Category: Slow Cooking

Slow Cooker Lamb, Carrot and Pearl Barley Casserole

 

Slow Cooker Lamb, Carrot and Pearl Barley Casserole with Dumplings

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Slow Cooking
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3
I don’t normally cook many casseroles and stews but this is the perfect meal for the current dropping temperatures. It’s hard to describe the smell, but I came home to a lovely ‘sweet’ smell coming from the kitchen. The Pearl Barley gives it a thick creamy texture.
Ingredients
  • 1 TBSP of Oil
  • 300g of lamb (as you are slow cooking you could use mutton)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3-4 medium carrots, sliced diagonally
  • 2 celery stick, chopped
  • 45g of Pearl Barley
  • 450 ml of Lamb Stock
  • 2 pinches of dried parsley
  • Dumplings – I use Aunt Bessie’s finest frozen
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and brown for approximately 5 minutes.
  2. Add the onion, carrots and celery and fry for a further 3-5 minutes.
  3. Transfer to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the barley over the lamb and vegetables, add the stock, stir and sprinkle the parsley on top.
  4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
  5. And 90 minutes before serving, place the frozen dumplings on top. After 45 minutes turn them.
  6. Ladle into large bowls and enjoy!

 

If you do try any of my recipes do pop back and let me know what you think.  For more Slow Cooker inspiration, click on the tab at the top.

Cheers,

Chrissie

 

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Chorizo Tagine

 

Slow Cooker Chickpea and Chorizo Tagine

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Slow Cooking
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 2-4
I was originally going to serve this with a lemon and mint couscous but then realised I didn’t have any couscous so I’ve said it serves two, but you could stretch it to four with couscous or rice.
Ingredients
  • 1 TBSP of olive oil
  • 2 red onions, sliced thinly
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 thin chorizo, 15 cm in length, roughly cut diagonally
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 450 ml of veg stock
  • Couple of pinches of dried thyme
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Couple of pinches of dried sage
  • Natural Yoghurt
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes until they soften. Add the Chorizo and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the paprika, stir and cook for a further minute.
  2. Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the chickpeas, bay leaves, vegetable stock and thyme, mix well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Thirty minutes prior to serving add the lemon juice and sage.
  3. I’d recommend serving on a bed of couscous, with flatbread and yoghurt.

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Slow Cooker Tomato and Basil Soup with Olive Bread

 

Slow Cooker Tomato and Basil Soup with Olive Bread

Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Slow Cooking
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 6
A lovely, easy to make soup using ripe tomatoes. Much better than the tinned variety and a lot less sugar.
Ingredients
  • 1 TBSP of olive oil
  • 450 grams of ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 300 ml or 430g jar of Passata with Basil
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 900 ml of vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 TBSP of Corn Starch
  • 2 TBSP of water
  • Crème freche
  • Couple of pinches of dried basil to Garnish
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, sauté the onions, garlic and tomatoes for 3-5 minutes until they soften.
  2. Transfer to the Slow Cooker. Add the Vinegar, Bay Leaf, Passata, Stock and season with salt and pepper. Leave to cook for 3 hours on high or on low for 6 hours.
  3. Thirty minutes prior to serving, remove the Bay Leaf and use a hand held blender to puree the soup. Mix the corn flour with water and stir into the soup. This should help thicken it.
  4. Ladle into large bowls and top with a dollop of crème freche and some basil.
  5. Serve with some nice bread

Slow Cooker Sunday: Sweet and Tangy Meatballs

This isn’t the normal type of meal I would cook.  I tend to lean toward fresh ingredients but I do love a cheat sometimes.   A while back I was in Ikea and got caught up in the moment and bought a 1kg bag of their frozen meatballs.  They’ve been clogging up my freezer ever since.

Last week I came across this very simple recipe from Six Sister’s Stuff for Tangy Meatballs which only has 3 ingredients!  The only challenge I had was finding grape jelly here in the UK.  So, I substituted Reduced Sugar Black Currant Jam.

It may not sound appetizing but it was really nice and most importantly the 5 year old loved it.

Slow Cooker Sunday: Sweet and Tangy Meatballs

Recipe Type: Main
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 4
A very easy family recipe with only 3 ingredients.
Ingredients
  • 500g of Frozen Swedish Meatballs ( I think any pork or turkey would do)
  • 100ml of Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce (Blue Dragon)
  • 200g of Reduced Sugar Blackcurrant Jam
Instructions
  1. Preheat the slow cooker on low. Add the Dipping Sauce and Jam to the Slow Cooker and mix well.
  2. Add the meatballs and stir to coat.
  3. Cook on low for 2-5 hours
  4. Serve with rice and greens.

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Slow Cooker Sunday: Boxing Day Hearty Vegetable Soup

I’ve eaten so much I won’t have to eat again till 2013!  We didn’t have a turkey this Christmas as we’re only a small family of 3, we opted for beef,  so luckily we aren’t dealing with the ridiculous amounts of left over bird.

However, on Boxing day we planned a day out, Geocaching and building forts and if I’m honest I couldn’t face more food so I thought I’d put on a hearty soup to come home to.

NOTE:  LENTILS NEED TO BE SOAKED THE NIGHT BEFORE!  The reason I put that in capitals is because I missed this step.  However, I managed to salvage dinner.  I put it all on and then noticed that they needed to be soaked.  I got around it by turning the slow cooker onto high and cooking for about 8 hours.  However, in future, I may by tinned lentils.

 

Slow Cooker Sunday: Boxing Day Hearty Vegetable Soup

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Soup
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 TBSP of oil oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 50g of yellow lentils
  • 50g of green lentils
  • 50g of red lentils
  • 1 tin (400g) butter beans drained and rinsed
  • 80g pearl barley
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 parsnip, peeled and diced
  • 1 litre of vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dried Parsley
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions for about 3 minutes until soft.
  2. Transfer to the slow cooker
  3. Add lentils, butter beans, barley, carrots, potatoes, parsnip, stock and season with salt and pepper. Stir, cover and cook for 8 hours on low. Add a pinch of dried parsley, ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

 

It was a lovely, thick hearty soup.

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