ThePej
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During the summer months, we bring out the grills and BBQs. Have you ever thought to use your slow cooker? Huh, say what? I understand that a slow cooker is meant to make stew, soups, pot roasts, etc. However, there are many great recipes that are perfect for the summer by using this versatile appliance.
A nutritional expert at WebMD offers great recipes from cooking pulled pork, to vegetarian enchilada casserole, to skillet rosemary potatoes to chocolate Kahlua cake. Since when did a slow cooker become Martha Stewarts greatest competitor? Jokes aside, a slow cooker will not take away the value of taste when creating a delicious meal.
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup nonalcoholic or light beer
- 1 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
(Click here for the entire recipe)
What are the benefits of using a slow cooker in the summer months?
- Efficient on space and easy to carry. Perfect to bring out to a potluck party or to your BBQ party.
- Energy efficient. According to WebMD, you can save more money by using a slow cooker over an electric oven.
- Cook about anything from appetizers, meals, snacks, and desserts.
- No need to worry about cooking with a high-temperature appliance (especially, when it’s a super hot day.) Most slower cookers have three temperatures: High, low, and keep warm. Less sweat!
- Dishwasher safe. Bonus on making it easier to clean.
Here is Future Shop’s Top Picks on Slow-Cookers:
This slow cooker offers a touchpad control panel with LCD timer display and a 24-hour cooking timer. The temperature settings include: Warm, Simmer, Low, and High. The Cuisinart automatically shifts to “warm” when the cook time is completed.
This Cuisinart slow cooker makes amazing soups, stews, sauces, pot roasts and more in as long as 24 hours.(It is a slow cooker after all.) It features 24-hour programmable cooking and three cooking modes which automatically shifts to "Warm" when cooking is done so everything is warm and ready to enjoy.
The Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker has three cooking modes, including temperature, timer, and manual, to help cook your meals to the perfect internal temperature. It comes with a gasket sealed lid secured by clips to avoid any spillage while travelling.
The Deluxe Set & Forget 6 Quart Slow Cooker has 3 cooking Modes: Temperature/Timer/Manual allow choices for cooking your meal to the perfect internal temperature. Use the Temperature mode to prevent over cooking meats and the Timer mode to set the length of time you want.
This multi-cooker offers fours cooking features: high, low, simmer, and warm for up to 24 hours. You can brown meats, sauté vegetables, roast, and steam. It includes a blue backlit LCD display to easily read the time and temperature settings. Plus, has a reversible roasting and steaming rack.
The MSC-800C is a slow cooker that does so much more - it also sautés, roasts, and steams, all in one pot. Now you can seal in flavour and achieve the perfect texture by browning your favourite meats or sautéing veggies before slow-cooking them.
