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How To Cook Dried Beans

12/14/2017

1 Comment

 
Beans are awesome for you and hopefully you’ve read my educational article on how beans help you lose weight. Now let’s put that education to work for us by learning how to cook dried beans. 
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Buying a bag of dried beans is cheap, but figuring out what to do with them when you get home is a completely different matter. Learning to cook well forces you to plan ahead, and, if that’s not your strongest suit, cooking will help you hone it.
Buying a can of beans takes no forethought whatsoever, and ironically, has no nutritional value besides sodium (if that counts?).
Buying, then soaking dried beans takes forethought, but is worth it in taste, discipline, and fiber. 

Instructions 

Unlike rice, there’s no real water to bean ratio, so you can relax on the measurement cups Tina. Because they double in size, they’ll also double in measurement after cooked. Tina the perfectionist would tell you that 2 cups of dried beans equals 4 cups of cooked beans. But I’m too busy eating my finished product to remeasure. 
​
1. Decide how many beans and gas you intend on producing. 

2. Add dried beans to a large bowl filled with water and allow to soak for 8-9 hours. (Translation…overnight)Neat Fact: You don’t need to soak lentils. (“Lentils are for the lazy” Tina says as she wags her finger at me.)
​

3.  After beans have soaked long enough
(or you’ve woken up the next morning), strain out water and prepare to cook. ​

Cooking Dried Beans 

  1. Simmer beans until they are tender and not crunchy or hard in the middle. (1-2 hours)
​Different Beans Require Different Cook Times 
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BEAN TYPE
COOKING TIME 
Garbanzo (chickpeas) 
1 1/2 -  2 hours
Dark Red Kidney Beans 
1 1/2 - 2 hours 
Navy Beans 
1- 1 1/2 hours 
Pinto Beans 
1- 1 1/2 hours 
Small Red Beans 
1- 1 1/2 hours 
Wine drinker Tina says you should set a timer like a reasonable adult, or you can burn your tongue periodically testing their density.
2. You can try different liquids to cook your beans in like various broths, crushed tomatoes, or even coconut milk.

3. Feeling fancy? Add in onions, peppers or garlic while simmering to give more flavor.
​
Neat Fact: Don’t overcook your beans! Remove from heat as soon as they’re tender unless you’re making hummus or paste…because that’s exactly what’s gonna happen if you overcook them. 
Whether you’re making Good 4 You Brownies, Hummus, or your grandpa’s favorite chili, buy the real stuff and leave the canned beans at the store. You’ll save money, get healthier and perfect PTA parent Tina can’t stare down her nose at you and your lack of cooking skills.  
Health Benefits of Beans
VISIT RECIPES PAGE
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10 Fast Tips For Slow Cookers

12/13/2017

2 Comments

 
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​​Whether you're a beginner or a pro, you're guaranteed to learn something new to make you an even better chef in the kitchen! 

1. How To Check An Old Slow Cooker

Haven't used your slow cooker in a while? Did a friend give you theirs or maybe you bought one at a garage sale? Here's a fool proof way to make sure your slow cooker is working properly.
  1. Fill the cooking bowl 2/3 full of water, cover and set on low for 8 hours.
  2. After 8 hours, take the lid off and immediately check the temperature of the water with a thermometer. The water should be about 185 degrees.
  3. If the water temperature is significantly off, then you know it's time for a new one. At least you didn't waste a meal!
  4. If the water temperature is above or below 185 a bit, just add more or less time to your cooking time to offset the difference.

2. Checking A Brand New Slow Cooker

Follow the same procedure as above, but make sure you are home. Always, always make sure you're at home the first time you use your slow cooker in case it implodes from pressure and covers your kitchen in raw meat. Sure, that's 99.9% unlikely, but safety first chef slow cooker, and get that hair net on! 

3. 

​Slow cookers work best when they're at least halfway full; less than that and food can cook unevenly. 

4. 

​Defrost meat before adding it to the slow cooker or it will chill the cooker as it defrosts and never cook quite right. Unless you want a half cooked blood pot roast… 

5. 

​Want softer meat? Cut the fat off before adding it to the slow cooker for soft pull away texture…without all the endless chewing. 

6. 

​Every time you open the lid while cooking, it adds 15 minutes onto cooking time, so keep away from it Susan!

7. 

​When cutting veggies to add into your slow cooker, cut them all the same size. Otherwise you'll find mushy carrots and hard potatoes. Cut them the same size and they'll also cook at the same rate.
​

8. 

Foods that take a long time to cook, like potatoes and other root veggies, should be put at the bottom of the slow cooker.
​

9.

​To thicken sauces and mixtures, just leave the lid off for the last 15-25 minutes of cooking. 
​

10.

Make sure you put away any leftovers within 2 hours. Because the slow cooker isn't scorching hot anymore, but is still warm, bacteria starts to grow quickly; and nobody, no matter how good your eggplant parm is, wants to be sick tonight.
Why Use A Slow Cooker?
Do You Have The Right Knives?
2 Comments

Why Use A Slow Cooker?

12/13/2017

1 Comment

 
​If you're under 40, you probably have never used a slow cooker, and if you're over 40, you probably have. Slow cookers get the grandma treatment too often and aren’t nearly as beloved as they should be in this generation of instantaneous desires.

What Is A Slow Cooker?

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​[1] This facilitates unattended cooking for many hours of dishes that would otherwise be boiled: pot roast, soups, stews, and other dishes (including beverages, desserts, and dips). A wide variety of dishes can be prepared in slow cookers, including ones typically made quickly, such as cocoa and bread."
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

"A slow cooker, also known as a Crock-Pot (a trademark owned by Sunbeam Products but sometimes used generically in Australia, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States), is a countertop electrical cooking appliance used to simmer at a lower temperature than other cooking methods, such as baking, boiling, and frying."

Now That We Got That Out Of The Way...

  • Slow cookers and Crock Pots are the same thing.
  • Crockpot is a brand of slow cookers, just like chapstick is to lip balm, or Q-Tips are to… Q-tips. (does anyone know what those are really called?) 
  • The Rival Corporation introduced slow cookers in 1970 and since then, over 80 million slow cookers have been sold.
  • They’re perfect for main dishes, one pot meals, side dishes and even dessert, but are mainly known for winter stews and roasts. 

What To Choose 

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If you’re a one person household or are feeding a family of mice, choose a small, 1 1/2 - 2 quart cooker.
However, while it's unlikely you'll be feeding a family of mice, it's also just as unlikely that you're going to find mini versions of slow cooker recipes or be willing to do that math on what a 1/4 of a 5lb roast is (or where/how to cut it). 
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​You're better off investing in a "normal" 4 quart cooker which is more suited for feeding a family- plus most recipe instructions assume you have at least this large of a cooker. 
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​If you're looking to feed a real life size family of 8 or more (and not mice), I'd recommend you purchase a larger 6-7 quart slow cooker.

The Cost and Clean Up 


​You can purchase a decent slow cooker on Amazon for as little as $20, and most will cost about $30-40, the highest priced in the low hundreds. So, they're affordable, and easy to clean. After using it, simply lift out the main dish and hand wash.
If you don't have your own slow cooker, stop by Walmart and pick one up, or order one on Amazon by clicking the respective links. 
Buy On Amazon
Buy on Walmart
The image used is just an example of pricing. You can't click on the image, but you CAN click the buttons to shop on Amazon or Walmart.
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Benefits of Using a Slow Cooker 

Slow cookers won't heat up your entire house like your oven will, and they use low indirect heat so it's almost impossible to burn anything.  (you're welcome 20 somethings) Rachel Rappaport writes in her book The Everything Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook,"Since liquids do not evaporate in the slow cooker, very lean meat will not dry out or overcook the way they might on the stove top or grill, leaving them amazingly tender." 

Simple Foods For Slow Cookers 

  • Chicken
  • Roasts
  • Eggplant
  • Ground Turkey
  • Rice, Corn
  • Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Celery
That's a lot of dinners, side dishes and left overs that can be combined into countless variations within 15 minutes that will all taste great and work with a busy schedule (and I haven't even gotten into desserts!). 

Slow cookers are great for learning to cook or just as a fill in for busy days. If you don’t own one, buy one. If you have one, pull it out from the cabinets, dust it off and get ready to start using it to create healthy and filling dishes! 
Tips For Slow Cookers
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  • Home
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