Slow cookers or crockpots have rapidly become popular tools for free video recipes convenient food preparation. Aside from recipe videos the simple methods, usually just one or two steps, even the mis en place (pre-preparation) is kept at a bare minimum. Precision is not so much given importance (to the dismay of professional chefs who prefer ingredients cut up in the same size and shape). Rustic cooking therefore goes hand-in-hand with slow cookery. Slow cooking adapts well to comfort foods as the texture of these dishes is generally tender and served hot, perfect on a rainy day or in the winter season.
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Vegetarian slow cooker
1. Vegetarian Slow Cooker
Slow cookers or crockpots
have rapidly become popular tools
for free video recipes convenient
food preparation. Aside from recipe
videos the simple methods, usually
just one or two steps, even the mis
en place (pre-preparation) is kept at
a bare minimum. Precision is not so
much given importance (to the
dismay of professional chefs who
prefer ingredients cut up in the same
size and shape). Rustic cooking
therefore goes hand-in-hand with
slow cookery. Slow cooking adapts
well to comfort foods as the texture
of these dishes is generally tender
and served hot, perfect on a rainy
day or in the winter season.
A slow cooker, or crockpot, is a small electrical kitchen appliance that cooks
food over an extended period of time usually from six to 12 hours. It uses a
consistent low heat with a liquid to cook the food. The advantage of a slow cooker is
it allows for minimal supervision. It is practical for busy people who do not want to
spent much time in preparing their meals.
In food preparation which has meat and poultry components, a significant
advantage of using a slow cooker is that cheaper cuts of meat with tough
connective tissue can be used as the extended cooking time softens the meat and
breaks down the ligaments and tendons. Depth of flavor is also developed during
the slow cooking process.
Caution must be taken in terms of the levels of seasoning as well as the
cooking time of dish components. It is recommended to keep salt and seasoning to
a minimum until the dish is almost done as flavors concentrate over time.
In vegetarian slow cooking, preparation time doesn’t vary as much as when
you’re cooking meats. An advantage of cooking vegetarian dishes in a slow cooker
is it is virtually impossible to burn food due to low heat especially with advance
models which can be set to adjust temperature as the food cooks. Extra care must
be taken as vegetables easily overcook and become mushy and more importantly
lose valuable nutrients. Raw vegetarians frown upon slow cooking and pretty much
any heating of food as it supposedly boils out heat-sensitive nutrients and kills live
enzymes found in raw vegetables.
Two European soup recipes borsch from the Ukraine and Hungarian goulash
are provided. Other vegetarian dishes such as soups, stews and some desserts can
also be prepared with a slow cooker.