General Chat

Ann, I do not actually shop at Sainsbury's as such, just pop in now and again for things. But I do like their instore Magazine for the recipes. At £1.40, and it has only just gone up, it is good value for money, compared to say the BBC Good Food mag, which is almost £4.00. Will get to the recipes over the next few weeks, and let you know the results.
Julia in Derbyshire

Sorry, meant to say Mummo, no don't have a meat tester, always know how long things take in the conventional oven.

Julia if any are successful can you let us have the recipes please (I don't shop in Sainsburys these days.)

There are at least three recipes for slow cooking in the Sainsbury's instore magazine, this month, which I am going to try. Sausage and Apple Hotpot, Lancashire Hot Pot, and Irish Inspired Stew. And there is also a Winter Roots and Apple Soup, that, after the initial stages, would not come to harm in a slow cooker.
I am going to try the Pork in Cider, suggested on here, and have bookmarked the thread, so that I can get other ideas.
Julia in Derbyshire

Ann, do you not have a meat tester ?
Couldn't live without mine...........have had it years and brought my daughter one from Morrisons.

I'll have to go with guess work then.

Sorry Ann, no good asking me,lol.
I have made a rice pudding in mine today, mmmmmm lovely.

One KG brisket how long do you reckon in the slow cooker?

There it was not so difficult was it Mummo? I did curry in mine yesterday, well not a professional type curry, mince and tomatoes and mushrooms with gravy (left from the previous night, and curry powder. it tasted pretty good too.

Well we have finished tea and everyone really did enjoy the braising steak, it just fell apart when you cut it, l will be using it again very soon.
Thankyou all for putting up recipes.

Well its D day tomorrow, lol.
I have brought some braising steak and l am going to use my new slow cooker............. hope it turns out alright !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Will let you know how it turns out.

I started reading the latest posts and got peckish so just did a couple of small potatoes in the microwave lol, cheese and pickle is making them very tasty!

My lad does sometimes cook a lot of bolognese sauce and then freezes some for later so might be able to get the hang of this multi tasking lol


The pork and cider would go down well with o.h. here

Lizx

Pork in cider in mine today . just eaten - very tasty.
Diced pork
small bottle cider
onions - chopped
mishrooms - chopped
celery . chopped
ono cube
letf on its own for 7 hours
thickened with gravy granules
and eaten with carrots, beans, frying peppers and jacket potatoes

Mary xx

Further to the discussion on liquid quantity, as I said I filled the slow cooker with meat and veg etc and only half-filled it with wine and sauce. When it had finished cooking the liquid had risen to the top of the food so all was well!!

Ann,
Meat and Potato pie.
It's just my method...not from a cook book. It's not just meat and potato as I put onions,carrots,leeks,celery,in fact whatever I've got,so really it is like a casserole.
I cut carrots smallish and put on the bottom of the slow cooker.
other veg on top.
Sear stew meat on the hob and put on top of veg.
Make a stock of 1 oxo cube and a tablespoon of tomato puree and pour over meat etc.
I let that cook for a while (about 1 hour) then I add diced potatoes,cover and leave,maybe 4-5 hours.
Check for seasoning and if the potatoes haven't fallen,as some don't,the gravy might need thickening so I mix a bit of cornflour with cold water and add to the pot.
It works for me,but you may want to experiment.I'm not a measurer,as my mother wasn't.
I use frozen puff pastry these days as a topping quickly cooked in the oven.
We have Beetroot,red cabbage and pickled onions on the table.I always make a lot as 2nd helpings are usually requested.
hope that makes sense.
must go and sort our meal now.

Brenda x

Oh Brenda, half a story. How do you make meat and potatoe pie (I assume you make the filling).

Liz,Glad you think your son would prepare food the night before.I was thinking ...it's a man thing....full of good intentions,but can't think ahead and multi task!!
Talking of slow cookers,my granddaughter,who has 3 little girls rang me to ask me how to make meat and potato pie in the slow cooker.(not the pastry obviously).It's always a request from my grandchildren when they come here.
She has done quite a bit in her slow cooker and is getting really good,but when she did it last time she said"It's not like yours".I said it's age and experience!! I did give her instructions though.
I have a piece of brisket in there now and the smell is delicious!
Brenda x

Hi Brenda, I think once my son got into the habit of preparing some food the night before and just setting it up he would do it and could make enough for more than one meal so could freeze portions too. He enjoys cooking and sometimes he and his friends go to his local Tesco (metro?) and get lots of reduced things and make a meal between them, cheaper than doing a meal at each house and more fun. He is into healthy eating in a big way as he hated it a few years ago when he saw his photos and he looked chubby. He is a stocky build anyway, about 5'10' but being part Maltese he has that stockiness that comes with it. He has weights and such at home so he can work out and walks or cycles almost everywhere.

He could make some good vegetable casseroles, his ex was a vegetarian so showed him some recipes altho she would cook some meat for him and her son, if they wanted it.



Lizx

Theresa in Canada,

I always make rice pudding in the slow cooker now, here is the recipe I use, for 2.5 litre cooker. 25g. Butter, 100g. Pudding rice, 100g. Sugar,
1litre Milk. A pinch of Nutmeg (optional)

Butter the inside of the slow crock pot. Add all ingredients and stir. Place crock on the slow cooker base and cover with lid. Cook for approx. 3 - 4 hrs.

I only use skimmed milk and find that the pudding is still nice and creamy.
Hope you enjoy it.

Sallie.x

Thanks for the liver and onions recipe looks good.