Marking the transition from summer to winter, I think that it’s safe to say that fall is officially upon us. Night comes earlier and earlier, and the weather has cooled down considerably. This time of year I want to do nothing more than curl up in a blanket with a hot beverage, binge on Netflix or one of my vampire books and smell the delectableness of a hot meal simmering in my slow cooker. This is my happy place.
Yes, every fall I have a steamy love affair with my slow cooker, we start off slow, maybe with some classics like stew, chicken soup, bone broth to warm my soul. By mid fall to early winter things start getting intense: chili, curries, and congee. By mid-January, my slow cooker has found a permanent place on my kitchen counter: it’s here for the long haul and this is when things really start to steam up. I don’t even use my stove anymore. Whole chicken, roasts and overnight oatmeal are all products of light prepping on a Sunday night and tuck neatly into the warmth of my reliable crockpot.
Now you don’t have to have a love affair with your slow cooker to enjoy it and reap it’s awesome benefits. You can experiment and see how things go. I like to think of it like dating, take it out for a spin and see where things end up? Maybe you find you have nothing in common and won’t salivate at the thought of your soup slowly bubbling with anticipation for you to consume. Or maybe just maybe you will be surprised to know that it’s meant to be.
There are many benefits of using your slow cooker, here are just a few reasons to start a steamy love affair with your crockpot.
Nutrition
The lower temperature cooking help preserve nutrients that can be lost when food is cooked rapidly at high heat, which can happen often on your stove, specially if it’s electric. Using a crockpot is also a great way to experiment with fresh local produce to let their flavour and nutritional value shine through.
Cost effective
No matter what walk of life you are from, all of us can benefit to save some cash. Using your slow cooker is cost effective in so many ways. My favorite is to make large portions and freeze them for future meals. Saving money can be pretty delicious.
Time management
Who doesn’t need more time during the day to get stuff done? Cooking is one of my favorite pastimes, but sometimes even I can’t find the time to whip up something delicious from scratch. Slow cooking helps me to be creative in a different way that a stovetop does and it’s so easy and fast, I have so much time to do so many other things while I just wait for the crockpot to do its thing. Time used wisely and effectively.
Easy clean-up
If you hate doing dishes, then this is a great option for you. Reap the benefits of using cooking with little to no clean up! Most recipes only require dicing, chopping and placing ingredients into the crockpot and setting the timer. All you have left is to wash that knife and rinse that chopping board and just wait.
Lower energy usage
Using your slow cooker will less energy than your electric stove. This is a great easy way to go a little green in your household, it’s always a good time to get sustainable!
RECIPE: Slow cooked yam and potato curried soup (vegan)
Ingredients:
1 large yam, peeled and cut into small pieces
5 small potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
½ white onion, finely chopped
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 cans of coconut milk
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp yellow curry paste
½ tsp cumin seed
½ tsp mustard seed
Chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
2. Be sure to check in once and a while and stir.
