Local Weather Forecast
Today: Current:85	Sunday: 94/73	Monday: 94/74
Complete Forecast for  Jul 05 2008

There aren’t many recipes more convienent than the ones you make in a slow cooker.

Send us some of your delicious recipes using this helpful cooking instrument.

If you trust leaving them on while you are out, you can come home to a dinner already made. If not, you can make them in advance while you are home and simply reheat later in the week for a fast meal.

Here is one of my favorites. It is from the Texas Beef Council and was a 1993 cook-off finalist:

Crockpot Swiss Steak

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 10-12 hours (crockpot)

Servings: Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds beef round or shoulder steaks, cut 1/4-inch thick

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup finely chopped carrots

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup medium picante sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon white vinegar

12 ounces Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, cooked

The night before serving: Prepare vegetables and combine with picante sauce, ketchup and vinegar; refrigerate in a sealed container. Trim fat from beef steaks and cut into 6 pieces. Wrap and refrigerate.

In the morning: Transfer steaks to the crockpot and top with vegetable mixture. Add water. Cover and cook on low for 10-11 hours. Thicken by adding 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked pasta.

For next week, send us some of your favorite recipes made in the slow cooker.

Patrice Taylor of Whitehouse sent this recipe after she made it for her friends at work and the rave reviews started coming.

PUMPKIN HARVEST CAKE

1 spice cake mix, 18 ounces

2 cups pumpkin pie mix

3 eggs

1 half cup oil

One half cup applesauce

One half teaspoon baking soda

Two teaspoons vanilla

One teaspoon pumpkin spice

Mix until smooth. Bake in a bundt pan for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Can top with powdered sugar, but Patrice said that she likes it with a cream cheese icing, sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice and walnuts.

She notes that this is an ice moist cake. And that it uses the pumpkin pie mix, not just plain pumpkin. She said because she could only find the 29-ounce cans, she baked two cakes.

Del in Sulphur Springs sent this recipe:

BANANA CHIFFON CAKE

2 eggs, separated

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oil

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Whipped cream

Sliced bananas, for garnish

Grease two 8” round pans well and dust with flour. Beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar. Continue beating until very stiff and glossy. Sift remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, soda and salt into another bowl. Add oil, mashed bananas, half of buttermilk and vanilla extract.

Beat 1 minute at medium speed on mixer. Scrap sides and bottom of bowl constantly. Add remaining buttermilk and egg yolks. Beat 1 more minute. Fold in beaten egg whites. Fold nuts in gently. Pour into prepared pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Cool. Frost with whipped cream. Decorate with sliced bananas. (Or frost with your favorite frosting.) Makes 8 to 10 servings. Del wrote that this is the best layer banana cake that she has ever made.

If you have a request or would like to share a recipe, write to Readers’ Swap, Tyler Morning Telegraph, P.O. Box 2030, Tyler 75710 or e-mail food@tylerpaper.com