Plug in your slow-cooker

There’s a retro movement simmering on Alberta’s kitchen countertops…

Where once trendy little avocado slicers and upscale raclette pans cluttered the culinary workspace, the comforting bulk of the slow cooker now dominates. 

Tired of fast food and concerned with getting back to dietary basics, many Albertans are dusting off the electric slow-cookers tucked away in their basements and plugging them in. Others are purchasing new ones.

“Slow cookers are going through a rebirth in interest,” notes Jennifer Daniels, a Drayton Valley dietician who owns Food Works Consulting, and an electrical slow-cooker enthusiast. “They’re making stainless steel slow cookers now that fit in with the new appliances and look a lot more modern. A lot of people are realizing that slow cooking can be a healthy, nutritious and convenient way to prepare food.”

Make melt-in-your mouth meals 

Gloria Dahl teaches frequent two-hour classes for Edmonton Public Schools Metro Continuing Education called “Time-Savers: Slow Cooker Revival.” She says slow cookers can make everything from soups and appetizers to entrees and desserts. One of their biggest advantages, she notes, is that they can turn inexpensive cuts of meat into melt-in-your-mouth meals.

It’s the slow, steaming process that does the job, says Melissa Kolmel, a Fort McMurray dietician who works for the Northern Lights Health Region. The same process bastes the dish and locks in the flavours and nutrients. With the addition of a glass of milk or a bowl of salad, you’ve covered all four food groups of the Canada Food Guide.

Dos and don’ts

Dahl recommends test-driving your new slow cooker while you’re at home for the day. “There’s no temperature gauge, so you need to experiment a little bit to see what your particular model is going to do,” she says. Because slow cookers usually heat the liner with electric coils around the sides rather than at the bottom, you need to fill them at least to the halfway point, but never more than three-quarters full.

Surprisingly, vegetables take longer to cook than meat. Cut them into small dice or thin slices and place them at the bottom of the liner. Because there’s so little stirring, the vegetables maintain their shape. Dahl says browning the meat is not necessary, “but if it’s a fatty piece of meat, browning will remove excess fat. It’s a taste and texture thing.” She adds lean hamburger and stewing beef directly to her cooker. Because liquids don’t boil away, you use less than you would with conventional cooking. Follow liquid quantities for slow cooker recipes carefully, and use less liquid if you’re adapting a conventional recipe. You can always thin a sauce with extra hot liquid at the end of cooking time.

Some foods are less conducive to this method. Milk, cream and sour cream tend to curdle in the long cooking process. Add these ingredients during the last hour of cooking. “And you really can’t cook pasta and rice eight to ten hours,” says Dahl, who suggests you boil those up while you’re changing out of your work clothes and fixing a salad.

Once you’ve figured out your slow cooker’s capabilities, you too may give it a place of honour on your countertop. “You really can’t beat the aroma that welcomes you after a long day,” says Daniels. “You know that the one thing you don’t have to tackle at that point is starting a homemade meal.”

Buying a Slow Cooker – 4 Things to Look for

Slow cookers can soon recoup their costs because they dish up inexpensive cuts of meat to mouth-watering satisfaction. But before you purchase your appliance, consider these four tips:

1. Most modern slow cookers come with a removable ceramic liner. It’s a convenience that instructor Gloria Dahl recommends. Older models with non-removable liners (often available at garage sales) are difficult to wash and require extra dishes for serving.
2. Modern ceramic liners and lids are usually labelled dishwasher safe. Many older liners are not recommended for the dishwasher.
3. Slow cookers vary in price. Basic models start at $40. More expensive ones have programmable timers that can automatically switch from HIGH to LOW temperatures. If a recipe requires a temperature change and your machine can’t make the change automatically, Dahl suggests that “while you’re having a shower, getting dressed, putting on your makeup, whatever, you could put it on high and then just remember to turn it down before you go out of the house.”
4. Consider the size you’ll need. If leftovers or “planned-overs” are part of your meal strategy, a larger slow cooker may be more suitable.

Simmer Safely – Six Safety Rules for Slow Cookers

Because slow cookers cook at relatively low temperatures for long periods, Alberta registered dieticians Melissa Kolmel and Jennifer Daniels offer these six tips:

1. If you’re preparing ingredients the night before, refrigerate the meat in a separate container.
2. Thaw any frozen food before adding to the slow cooker, otherwise internal temperatures may vary and cause harmful bacteria to form.
3. Do not lift the lid unless necessary while cooking. It breaks the seal of steam and causes a 15F drop in temperature. It takes 20 minutes of increased cooking time to recover the lost heat.
4. Do not reheat leftovers in a slow cooker, as food will not reach safe temperatures quickly enough.
5. From a food safety standpoint, it’s much safer to cook poultry and beef in pieces or chunks. But if you do cook whole chickens or roasts, use a meat thermometer before serving. For poultry, the temperature from inside the thigh should be 170F. For beef, the temperature should be 160F.
6. If you’re away from the house during a power shortage while a slow cooker is plugged in, it’s safest not to eat the meat. If you’re sure the power outage occurred after cooking was completed, the meal can stay at room temperatures for two hours before it needs to be refrigerated.

Plug Into These Great Recipes

Beef with Raisins and Pine Nuts

1/3 cup (80 mL)          canola or olive oil
2 lbs (1 kg)                   lean braising beef, cubed
1 large                          onion, chopped
1                                    red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1                                    clove garlic, chopped
8 oz (125 g)                 button mushrooms, halved if large
1 tsp (5 mL) each      rosemary, thyme, cinnamon (dried)
2 tsp (10 mL)              paprika
2 tbsp (30 mL)            all-purpose flour
2                                    bay leaves
2/3 cup (160 mL)       beer
14 oz (398 mL)           canned, chopped tomatoes
1 cup (250 mL)           beef broth
1/2 cup (125 mL)        pine nuts
1/3 cup (80 mL)          raisins