What does the working mom, the stay at home dad, the young professional, and the modern meal prep master all have in common? The answer, the heartwarming kitchen side appliance, the Crock Pot. “It’s making a comeback,” hollered Ruth from her office at X5 Naturals headquarters, and it’s true. Young foodies are reveling in its ability to create easy and densely flavorful dishes. But where did the nostalgic Crock Pot originate? And what recipes for the modern cook are inspiring a new generation to fall in love with the trusty slow cooker all over again?
The Crock Pot is a favored kitchen side appliance used across the USA and the world and has been since it was patented in the 1950s. Finding its roots in a tiny Jewish neighborhood in Vilnius, Lithuania, the Crock Pot was inspired by Sabbath’s weekly preparation and ritual. An ovenproof pot would be prepared with meat and vegetables and brought to the local baker’s oven that remained warm after a day of baking. The pots would slow cook overnight and would be collected the next day in time for the family meal. Irving Nachumsohn invented what we now know as the Crock-Pot or slow cooker.
Fun fact, despite the slow cooker being associated with colder winter nights, Nachumsohn invented the Crock Pot interestingly due to the summer heat. A problem solver at his core, the Crock Pot meant the oven wouldn’t be turned on, which would keep from adding to the already hot, pre-air conditioned houses.
The Crock Pot has since been modernized, and other forms of the slow cooker have emerged on the market too. If you are based in the Midwest, you won’t attend a family gathering without a line of Crock Pots laying up the buffet table. Today as we write to you from California, it’s great to see young foodies endorsing the Crock Pot as a must-have kitchen appliance.
Here at the X5 Naturals offices, we are always talking about food. Ruth inspires us daily to think outside of the box and often brings in her latest stew or pulled chicken to try. She is our resident foodie with an appreciation for the exotic and the simple, making her recipes easy and accessible. She always has a slow cooker on her kitchen side, bubbling away with some new recipe. With our passion for good gut health and bioavailability, we really are a team that practices what we preach for our health, with that little extra motivation to feed our bodies with nourishing and exciting food and drink, and never adverse to a little treat.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to utilizing the Crock Pot, and today we are featuring three of Ruth’s tried and tested recipes that show its diversity. We bet you will have more than one on the go in your home by the end of the year. From an Organic Whiskey Cider or Mexican pulled chicken to Keto-friendly Skinny Mash, there really is something for everyone when it comes to the ever-reliable Crock Pot.
Ruth’s Punchy Slow Cooked Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Medium chicken breasts
- 1 x Can of black beans
- 1 Tsp salt
- ½ Tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Cloves of garlic (crushed)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tsp dried oregano
- 1 Can fire-roasted tomatoes (with juices)
- 2/3 x Chipotle peppers in adobo. They come in cans and have a smokey kick to them.
Directions:
Step 1: Brown the chicken breasts in a hot pan and sear on each side.
Step 2: Place the chicken in the Crock Pot and sprinkle the salt, pepper, crushed garlic, chili powder, and oregano over the seared chicken. Then scatter the fire-roasted tomatoes and sliced chipotle peppers over the chicken.
Step 3: Cook on low for 5 hours. Once the chicken is slow-cooked and tender, pull it apart with two forks. Then add the black beans and leave cooking on low for one more hour.
Step 4: After 6 hours of cooking, your chicken is ready to serve. It is perfect for burrito bowls, nacho toppings, quesadillas, as a topping for baked sweet potatoes, or even on top of a taco salad.
Ruth’s Keto Friendly Slow Cooked Mash
Ingredients
- 1 x Medium to large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 Cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tsp minced garlic
- ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese (fresh is best)
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Directions:
Step 1: Chop cauliflower into large florets. Put the cauliflower and chicken broth in the Crock Pot with the minced garlic. Slow cook on high for 3 hours.
Step 2: Once cooked, add the butter, parmesan, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.
Step 3: Using a hand blender combine the ingredients into a smooth and creamy mash
Step 4: Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Ruth’s Organic Whiskey Cider
Ingredients
- 9 Cups cloudy organic cider
- 2.5 Cups of whiskey
- 4 Cinnamon sticks
- 2 Inches fresh sliced ginger
- 3 Tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 Orange juiced with peel (sliced)
- 2 Large apples sliced
Directions:
Step 1: Pour the apple cider into the Crock Pot and stir in the pumpkin spice, fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, juiced orange, and sliced orange peel.
Step 2: Slow cook the cider for about an hour and a half on a low setting. Then add the whiskey and sliced apples and stir. Heat the cider for another half an hour.
Step 3: Once ready, leave on a warm setting and serve.
Yours in health,
X5 Naturals Team