Housewives, who do not have much time to cook, have long appreciated the multicooker. This device is truly versatile - it cooks, fries, bakes and performs many more useful functions, thanks to which creating a full-fledged dinner is a pleasure, not an annoying one. Novate.ru talks about several secret multicooker abilities that relate not only to cooking, but also to other areas of life, and delight everyone who learns about them.
Secret 1: Two dishes instead of one
Few people know, but a multicooker is able to cook not one, but two dishes at once, for example, meat and a side dish for it. To do this, turn on the "Stew" button on the appliance, place cereals or potatoes at the bottom of the bowl, and put meat, fish or chicken in the upper compartment intended for steaming.
You can try another method, but just keep in mind that it is more suitable for stews, sauces and other semi-liquid dishes that need to be stewed. Make a foil divider and set it in the middle of the bowl. Next, place two plastic inserts inside, designed specifically for the multicooker (fans of "slow cooking" will definitely appreciate them). In each insert, prepare any meal to your liking.
Secret 2: Fondue Style
Sometimes you really want to cook a Swiss national dish called fondue, but buying a special device for this seems pointless, because it will be present on the table a maximum of a couple of times a year. In this case, the same multicooker will come to the rescue. Melt cheese, chocolate, caramel in a bowl and serve directly in this container so that the food retains the required consistency longer. By the way, if the multicooker bowl has a large volume, it will be possible to cook several types of food in it at once, without worrying that they will melt unevenly or lumps will form.
To do this, you will need to install several containers made of glass, ceramics or other material that is resistant to high temperatures in the bowl. Inside each of them, put the chopped food that needs to be melted, pour water into the bowl so that it reaches the middle of the containers, and turn on any high temperature mode. Please note that you do not need to close the lid, and the liquid poured into the bowl should not get to the products so that they do not turn out too "tight".
After half an hour, stir the contents of the containers and cook until the cheese or chocolate is completely melted and the desired consistency is obtained.
Secret 3: Defrosting food
It usually takes a long time to defrost food, especially if done at room temperature. To cut it down, you need a multicooker mode called Steam. Place a piece of meat, poultry or fish in a special compartment, pour water into a bowl and press the desired button.
Defrosting with steam will not only shorten the process to 8-15 minutes, depending on the size of the food, but will also help preserve the flavor of the dish and its nutritional properties. Of course, you can prepare meat / fish in the microwave, but only in the multicooker will a stable temperature be maintained, which means that it will be possible to avoid uneven defrosting.
Secret 4: Aromatherapy
An automatic air freshener is great, but natural aromatherapy will be much more enjoyable and beneficial considering the fact that it is an excellent remedy for the prevention of colds and flu in the cold season, and also helps with nervous disorders and headaches. An infusion containing cinnamon, cloves, citrus zest and other ingredients that you like can be cooked in a slow cooker on a slow simmering or simmering mode.
For a classic infusion, you will need six cinnamon sticks, two teaspoons of cloves, two oranges, and two cups of water. Peel the citrus fruits and put them in the multicooker bowl along with other ingredients. Then add water and select the "Steam cooking" or "Stewing" mode. The lid must be kept open throughout the entire cooking process. The contents of the bowl should be checked every 30-40 minutes, adding water as it boils away. To spread the aroma not only in the kitchen, but throughout the apartment, move the appliance from room to room.
Secret 5: Modeling dough
Previously, plasticine was a real miracle - children loved to sculpt various crafts from it and completely immersed themselves in the process, giving parents the opportunity to relax or do their own thing. However, now the dough for modeling has come to the fore. And this is not surprising, because, unlike plasticine, it does not stain hands and clothes, it is pleasant to the touch and is available in a wide variety of colors. There is only one significant problem - its cost.
Fortunately, using a multicooker, you can easily prepare an analogue of a store-bought sculpting dough, which in quality will be no worse than the original. To do this, you need to take two glasses of rice flour (in extreme cases, you can also wheat), one glass of salt, ¼ glass of tartar or cremotartare, two glasses of hot water, two teaspoons of vegetable oil.
Mix all dry ingredients in a separate container, fill them with water and oil, and then transfer to the multicooker bowl and set the mode to the lowest temperature. Close the lid and press the Bake or Roast button. Don't leave the dough unattended for too long - ideally, check it every ten minutes by stirring thoroughly with a plastic spatula. Readiness is easy to determine - when, when stirring, the dough begins to form into a ball, remove it from the multicooker and try to knead it with your hands if it is not very hot. If the dough sticks, sprinkle it with starch. And hot water will help get rid of excessive dryness.
The final touch is color. Divide the dough into several parts, and on each of them add a few drops of food coloring of the color that the child dreams of. To make the color as uniform as possible, knead the dough well with your hands.
Secret 6: Warm Hand Towels
Another curious way to use the multicooker is to warm up the towels. Agree, it is very pleasant to wipe your hands with warm textiles before dinner. In addition, it can still be used for aching joint pain, and according to alternative medicine, it can also be used to cleanse a person's energy.
Warming up the towel is simple - fold it into a roll and place it in the bowl of the cartoon. Pour a small amount of water into the container, which will saturate the fabric with moisture. To enhance the effect, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil - then the towels will not only be warm, but also fragrant. The textiles must be left in the bowl for a couple of hours, after selecting the slow simmering mode. Use ready-made towels for compresses, toning the skin of the hands and face, and so on.
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