A love-hate relationship

I got my first slow cooker when I was in college. I think my mom bought it for me at a garage sale for about $1. It was clearly from the 1970s, but it worked and I was happy to have it.

I learned quickly, though, that this new kitchen tool was not always my friend. It was great for making some dishes, such as beef stew, but others didn't turn out as well as they did for my mom. I also learned -- the hard way -- that they are not meant to be used on the stove.

When Aaron and I got married, we received a beautiful new one as a gift. I was determined to learn how to use it properly. And again, some of the old standby recipes served us well. But I wanted to break out of the rut.

After Emma was born, Aaron and I were determined to make even greater use of our slow cooker. He even bought an old 70s-era cookbook. But the recipes were largely a disappointment. Most dishes were soupy. And they were largely flavorless, too. We eventually sold that book back.

I started to hate this blasted machine. What was the point if I could only make one or two dishes? It was just taking up room in our space-limited house. But then I started to investigate. I turned to the America's Test Kitchens, which nearly always steers me in the right direction.

I also found a low-fat slow cooker cookbook. It's certainly not my favorite, but it does offer some interesting ideas that spark my creativity.

With Emma in school and two of us working, we're turning more and more to our slow cooker. It's good, but not great. But it does help us out when we find that time is at a premium. And that makes the slow cooker worth a spot in my small kitchen.

This recipe is from "The Best Slow and Easy Recipes" from the America's Test Kitchen series.

Slow-cooker Beef and Barley Soup

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 medium onions, minced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tbsp. fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme

Salt

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup pearl barley

2 lb. blade steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Ground black pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Process the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until smooth, about 15 seconds, and set aside. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, tomato paste, thyme and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits.

Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and stir in the processed tomatoes, broths, carrots, soy sauce and barley until evenly combined. Season the meat with salt and pepper and nestle it into the slow cooker. Cover and cook, either on low or high heat, until the meat is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

Let the cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes, then gently tilt the slow cooker and remove as much fat as possible from the surface using a large spoon. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Cook's notes: I usually use a bit more broth and a tablespoon or two of red wine vinegar in place of the red wine. I also double the amount of barley, as the recommended amount mostly disappears.