Going beyond pot roast with slow cooker

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, January 2, 2007

When his boss asked him to oversee a slow-cooker recipe contest, Steve Shipley braced for the worst.

As a chef and director of culinary relations at Johnson &Wales University, Shipley had low expectations for this 1970s kitchen throwback. He figured he was in for countless unmemorable pot roasts and stews.

But after testing 100 recipes in two days, he was convinced he needed his own slow cooker. He now owns five.

While, Shipley appreciates slow cookers for their do-ahead applications, he is most impressed by nontraditional ideas. Some people use the cooker to temper chocolate to make peppermint bark, or to slow simmer chutney.

That creativity also has impressed the editors at Taste of Home magazine, which is driven by reader-developed recipes.

Some people use them to keep food (such as mashed potatoes and stuffing) warm and free up space in the oven or on the stove, says Diane Werner, the magazine’s food director.

Similarly, smaller slow cookers can double as fondue pots filled with cheese, chocolate and marshmallow toppings, or be used to serve warm drinks (such as mulled cider), Werner says.

In their recent book “Slow Cooker” ($17.95), the editors at Cooking Light magazine offer a number of tips for safe and satisfying cooking, including:

* Dairy and seafood can break down during long cooking. Dairy should be added during the last 15 minutes of cooking, and seafood during the last hour.

* Vegetables such as carrots, onions and potatoes cook more slowly than meats. They should be placed under any meat to give them the most contact with the sides and bottom of the pot.

* Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated until ready to use. Those ingredients could remain at room temperature for too long.

* Cook meats on high for the first hour. If that’s not possible, substitute two extra hours on low for the one hour on high.

* Frozen meats should be fully thawed before adding to the pot.

* Don’t use it to reheat leftovers; they won’t heat up fast enough.

Cooking spray with flour

1cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2teaspoons baking powder

1teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4teaspoon salt

1/2cup packed brown sugar

2tablespoons cooking oil or melted butter

2eggs, lightly beaten

1/2cup applesauce

1/2cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2cup warm water

Coat two 1-pint (or four half-pint) straight-sided, wide-mouthed canning jars with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt. Make a well in the center, then set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, eggs and applesauce. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Stir in the walnuts.

Divide the batter between the prepared canning jars. Cover the jars tightly with greased foil (greased side in). Place the jars in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the water around the jars.

Cover and cook on high for 13/4 to 2 hours, or until a toothpick or long wooden skewer inserted near the centers of the cakes comes out clean. Remove the jars from the cooker and place on a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the bread from the jars. Serve warm.

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens’ “Slow-cooker Meals”

2cups raw cashews

1teaspoon chili powder

1/2teaspoon cayenne powder

1/4teaspoon cinnamon

2teaspoons fine sea salt

1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

In a 31/2-quart slow cooker, combine the cashews, chili powder, cayenne and cinnamon. Stir to mix well. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, or until the nuts are nicely toasted.

In a small bowl, combine sea salt and olive oil. Add this to the nuts and stir well. Transfer the nuts to a serving bowl. Serve hot or cool.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe from Judith Finlayson’s “175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics”

11/4cups rolled oats

1/2teaspoon salt

4cups water

1teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1cup dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries or cherries)

1/2cup maple syrup

In a 31/2-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or overnight. Stir well and serve.

Recipe adapted from Judith Finlayson’s “175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics”