Heating the Brisket

Heat oil in a skillet over a medium-high flame. Sprinkle a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of pepper onto the brisket before throwing it into the pan. Cook until brown on both sides.

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Add Onions

Sprinkle some chopped onions and another teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper into the skillet. Cook the onions until they start to wilt and stir in wine.

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Make Chimichurri Sauce

Place parsley, horseradish, oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl. refrigerate and once you’re ready to service, pour the chimichurri sauce over the brisket and onion.

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A post shared by Karen Oliver / Venezuelan (@karenoliverchef)

The post Making the Perfect Slow Cooker Brisket appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

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A post shared by The Nosher (@jewishfood)

Ingredients

• 5-6 pounds brisket
• 3 medium onions
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups chili sauce 
• 2 cans cranberry sauce 
• 1 ½ cups red wine
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. 
2. In large pan, sauté sliced onions and garlic in oil until browned, and then remove from the pan. 
3. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, and sear in the same pan used for the onions and garlic. 
4. Once seared on all sides, add the onions and garlic under the brisket.
5. Add in chili sauce, cranberry sauce, wine, and vinegar.
6. Sprinkle the top of the brisket with brown sugar and cover tightly with aluminum foil. 
7. Bake for 3.5 hours, until the meat is falling apart.

The post Slow-Cooking is the Secret to this Brisket appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 large chopped yellow or white onion
• 1 3 pounds chuck or rump roast
• 2 pounds potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 1 stalk chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons steak seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Combine together the Italian and steak seasoning. Add them to the rump or chuck roast.
2. Prepare the slow cooker. Fill it with the carrots, roast, celery, beef broth, onions, and potatoes. If you set it on high you should cook for 6 hours, if you set it on low you should cook for 9 hours.
3. Remove the liquid part from the cooker in a pan. Mix it with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Wait for the mixture to boil.
4. In a bowl combine the cold water and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the pan. Lower the heat and cook it for 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Serve the meat with the gravy on top and the vegetables on the side.

The post The Easiest Way to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

That being said, there are some basic rules to follow when using slow cookers, and not sticking to these can end up spoiling your food. Don’t be afraid, though! Just avoid these simple mistakes and give that tasty-looking recipe a go.

Sneaking A Peek

It’s kind of cruel, really. The aroma of the food in your slow cooker teases you, making your mouth water from the yummy smells. It’s completely understandable that you would want to sneak just a quick peek, just a little look, to make sure all is well—but you’ve got to resist. Even just the quickest, slightest lift of the lid lets out a great deal of the hot air your slow cooker took so long warming up. That seemingly harmless peek can lead to a reduced temperature inside your slow cooker, meaning it will require extra time—as much as 30 minutes for each lift of the lid—to finish cooking your dish. More importantly, it will mean waiting even longer to get to finally taste the deliciousness that so tempted you in the first place!

Choosing The Wrong Size Slow Cooker

Slow cookers are not one-size-fits-all. Typically, the recipe will list a cooking time that is geared for a specific size of slow cooker, meaning the cooker is neither too full nor not full enough. Think Goldilocks, here—you want it to be just right. If it’s not full enough, the food is going to overcook. If the cooker has too much food in it, either the dish won’t fully cook, or the cooker could overflow. A good rule of thumb to end up with delicious food and a mess-free (or at least slightly less messy!) kitchen is to make sure the slow cooker is half to three-quarters of the way full.

Not Thawing Food First

Even though freezer-to-slow cooker meals are the ultimate dream, putting frozen food—especially meat—in your slow cooker isn’t a great idea. The frozen food will take much longer to hit a safe temperature (140 degrees Fahrenheit), which means the food will be at temperatures that aren’t all that safe for too long. To avoid any chance of a lovely visit from your old friend Mr. Food Poisoning, make sure to completely thaw your food beforehand.

Follow these tidbits of advice (and the recipe!), and you’ll see why slow cookers are worthy of all the hubbub. Happy cooking!

The post 3 Mistakes Everyone Make With Slow Cookers appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

The USDA Says There’s Something You Don’t Know

There’s just one thing that might make you reconsider how you use your Instant Pot. That’s the recent advice provided by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh4uEH1lNL4/

They want everyone to know that if you like to cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot, you should probably stop right away.

Here’s The Problem With Frozen Chicken

Bacteria dies at roughly 165 degrees. Until it gets to that point, there’s a “danger zone” between 40 and 140 degrees where bacteria love to breed and take up home in your meat.

The Instant Pot gets chicken to 165 degrees, no problem. But when you start from frozen, the chicken spends more time in the danger zone.

This, according to the USDA, presents a health risk. Yes, you kill off the bacteria while cooking, but the by-products of bacterial infection are not destroyed by heat.

These by-products are poisonous and can cause infection in humans. There are many more of these by-products in chicken that has not been thawed before cooking. So, defrost your chicken, throw it in the pot, and get back to your busy schedule!

The post New Health Warning – The Instant Pot Mistake You’ve Probably Made appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Heating the Brisket

Heat oil in a skillet over a medium-high flame. Sprinkle a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of pepper onto the brisket before throwing it into the pan. Cook until brown on both sides.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by somanyyums (@somanyyums)

Add Onions

Sprinkle some chopped onions and another teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper into the skillet. Cook the onions until they start to wilt and stir in wine.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah Olowojoba (@diaryofakitchenlover)

Make Chimichurri Sauce

Place parsley, horseradish, oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl. refrigerate and once you’re ready to service, pour the chimichurri sauce over the brisket and onion.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Karen Oliver / Venezuelan (@karenoliverchef)

The post Making the Perfect Slow Cooker Brisket appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Nosher (@jewishfood)

Ingredients

• 5-6 pounds brisket
• 3 medium onions
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups chili sauce 
• 2 cans cranberry sauce 
• 1 ½ cups red wine
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. 
2. In large pan, sauté sliced onions and garlic in oil until browned, and then remove from the pan. 
3. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, and sear in the same pan used for the onions and garlic. 
4. Once seared on all sides, add the onions and garlic under the brisket.
5. Add in chili sauce, cranberry sauce, wine, and vinegar.
6. Sprinkle the top of the brisket with brown sugar and cover tightly with aluminum foil. 
7. Bake for 3.5 hours, until the meat is falling apart.

The post Slow-Cooking is the Secret to this Brisket appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 large chopped yellow or white onion
• 1 3 pounds chuck or rump roast
• 2 pounds potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 1 stalk chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons steak seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Combine together the Italian and steak seasoning. Add them to the rump or chuck roast.
2. Prepare the slow cooker. Fill it with the carrots, roast, celery, beef broth, onions, and potatoes. If you set it on high you should cook for 6 hours, if you set it on low you should cook for 9 hours.
3. Remove the liquid part from the cooker in a pan. Mix it with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Wait for the mixture to boil.
4. In a bowl combine the cold water and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the pan. Lower the heat and cook it for 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Serve the meat with the gravy on top and the vegetables on the side.

The post The Easiest Way to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

That being said, there are some basic rules to follow when using slow cookers, and not sticking to these can end up spoiling your food. Don’t be afraid, though! Just avoid these simple mistakes and give that tasty-looking recipe a go.

Sneaking A Peek

It’s kind of cruel, really. The aroma of the food in your slow cooker teases you, making your mouth water from the yummy smells. It’s completely understandable that you would want to sneak just a quick peek, just a little look, to make sure all is well—but you’ve got to resist. Even just the quickest, slightest lift of the lid lets out a great deal of the hot air your slow cooker took so long warming up. That seemingly harmless peek can lead to a reduced temperature inside your slow cooker, meaning it will require extra time—as much as 30 minutes for each lift of the lid—to finish cooking your dish. More importantly, it will mean waiting even longer to get to finally taste the deliciousness that so tempted you in the first place!

Choosing The Wrong Size Slow Cooker

Slow cookers are not one-size-fits-all. Typically, the recipe will list a cooking time that is geared for a specific size of slow cooker, meaning the cooker is neither too full nor not full enough. Think Goldilocks, here—you want it to be just right. If it’s not full enough, the food is going to overcook. If the cooker has too much food in it, either the dish won’t fully cook, or the cooker could overflow. A good rule of thumb to end up with delicious food and a mess-free (or at least slightly less messy!) kitchen is to make sure the slow cooker is half to three-quarters of the way full.

Not Thawing Food First

Even though freezer-to-slow cooker meals are the ultimate dream, putting frozen food—especially meat—in your slow cooker isn’t a great idea. The frozen food will take much longer to hit a safe temperature (140 degrees Fahrenheit), which means the food will be at temperatures that aren’t all that safe for too long. To avoid any chance of a lovely visit from your old friend Mr. Food Poisoning, make sure to completely thaw your food beforehand.

Follow these tidbits of advice (and the recipe!), and you’ll see why slow cookers are worthy of all the hubbub. Happy cooking!

The post 3 Mistakes Everyone Make With Slow Cookers appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

The USDA Says There’s Something You Don’t Know

There’s just one thing that might make you reconsider how you use your Instant Pot. That’s the recent advice provided by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh4uEH1lNL4/

They want everyone to know that if you like to cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot, you should probably stop right away.

Here’s The Problem With Frozen Chicken

Bacteria dies at roughly 165 degrees. Until it gets to that point, there’s a “danger zone” between 40 and 140 degrees where bacteria love to breed and take up home in your meat.

The Instant Pot gets chicken to 165 degrees, no problem. But when you start from frozen, the chicken spends more time in the danger zone.

This, according to the USDA, presents a health risk. Yes, you kill off the bacteria while cooking, but the by-products of bacterial infection are not destroyed by heat.

These by-products are poisonous and can cause infection in humans. There are many more of these by-products in chicken that has not been thawed before cooking. So, defrost your chicken, throw it in the pot, and get back to your busy schedule!

The post New Health Warning – The Instant Pot Mistake You’ve Probably Made appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.