Slow & easy: simmer down and enjoy simple recipes culled for the Crock-Pot.

Parents who combine careers with raising a family and stay-at-home moms who juggle carpools and housework have rediscovered an old kitchen friend--the trusty Crock-Pot. The comfort of placing ingredients in a slow cooker before work of other demands and coming home to the aroma of simmering meat, vegetables, and seasonings is heart-warming, Best of all, the family is nourished with a healthy, home-cooked meal instead of fast food from the nearest drive-through.

Popular during the 1960s and '70s, Crock-Pot cooking was later abandoned by many for stir-frying and baking. Now the appliance is back on kitchen countertops. A recent USA Today article reported that Amazon.com has more than 400 slow-cooking titles in its cookbook section, including some specifically for low-carb diets. One Crock-Pot cookbook, Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pullman Good, became a New York Times bestseller with its 800 recipes and helpful tips. Type "Crock-Pot cooking" into any Internet search engine, and dozens of websites appear. One of the best is the Crock-Pot Message Board, at pages.ivillage.com/debbiens/.

Although commonly called the "Crock-Pot," that name is trademarked by Rival Manufacturing Company, makers of the original moist heat cooker. The correct name is "slow cooker." The pots range in size from one to six quarts, with the five- to six-quart size recommended for the average family.

Cheaper, less tender cuts of meat do well in the cooker. If possible, leave the lid on during the cooking time, because removing it makes the Crock-Pot lose steam. It will take 20 minutes to return the dish to its suggested temperature.

Although not essential, many cooks think flavor is optimized by browning the meat and slightly sauteing vegetables before placing them in the cooker. Others like to jump-start the cooking process by dialing "high" for 45 minutes, then switching to "low" before leaving the house.

When cooking vegetables and meat together, place the vegetables on the bottom to keep moist. The cooker should be no more than two-thirds full and no less than half full for good performance.

You may reduce fat in Crock-Pot recipes by slow-cooking them a day in advance, then placing them in the refrigerator. The fat will forma layer on top of the mixture. The next day, discard the fat, and plug in the slow cooker on lowest heat to simmer until you are ready to eat.

When converting a recipe to the Crock-Pot, you may find you do not need as much seasoning because the lid traps flavor. If a recipe specifies cooking a dish for 30 minutes, use the "low" setting for 4 to 6 hours of "high" for 2 hours.

I selected the following recipes with casual dinners in mind. There is one noteworthy exception--Crock-Pot Chicken Curry from Encore! Encore! by the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra Guild makes an elegant party dish. Arranged on a serving table with an array of colorful condiments, it matches the colors of an autumn day.

CARAMEL APPLES

4 very large tart apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice
8 tablespoons brown sugar
12 hot cinnamon candies
4 tablespoons butter of margarine
8 caramel candies
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Whipped cream

Remove a 1/2-inch-wide strip of peel off the top of each apple, remove cores, and place apples in slow cooker. Pour apple juice over apples. Fill the center of each apple with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 hot cinnamon candies, 1 tablespoon butter of margarine, and 2 caramel candies. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover, and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until tender. Serve hot with whipped cream. Yield: 4 servings.

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good

Good Books 

Intercourse, Pennsylvania 

CROCK-POT CHICKEN CURRY

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
Dash pepper
7 cups milk
3 pounds boned chicken breasts, cubed
3/4 cup dry sherry
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 to 5 teaspoons curry powder of to taste
6 cups cooked rice, hot and fluffy

CONDIMENTS:

2 (8-ounce) jars mango chutney
1 pound bacon, cooked crisp
  and crumbled
1/2 pound raisins or currants
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 eggs, hard-cooked and chopped
2 cups roasted peanuts, chopped
2 cups coconut, toasted
3 large tomatoes, chopped

Melt butter in saucepan, and add onion; saute until transparent, then add garlic. Add flour, salt, and pepper, and blend well. Gradually add milk; cook while stirring over medium heat until thick and smooth. Pour into 5-quart slow cooker. Add chicken, sherry, green onions, ginger, and curry powder. Cover, and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours. Taste, and adjust seasoning it desired. Before serving, if sauce seems thin, you may have to thicken with additional flour mixed with water to forma smooth, runny paste; add to Crock-Pot, and stir. Arrange condiments on a lazy Susan, and place in center of table. Serve Chicken Curry piping hot on top of rice, and allow your guests to choose their condiments. Yield: 8-10 servings

Editor's note: This recipe is made with American curry powder; if using Madras or stronger powder, you may wish to adjust amount.

Encore! Encore!

Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra Guild

Gulfport

RED BEANS AND RICE

1 pound Camellia red beans
6 cups water
2 teaspoons prepared crushed garlic
1/2 cup onion, chopped
5 or 6 drops Tabasco sauce
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
  to taste
Soy sauce to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
1 pound link sausage, sliced 1 inch thick
2 cups brown rice, cooked
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Tomatoes, chopped

Place beans, water, garlic, onions, seasonings, and sausage in a slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours. Serve over brown rice. Sprinkle with cheese and tomatoes.

Editor's note: If time permits, cook the sausage on the grill and add before serving for a less "greasy" dish.

Whitney Burns

Jackson

CROCK-POT ROAST

1 package dry brown gravy mix
  (or 2 packages for thicker gravy)
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of
  mushroom soup
1 (3- to 4-pound) chuck roast
Worcestershire sauce to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jar sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
and cup Italian salad dressing

Mix gravy mix and 1 can cream of mushroom soup in a slow cooker. Add roast, and pour second can of soup on top. Sprinkle generously with worcestershire sauce. Add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Pour Italian dressing over all ingredients. Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve over wild rice. Serves 6-8.

Editor's note: Deer meat may be substituted for the chuck roast.

Charlotte Harding

Southern Generations

Junior Auxiliary of Starkville

JOYCE'S CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup sauterne, white wine, or milk
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 (4-ounce) cans sliced mushrooms,
  drained
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of
  mushroom soup
1 pound cooked spaghetti
Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine all ingredients except spaghetti and cheese in slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over buttered spaghetti. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good

Good Books

Intercourse, Pennsylvania

CROCK-POT CHILI

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (1-ounce) package chili seasoning
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans
1 (15.8-ounce) can Great Northern beans
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
    or to taste

In a large skillet, brown meat. Drain well. Add celery, onion, and bell pepper, and saute until vegetables are soft. Drain, and transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook on low heat for 3-4 hours. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Prime Meridian 

Lamar Foundation

Meridian

CROCK-POT BARBECUE

1 (5-pound) Boston butt roast
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 to 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 (18-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
1 onion, halved

Salt and pepper roast. Place in slow cooker, and add vinegar. Cook on high for 1 hour. Turn to low, and cook overnight or for about 12 hours. Drain, and shred roast into pieces. Place meat back into slow cooker. Mix brown sugar and barbecue sauce; pour over meat. Place onion halves on top of the meat. Cook on low until onion is done, about 2-3 hours. Yield: 10 servings.

Prime Meridian

Lamar Foundation

Meridian