Comerford - Fix-it and forget-it cooking for two: 150 Small-Batch Slow Cooker Recipes

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Cover design by Jane Sheppard Cover photo by Bonnie Matthews Print ISBN: 978-1-68099-312-7 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68099-314-1 Printed in China In loving Memory of Lori Stull. Because someone we love is in heaven, there is a bit of heaven in our home. Table of Contents Welcome to Fix-It and Forget-It Cooking for Two Do you ever find yourself frustrated because all the recipes you make leave you with leftovers for days? If so, this book is just what youre looking for! Weve compiled 150 down-to-earth, tasty, and easy recipes designed specifically for two. Thats right! All of the recipes in this book will make just 24 servings. Whether youre cooking for your spouse, significant other, partner, friend, sibling, parents, neighbors, etc., were providing you with breakfasts, appetizers and snacks, soups, stews and chilis, main dishes, side dishes and vegetables, desserts, and beverages all perfectly portioned for two (sometimes with just enough for a second helping or leftovers for tomorrows lunch!). slow cooker and spent a lot of time figuring out how to pare down recipes I would find so I didnt have leftovers for an entire week. slow cooker and spent a lot of time figuring out how to pare down recipes I would find so I didnt have leftovers for an entire week.

I certainly didnt have the freezer space to freeze anything, so more than a day or two of leftovers wasnt an option. I didnt like wasting food and I didnt have a neighbor I could bring leftovers to. I hear stories like mine from so many people! Weve heard your voices and your wish has finally come true. We certainly hope you enjoy these amazing recipes for two! Choosing a Slow Cooker What Size Slow Cooker Do I Need for This Book? Each recipe in this book is designed for a 13-qt. slow cooker. If you use a bigger slow cooker, you will most likely not get the results youre looking for.

Slow cookers are meant to be to full in order to cook properly. Since these recipes are meant for two, youll be making smaller batches than you might be used to. Its important to use the correct size slow cooker. Get to Know Your Slow Cooker Plan a little time to get acquainted with your slow cooker. Each slow cooker has its own personalityjust like your oven (and your car). Plus, many new slow cookers cook hotter and faster than earlier models.

I think that with all of the concern for food safety, the slow cooker manufacturers have amped up their settings so that High, Low, and Warm are all higher temperatures than in the older models. That means they cook hotterand therefore, fasterthan the first slow cookers. The beauty of these little machines is that theyre supposed to cook low and slow. We count on that when we flip the switch in the morning before we leave the house for ten hours or so. So, because none of us knows what kind of temperament our slow cooker has until we try it out, nor how hot it cooksdont assume anything. Save yourself a disappointment and make the first recipe in your new slow cooker on a day when youre at home.

Cook it for the shortest amount of time the recipe calls for. Then, check the food to see if its done. Or if you start smelling food that seems to be finished, turn off the cooker and rescue your food. Also, all slow cookers seem to have a hot spot, which is of great importance to know, especially when baking with your slow cooker. This spot may tend to burn food in that area if youre not careful. If youre baking directly in your slow cooker, I recommend covering the hot spot with some foil.

Take Notes Dont be afraid to make notes in your cookbook. Its yours! Chances are, it will eventually get passed down to someone in your family and they will love and appreciate all of your musings. Take note of which slow cooker you used and exactly how long it took to cook the recipe. The next time you make it, you wont need to try to remember. Apply what you learned to the next recipes you make in your cooker. If another recipe says it needs to cook 79 hours, and youve discovered your slow cooker cooks on the faster side, cook that recipe for 66 hours and then check it.

You can always cook a recipe longerbut you cant reverse things if its overdone. Get Creative If you know your morning is going to be hectic, prepare everything the night before, take it out so the crock warms up to room temperature when you first get up in the morning, then plug it in and turn it on as youre leaving the house. If you want to make something that has a short cook time and youre going to be gone longer than that, cook it the night before and refrigerate it for the next day. Warm it up when you get home. Or, cook those recipes on the weekend when you know youll be home and eat them later in the week. Slow-Cooking Tips and Tricks and Other Things You May Not Know As mentioned above, slow cookers tend to work best when theyre to of the way full.

You may need to increase the cooking time if youve exceeded that amount, or reduce it if youve put in less than that. Keep your veggies on the bottom. That puts them in more direct contact with the heat. The fuller your slow cooker, the longer it will take its contents to cook. Also, the more densely packed the cookers contents are, the longer they will take to cook. And finally, the larger the chunks of meat or vegetables, the more time they will need to cook.

Keep the lid on! Every time you take a peek, you lose 20 minutes of cooking time. Please take this into consideration each time you lift the lid! I know, some of you cant help yourself and are going to lift anyway. Just dont forget to tack on 20 minutes to your cook time for each time you peeked! Sometimes its beneficial to remove the lid. If youd like your dish to thicken a bit, take the lid off during the last half hour to hour of cooking time. The outside of your slow cooker will be hot! Please remember to keep it out of reach of children and keep that in mind for yourself as well! Get yourself a quick-read meat thermometer and use it! This helps remove the question of whether or not your meat is fully cooked, and helps prevent you from overcooking your meat as well. Internal Cooking Temperatures: Beef125130F (rare); 140145F (medium); 160F (well-done) Pork140145F (rare); 145150F (medium); 160F (well-done) Turkey and Chicken165F Frozen Meat: The basic rule of thumb is, dont put frozen meat into the slow cooker.