Slow Cooker recipes

beertons

goat2 wrote: »

High first 2 hrs, then low for three, it comes out just beautiful, and the juices are great for the gravy, if you want to roughly cut an onion and leave it in there, just to put taste in gravy also, it is up to you

Deadly. And can I slice a few holes and put garlic in? I love the gooey garlic. The MIL does it, when she boils lamb.

goat2

beertons wrote: »

Deadly. And can I slice a few holes and put garlic in? I love the gooey garlic. The MIL does it, when she boils lamb.

Of course

beertons

I tell ya now. I was a bit sceptical, but the amount of juice that came out of the lamb. Nicest gravy I ever made. Meat was amazing too. Thumbs up from all.

54and56

beertons wrote: »

I tell ya now. I was a bit sceptical, but the amount of juice that came out of the lamb. Nicest gravy I ever made. Meat was amazing too. Thumbs up from all.

What did you do to make the gravy?

beertons

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

What did you do to make the gravy?

Poured it all into a pan, drop of bisto, and boiled.

54and56

goat2 wrote: »

High first 2 hrs, then low for three, it comes out just beautiful, and the juices are great for the gravy, if you want to roughly cut an onion and leave it in there, just to put taste in gravy also, it is up to you

I'm doing a version of this Kleftiko style leg of lamb tomorrow but I'm not doing any of the browning. I made up a paste with anchovies, some of the anchovy oil, a tea spoon of chopped lazy lemon, dried thyme and oregano, juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper and rubbed that all over the leg of lamb which is now marinating in a zip lock bag. In the morning I'm going to put some skin on salad potatoes, roughly chopped onion and carrots in the SC, add a little white wine, some red wine vinegar, a lamb stock cube and the remaining half lemon chopped into two wedges then lay the leg of lamb on top and see how it turns out.

The recipe calls for the lamb to cook in the SC for 9.5 hours!!! The last leg I did was for 6 hours and it was dry. I was going to go with 5 hours this time but am unsure if 9.5 would actually result in fall off the bone meat and almost be another phase of cooking where the meat goes from dry (at 6-7 hours) through a transformation to fall off the bone juicy.

Any thoughts?

54and56

All prepared and starting to cook.

Will go with the 9.5 hours. Should be finished by 17:30 :P

blinding

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

All prepared and starting to cook.

Will go with the 9.5 hours. Should be finished by 17:30 :P

Snug .

54and56

blinding wrote: »

Snug .

That's for sure!! I got a 2.7kg leg of lamb in Tesco for €18 so couldn't refuse it!!

There's a good layer of potatoes, carrots and onions so it'll settle down a little as it cooks.

The lid just about closes properly, another few MM and I'd have had to weigh it down.

Dial Hard

Used my slow cooker for the first time on Friday, made a cassoulet, it was lovely. Having the last of it for dinner tonight, then I think I'll try the ramen from this list - https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/fall-slow-cooker-dinners?utm_term=.pgGBnyMrMG&fbclid=IwAR1bJ62Au6t4--1-WVArFydi1YRdmIRyqPljxpe9OO2QdpDd56oDc7kyZIk#.pgGBnyMrMG

I've also ordered a smart plug from Amazon, thank you whoever mentioned those! We ended up going for a couple of drinks on Friday so it would have been handy to be able to switch the slow cooker off from the pub as the beans were a bit overdone by the time we got home.

cee_jay

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Any good ones? I wanted to get a few of them.....

This is the one I have - only because they were on offer last Black Friday when I was buying an Alexa - it works with Alexa too which was important for me. There are so many now though - I would advise having a look on Amazon and the reviews on there.
I used one last Christmas for my Christmas tree lights - I just needed to tell Alexa to turn them off/on - no more trying to get behind the tree, knocking decorations.

Shefwedfan

cee_jay wrote: »

This is the one I have - only because they were on offer last Black Friday when I was buying an Alexa - it works with Alexa too which was important for me. There are so many now though - I would advise having a look on Amazon and the reviews on there.
I used one last Christmas for my Christmas tree lights - I just needed to tell Alexa to turn them off/on - no more trying to get behind the tree, knocking decorations.

Alexa is queen in our house so as much integration as possible

saggycaggy

Bought my slow cooker last January and only just used it at the weekend for a tikka masala which was delicious. I'm hooked now!!
I'd love to try a massaman curry - any good recipe? Thanks

Penn

Tried Thai Green Chicken Curry in the slow cooker again yesterday, this time leaving the coconut milk until the last hour rather than adding it at the start. Definitely looks much better anyway, and from the small spoonful I had tasted pretty good too. Having it for lunch throughout the week so will get a proper taste in a few hours.

Gloomtastic!

Penn wrote: »

Tried Thai Green Chicken Curry in the slow cooker again yesterday, this time leaving the coconut milk until the last hour rather than adding it at the start. Definitely looks much better anyway, and from the small spoonful I had tasted pretty good too. Having it for lunch throughout the week so will get a proper taste in a few hours.

What’s wrong with adding it at the beginning? Just about to make a beef curry in the slow cooker and have a tin to add......

Penn

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

What’s wrong with adding it at the beginning? Just about to make a beef curry in the slow cooker and have a tin to add......

I tried it a few weeks ago as I was following a recipe that said just to throw it all in from the start, but after maybe two hours I saw that the coconut milk had separated. Ended up having to take the chicken out of it when cooked, and making a new sauce for it from scratch in the pan.

I think it can depend what heat the low setting on your slow cooker actually is, as from reading online, some recipes say it's fine to add it at the start and people have no problems, others say to add it an hour before the end or else it'll split. If you haven't had any problems with it before, then you're probably fine as maybe the low temperature on your slow cooker is lower than the one on mine (or it might be because my slow cooker is quite large and rarely gets even half full so the low setting just affects it more).

Penn

Penn wrote: »

maybe the low temperature on your slow cooker is lower than the one on mine (or it might be because my slow cooker is quite large and rarely gets even half full so the low setting just affects it more).

Actually, just thinking on this, that could actually be what my problem is, to the point where I might actually get a new smaller slow cooker instead. One that I can programme to come on and start at a certain time too so it's not on all day. Does anyone have any recommendations for one, preferably from Argos? I'm guessing about 3-4litres or so?

Gloomtastic!

Thanks. Don’t think i’ve ever added to a slow cooker curry before so not sure. There’s plenty of juice in there at the moment, will hold off the milk till later.

Penn

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Thanks. Don’t think i’ve ever added to a slow cooker curry before so not sure. There’s plenty of juice in there at the moment, will hold off the milk till later.

Yeah, you might be better airing on the side of caution. There was a lot of juice in the cooker yesterday before I went to add in the coconut milk, so I took the chicken out, emptied out the juice, then put the chicken back in. Then added in the coconut with more curry paste for just under an hour. Had to add some cornflour too towards the end just to thicken it up a bit.

beans

Penn wrote: »

Actually, just thinking on this, that could actually be what my problem is, to the point where I might actually get a new smaller slow cooker instead. One that I can programme to come on and start at a certain time too so it's not on all day. Does anyone have any recommendations for one, preferably from Argos? I'm guessing about 3-4litres or so?

Just get one of those timer-plug thingies?

Penn

beans wrote: »

Just get one of those timer-plug thingies?

I thought of those but the issue is that my slow cooker needs to be manually switched on to start cooking, so that plug would turn it on, but wouldn't start it cooking. Whereas if I had one that I could set to either come on at a certain time or that once a plug like that turned it on, it would start cooking, that would be the absolute ideal.

Plus the one I have is too big for me (didn't realise the size of it when I was buying it). It's never even been half-full even when cooking my lunches for the week. A smaller one would suit me far better and I could offload my current one to a relative.

beans

Ah, with mine you can start it by powering it up, once it's switched to one of the heat-settings

Dial Hard

Made this on Friday, it was absolutely gorgeous: https://thefoodcharlatan.com/slow-cooker-basil-chicken-in-coconut-curry-sauce/

I just used chicken fillets as that's what I had, and didn't bother browning them beforehand. I also used green curry paste as, again, that's what I had.

Had to laugh at the recipe specifying skin-on chicken thighs and then the very first step is to remove the skin :rolleyes:

Dial Hard

Have Mexican stuffed peppers in it as we speak. Will report back with the recipe this evening if it's worth sharing.

goat2

saggycaggy wrote: »

Bought my slow cooker last January and only just used it at the weekend for a tikka masala which was delicious. I'm hooked now!!
I'd love to try a massaman curry - any good recipe? Thanks

There are also slow cooker liners, I have tried them, and they are great, no washing up,
The liners look like a plastic bag, so if there is left over stuff, it can be popped in freezer for another time

Dial Hard

Dial Hard wrote: »

Have Mexican stuffed peppers in it as we speak. Will report back with the recipe this evening if it's worth sharing.

These were lovely. Recipe is at http://www.theslowcookinghousewife.com/slow-cooker-mexican-stuffed-peppers/ I used kidney beans cause I always have a press full of them.

Macy0161

Today I have a Caribbean Chicken in, from the High Protein Handbook Slow Cooker recipe book. (https://thehighproteinhandbook.com/book-4). I paid for all the books, and haven't had a dud yet (so far at least!). Not slow cooker, but very convenient, are the "one pot" recipes - I think there's a few listed for free on the site. I've no connection to the site, although I do agree with his views on dieting!

Following on from the discussion around Slow Cooker Chillis the other week, last weeks was a diced beef chilli - 800g of diced beef, two red onions chopped, half a bag of frozen peppers, tin of sweet corn, tin of kidney beans, two tins of chopped tomatoes, two fajita seasoning packs. All just thrown in before work, a quick stir, and that was it. Big hit with the family. I cooked up rice the night before, and stirred it through for the last 10-15 after a quick blast in the microwave, and it sucked up a bit of the liquid. (I'm planning the same again with tonight's option, depending on how it looks).

One thing I find great, but may not be too everyone's taste, regarding the slow cooker - the onions and peppers essentially disappear into the sauce when it's on all day. It's great for getting the veg into the children without them even noticing!

Edit - the Caribbean Chicken came out well. I don't know why, but expected a bit more kick but that could've been the bramwells worcester sauce v Lee and Perins maybe. Anyway, success with the rest of the family!

Caranica

Any ideas for party food that can be done in the slow cooker other than a large pot of chilli/curry/stew?

OldMrBrennan83

I was going to try this for the weekend but brisket these days is like hen's teeth, near impossible to get. What's a good alternative?

https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-beef-brisket-with-bbq-sauce/

beertons

Patww79 wrote: »

I was going to try this for the weekend but brisket these days is like hen's teeth, near impossible to get. What's a good alternative?

https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-beef-brisket-with-bbq-sauce/

Just ask your butcher. That looks amazing.

OldMrBrennan83

beertons wrote: »

Just ask your butcher. That looks amazing.

The four nearest to me don't get it in.

OrlaFS2017

Caranica wrote: »

Any ideas for party food that can be done in the slow cooker other than a large pot of chilli/curry/stew?

We did pulled pork for a party a few weeks ago-everyone raved about it.

Caranica

OrlaFS2017 wrote: »

We did pulled pork for a party a few weeks ago-everyone raved about it.

How did you serve it?

OrlaFS2017

Caranica wrote: »

How did you serve it?

We got brioche burger buns from Aldi & served with coleslaw, selection of hummus & salad

frag420

Patww79 wrote: »

I was going to try this for the weekend but brisket these days is like hen's teeth, near impossible to get. What's a good alternative?

https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-beef-brisket-with-bbq-sauce/

Buy it online.

OldMrBrennan83

frag420 wrote: »

Buy it online.

Do they come frozen? There wouldn't be anyone home in the day to get it but I could get it to work if it was frozen.

BaZmO*

Patww79 wrote: »

Do they come frozen? There wouldn't be anyone home in the day to get it but I could get it to work if it was frozen.

Give any local butcher enough notice and they’ll order it in for you.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Sorry for butting in here but I'm wondering if there's a definitive slow cooker recipe book that anyone would recommend? I'm looking to buy one for a Christmas present but have no idea where to start.

Dizzyblonde

I've never come across a definitive one, and I'd avoid American ones because of the difference in ingredients. There are lots on Book Depository and they give reviews from Goodreads so that would be a good place to start. There are a few Good Food books, and I'd trust them because their website is very reliable for recipes. There's also a Women's Weekly book and they tend to be very reliable too.


https://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=slow+cooker&search=Find+book

Macy0161

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

I've never come across a definitive one, and I'd avoid American ones because of the difference in ingredients.

Yeah, bar the ebook I have recommended above, when I've flicked through books in the book shops, I haven't been impressed. Well the recipes look nice, but involve too much faff for us. One of the things we like, and why the slow cooker works for us, is the minimal prep time. We're not going to be frying off stuff for 10 minutes, setting aside, frying something else, mixing together etc etc at 6.30am, and then possibly adding another ingredient with two hours to go...

54and56

Serious Black Friday deal on the Instant Pot Duo for anyone looking to upgrade from a slow cooker - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Instant-Pot-Electric-Pressure-Stainless/dp/B00OP26T4K?ref_=Oct_DLandingS_PC_550132f0_NA

Cheshire Cat

Pulled the trigger this morning. Had it in my basket for ages.
It was around £115 when I added it, not the RRP. Very pleased with the saving!

Dial Hard

Finally got around to making this pork ramen yesterday. Crap photo but it's really tasty. I used nam pla instead of hoisin, left the mushrooms out cause I hate them and added a dash of rice wine vinegar at the end.

McMurphy

Didn't take a photo, but made a savage Bolognese in the slow cooker today (or last night depending on your perspective)

Here's what you'll need.

2 onions finely chopped.
4 x garlic cloves, crushed.
500g of mince.
Glass of red wine (or beef stock)
2 x tins of tomatoes (or 700ml jar of passata)
2 tsps of Worcester sauce
4 x tbsn of tomato puree
3 tsps of oregano
2 tsps of thyme
3 x stock cubes crushed/crumbled
Couple of bay leaves
2 tsps of salt
1 tsp of pepper.

Using a pan fry off the onion and garlic until they're sweet and translucent (5 mins or so) and put in your pot.

Fry up the mince in the same pan, breaking it up as you go, drain any water or fat so as you don't stew the mince, you want it browned. Do this in multiple batches if required. Put mince in pot with onions and garlic.

Empty the wine into the pan, and scrape off any remnants of the mince into it, and transfer to the pot with the mince and onions.

Place all the other ingredients into the slow cooker pot and stir well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.


For the pasta, (I used penne, as I prefer this to spaghetti) I add it to a large pot of salted, boiling water, and just as it's gone al dente, remove a cup of the pasta water, and set aside.

Drain the pasta, and then add the Bolognese, and stir well over a medium heat, and add your cup of pasta water to the mix (emulsifying is what I believe thinks is known as)

The original recipe I had called for a few teaspoons of red pepper flakes, I put in one, but wouldn't again as it left the sauce a bit spicy, which Bolognese should not be, but it was still delicious.

Cheshire Cat

Sounds good JD!
I like to throw ia Parmesan rind into the Bolognese while it's cooking. Saw Jamie Oliver do it on telly some years ago. It adds some nice depth to the sauce. We use quite a bit of Parmesan and I keep the leftover rinds in the freezer.

OldMrBrennan83

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

Didn't take a photo, but made a savage Bolognese in the slow cooker today (or last night depending on your perspective)

Here's what you'll need.

2 onions finely chopped.
4 x garlic cloves, crushed.
500g of mince.
Glass of red wine (or beef stock)
2 x tins of tomatoes (or 700ml jar of passata)
2 tsps of Worcester sauce
4 x tbsn of tomato puree
3 tsps of oregano
2 tsps of thyme
3 x stock cubes crushed/crumbled
Couple of bay leaves
2 tsps of salt
1 tsp of pepper.

Using a pan fry off the onion and garlic until they're sweet and translucent (5 mins or so) and put in your pot.

Fry up the mince in the same pan, breaking it up as you go, drain any water or fat so as you don't stew the mince, you want it browned. Do this in multiple batches if required. Put mince in pot with onions and garlic.

Empty the wine into the pan, and scrape off any remnants of the mince into it, and transfer to the pot with the mince and onions.

Place all the other ingredients into the slow cooker pot and stir well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.


For the pasta, (I used penne, as I prefer this to spaghetti) I add it to a large pot of salted, boiling water, and just as it's gone al dente, remove a cup of the pasta water, and set aside.

Drain the pasta, and then add the Bolognese, and stir well over a medium heat, and add your cup of pasta water to the mix (emulsifying is what I believe thinks is known as)

The original recipe I had called for a few teaspoons of red pepper flakes, I put in one, but wouldn't again as it left the sauce a bit spicy, which Bolognese should not be, but it was still delicious.

Few questions because I'm definitely making that, sounds class.

Is the tomato puree in tablespoons?
Are the oregano and thyme dried or fresh?
Did you use beef stock cubes?

Thanks.

McMurphy

Patww79 wrote: »

Few questions because I'm definitely making that, sounds class.

Is the tomato puree in tablespoons?
Are the oregano and thyme dried or fresh?
Did you use beef stock cubes?

Thanks.

Yes to all above.

And the oregano and thyme was the dried variety.

Full recipe can be found here, and it was truly delicious.

As I said, I would just omit crushed chilli next time (red pepper flakes)

Apart from that, all was good.

dastardly00

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

Didn't take a photo, but made a savage Bolognese in the slow cooker today (or last night depending on your perspective)

That Bolognese sounds delicious!

Just wondering how many servings did you get from it?

I'm asking because in the link for the recipe it suggests 8-10 servings, and the nutritional info they give for that means the salt content is over 2 grams per serving. That's a decent amount of salt!

McMurphy

dastardly00 wrote: »

That Bolognese sounds delicious!

Just wondering how many servings did you get from it?

I'm asking because in the link for the recipe it suggests 8-10 servings, and the nutritional info they give for that means the salt content is over 2 grams per serving. That's a decent amount of salt!

It fed 2 x fully grown male adults, 1 x female, and 3 x kids.

I'm guessing the salt content is in the stock cubes, as I only put a teaspoon of salt into it

dastardly00

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

It fed 2 x fully grown male adults, 1 x female, and 3 x kids.

I'm guessing the salt content is in the stock cubes, as I only put a teaspoon of salt into it

Yeah stock cubes have a decent amount of salt