FoodDrink Crockpot Recipes

The crock pot is a marvelous invention. The best thing about it is that it works for the vegetarians and meat eaters alike. You can cook incredibly varied foods using it.

And there is no other way to prove this than by providing you two crock pot recipes. One is a stew and one is a vegetarian meal. So here it goes.

The Vegetable gumbo recipe with tomatoes,garlic and okra.

Ingredients:

• a cup of vegetable broth
• half a cup of onion, chopped
• a quarter green pepper, also chopped
• two ribs of celery, again chopped
• a garlic clove, preferably minced
• a pound okra, if possible sliced, fresh or frozen
• a pound of tomatoes, again chopped
• 3 cups of corn( may be fresh, frozen or canned)
• a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
• a teaspoon of paprika
• 3 tablespoons of parsley, fresh and chopped
• a tablespoon of fresh basil
• salt and pepper
• some coating spray

Preparation:

Combine the vegetable spray, the pepper the garlic and the chopped onion. Put them all together in the crock pot. Cook for 3 or 4 hours at a lo temperature. The crock pot should be covered. The tomatoes, the basil and the Tabasco should be added over. Cook for another 2 hours with all ingredients added.

And the stew.

Ingredients:

• 8 potatoes, preferably small, new and halved
• 10 onions, small, whole, white, peeled and thawed
• 20 carrots
• a red bell pepper, seeded, cut into pieces
• 2 pounds of beef stew meat, cut into cubes
• 3 cups of beef broth
• a teaspoon of dried leaf oregano
• a teaspoon of paprika
• a tablespoon of parsley, chopped, or a teaspoon of dried parsley flakes
• a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• a teaspoon of salt
• a teaspoon of pepper
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of water

Preparation:

Place the potatoes, the onions and the carrots in the rock pot. Add the pepper and the beef. Combine the oregano, the paprika, the salt and pepper in a small bowl. After this cook for 10 hours in the crock pot. The temperature should be set on high.

Nothing compares to a universal cook. Something that can go along with the vegetarian crock pot recipes and the stew lovers alike. All these possible just due to what the crock pot is.

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There is nothing better than easy to prepare food. But easy is not enough. It also has to be healthy. And also it needs to be little time consuming. That's why the crock pot is so loved. It cooks the food at very low temperatures. This way there is no need to supervise the cooking. As there is no risk of burning. Here is one of the easiest and healthiest crock pot recipes.

What you need:
5 potatoes of medium size - cut into half pieces
an onion - chopped and large
two red peppers - chopped
3 carrots - cut into half
3 tomatoes - chopped with care
4 ounces of best tomato paste
a cup of water
3 tablespoons of curry
1 teaspoon of cumin seed
3 cloves of garlic - Minced if possible
a teaspoon of salt
2 cauliflower cut in florets
3 cups frozen peas, or green beans, thawed

And here's how you can cook it:
In the crock pot, toss the potatoes, the onion, the bell pepper with the carrots and tomatoes. In a large measuring cup, combine tomato paste, water and spices. Pour over vegetables in crock pot and stir to coat. Place cauliflower florets on top, cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender but still hold their shape. Gently stir in the peas and cook on HIGH for 15-30 minutes longer.

There is nothing better than an easy to prepare crock pot recipe. And if it can can be healthy and low fat even better for you and your family. Avoid the things that are bad for your health. And yet save a lot of time. All just by using an easy crock pot recipe. You save your time and your health with this incredible low fat recipe.

Foods boiled at low temperatures take massive amounts of time to cook. But time is not effective. Because in that 8 hours you can do anything you want. Because the recipe doesn't require your supervision. Never have to spend lots of time cooking. Just use one of the easiest recipes out there. But remember that low fat are the ones that are healthy too.

Sturat enjoys writing on topics like crock pot recipes For more information, you can visit us.

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Here are 2 fabulous pork crock pot recipes. The first recipe is a slow cooked pork shoulder.

The flavor and tenderness of a pork shoulder is very hard to beat. The pork shoulder is one of the family's favorite cuts. It consists of a boneless pork shoulder. It is cooked at low temperature for perfection. A tangy mixture of jelly and mustard are well suited.
Ingredients:

• 3 large onions preferably sliced
• a boneless pork shoulder roast
• pepper and salt
• 24 ounces of best apple jelly
• half a cup of chicken broth
• water
• 3 tablespoons of mustard

Preparation:

First step is to arrange the onion slices in the crock pot. They should be placed on the bottom. The roast pork should be washed and then dried. Leaving it in its netting, the onions should be placed. The remaining ingredients get combined in a separate bowl. The mixture has to be poured over the pork roast. Cook on high for 2 hours, while the crock pot is covered. Then turn to low and cook for another 8 hours.
The second pork crock pot recipe is for brown sugar pork loin.

This is a delicious, sweet and easily spiced recipe. It is to be served with mashed potatoes and a dish of vegetables prepared as you wish.

Ingredients:

• a pork loin roast with no bones, preferably weighing about 5 pounds
• a garlic, also halved
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups of sugar, brown and divided
• a tablespoon of mustard
• a tablespoon of vinegar
• a teaspoon of nice cinnamon

Preparation:

The pork roast is to be washed first of all. Pat dry, rub it with the garlic and trim any excess fat. Sprinkle the salt and pepper. Use a skewer to prick the roast everywhere. Combine the sugar, the vinegar and the mustard in a bowl. Use the mixture to rub it all over the pork roast. Cook for 8 hours at low temperature. The crock pot should be covered. Spread the cinnamon over the pork. Continue the cook for one more hour on low.

Sturat enjoys writing on topics like crock pot recipes. For more information, you can visit us.

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A good dinner means first of all good food. But you need time to prepare other stuff other than the actual food. The crock pot recipes offer you all the time you need. But they still are delicious. Here is one of the rival roast crock pot recipes. Recipe that will make your dinner fabulous.

There is nothing what Rival could do to improve the time-saving Crock-Pot. Their new programmable Smart-Pot is a total winner. Rival controls about 85% of the 100 million $ crock pot appliance market. It offers about 50 different models. Their latest model is the Smart-Pot. This Rival is divided into an oval crock pot and a Cool-Touch crock pot.

And to actually use it here goes the perfect roast crock pot recipe for it. It really is one of the best out there.
Ingredients:

• a boneless beef roast, about 3 to 4 pounds (rump, top round, lean chuck, etc.)
• 4 cups water
• a cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
• a bottle of ketchup
• 3 lg. onions, quartered
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 bay leaves
•a heaping tsp. mixed pickling spices

Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Cut into chunks about 1/2 to 1-inch and put in a large bowl. Add the soup, mushrooms, and onions; stir to combine. Spray the slow cooker insert with cooking spray.

Spoon the chicken mixture into the crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Combine all ingredients except meat in slow cooker. Stir to blend ingredients. Add beef roast to mixture, coating with mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours. Then just place roast in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover beef. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours, or until beef is very tender. Shred beef, serve on split sandwich buns or garlic bread.

This is one of the best roast rock pot recipe out there. There is nothing better than a rival crock pot recipe. A true time saver but also a delicious meal.

Sturat enjoys writing on topics like crock pot recipes. For more information, you can visit us.

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This modification of a classic Philippine dish is quick and easy as are most crock pot recipes. The chicken and sausage are browned. Then the onions, potatoes and garlic are chopped. Then it's a matter of dropping them into the crock pot along with the other ingredients, setting it and walking away for a few hours. This recipe is another in the series of dishes designed for busy people who want more nutritious meals that can be prepared quickly. Because of the use of mostly fresh ingredients, it is also likely to be more healthful than the previously prepared microwave dishes at the supermarket. Put this one on before you go to work, then come home to a house filled with delicious aromas, and a great tasting meal. This recipe will probably serve four, but if there are two of you, the leftovers will make you a second meal when reheated. Hope you like it!

Ingredients

1 chicken leg quarter with skin and bones
1 link of Italian sausage (about 3 ounces)
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped fine
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 can diced tomatoes (you could use chopped fresh tomato)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup wine vinegar

Instructions

1 - Brown the chicken and Italian sausage together, then put in the crock pot.
2 - Remove the glaze from the skillet by adding the diced tomatoes, then put in the crock pot.
3 - Add the other ingredients and give it a stir.
4 - Cook on high for about 6-8 hours.
Serve over pasta or rice if desired.

The author is a retired chemical engineer who in retirement has become the chief and only cook and bottle cleaner in the family. After watching hundreds of cooking shows and reading thousands of cookbooks I am generating and publishing my own plus lots of other already published recipes, mostly pre WWII. I do this on my website which also includes cryptogram puzzles, reform political commentary, auction stuff and UFO (Used Furniture Outlet). We live near Hecla, PA but this is a different UFO. Hope you like the recipes and that you will visit my site to find the over 700 recipes (and rising) free of charge. I hope you will click on some advertising links while there to help me maintain the website and continue to make it grow. The website is http://www.frankernhart.com

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The crock pot is used for cooking meat for a long period of time. The crock pot boils at a very low temperature. This way the actual cooking last longer. But doesn't require supervision as there is no risk of over-cook.

The best meat to use for these recipes is the chicken. The chicken meat is healthy and cooks great in the crock pot. The chicken is fat free so the cooking is slow and perfect. The chicken recipes take about 5 hours to cook.

Here is one of the best recipes for chicken. The recipe is an All Day Chicken.

What you need for this chicken crock pot recipe: orange juice, chicken stock, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, oil, ginger, milk, water and the actual chicken.

First step when preparing a recipe to mix together the marinade ingredients. This has to be done the night before the actual cooking takes place. You have to mix all the ingredients together with the chicken in a large container. Then you must close the the container as well as you can. And the put it in the refrigerator.

In the morning all you have to do is pour the entire mix from the container into the crock pot. Let it boil slowly for 6-8 hours. After that turn the fire to high. And after one more hour the chicken is ready to be eaten.

This is the beauty of the chicken crock pot dishes. They are extra delicious and don't require too much effort on your side. It's true that a recipe does require a lot of time. In this case requires a whole night and day, but it's time in which you don't have to supervise the crock pot. Such recipe will surely impress your guests and it's great because you can spend your time cleaning or cooking other dishes. As the meat cooks by itself even if you do not give attention to it.

Sturat enjoys writing on topics like crock pot recipes. For more information, you can visit us.

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With just 4 ingredients, this Easy Crock pot Chicken couldn't be Easier! Cooking the meal in a single pot reduces washing up, and the low cooking temperature and glazed pot make cleaning it very easy.

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 whole boneless chicken breasts
* 2 cans cream chicken soup (just the soup, not the water, it will come later)
* 1 can cheddar cheese soup (just the soup, not the water, it will come later)
* 2 soup cans of water.


DIRECTIONS:

1. Remove all fat and skin from chicken; rinse and pat dry, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Put in crock pot and add the three soups straight from the cans.
3. Cook on low all day (at least 8 hours) do not lift the lid. Serve over rice or noodles.

General Cooking Tips When Cooking With A Crock Pot

* When you are cooking with a crock pot the key is to let it cook uninterrupted (no lifting the lid). When you lift the lid to check the food you lose valuable heat and moisture. With crock pot cooking you can also reduce time by using the high setting and cutting the time in half then adding one hour. Example with this recipe, it calls for 8 hours of "Low" temp cook time. You can reduce it to 4 to 5 hours cook time on the "High" temp setting.
* When cooking with a Crock Pot, only fill the bowl to two thirds full, If you fill it fuller than that the food will not cook properly. Just make sure that what you want to cook is not more than 2/3 of the bowl or you may need to adjust the recipe or get a larger crock pot.
* Be sure to remove as much skin and fat from the meat you will be cooking. The fats in the food will melt with long cook times and can add an unpleasant texture to the dish.
* When a recipe gives you directions of what goes into the crock pot first, follow those directions. Meats typically cook faster than vegetables, so the vegetables should be placed under the meat.
* If you feel a need to lift the lid and check the food or stir, then you may need to increase the cook time by 15 to 30 minutes for each time you lift the lid.

Happy Cooking!

Alisa Goldenberg is a recent transplant to Canada and loves to cook. She will create dishes and "test" them on her family and friends. She has created http://www.thymeforchickenrecipes.com to share these recipes with the world. These recipes are compiled from family, friends and old favorites. Please contact Alisa if you have any questions, would like to request more information or a recipe.

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In the summer time I use my crock pot even more than I do in the winter time as its just too hot to heat up the oven. You can make just about anything in a crock pot these days such as: Soups, Stews, Main Dish Meats, Desserts, Breads, Cobblers, Vegetables and more. Here are some great tips to help make your crock pot cooking even easier.

Crock Pot Cooking Tips

#1. Peel and chop the vegetables the night before, cover and keep them refrigerated.

#2. The night before, trim fat from meat and cut meat into the desired sized pieces, cover and refrigerate.

#3. Thaw frozen vegetables and meat in the refrigerator, never thaw at room temperature.

#4. Brown meat according to the recipe directions. You can brown your meat the night before and then refrigerate.

#5. Serve cooked food from your slow cooker or it's removable liner to save on washing extra dishes.

#6. Slow simmering produces a mellow blending of flavors, but whole herbs and spices may give more flavor than usual, while ground herbs and spices may give less flavor.

#7. Remember to remove bay leaves and whole peppercorns before serving food.

#8. Some vegetables, especially onions and carrots, often take longer to cook than meat. Always place them at the bottom of the slow cooker.

#9. To assure even cooking of meat, be sure there is some space between the pieces to allow for circulation of heat and seasonings.

#10. Both regular and quick cooking rice need 4-5 hours to cook on your low setting, on your high setting it will take 3-4 hours so plan ahead. You may prefer to cook the rice on your stove top or in your microwave and then add into your crock pot recipe.

#11. Pasta needs stirring while cooking to prevent it from sticking to one another. It is best to cook the pasta on your stove top until its just tender and then add into your crock pot recipe.

#12. When converting your favorite recipes for the slow cooker, reduce the amount of liquid since the slow cooker lid gives a tight seal and retains steam.

#13. Pour your liquids in last.

#14. Fill your slow cooker at least 1/2 full for the best slow cooking results.

#15. Tender vegetables such as fresh mushrooms, tomatoes or zucchini will only need to be added for the last 45 minutes of cooking time, otherwise you could over cook them.

#16. To prevent milk, cream and sour cream from curdling, add near the end of the cooking time and just heat through.

#17. Coating pot roasts and stew meat with flour helps to thicken the broth as it cooks.

#18. If you have too much liquid in your slow cooker, you can remove the lid and cook on high for the last 25 minutes.

#19. Resist the urge to lift the lid. The heat that you lose will add as much as 30 minutes to the cooking time. If you have to stir, resume timing when the mixture starts to bubble up again.

#20. Cooking for 1 hour on high is the same as 2-2 1/2 hours on low.

#21. After the food has finished cooking, it can usually be held in the slow cooker for an hour on the low setting without over cooking it.

#22. If food is not done within the stated time in your recipe it could be because you overfilled your slow cooker or you took off the lid too many times. Adjust your cooking times accordingly.

#23. Slow cooking at the low setting is better for tenderizing cuts of meats (brisket, pot roasts, etc).

#24. Take time to trim and remove excess fat from your meat before slow cooking to reduce the amount of fat that accumulates during cooking.

#25. You can use a slice of bread to skim off excess fats or you can use a slice of lettuce leaf.

Shelly Hill

Shelly has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. You can contact Shelly at Ravish30@my.tupperware.com Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

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The slow cooker is ideal for vegetarian meals. Most vegetables benefit from the slower cooking process, especially pulses, grains, and beans making it the perfect tool to use for your vegetarian crock pot recipes. Slow-cooking is an easy, convenient way to have the scrumptious flavors and aromas of home cooked stews, soups, and other favorites. Just use your favorite vegetarian recipe and let your meal slowly cook throughout the day and then come home to the irresistible aroma of your supper cooked and ready to be served.

Crock pot cooking, also called a slow cooker, can give you varied and delicious meals without a lot of hassle. By just using a good vegetarian recipe book and whatever ingredients you have handy, you can just throw everything into the pot and let it simmer away.

First time cooks might find using a slow cooker a little easier than conventional ovens. The temperature in a cooker is low enough to avoid badly overcooking food even if cooked for far longer than necessary. Cooking the meal in a single pot reduces washing up, and the low cooking temperature and glazed pot make cleaning it very easy, which we all appreciate. Ovens and stove tops are more dangerous than your slow cookers, because of the lower temperatures used for cooking and there secure, closed lids.

So if you have a slow cooker on the shelf collecting dust, then its time to take it down, dust it off, and find yourself a good vegetarian crock pot recipe. You will start to enjoy all the leisure time you can have when your not tied to your range.

To make the most of your crock pot you should have a few good vegetarian crock pot recipes and plenty of veggies and flavorings on hand.

Copyright 2007 ** Attn Ezine editors/Site Owners ** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.

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Pulled barbecue pork is very popular in our household! I love making it because everyone seems to like it! This recipe is very, very easy but it does require some time as the secret for a perfectly tender pork is to let it cook very, very slowly. If you do not have a braising pan go ahead and make this in a Crock-pot. Just make sure to let the meat cook as long as it has to in order to make it super tender.

Use your favorite barbecue sauce for this recipe. I personally like Sweet Baby Rays. I do make my own sometimes.

This is what you are going to need for this delicious recipe:

* 3 to 4 pounds pork shoulder
* 2 tbs. olive oil
* 1 large yellow onion
* 4 garlic cloves, smashed
* 8 sprigs thyme, tied with kitchen twine
* 2 cups beef stock
* 1 cup inexpensive red wine
* 1- 2 cups barbecue sauce
* Salt, Pepper & Ground Cumin

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rinse and pat dry the pork.
3. Rub the pork liberally with salt, pepper and cumin.
4. Heat a large Dutch oven or ovenproof braising pan. Add the olive oil.
5. Sear pork evenly on all sides.
6. Carefully remove excess oil from pan and discard.
7. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, broth and red wine.
8. Bring pan to a boil and cover.
9. Place pan in oven and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
10. Remove pork from oven and cool down.
11. Shred pork and place in a large skillet.
12. Add the barbecue sauce and mix well. Heat through and serve in rolls with a pickle and some Cole slaw.

Don't even think of clicking here, it may save you way too much money!

For an great variety of barbecue tips, sauces, rubs and recipes visit http://www.ribcookingtips.com

The Frugal Chef

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It is a well known fact that the popularity of slow cookers has decreased immensely in the past few decades, but, recently, some new version of these cookers have taken the market by storm and these are finding new loyalists with each passing day- thanks to the fact that these cookers provide the food with ideal pressure and heat, which allows the food to cook at an optimum rate. Thus, food cooked using these cookers is palpably more nutritious as well as tastier.

During the 70s, these cookers were introduced as substitutes of regular cooking equipment available at that time. Crock pots (as they were better known back then) were used as a piece of kitchen equipment which was helpful in keeping food warm and fresh for long hours. They allowed for unattended cooking of standard home food such as stew, rice and other dishes. People loved these because they just had to put in the ingredients, leave the cooker as it is, go to work and come back to a freshly prepared dish. With the advent of fast food joints and with the introduction of microwaves, slow cookers had lost their charm.

The best thing about these cookers is that most (almost all) of them worked on electricity, so there was no flame required, and thus, keeping them running did not require special surveillance on the part of the homemakers. The main area where these cookers score above other kitchen equipment performing similar functions is that the food cooked in these cookers is not only more nutritious as compared to other devices, it is fresher and warmer too, when compared to food cooked in microwaves or ovens. The reason why nutrition is preserved in food cooked using slow cookers is that the food is cooked using indirect heat from the heating elements, which builds up slowly. Thus, the food is cooked naturally, at an optimum pace, thereby providing the best in taste as well as health.

Visit Slow Cooker Reviews website for expert, unbiased reviews about Slow cookers. You can read reviews of Cuisinart, Russell Hobbs and Morphy Richards Slow cookers.

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Melt in your mouth goodness by dinner time!!!!!

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 5-6 hours on low

2-3 hours on high

Ingredients: 6" pork back ribs

cut in half

1 Bottle Chicken and rib sauce

1 pkg onion soup mix

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt & Pepper

*NOTE* Pork can be substituted with Beef

1. Place the ribs in the slow cooker, cut to fit.
2. Empty 3/4 of bottle of sauce into the slow cooker.
3. Pour contents of soup package on top.
4. Sprinkle garlic powder over ribs.
5. Top with remaining sauce.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
*NOTE* Should be cooked from frozen, if not however, alter cooking time to 3-4 hours on low or 1-2 hours on high.

Perfect Sidedish: Roasted garlic potatoes.
Ingredients: 2Pkgs baby potatoes (red and yellow)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tsp garlic powder

2 Tsp dehydrated onion

1/2 Tsp dried parsley, (can be substituted for fresh.)

Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Cut baby potatoes in half, and quarter each half.
2. In a glass baking dish, place the potatoes evenly.
3. Pour olive oil over potatoes and proceed with dry ingredients.
4. Mix well ensure all pieces are coated well
5. Bake in a 350*F Oven for 40-50 mins
6. remove from oven and enjoy..... let cool first though. ;)

for more delicious dinner and desert recipes that will have people wondering if you're really a professional chef in disguise please visit our web pages. we will be posting the links as soon as possible... we just have a few kinks to work out with our service providers...thank you and we hope you enjoy our personal family recipes.

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Let me tell you why the crockpot will save you money, improve your health, and make cooking easy and fun.

The humble crockpot, or slow cooker, is essentially an electrical Dutch oven. A ceramic or porcelain pot sits inside a heating element that heats the pot at a consistent low temperature. The crockpot is designed to safely cook foods for six or more hours, unattended.

Compared to traditional ovens and stoves, especially older, less energy-efficient models, the crockpot uses much less energy. You can load an entire meal into a crockpot and not turn on the oven, stove, or microwave.

You'll need raw ingredients for the crockpot, which means you'll save money buying fresh items opposed to boxed and processed goods. Frozen or boxed side items, as well as processed entrees, can cost up to two times as much as their fresh, raw counterparts.

Next time you're at the grocery store, equip a calculator and add up your purchases, separating your produce and raw meats to your frozen, canned, and boxed goods. You'll probably be surprised.

By avoiding boxed and processed foods, you'll also be doing your health a favor. Compare the ingredient list of frozen mashed potatoes to the ingredient list on a bag of raw Russet potatoes. Compare the wall of preservatives and chemicals in a large frozen family meal to the ingredients of fresh onions, squash, mushrooms, and a chuck roast from the meat aisle.

Finally, you'll find cooking with a crockpot can easily be done in the morning before work on busy days. Prepare your vegetables and other ingredients, throw them into the crockpot, and turn it on. Compare this to the time it would take to cut everything up after work, often using both the stove and the oven and possibly even the microwave.

For example, a basic roast simply calls for one onion, peeled and quartered; a scrubbed and washed carrot, roughly chopped (you don't even have to peel the carrot if you don't want to); potatoes, cut into halves or quarters (the skins are delicious when cooked under the slow heat of a crockpot); a tender chuck roast, washed; herbs and seasoning of your choice; and a cup of water or broth.

The stew and pot roast was practically invented for the crockpot. You've never had tender meat until you've had beef or a pork roast from a slow cooker. You may end up pawning all the knives in your silverware drawer.

Once again, here are the benefits of crockpot cooking:

* Save energy by cooking on low heat in a small, largely heat-contained environment that won't heat up your house or significantly add to your electrical bill

* Save money by buying fresh ingredients and in-season produce, as well as helping your budget through reduced energy costs

* Improve your health by cooking with and appreciating fresh produce and meats

* Save time by prepping and "cooking" in the morning before work

Josh Day is a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking and occasionally filming his culinary endeavors. Watch his youtube cooking show at http://chetday.com/cookingvideos.htm

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Throughout its history, Boston has been linked to beans. Surely the lowly legume is not the sort of association city forefathers would have sought when striving to cast their city's mark in the New World. But find each other they did -- as evidenced by the names Beantown, Boston baked beans, Beanpot Hockey Tourney and the Boston bean pot, among others.

It hasn't been until the 1900s, however, with its emphasis on healthy eating, that the homey image of a bubbling pot of beans has gained cache. Beans are of the moment, the very definition of what our food should be about -- carbohydrate and fiber rich.

As anyone who's ever done the cooking for a Boston ham-and-bean church supper will tell you: the ideal method for cooking beans is in a bean pot in the oven - to make Boston Baked Beans in the authentic old fashioned way. For that deliciously slow, sweetly fragrant baking, you want traditional pots and sturdy stoneware protecting your beans from burning or overcooking, while keeping them moist and tasty. This recipe embraces the traditional way of cooking authentic Boston baked beans.

OFFICIAL RECIPE for BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Serves 8

2-1/2 Quart Bean Pot Version

1 package (1 pound) navy or pea beans
1/4 pound salt pork, cut in 2 pieces
1 small whole onion, peeled
1 teaspoon dry mustard
8 cups water
1/3 cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1) Soak beans overnight in a large sauce pan in 6 cups of water. Add baking soda. Heat to boiling and simmer 10 minutes. Drain in colander over a large bowl. Save liquid.

2) Place beans, salt pork and onion in the bean pot. Add molasses, salt, sugar, dry mustard, pepper and a cup of water. Stir thoroughly. Add enough water to cover the beans. Cover the bean pot.

3) Bake 2 hours at 300 degrees. Add the rest of the water and stir again. Bake additional 1-1/2 hours (or until beans are tender). Uncover last 1/2 hour.

The Pot Shop of Boston is a family owned and operated business that was established in 1959. This retailer is most noted for the creation of The Original French Chef Omelette Pan with Julia Child as well as the "Official" Boston Baked Bean Pot. http://www.potshopofboston.com

*This article is free to be reprinted as long as the author's bio remains intact. (April, 2009)

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In the summertime, I like to use my crock pot (slow cooker) several times a week. One benefit to using your crock pot in the summertime is to save money on air conditioning costs.

Another great benefit is time. As a busy mother and wife, I don't have hours to spend in my kitchen every day making meals for my family.

These days you can make just about anything in your crock pot such as: soups, stews, main dish meats, breads, desserts and vegetable dishes.

Time Saving Tips

The night before, trim fat from meat and cut meat into the desired sized pieces. Brown meat according to the recipe directions. Let cool; cover and refrigerate. Next, peel and chop your vegetables. Cover and keep them in the refrigerator overnight.

Resist the urge to lift the lid. The heat that you lose will add as much as 30 minutes to the cooking time. If you have to stir, resume timing when the mixture starts to bubble up again

Country-Style

2 1/2 to 3 lbs. spareribs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (1 lb) can sauerkraut, drained
1 apple, cored and diced
1 tbsp. sugar

Cut ribs into serving-size pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on rack in baking pan. Brown in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, turn and brown on other side for 15 more minutes. Pour off drippings. Spoon sauerkraut into crock pot. Place the apple on top of sauerkraut; sprinkle sugar over the apple, put the ribs on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender and done.

Burgundy Beef

4 lbs. beef short ribs
1 lg. tomato, chopped
1 c. beef bouillon
1/4 c. Burgundy wine
1 tbsp. onion, minced
2 tbsp. horseradish
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. cornstarch

In a large frying pan, brown the ribs and then drain off any excess fat. Put ribs in your crock pot and add in all of the other ingredients except for the cornstarch. Mix well. Cover, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove meat from the crock pot. Turn your heat setting up to high. Skim excess fat off the top of the meat broth. Dissolve cornstarch in small amount of cold water, stir into broth. Cook on high setting for 20 minutes, until slightly thickened. Serve broth over meat.

Mexican-Style

3-4 lbs. beef short ribs
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can beef broth
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. green pepper, chopped

In a large frying pan, brown the ribs, pour off any excess fat. Mix beef broth with taco seasoning mix. Mix in your green pepper, salt and pepper. Place the ribs in your pot; pour sauce over them. Cover, cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Chinese-Style

1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. orange marmalade
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 clove garlic, crushed
3-4 lbs. spare ribs

Combine soy sauce, marmalade, ketchup and garlic in a medium-sized bowl. Brush on both sides of ribs. Place meat in crock pot. Pour remaining sauce over ribs. Cover, cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. Shelly is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com
Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Hill

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Oh, you have to love pork! For so many delicious foods to come from one place is remarkable. Pork is one of the easiest foods to prepare, as there is much you can do with it. From barbecue sandwiches to roasts to sausage, pork provides so much variety that making it is not the hard part; it's the deciding what to make next that will present the problem! Cooking pork in the Crock Pot will render some of the tenderest meat found anywhere and you'll want to serve it again and again. If you're in a bind for what to do next with pork, here are a few simple pork recipes for the Crock Pot.

The first suggestion to come to mind has to do with how wonderful pork and apples go together, as though they were made for each other from the beginning. If making something in the slow cooker with pork, whether it's pork chops, a roast or ham, how about using apple juice combined with a small amount of corn starch to pour over it? Make sure to add some chopped apple for some extra flavor. To really dress things up a bit, toss in some fresh cranberries, honey, cloves and nutmeg for an aromatic fall meal.

Another nice idea for pork would be some good-sized ham steaks with pineapple juice and chunked or mashed pineapple on top. Have some cherries ready on the side to add some bright colors to this tasty meal. Kids and most adults as well, love ham. Adding these few simple items will turn a good meal into a great meal! Your family will love you for it and you'll love the ease in clean up following a slow cooker meal. A wonderful substitute for the ham steaks could be a pork roast. The juices from the pork roast will enhance the good flavors emanating from the roast will blend, blending with the other ingredients to help create an appealing gravy for mashed potatoes.

Barbecue pork for sandwiches is always a welcome meal in any household and it's one the whole family will enjoy. This particular recipe, however, will take longer than the usual four to six hours due to the firm belief that any good barbecue, no matter the cut, is best served in the manner of "slow and low". The "slow" in this phrase means over as much time as possible without ruining the meat while the "low" means at the lowest temperature possible, without drying out the meat. In this recipe, start it the night before, on the lowest setting possible, and prepare to abandon yourself to it when you come home the next evening.

In the Deep South, where Elvis and Barbecue is King, great pride is taken in the preparation of their barbecue and recipes are handed down from one generation to the next. When preparing the meat (generally the cut is a pork loin or small shoulder), create a mixture of vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce, powdered garlic and powdered onion, finely chopped onion and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the pork cut in this for several hours, adding your favorite barbecue sauce only in the last two or three hours, if at all. In the south, it's preferred to add the barbecue sauce to the sandwich, rather than the meat, and a good dollop of Cole slaw on the sandwich is always welcome.

If you are new to Crock Pots, don't let them intimidate you for they can become one of your best friends in today's harried world. With a bit of creativity and a desire to try new things, some of the most delicious pork recipes you've ever had are within your reach.

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Paterson

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