Thursday 13 # 18: A Slow Cooker Can Be A Mom's Best Friend

No kvetching today. No politics, no books, no kvelling OR kvetching about my family.

But perhaps I should consider my crockpot a member of the family. It's certainly a lot more consistently helpful and cooperative than my kids, my husband or my cats!

The recipes in blue all have links to posts with those recipes. I also highly recommend you join the slow cooker group at Yahoo . Several of the recipes here originated there, and the folks at that group are always friendly and helpful, if a little too hipped on canned and dry soup mixes!

Thirteen Things I Cook In My Crock Pot:

1)Arroz con Pollo  

2)Beef Stroganoff

3)French Onion Soup (onions carmelized in the pot, then soup stuff added)

4)Navy Bean Soup   (made with a ham bone and some of the leftover meat)

5)Spaghetti Sauce  (browned ground beef, onions and peppers plus canned tomatoes and paste)

6) Pork in Memphis Style Sauce (bone-in "country ribs" in barbecue sauce--mine's from Wegman's)

7) Pork in  Asian Style Sauce (same as above in a sauce from "Fix It and Forget It"--will post it here soon)

8) Sweet and Sour Chicken (it works in the crockpot or in the oven)

9) Corned Beef

10) Chicken/Turkey Stock (toss in the carcass, cover with water, add seasonings/vegs of your choice)

11) Ratatouille   (Not the movie, the veggie dish. SC loves this!)

12) Beef Stew (Still perfecting my recipe. Braised beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, beef stock & tomato juice)

13  Chocolate "Mud" Cake--YUM!!
 And here's the recipe, adapted from the original in "Family Fun"

 CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups hot water

1. Coat the inside of a 2 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. (Note: the cake's cooking time and final appearance will vary depending on your crock's size.)

2. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, melt the  chocolate in the microwave. Add the oil and mix well.

3. Whisk in the 2/3 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of cocoa, vanilla extract, milk, and egg yolk. Add the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed.

4. Pour the batter into the slow cooker and spread it evenly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar,  1/3 cup of cocoa, and hot water until the sugar is dissolved.

5. Pour the mixture over the batter in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the crock pot. Even when done, the cake will be very moist and floating on a layer of molten chocolate, but you'll know it's ready when nearly all of the cake is set and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pot. (As you check, try not to let the condensed steam from the lid drip onto the cake.)

6. When it's done, turn off the power and remove the lid. Let it cool for 25 minutes, then serve it in bowls plain or topped with whipped cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

My notes: I omitted 1/4 tsp of salt and subbed canola oil for the butter. I also omitted 1/3 cup of sugar from the topping--the first time I did it was accidentally , but it's fine without it--this is QUITE sweet!
If you have leftover cake, store it in the fridge. This can be reheated in the microwave, but we're all happy to eat it cold.

tags: thursday  thirteen  

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit