Natalie Perry - The Big Book of Paleo Slow Cooking: 200 Nourishing Recipes That Cook Carefree, for Everyday Dinners and Weekend Feasts

Units that were made before the mid-1990s could simmer away for eight to ten hours and cook your food beautifully. To avoid safety issues, cookers made later were adjusted to cook hotterapproximately twenty degrees hotter for each setting. What does this mean? The old Rival motto, Cooks all day while the cooks away, doesnt really apply anymore. The only thing you can leave for more than eight hours (on low!) in a modern slow cooker without ruining it is a really large, tough cut of meat. The good news is that despite the change in the machines themselves, slow cooking can still be a wonderful and time-saving method of preparing food. Personally, with four young children, I find the early-evening hours from four to six oclock incredibly hectic.

If I put something into my slow cooker earlier in the day, when I enjoy being in the kitchen, it relieves a lot of stress later on. I also love not having to babysit a pot on the stove. Plus, slow cookers are incredibly great energy savers, using as much energy as a 75-watt lightbulb, and wont heat up your house in the summer months as an oven would. And you can leave your house while your dinner simmers away! Im guessing that if you are holding this book, you have an interest in paleo cooking or at least in removing from your diet some of the common foods associated with intolerances and allergies (such as gluten and dairy). For many years, traditional slow cooking was all about dump, stir, and walk away, and used seasoning packets, cream of whatever soups, and other processed, prepackaged items. Slow cooking, like regular cooking, does require some prep if youre trying to move toward a healthier, whole foodbased diet.

You may have to chop some vegetables. You may have to sear meat or add an extra ingredient or two to boost flavor. Its worth it, though! Here are a few more tips to ensure that your slow cooking experience goes smoothly.

What Size Cooker?

Using a slow cooker thats the right size makes all the difference. For a small family, you may need only a two- or four-quart (1.9 or 3.8 liter) cooker. If youve got a larger family, you may want to invest in a six-quart (5.7 liter) cooker.

I like having all three sizes because I use them for different reasons. Two- to three-quart (1.9 to 2.8 liter) cookers are great for desserts, appetizers, and making baby food. Yes, baby food. My youngest had just started eating solids when I was working on this book, and he developed a taste for slow-cooked meat and vegetables. Sometimes I throw some chicken and vegetables into my 2.5-quart (2.4 liter) cooker and make a batch of food just for him for the week.

Fill It Up

You need to fill your slow cooker at least halfway, but not to the brim.

Fill It Up

You need to fill your slow cooker at least halfway, but not to the brim.

If a cooker isnt full enough, it will reach a hotter temperature due to the empty space in the basin. If it is too full, food or hot liquid may splatter out of the top and may require a longer cooking time. A few recipes in this book intentionally call for a cooker that seems large for the amount of food in order to add color and caramelization. Still, I wouldnt recommend a bigger cooker for all recipes.

Old vs. New Cookers

The cooking times in this book are recommended for modern slow cookers.

If you happen to use an older, vintage slow cooker (lucky you!) then add an hour or so for the high setting and two to three hours for the low setting. With a modern slow cooker, I would recommend rarely using the high setting because of the increased temperatures set by manufacturers. Youll get more tender meat, less overcooked vegetables, and no scorching in your pot. If you have a model with a warm setting, I would recommend using that setting for no more than 30 minutes. Some cookers are still too hot on this setting and will continue to cook and possibly overcook the food. Older slow cookers are sometimes easy to find in thrift shops.

My grandma has been collecting vintage cookers for years and stockpiles them in her basement. When I bought my first vintage cooker, my husband teased me and told me we didnt have the basement storage to start collecting those. Though I have only a couple of thrift-store finds, they are my absolute favorites. If you do buy an older, used cooker, take it to an electrician to make sure that the cord and plug are in good shape and are safe to use. Second, test the slow cookers temperature. To do this, fill the appliance two-thirds full of cool water.

Cover it, turn it on, and let it cook for eight hours. The water should heat to 185F (85C). If it is cooler, the slow cookers temperature is too low and it wont be safe to use. If the temperature is significantly higher, watch the cooking time the first couple of times you use it, and adjust recipes accordingly.

Special Ingredients

If youre new to making paleo substitutions, these ingredients might be new or relatively unfamiliar to you.

COCONUT AMINOS

These appear quite often in this book.

COCONUT AMINOS

These appear quite often in this book.

Coconut aminos (not to be confused with soy-based liquid aminos) can be used as a substitute for soy sauce (tamari) and boost umami, one of the five taste senses commonly referred to as savory or meaty. They are less potent, so youll need to use about double the amount that you would with soy sauce. You can find coconut aminos online, at health-focused grocery stores, and even some regular grocery stores.