Tom Lacalamita

You can make easy and delicious meals in your slow cooker, with some helpful tips, you can even convert your favorite traditional recipes to the slow cooker. Make sure you use the slow cooker temperature guide to cook dishes thoroughly and convert temperatures, if necessary.Tips for using your slow cookerYou can prepare great food in your slow cooker without a lot of fuss.

You can cook virtually anything in a pressure cooker — from meats and main courses to rice, potatoes, and vegetables of every description, to dessert. Better yet, pressure cooking allows you to prepare foods up to 70 percent faster, on average, than conventional cooking methods do, which means you save energy in addition to your precious time.

An authentic slow cooker is a simple, uncomplicated appliance with no moving parts. Even though you most likely know what a slow cooker looks like, this list breaks down the parts of every slow cooker: Transparent cover: Most slow cookers have a heavy glass lid, but some are plastic. Always cover the slow cooker when cooking, to retain heat.

Egg-lemon chicken soup dates to the days of the ancient Greeks and is enjoyed around the Mediterranean. In traditional egg-lemon chicken soup, the egg adds body and silkiness, while the lemon adds a nice tang to the broth. Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 8 to 10 hours on Low, plus 25 minutes Yield: 6 servings 1 chicken (4 to 5 pounds) 4 chicken wings 1 clove garlic 1 large onion 2 carrots 2 stalks celery 1/2 bunch parsley 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1 chicken bouillon cube 4 quarts cold water 1/3 cup uncooked rice 3 large eggs 1 large lemon Salt Cut the chicken into quarters.

Whoever Betty was, she must have been a creative, thrifty cook with some day-old bread, butter, and apples on hand. Apple Brown Betty transforms simple ingredients into a really cozy, homey dessert. Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours on High Yield: 6 servings 5 medium Granny Smith apples 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 3 cups fresh white bread crumbs 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Peel and core the apples.

Thoroughly washing hands is one of the most effective ways to prevent contamination. Although most people know that they should wash their hands well before handling food, many people don’t follow that safety guideline. Most germs and bacteria are passed from one person to another by hand contact. You shake hands with someone, or someone touches something you eat and — bingo — you wind up getting contaminated.

You can adapt a lot of standard recipes to work in your slow cooker. Recipes that do work in the slow cooker do require some changes in relation to ingredients, the amount of liquids, and length of cooking: Vegetables: To ensure that vegetables of the same type cook evenly, cut them into uniform, equal-sized pieces.

Creamier than traditional chocolate pudding, this chocolate custard is smooth on the tongue and rich in taste! Making chocolate custard in your slow cooker makes for a rich pudding experience. Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: High 2 to 2 1/2 hours Yield: 6 servings 2 cups water 2 cups milk 1 square unsweetened chocolate 3 large eggs 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, or 1 teaspoon dark rum Bring the water to a bowl in a small saucepan.

This stew of braised pork and vegetables with a hint of lemon makes for a delicious supper. Lemon and thyme pork stew needs only a tossed green salad and some crisp, crusty bread as accompaniments. Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 8 to 10 hours on Low Yield: 4 servings 2 pounds boneless pork loin 2 large potatoes 4 parsnips 1 large red onion 2 stalks celery 1 lemon 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups chicken broth 2 teaspoons dried thyme 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup flour 1 package (10 ounces) frozen French-style green beans Trim the pork loin of all visible fat and cut it into 1-inch cubes.