Slow cooker tips - do not forget the slow cooker.

 
Many of your favorite recipes can be adapted successfully to the slow cooker or slow cooker if you follow a few simple rules. You will find a roadmap time / temperature for converting recipes, some do's and don'ts for specific ingredients and a few tips to make your dishes tastier slow cooking.

Liquids
 In general, liquid can be decreased in slow cooking - a general rule is approximately half of the recommended amount. Unless the dish contains rice or pasta, one cup of liquid is usually enough.

Pasta and rice 
When recipes call for cooked pasta to be added, cook until slightly tender before adding to the pot. Add 1/4 extra liquid per 1/4 cup uncooked rice and rice converted using long grain for best results. For long-cooking recipes, add cooked rice shortly before serving.

Beans
 It is generally best to soak beans overnight before cooking in the slow cooker. Before adding sugar or acidic ingredients, the beans should be softened first, in the slow cooker or on the stove top. If your recipe includes tomatoes, salt, or other acidic ingredients, the beans should be tender before beginning.

Herbs and spices
 Ground herbs and spices tend to dissipate in long cooking times, so it is best to add at the end of cooking. Whole herbs release flavors over time, so they are a good choice for the slow cooker cook. You should taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving.

Milk and cheese
 Milk, sour cream and cream break down over long periods of cooking and should be added during the last hour. Condensed cream soups are good substitutes for milk and can be cooked for extended times. "Healthy," or reduced fat cream soups can be used in any recipe as a substitute.Cheeses are usually kept for long periods of cooking, so it must be added at the end of cooking, or use processed cheeses and spreads.

Soups 
Add water just to cover the ingredients in the soup and add more after cooking if necessary for a thinner soup.For dairy soups, add 1 or 2 cups of water and for the last hour, add the milk, evaporated milk or cream as called for.

Vegetables 
Dense vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and other tubers no larger than 1 "thick must be cut and placed in the bottom of the pot, since they take longer to cook