The crock-pot is one of the most indispensable helpers in the kitchen. How to cook in a slow cooker knows a single man, a child, and any housewife. This technique is very convenient and easy to operate. In such a device, it is convenient not only to cook, but also to heat food.
The principle of operation of the multicooker
In order to understand how food is cooked in a "miracle device", you need to understand the principle of its work. In the store you will be offered a choice of many models of various brands, designs and price categories. Their main difference is the type of heating element.
Types of heating elements
1. Ten - the most common tubular electric heater in multicookers. Due to it, the bowl acquires a uniform temperature gradually.
2. 3D-heating is carried out by increasing the temperature of the bowl itself, as a result of which the necessary temperature is pumped inside the housing for cooking. This new technology in electronics is currently widely distributed.
All multicookers have a standard set of functions: frying, baking, stewing, cooking soups and cereals. More modern and expensive models are equipped with the possibility of making yogurt, baking bread and smoking various meat products.
How to cook in a slow cooker with maximum benefit?
Everything is very simple: you need to cook with love and exactly the allotted time. Some housewives try to improvise and set the cooking time on their own. This can lead to the loss of nutrients and vitamins in the dish.
For example, everyone knows how to steam in a slow cooker, but not everyone understands that at the same time, cooking time is on average 15-20 minutes, longer they lose moisture, juices, and with them nutrients.
Recipes
1. Cook the eggs (crumpled, steep, in a pouch). Pour a small amount of water into the inner bowl of the multicooker and carefully place the desired number of eggs there. Use a dry cloth or towel to remove water droplets from the outer surface of the bowl and immerse it in the device’s case, do not close the lid. On the display, select the function "cook" or "double boiler" and the time 10 minutes. For cooking soft-boiled eggs, 1-2 minutes are enough, in a bag - 5 minutes, and in to get a hard-boiled product, wait until the program ends.
2. Pea soup in a slow cooker can be cooked in 1 hour 20 minutes. For this, the necessary ingredients (3 measured containers of peas, onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, sunflower oil, 2 tbsp.spoons and 300 grams of smoked ribs) are placed in a bowl and filled with water to the top mark inside. Some recipes say that you must first fry the onions, carrots and ribs in a bowl. It's a matter of taste. We choose the program "soup", "stew" or "porridge", and now in an hour the fragrant soup is ready.
3. How to cook in a slow cooker: recipes with photos and step-by-step instructions can be found in a special cookbook, which comes as a gift with all slow cookers. For example, you can easily and easily cook pilaf. To do this, fry pieces of meat in a multicooker bowl, then add chopped onions and carrots to it, add spices. Next, cover the fried rice mixture and make small notches with a spoon to the bottom. You need to add whole garlic to the rice and add 2.5-3 cm of water to all of this. Turn on the "rice" function, and after 30 minutes the pilaf is ready. A very aromatic dish is obtained by adding barberry or raisins along with rice.
4. Vegetarian curry. Diced onions or sliced onions, garlic, carrots, zucchini and turnips are placed in a thicket with preheated (function "fry") sunflower or olive oil. Roasting for 10 minutes will be replaced by stewing (add water to the bowl, 1 cm covering vegetables). We turn on the function of "stewing", "porridge" or "soup" for 30 minutes.
How to cook desserts in a slow cooker
Baking in an electronic kitchen assistant turns out to be very airy and tasty, and most importantly - you do not need to be afraid that it will burn or not cook to the end.
1. Apple pie will be on your table in 45 minutes. Prepare dough and apples in advance. Beat the eggs with a mixer in an amount of 4 pieces until a creamy mass is formed, then add sugar and beat again, then at the minimum rotation speed add flour and mix. Pre-peeled and chopped apples, spread on the bottom of the bowl, greased with butter, fill everything with dough. Select the "baking" function and wait 45 minutes. The finished product must be checked for readiness with a skewer. With an increase in the number of ingredients, the cooking time also increases.
2. Cottage cheese casserole in a slow cooker - a wonderful and healthy breakfast for the whole family. Take 500 gr. any cottage cheese, 3 eggs, sugar, starch and baking powder - mix everything. You can add raisins, candied fruits or dried fruits to your taste. Especially inventive housewives cover the casserole with chocolate or sour cream with sugar.
3. A simple pie in a slow cooker can be prepared if guests unexpectedly came to you, but there is nothing tasty for tea. To do this, you will need any jam in which we put a spoonful of slaked soda, sugar to taste and flour. Lovers of chocolate cakes can add a few spoons of cocoa to the dough. Lubricate the form with butter or sunflower oil, pour out the dough and turn on the "bake" function.
After 60-45 minutes the cake is ready. You can sprinkle it with cinnamon or grated chocolate, nuts or sour cream.
It is very simple to cook any dishes according to the selected recipe in a slow cooker. In the photo, as on the table, they look very appetizing.