that's a crock

Crock pots used to seem so 70's.  They conjured up  an era of casseroles and tv dinners and shake and bake.

A little crock pot history:

The slow cooker was invented by a man named Irving Naxon, then called the Naxon Beanery. His mother had grown up in Lithuania and remembered bringing a pot to the local bakery on Fridays where it would sit in the oven all day and slowly cook from the oven's waning heat while the family observed the sabbath. So Naxon invented a device with a heating element surrounding the cooking pot. He sold the Naxon Beanery to Rival in 1971, where they added handles and a steel casing and renamed it the Crock Pot. The timing was just right for a country in the midst of recession with a burgeoning female work force and a desire to save energy and money.

From an NPR story on the crock pot:

Rival's "Crock-Pot Slow Cooker" became a popular way to tenderize inexpensive cuts of meat using little electricity. More women were heading to work in the '70s, and the idea that dinner could be ready when you walked through the door appealed to anyone who couldn't bear the thought of cooking after a full day at the office.


Still true, right?  Crock pots really haven't changed much in the intervening four decades, which is part of their beauty. Ceramic pot inside a heating element, two speeds.

My family had a crock pot.  I don't remember my mom actually using it.  But then again, I don't remember much of anything anymore (CRS - I've got it bad) so it's possible she used it regularly.  Beef stew?  Chili?

In my own kitchen, I came late to the crock pot party, but when I got there I stayed.  My dear friend Christy gave me one for a housewarming gift when we moved into our house, which coincided with me going back to work.  Wasn't that nice of her?  I mean, she had two, but still.    And it's a nice one.  But seriously, there's one for sale at every garage sale on the planet for like five bucks.

 

I LOVE my crock pot and use it all the time, especially in the colder months.  Fifteen minutes of prep in the morning and the bliss you feel when you walk into your house and a) it smells heavenly and b) dinner is done?  Well, it's sublime.  (And if you coincide that with the day that your house gets cleaned every other week?  Unspeakable joy.)

So this morning Doug and I went for an early run, came home, got ready for work, and after 15 minutes in the kitchen I had dinner done.

These are my go-to crock pot recipes:

Slow Cook Thai Chicken,

Chicken tortilla soup, 

Chili (this isn't a slow cooker recipe but you just brown the meat in a pan, drain the fat then throw everything in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 or 7 hours)

Pulled Pork (I doctor this one up a bit by rubbing the pork with some chili powder and paprika and salt & pepper.  I drain the liquid before shredding then add back a little of the juice and a bunch of our favorite bbq sauce.  Serve on yummy rolls, preferably with a side of  Melissa d'Arabian's spicy slaw)

Split Pea Soup   (I like to add a couple diced red potatoes and use an immersion blender at the end to sort of half blend the split peas.)  (I love an immersion blender.)

And my favorite spaghetti sauce, but that's a topic for another day. 

And tonight?  We feasted on  Crock Pot Curry Chicken (complete recipe below)

Start time: 7:43am

In the bottom of the slow cooker, whisk together coconut milk, chicken stock, tomato sauce, curry powder, salt and cayenne.

this little whisk is the bomb.  pampered chef I believe

Add chicken breasts, onion, chickpeas and sweet potatoes. 

I know, they're red potatoes instead of sweet potatoes, but my sweet potatoes were growing things.

It was an acceptable substitute but sweet potatoes are way better.

Gently toss ingredients together to ensure evenly coated.  Put on low in slow cooker for 8 hours

DONE in ten minutes.

When you get home and get over your joy at how fantastic your house smells, start some rice. 
Then borrow some peas from Maura Devine when you realize you don't have any.

About ten minutes before you eat:

add the lemon juice and peas and chop some cilantro. 

I shredded the chicken with two forks.

REALLY REALLY TASTY

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Author: Liz DellaCroce | The Lemon Bowl

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion - thinly sliced
• 15 oz can chickpeas - drained and rinsed
• 2 medium sweet potatoes - peeled and diced
• ½ cup coconut milk - light
• ½ cup chicken stock - low sodium
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons curry powder - salt-free
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder - optional
• 1 cup green peas - frozen
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• cilantro - optional garnish

Instructions

1. In the bottom of the slow cooker, whisk together coconut milk, chicken stock, tomato sauce, curry powder, salt and cayenne.
2. Add chicken breasts, onion, chickpeas and sweet potatoes. Using tongs, gently toss ingredients together to ensure evenly coated.
3. Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.
4. Stir in peas and lemon juice 5 minutes before serving.
5. Serve over rice and with plenty of fresh cilantro.