Hamilton Beach's 3-in-1 Slow Cooker will be available in June. Click photo for larger image.

Here's a sampling of fresh recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker: Recipes for Two" by Beth Hensperger. Depending on how many slow cookers you have, you can make more than one at a time. I made and served all four of these, plus the accompanying meatball recipe, to colleagues at the Post-Gazette, who devoured them.

-- Arlene Burnett

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BARBECUE BRAISED BRISKET WITH BUTTER BEANS

PG TESTED

• 1 cup barbecue sauce of your choice
  
• 1 cup ginger ale
  
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons honey
  
• 4 medium yellow onions, sliced
  
• 2 1/2 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of as much fat as possible and blotted dry
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• 15-ounce can butter beans, drained

In a small bowl combine the barbecue sauce, ginger ale, brown sugar and honey.

Place the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the meat on top, fitting snugly and seasoning with salt and pepper. If the meat is too big to lay flat in your cooker, cut it in half and stack the pieces one on top of the other.

Pour the sauce over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours. Add the butter beans during the last hour to heat through.

When serving, slice the meat against the grain.

Serves two, with leftovers.

-- "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker"

POACHED TURKEY TENDERLOINS WITH MANGO-GINGER SALSA

PG TESTED

For the turkey

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds whole turkey tenderloins
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• 1/4 cup chopped celery with leaves
  
• 4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
  
• 2/3 cups dry white wine

For the mango-ginger salsa

• 1 medium-size mango, peeled, pitted and diced
  
• 1 medium-size tomato, seeded and diced
  
• 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
  
• 3 tablespoons minced red onion
  
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
  
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  
• Juice of 1 lime
  
• Salt to taste

Spray the inside of the crock with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the tenderloins in a single layer in the bottom of the crock. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the celery and onions, then the wine and enough hot water just to cover the turkey. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the internal temperature is 170 degrees. Let stand in the hot broth, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

To make salsa, combine the mango, tomato, bell pepper, onion, mint, ginger, lime juice and salt in a small bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour (the salsa also can be prepared several hours in advance and refrigerated, but it should be served at room temperature).

Remove the turkey from the broth to a plate or cutting board and discard the liquid and vegetables. When cool enough to handle, thinly slice across the grain and serve with the fruit salsa.

Serves two with leftovers; makes about 4 cups shredded or chopped turkey meat.

-- "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker"

LYN'S SPRINGTIME RISOTTO FOR TWO

PG TESTED

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  
• 1 cup arborio rice
  
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
  
• 3 cups water or chicken broth or light vegetable broth, canned or homemade
  
• 1/2 cup frozen petit peas or garden peas
  
• 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen asparagus tips
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a saute pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the wine and cook, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker with a heat-proof rubber spatula. Add the broth, peas and asparagus tips.

Cover and cook on high for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. The risotto should be only a bit liquid, and the rice should be al dente, tender with just a touch of tooth resistance. Add butter. Re-cover and wait a minute for the butter to soften. Stir in the cheese and season with the salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

-- "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker"

MARINARA AND MOZZARELLA LASAGNA

PG TESTED

• 26-ounce jar marinara sauce of your choice
  
• 5 to 6 sheets no-cook oven-ready lasagna noodles (if you're using a 3-quart cooker, you will need 3 more sheets)
  
• 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced or cubed
  
• 1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino, Romano or aged asiago cheese

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or wipe with an olive oil-soaked paper towel. Using a large spoon, spread 2 tablespoons of sauce over the bottom of the crock. Break one pasta sheet into pieces and cover the sauce. It doesn't matter what shape or size the pieces are, as long as they fit.

Cover with 4 to 6 tablespoons of sauce and a layer of mozzarella cheese. Make 5 to 6 layers total, ending with the marinara sauce.

Sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the top. The crock will be two-thirds to three-quarters full; the lasagna will collapse as it cooks.

Cover and cook on high for 3 1/3 to 4 hours. Test for tenderness by piercing the lasagna with the tip of a sharp knife after 3 hours. The lasagna will be fine on the "keep warm" setting for an additional 2 hours if necessary. Serve hot, cutting the lasagna with a metal or plastic spatula.

Note: We found that the lasagna was done after 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Additions and variations

You may add 2 to 3 layers of vegetables, such as cooked or fresh spinach leaves, roasted red peppers, leftover roasted mixed vegetables, thawed frozen or water-packed artichoke hearts, or sauteed mushrooms. The total cook time will increase by 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the addition.

Serves 2, with leftovers.

-- "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker"