Tag: cooker

My Top 5: Slow Cooker Recipe Books for Christmas

If you’re looking to buy someone a Slow Cooker Recipe Book for Christmas, these are my all time favourite 5.  I have quite a collection of Slow Cooker Recipe books but I always find myself going back to these ones again and again.

Slow Cooker Recipe Books

1)      Ultimate Slow Cooker Book Over 100 simple, delicious recipes by Sara Lewis

2)      200 Slow Cooker Recipes by Sara Lewis

3)      200 More Slow Cooker Recipes by Sara Lewis

You’ll notice the first 3 are by the same author Sara Lewis, I would recommend absolutely any book written by her.  I’ve rarely had a duff recipe and she’s given me the confidence to go beyond Stews!

There is a little overlap between the first two, but if you’re buying a gift the first one is much nicer looking but has half the number of recipes.

4)      DK The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney

The reason I love this book is because for each recipe there is a slow cooker method and the traditional method.  So, if I forget to put food on in the morning, there is still time to rustle up dinner.  I also love the fact that it has a Recipe Chooser at the beginning of the book, choose the type of meal Vegetarian, Chicken, Pork etc and it lists, with pictures a selection of meals.

And finally,

5)      Soups for your Slow Cooker by Diana Peacock

We’ve tried quite a few recipes out of this book; Chinese Pork and Noodle, Mixed Fish and Vegetable and Chargrilled Red Pepper and Tomato.  What we found is that many of the recipes are more substantial than soups and are meal in themselves.

Happy Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Sunday: Mixed Fish and Vegetable Soup

Fish Soup

We’re very good at eating at least one portion of fish a week.  However, there are many benefits for having it twice a week.  This week we’ve had Fish soup at the beginning of the week and have a Fish Pie penciled in for Friday.

Slow Cooker Sunday: Mixed Fish and Vegetable Soup

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Fish
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 hours 20 mins
Serves: 4
Three Fish and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
  • 1 TBSP of vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 stick of celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 6 florets of broccoli, but into bite sized pieces
  • 3oog of
  • mixed white fish
  • cut into small pieces (we used hake, haddock and cod)
  • 1.3 litres of fish stock
  • 1 tsp of dried parsley
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 100g of frozen peas
  • 50g of fresh beans cut into 2cm pieces
  • 175 ml of dry white wine
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan.   Sauté the onions, celery, carrots and broccoli for 15-20 min.  Transfer to the slow cooker.
  2. Add the fish, stock and parsley.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
  3. Cover and cook on high for2.5-3 hours.  Add the peas, beans and wine halfway through the cooking time.
  4. Ladle into large soups bowls and serve with crusty bread
3.1.09

 

Disclosure:  Our Fish was compliments of DelishFish

 Now it’s over to you to share what you’ve had bubbling away in your slow cooker.  For a full list of recipes shared over the week pop over to our Pinterest Board.  Thanks for joining in.



Slow Cooker Chili with Chocolate

Slow Cooker ChiliI was given a bit of a challenge for tonight.  Thanks to the folks at Booths, I have been put up against Sally Whittle in a cooking competition to see who can produce the nicest meal that incorporates some of Saint Emillion Grand Cru Red Wine.  If you know us both you can see the funny side of this, we are great mums but not known for our domestic abilities.

At first this seemed like a very unfair challenge as I do a bit of slow cooking and I was under the impression that Sally couldn’t cook, but it now looks as though she can, but doesn’t purely down to being ridiculously busy.  She’s taken up the challenge with gusto, there are not many people in this world more competitive than I am but she is……according to her she is an AWESOME cook.  She’s also incredibly modest.

I’m not sure how to break this to her, but I didn’t find time to cook myself today and I have issues with sharing my wine with food.  But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching laughing at her rolling up her sleeves and getting stuck in with zeal and I must admit I’ve been egging her on knowing I hadn’t cooked myself.  Yes, I am evil.  I was at work today so hubby did the cooking but it was one of my recipes, I literally laid everything out for him, including all the spices but I promise to enjoy a glass of red with it.

Does this mean I have to forfeit?

Pictures to follow

Slow Cooker Chili with Chocolate

Recipe Type: Slow Cooker Chili with Chocolate
Cuisine: Main
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
The temperature has dropped dramatically today and it only makes sense to have some chilli.  This recipe is full of aromatic spices, plus the secret ingredient of chocolate, which sounds odd but gives it a velvety texture.
Ingredients
  • 1 TBSP sunflower oil
  • 500g minced beef
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 400g chopped tomatoes
  • 410g kidney beans, rinsed
  • 2 TBSP dark muscovado sugar
  • 300ml Beef Stock
  • 25g Dark Chocolate
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Sour cream to serve
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the mince with the onion.  Add the garlic, spices and bay leaf and cook for another minute.  Mix in the tinned tomatoes, beans, sugar, stock, chocolate and season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
  2. Transfer it all to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
  3. Serve on a bed of basmati rice with a dollop of sour cream

Meal Planning Monday: 3 Dec 2012

Meal PlanningI hope you’ve all had a great weekend.  Sadly, ours isn’t finished yet as our daughter has the day off.  The Teachers have an Occasional Day.  If you’re wondering what one of those are, according to friends, it’s not an inset day dedicated to professional development but a day to do a bit of Christmas Shopping!!!  I have to say as a working mum I find it a bit frustrating but they do work hard.

On a positive, I managed to get the shopping in yesterday so I don’t have to do it this morning.

This week we will be having, all Slow Cooked of course:

Meatless Monday:   Chargrilled Red Pepper and Tomato Soup – any excuse to legitimately burn food.

Tuesday:  Lazy Cabbage Rolls

Wednesday:  Pork and Potato Hot Pot

Thursday:  Lebanese Meatballs – if I can remember to buy some minced lamb as Morrison’s was out.

Fish Friday:  Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

Have a great week!

Slow Cooker Sunday: Banana Bread (2 Dec 12)

I was inspired by an entry on Slow Cooker Sunday last week to have a go at making Banana Bread in the Slow Cooker.  As a family we don’t tend to eat a lot of pudding and I don’t often bake, unless it’s a rainy day and struggling to find something to entertain my daughter.

Aly from plus2point4 is always doing fantastic puds in her slow cooker and I’ve been meaning to have a go for a while.  I was stunned, it worked brilliantly.  You may be wondering what the advantages to doing it in the slow cooker are as it takes longer.  I found it was much more moist than when I have made the same recipe in the over, plus, we could go out and do something else while it was cooking.  I wouldn’t leave a cooker unattended but I don’t worry when it’s the slow cooker.

I believe the recipe is originally American so the measurements are in volume rather than weight.  However, I do think any Banana Bread Recipe would work.

 

Slow Cooker Banana Bread

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Slow Cooking
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 435 ml plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 82 ml butter or margarine
  • 165 ml sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed
Instructions
  1. Grease and flour the slow cooker.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into bowl.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl, and then mix in the eggs and banana.
  4. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients.  Don’t over mix.
  5. Pour into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 1.5-2 hours.  Mine took closer to 2.  To check if it’s ready insert a tooth pick and if it comes out clean then it should be ready.
  6. Let cool then invert onto a plate and ice if you want.

Now it’s your turn to inspire!

Don’t forget a more extensive list of recipes featured over the weeks can be found on Pinterest – Slow Cooker Sunday.