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Slow-Cooking - An easy antidote for life in the fast lane |
Slow-Cooking
An easy antidote for life in the fast lane
A lot of us have memories of our mothers filling up that slow cooker before bundling us off to school and heading to work. That mustard yellow (or pumpkin orange) kettle with the little black knob on the front. The chop, chop, chop on the cutting board that always seemed a little out of place over corn flakes. And the anticipation grew all throughout the day. Swiss steak. Spare ribs. Texas chili with cheese on top. Cuts of meat bought on a budget, slow cooked and covered in juices and gravy. After about 2 o’clock it started to get hard to concentrate on geometry and the Constitution.
As with most things, it seems, mother knew best. She turned 15 minutes of prep time at 8 a.m. into a steaming hot, home-cooked-with-the-convenience-of-take-out dinner at 5 p.m. So can we. And slow cookers aren’t just for moms on the go. There’s nothing better than popping something in on a Sunday morning, heading out to catch a movie or walk the dog and coming back to a home filled with mouth-watering smells that kick-start your hunger pangs. If yours have been kick-started just reading this, take a look below at some easy, all-day ways to put smiles on those after-dinner faces.
Slow-Cooked Parmesan Pork
2 lbs. pork loin
1 large onion
2 stalks celery
2 pounds potatoes
3 carrots
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons sage or poultry seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Sorrento® Parmesan Cheese
Chop onion, celery, potatoes and carrots and add to slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth and wine. Season pork with salt, pepper and sage and add to slow cooker. Rub ½ cup parmesan into the pork and sprinkle the rest on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Slice pork and serve with vegetables and broth.
Even Better Than Mom’s Chicken
5 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cup white rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups milk
2 10.5 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup Sorrento® Parmesan Cheese
Mix onion, garlic, milk, cream of mushroom soup and rice in a medium bowl. Spray slow cooker very lightly with non-stick spray and add chicken breasts at bottom. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on each breast and pour soup/rice mixture on top. Season with salt and pepper. Top with parmesan. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
All-Day Sausages
Serve these with pasta and Sorrento® Parmesan Cheese, or on crusty bread with Sorrento® Mozzarella Cheese on top.
4 to 6 mild Italian sausages
6 medium tomatoes, diced
2 onions, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 dash cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
Sorrento® Parmesan Cheese or sliced Sorrento® Mozzarella Cheese
Simmer sausages in water for about 10 minutes, then place in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except cheese, then cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve with pasta and parmesan, or finish with a topping of sliced mozzarella, place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and serve on crusty bread or rolls.
Slow Cooker White Chili
A great idea for turkey or chicken leftovers, or start fresh with a rotisserie chicken.
4 cups cooked turkey or chicken, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 15 oz. cans great northern or other small white beans, drained
1 16 oz. can shoepeg corn, undrained
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 quart chicken or turkey stock
1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder
1 cup grated Sorrento® Mozzarella Cheese
Mix all ingredients, except cheese, and place in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Finish with mozzarella. |
