Steak Teriyaki

Slice the steak thinly and place into the crock pot.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the steak and mix through.  Cover with the crock pot lid and cook on low for around 5 hours.  I serve it with rice but vegetables and mashed potato or pasta are nice for a change too.  The meat is lovely and tender and its one of our favorite dishes.

Note:  I add 2 cloves garlic but it depends what your tastes are whether you like the strong garlic taste.

Get all of the facts first before you buy your first crock pot. We like choice don’t we, and with crock pots there are plenty to choose from. Know what is the best crock pot for you and your family.

Take into account the following features when choosing your new crock pot:

Brand
The most popular brand is Rival and has the largest selection.  Another popular brand is Hamilton Beach which also has a good selection but there are dozens of brand names out there all trying to convince you they are the best.  Look around and check out the ranges and be familiar with the prices so you get the best crock pot at the best price.

Types
There are simple types of slow cookers that have 2 or 3 settings (high, low, off) and others are smart pot digital crock pots.  With these digital ones you can set the time you want to start cooking, keep warm, or turn off.

There are crock pots in one piece with non removable bowls.  You can also get two pieces with the bowl being able to be taken out to serve the food at the table, to clean, or store the cooked food in the refrigerator. Removable bowls have the advantage with large crock pots that they can be removed easier as they can be heavy.

Sizes
How big is your family and what do you want to cook in it?  You may only need a small crock pot for two or are you cooking for six and need a larger size?  The most popular sizes are 3-4 quarts for small families to a 6-7 quart for large families.

Shapes
Another thing to consider is the shape.  There are two shapes being round and oval.  Round is good for soups and stews and oval is good for cooking larger meats like whole chicken.

Lids
Lids should fit well and the domed ones are the best as they trap the heat and allow it to drip down back into the pot. You can also get a lid which clamps to seal so that it can’t spill when carrying.

Rival was the first crock pot and has the best selection and you probably cant go wrong with them. You can buy them at Department stores or easier still you can shop online at AMAZON.COM .  Buying a new crock should be enjoyable so go have some fun.

My vintage crock pot

• Crock pot cooking is simple, healthy and a time saver.

• Crock pots are great for busy families and especially for new mothers,  just add all the ingredients in the morning, turn it on, and leave the cooking to happen while you get on with your day.

• There are many easy crock pot recipes including soups, stews and desserts.

• Crock pots use a small amount of electricity so its a money saver too.

• They come in several sizes from small crock pots that cook enough food for one or two people to medium sized crock pots are often best for families of four or five, and the largest crock pots can serve ten people or more.

• Very little clean up required. Now that's a bonus.

An electric crock pot or slow cooker usually consists of a removable porcelain bowl which sits inside an outer container that has electric heating elements and some control buttons and switches.  My vintage one has only two settings, low and high, but the more modern have digital programming and automatic settings. My crock pot is round but they also come in oval which is good for cooking whole meats like chicken.

A crock pot is one of the most convenient appliances in a kitchen.  If you don't have one then you are spending too much time in the kitchen.  Have a look at the great range of crock pot slow cookers and accessories like books and liners at AMAZON.   I am hoping I get a new oval crock pot for Christmas ( hint, hint, family) or at least a new crock pot cook book.

Beef Stroganoff is a great recipe for the family and is a real warming meal on a cold night and easy to make in the slow cooker as well.  You can serve it with rice but I like noodles with this dish.

Beef Stroganoff

Slice the steak into strips and coat with the flour, mustard and the salt and pepper.  Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with cooking spray and add the meat.  Layer the onion and mushroom slices on top.   Mix the tomato paste into the beef stock and add this to the pot with the wine.  Cover and cook for 4 hours on high or on low for 8 hours.

Just before serving spoon the sour cream through the stroganoff.  Serve with vegetables and noodles.  Check my other recipes by clicking the link Crock Pot Meals Recipes.

I love prunes right out of the bag but with the combination of port it makes a nice light dessert.  Its not everyone's idea of a great dessert but I like it and its different. Just remember to not eat too many at once or you may get a stomach ache.  My son learned the hard way that when he was a little boy.  He told me the black apricots made him feel sick.  hehe

Prunes in Port Wine

There are some great old recipes out there that you or your mother/grandmother used to make and they are adaptable to the crock pot usually quite easily.  Why not dig out some of your own and try them yourself this week.

For other recipes here at Crock Pot Meals you can access them all here - Recipes

I have shared this recipe with my girlfriends over the years as I have found women especially love this recipe and it is one anyone, even a novice cook, can make.

Paulineh's Vegetarian Curry

Heat the oil and add the onion, cook until soft then add the flour and then the curry paste.  Cook for a further minute, stirring all the time, then add most of the stock.  Continue to stir until sauce thickens.  If too thick use the rest of the stock. Add the vegetables and stir through, then add it all to the crock pot slow cooker.

Cook for 6 hours on low (check to see vegetables are cooked but are not falling apart).  Serve with rice or poppadoms.  Serves 4.

Notes: * I haven't specified how much vegetables you should use as this will vary with what the vegetables are and what size you cut them into .  As a guide I used about 5 cups.

Variations: You can add a small can tomatoes, chick peas or some frozen peas in the last 15 minutes before serving.  You can also add about 1/2 cup coconut milk for a different taste and add this just before serving.

I started cooking in my crock pot in the 1970s, yes I am that old I hear you thinking.  I put it away again but got it out when I found it again when I moved house.  I was working back then as I am now and I am still singing the praise of slow cooking.

In the last 2 years I have noticed in grocery stores the emergence of crock pot/slow cooker mixes.  You add your meat or chicken and one or two other ingredients with the packet mix and you have your crock pot dinner ready to cook.

I have used them once or twice when I was really busy but prefer to work from one of my own recipes as then I know exactly what  is in it that I am serving my family.  Their popularity though tells me that there is a market now that wasn't there or big enough before.

People have discovered the great taste that slow cooking brings to the dish and how simple it is to make.  Another benefit is the small amount of clean up required.  If you are working then you know you want to relax as much as you can when you come home and not be in the kitchen.

How nice it is to know that dinner is cooking itself while you are at work or away from home all day.  I am glad that others are now finding how convenient crock pot dinners are and how great they taste too.

If you haven't joined the crock pot revolution then now is the time!  Crock pot dinners will change the way you cook and how you spend your time when you are home from a hard day's work.

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Buy in bulk or when on special

You don't have to be a big family to benefit but you will need a big enough freezer or pantry cupboard to cope with this method of cooking on a budget.  This includes meat and vegetables and make sure to prepare them properly for the freezer or for bottling and canning.   When you find groceries you use often  ''on special' then buy them up too.  Items like canned tomatoes and beans are two that I stock up on.

Buy vegetables and fruit that is in season

The cheapest and most flavorsome fruits and vegetables are the ones in season.  Adjust your crock pot recipes to include those vegetables that are in season only.  This keeps the costs down so you achieve cheap easy meals for your family whatever season it is.

Cook more than you need for one meal

If you are cooking for 4 then cook for 8 and freeze one meal for another time.  This saves energy and the preparation time is almost the same.  The crock pot slow cooker is great for cooking on a budget for this very method as it is big enough to cook for batches or large families.

Buy cheaper cuts of meat

Cheap easy meals don't have to have expensive cuts of meat when you use your slow cooker as the slow cooking method tenderizes and improves the quality overall of these cuts.

Carbohydrates are fillers

When cooking on a budget in the slow cooker use potato, pumpkin and pasta to thicken your soups and casseroles and adds bulk to fill those hungry stomachs but still providing cheap easy meals.

Make one meal into two

A good example of this is when I cook my slow cooker meatloaf.   Any I have left over is made into a spaghetti sauce for another meal.  Just add cooked spaghetti and you are set.  Use broths from cooking chicken to make a great a base for a  soup or just add noodles for an instant one for the kids.

Cooking on a budget isn't as difficult as you thought now is it so get out your crock pot and save lots of money in the long run. Also check out a great book from Amazon called Everything Meals on a Budget Cookbook: High-flavor, low-cost meals your family will love (Everything Series) for some great recipe ideas.

Crock Pot Slow Cooker Beef with Red Wine Stew

Coat meat in flour and brown meat in oil.  Remove and put aside.  Add to the pan the onions, carrots and herbs and toss until softened a little.  Remove the vegetables and put into the base of the slow cooker. Place the meat on top of the vegetables.

Add the wine and stock to the pan and mix well together as this then combines the juices from the pan as well.  Pour into the crock pot slow cooker over the meat and vegetables. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6 hours.  Thicken with the instant gravy mix combined with a little water if you think the stew is too thin.

Serves 2 large servings or 3 medium ones.  I serve it with sweet potato mash but you can serve with rice or just some of your favorite crusty bread.  Get out your crock pot slow cooker and start cooking.

Roadpro have a TRAVEL CROCK POT that plugs into a 12v socket.  This has a 1.5 quart removable stoneware crock, stretch cord and a glass lid.  It sells for under $30.  This is a good option because you probably would have a 12 v socket spare in your truck or RV or  you can plug it into your cigarette lighter/accessory outlet in the car.

There are also crock pots that use gas cylinders.  Coleman Road Trip Propane Slow Cooker has a lot of mixed reviews on the net so the jury is out at the moment on it being a good slow cooker but for heating it would be perfect.  It uses a 1lb disposable propane bottle and has a large 6 quart size crock and what I like about it is that it has a locking lid for when traveling.  The cost is around $78.

If you are out on a sporting event for the day and want to heat your food or keep it hot rather than cook it then the portable crock pot is perfect.  You can use it for hot dogs, dips, chili or any food you have cooked beforehand.

Summary: The advantage as I see it of the Coleman Road Trip Slow Cooker is that it is larger so you can cook for a crowd, when you don't have a 12v outlet, and that you use it also as a regular cooker. I think the Roadpro Travel Crock Pot though would get my vote for overall use for slow cooking results, the price is really good and I think I would prefer to plug it in than use the gas cylinders.

If you have used these crock pots please let me know how you have used them and how well did the food cook.