Slow Cooker Leek and Potato Soup

Hearty Slow Cooker and Leek and Potato Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits

Slow Cooker Leek and Potato Soup

Apparently we have a rather large storm on the way, which is going to be comparable to the one in the 1987.  However, I wasn’t in the UK in the 80s so I missed it but I have read ‘Rumours of a Hurricane’ by Tim Lott so I have an idea how bad it was and I’m aware of Michael Fish’s infamous blunder when he assured people as a weatherman that there wasn’t a hurricane coming.  Whoops!

My storm preparations haven’t extended beyond securing the bins, bringing my washing in and having my groceries delivered this morning.  I just need to dash out and get some wine.

I can’t help thinking that it’s going to be perfect weather for soup and in this case Slow Cooker Leek and Potato Soup.  I originally got the recipe from Sainsbury’s and have made very few changes to the original.

Modifying for Slow Cooker

Like the original recipe I sautéed the leeks, potatoes, onions in a frying pan for about 10 minutes but instead of adding the stock and simmering for 20 minutes on the hob, I transferred the contents to the slow cooker and then added the stock, stirred, covered and cooked on low for 6-8 hours.   The benefit of slow cooking the soup is that we can all eat at different times if need be.  Full recipe can be found at the link above or in the description of the video.

If you do try it do pop back and let me know how you get one.

 

Introducing My New Slow Cooker Blog

I finally decided to take the plunge and start a new blog just for my slow cooker recipes. I was very conscious that I may be confusing my readers.

Those who subscribed just for recipes may not be interested in my parenting antics and those who were coming to laugh at my parenting ability (or lack of) and didn’t have a slow cooker, may not be interested in all the recipes.

Don’t worry if you have any of my old recipes bookmarked as they will stay put, but any new recipes will be posted on Slow Cooker Queen. So, feel free to pop over and subscribe to the new blog. I’d love to hear any of you feedback both positive and negative.

 

Slow Cooker Recipe Blog

As for the name, Slow Cooker Queen, I genuinely don’t believe I’m royalty but on a few occasions I’ve been called this on Twitter so it seemed fitting and I’m always tickled when people do say it.

Thanks again for all your support and I do hope to see a few of you over there.

Cheers,  Chrissie

Slow Cooker Sunday – Chinese Food (Beef and Greens)

Since we’ve started using our Slow Cooker regularly we find that we are having way less Take Aways than we used to. Back in the day, by the time I got home from work, collected my daughter from childcare, bathed her and got her into bed.  It was getting late and I couldn’t be bothered starting to cook, so we’d find ourselves whipping around the corner to McDonald’s or ordering in.

Last week I was inspired by Cabinet Stew to have a go at making Chinese Food in the Slow Cooker.  It was a lovely change to the MSG filled ones that we were getting delivered and no more waking up in the middle of the night dying of thirst.

 

Slow Cooker Sunday – Chinese Food (Beef and Greens)
 
Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Recipe type: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 500g Stewing Beef
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 TBSP of Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 2 tsp of brown sugar
  • 1 cm grated ginger
  • 80 ml reduced salt soy sauce
  • 1 tsp of orange zest and the juice of the orange
  • 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
  • 160 ml of beef stock
  • Black Pepper
  • 1 TBSP of Corn Flour dissolved into 2 TBSP of water
  • one small head of broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 tin (225g) of Bamboo Shoots and Water Chestnuts, drained.

Instructions
  1. Place the beef and the onions in the bottom of the slower cooker season with pepper. In a mixing jug, combine the garlic, vinegar, sugar, ginger, soy sauce, orange zest, orange juice, spice and beef stock. Mix well and pour over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  2. An hour before serving stir in the cornflour, this should help it thicken and place the water chestnuts/shoots and broccoli on top. Replace the lid and cook for another hour. Gently mix before serving and serve on a bed of rice or noodles.

Don’t forget Slow Cooker Sunday is all about sharing recipes and being inspired.  Please add your favourite recipes by using the Linky below.  They can be old or new and don’t have to be your own.  As long as you have a web address they can be added. Alternatively, you can always add them in the comments section.
For more recipe inspiration check out our Pinterest Board, with over a hundred slow cooker recipes or join our Google + Community ‘All Things Slow Cooking’

 

And if you subscribe to my blog, using the form in the sidebar you can get a free copy of my first ever eBook ‘There’s More to Slow Cooking than Stews – 10 Recipes to get you going’.


Disclosure:  The meat was Courtesy of www.farmison.com;  a one stop gourmet shop selling food and produce sourced from over 75 of the UK’s leading farms and producers. All the best quality, most popular and rarest cuts of award-winning meats, cheeses and greengrocer goods are all selected for their superior taste can all be delivered directly to the door of the home cook. 

Slow Cooker Paprika Chicken

I was originally inspired by the Hairy Dieters (Bikers) Chicken Paprika Recipe.  I didn’t buy the book because I’m on a diet, even though I should be, but because I was at a friend’s recently and she made the Lamb Tagine and it was amazing.  I had a quick look through the book and saw quite a few recipes that I could adapt and that I wanted to cook.

It was a really nice midweek meal.  However, next time I may consider adding more Paprika to give it more of a kick.

Slow Cooker Paprika Chicken
Recipe Type: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Main
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 TBSP sunflower oil
  • 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 500 g chicken thighs, halved
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 TBSP paprika
  • 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 300 ml of
  • chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 3 large peppers (red, green yellow) chopped into chunks
  • 1 TBSP cornflour
  • 1 TBSP water
  • Crème Fraiche
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.  Fry the chicken for approx 5 minutes until it is sealed.  Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they soften.  Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook for another minute.
  2. Transfer to the slow cooker.  Pour in the tomatoes and stock, add the bay leaves, herbs and peppers.  Mix well and cook and cover on low for at least 6 hours.
  3. One hour before serving, mix the corn flour with the water in a separate bowl.  Then mix into the slow cooker, replace the lid and cook for another hour.  This should help thicken it.
  4. Serve on a bed or rice with a dollop of Crème Freche.  Don’t forget to ferret out the Bay Leaves.

 

If you decide to try the recipe, please do pop back and let me know how you got on.

And if you subscribe to my blog, using the form in the sidebar you can get a free copy of my first ever eBook ‘There’s More to Slow Cooking than Stews – 10 Recipes to get you going’.

Slow Cooker Sunday: Creamy Chicken Pasta


Yes, you can cook Pasta in a slow cooker!

I must admit that this isn’t the normal type of thing I cook.  However, it is school holidays, our daughter eats at the childminders for the majority of the week, so I was conscious of making child friendly meals.  We’ve had Sausage and Mash, Macaroni and Cheese and this Creamy Chicken Pasta.

I do wish she had a wider palate, but I have tried and it’s difficult to persuade her to eat slightly spicier food.  I’m fairly confident I couldn’t get her to eat a Lentil Dahl.

I originally, came across this recipe on Chic Pins at first I was a bit flummoxed by the measurements, I couldn’t locate the egg noodles and I prefer to use chicken thighs as I find they don’t dry out as much as breasts do.

So I’ve anglicized it a bit, even though I’m Canadian.

 

Slow Cooker Sunday: Creamy Chicken Pasta
Recipe Type: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Child Friendly
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 500 g of Chicken Thighs, skinned and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1.2 litres of Chicken Stock
  • 2 tins (295g) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 50 g of butter
  • 320 g of tagliatelle
  • Parsley to garnish
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken, stock, soup and butter in the slow cooker. Mix well. Cook and cover on low for a minimum of 6 hours.
  2. An hour before you are going to serve put the Tagliatelle in, replace the lid and cook for another hour.
  3. It’s that easy. Serve with garlic bread and greens.

 

Don’t forget Slow Cooker Sunday is all about sharing recipes and getting inspiration from others.  Feel free to add your own recipes below.  They can be old or new and don’t even have to be your own.  Just one you’ve tried and liked.

And if you need extra inspiration, don’t forget to check out our Pinterest Board, with over a hundred recipes.

Google+ fans, we also have a Community ‘All Things Slow Cooking’ feel free to join in.  Thanks to Aly Hodge it’s now starting to grow legs.

And if you subscribe to my blog, using the form in the sidebar you can get a free copy of my first ever eBook ‘There’s More to Slow Cooking than Stews – 10 Recipes to get you going’.