Crockpot Cheesecake

Trying a smaller size cheesecake (not as deep) to curb the amount I eat. Normal is 3 pkgs/3 eggs/3/4 c sugar. This is cut to 2/3 so can be made in a regular 8" cake pan without spilling over (instead of a high springform pan). It's also cooked in a crockpot. Original directions had the pan in the water, but I've made it sit above the water. Not sure if it makes a difference - may have to try this a few times to find out. Had a slice about an hour or two after chilling and was still very soft. Was much firmer the next day. Steaming method definitely leaves no cracks! Think I'd prefer a pumpkin cheesecake cooked in this method. Will try a flavored variation next time. *** for taste, **** for fun of using slow cooker

• 2 pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c sugar (I actually ran out and so had less than this)
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 c graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 c butter, melted
• cinnamon

1. Cream the sugar and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add in eggs, one at a time.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Mix the crumbs, butter and cinnamon. Press into greased 8" cake pan, going halfway up the sides.
5. Pour cream cheese mixture in.
6. Pour 2-3 cups water in crockpot. Set cake pan on stand in water. Cook on high for 2.5 hours or until set.
7. Let cool for an hour and refrigerate.

Related

Cheesecake with sour cream

Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

This was my first time cooking a whole chicken. Worked out surprisingly well - very easy to put together. Spiced it in the morning, put it in the fridge, then put it in the slow cooker before leaving in the afternoon. Most chickens will fit well in a 6 qt slow cooker, but I have a 4.5 qt size one so got a on-the-smaller side chicken and it worked out well.

• 1 whole chicken, small enough to fit in your slow cooker (~4 lb)
• 4-5 carrots, chopped in half or thirds
• optional: celery sticks, cut in thirds
• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 2 t paprika
• 1 t salt
• 1 t thyme
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1/4 t pepper

1. Combine rub spices in bowl.
2. Put onions, carrots and celery on bottom of slow cooker.
3. Remove giblets from chicken. Rub spice mixture all over chicken, and optionally inside and under the breast skin.
4. Place chicken on top of veggies and cover. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until meat is falling off the bone.
5. Serve hot (with rice and greens).
6. Use carcass to make chicken stock.

Chicken Stock

• 1 rib celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• parsley
• thyme
• onion
• salt

1. Pick meat off bone and store as leftovers. Leave in bones, onion and juices.
2. Roughly chop celery, carrot and onion. Add to crockpot along with spices.
3. Fill with water up to 1/2" from top.
4. Cook on low overnight (or 8-10 hours).
5. Run through sieve to separate bone and other bits from the stock. Refrigerate or freeze.
6. Use in split pea soup, hedgehog meatballs, wonton soup, risotto, etc.

Slow Cooker Burrito Beans

This recipe is supposed to mimic refried beans, without having to use the stove. They take quite a long time on high heat, so need to be started very early, or done on low the night before.

• 3 c dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 small onion, cut in half
• 5 cl garlic, chopped
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 3 t salt
• 1 t fresh ground pepper
• 1 t cumin
• 9 c water

1. Place onion, jalapeno, beans, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin in slow cooker. Pour in water and stir to combine.
2. Cook on high for 8 hours (or start night before on low).
3. Pull out beans by strainer to serving bowl, leaving liquid in slow cooker. Mash with potato masher, adding liquid as needed for desired consistency.
4. Serve as filler for burritos. Freeze leftovers.

Turkey Cranberry Apple Cheese Meatballs

I could only find sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins) so went with that instead of the unsweetened called for in the original recipe. They definitely came out with a sweet kick - which was ok, though if using Craisins again I'd probably reduce the amount so it wouldn't be so sweet. The cheese disappears in the final result so can be left out altogether if needed.

• 0.6 kg extra lean ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1 t rosemary
• 1 green apple, peeled and grated
• 1/2 c grated extra sharp cheddar
• 1/2 c dried unsweetened cranberries (or 1/4 c sweetened)
• ~1/2 c dried breadcrumbs

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. It will be very wet.
2. Make golf-ball sized meatballs and drop into 4.5 qt crockpot, layering up as needed.
3. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for half the time. (Mine started lightly browning after 2.5 hours and the ones close to the sides starting getting very dark brown after 5 hours.)
4. Serve with rice/quinoa and green beans.
5. Leftovers may be frozen.

Note

Can be baked in oven instead of cooked in slow cooker. 375F for 25 min

Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs and Sauce

Made this today in a rush - sauce came out tasty but meatballs needed more spices. Served with spaghetti. Could use leftovers to make meatball sandwiches. Worth trying again and adjusting the spices and flavorings. Definitely was easy as it was. Most other recipes require cooking meatballs separately. This is done all in the slow cooker. The risk is a greasier sauce. There was minimal grease in mine - I was able to spoon off some extra liquid/grease from the top.

• 1.5 lb (extra) lean ground beef
• 1/4 c parmesan (increase to 1/3)
• spices: parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, rosemary, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, etc
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c - 2/3 c breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomato
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 T sugar
• 1 T parmesan* (or more?)
• more spices* (same as above, generous pinches of everything)
• optional: diced carrot
• optional: 1/3 c red wine

1. Mix beef with parmesan, generous amount of spices, garlic and egg. Add in breadcrumbs until desired consistency.
2. Pour crushed tomatoes and sauce in 4.5 quart slow cooker. Add in sugar, parmesan and pinches of spices (and optional carrot). Stir.
3. Divide beef mixture into 16-20 pieces and roll into balls. Place in slow cooker and stir to cover with sauce.
4. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Variations

- add in tomato puree to thicken sauce

- add minced onion to meatball mixture

- use homemade sauce instead of store bought

- use mixture of beef, sausage, turkey, etc

- use fattier meat, at the risk of greasier sauce. To counter it, you could prebake the meatballs at 350 F...but then it wouldn't really be an "easy" slow cooker recipe anymore.

- make meatballs night before, then throw in sauce ingredients next day to cook.

Slow Cooker Brown Chicken

Made this a couple days ago and it turned out alright. Leftovers tasted even better. Search on 'shoyu chicken' turns up all sorts of recipes with different ratios and some slight variations in ingredients. Hard to go wrong it seems.

• 1 c soy sauce (shoyu)
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 c water *
• 1/2 c sake
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1" ginger, sliced
• value pack of skinless (boneless) chicken thighs

1. Combine everything but the chicken.
2. Place thighs in slow cooker dish. Pour sauce over. Add extra water to cover thighs (for 16 thighs I added 1 c water). Note that they float so some will not be fully covered.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, turning chicken once (I turned after 4 hours).
4. Serve with rice and veggies.

Variations

- add chopped scallions

- add 1 T vinegar

Falafels

Relatively easy to make. Inspired by crockpot365 but pureed chickpeas instead of fork mashing for ease.

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cl garlic
• 1 T dried parsley
• 1 egg
• 1 t salt (really)
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 t cumin
• 1 t coriander
• 1/2 t cayenne
• juice from 1 lemon (3 T)
• ~3/4 c bread crumbs
• 2 T olive oil

1. Pulse onion and garlic.
2. Add spices, egg and lemon juice. Puree.
3. Add chickpeas and blend.
4. Transfer to bowl and add 1/2 c bread crumbs. Add more as needed until mixture is wet and sticky but balls can be formed.
5. Pour 2 T olive oil on bottom of crock pot.
6. Form golf ball sized balls and dip in oil. Place on bottom of pot - ok to touch or layer.
7. Cook on high for 3.5-4.5 hours, until balls are golden brown.

Variations

- fry in pan (requires more oil)

- bake in oven (faster at higher heat but uses more energy)

Potato Soup II

Made this slow cooker potato soup and it turned out very tasty. It's very similar to the potato soup I made several years ago on the stove (well all potato soups are similar) but I think this one is better. Can't be sure as it wasn't a side by side taste test. I used yellow potatoes. This filled up the whole pot and made 3 jars of leftovers after dinner (one of which went into the freezer).
12/19/12 update: had the freezer one today. Texture was very strange - would not recommend freezing this after all. Just refrigerate. 

• less than 3 lbs potatoes
• 5 cups broth
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• black pepper
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)

1. Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks (~1" cubes).
2. Put all ingredients in slow cooker, EXCEPT for cream cheese.
3. Cook on high for 4.5 hours. The potatoes should be fork tender.
4. Puree half of the soup, along with cubed cream cheese.
5. Optional: Garnish with chopped scallions, shredded cheese, bacon, etc.

Related

Potato Soup I - stove top

Split Pea Soup II

This one is from the Whole Foods website. It differs from version I in that it has fresh parsley and pork hocks, whereas the other has cloves and brown sugar. The tastes are decidedly different, though in a blind taste test Ma couldn't tell the difference! Need to see how the leftovers taste before I judge which one is better. This filled up my 4 qt slow cooker - don't go any smaller without adjusting the recipe. 
9/6/13 Finally return of cooler weather allowed me to use the slow cooker again. Made this tonight for dinner, excluding onions and salt. Used a mix of 2 kinds of green dahl. Increased garlic to 5 cloves and also added cumin and curry powder. Used no-salt chicken broth. Cooked on high for 5 hours - meat was not falling off bone like last time, but was cooked through. Served with baguettes.
Nov 2015 - Made this again with a giant smoked ham hock and only 4 c of beef broth, no onion, plus added cumin and curry powder. Was the best one according to MM.

• 2 1/4 c dried green dahl, rinsed (16 oz)
• 2 pork hocks (the small kind)
• 2 carrots, chopped (~1 c)
• 1/2 onion, chopped (less than 1 c)
• 2 ribs celery, chopped (incl leaves if there are any)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• handful chopped fresh parsley (1/4 c)
• 6 c chicken broth

1. Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given. Do not stir.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (or high 4-5 hours), until meat falls off bone (or until peas are very soft).
3. Take out bay leaf and hocks. Pull of meat from bones and add back to pot.
4. Optional: add salt and pepper.

Variations

• Substitute 2 cups meat for the pork hocks, such as sauteed chicken sausage, ham, diced smoked turkey
• Add a small diced potato.
• Add rosemary.

Related Recipes

Split Pea Soup I - vegetarian, with cloves, curry powder, cumin and brown sugar

Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna

original recipe
Threw together this afternoon, with many interruptions. Would prefer a recipe that didn't require mixing spinach with cheese. Defrosting and squeezing excess water also took a while. Otherwise was very simple to prepare and turned out ok. Would add sliced mushrooms/zucchini next time (of course that also makes it more labor intensive). I used a jar of Paul Newmans basil and tomato sauce, followed by Ragu original (which was much more watery than the Paul Newman jar). ***
12/6/12 Made this with giant mushroom in the first layer, half a zucchini in the 2nd, and another mushroom on the top layer. More delicious! Used a jar of Paul Newmans cheese tomato sauce and topped off with Classico portobello mushroom. ****
10/10/19 Used 4 layers for volume, but reacting badly to lactose. :(

• 2 pkg frozen spinach, defrosted
• 1 c ricotta
• 1/2 c parmesan
• 3 c spaghetti sauce (1 jar + a bit from another)
• 6 lasagna noodles, no boil kind (or not)
• 1.5 c shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 c parmesan*
• optional: extra veggies (mushroom, zucchini, ...)

1. Combine spinach, ricotta and parmesan.
2. Put 3/4 cup sauce on bottom of 4 quart slow cooker. Spread evenly.
3. Layer 2 noodles, broken apart to fit. Spread 3/4 c sauce, then half of the spinach mixture, (optional veggies,) and 1/2 c mozzarella. Repeat.
4. Layer 2 noodles, remaining 3/4 c sauce, (optional veggies,) 1/2 c mozzarella and 1/4 c parmesan.
5. Cover and cook on low for 3.5-4 hours, until noodles are done and cheese is slightly browned.

Split Pea Soup I

Started cooking at 9:30 pm and had it for lunch the next day. It looked a bit watery at first, but after pureeing part of it and letting it sit for a while it looked thicker. There is a nice hint of cloves - delicious! Made in 4 quart slow cooker - could probably double to have more for leftovers. Also used the east indian curry powder from House of Spice. Based on original recipe.

• 1 c dried split peas
• 5 c water
• 2 T Better than Bouillon
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery (with a few leaves) - split
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• l/2 t cumin
• l/2 t curry powder
• 1 bay leaf
• optional: 1 T brown sugar

1. Rinse dahl and add to slow cooker.
2. Cut off 3" of celery and poke the 3 cloves into it. Chop the rest of the celery.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except brown sugar, to crockpot.
4. Cook on low for 12-15 hours.
5. Let cool slightly. Puree all or part of soup.
6. Add in brown sugar.
7. Enjoy!

Related Recipes

Split Pea Soup II - with meat and parsley

Freezer Meal I

First attempt at freezer meals. Planned ahead for 8 dishes but only got through 5 of them. This was with MP's help - which was massive.

[Chicken Pesto] - didn't make it - simple enough to be able to throw together any time. Would be better to have it for dinner and make a second for the freezer version at the same time.
Teriyaki Chicken * - #2 to complete
Chicken Curry **** - last one to be started - made this for dinner - ran out of coconut milk. Fed 3 people and put remainder in 2 mason jars for the freezer. Increased to 6 thighs and 1 breast.
Beef and Vegetable Soup **- #3 to complete. Accidentally put the onions and garlic in the freezer bag then realized was supposed to cook with the beef.
[Unstuffed Shells] *** - didn't make it - simple enough to throw together tomorrow.
E Fagioli Soup **/NI - started putting everything in the slow cooker and realized it wasn't going to all fit in the 4 qt dish. Not sure how it will turn out without 7 c of beef broth, 20 oz of sauce, nor all the pasta. Feels like this may be the disaster dish
Mongolian Beef - #1 to complete
[Bread Sticks] - didn't start prepping til afternoon, so this didn't get attended to. Would be easier if had 3rd person or started much earlier in the day.

Tomorrow want to do the unstuffed shells, chicken pesto and bread sticks. And maybe salvage the E Fagioli Soup.

Process

- chose dishes
- grocery shopped
- chopped fresh veges
- got out meats
- did freezer bags first, then stove top cooking
MP helped with chopping and cleaning throughout - this was priceless!

Lessons Learned

Good to combine dishes: Teriyaki Chicken, Chicken Curry, Beef + Veg Soup, E Fagioli Soup, Mongolian Beef. Because...

• limited to 2 meats (chicken and beef)
• share many chopped items (carrots, onion, garlic, celery).
• 3 are straight to freezer, 1 is stove top and 1 is slow cooker. 

Chicken Pesto could be combined because it also uses chicken, but I didn't have the pesto ready so couldn't throw it together. The unstuffed shells require boiling pasta and also didn't have time (or make time) for that.

When choosing recipes, I was trying for variety. But realize after better to group by similarity. Today could be the carrot/onion/garlic/celery dishes. Next time could be the pasta/cheese dishes. Another time could be themed with something else. If freezer gets full of 3 types, then when pulling out, there can be variety.

Slow Cooker Dal

Inspired by a post on saltandpaprika I gave a crack at dal in the slow cooker. Next time I wouldn't mix in the two types of dal - they cooked at different rates - one became mush and the other needed more cooking. Or maybe my yellow dal was too old. It was beautiful in color though, especially with a side of spinach. Used madras curry powder from kensington market.
12/19/12 Made this with 2 c red lentils and a can of whole tomatoes (that I diced myself, and then strained the seeds out of the juice). Used crushed red pepper in place of chili flakes.  Turned out delicious! Used the east indian curry powder from kensington market. Ate with mixed rice and roasted pumpkin.

• 1.5 c red lentils
• 3/4 c yellow dal
• 2 1/4 c water (equal to cups of dal)
• 2 T minced garlic
• thumb size of fresh ginger, grated or chopped
• 2 T canola
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/4 t chili flakes
• 1 t powdered cumin
• 1 t dried cilantro
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1 t curry powder
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 carrot, chopped

1. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, oil and spices. Microwave 30-40 seconds.
2. Place mixture in bottom of slow cooker. Add lentils, water, coconut milk, tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaf, and carrots.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (longer for yellow dahl, shorter for red dahl). [Or high for 2.5-3 hours.]
4. Serve with basmati rice (and a spinach dish for additional color).

Feb 2013: Tried a variation on the recipe, using a very rich can of coconut milk (55% fat) and curry powder and more carrots. Liked this one better.

• 2 cl garlic, minced
• 1 T ginger, diced
• 2 t curry powder (east indian from Kensington spice shop)
• 1/2 t chili flakes
• 2 T canola oil
• 2 c red lentils, rinsed
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1 can coconut milk, creamiest you can find
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 t salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 c water

1. Mix the curry powder, chili flakes, garlic and ginger with the oil. Microwave for about 30 seconds (or until fragrant). 
2. In the slow cooker, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour the oil mixture over the top and mix well.
3. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 2.5-3 hours.
4. Serve with rice. Leftovers keep well in fridge or freezer.

Weekend Chicken

made the house smell wonderful all day. this one's from thetastetraveller. the meat just fell off the bone.

• 10 pack of chicken drumsticks
• 1 bulb of garlic, peeled
• 1 T dried basil
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• pepper
• 1/2 c water + 1/3 t Better Than Bouillon

1. Place chicken in slow cooker with garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and pepper. 
2. Stir to coat.
3. Pour in broth.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours (up to 10).
5. Serve with rice and veges.

Notes

• breasts cook faster
• fry drumsticks/thighs in oil before placing in slow cooker.
• made with frozen drumsticks and cooked for 9 hours.

Mushroom Risotto

My first attempt at risotto and it was delicious! Used the recipe from allrecipes.com. The creaminess comes mostly from the starch in the rice (the cheese adds a little more).

Original *****

• 1 lb white mushrooms
• 3 portobello mushrooms (1 lb)
• 3 T olive oil, divided
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1.5 c arborio rice
• 1/2 c dry white wine (like sauvignon blanc)
• 6 c chicken broth (Better than Bouillon + water), divided
• 3 T butter
• 1/3 c fresh parmesan, grated
• pepper

1. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Dice the shallots. [Optional: garlic]
2. In a saucepan, heat the broth over low heat (heat 5 on electric stove). [This should be hot but not boiling.]
3. In a large saucepan, heat 2 T oil over medium-high heat (heat 7 on electric stove). Add mushrooms. Stir until soft (3-6 minutes). Set aside mushrooms with liquid.
4. Heat 1 T oil. Add the shallots. Cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice. Stir to coat with oil.
6. After the rice turns a pale golden color (2 minutes), pour in wine, stirring CONSTANTLY until fully absorbed.
7. Add 1/2 c of broth and stir CONSTANTLY until absorbed (~ 2 min and mixture will be boiling). Repeat. This will take about 20 minutes...rice should be al dente.
8. Remove from heat and stir in mushrooms, butter, parmesan and pepper.
9. Ready to eat immediately. Serves 6.

Notes

• stir constantly to keep from sticking to pan
• many people like to add garlic with the shallots.
• This is a super mushroom dish - you can use just half a pound of each and still enjoy it.
• can double the wine (and reduce the broth)
• Add 3 T chopped chives in with the parmesan.
• Add lime juice at the end.
• For vegetarian, use vegetable stock.

2/14/15 Used 4 portabellos, 9 oz white mushrooms, low sodium chicken broth, freshly grated baby parmesan and served with peas. Was super-mushroomy.

Slow Cooker Risotto ***

September 2012 Tried the slow cooker version, in the hopes of it being easier. Since still had to precook and turned out a bit mushy, don't think it went by any easier. Though the timing could be more convenient since you can step away for 1.5 hour while it's cooking. 

1 t olive oil
1/2 c diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 portobello mushrooms (or other variety of mushroom)
2 c chicken broth
2 c Arborio rice
2 c water (I had to add more)
1/2 c white wine
1/2 t sea salt

1 c frozen peas
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 T butter

1. Saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms in oil until soft (4-5 min).
2. Stir in 1/2 c broth and the rice and cook until liquid is fully absorbed (~5 min).
3. Transfer to 4 qt slow cooker. Add the water, wine, salt and remaining broth. 
4. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1.5-2 hours, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. If the rice is dry, add more water.
5. Add the peas and cook until heated through. (Note: at this point I stirred it which may have been a mistake - it went to mush). 
6. Stir in the parmesan and butter.

Butter Chicken = Chicken Makhani

I chose the easy recipe that required just throwing everything in the slow cooker. I don't have any garam masala so used a mixture of spices on hand. This is the sort of dish that comes with lots of variations. For all the different tweaks you can do, see the notes below.

• 2 lb chicken (I cut up breasts but recipes recommend thighs)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 T butter
• 2 1/4 t ground cardamom (or 15 pods if you have them)
• 2 heaping t curry powder (I used a madras curry powder)
• 1 t cayenne (I subbed paprika but next time use pure chili powder)
• 2 t tandoori masala
• 1/2 t ground ginger (or use fresh)
• 1 t garam masala (or substitute: dash of cloves, 2 dashes of cinnamon, 1/2 t ground cumin, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 t paprika, 1/4 t chili powder [should be cayenne], optional: nutmeg, coriander, cardamom, black pepper) (and I threw in some turmeric)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 c natural yogurt (optional)
• 1/2 c + 2 T tomato sauce (should use paste)
• 2 T lemon juice (didn't have any)
• salt

1. Dump everything in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low 6-8 hours.
2. Salt to taste. Serve with rice or naan.

Variations

• Use whole breasts, whole thighs, or cut up chicken.
• Optional: Marinate the chicken first.
• Optional: Stir fry cut up chicken, onions, garlic with the butter before adding to crock pot.
• Add the cup of yogurt 15 minutes before serving, not at the beginning.
• Add more garam masala or curry powder at end of cooking to adjust to taste.
• Add half cup of peas.
• Use frozen solid breasts on low for 8 hours.
• To make matching rice, use jasmine rice and use coconut milk as part of the liquid. Add cardamom and cinnamon. 
• Sprinkle freshly chopped cilantro over the dish.
• If you only have lite coconut milk, add 1-2 T shredded coconut.
• Use tabasco sauce in place of cayenne.
• Add a diced potato 2 hours before serving.
• Substitute cinnamon stick (or powder) for cardamom pods
• Use sour cream instead of yogurt; milk + coconut extract instead of coconut milk.
• Use a pressure cooker instead of a slow cooker to drastically speed up cooking time.
• Add 1/4 c finely ground cashews to thicken. Or ground almonds.
• Use 1 freshly chopped tomato instead of the tomato paste.

Applesauce

Just made a batch. 10 apples filled a 28 oz jar plus a small bowl for 2 as dessert.
11/24/12 8 apples made 1 mason jar worth. gala, fuji, cortland

• Apples, variety
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

1. This time, I used 10 apples (minus a slice or two) - 5 Gala, 5 McIntosh. Peel, slice, core, and roughly chop. This is the most time/effort consuming part.
2. Heat with cover until simmering. Reduce to low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until mushy (about 20 minutes). 
3. Mash with a potato masher or fork, for chunky texture. Blend/mix for a fine/smooth texture.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Notes

Recommended apple types: Gala, McIntosh, Cortland, Fuji, Winesap, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Delicious, Jonathan, Mutsu/Crispin, Braeburn

NOT recommended: Granny Smith, Rome, Jersey Mac

Variations

Add other spices to taste: cardamom, allspice, cloves, ginger, ...

Put in a slow cooker and it will "mash" itself.

Slow Cooker: Beef Stew

Didn't have canned tomatoes so substituted some cheap tomato paste. Didn't taste so great - needed to cover it up with salt. Was also missing basil and thyme so used coriander and tarragon instead. Could be better with more flavor, better quality beef, etc. Makes 6-8 servings.

• 3 carrots, cut into 1/2-1" pieces
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped 1/2" pieces
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3-6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.5 T Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 t tarragon
• 3/4 t coriander
• 1/2 t black pepper
• package of lean beef stew, cut into 1" pieces (1-2 pounds)
• 14 oz diced tomatoes, undrained (used 10 oz tomato paste and one large freshly diced tomato instead)
• 14 oz water + bouillon cube
• 1/8-1/4 c potato flour (or corn starch) (or 1/4 c regular flour if you don't need gluten-free)
• 1/2 c cold water

1. Layer ingredients in order from carrots down to water and bouillon.
2. Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours
3. Remove beef and vegetables to large serving bowl. Cover and keep warm.
4. Discard the bay leaf.
5. Turn slow cooker to HIGH and cover.
6. Mix flour/starch and water in a small bowl. Add 1/2 c cooking liquid. mix well. Stir mixture into slow cooker. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until thickened.
7. Pour sauce over beef and serve immediately.

Notes
Next time use better beef (was sale package from No Frills), use basil and thyme, use diced tomatoes instead of paste
Used cornstarch but did not thicken well. Next time just use potato starch.

Beef Stew II

Tried another version using some antibiotic-free and hormone-free beef. Still lacking in flavor. I wonder if it needs more spices due to the beef stock being rather plain. Or if it's because I don't add onions to anything anymore. ***

• 2 lbs stewing beef
• 3 red potatoes, diced
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1/4 full stalk celery, chopped
• 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/3 t black pepper
• 2 heaping t minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 t paprika
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 c beef broth
• frozen peas

1. Place beef in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Pour over beef and stir to coat.
3. Add in remaining ingredients, up to broth.
4. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 4-6 hours.
5. About 5-10 minutes before serving add in peas.