Slowcooker Soups

Crockpot Recipes - A Busy Mom's Life Saver

2009-01-06T17:28:00.001-08:00

If you are a busy mom like me, you probably dread coming home after a long day and making a big dinner for your family. We usually just make the same old think, day after day and week after week.

How to we get out of those same old same old blues, you should make your Crockpot become your best friend. When cooking with a Crockpot you can easily prepare the meal the night before start the Crockpot in the morning before you head out for work and have a hot, delicious home cooked meal waiting for you when you come home.

There are many different variations of crackpots out there, and really any of them will do. You can easily purchase one for about ten to fifteen dollars for a basic one. Mine I bought for about 30 dollars but the convince factor of it truly makes up for the cost. Mine is large enough to hold a large roast or chicken, it has a high, medium, low and warm setting. It also has an automatic shut off time for when the meal will be done and sets it on warm waiting for you. It also has a removable insert that is dishwasher safe that is a definite plus. You also can purchase slow cooker bags (much like turkey roasting bags) that minimize clean up.

One of my favorite meals on a cold winter day is beef stew. It is hardier then a soup, and fills you up. Here is an old classic recipe my mother gave me that I use in my Crockpot.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew:

Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds of beef stew meet 1 inch cubed (usually can purchase pre cut at your grocery store)
12 baby carrots (or 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces)
4 white potatoes peeled and cut in chunks
1 onion peeled and quarters
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 cups of beef broth
1 cup of water
3 tbsp flour

To start brown meat in a skillet in oil until lightly brown on the out side (do not cook all the way through). This step can be skipped if desired, but browning the meat locks in the flavor. In the Crockpot layer carrots, potatoes, onions and browned meat, as a note you should always place your vegetables on the bottom of the Crockpot. Add the Worcestershire sauce, beef bullion and all of the spices (except flour). Pour in broth and water to cover the vegetables and meat. Cook on low temp for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, remove the bay leaves, mix together in a separate bowl the flour and about 1/3 cup of water, add to Crockpot and mix to thicken and make more of a gravy vice broth. Turn the Crockpot up to high and continue to cook an additional 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

A warm French bread, you can pick up at any grocery store or some dinner rolls go perfect with this stew.

When it comes to cooking with your Crockpot here are some hints. You can brown meat to lock in the flavors, if you choose not to add 30 minutes to your cooking time to ensure the meat is cooked through. Always place your vegetables on the bottom of the slow cooker so they cook properly. Never open the Crockpot to stir or taste, the heat will escape and you will have to add additional cooking time. The taste of spices are intensified because they cook off slowly, taste your meal 30 minutes before serving if it needs extra flavor add it at this point. And finally, if you need to cook your meal in a faster amount of time, place a piece of tin foil below the lid, it will reflect the heat back down on your meal and it will cook quicker.

Surprise your family with a hardy home cooked meal that makes it seam like you slaved all day in the kitchen. There are many recipes that are quick and easy to make, that will save you time and money and make you a super mom in the kitchen.

Want more great quick weekday recipes, visit http://secretrestaurantchef.weebly.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amber_Torija
http://EzineArticles.com/?Crockpot-Recipes---A-Busy-Moms-Life-Saver&id=1835323

White Bean Soup with Rosemary

2009-01-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

(instructions here)

Basic Split Pea Soup

2009-01-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

(instructions here)

Yellow Split Pea with Carrots and Oregano

2008-12-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

Into the slowcooker throw two cups of yellow split peas, a good dash of garlic powder, two bay leaves, a cup of diced celery, two big diced carrots, and a level teaspoon of lite salt.
Fill the small cooker to the brim with water, cover and put a folded kitchen towel on the lid to help with insulation.
When the soup is ready, pour into bowl and sprinkle a little oregano in the center. Serve with hot garlic bread and enjoy a hearty, healthy and down to earth meal.

Basic Lentil Soup

2008-12-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

We cooked this in our small 4 cup slowcooker. Last thing at night or first thing in the morning,
add 4 cups of hot water to the pot. Add 2 cups of lentils, two chopped, unpeeled carrots, 1 cup diced celery, 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon of curry powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 chopped clove of garlic, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Turn the slowcooker on and cover the top with a folded kitchen towel to maximize the heat.

Home-grown Oregano

2008-12-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

For a delicious topping to almost any soup, use home-grown dried oregano. The seeds are cheap, and it will grow fast and plentifully in your garden.

When the plant has grown tall and plentiful, harvest the leaves and dry them out for a much more flavorful alternative to store-bought dried oregano (right: photo of oregano in our garden).

Split Peas

2008-12-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

Green and yellow split peas both can be used for delicious slowcooker soups with a creamy texture.

See "Yellow Split Pea with Carrots and Oregano"

Three Basic Spices

2008-12-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

Cumin, garlic powder, and bay leaves, ingredients in almost any soup, can be found in the Mexican section of your store (notably Save•Mart) at a fraction of the cost of main brands. These bags of spices, holding far more than standard spice jars, each cost less than a dollar in the Mexican food section.

Spiced Chile Powder

2008-12-30T07:59:00.000-08:00

This spiced chile powder, also found in the Mexican food section, is an essential and cheap ingredient in spicy soups.

A great bargain, this authentic spice cost only 99¢ for about 1 ounce in the Mexican spice section at Save•Mart. Similar name-brand jars in the spice section cost over $2.50 per ounce.

Lentils

2008-12-29T21:55:00.001-08:00

Lentils are a stock ingredient for soups. Lentil soup can also be served over rice for a hearty main dish.

Pinto Beans

2008-12-29T21:48:00.000-08:00

Pinto beans are a basic soup ingredient to keep in stock. Cheap and healthful, these beans can be bought in bulk in the Mexican food section of your supermarket.

New Crock Pot -$55

2008-12-26T20:49:00.001-08:00

This is a brand new slow cooker offered in a supermarket. Compare with used slowcooker listed below.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
214 Forest Ave
Pacific Grove, CA
93950

Vintage Slow Cooker -$5

2008-12-26T17:10:00.001-08:00

Kitsch one gallon slow cooker.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
214 Forest Ave
Pacific Grove, CA
93950

The Slowcooker Soups "Method"

2008-12-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

This is really a simple way to cook healthy, delicious, and time-saving soups to feed your family. You will fill good about slowcooking. We cook soups almost every day, sometimes following a soup recipe, sometimes making up our own recipes.
But we always follow a simple method to achieve ease, speed, and nutrition. The method depends on keeping certain ingredients on hand at all times. We call these stock ingredients; that is, they are always in stock and make stock too! Soup stock.
We prefer to purchase some the following ingredients from the Mexican section of a supermarket or from an hispanic food store. This is because one of our guiding principles is to buy cheap when cheap is just as good. Hispanic stores and many supermarkets carry very inexpensive spices and other ingredients at a fraction of famous brand name ingredients. Keep the following on hand:

On the Shelf

Garlic Powder
Chile Powder
Ground Cumin
Bay Leaves
Menudo (Mexican herb blend)
Oregano Leaves
"Lite" Salt

In the Refridgerator

Celery
Large carrots

In the Cupboard

Lentils
Split Peas
Pinto Beans
Black Beans
Navy Beans
Black-eyed Peas
Lima Beans

The above list is half of the method. Here is the other half. Just before bed or first thing in the morning, fill your slowcooker with hot water from the tap. Add your ingredients, cover it, and leave it. When you come home the soup will be done. Because all of the ingredients are readily available the only time spent is chopping a couple of vegetables and throwing the ingredients in the crockpot.
Note: you can speed up the time the soup cooks by folding a kitchen towel and placing it on top of the slow cooker lid. This acts as an insulator and will cook the soup faster. Also, after cooking the soup, the towel can help to keep it warm.
If you want to take soup to work with you, prepare it the night before. When you get up, while you are fixing your morning coffee, you can ladle the soup into a thermos.

Vegetarian Recipes For the Crock Pot

2008-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

By Lisa Paterson

Being a Vegan is a lifestyle choice that can often make it difficult to find appropriate foods to eat. Also, some of these recipes can be time consuming with regard to cooking them. With the introduction of a slow cooker to your life, maintaining a vegan lifestyle has become easier than you could imagine.

French Onion Soup has always been a favorite for many but vegans have had to pass on this option due to the beef based broth. With some easy substitutions, French Onion Soup is now a viable and delicious recipe to try out in your crock-pot. By replacing the beef broth with vegetable broth, making the soup with the other usual ingredients, vegans will find this dish to be satisfying and filling. If there are no dairy dietary restrictions, don't forget to sprinkle the top of each soup bowl with bread cubes and Swiss cheese.

If you have a yen for something from south of the border, why not try Black Bean Burritos in your slow cooker? By mixing chopped onions, carrots and garlic cloves with corn, black beans, a diced jalapeno, soy sauce, fresh chopped cilantro and a cup or so of vegetable stock, you are creating a delicious and tasty burrito filling that will make you glad to be a vegan!

For something a little different, making Falafel in your slow cooker is easy and healthy. With a base of garbanzo beans, have no fear of accidentally violating your nutritional choices. In a food processor, combine onion, some garlic cloves, dried parsley to taste, an egg, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste, lemon juice and bread crumbs. The last ingredient to add would be the garbanzo beans, processing just enough that it is a paste with chunks of garbanzo. Pour enough olive oil on the bottom of your slow cooker and turn on high. While the oil is warming, shape the mixture into meatball size balls and place in the bottom of the Crock Pot, turning over to coat each falafel ball with olive oil. The usual shape of each ball should be slightly flattened. Cook these in the oil for about four hours or browned. Serve as is or inside a piece of pita bread. A traditional sauce for Falafel is Tzatziki, made of cucumber, plain yogurt and garlic. This would also taste great with hummus, a sauce made of garbanzo beans as well.

In the morning, who really feels like making an elaborate breakfast when you're still bleary? However, there's a simple recipe that uses soy sausage and egg substitute, making it easy to remain within the guidelines of your healthful diet options. Make layers of sausage, diced chilies, bell pepper, onion, crookneck squash, carrots and mozzarella cheese. Once this is done, pour some water and the egg substitute over everything and cook on low until the eggs set and the vegetables are soft, roughly eight hours, a perfect night's sleep. If you have a coffee pot that works from a timer, all you need to do in the morning is wake up and dig in.

Slow Cookers and a Vegan diet don't have to be mutually exclusive. A primary complaint from vegans is not enough options and too much time needed to prepare and cook the meals but with some imagination, this doesn't have to be the case. A varied and delicious menu is possible and the only limitations you might have are those you place on yourself.

Lisa is an avid home cook who loves to share her favorite recipes with the rest of us. Find all her easy crockpot recipes at http://www.A-Crock-Cook.com. And be sure to try one of her vegetable crock pot recipes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Paterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Vegetarian-Recipes-For-the-Crock-Pot&id=1839313