Slow cooker recipes allow you to prepare meals that are tender and succulent with very little effort. You can start your cooker in the morning and leave it while you go to work or spend time with your family, and your meal will be ready for you when you return at the end of the day.
All recipes are designed to take advantage of the unique properties of the slow cooker itself. Electrically powered, they can reach only moderate temperatures and cook food over very long periods, often for several hours.
They were first introduced in the 1970s, and are made of heat-resistant materials like ceramics or porcelain and are usually round or oval in shape with a close-fitting lid.
There are many different types of slow cooker recipes, but they all share some common elements. All of this type of recipe must involve some kind of liquid to prevent the main ingredient of the meal from drying out over the long cooking period. While water is the most common liquid used, wine or broths can also be used.
The liquid evaporates during cooking, but the lid re-condenses it and returns it to the dish, helping the food to stay moist and tender throughout. Many slow cooker recipes involve cheaper cuts of meat, as the long, gentle heating process breaks down the toughness of the meat and allows the flavour to grow and develop.
Slow cooker recipes have a number of advantages over cooking food in a more conventional manner, one of which being that it is very difficult to overcook a meal in this type of cooker. Even if you forget about the dish and let it cook for longer than is recommended, little damage will be done and the meal will still remain tasty and flavoursome.
Another advantage is that there's less washing up to do at the end of the meal - the cooker is the only pot used in making the recipe, so it's the only thing you'll have to clean.
Learning to use this type of cooker is simple, even if you don't have much experience of cooking. They can vary quite a bit in price, but you should be able to pick up a small one without having to spend a great deal of money.
Most cookers come with their own book of slow cooker recipes to get you started, and there are many cookbooks and websites that focus solely on slow cooker recipes, so you'll have plenty of variety in the meals you'll be able to make.
