Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book for Free Online Page A

To counter (but not stop) the problem, spray your knife with nonstick spray before you begin chopping.
trail mix porridge
    EFFORT: NOT MUCH • PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES • COOK TIME: 6 HOURS • KEEPS ON WARM: 1 HOUR • SERVES: 6 TO 12
    2- TO 3½-QUART
    4 cups water
    1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
    ½ cup pearled barley
    ½ cup packed light brown sugar
    ⅓ cup walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely ground
    ¼ cup medium-ground bulgur (or #2)
    ¼ cup corn (or hominy) grits
    ¼ cup millet
    ¼ cup maple syrup
    ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    ¼ tsp salt
    4- TO 5½-QUART
    6 cups water
    1½ cups chopped fresh cranberries
    ¾ cup pearled barley
    ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
    ½ cup walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely ground
    6 tblsp medium-ground bulgur (or #2)
    6 tblsp corn (or hominy) grits
    6 tblsp millet
    6 tblsp maple syrup
    ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    ¼ tsp salt
    6- TO 8-QUART
    8 cups water
    2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
    1 cup pearled barley
    1 cup packed light brown sugar
    ⅔ cup walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely ground
    ½ cup medium-ground bulgur (or #2)
    ½ cup corn (or hominy) grits
    ½ cup millet
    ½ cup maple syrup
    1 tsp ground cinnamon
    ½ tsp salt
    Stir all the ingredients in a slow cooker until the maple syrup has dissolved and all the grains are moistened. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the porridge is creamy and the grains are tender.
    TESTERS’ NOTES
    • For more whole-grain goodness, use whole-grain corn grits, a specialty item not always available in supermarkets but certainly offered by online suppliers. They’ll give a much more intense, sweet, even earthy corn taste to the cereal.
    • Fresh cranberries are not necessarily available year-round. When you see them in the supermarket around the holidays, buy a few extra bags and toss them into the freezer. There’s no need to thaw the cranberries before using them in a cooking or baking recipe.
    ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW Grind walnuts in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, pulsing repeatedly until the consistency is a little coarser than sand, but with no chunks in the mix. For more flavor, first toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes, then cool for 30 minutes before grinding. Save any leftover nuts in a zip-sealed plastic bag in the freezer to add to cookie and bread batters, or to coatings for pan-fried or oven-fried fish or chicken.
    INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Millet is the smallest grain available in the modern supermarket—tiny little yellow specks that can turn into a pain in the neck if you spill the bag. Unless otherwise specified, use whole millet, not finely ground millet grits. Because millet goes rancid quickly at room temperature, store it in a well-sealed bag in the freezer for up to 5 months. But always smell it first. It should smell grassy and sweet, not bitter or acrid.
pecan pie porridge
    EFFORT: NOT MUCH • PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES • COOK TIME: 8 HOURS • KEEPS ON WARM: 2 HOURS • SERVES: 3 TO 8
    2- TO 3½-QUART
    3 cups milk
    ⅔ cup wheatberries
    ⅓ cup maple syrup
    ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans
    3 tblsp farina, such as Cream of Wheat
    ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
    ¼ tsp salt
    4- TO 5½-QUART
    4½ cups milk
    1 cup wheatberries
    ½ cup maple syrup
    ½ cup finely chopped pecans
    ¼ cup farina, such as Cream of Wheat
    ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    ¼ tsp salt
    6- TO 8-QUART
    6 cups milk
    1⅓ cups wheatberries
    ⅔ cup maple syrup
    ⅔ cup finely chopped pecans
    6 tblsp farina, such as Cream of Wheat
    ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
    ½ tsp salt
    Stir all the ingredients in a slow cooker until the maple syrup is evenly distributed throughout. Cover and cook the mixture on low for 8 hours, or until the wheatberries are tender and the mixture has turned into a porridge.
    TESTERS’ NOTES
    • There’s not one kind of wheatberry but several, based on the wheat variety. For the creamiest texture befitting a breakfast porridge, look for soft spring white wheatberries. By contrast, hard red winter wheatberries