Ethnic Crock Pot Cooking Part 1
It used to be that you had to go to a special store to find ethnic spices and foods. They were more expensive, but of great quality. Today, ethnic cooking is acknowledged more and just about every grocery store has an ethnic section. Still, to find the best variety for your slow cooker meals, it is a good idea to visit an ethnic market.
If you’ve never had an ethnic dish, you are in for a treat. Ethnic dishes combine the best of many cultures. Food is a direct representation of the influences that have affected a culture. For instance, we all consider spaghetti and pizza to be Italian dishes right? Actually they were brought back from the Far East by Marco Polo.
Foods that are most common to the climates in those countries dictate the types of dishes that are produced. It is no wonder that Asian dishes include so much rice. Rice paddies produced this cheap main staple of the diet. In poorer countries where meat was scarce heavy vegetables like potatoes, beets or turnips became the staple of choice for filling meals.
When it comes to ethnic foods, often times each dish tells a story. Indian dishes are filled with aromatic spices that are earthy and hot. Indian dishes are many times vegetarian, but you will find they may also include chicken or seafood. In India, the cow is sacred so you won’t be seeing any beef in recipes from India.
Carrots, potatoes, lentils, and onions, along with chicken, will be the base for many Indian slow cooker dishes. Slow cooking these items can take between six and eight hours. Meals are seasoned with curry, ginger, saffron, cumin, and turmeric. Fruit juices like lime and lemon are also used to flavor Indian dishes.
Mexican is another ethnic food that can be cooked in a slow cooker. As most of us know, Mexican foods are spicy. Spices are used to enhance the flavor of the food and in Mexico, the hotter the better. Hot chile pepper varieties that most wouldn’t even dare to taste are welcomed in a Mexican dish.
With Mexican food, sausage, chicken and beef will be the main meats, but don’t rule out a bit of pork. Beans such as black beans, navy beans, and garbanzo beans are present in these dishes too. Believe it or not, you can make chili or taco filling in a slow cooker as a great family meal. Brown the ground beef before adding it to a slow cooker. Chicken or selected cuts of beef can be sliced into strips before putting cooking in a crock pot.
Tomatoes and peppers are diced or sliced for many Mexican recipes. Onions and garlic are also good for flavor. When it comes to spices, choices like cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, black pepper, and chili powder are all great for these types of meals. Fresh vegetables and herbs make the flavors more noticeable as well. If you have to use canned beans for instance, try to select fresh herbs and veggies to balance out the taste.
All ethnic food may not be to your liking, but everyone should at least give it a try once. You may find that the taste agrees with you and then you’ll have even more meals to add to your slow cooker recipe arsenal.
It used to be that you had to go to a special store to find ethnic spices and foods. They were more expensive, but of great quality. Today, ethnic cooking is acknowledged more and just about every grocery store has an ethnic section. Still, to find the best variety for your slow cooker meals, it is a good idea to visit an ethnic market.
If you’ve never had an ethnic dish, you are in for a treat. Ethnic dishes combine the best of many cultures. Food is a direct representation of the influences that have affected a culture. For instance, we all consider spaghetti and pizza to be Italian dishes right? Actually they were brought back from the Far East by Marco Polo.
Foods that are most common to the climates in those countries dictate the types of dishes that are produced. It is no wonder that Asian dishes include so much rice. Rice paddies produced this cheap main staple of the diet. In poorer countries where meat was scarce heavy vegetables like potatoes, beets or turnips became the staple of choice for filling meals.
When it comes to ethnic foods, often times each dish tells a story. Indian dishes are filled with aromatic spices that are earthy and hot. Indian dishes are many times vegetarian, but you will find they may also include chicken or seafood. In India, the cow is sacred so you won’t be seeing any beef in recipes from India.
Carrots, potatoes, lentils, and onions, along with chicken, will be the base for many Indian slow cooker dishes. Slow cooking these items can take between six and eight hours. Meals are seasoned with curry, ginger, saffron, cumin, and turmeric. Fruit juices like lime and lemon are also used to flavor Indian dishes.
Mexican is another ethnic food that can be cooked in a slow cooker. As most of us know, Mexican foods are spicy. Spices are used to enhance the flavor of the food and in Mexico, the hotter the better. Hot chile pepper varieties that most wouldn’t even dare to taste are welcomed in a Mexican dish.
With Mexican food, sausage, chicken and beef will be the main meats, but don’t rule out a bit of pork. Beans such as black beans, navy beans, and garbanzo beans are present in these dishes too. Believe it or not, you can make chili or taco filling in a slow cooker as a great family meal. Brown the ground beef before adding it to a slow cooker. Chicken or selected cuts of beef can be sliced into strips before putting cooking in a crock pot.
Tomatoes and peppers are diced or sliced for many Mexican recipes. Onions and garlic are also good for flavor. When it comes to spices, choices like cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, black pepper, and chili powder are all great for these types of meals. Fresh vegetables and herbs make the flavors more noticeable as well. If you have to use canned beans for instance, try to select fresh herbs and veggies to balance out the taste.
All ethnic food may not be to your liking, but everyone should at least give it a try once. You may find that the taste agrees with you and then you’ll have even more meals to add to your slow cooker recipe arsenal.
No comments:
Post a Comment