Monday, January 6, 2014

My New BFF

I am a lover of using slow cookers.  Since I live in Texas, I will do anything to avoid turning on the oven in summer.  Summer for us is usually early May until much of Oct. 

I was lucky to win a great slow cooker from Pioneer Woman's blog.  I used it between one to three times a week for about six years.  After being a faithful friend, the heating element on one side started going out.  I ended up with whole chickens that weren't cooking on one side.  So, I had to say good bye to my friend.

Meet my new BFF.  The Ninja 3 in 1 cooker.


Besides being a great slow cooker, a feature I love about this one is that I can brown my meat right in the cooker using the Stove Top feature.  As someone that doesn't have a dishwasher, I am always looking for ways to cook using the least amount of pots and pans to clean afterwards.  My Ninja came with a decent cookbook and there are some recipes using the Stove Top setting and an Oven setting (different from the slow cooker setting).  I haven't tried those yet, but I know I will try some once it gets hot again here.

Clean up is a breeze with the great non-stick lining. 

What I did make on New Year's Day was a turkey breast.  I put a 6 pound  turkey breast (thawed) in on the slow cooker setting for about 5 and a half hours on high.   I used the juice of two oranges, a cup (or a little more) of water and a package of dry onion soup mixed together.  I put the used orange halves on the bottom, along with some chunks of fresh onion under the turkey and poured the liquid over the top with salt and pepper.  At the end of cooking time, I decided to brush the turkey breast with some melted butter and put the turkey in the oven on 375 for about 40 minutes to brown up, while a small pan of dressing was baking. 

This is what came out:


This beauty was so moist and tender and with browning a little afterwards in the oven, it was easily the best turkey we have ever eaten.  Such a simple way to make a lovely meal, with none of the basting and fussing that can go with baking a turkey.   This will be a go to holiday meal for us.

See you soon,

Gina

I'm linking up to Tweak It Tues at Cozy Little House
and Between Naps on the Porch

6 comments:

  1. Oh, looks delicious! I never heard of one that would do all that. I've been thinking of getting a slow cooker for about 6 months. How much was this baby?
    Brenda

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    1. Slow cookers are great for so many things. Since we know each other, I think a smaller one would fit your needs more. I sent you an email.

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  2. Yum! That sounds and looks delicious! Will give it a try! The slo cooker looks amazing.

    Judy

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    1. Enjoy your trip Judy! Thanks for looking in.

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  3. Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! I didn't know Ninja made a slow cooker.

    What a treat to find another Texas blogger this morning over my coffee.

    I live in South Texas.

    Enjoyed visiting, and I am a new follower.

    Laura
    White Spray Paint

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    1. Hi Laura! It's nice to find you, as well. You certainly understand why I don't use my oven for many months of the year. This cooker and my gas grill help keep the A/C bill under control! Thanks so much for you nice comment. I'm heading over to see your blog.

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