. For maximum flavor and a more appetizing color in the finished product, remove skin from poultry and trim visible fat from all meats, then coat meat lightly in flour and brown in a hot skillet before adding to slow cooker.
Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become extremely tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken will remain juicier than white meat breasts.
Keep the lid closed: Each peek you take during the cooking process will add an additional 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time. And curb the urge to stir; it's usually not necessary and tends to slow down the cooking.
Care for your crock: The ceramic insert in a slow cooker can crack if exposed to abrupt temperature shifts. In other words, don't place a hot ceramic insert directly on a cold counter; put down a dishtowel first.
Layer wisely: For even cooking, cut food into uniform-size pieces. Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top.
Browning boosts flavor: You can certainly just pile food into the slow cooker, turn it on and get tasty results. But when you take a couple of minutes to brown your meat and saute your vegetables before adding them to the crock, you're rewarded with an additional layer of deep, caramelized flavor. (This is doubly true with ground meat.) If you want a thicker sauce, coat the meat in flour before browning.
Don't use frozen food: Loading a slow cooker with icy ingredients will keep food in the danger zone where bacteria can flourish (40 to 140 degrees F). So make sure your meat and vegetables are fully thawed before turning the cooker on. The exception: Prepackaged slow-cooker meals sold in the freezer case are fine to use as long as you follow the package's directions.
Trim fat: For silky sauces and gravies, take a minute or two and cut the excess fat from the meat. Skip this step and you risk ending up with oily, greasy cooking liquid. When possible, remove chicken skin too.
Set the heat level: A general rule of thumb is that cooking on the low setting (170 degrees F for most models) takes about twice as long as cooking on high (280 degrees F on most models). Keep in mind that some cuts of meat and recipes are better suited to one setting over the other.
Add dairy last: Sour cream, milk, and yogurt tend to break down in the slow cooker, so stir them in during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Watch the wine: Because the cooker is sealed, the alcohol in wine doesn't evaporate out as it would in a regular pot or skillet. Just a splash goes a long way.
Converting from conventional recipes: You can adapt many conventional recipes for the slow cooker. Any oven or stovetop recipe that has some moisture in it--whether from water, broth, wine, sauce, or canned soup--should work in your favorite appliance, but just keep these things in mind:
Cut all liquid amounts in half when adjusting for the slow cooker.
The low heat setting is approximately 200 degrees F and high heat is about 300 degrees F. For every hour you'd cook something in the oven or on the stove, allow 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Below are time adaptations from conventional method to slow cooker method:
Conventional Recipe Time
>>
Slow Cooker Time on High
>>
Slow Cooker Time on Low
30 min.
>>
1 1/2 - 2 hrs.
>>
3 to 4 hrs.
1 to 2 hours
>>
4-5 hrs.
>>
8-9 hrs.
Is your slow cooker working well? If you are not sure, try these steps before using it: 1. Fill the cooker half to 2/3 full with tap water and set on low setting. Allow cooker to heat for 8 hours with the lid on and do not disturb. 2. After 8 hours, check the water with an accurate food thermometer. Remove lid and quickly insert thermometer. 3. The temperature of the water should be 185oF. If the temperature is below this, the appliance is not heating food properly (hot enough and fast enough to prevent bacterial growth). The appliance should be repaired or replaced.
There are many sources of recipes for your crock pot. Most pots come with a cook book and online sources are plentiful. As you become more familiar with crock pot cooking, you will be able to adapt family favorite meals to crock pot cooked meals!
Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup grated carrot 1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans 1 (16 oz.) can garbanzo beans 1 (15 oz.) can black beans 2 (14.5 oz.) cans Mexican style sliced stewed tomatoes seasonings to taste Drain and rinse all three cans of beans, and add to crock pot. Add onions and carrots. Add stewed tomatoes and seasonings to taste. Cook 6-8 hours on low. Makes 12 servings. Nutrition Info per serving: 173 calories, 0.9g fat, 32.8g carbohydrates, 8.9g protein, 134mg sodium, 10g fiber. Source: CCE
Easy Apple Cider 1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle apple cider 3 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon whole allspice 1 teaspoon whole cloves 1/3 cup brown sugar In a slow cooker, combine apple cider and cinnamon sticks. Wrap allspice and cloves in a small piece of cheesecloth, and add to pot. Stir in brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and keep warm. Cook time is one hour. Makes 8 servings. Nutrition Info per serving; 230 calories, 4.7g fat, 45.7g carbohydrates, 2.3g protein, 134mg sodium, 4g fiber. Source: CCE
Crock Pot Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats 2 cups steel cut oats 1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin 3 1/2 cups fat free milk 3 1/2 cups water 1 Tbsp. vanilla 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker (4-6 quart). Cook on low 4-6 hours. Makes 8 - 1 cup servings. Nutrition Info per serving: 202 calories, 2.9g fat, 37.9g carbohydrates, 10.3g protein, 6g fiber, 60mg sodium. Source: CCE
Low-Fat Hot Fudge Crock Pot Cake 3 c. skim milk 1 box sugar free cook and serve chocolate pudding 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix 1 1/3 c. water 1/2 c. applesauce 6 egg whites
Spray a crockpot container with cooking spray. Whisk skim milk with pudding mix in crockpot until dissolved. In a medium bowl, mix dry cake mix, water, applesauce and egg whites with whisk for two minutes until blended. Very gently pour cake mixture over pudding mixture. DO NOT MIX! Keep it as separated as possible! Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 hours. Serve hot. Serves 15. Nutrition Info per serving: 42 calories, 0.2g fat, 7.7g carbohydrates, 1.9g protein, 0.1g fiber, 45mg sodium. Source: CCE The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for emplo yment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal and, where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or if all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program. [email protected]. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities and wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Rensselaer County Unified Family Services Department of Aging
“Crock Pot Cookery” Wouldn’t it be great to walk into your home and smell dinner cooking? Since most of us don’t have a fairy godmother who prepares meals for us, the next best thing might be your crock pot! Crock pot cooking has become very popular in recent years. A crock pot has many benefits. It is convenient and saves time and money. You do have to be disciplined to plan ahead and spend some time in the morning or the night before preparing the crock pot meal. Once you have experimented with it, you will see how easy it is to prepare delicious, healthy meals. If you have never cooked with a crock pot before, here are some tips to remember:
Raw ingredients must be kept refrigerated until they are put into the crock pot. Meat or poultry should be defrosted and vegetables should be cut into small pieces. You want to be sure that the water or stock in the pot almost covers the meat to ensure good heat transfer.
Don’t overload the pot – most crock pot recipes will tell you what size pot you should use. A general rule is to fill it about half full. You can go ahead and cook big roasts and whole chickens; just make sure you use a large crock and that the lid fits snugly.
While you can cook just about any kind of meat in the slow cooker, some types of meat cook better than others. Chicken on the bone and cheaper, tougher cuts of beef, pork, and lamb turn very tender under the gentle, moist heat of the slow cooker. For maximum flavor and a more appetizing color in the finished product, remove skin from poultry and trim visible fat from all meats, then coat meat lightly in flour and brown in a hot skillet before adding to slow cooker.
Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become extremely tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken will remain juicier than white meat breasts.
Keep the lid closed: Each peek you take during the cooking process will add an additional 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time. And curb the urge to stir; it's usually not necessary and tends to slow down the cooking.
Care for your crock: The ceramic insert in a slow cooker can crack if exposed to abrupt temperature shifts. In other words, don't place a hot ceramic insert directly on a cold counter; put down a dishtowel first.
Layer wisely: For even cooking, cut food into uniform-size pieces. Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top.
Browning boosts flavor: You can certainly just pile food into the slow cooker, turn it on and get tasty results. But when you take a couple of minutes to brown your meat and saute your vegetables before adding them to the crock, you're rewarded with an additional layer of deep, caramelized flavor. (This is doubly true with ground meat.) If you want a thicker sauce, coat the meat in flour before browning.
Don't use frozen food: Loading a slow cooker with icy ingredients will keep food in the danger zone where bacteria can flourish (40 to 140 degrees F). So make sure your meat and vegetables are fully thawed before turning the cooker on. The exception: Prepackaged slow-cooker meals sold in the freezer case are fine to use as long as you follow the package's directions.
Trim fat: For silky sauces and gravies, take a minute or two and cut the excess fat from the meat. Skip this step and you risk ending up with oily, greasy cooking liquid. When possible, remove chicken skin too.
Set the heat level: A general rule of thumb is that cooking on the low setting (170 degrees F for most models) takes about twice as long as cooking on high (280 degrees F on most models). Keep in mind that some cuts of meat and recipes are better suited to one setting over the other.
Add dairy last: Sour cream, milk, and yogurt tend to break down in the slow cooker, so stir them in during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Watch the wine: Because the cooker is sealed, the alcohol in wine doesn't evaporate out as it would in a regular pot or skillet. Just a splash goes a long way.
Converting from conventional recipes: You can adapt many conventional recipes for the slow cooker. Any oven or stovetop recipe that has some moisture in it--whether from water, broth, wine, sauce, or canned soup--should work in your favorite appliance, but just keep these things in mind:
Cut all liquid amounts in half when adjusting for the slow cooker.
The low heat setting is approximately 200 degrees F and high heat is about 300 degrees F. For every hour you'd cook something in the oven or on the stove, allow 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Below are time adaptations from conventional method to slow cooker method:
Conventional Recipe Time
>>
Slow Cooker Time on High
>>
Slow Cooker Time on Low
30 min.
>>
1 1/2 - 2 hrs.
>>
3 to 4 hrs.
1 to 2 hours
>>
4-5 hrs.
>>
8-9 hrs.
Is your slow cooker working well? If you are not sure, try these steps before using it: 1. Fill the cooker half to 2/3 full with tap water and set on low setting. Allow cooker to heat for 8 hours with the lid on and do not disturb. 2. After 8 hours, check the water with an accurate food thermometer. Remove lid and quickly insert thermometer. 3. The temperature of the water should be 185oF. If the temperature is below this, the appliance is not heating food properly (hot enough and fast enough to prevent bacterial growth). The appliance should be repaired or replaced.
There are many sources of recipes for your crock pot. Most pots come with a cook book and online sources are plentiful. As you become more familiar with crock pot cooking, you will be able to adapt family favorite meals to crock pot cooked meals!
Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup grated carrot 1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans 1 (16 oz.) can garbanzo beans 1 (15 oz.) can black beans 2 (14.5 oz.) cans Mexican style sliced stewed tomatoes seasonings to taste Drain and rinse all three cans of beans, and add to crock pot. Add onions and carrots. Add stewed tomatoes and seasonings to taste. Cook 6-8 hours on low. Makes 12 servings. Nutrition Info per serving: 173 calories, 0.9g fat, 32.8g carbohydrates, 8.9g protein, 134mg sodium, 10g fiber. Source: CCE
Easy Apple Cider 1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle apple cider 3 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon whole allspice 1 teaspoon whole cloves 1/3 cup brown sugar In a slow cooker, combine apple cider and cinnamon sticks. Wrap allspice and cloves in a small piece of cheesecloth, and add to pot. Stir in brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and keep warm. Cook time is one hour. Makes 8 servings. Nutrition Info per serving; 230 calories, 4.7g fat, 45.7g carbohydrates, 2.3g protein, 134mg sodium, 4g fiber. Source: CCE
Crock Pot Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats 2 cups steel cut oats 1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin 3 1/2 cups fat free milk 3 1/2 cups water 1 Tbsp. vanilla 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker (4-6 quart). Cook on low 4-6 hours. Makes 8 - 1 cup servings. Nutrition Info per serving: 202 calories, 2.9g fat, 37.9g carbohydrates, 10.3g protein, 6g fiber, 60mg sodium. Source: CCE
Low-Fat Hot Fudge Crock Pot Cake 3 c. skim milk 1 box sugar free cook and serve chocolate pudding 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix 1 1/3 c. water 1/2 c. applesauce 6 egg whites
Spray a crockpot container with cooking spray. Whisk skim milk with pudding mix in crockpot until dissolved. In a medium bowl, mix dry cake mix, water, applesauce and egg whites with whisk for two minutes until blended. Very gently pour cake mixture over pudding mixture. DO NOT MIX! Keep it as separated as possible! Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 hours. Serve hot. Serves 15. Nutrition Info per serving: 42 calories, 0.2g fat, 7.7g carbohydrates, 1.9g protein, 0.1g fiber, 45mg sodium. Source: CCE The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for emplo yment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal and, where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or if all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program. [email protected]. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities and wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
