5
•
Beans must be softened completely before combining with sugar and/or acidic foods. (NOTE: Sugar and acid have a
hardening effect on beans and will prevent softening).
•
Dried beans, especially red kidney beans, should be boiled before adding to a recipe. Cover the beans with 3 times
their volume of unsalted water and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes, reduce the heat, cover and allow simmer for
1
½
hours or until the beans are tender. Soaking in water, if required should be completed before boiling. Discard the
water after soaking or boiling.
GUIDE TO ADAPTING RECIPES
This guide is designed to help you adapt recipes for the Crock-Pot
®
slow cooker – your own favourites and prized recipes
collected from friends, food companies, newspapers and magazines. Our aim is to save preparation time with fewer
steps and less dirty dishes, and to keep cooking simple. In most cases all ingredients can go into you slow cooker in the
beginning and cook all day. Many of the normal preparatory steps are unnecessary when using the Crock-Pot
®
slow cooker.
A few hints:
•
Allow sufficient cooking time.
•
Cook with the lid on.
•
Do not add as much water as some non Crock-Pot
®
slow cooker recipes indicate.
•
Liquids do not ‘boil away’ as in conventional cooking. Usually at the end of the cooking, you will have more liquid than
less.
•
This is ‘one-step’ cooking: many steps in recipes can be deleted. Add ingredients to the stoneware cooking pot at the
same time, adding liquid last, then cook for the recommended time.
•
Vegetables do not overcook as they do when boiled on the hob or in the oven. Therefore everything can go into the
Crock-Pot
®
slow cooker at the same time. EXCEPTION: Milk, soured cream or cream should be added during the last
hour of cooking.
TIME GUIDE
Most uncooked meat and vegetable combinations will require at least 8 hours on Low.
RECIPE TIME
COOK ON LOW
COOK ON HIGH
15–30 minutes
4–6 hours
1½–2 hours
30–45 minutes
6–10 hours
3–4 hours
50 minutes–3 hours
8–10 hours
4–6 hours
PASTA AND RICE
If a recipe calls for pasta or macaroni etc, add during the last hour of cooking. If rice is required, stir in with other
ingredients. Add 60ml (4tbsp) cup of extra liquid per 60ml (4tbsp) cup of raw rice. Use long grain rice for best results.
LIQUIDS
Use less in slow cooking – usually about half the recommended amount. 250ml of liquid is usually enough, unless it
contains rice or pasta.
SAUTÉING VEGETABLES
This is generally not necessary. Stir in chopped or sliced vegetables with other ingredients. The only exception to this is
aubergine, which should be parboiled or sauteed, due to its strong flavour.
Since vegetables develop their full flavour potential with slow cooking, expect delicious results, even when you reduce
quantities. Because vegetables take longer to cook than meat, slice or chop them where possible.
HERBS AND SPICES
Fresh herbs add flavour and colour when added at the end of the cooking cycle but for dishes with shorter cooktimes,
hearty, fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme hold up well. If added at beginning, the flavour of many fresh herbs will
dissipate over long cook times. Ground/dried herbs and spices work well in slow cooking and may be added at beginning,
but use sparingly and taste at end of cook cycle and correct the seasoning. The flavour of all herbs and spices can vary
greatly depending on their particular strength and shelf life and so it is always recommended to taste and adjust the
seasoning just before serving.
