Tips to Better Plan Your Camping Menu

Stews are real comfort foods that we love to make as soon as autumn arrives. They’re perfect for using affordable cuts of meat and frozen vegetables. They’re also an ideal way to prepare legumes for vegetarian meals. Slowly pampered in broths, herbs, spices, and other aromatics, beans, chickpeas, and lentils will disappear from the plates in no time!

The Benefits of Stews

• Easy to cook, these all-in-one meals allow you to cook all ingredients at the same time, saving precious minutes (and a bit of dishwashing!).
• Made in large quantities, these comforting meals will feed the whole family for dinner… and the next day for lunch. Any leftovers can also be easily frozen.
• Stews are perfect for feeding a large crowd.
• Nothing tenderizes meat like slow cooking. Using inexpensive cuts or parts creates meals that are both flavorful and budget-friendly.
• You can get more out of your oven by cooking two stews at once.
• And who can resist the joy of a home filled with a delicious aroma?

The Electric Slow Cooker: Your Stress-Free Cooking Ally

In addition to using minimal energy, this appliance lets you cook your meal without supervision.

Turn on your slow cooker before leaving for the day, and come home to a hot dinner ready to serve.

To get started with confidence, choose recipes specifically designed for slow cooker use. Once familiar, you’ll be able to adapt ordinary stew recipes for slow cooking.

Three Tips for Slow Cooker Cooking

Since almost no evaporation occurs, slow cooker recipes require about half the liquid compared to oven cooking.

To maintain the temperature inside the pot, avoid lifting the lid during cooking—unless you need to add tender vegetables, rice, milk, or a thickener at the end of cooking.

While not essential, searing meat and vegetables enhances the flavors. Cooking on “low” also develops even more aroma, resulting in stews with unmatched taste!

Stews: Dishes Packed with Vitamin-Rich Vegetables

Root vegetables and other local winter vegetables frequently appear in stews: cabbage, carrots, potatoes, rutabaga (often called swede), and green or yellow beans.
Try less traditional, but equally tasty vegetables in your stews: sweet potato, fennel, squash, and parsnip.
Good news: vitamins that would otherwise be lost in cooking water are retained in the broth. Enjoy it freely (as long as it’s not too fatty or salty)!

Frozen Vegetables: A Healthy Shortcut

Frozen vegetables (or those you’ve preserved from your harvest) save time in both classic stews and slow cooker recipes. However, they should be added later—about 30 to 45 minutes before the end of cooking.

Slow Cooker Recipes with Beef, Chicken, and More

To mix things up, try various slow cooker recipes with chicken, beef, and lentils, as well as a Thai-flavored veal curry and Moroccan-style osso buco, gently simmered on the stovetop.