I Heart Foodie Geek Toys!

My sister, Jo Ann, gave me this Crock-Pot VersaWare ETC  for my birthday. Coolest slow cooker ever. The ceramic insert can be used in the slow cooker cradle, on the stove top,  or in the oven. It can also be kept in the refrigerator or freezer.

In other words, it tolerates extreme temperatures. That is geeky cool to the max.

I might just have to make a batch of Mexican Chicken Chowder this weekend. Or perhaps this awesome recipe from my friend Lisa.

Spicy Beef Curry Stew for the Slow Cooker

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound beef stew meat
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 onion, sliced and quartered
• 1 cup beef broth

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown the beef on all sides. Remove from skillet, reserving juices, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in the skillet for 2 minutes, until tender, and season with curry powder. Mix in the diced tomatoes and juice.

Place the onion in the bottom of a slow cooker, and layer with the browned beef. Scoop the skillet mixture into the slow cooker, and mix in the beef broth.

Cover, and cook 6 to 8 hours on Low.

Comments

[Amy]

That is UBER-Geeky! And it even looks cool! Can you update us after you have used it for awhile with a review?

[Allan]

I will.

[BHD]

Okay, now I'm getting pissed off, Allan. I don't currently have a slow-cooker and I'm not going to be buying any more "stuff" until I know whether I'll be packing "stuff" soon. And I'm hungry. And this sounds sooooo good. And I have all the ingredients, except, of course, for the slow cooker.

[laurie]

That slow cooker looks way groovy! I have the old small Corningware one I got as a wedding gift. Funny enough, I destroyed my large one by putting the pot, which unbeknownst to me did not tolerate extreme temperatures, in the oven...cracked like an egg!

Anyway, I slow cooked a chicken over the weekend and used it to make chicken enchiladas and slow-cooked tortilla soup. The recipes will be on my blog sometme today...ate the soup for lunch, mmmmmm.

Enjoy your new toy and let us know how you like it!

[owlish]

I think I'm going to try this over the weekend. Looks good, and I've got everything except the meat and fresh ginger.

[Jumpy Girl]

I am totally coveting your new slow cooker! Our last one was good but the crock insert broke and when I went to replace it, discovered the maker had gone out of business. Standard slow cookers look uber lame, but your new gadget looks too cool to actually be a slow cooker. Keep us posted on what you think of it.