A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke It may seem counterintuitive but summer is a great time to use a crockpot. I admit to not always being a fan of the crockpot. For many years, I used mine for making corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day and that’s about it. Daughter Gwen, however, has become an enthusiastic user. Even before she became a mom her schedule was always crazy busy and coming home at the end of a long day to a meal that was all but done saved her from eating frozen pizza or cereal for supper all the time. I admit that part has its appeal. Spending a little time prepping first thing in the morning, throwing it into the crockpot and walking away is so easy. Add in the fact that her crockpot, many, many years newer than mine, doesn’t heat up the kitchen much at all and you have a big win.  In terms of time savings in the kitchen, I know that instapots are a big thing right now. Gwen even bought one after hearing rave reviews from friends. I, however, grew up listening to two grandma’s freak out if anyone even walked in the kitchen while they were using their pressure cookers and have a long standing terror of the things. So I don’t have instapot recipes to share but I’m sure Gwen would love to hear if you have some for her to try. Back to summer crockpot recipes… Here are three of our favorite – at the moment – recipes for the crockpot.  Indian-Spiced Chicken and Cauliflower Ingredients:  1 can diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoon. ginger 1 tablespoon curry powder Kosher salt pepper 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 small head cauliflower 1 medium onion ¼ cup golden raisins 1 cup long grain white rice ¼ cup cilantro (this is optional – no one in my family is a big fan of cilantro and this takes fine without it) Greek yogurt Lemon wedges In a crockpot, whisk together the tomatoes, tomato paste, ginger, curry powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken, cauliflower, onion and raisins to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, four to five hours on high or six to seven hours on low. Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions. Spoon the chicken mixture over the rice and top with the cilantro. Serve with yogurt and lemon wedges. Slow-Cooker Roast Beef Sandwiches 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil 1 – 2 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper ½ medium sweet onion, cut into wedges 1 large garlic clove, chopped 2 thyme sprigs ¼ cup dry red wine 4 ciabatta rolls, split and toasted 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 romaine heart, shredded Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season roast with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, three to four minutes. Combine onion, garlic, thyme, and wine in a crockpot. Top with roast. Cook, covered, until roast is fork-tender, on low for six to eight hours or on high for four to five hours.  Discard thyme sprigs. Remove roast from slow cooker and shred into bite-size pieces; return to slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on rolls with mayonnaise and romaine.  Slow-cooker Sloppy Joes 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef   1 16-ounce package ground pork sausage  1 small onion, chopped  ½ medium-size green bell pepper, chopped  1 8-ounce can tomato sauce  ½ cup water  ½ cup ketchup  ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar  2 tablespoons cider vinegar  2 tablespoons yellow mustard  1 tablespoon chili powder  1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce  ½ teaspoon salt  ¼ cup all-purpose flour   8 hamburger buns, toasted  Brown beef and sausage with onion and bell pepper in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring 10 minutes or until beef and sausage crumble and are no longer pink. Drain well. Place beef mixture in a crockpot. Stir in tomato sauce and next nine ingredients. Cover and cook on high for four hours. Serve on hamburger buns. Stay cool and stay in touch. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. The classified ad deadline is noon Thursdays the week prior to publication for both the Buyer’s Guide and Home News. Classified rates are $13 for the first 10 words, then 30¢ per word for each additional word. Call (608) 767-3655 or email classifieds@newspubinc.com  Legal notices are due by 2 p.m. on Fridays, email them to legals@newspubinc.com Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays.