Find the most awesome slow-cooker recipe book ever and obtain it

and this one has been off my radar screen for a while. I put it up in order to cook some healthier meals, and I’ve been accomplishing that without the slow cooker, anyway. Plus I find recipes online. Maybe in the future I will revisit but ciao for now, slow cooker goal.

by Judith Finlayson

I got this book via ILL to preview. In my review of Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, I commented on her quality of explanation. This book also offers some, but not as much specifically on the vegetarian aspect, which is what I am not as knowledgeable about. On the other hand, her recipes do not call for unfamiliar (to me) ingredients such as seitan like the other book does. However, and maybe it’s just because I’m cranky, the recipes aren’t exciting me like the other book, though there is a good variety. She also talks about how to do dry beans in the slow cooker, which is important to me. That’s a goal I’ve had for a while and have yet to figure it out (though haven’t worked very hard on it).

One thing that is awesome about this book is that the author offers a “make ahead” section in every recipe. She indicates just how much of the recipe you can do up ahead of time so you are not doing it all in the morning. Her recipes, like the other book, require some pre-cooking, etc. However, I always prefer the end result when I do this, so don’t mind it.

An advantage this book has over the first is that it reminds me how to do hot cereals in the crock pot . . . I always forget and then never do it. It’s easy, that I know, but you know how it is.

I can’t decide between the two. There are things about each I like! The first one offers more deep explanations about why things are done – without which, I tend to cut corners. The second is a little more user-friendly, with ingredients that are more familiar to me and more likely to be on hand. Both state what size slow cooker to use (important since I’ve used too small a cooker in the past for some recipes) and how many servings the recipe makes. I’m leaning toward the first book because the recipes sound yummier and I like the more detailed explanations. I can always put in a hot cereal recipe to remind myself . . . and I have a good sense of what I can prepare in advance.

By Robin Robertson

I got this book from the library today and am excited about the recipes in it. While some of them use tofu, tempeh, or saitan, the author does explain how to use all of these ingredients. She also explains why she adds in extra steps of browning or throwing things in at the last minute. These are directions I’ve mostly ignored in other cookbooks because I have not understood why to take the extra steps. There are recipes from all over the world . . . most of them sound delicious. I like her succinct instructions about dry beans as well as the recipes that incorporate them. A drawback is that in my life, these recipes will take planning. I don’t have all the fancy-ish ingredients just sitting around. That’s ok, though, because I’m doing better on my “plan meals” goal. I’m pleased so far with this book, but will keep looking at others.

• Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals That Are Ready When You Are
• 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes

Will see what we find with these two. Others have some delicious recipes but so much meat – I need to eat more veggies and also meat costs more.