I'm a huge fan of crock pot cooking. From the moment I bought my
slow cooker a few years ago, it's made a big difference in the quality
of my home-cooked meals. Let me quickly add up the advantages:
Home Cooking Without Slaving
Just imagine you're having one of those "don't want to go to the store" days: you've got random food in the fridge, maybe some frozen chicken breasts, slightly wilted celery, a clove of garlic, maybe a bag of rice. You've got dinner!
Here's another example: In the morning you take a pound of cheap, lean stew meat, cut some carrots, potatoes and a small onion, add a bullion powder packet and cover with water. Give it a stir, set the crock pot on low and go to work. When you get home from work, your place smells incredible, like you've hired a personal chef and they've got dinner waiting for you! Salt and pepper the stew to taste and enjoy.
You can then put the remaining stew in the fridge, where you'll have meals for the next 3-4 days. (Often the stew tastes even better the next day!) Five minutes of work and about 12 dollars of ingredient cost. A bachelor's dream, no?
Get the Most From Your Pantry
It gets even better: the crock pot's magical abilities include tenderizing even the toughest meat. The cheapest cuts of beef are usually also the leanest, giving you all the benefits of eating red meat without the excess fat you'll find in the pricey marbled cuts. Slow-cook a tough cut of beef for 8 hours and it will melt in your mouth.
Importantly for the single man, a crock pot is an easy way to develop cooking skills while keeping it simple and edible. Buy some common spices like basil, paprika and rosemary and learn which go with chicken, beef or vegetables. Experiment with chopping your ingredients larger and smaller. Chili, soup, even stuffed peppers turn out great in a slow-cooker. And if you've ever wondered how to actually cook a pot roast, here's your answer.
You'll find crock pots starting at about $30. Mine is a highly rated Hamilton Beach that cost me, ironically, barely more than a couple of Hamiltons. Higher-priced models have programmable timers and even integrated meat probes to turn the temperature down when the roast is done.
Cooking at home is the best way to make sure you eat right, and there's no simpler way to make your own delicious and healthy meals than a slow-cooker. For a single man, it's a no-brainer.
- Cuts down physical preparation time.
- Makes meals more delicious.
Home Cooking Without Slaving
Just imagine you're having one of those "don't want to go to the store" days: you've got random food in the fridge, maybe some frozen chicken breasts, slightly wilted celery, a clove of garlic, maybe a bag of rice. You've got dinner!
Here's another example: In the morning you take a pound of cheap, lean stew meat, cut some carrots, potatoes and a small onion, add a bullion powder packet and cover with water. Give it a stir, set the crock pot on low and go to work. When you get home from work, your place smells incredible, like you've hired a personal chef and they've got dinner waiting for you! Salt and pepper the stew to taste and enjoy.
You can then put the remaining stew in the fridge, where you'll have meals for the next 3-4 days. (Often the stew tastes even better the next day!) Five minutes of work and about 12 dollars of ingredient cost. A bachelor's dream, no?
Get the Most From Your Pantry
It gets even better: the crock pot's magical abilities include tenderizing even the toughest meat. The cheapest cuts of beef are usually also the leanest, giving you all the benefits of eating red meat without the excess fat you'll find in the pricey marbled cuts. Slow-cook a tough cut of beef for 8 hours and it will melt in your mouth.
Importantly for the single man, a crock pot is an easy way to develop cooking skills while keeping it simple and edible. Buy some common spices like basil, paprika and rosemary and learn which go with chicken, beef or vegetables. Experiment with chopping your ingredients larger and smaller. Chili, soup, even stuffed peppers turn out great in a slow-cooker. And if you've ever wondered how to actually cook a pot roast, here's your answer.
You'll find crock pots starting at about $30. Mine is a highly rated Hamilton Beach that cost me, ironically, barely more than a couple of Hamiltons. Higher-priced models have programmable timers and even integrated meat probes to turn the temperature down when the roast is done.
Cooking at home is the best way to make sure you eat right, and there's no simpler way to make your own delicious and healthy meals than a slow-cooker. For a single man, it's a no-brainer.
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