by Lori Wuellner
Wouldn’t it be nice to be greeted by the aroma of a steaming pot of homemade soup, stew, chili or chicken fajitas at the end of a busy day? You just need to do a little work in advance and use a slow cooker.
Slow cookers have made meal preparation easier since the early 1970s. Slow cookers have the advantage of promoting the use of less expensive, less tender cuts of meat such as a chuck roast. The long, slow cooking process tenderizes the meat.
Test your slow cooker knowledge:
1. True or false: Using a slow cooker uses less electricity than an oven.
2. True or false: The low cooking temperature allows less expensive cuts of meat to tenderize.
3. True or false: You should fill the slow cooker no less than half full and no more than two-thirds full because cooking too little or too much food in the slow cooker can affect cooking time and quality.
4. True or false: Always thaw meat and poultry in the refrigerator before cooking in the slow cooker to help ensure complete cooking.
5. True or false: Keep the lid in place at all times because removing the lid slows cooking time.
6. True or false: If you are not home during the entire slow-cooking process and the power goes out for an undetermined length of time, throw away the food even if it looks done.
7. True or false: You should not reheat food in a slow cooker.
8. True or false: Remove the leftovers from the slow cooker and place in shallow pans and refrigerate.
Answers: 1) True; 2) True; 3) True; 4) True; 5) True; 6) True; 7) True; 8) True
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
1 pound boneless, chicken breasts
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained
3 medium bell peppers (your choice: green, red, orange, yellow or a mixture) sliced into strips
1 medium onion, sliced into strips
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 8-inch whole wheat tortillas, warmed
Toppings: shredded lettuce, chunky salsa, fat-free sour cream
1. If the chicken breasts are frozen, thaw in the microwave or in your refrigerator.
2. In a 3-quart slow cooker, combine chicken, beans, tomatoes, peppers, onion, and seasonings.
3. Cover and cook on low for five to six hours or until chicken is tender and reaches 165 degrees F.
4. Remove chicken and cool slightly. Shred and return to slow cooker to heat through.
5. Spoon about ¾ cup of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla.
6. Top with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream if desired.
Make six servings. Each serving has 350 calories, 5 grams (g) fat, 49 g of carbohydrates, 26 g of protein and 10 g fiber. (Source: Recipe courtesy of Texas Agrilife Extension)
(Source: NDSU Extension Service, Food Wise, November 2014, www.ag.ndsu.edu/foodwise)
Lori Wuellner is a Wyandotte County Extension agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, K-State Research and Extension, 1216 N. 79th St., Kansas City, Kan. Telephone 913-299-9300, email [email protected].