Better Homes and Gardens: Rock the crock

Better Homes and Gardens (MCT) - Fresh ingredients, fast prep, and three easy techniques bring your slow cooker up to speed. Check out these recipes and tips for fall favorites made on your countertop from the October 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

TECHNIQUE 1: Add Fresh flavor

Give this meatless dinner bright color and a little crunch by adding spinach and radicchio to the cooker just before serving. It's a trick that works with chopped herbs, too.

VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 4 hr. on low; 2 hr. on high

2 19-oz. cans cannellini beans

1 19-oz. can garbanzo or fava beans

Ľ cup purchased basil pesto

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 ˝ tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in ˝-inch-thick slices

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1 8-oz. pkg. finely shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)

2 cups fresh spinach

1 cup torn radicchio

1. Rinse and drain beans. In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of pesto, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning.

2. In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker layer half of bean mixture, half of polenta, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta. Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or on high heat setting 2 to 2 ˝ hours. Add tomato, remaining cheese, spinach, and radicchio. Combine remaining pesto and 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole. Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

EACH SERVING: 360 cal, 12 g fat (6 g sat. fat), 26 mg chol, 926 mg sodium, 46 g carbo, 10 g fiber, 21 g pro. Daily Values: 25 percent vitamin A, 16 percent vitamin C, 36 percent calcium, 19 percent iron.

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TECHNIQUE 2: BIG-BATCH IT

Making two meals at once _ one for now, one for later _ saves time. Use half the sauce now for the shrimp and freeze the other half to use as a sauce in which to simmer chicken, Italian sausage, or mushrooms.

BIG BATCH PUTTANESCA SAUCE

This sauce will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.

Prep: 30 min. Cook: 8 to 10 hr. on low;

4 to 5 hr. on high

3 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes

˝ of a 6-oz. can (1/3 cup) tomato paste

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

Ľ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

Ľ cup snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

2 Tbsp. capers, drained

1 Tbsp. anchovy paste

2 tsp. dried basil, crushed

Ľ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. fresh or frozen cooked shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined

Ľ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

Hot cooked pasta or rice

Shaved Parmesan cheese

1. In 4- to 6-quart slow cooker stir together undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic, chopped olives, Ľ cup snipped parsley, capers, anchovy paste, basil, cayenne pepper, Ľ teaspoon salt, and Ľ teaspoon ground black pepper.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting 8 to 10 hours or high-heat setting 4 to 5 hours.

3. Remove half of sauce (about 5 ˝ cups). Set aside for additional meals.

4. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Add shrimp and halved olives to sauce in cooker. Cover and cook 5 minutes more or until heated through. Serve over hot cooked pasta or rice. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings plus 5 ˝ cups leftover sauce (4 to 6 servings).

EACH Serving (with shrimp) 257 cal, 4 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 94 mg chol, 874 mg sodium, 36 g carbo, 5 g fiber, 20 g pro. Daily Values: 23 percent vitamin A, 33 percent vitamin C, 13 percent calcium, 18 percent iron.

EACH Serving (sauce only) 33 cal, 0 g fat, 2 mg chol, 355 mg sodium, 7 g carbo, 2 g fiber, 1 g pro. Daily Values: 11 percent vitamin A, 17 percent vitamin C, 2 percent calcium, 3 percent iron.

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TECHNIQUE 3: Marinate

Marinating food before slow cooking allows seasonings to both enhance the meat and flavor the cooking broth. Even if you only have an hour or two to let the marinade work, it's still worthwhile.

ALE-SAUCED PORK RIBS AND VEGETABLES

Prep: 25 min. Cook: 8 hr. on low; 4 hr. on high

2 ˝ to 3 lb. bone-in pork country-style ribs

1 12-oz. bottle dark ale or stout or nonalcoholic beer

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel

1 Tbsp. dried rosemary, crushed

Ľ tsp. salt

Ľ tsp. freshly ground pepper

8 small gold or red potatoes (8 oz. total)

12 oz. peeled fresh baby carrots

Ľ cup cold water

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Radishes (optional)

Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

Shredded lemon peel (optional)

1. Place pork in a large self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Add ale, garlic, lemon peel, dried rosemary, salt and pepper. Seal bag. Turn to coat. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally.

2. Place potatoes and carrots in bottom of 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Transfer pork ribs to bed of carrots and potatoes. Pour ale mixture over all. Cover and cook on low-heat setting 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting 4 to 4 ˝ hours.

3. Remove pork and vegetables from cooker. Cover; keep warm. Pour cooking juices through fine mesh sieve set over a heat-proof bowl to strain. Measure 2 cups of cooking juices, adding water to make 2 cups, if necessary. Stir together water and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add 2 cups strained juices. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Serve sauce with meat, vegetables, and radishes. Garnish with fresh rosemary and lemon peel.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

EACH SERVING 497 cal, 23 g fat (8 g sat. fat), 143 mg chol, 342 mg sodium, 25 g carbo, 4 g fiber, 40 g pro. Daily Values: 235 percent vitamin A, 28 percent vitamin C, 10 percent calcium, 18 percent iron.

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WHAT TO KNOW

Find more versatile recipes for everyone's favorite appliance in "Slow Cooker Recipes for 2, 4 or More" (Meredith Books, $19.95).

SIZE

The smallest are the 1-quart cookers _ useful for appetizers or cooking just enough for one. Most popular is the 4 ˝- to 5-quart size, which accommodates most pork and beef roasts and can cook a main course for up to 5 people. The 7 ˝-quart cookers are great for entertaining or if you want leftovers.

DESIGN

The traditional round size uses less space in your cabinets; ovals can hold longer cuts of meat. One convenience worth looking for is a stovetop-safe insert that allows you to brown meat without a skillet. If you're a frequent potlucker, look for portable models with comfy handles and lid locks.

PROGRAMMABLE

Many models allow you to customize cook times from 30 minutes to 26 hours so your meal stops cooking but stays warm until you're home. Also look for easy-to-read digital controls that include a countdown of cook time remaining.

PRICE

You can pay as little as $10 for a 1-quart model and up to $200 for a stainless-steel 7.5-quart model. Best balance of features and price is in the $40 to $80 range.

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(Want to see what else is coming from Better Homes and Gardens magazine? Go to www.bhg.com for more.)

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© 2008, Better Homes and Gardens.