Slow cooking in the fast lane

From the Chicago Tribune

Slow cooking in the fast lane
By Monica Kass Rogers, Special to the Chicago Tribune

Sue Spitler is used to people sharing juicy secrets with her. Recipe secrets, that is. Neighbors, shop owners, exercise-class buddies--even Spitler's dental hygienist--have shared recipes in the hope that Spitler might include some version of them in one of her many cookbooks.

Author of close to 10,000 recipes in a 38-year career that has included food research for national food companies such as Glenview-based Kraft, Stouffer Foods and Armour and Co., Spitler appreciates the input.

"Good ideas come from all sorts of places," she said, and given the fact that there are 1,001 recipes in each volume of the seven-cookbook series Spitler has done for Evanston-based Surrey Books, it's no wonder she keeps lots of inspirational channels open.

Most recently? "1,001 Best Slow-Cooker Recipes" (Surrey Books/Agate, $19.95). Citing the difficult economy and increased time pressures, Spitler is convinced that slow cookers--more commonly called by the trade name Crock-Pots--are ripe for revival.

"They're the easiest way to use less-expensive cuts of meat and get tender, delicious results," she said. "They're safe to leave unattended all day, save on labor and clean-up and, thinking green, they only use as much wattage as a light bulb (120 watts). Think about that compared to a large stove top burner, which requires 1,500 watts."

Working with a team of culinary-trained friends who helped test the recipes, Spitler analyzed results of cooking with a variety of crock-pot sizes, shapes and models in her home in Long Beach, Indiana.

Slow-cookers can do more than people give them credit for, Spitler said. While 72 percent of American households own one or more slow cookers, Spitler believes most people still only use them for the soups, stews and spaghetti sauces that moms have been cooking since Rival created the first Crock-Pot in 1971.

"But cheesecake? Bar cookies? Risotto? Few people realize how easy it is to get really good results with dishes like these," she said.

Because moisture is retained during cooking, things like cheesecake, flan and custard are extremely well-suited to the appliance. "And cheesecakes made in the slow cooker don't crack," Spitler said. When baking them, Spitler places a small rack--a tuna can with the top and bottom cut out works fine--in the bottom of the cooker to get the best heat circulation. The batter is poured into a 7-inch springform pan and balanced on the rack, a method that works well for many of her recommended baked desserts, including a carrot cake with cream cheese glaze (see recipe).

And, because cooks don't always want fall-off-the-bone meats that slow cookers produce when set for long hours at a low temperature, Spitler designed recipes using meat thermometers and whole muscle meats and poultry, so that proteins come out moist and sliceable, in a shorter amount of time.

Coffee pot roast

Total time: 6 hours, 15 minutes
Makes: 10 servings

This is a "favorite recipe of a friend, Judy Pompei," writes Sue Spitler in "1,001 Best Slow-Cooker Recipes." She uses a rump roast, but a chuck roast would work well, too. We adapted the recipe to include a can of chicken broth for more flavor.

Ingredients

2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 beef rump roast, about 3 pounds, or 1 chuck roast, about 4 pounds
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
Freshly ground pepper

1 Place half of the onions in a slow cooker; top with roast. Top roast with remaining onions, broth, garlic, bay leaves, coffee, soy sauce, oregano and pepper to taste.

2 Cover; cook on low until beef is tender, 6-8 hours, turning roast once or twice. Slice beef; serve with broth and onions.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 399 calories, 46% of calories from fat, 20 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrates, 48 g protein, 787 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

Lemony carrot cake with cream cheese glaze

Total time: 4 hours, five minutes
Makes: 8 servings

Yes, you can cook cakes in the slow-cooker. Adapted from "1,001 Best Slow-Cooker Recipes," this recipe is not your usual carrot cake. Not too sweet, it is filled with walnuts and raisins and flavored with lemon zest.

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups shredded carrots, about 6 carrots
1/3 cup each: raisins, coarsely chopped walnuts
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Glaze

Ingredients

1/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tsp. butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. milk or more

1 Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in carrots, raisins, walnuts and lemon zest.

2 Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; fold flour mixture into the batter until incorporated. Pour batter into greased and floured 7- to 8-cup springform pan; place on a small rack or inverted custard cup in slow cooker. Cover slow cooker; cook on high until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 3 1/2 hours. Cool pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove side of pan. Cool.

3 For glaze, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl with a spoon until smooth; beat in the confectioners' sugar. Stir in enough milk to make a thick glaze. Drizzle over cake.

Nutrition information Per serving: 477 calories, 45% of calories from fat, 25 g fat, 13 g saturated fat, 131 mg cholesterol, 59 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 196 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.