this one goes out to all the cooks on my flist

[swan_tower]

This Christmas, kniedzw and I were the happy recipients of a new slow cooker. I expect it will be particularly useful on karate nights, when I come home at 9:15 ravenously hungry and wanting food NOW NOW NOW -- but only if I know what to put in it before I leave.

So I turn to you, O Internets, for slow-cooker recipes. Please note the following constraints:

• Spiciness is discouraged. If your attitude is, "it's only a little spicy," it will probably be too much for my poor weak palate.
  
• I also don't tend to eat mushrooms, or beans in large quantities. Yes, I'm aware my life would be easier if I could get over this whole picky-eater thing.
  
• Bonus points for recipes that involve meat, veggies, and carbohydrates, all in one tasty dish. Exercise makes me crave an actual balanced diet.
  

Suggestions? This is a pretty small cooker -- I think it's maybe five or five and a half quarts -- so we're looking more for two-person-sized recipes with maybe some leftovers, not things that can feed a whole family.

Comments

[elizawrites.livejournal.com]

I just discovered this blog yesterday: crockpot365.blogspot.com

[owldaughter.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing this link!

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

Put two boneless chicken breasts in and half cover with red wine. Add water until the chicken is almost covered. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chop up half an onion (or a whole one if it's small), some celery and carrots, and add those.

When you get home and are on your way in to take a shower, toss some large couscous (or minute rice) in another pan or right into the cooker with the chicken and stuff.

[sarcastibich.livejournal.com]

2 or 3 lb beef
Potatoes (quartered/big chunks)
Carrots
Onions
Veggies as desired/interested
beef broth/stock
garlic
salt/pepper

Put the meat on the bottom, put the veggies on top
add the stock/broth and seasonings

Slow cook for a while

eat, and enjoy

[amysun.livejournal.com]

I tried something similar yesterday. I used only 1 lb. beef pre-cut in strips, and I added a turnip and brocolli to the mix. I used one carton of beef stock, which covered the mound of meat and veggies almost all the way, and cooked on low heat for not quite 6.5 hours. Yummy beef stew!

Also, I tried out a plastic liner and it made the clean up very easy.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

If any chili will work, I'll bet mine will, but it's got black beans in.

Or my brother-in-law-in-law recommends putting a pork loin in (fully thawed--seriously, do not skip this part) with a jar of apricot jam and some nutmeg.

Or I do the kind of impromptu stew sarcastibich describes, only I put wine in all of mine, and peas at the end, and sometimes barley, and sometimes I make it with chicken instead of beef. Good bread helps there, too.

[lowellboyslash.livejournal.com]

Italian Beef! kilravock and roomie just cooked it last night. DELICIOUS. I encourage you to poke them for their Chicago-area-style recipe!

[c0untmystars.livejournal.com]

I have the 5.5 quart crock pot and I love it... my favorite recipe is a chili (http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchili/r/bl7c13.htm) that's probably too spicy under your criteria, although you could probably do it without the chili powder.

This lentil soup recipe (http://makingahouseahome.blogspot.com/2007/09/crock-pot-lentil-soup.html) turned out really well for me, and I just made this chicken casserole (http://www.recipelink.com/mf/31/12178) that turned out really well -- I omitted the mushrooms, and I think next time I'll add zucchini or some other vegetable (warning: it's very rich). (I also like this sweet potato and apple (http://www.thatsmyhome.com/slowcooker/sweapp.htm) dish as a side dish or as dessert mixed with vanilla yogurt.

[cjfringe.livejournal.com]

I just got a good cookbook for my Mother-in-Law for the holidays, titled Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. It's got some good recipes in it. They have another, specifically for smaller slow cookers and 2 people. Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Mothers-Slow-Cooker-Recipes/dp/1558323414/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232348596&sr=8-2

[feed-your-muse.livejournal.com]

Line the base with root vegetables - potato, carrots, parsnips, swede / turnip & I usually put butternut squash here as well.
Put your browned meat on top.
Put layers of leeks, onions, cabbage, fennel, peppers etc. on top.
Add enough stock to reach the top of the vegetables (you can add a sachet of a casserole mix or some gravy granules here as well if you like to deepen the stock)
Cook for the day and will be lovely when you get home!

I do this throughout the winter and it's great. Feeds me and my housemate and we have enough for a second meal or for freezing.

Merry
=^..^=

[sarcastibich.livejournal.com]

And I canNOT recommend getting plastic liners for the crock pot enough. I find them in the same area as ziploc baggies at my Marsh, but they are simple plastic bags made for crock pots (so they are large enough and will withstand the heat). My crockpot is large and oval, but the bags fix it. They make clean up SOOOOOOOO easy, because all you do is pull the bag out of the crockpot and throw it away then wipe the ceramic insert part out with a damp cloth.

I made nachos on new years eve in mine, and cleaning the crockpot afterwards took less than two minutes.

chicken-squash-rice

[fritz-bogott.livejournal.com]

one cup rice
two cups chicken stock
one small can tomatoes
small chopped up yellow squash or zucchini (or substitute your favorite vegetable here)
couple pinches of tarragon
diced-up chicken breast (I poach or microwave it first)
salt and pepper to taste

Should do just fine in a slow-cooker.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Unorthodox gumbo-like dish (it doesn't start with a roux because roux and crockpots don't work well together).

12 oz. cooked sausage links, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups raw, chopped chicken meat
2 cups frozen okra
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 large (I think it's either 24 or 32 oz. but I don't have one in my cupboard ATM) can diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
a few red pepper flakes if you're feeling brave

Throw all of this in the crockpot in roughly that order. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Make some rice to serve it over. It will give you leftovers, but you'll be glad it did.