Forget Heating Up the Oven or Standing Over a Hot Stove, Get Out the Slow Cooker or Crockpot!

There is no need to give up hearty healthy meals just because you don't want to heat up the kitchen. You can have tasty and hearty meals without using the oven or standing over a hot stove. Get out your slow cooker or crockpot and make a delicious Vegetable Beef Soup. Sloppy Joes in the crockpot are a great way to serve a busy family. Does your family prefer chicken? Make them Cashew Chicken. The recipe call for serving it over hot pasta. If you don't want to make pasta, why not cook some minute brown rice?

SLOW COOKER VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
1 lb boneless round steak, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can (14 1/2-oz)diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups water
3 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 medium onions, diced
3 celery ribs, sliced
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 cup cut-up cabbage
3 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Combine all the above ingredients, except the frozen vegetables, in the crockpot or slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Add the frozen vegetables, cover and cook for an additional 2 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

CROCKPOT SLOPPY JOES
3 lb lean ground beef
1 can (16-oz) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 pkgs dry Sloppy Joe mix
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain off the excess fat. Put ground beef into the crockpot and add the remaining ingredients; stir to mix well. Cook on low setting 8 to 10 hours or on high setting for 5 to 6 hours.

Serve on hamburger buns with assorted condiments.

SLOW COOKER CASHEW CHICKEN
1 (3 to 4 lb)chicken, cut up and skin removed
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup orange juice concentrate, undiluted
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp water
1/2 cup chopped cashews
Hot cooked whole-grain pasta

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine the onion, orange juice concentrate, rosemary, salt and cayenne pepper; pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours until the chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken from slow cooker and keep warm.

In a saucepan combine the flour and water until smooth. Stir in the cooking juices and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until thickened. Stir in the cashews. Pour mixture over the chicken and serve with the hot pasta.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's slow cooker/crockpot recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasslowcookerrecipes.blogspot.com
For her diabetic recipes and information visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com

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Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Vs Rival Smart Pot - Battle of the Slow Cookers

These days no one has time to cook. Crockpots are a great alternative because you can throw the ingredients together and leave it to cook all day long. They are also great for pot lucks and other occasion when you need to transport or keep food hot. If you are in the market for a larger slow cooker you may be looking at programmable "smart pots."

There are many choices for slow cookers but choosing doesn't have to be hard. As managing editor of thriftycreations.com, M. gives you the tools to be an informed consumer when buying a crockpot. Visit us today at Crockpot Slow Cooker.

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Crockpot Tips - Don't Forget the Slow Cooker!

Many of your favorite recipes can be successfully adapted to the crockpot or slow cooker if you follow a few simple rules. You'll find a basic time/temperature guide for converting recipes, some do's and don'ts for specific ingredients and a few tips for making your slow cooker dishes more flavorful.





Liquids





Generally, liquids may be decreased in slow cooking - a general rule of thumb is about half the recommended amount. Unless the dish contains rice or pasta, one cup of liquid is usually enough.





Pasta and Rice





When recipes call for cooked pasta to be added, cook it until just slightly tender before adding to the pot. Add 1/4 extra liquid per 1/4 cup uncooked rice, and use long grain converted rice for the best results. For long-cooking recipes, add cooked rice shortly before serving.





Beans





It is usually best to soak beans overnight before cooking them in the crockpot. Before adding sugar or acidic ingredients, the beans should be softened first, either in the slow cooker or on the stove top. If your recipe includes tomatoes, salt, or other acidic ingredients, the beans should be tender before beginning.





Herbs and Spices





Ground herbs and spices tend to dissipate over long cooking times, so it's best to add them near the end of cooking. Whole herbs release flavors over time, so are a good choice for crockpot cooking. You should taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving.





Milk/Cheese





Milk, sour cream, and cream break down over long periods of cooking, and should be added during the last hour. Condensed cream soups are good substitutions for milk and can be cooked for extended times. "Healthy," or reduced fat cream soups can be used in any recipe as a substitute.





Cheeses don't generally hold up over extended periods of cooking, so should be added near the end of cooking, or use processed cheeses and spreads.





Soups





Add water only to cover ingredients in soup, and add more after cooking if necessary for a thinner soup.





For milk based soups, add 1 or 2 cups of water and during the last hour, stir in milk, evaporated milk, or cream as called for.





Vegetables





Dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables should be cut no larger than 1" thick, and placed in the bottom of the pot, since they take longer to cook.

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