What's Cooking? Low Energy Recipes
With these simple recipes, you can make tasty meals while spending less time and energy in the kitchen.
Tired of sweating over a hot stove? Looking to spend less time and money in the kitchen while still making tasty meals? Slow cookers and microwaves are your lowest-cost cooking options, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For example, a slow cooker operating for seven hours at 200°F will use less than 1 kWh of electricity. An electric oven uses almost three times the amount of energy as a slow cooker.
Recipes for savings
If the idea of making healthy, flavorful meals using a microwave or slow cooker takes you a little out of your comfort zone, we've got some simple recipes for you.
Scrambled eggs
A microwave is great for scrambled eggs. Just butter a small microwave-proof bowl, crack some eggs into the bowl, add a little milk for moisture, and stir. Add precooked bacon, shredded cheese or vegetables if you want. You can season before or after cooking.
Cook on high for one minute, stir and cook for another minute. Now you have some delicious scrambled eggs and only one dish to clean! And the cost? Less than a penny at a typical household electricity rate!
Lasagna
Slow cookers not only save energy, they're also easy to use. For most recipes, all you do is prepare a few items, put them in the pot and turn on the timer. While your dish is cooking, you can binge watch your favorite shows or get a massage.
Here's an easy lasagna recipe from Around My Family Table. Gather these ingredients:
- 1 or 2 packages of ravioli
- 1 16-ounce jar of pasta sauce
- 2 or 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Spray a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the bottom with sauce. Add layers of ravioli, sauce and cheese. Repeat layers until the slow cooker is about three-fourths full. Turn on low and cook for three to four hours if the ravioli is frozen.
Apple spice cake
Got a sweet tooth and not much time? This recipe for apple spice cake from Stockpiling Moms takes only five minutes to prepare. Use the following ingredients:
- 2 cans of apple pie filling
- 1 box of spice cake mix
- 8 ounces of butter
Lightly spray the slow cooker with non stick cooking spray. Pour apple pie filling into the bottom and sprinkle the cake mix on top followed by the butter. Cook covered for 2 1/2 hours on high. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Now you're cooking! See https://www.crock-pot.com/slowcooker-recipes for more easy, low-cost recipes.