General Chat

OH popped into Tesco today for a few bobs and bits and has reported back that they are selling slow cookers for £10 - he wonders if we could use a second one!!!!

thanks for reviving this Some good recipes here thank you. Any more??

Always make sure that any liquid you are putting in is hot (boiling almost).

We have found ours does cook the veg OK but we are out at work all day so, when used, ours goes on at 8am until we get back at 5pm so plenty of time for the veg to cook.

We used to use ours a lot but seem to have forgotten it lately. Must dig it out and start using it again.

Actually I have to be honest here, I have put in cold liquid and it has been fine.

The best thing I do in mine is braising steak and onions, melts in the mouth, and I also use boiling water as otherwise it takes ages to warm up.

I suspect it makes a difference what you are cooking and on what heat and for how long. I often put mine on low at 9am and don't eat it until 7pm so it is cooking for a long time. I also sometimes give it half an hour on medium to boost it. I don't normally cook vegetables in it.

I do beef stew and dumplings in it Ann, the veg keep their shape and are tender, haven't tried any veg on their own.

Coq au vin serves 4-6

4-6 chicken joints,
100g (4oz) bacon ,chopped.
100g (4oz ) mushrooms .
8-12 small onions .
25g ( 1oz)butter.25g (1 oz) flour .salt & pepper.
375 ml (3/4 pint red wine .i bouquet garni
turkey could be subsituted for chicken if you want .

Pre heat slow cooker -20 mins
1/ Melt butter in a large pan.
2/ Fry bacon then add mushrooms & onions fry for 5-10 mins lift out and drain .
3/Add chicken joints & cook for 10 mins until golden , remove & drain .
4/ Stir flour into the butterremaining in pan & cook for 3-4 mins , gradually add wine & bring to the boil, simmer until a smooth sauce .
5/Place chicken, veg, bacon, bouquet garni & sauce in slow cooker .
6/ Cover & cook for 3-4 hrs .
Discard bouquet garni before serving .
Hazelx

Christmas Pudding ( serves 6-8 )
75 g (3oz ) soft white breadcrumbs
100g (4oz) shredded suet .
75g (3oz) self rasing flour .
100g ( 4oz ) soft brown sugar
150g ( 6 oz) sultanas .
150g (6oz) currants.
100g (4oz ) rasins
50g ( 2oz) mixed peel
25g ( 1oz ) glace cherries , chopped .
25g ( 1oz) chopped nuts .
pinch salt, pinch nutmeg , large pinch of mixed spice .
1 small lemon .
2 eggs
6x 15ml (1tablesp) milk or barly wine .

preheat cooker -20 mins .
1/Grease a 1 litre (2pint ) pudding basin .
2/ Mix all the fruit & dry ingredients together .
3/ Stir in grated rind & juice of lemon .
4/ Beat eggs with milk and stir into ingredients .
5/ Mix thoroughly , turn into basin & cover with foil . Place in slow cooker .
6/ Add boiling water to come half way up the sides of the basin .
7/ Cook for 6-8 hrs . Allowing to cool and store iuntil required .
8/ Before serving cook for a further 2-3 hrs .
Low setting is not suitable for this recipe .
Hazelx

Never thought of doing Christmas Pud (must admit, I normally buy mine)

Might be tempted to have a go.

Thanks again for the recipes Hazel.

I often setup one of those timer socket thingy's to fire up my slo cooker around 6:30-7am so everything starts from cold.....no problems with it not being ready for a midday, 1pm-ish meal

that christmas pud sounds like something even I could have a go of......thanks Hazel......

Ps.......................!shhhh! wots bouquet garni?

Bobtanian, I googled and found this, easier than me trying to describe it myself. I first encountered bouquet garni in cookery lessons at school, aged 11.

Nice recipes, Hazel, thanks.

Lizx

The bouquet garni ([bu.k? ga?.ni], French for "garnished bouquet") is a bundle of herbs usually tied together with string and mainly used to prepare soup, stock, and various stews. The bouquet is cooked with the other ingredients, but is removed prior to consumption.

There is no generic recipe for bouquet garni, but most recipes include parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Depending on the recipe, the bouquet garni may include basil, burnet, chervil, rosemary, peppercorns, savory and tarragon. Sometimes vegetables such as carrot, celery (leaves or stem), celeriac, leek, onion and parsley root are also included in the bouquet.

Sometimes, the bouquet is not bound with string, and its ingredients are filled into a small sachet, a net, or even a tea strainer instead. Traditionally, the aromatics are bound within leek leaves, though a coffee filter and butcher twine can be used instead.

AH! thanks for that,Liz,
I must admit that when I setup the pot I always use some 'errbs in the water, kind of marinades itself overnight!!

Bob

Thanks Ann,& Barbra&Bob & Liz they are from the recipe book that i got with the slow cooker ,
there are other recipes , if you would like me to put on later
i'm of out to the shops just now :-D
Hazelx

Vegetable Broth ..serves 4-6
1 medium sized carrot,
1 leak ,
1 medium sized onion,
1 small parsnip,
1 small turnip,
2 sticks celery,
25g (1oz )margarine,
75ml (11/2 pint chicken or beef stock
15ml (1 tablesp) barley , washed.
5ml (1 tsp) salt.

Pre heat slow cooker -20 mins ,
1/ Peel & dice carrot, turnip& parsnip .
Wash and chop celery, peel and chop onion, trim and slice leak .
2/ Melt margarine in a large pan , gently fry prepared veg for 10 mins .
3/ Add stock , barley and salt, Bring to the boil.
4/ Pour into slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hrs or until the barley is soft .
5/ Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve .
Hazelx

If you are short of time or find peeling and chopping veg a chore or painful, I bought some veg ready chopped for soups (I know I was feeling lazy and actually they worked well added to a stew in the slow cooker yesterday) in T***o.

Nudged for MarioninScotland.

Julia in Derbyshire

Thank you Julia :-D

Looks like I'm in for a long read tonight then lol.

I'm liking what I've heard so far.

Marion

Hello :-D Have been reading thread for a while Ann. Went to Morrison's to buy bread today.......and came home with a slow cooker,a ham bone and split peas...guess what I'm doing in the morning? :-)