A guide to slow cooking (Cont).
Beans and pulses.
Soak dried beans and pulses overnight. Place in the Slow Cooker and cover with double their volume of water.
Cover and cook on High for
Frozen vegetables should be thawed before adding to a casserole.
When cooking meat and vegetables together, place vegetables on the bottom and sides of Slow Cooker, and place the meat on top. This will encourage even cooking of both.
Casseroles.
When preparing meat casseroles, best results are achieved when the meat is lightly coated in flour and browned in a frypan before adding to the Slow Cooker. This helps seal in juices, giving a more flavoursome, tender result.
To thicken a casserole, simply set the slow cooker to high and stir through a thickening agent such as cornflour with water. Replace lid and allow to simmer until thickened.
Note: Remember to increase cooking time by 30 minutes each time the lid is lifted.
Baking.
The High setting must be used when baking cakes. The Slow Cooker should be
Cake tins should be covered with foil to prevent steam droplets from falling on top of the cake. Place the tin on top of a wire rack that has been positioned in the Slow Cooker. Do not lift the lid until the cooking time has nearly elapsed. Insert a skewer in the centre of the cake to test doneness.
Vegetables.
Cut vegetables into small even size pieces for even cooking results.
Root vegetables such as potatoes should be cooked on High.
Adapting favourite recipes.
Old favourite recipes can be adapted to slow cooking. Reduce liquid to half the amount and cook for the following times recommended below.
If recipe says: | Cook in Slow Cooker: | |
|
| |
15 to 30 minutes | 11/2 - 21/2 hours on HIGH | |
| 4 | - 8 hours on LOW |
35 to 40 minutes | 2 | - 4 hours on HIGH |
| 6 | - 10 hours on LOW |
50 minutes to 2 hours | 4 | - 6 hours on HIGH |
| 8 | - 12 hours on LOW |
|
|
|
Note: The times given above are and estimate. Times may vary depending on some ingredients and amounts in recipes.
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