Lars, I did end up buying the 6 qt Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven. It is very heavy, but I love it. Things dont burn in it as quickly as the light weight pots. I am gradually getting away from non stick pans. I recently picked up an enameled skillet. Not cast iron. I just wipes clean like a dream and non stick. Will see how it holds up.As for the DO, I am glad I made the choice I did. I bought mine on sale at walmart.com. I have made chili,applesauce for canning, beef roast etc. It cleans up very easily. And since there is no bare cast iron, no need for special treatment. My mother made a boneless turkey breast in her DO and it turned out VERY moist. I also eat very little meat, but my family eat it. I dont know if you can or not, but I have recently been canning chicken. I will do turkey too as I dont like turkey frozen after its cooked. It gets kind of a grainy texture. I bought chicken breast, some boneless some not when it was on sale. Cut chunks and placed into pint jars, small amount of water and salt, and canned them according to usda directions. It comes out fully cooked and ready to use.Very moist in its own broth. Great for quick meals such as chicken salad sandwiches, creamed chicken, etc. Tammy

Trudy: " Traditional " is my favorite way also. Thought everyone went to Salting , High Heat method. Nice to see I'm not alone. I usually make mine with Stuffing, sometimes with chopped up and simmered Sausage mixed in it. Stuffing ( Double for Turkey ) 1 Celery stalk, (10in. Piece ) and ½ of a Med. l onion (chopped small) and Cooked in Micro Wave until tender (about 2 ½ min.) Some Bell Pepper may also be added. In a large Bowl mix: 1 cup of small bread cubes 2 cups of Italian Bread crumbs 1 tablesp. Parsley Flakes 2 tablesp. Of Locatelli Romano grated cheese 1 teasp. Of Onion Powder 1 teasp. Of Garlic Powder ( or more to taste ) 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning Salt to taste ( about ½ teaspoon ) Optional- 1 piece of Italian Sausage 10 in. long, skinned and cut into small pieces. Sautee till medium rare. Add the cooked Onion and Celery. Put 1 egg into a cup of chicken stock , or Chicken Soup Base ) beat well and mix this into the other ingredients. Add a little water, if the mixture is too dry. Add more sausage or whatever you like. Baking the Turkey: I use a Waterless cooker and Bake until the inside stuffing temperature reaches 165 Degrees. Take the lid off for the last 1/2 hour , to brown. I just rub oil on the turkey and sprinkle with Onion and Garlic Powder. Put 1/2 cup of water in the bottom and let her rip. Always Good !!! Here is mine , cooked Last Christmas. HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!! LOU

Kim, you really should explore the world of seafood, as it is ideal for fast meal prep. The whole secret with cooking shrimp, scallops, and other shellfish is to make sure you don't overcook it. But the particular critter usually gives you a clue. Shrimp turns pink when it's done. Scallops turn opaque. Clams and oysters curl at the edges. The hard ones are calamari and abalone. But even they give you clues. To clean shrimp you need to remove the shells and the mud vein that runs down the back. This can be done before or after cooking, depending on recipes. Hint: Shrimp cooked in their shells are more flavorful. There are special tools for prepping shrimp. But a regular table fork works just as well. Stick one tine into the shell from the head end, pointing into the mud vein. Then push the shrimp onto the tine. The shell and vein will pop right off. If you look at the Nuts & Bolts thread I've posted a simple recipe for Shrimp & Sausage Carbonade that you might want to try. Finned fishes, too, can broaden your choices. Fish does not require a long cooking time in any recipe (the rule of thumb is to cook ten minutes for each inch of thickness). Virtually any cooking method---from poaching to deep fying, baking to barbecuing---can be used for fish cookery.

This is really good. * Exported from MasterCook * African Sweet Potato Soup Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Soups Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp red curry paste 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 medium red onion -- peeled and diced 4 cloves garlic -- minced 1 sweet potato -- peeled and diced 1 large bell pepper -- seeded and diced (green, yellow, orange or red) 1 jalapeno -- seeded and finely diced 1 can black beans -- or two 4 cups veggie broth 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup boiling water 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 2 tbsp chopped cilantro juice of one lime 1 tbsp brown sugar salt and black pepper -- to taste Heat oil and add the curry paste and cinnamon. Stir in onion, garlic, sweet potato, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Cook until fragrant. Mix peanut butter with boiling water. Add beans, broth, pepper flakes and cilantro. Simmer until veggies are tender. Stir in the lime juice and brown sugar. Season with salt and black pepper. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -