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Today, there is a slow cooker in almost every kitchen. Many housewives appreciated these modern assistants for all hands. After all, they know how to cook porridges, soups, meat, fish, vegetables, side dishes, homemade cakes and desserts. All you need to do is prepare the ingredients, do a few simple manipulations and choose the right program. Then the “smart” cook takes over the preparation. We offer several dishes that are easy to prepare in a slow cooker.
Pilaf with Uzbek flavor
Real pilaf is cooked in cast iron or a deep frying pan with a thick bottom. If you do not have them at your disposal, a slow cooker will come to the rescue. And here is a universal recipe.
Ingredients:
- long-grain rice-250 g
- lamb meat with fat-500 g
- onion — 2 heads
- large carrot — 1 pc.
- garlic-head
- vegetable oil — 4 tbsp. l.
- salt, a mixture of spices for pilaf, barberry berries — to taste
- water — 400-500 ml
Pour the oil into the bowl of the slow cooker, turn on the “Frying” mode, warm it up well. During this time, we cut the lamb into medium pieces. We spread it in hot oil and fry it on all sides. Chop the onion into half rings, send it to the meat and fry until golden brown. We cut the carrots with thick cubes, also pour them into the bowl. We continue to fry vegetables with meat until all the liquid has evaporated.
Next, pour out the washed rice and, stirring constantly with a spatula, fry for 2-3 minutes. The grains should become a little transparent. Now pour in the heated water so that it covers the contents of the bowl by 1-1. 5 cm. The water should not be too hot. It should also not be brought to a boil.
When it starts to boil, add salt, spices and barberry berries, mix well. Put the peeled garlic head in the center. We will not bother the pilaf any more. We close the lid of the multivark, select the “pilaf” mode and hold it until the sound signal. Leave the pilaf in the heating mode for another 15 minutes — then it will turn out perfectly crumbly.
Vegetable riot of colors
Vegetables cooked in a slow cooker retain a maximum of vitamins. In addition, they remain tender, juicy, with a subtle pleasant aroma. And they also make an excellent vegetable stew.
Ingredients:
- eggplant — 2 pcs.
- zucchini (zucchini) — 3 pcs.
- carrots — 1 pc.
- fresh tomato — 1 pc.
- red bell pepper-0.5 pcs.
- pitted olives-100 g
- onion-head
- garlic-2-3 cloves
- vegetable broth or water-200 ml
- vegetable oil-1-2 tbsp. l.
- parsley — 2-3 sprigs
- salt, black pepper — to taste
Cut the eggplant into circles with the peel, sprinkle with salt, leave for 10 minutes, then rinse with water and dry. Zucchini and carrots are cut into semicircles, onion-cubes, tomato-slices.
Pour the oil into the bowl of the slow cooker, turn on the “Frying” mode and pass the vegetables. First, fry the onion until it becomes transparent. Then pour out the carrots and, stirring with a spatula, cook for 10 minutes. We lay zucchini and eggplant, and after 5-7 minutes-tomatoes, sweet peppers and whole olives. Carefully mix the vegetables, pour warm broth or water, select the “Baking” mode and set the timer for 30 minutes. At the end, salt and pepper the stew, leave it in the heating mode for 10 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle each portion with chopped parsley.
Pea soup with smoked spirit
Pea soup is always present in the family menu. In a slow cooker, it turns out even tastier. The main thing is to take into account several nuances. Pre-soak the peas in cold water for 2-3 hours. Then it will boil faster and acquire subtle nutty notes. Already in the process of cooking, add 1 tsp of soda, so that the peas are absorbed without problems.
Ingredients:
- peas-300 g
- smoked meats (brisket, ham, hunting sausages, pork ribs to choose from) – 500 g
- bacon strips — 100 g
- onion-head
- carrots — 1 pc.
- potatoes — 4-5 pcs.
- vegetable oil — 2 tbsp. l.
- salt, black pepper, spices, bay leaf — to taste
Turn on the “Frying” mode, brown the bacon strips until golden brown, spread them on a paper towel. Cut the onion, potatoes and smoked meat into cubes, and carrots-straws. Pour the oil into the bowl of the slow cooker, turn on the “Quenching” mode, pass the onion until transparent. Then pour out the carrots and fry for another 10 minutes. Next, we lay the potatoes with smoked meats and the soaked peas themselves.
Pour cold water into the bowl to the “Maximum” mark, select the “Soup” mode and set the timer for 1.5 hours. We cook with the lid closed. After the sound signal, we put salt, spices and laurel, leave the pea soup in the heating mode for 20 minutes. Add fried strips of bacon to each serving when serving.
Two dishes in one pot
Do you need to cook meat and garnish at the same time? With a slow cooker, it’s easier to do this. A minimum of effort — and a complex dish is on your table. We offer to put out chicken legs with quinoa. This combination is suitable for a balanced, moderately satisfying dinner.
Ingredients:
- chicken legs-800 g
- quinoa — 300 g
- carrots — 1 pc.
- garlic — 2 cloves
- cashew-a handful
- green onions-2-3 feathers
- water — 200 ml
- salt, spices for poultry — to taste
- olive oil for frying
Pour the oil into the bowl of the slow cooker, turn on the “Frying” mode. In a well-heated oil, pour the crushed garlic, stand for just a minute. We cut the carrot into thick strips, put it in a bowl, pass it until it softens.
Rub the chicken legs with salt and spices, mix with vegetables, fry on all sides until golden brown. We put the washed quinoa to the chicken and pour 200 ml of water. Turn on the “Extinguishing” mode, set the timer for 30 minutes, close the lid.
Meanwhile, chop the green onions and, when the dish is ready, pour it into a bowl and mix. We leave the chicken legs with quinoa in the heating mode for 10 minutes. Sprinkle each portion of the dish with dried cashew kernels and green onions.
A useful delicacy with your own hands
For lovers of fermented milk products, please enjoy a real homemade yogurt of your own preparation. You will get a natural product enriched with useful live bacteria. As a starter, you can use Greek yogurt. The main thing is that it is fresh and without sweet additives.
Ingredients:
- 3.2% ultra-pasteurized milk — 1 liter
- greek yogurt — 3 tbsp.
Bring the milk to a boil, cool to a temperature of 40 °C. If it cools down enough, the bacteria will die and the yogurt will not work. It is also recommended to boil glass cups and jars in water, in which yogurt will be fermented.
Add the starter culture to the slightly warm milk one spoonful at a time and stir thoroughly with a spatula for a minute. We pour it into cups, put it in the bowl of a slow cooker, close the lid. We set the “My recipe” mode for 8 hours with a temperature of 40 °C. Yogurt can be prepared earlier — the consistency should become thick and dense. It can be eaten in its pure form, added to cereals, desserts and pastries.
We start the morning delicious
If you are tired of the usual breakfasts, you can try something new. For example, potato tortillas with cheese. In a frying pan, they will turn out to be too high in calories. A slow cooker is quite another matter. With its help, the tortillas will be like from the oven.
Ingredients:
- potatoes-400 g
- egg — 1 pc.
- cottage cheese-150 g
- feta — 100 g
- flour-350 g
- dry yeast — 1 tsp.
- butter — 30 g
- milk — 100 ml
- water — 200 ml
- sugar — 1 tbsp. l.
- salt, black pepper — to taste
- vegetable oil — 1 tbsp. l. in the dough + 2 tsp. for greasing
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in slightly warm water, leave for 10 minutes. Add a little flour with salt and vegetable oil, knead the unleavened dough. Cover it with a towel in a bowl and leave it warm. It should increase at least twice.
During this time, we will just make the filling. We boil the potatoes, knead them with a pusher, add milk, egg and butter, beat the puree with a mixer. Mix it with cottage cheese and feta, salt and pepper to taste.
We divide the dough into 6 parts, roll out round cakes. In the center of each we put the filling, connect the edges, turn the seam down. With our hands, we stretch the dough with the filling into a flat cake according to the size of the bowl of the slow cooker. We lubricate it with oil, turn on the “Baking” mode and set it on the timer for 90 minutes. Bake the tortillas for 15 minutes on each side with the lid closed. Such cakes can be baked in the evening — in the morning they will be even tastier.
Apple pie without hassle
Sweet pastries in a slow cooker are simply delicious. Thanks to a special cooking mode, it turns out lush, tender and appetizing. We offer to bake a simple apple pie for tea.
Ingredients:
- flour — 200 g
- baking powder — 1 tsp.
- butter-100 g + a slice for greasing
- eggs — 2 pcs.
- sugar-150 g + 1 tsp for sprinkling
- vanilla sugar — 1 tsp.
- sour cream — 100 g
- apples — 4-5 pcs.
- cinnamon — 1 tsp.
- lemon juice-2-3 tsp.
- salt-a pinch
Melt the butter in a water bath. Pour out the usual sugar and vanilla, beat well with a mixer. Continuing to beat, we introduce eggs and sour cream one at a time. In several stages, sift the flour with baking powder and salt. Carefully knead the thin dough until it becomes smooth, without a single lump.
Cut the apples into thin slices, put them in a greased bowl of a slow cooker. Sprinkle them with lemon juice, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Pour the dough over it, level it with a spatula, close the lid. We set the “Baking” mode for 1 hour. After the sound signal, we give the pie to stand in the heating mode for 15-20 minutes. We cool it completely and only then take it out of the bowl.
Here are just a few simple dishes for every day that can be prepared in a slow cooker. Of course, the possibilities of a universal assistant are limitless and there are dozens more recipes to her credit. Read them on our website and add your favorites to your favorites. Is there a slow cooker in your kitchen? What do you prefer to cook? Tell us about your favorite dishes in the comments.