原文: Low-supervision cooking

photo by claireb707
Once regarded as turning meals into gray mush, slow cookers have made a comeback as a frugal cook’s appliance of choice. And for good reason: They offer hands-off cooking, which can free up time for you to do other things while still serving a nutritious meal.

Slow cookers are in such high demand that companies are making them with features such as larger sizes, programmable timers, travel bags and removable stoneware that can be put in the oven, refrigerator or microwave. Road Pro (www.das-roadpro.com/roadpro) sells a 12-volt portable slow cooker that plugs right into your car’s cigarette lighter. It even comes with a stretch cord to prevent spilling.

It’s easy to rely on simple favorites such as stew, chili, soup or pork. Broaden your slow-cooking repertoire, so whether you’re on the road or in the comfort of your home, you can make a wide variety of tasty meals. They’re great to use during holidays to save valuable oven space, too.
Here are a few recipes to try.

Calico Beans

1 pound ground beef, browned
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cans pork and beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can butter beans
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook for 3 to 5 hours on low or 2 hours on high. Stir occasionally. — Becky A., Kansas

Beef and Broccoli

1 pound beef (steak, roast or stew meat)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white wine or apple juice
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1 bag of thawed broccoli florets

Add all ingredients (except broccoli) to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. An hour before serving, add the bag of broccoli. Stir to coat, and cook for another hour. Serve over rice.
Serves 4. — Debra H., Nebraska

Slow-Cooker Apple Crisp

6 cups sliced, peeled tart apples
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 (3-1/2 ounces) cook-and-serve butterscotch-pudding mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine

Place apples in a 3-quart slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, oats, flour, pudding mix and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until apples are tender. Stir before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream. — Daisy, South Dakota

Slow-Cooker Shepherd’s Pie

32-ounce bag of frozen Tater Tots
1 pound ground beef, browned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 (14-ounce) cans vegetables such as green beans, mixed vegetables, corn or cream of corn
1 (10-3/4 ounce) can cream-of-mushroom soup
1 tablespoon dried onions
1/4 cup of mild cheddar, shredded

Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the Tater Tots. Combine remaining ingredients, and pour over the Tater Tots. Cook on high for 3 hours. Sprinkle additional shredded cheddar cheese on top. — Leeza, California

Slow-Cooker Cranberry Sauce

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries

Optional: You can add a cup of raisins, grated orange peel, blueberries or chopped apples, and cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

Combine the water, sugar and cranberries in the slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 3 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop open. Mash slightly with a fork. Chill until ready to serve.

译文: 低监督烹饪

photo by claireb707
慢炖煲曾经被认为把米饭熬成了灰白的浓粥。现在，它重整旗鼓，卷土重来,变成了便宜又实用的烹饪器具。它能受如此青睐，是情有可原的：它为人们提供了不用动手，就能完成某些烹饪的服务，而这可使你有多余的时间去干别的事，但仍可煮出营养丰富的饭菜。

慢炖煲的市场需求量很大。许多公司正在生产出具有各种特征的慢炖锅，如加大尺寸，装上可编程定时器，配有包装袋以及可放在微波炉，冰箱或微波里的移动炻器。Road Pro (www.das-roadpro.com/roadpro)目前在出售12伏的便携式慢炖锅的插头，插到你的汽车打火机就可使用了。它甚至配备延伸线，以防止煮物溢出带来的不便。

有了慢炖煲，你会很容易地依赖于简单的最爱，如炖肉，辣椒，汤或猪肉。扩大你的缓慢的烹饪条目，以便无论你是在旅途中或在舒适的家中，你都可以作出各种各样的可口的饭菜。在假期使用它们，你尤其体会到那种妙处。同时，你可以省去使用焦炉的麻烦。

这里有一些食谱，你可以试试看。

慢炖卡利科豆类

1 磅的碎牛肉,

1个大小适中洋葱，切碎

1个青椒，切碎

2罐猪肉和豆类

1罐芸豆

1罐奶油豆

1/4杯红糖

2汤匙白醋

1/2杯番茄酱

3汤匙辣椒粉

1/2茶匙辣椒

在慢炖煲里搅拌所有的原料。低温炖3至5小时或高温炖2小时。时不时搅拌一下。

                                                                                           — Becky A., Kansas

——雏菊，南达科他州Slow-Cooker Apple Crisp

慢炖酸莓汁