Minimalist Slow Cooking
One of the key benefits of the slow cooker is that it allows you to maximize flavors with a minimal expenditure of time. The design of the slow cooker allows you to throw a couple (or a dozen) ingredients in the pot in the morning, and forget about it until dinnertime. Because a lot of the time you are rushing out the door to start your day, simpler recipes work better for a busy weeknight dinner— sometimes just three or four ingredients make the best recipe. Since summer is the time for simplicity, it’s a concept we can all embrace at this time of year.
There are a number of different cookbook series based around three or four ingredient cooking. Several of the cookbooks that are available in online bookstores feature a minimal use of ingredients in slow cooker recipes. You can also find many more three and four ingredient crockpot recipes right here on CDKitchen.
In addition to starting off with some great three or four ingredient recipes that are already out there, you can also work on paring down some of your own tried and true recipes to streamline them to just a few different items. With this type of cooking there are several “free” ingredients such as water, oil or butter, salt, and pepper, which are not counted towards the total.
To get started, you want to think about the essential ingredients in a dish. For example, that classic crockpot recipe, a simple pot roast dish, contains beef, some veggies, and seasonings. To streamline the recipe you can eliminate some of the vegetables if you wish.
Another way to cut back your ingredient list is to use prepackaged seasoning mixes such as onion soup mix. While onion soup mix may be one of the oldest cooking tricks in the book, you can also consider using some of the other seasoning mixes that have become available more recently to add some pizzazz to your dish. Creamed soups, such as cream of mushroom soup, are another oft-used method for adding flavor and richness to dishes (especially casserole type dishes) with one simple step.
The key to minimal cooking with just a few items is to use good quality ingredients so that the flavors really come through. If you have been fortunate to have a productive vegetable garden this summer, you can use some of that abundance in a delicious and simple vegetable soup, such as carrot orange soup. Served with a salad and some crusty bread or crackers on the side, it makes a simple and light summer supper.
With the minimal slow cooking concept, you will love the convenience of the slow cooker even more. Let me know if you come up with any of your own streamlined slow cooker recipes!
Made with salt and pepper, whipping cream, orange juice, carrots, onions, vegetable broth, fresh ginger
Serves/Makes: 4
- 5 cups sliced and peeled carrots
- 1 medium onions, chopped finely
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (optional)
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- salt and pepper
Combine carrots and onions in crock pot. Add broth and orange juice. Add optional ginger if you want a tangy soup. Heat on low for 10-11 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
When carrots are tender, blend to a smooth consistency. Add whipping cream, salt and pepper, and stir until creamy.
Made with carrots, rump roast, beef broth, basil or thyme, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes or sweet potatoes
Serves/Makes: 8
- 4 pounds rump roast, trimmed, boneless
- 3/4 cup beef broth, or can use water, dry wine, beer or tomato juice instead of broth
- 1/2 teaspoon basil or thyme, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes, quartered
- 4 carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Trim excess fat from meat; reserve trimmings. In a Dutch oven heat trimmings till about 2 tablespoons fat accumulates. Discard trimmings. If necessary add cooking oil to make 2 tablespoons total.
Brown meat slowly (about 10 minutes) on all sides in hot fat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add water or desired Liquid, basil or thyme, and Worcestershire. Cover; simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Add vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; continue cooking about 45 minutes or till meat and vegetables are tender. Add additional water as needed to prevent sticking.
Or, after adding liquid and seasoning, cover and bake in a 325 degrees F oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add vegetable; continue baking, covered, about 45 minutes or till tender.
Prepare Pot Roast Gravy.
Slow Cooker Directions: Prepare roast as above, except cut meat if necessary to fit slow cooker. Brown meat as directed.
If adding potatoes and carrots, thinly slice the vegetables and place on the bottom of the cooker; place meat atop. Generously salt and pepper meat and vegetables. Add liquid and seasonings (if desired increase seasonings). Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours. Prepare gravy.
For Pot Roast Gravy: Remove meat and vegetable to a platter; keep warm. Pour meat juices and fat into a large glass measure. Skim off excess fat from pan juices.
Measure 1 1/2 cups juices and add additional liquid, if needed, to make 1 1/2 cups total. Return juices to Dutch oven. Stir 1/2 cup cold water into 1/4 cup flour; stir into pan juices. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minute more.
If desired, add several drops Kitchen Bouquet. Season to taste.
TIP: Use a whisk to make gravy, this helps prevent lumps.
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