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