Not Every Meal Needs to be Difficult …

Not Every Meal Needs to be Difficult …

… but hopefully every meal is delicious.

This morning I made a very simple meal, using my 5 quart slow cooker. I won’t give a specific recipe, because you can vary to fit your tastes this almost infinitely.

I lined the slow cooker with a plastic liner (which I think is one of the greatest creations because it makes cleanup effortless.)  I added one cup of red wine.  If you prefer, you can use white wine. Or beer. Or apple cider. Or orange juice. Or cola. Or any stock. Or water (if you want to be boring.) Then I added 2 pounds of baby carrots, which I had partially cooked in the microwave for about seven minutes. I peeled and cut an onion into wedges, and threw it on top of the carrots, along with three cloves of garlic (crushed and minced.) I laid a pork roast on top of the vegetables, and placed eight small Yukon Gold potatoes (skins on) around the meat.

I sprinkled Penzey’s Mural of Flavor on the pork, place the cover on the slow cooker and at 11am I turned it on low. It was done at 5pm.

You can vary this however you want. Use beef, venison or chicken instead of pork.  Instead of carrots, use green beans, pea pods, or bell peppers (they will not need to cook for the full six hours.)  Instead of onions, use chopped leeks. Add Brussels spouts. Add tomatoes. Add jalapenos and season the meal with a Southwest-style seasoning. Instead of potatoes, use turnips or cauliflower.

This is how my meal turned out: