Crockpots, or slow cookers, as they are also known have always been a ying-yang kind of affair with me. They cook some recipes well, while destroying others. Over the years I’ve learned that other forms of cooking all have their purposes for being. Whether it’s a hot oven, indirect heat or searing flame; each works to best effect and is dependent on the nature of the food you are preparing. Experience counts!

As far as the slow cooker goes, one recipe that does work well is a combo of hamburger, potatoes, carrots, onions and zucchini. The picture above is the end result of just such a meal that was cooked for six hours on high in a crockpot that is at least as old as I am. What makes this fun, for me, is that very little preparation has to be done. Just peel the carrots and the potato, cut everything else up into chunks and toss in a hamburger patty. Pretty simple actually!

After you get back from work or a day of shopping or whatever, this meal is ready to be served when you are ready to eat. I like that! Another advantage is the amount of power consumed is rather lean also. I hooked up a Kill-A-Watt meter when I made this and it informed me that the pot had used about .41 Kwh (kilowatt hours) of electricity to cook everything over 3.5 hours of time. That’s about $.04 in money spent. Not bad. Here are some more figures for a meal that serves two:

   $1.53                  Total for food

             $0.04                  Total for electricit

$1.57                  Grand total

As you might have guessed, the more veggies you grow yourself, the cheaper this meal becomes. It also gets cheaper if you make up a larger batch. Since I’m currently on my own, I made up just enough this time for two separate meals.  The actual calories, sodium and cholesterol per serving were:

Food               Wt(g)        Calories          Na                Ch

————————————————————————————————–

Hamburger         112               280                 80               101

Onion                   23                 11                   0                0

Carrots                 24                   9                 14                0

Cabbage               35                   8                   3                0

Potatoes             112                 96                   6                0

Zucchini               30                   5                 72                0

————————————————————————————————–

Totals                  336               409               175            101

So, for a meal that is modest in size and full of flavor; four hundred calories is not a bad trade. If you can do without the meat altogether (not me) it’s positively nutritious!

Disclaimer: All quantities and power readings were collected on the best basis available. This blog is meant to be informative and not taken as absolutely accurate. Also, sorry about the terrible formatting. Not me…them. Last note: The meal was fabulous!

Here’s a recipe that anyone can make and which is pretty cheap to make with store bought ingredients. (It’s even cheaper if you have some of the items in a garden out back).

Ingredients:

132 g beef cubed, optional (half cup)

60 g white onion (half a medium onion)

71 g Russet potato (small potato)

55 g carrots (2 carrots)

411 g diced tomatoes (1 can)

86 g green beans (1/2 cup)

411 g water (1 can)

Dash cayenne

¼ tsp dried basil (if you have it)

1 tsp vegetable oil

That’s all there is for making a basic soup. If you have other stuff in the garden, like corn or broccoli, feel free to toss them in also. Get everything chopped up into sizes that are equal and add them to a small covered pot. If you have some meat, go ahead and braise it with a little oil before hand. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce (covered) to a simmer for about ninety minutes. Add some salt and pepper to taste if you need to.

As you can see, this recipe lends itself very well to scaling upwards.

I have to say that for ease of preparation, health and taste…nothing comes closer than a good old Tuna Salad Sandwich! The ingredients are simple: the tuna, some mayo, a small stalk of celery and sweet pickle relish. Just mix’em together, make a layer of the salad on one piece of bread, cover with a little lettuce and cover with the second piece of bread. Voila! What could be simpler?

Ingredients:

1 3 oz. can StarKist tuna

1 tblsp of sweet relish

1 small stalk of celery

1 tblsp of mayo

Directions:

Rinse the tuna in a strainer. Add it along with the rest of the ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Spread evenly onto a slice of bread. Add a leaf of iceberg lettuce. Place the second slice of bread over this and serve. Makes two sandwiches.

Nutritional information:

Each sandwich contains about 300 calories, ninety three of which are from fat. Six hundred milligrams of sodium, 21 mg of cholesterol and approximately 40 grams of carbohydrates.

While a bit high in sodium and cholesterol, the tuna more than makes up for it by bringing a lot to the party.

Recent research at Utrecht and Maastricht Universities in the Netherlands has been published in the journal Neurology. Tracking more than 1,600 Dutch men and women aged 45 to 70 over a six-year period; the researchers found those who ate fish similar to tuna regularly scored higher on a battery of tests for memory, psychomotor speed, cognitive flexibility, and overall cognition. Moreover, the study concluded that the specific factors contributing to better brain function were fatty fish and the consumption of two essential omega-3 fatty acids found in tuna, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Wow!

If you’re one of those trying to reduce your salt intake, Congrats. That’s a tough call in a world where the mega food suppliers are actively conspiring against you. Almost any food, especially poorer quality foods, taste a lot better if you add more salt. Corporations have relied on this fact for decades, supplying inferior foods at higher cost through the liberal use of the world’s cheapest substance. Salt! (Hey, there’s one born every minute. So what if they’re dying in droves).

Only recently, after scientific studies have revealed the solid connection between hypertension and salt, has any company made attempts at actually improving their foods while also reducing the sodium content. Progress has been made. Unfortunately, this has not always worked out very well for the consumer’s pocketbook. Salt free products are now available, but you get to pay more for them. (Only a dyed in the wool totally evil corporation would take a product they added salt to, and then charge us more by withholding it). But, that’s a story for another time.

In this blog, I wanted to see if it would be possible to make a good tasting, low salt spaghetti sauce using ingredients right off the shelf. No mean feat to be sure. It’s a fact that the human body is engineered to crave salt, even when that craving may eventually do us in. Thousands of years ago, salt was not all that readily available. It was relatively hard to find, and hypertension was all but unheard of. Only since shortly after the invention of canned goods has that trend been reversed. Now salt is everywhere and exists in high concentrations in many foods to the concern of the medial profession. Today, some people now have kidneys that have a hard time maintaining the proper salt levels in our blood streams. When this occurs, internal hemodynamics elevates the blood pressure in order to force all that excess salt out of our systems. (This may be due to a genetic aberration or it may be simply due to the fact that we eat way too much of the stuff, I’m not sure). The end result however, is more and more of the US population may be finding the grave just a tad early. Add lack of exercise, high levels of sugar and cholesterol to the mix and you can bet this trend will continue or even accelerate. Interestingly, 34% of all Americans are considered to be obese. By, 2020, some experts think that number will approach 70%! (Again, I plan to go into this aspect of Americana in more detail in another blog).

————————–

My shopping trip to the local grocery store turned up exactly zip (zero and nada) in the way of low salt tomato or spaghetti sauce. I settled, instead, for a 10.75 ounce can of Hunts Tomato Puree, a 6 ounce can of generic tomato paste and a 15 ounce can of Always Save diced tomatoes. These were added to a sauce pan over low heat along with the following:

3 tblsp fresh basil, chopped

1/2 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 tblsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

½ tsp fake salt (or to taste)

¼ tsp ground pepper

Actually, a pretty easy meal that takes just about fifteen minutes to prepare. I then let the pot slowly simmer for about an hour or more prior to serving.

Surprise! The salt content has gone down rather impressively (see bottom line of chart) . What used to be a 554 milligram salt slam-a-rama has now been pared down to a meek 74 milligrams! By using so-called fake salt (potassium chloride) I’ve been able to maintain a great taste while upping the nutritional content. That an 87% reduction!

But, wait! What about the taste? OK. Reality check everyone. This homemade version is meant to be just a start. It tastes good, but not as good as the salt laden jars of Prego, Classico or Ragu! I plan to work some more on it. Still, after all is said and done, I’ll take my homemade low salt version any old day!

Every year, about this time, I always seem to have a few small Banana peppers and maybe one or two ripe and misshapen bell peppers left on the vine. This usually occurs at a time when my fridge is full of peppers that I harvested earlier on. So, what do with the extras? Hey! How about I stuff them!

(OK, I know what you’re thinking. Not another stuffed pepper recipe). Yes, why not. This time I will be working with a blend of hamburger, sliced olives, taco mix, shredded cheese with maybe a little hot sauce to heat things up. And, as usual, I will make this meal in my trusty slow cooker. The video is available on Youtube.

Ingredients:

6-8 bell and banana peppers, split length wise

½ lb ground beef

1 russet potato, peeled

1 small white onion, minced

1 pkg Taco mix

½ cup brown rice

4 stuffed olives, sliced thin

Taco sauce as needed

¼ tsp Tabasco sauce

2 tblsp shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Prepare taco meat using the mix according to package directions. Prepare the rice according to package directions.

In a bowl, combine the taco meat, minced onion, rice, olives, cheese and egg. Mix well.

Take the Banana peppers and slice length wise. Remove any seeds. Remove the top of the bell peppers and also remove the seeds. Rinse and place on a counter top.

Add the stuffing mix to the hollow cavities of the peppers. Lay two strips of folded aluminum foil in a cross pattern into the bottom of the slow cooker. (You can use these as a support later on to remove the peppers from the cooker).

Peel and cut the potato in to medium chunks. Add the peppers to the bottom of the crock pot. Use chunks of potato to support the peppers. Drizzle taco sauce over the peppers and potatoes. Don’t go too heavy with this. Just a few sloupes, (a unit of measure that is not in any dictionary, but one which I’m sure most of you will know).

Cover and cook on low for three to four hours. (The thin walls of the peppers will not require long cooking periods).

Serves two to four.

As a younger man, I made this sandwich fairly often. It was a fast and cheap meal that took no time to make. In more recent times, I have tended to steer away enjoying tuna due to dolphins getting caught in the nets and to the presence of mercury as reported by the media. Note: Light tuna is generally made from skipjack, and as such, is much lower in mercury than most other varieties.

Ingredients:

1 5 oz can of tuna in water, drained and rinsed

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 pickle spear, chopped

3 tblsp Mayo

White bread

Dash of pepper

Lettuce leaf (optional)

Procedure:

Open the can of tuna and place the contents in a wire mesh basket or colander. Rinse briefly under running water. Place tuna into a medium mixing bowl.

Chop up the pickle and celery either by hand or in a small electric chopper.

Add this to the tuna along with 3 tblsp of Mayo. Mix well.

Add to the bread to make a sandwich. Add a slice of lettuce as an option. Serves 2 to 4.

Notes: The tuna I used in this recipe was purchased from a local grocery and was a generic brand called ‘Best Choice’ Chink Light tuna in water. The can advertises that the tuna is ‘Dolphin Safe’ and ‘Wild Caught’. I’m not sure what the later term means. This was also a product of China.

Here’s a summer recipe that I like which combines banana peppers with taco flavored hamburger and a little cheddar cheese. It’s simple, can be made up before time and goes well with almost any side. This works well for me as I’m lazy!

Ingredients:

4-6 banana peppers, with the tops and seeds removed

½ tblsp taco meat

4 tsp shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp dried basil

Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

Start off my making up a batch of taco flavored hamburger using McCormick’s Taco mix or similar. Follow package directions.

Prep a gas or charcoal grill to medium high heat.

Take 4 large banana peppers and remove the tops and seeds. Rinse and then stuff each pepper with the taco meat mixture.

Take the stuffed peppers and pace them on the grill for about ten minutes, turning frequently. Towards the end of the time, test for doneness using your fingers. When the shell of the pepper feels soft, they are done.

Remove from the grill and sprinkle on a little shredded cheese and hot sauce if you prefer. Serve promptly!

Someone back many years ago (maybe a doofus like myself) accidentally dropped a tablespoon’s worth of chili on a hot dog and thought ‘what the heck’ – then ate it anyway. Voila! A new meal was born! Chili dogs are way up there on the scale of ‘comfort foods’ in my book and if you have not tried one, please do so. They have it all going for them in terms of taste, spiciness and ability to fill a hungry stomach. Note: I do not have a nutritional analysis on this recipe. Put plainly, it’s not very healthy to eat. But my Gawd, who cares as long as you eat this stuff sparingly!

Ingredients:

6 strips of bacon bacon cut into small pieces

1/2 large  onion, chopped

1 pound ground beef

2 chopped garlic cloves

8 ounce can of tomato sauce

1/2 cup beef broth

1 Tbsp molasses or honey

½ Tbsp sweet paprika

½ Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt as needed

12 all beef hot dogs

12 buns

Chopped red onion, for garnish

Shredded cheddar (or jack) cheese, for garnish

Directions:

Make the chili well before you do the dogs. Fry the bacon over medium heat until it begins to get crispy, then add the chopped onions and fry over high heat, stirring often, until they begin to brown. Add in the ground beef and stir in well. Cook this, still over high heat and stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned. This will take a few minutes. When the beef is about halfway browned, toss in the chopped garlic and mix well.

Once the beef is well browned, add the tomato sauce, molasses and beef broth. Add all the spices except the cayenne and stir well. Bring to a simmer and taste. Add salt or the cayenne if it needs it. You can of course add much more cayenne or chili powder if you like things really spicy, but it’s best to taste first and then add more. (You can make this up a day before if you choose. It only gets better with time).

Let the chili cook on a gentle simmer for at least 30 minutes before you start grilling the hot dogs. You can cook it several hours if you want to, adding a little more beef broth here and there if the chili gets to dry.

Grill your hot dogs over medium heat until they get a light char. Grill the hot dog buns briefly if you want – no more than a minute, as they will burn fast. You can also paint the buns with vegetable oil or butter before grilling if you’d like.

Dog goes in bun, chili goes on top, sprinkle on chopped red onion and shredded cheese, and enjoy! Now, what about some fries slathered with ketchup?

(This recipe was found on a website called Simply Recipes and was posted by Elise)!

“Thar ain’t nuthin I like better than catchin myself a briar rabbit and cookin him up in some thick mustard sauce!” – Danomanno 2010

You will probably get the kidneys with your rabbit. It is your choice whether to keep them or not. I always do, and I think they are the second-best part of the animal after the hind legs. Rabbit kidneys are mild in flavor and are a warm, soft, rabbity morsel in this dish. If you choose to use them, strip off all the fat, as well as the gossamer membrane that surrounds them.

Ingredients:

1 rabbit, cut into serving pieces

Salt

4 tablespoons butter

2 large shallots, chopped

1 bottle white wine

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup grainy country mustard, like Dijon

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Directions:

Salt your rabbit pieces well and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan with a lid. Pour yourself a nice big glass of wine. Pat the rabbit pieces dry and brown them in the butter. Do this at a moderate pace – you don’t want the butter to scorch – and don’t let the rabbit pieces touch each other. Do it in batches if you need to. Once the rabbit is browned, remove it to a bowl. Add the shallot and brown it well. This will take 3-4 minutes. While you’re waiting, how about another glass of vino!

Pour in a cup of white wine and turn the heat to high. Scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the mustard and water and bring to a rolling boil. Taste the sauce for salt and add some if needed.

Add the rabbit pieces, coat them with the sauce, then drop the heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes. You want the meat to be nearly falling off the bone. It might need more time, but should not need more than an hour total. Wild rabbits sometimes need more time.

When the meat is ready, gently remove it to a platter. Turn the heat to high and boil the sauce down by half. Turn off the heat and add the cream and parsley. Stir to combine and return the rabbit to the pan. Coat with the sauce and serve at once.

Serve this dish with crusty bread and a big flavored white wine, such as white Bordeaux, white Cotes du Rhone blend or a buttery California Chardonnay. If you prefer beer, try pairing this with an unfiltered wheat beer.

Serves 4.

Some days you just want to make soup, but depressingly you are missing some of the key ingredients. That’s where you can do what I do! Scrounge around and make the damn thing on the fly! On this occasion, I had some old frozen beef stew meat, a can each of diced tomatoes, corn and green beans. Green onions from the garden filled in for the real thing and then there were carrots I discovered in the bottom of the ‘crisper’. (They were not crisp but still good to go). Lastly, I had an old russet potato that had seen better days along with a few stalks of fresh celery. This cobbled collection was minced, diced and otherwise adulterated, then thrown with no ceremony into a pot containing one quart of beefed up water. I then turned my heat to simmer and covered the whole deal with a lid.

One hour later, I had managed to produce some pretty tasty vegetable beef soup. (This only goes to show that cooking is mostly an art with some luck thrown in). Preparation took about ten minutes and like most soups it should taste even better after a night in the fridge.

Ingredients:

½ lb beef stew meat cut in to bite sized pieces

1 can of corn, drained and rinsed

1 can of green beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes

2 carrots, sliced

2 stalks of celery, sliced up

1 medium Russet potato, cut into chunks

2 green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons beef powder

In addition to the above, I added a tablespoon of dried basil along with a splash of hot sauce and some pepper. Note: I never add salt during the preparation or cooking phase, rather I will add ‘fake salt’ when the soup is served. Anyone wanting to use real salt, go for it!

This thing about making soup with me anyways, is to never try to exactly repeat a recipe. Using different ingredients (especially leftovers) is part of the economy and fun of making this dish. So, get out there and experiment!