Unsecure chicken perches

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I read on the forum somewhere about how fab these are and happened to see the Te$co one mentioned on sale for £12 today so bought one .

 

Trouble is, I've never used one and there wasn't a recipe book with it. The internet brings up loads of sites but are there any really simple recipes you would recommend? All the ones I looked at seem to have a fair bit of preparation, which I just know I'll not manage in the mornings before work so the simpler the better .

[Purplemaniacs]

My late FIL loved his slow cooker, he never cooked until MIL became ill with MS and he looked after her and then later when he was on his own.

 

I don't know any recipes but I am sure he did quite simple things in his, he would not have spent ages preparing loads of ingredients.

 

Hope you find some lovely things that you can come home to after your difficult and long days at work

 

Chrissie

[Olly]

I don't use special recipes, just what you'd usually do for a stew - I don't bother to brown the meat first, just chuck it all in. It's especially good with cheap cuts like chaps (pig's cheek) or oxtail. You need to have enough liquid in there to cover the meat, otherwise the top of it will dry out, and sometimes I drain off the gravy and thicken it up in a saucepan before serving.

 

It makes lovely rice puddings as well ... If you're cooking pulses however, at least kidney beans, and I usually do it with other beans as well, it's important to boil them first for about twenty minutes. I can't remember the details but there's some toxin that isn't destroyed by slow cooking. Lentils are fine though, as is pearl barley.

[peachachecha]

Cranberry-mustard pork loin

 

1 boneless whole pork loin roast (2 pounds)

1 (16 ounces) can whole-berry cranberry sauce

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

 

Place roast in slow cooker. Combine the cranberry sauce, mustard, brown sugar and lemon juice; pour over orast. cover and cook on low for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until a meat thermoneter reads 160 degrees F.

Removrer roast and keeep warm. Strain cooking juices into a 2 cup measuring cup; add enough water to measure 2 cups. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth, stir in cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with port.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Love my slow cooker! You can do pretty much anything stew-y/casserole-y in it. Most the things I cook are vegetarian but I have done meat dishes in it for hubby. I don't brown the meat either, I just tend to toss it in flour then put into the slow cooker with the veg, stock etc and then switch on until done.

 

Bean and lentil dishes work well, as they take a long time to cook (I make a wicked veggie chilli in the slow cooker) but as previously said dried, soaked beans need 10 minutes fast boiling in a pan first before they can go into the slow cooker to get rid of the toxins.

 

What size is your slow cooker? It's always worth squeezing as much into it as you can each time and freezing left over portions.

[chickencam]

You can do any casserole recipe but you need to reduce the liquid by about a third because it doesn't evaporate as much as it would in the oven and you always get loads more out of any get or meat that you add. I only use mine if I am going to be out because I think that you get a richer tastier finish in the oven. They are very economical to run, about the cost of a 100 watt light bulb.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thanks guys, these are great to get me started . I've got a 3.3 litre one, hope that will hold enough for 4 of us!

[abwsco]

I love mine for a whole chicken or half a leg of lamb. I don't add any liquid just seasoning.

[craftyhunnypie]

I'm sure I have a recipe for beef in guiness or ale. Will sort it out for you tomorrow. It is dead easy & tells you what to put your slow cooker on & for how long. A lot of recipes dont tell you that & it's guess work!

Remind me tomorrow!

Emma.x

[chickencam]

There are usually plenty of slow cooker cookbooks in the charity shops for a couple of pounds.

[Snowy]

Practically any casserole or pot roast dish that requires a long slow cook can be done in the slow cooker. I mostly use mine for beef as I love the cheaper cuts that need the long cooking times. I do brown the meat first - really sear it as it helps seal in the juices, then chuck in chopped onions or shallots, half a bottle of red wine and some chopped mushrooms. Works just as well on cubed shin beef as it does on a whole top or silverside joint.

[Egluntyne]

I use this site quite a lot Click

 

Lots of good tips and explanations as well as yummy recipes.

[chickencam]

Right I am off to get the slow cooker out, I have some chuck steak that is calling me to make a lovely warm stew for tonight's tea.

[squiffs]

I've got the same slow cooker ANH, I use it for soups and curries at the moment, but I will also use it for any 'one pot' dish, and have a slow cooking recipe book

[AMS]

Here is my favourite slow cooker recipe:

 

African–style braised chicken in peanut sauce

 

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 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

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thanks for all the tips/websites/recipes .

[poachedegg]

I love mine for a whole chicken or half a leg of lamb. I don't add any liquid just seasoning.

 

I do this quite often, especially with chicken and gammon - the meat is lovely a moist and so easy to do; just put it in (I season the chicken with salt and pepper), switch on and leave for 6 hours.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Very impressed so far . I've done a whole chicken, a leg of lamb (which were both delicious) and have beef in beer cooking as we speak .

 

I've also sorted the problem of over-cooking by digging out an old timer so it switches on at about midday while I'm at work and is ready for tea at 7pm .

[redhotchick]

I use my slow cooker about once a week but I don't think I've ever made a curry in it before!

No idea why as I love curry! Found this recipe for beef curry which uses fresh ginger.

Made it overnight and heated it up when I came in from work this evening. It was tasty.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/slow_cooker_beef_curry_13533