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Slow cookers..... again hehe

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I love my slow cooker. It is the cheapest possible model I could find, I paid £15 but they are being advertised for £19.95 now.

http://www.johnlewis.com/230223132/Product.aspx

It says ideal for 2 or 3 people but the beef last night fed four and it was only half full.

 

Yesterday I made Boeuf Bourguignon. But I also make

Chicken casserole, a celery, carrot, leek type

Spicy lamb casserole

Pork and apple casserole

Chilli

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Curry.

 

I have a timer plugged into it so I can make it come on or off when I want. eg, come on at midday so it is ready when I get in at 7.

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Cathy - how did your pork and apple casserole come out? Everytime I have done pork it mine the pork seems to leech the moisture out of your mouth, yet when I do it in the oven it is beautiful. Everything else comes out fantastic in the slow cooker.

 

Bron- try these books, they are fab

'new recipes for your slow cooker' annette yates

'slow cooker, one pot and casserole' catherine Atkinson & jenni Fleetwood (512 page one - think there are a couple of versions. This one is paperback and very thick)

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Cathy - how did your pork and apple casserole come out? Everytime I have done pork it mine the pork seems to leech the moisture out of your mouth, yet when I do it in the oven it is beautiful. Everything else comes out fantastic in the slow cooker.

 

Bron- try these books, they are fab

'new recipes for your slow cooker' annette yates

'slow cooker, one pot and casserole' catherine Atkinson & jenni Fleetwood (512 page one - think there are a couple of versions. This one is paperback and very thick)

 

Well it's funny you should say that about the pork! Now that you mention it, it did come out rather dry and I thought the same thing, that it comes out lovely when I do it in the oven! I thought that I had probably left it on too long on that occasion. I will try again and report back (eventually).

I could do with some more ideas, 512 pages sounds like a few! Have you a favourite that you would like to share?

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I use a Breville MM18, don't know why I chose it as all the slow cookers were very similar when I bought mine.

Same sort of list as everyone else. Sunday's left overs as a stew, Chilli, Curry, Liver & Bacon in wine, Sausages in Cider (current with so many Apples around) and I find it tastes better with real "Cheapo" Sausages.

A very basic book "Easy Slow Cooking Recipes" by Katie Bishop £ 9.99.

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I've got a Prima slow cooker. It is oval and takes about 6 litres of liquid, plenty of room for a large chicken. The meat just falls away from the bone :drool: I never brown the meat, just throw everything in and give it a stir. Easy to do before I go to work in the morning and Supper is ready when I get back home.

 

I cook

Chicken

Brisket

Soups

Stews

Steamed puds

Spag bol

Chilli

Curries

Stock from chicken carcasses

 

Going to have a go at making a cake in it this week as I have bought a good slow cooker book from The book People :- The Slow Cooker Recipe Book, Catherine Atkinson,

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I got mine yonks ago from tesco (before I decided not to shop there any more) for £10, it was on offer. I found out about it from a posting on MSE.

 

I make;

curries

scouse

tagine

stews

casseroles

 

loads of things actually, it's brill

 

I have a slow cooker recipe book which says you can use it as bain marie for things like creme brulee and you can even make jam in them apparently!

 

This is a pic of mine in the background (scuse the mess, I've been making chutney :D)

 

201008.2.jpg

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This evening I killed my slow cooker :( . It was sitting on the hob because there is an economy seven socket by the cooker so cheaper to use. Switched on the potatoes and went off to do something. Returned a good while later to turn potatoes down, only I had switched on the ring the slow cooker was sitting on :shock: . The plastic feet and handles of the slow cooker had melted onto the ceramic hob, the Chicken stew was bubbling away only the slow cooker wasn't working and there was an horrible smell of burning plastic.

 

The Chicken was lovely with mashed potatoes, carrots and mushrooms :D

 

Any one got any tips how to get melted plastic off a ceramic hob :oops:

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Oh dear -sorry to hear this Alison! No - no tips for ceramic hobs as ours is the old sort!

 

I had a cheap slow cooker from Argos, but found the glaze fractured and chilli con carne sauce leaked in, and ever after it smelt terribly!

 

Now I have a big expensive one from Argos, but the real advantage of it is that you can put the pot (not its frame, Ali!) on the hob to brown your meat first, and the pot looks nice enough to go on the table too! So lots less washing up - and it goes in the dishwasher!

 

 

 

(Sorry I'm sure there must be a way to do neater links!!)

 

Edit, link sorted for you Kannie

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We have the same one as your picture Poet!

Dad loves it and is alwalys cooking butternut squash and sweet potato type curry thing (doesn't look very nice at all!).

 

Claret :D could you post the recipe for chicken soup please.

I'm interested in how you cook bread and butter pudding too :mrgreen:

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We have the same one as your picture Poet!

Dad loves it and is alwalys cooking butternut squash and sweet potato type curry thing (doesn't look very nice at all!).

 

Claret :D could you post the recipe for chicken soup please.

I'm interested in how you cook bread and butter pudding too :mrgreen:

 

I'll try to remember to bung the chicken soup recipe in the All Things Nice section. The bread and butter pudding is made the same way as normal, just in the slow cooker.

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I'll try to remember to bung the chicken soup recipe in the All Things Nice section. The bread and butter pudding is made the same way as normal, just in the slow cooker.

Thanks Claret, I've just had a look, I'll hava a go at it later in in the week :D

I'll tell mom about the bread and butter pudding! We always have a marmelade one on boxing day :D:D

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Moroccan-spiced beef with couscous

 

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 lbs stewing beef, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes and patted dry

2 onions, chopped

4 large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 lb)

4 large parsnips, peeled and chopped (about 1 lb)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cracked black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup beef stock

½ cup dry red wine

salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

finely chopped parsley

cooked couscous

 

1. In a skillet, heat oil over a medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add beef, in batches, and cook, stirring, adding a bit more oil if necessary, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, carrots and parsnips to pan and cook, stirring, until carrots are softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and toasted seeds and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and red wine and bring to a boil, stirring. Add salt to taste.

3. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until vegetables are tender. Dissolve cayenne pepper in lemon juice and stir into mixture. Garnish liberally with parsley before serving. Serve with couscous.

 

Serves 6 to 8

 

I made this tonight (with a few dried apricots thrown in for good measure) and it was delicious.

 

Alison

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African–style braised chicken in peanut sauce :drool::drool::drool:

 

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black peppercorns

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

3 lbs skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 thighs)

½ cup peanut butter

2 tbsp sherry or freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp curry powder

½ to 1 long red or green chilli pepper, minced

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

 

1. In a skillet, heat oil over a medium heat for 30 seconds. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, bay leaf, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in stock, tomato sauce and bay leaf and bring to a boil.

2. Arrange chicken over bottom of slow cooker stoneware and cover with vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.

3. In a bowl, combine peanut butter, sherry or lemon juice, curry powder and chilli pepper. Add a little cooking liquid and stir to blend. Add to the slow cooker along with red pepper. Cover and cook on High for 20 minutes, until pepper is tender and flavours meld. Discard bay leaf. Serve with rice.

 

Serves 6

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Today I cooked a whole chicken in my slow cooker. I simply put it in there added some salt & pepper and cooked it for about 6 hrs........it is so moist and the meat just falls off the bone.

 

Incidentally, the chicken is a free range from M&S as opposed to the normal chicken we buy and the difference in the fat that was released whilst cooking was unbelievable! The free range one had a puddle of fat/juices at the end of cooking whereas normally the slow cooker is half full with fat/juices.

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we have the black crock pot slow cooker too.....great buy..pleased I got it...in about June I think...

I make all kinds of stews, casseroles etc....

 

my greatest find has been Tesco's Smoked Paprika...from its INGREDIENTS range...amazing stuff....not the standard smoked paprika...which isnt v good..

 

for a cheap meal...brown some pork sausages...add a large sliced onion, add lots of smoked paprika, add a tin of baked beans, and a tin of whole plum tomatoes (omitting the juice)....you can add a kallo chicken stock cube for extra flavour...and leave...

 

cheap and delicious...

 

I've added new potatoes on top too, and let them cook with everything else...it was lovely...

 

edited to ensure you added the whole onion, not just a slice :-D

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