A special collection of mouthwatering recipes for use in your new SLOW COOKER

A special collection of mouthwatering recipes for use in your new SLOW COOKER

BALSAMIC CHICKEN 4-6 boneless chicken breasts 2 cans diced tomatoes 1 medium onion thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves crushed ½ cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon basil 1 teaspoon rosemary ½ teaspoon thyme Ground black pepper salt to taste Place olive oil on base of slow cooker, place chicken breasts on top. Season with salt/ pepper, layer sliced onions, then herbs on top. Pour vinegar & tomatoes on top. Cook on high for 4hrs. Serve on pasta /rice. Alternative is to use diced beef instead of chicken. CHILLI WITH BAKED BEANS 800g lean beef mince 1 1/2 onions 2 sticks celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (600g) jar passata 3/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon dried basil 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon black ground pepper 1 tin of baked beans Place the mince in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat and cook until evenly brown. Drain the fat. Place the mince in the slow cooker and mix in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Serve immediately with rice and grated cheese. BEEF STEW 500gms diced stewing beef 1 beef stock cube melted with 500mls boiling water 2 diced onions, 4 diced carrots, and any other veg you like. All into slow cooker - cook on low for 5hrs. Season with salt & pepper. Add cornflour to thicken, (mix with cold water before adding) Leave to thicken a further 45 mins. Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes.

BALSAMIC MUSHROOM & CHICKEN STROGANOFF 4 chicken breasts - cut into cubes, 1 diced onion, 2 cloves garlic minced. 16oz sliced mushrooms, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ cup balsamic vinegar. 16 fluid oz chicken stock. All into slow cooker, cook on low 5-6 hrs (3-4 hrs on high) 8oz plain Greek yogurt - or sour cream. When cooked stir in yogurt & cook for further 10 mins. Serve with rice or pasta. CARROT & CORIANDER SOUP (Serves 4) 25gms butter, 2 sliced leeks. 450gms diced carrots. 1ltr stock (fresh chicken stock or water with stock cube) 30gms chopped coriander. Boil all together until carrots soft. Liquidise. SLOW COOKED MUSHROOM SOUP 2 tablespoons butter 750g mushrooms, sliced 1.5L chicken stock 1 large onion, chopped 2 cups cream 2 cups milk 4 tablespoons plain flour 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped Pinch salt and pepper Melt butter in saucepan and add mushrooms. Saute lightly. Place mushrooms, chicken stock, onion and salt and pepper into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2.5-3 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, turn to high and stir in cream and milk. Blend, in a separate container, flour with a little milk and add some hot soup, blend until smooth. Then add a little at a time, to the rest of the soup. Cook until thickened.

PEA & HAM SOUP 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small brown onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 sticks celery, diced 300g potatoes, peeled, diced 650g ham hock 1 cup green split peas, washed, rinsed 3 cups of fresh Chicken stock or stock cubes 1 dried bay leaf Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and crusty bread, to serve Step 1 Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, celery and potatoes. Cook stirring for 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl of slow cooker. Step 2 Add ham hock, peas, stock, bay leaf and 1 litre cold water. Season with pepper. Cover with lid. Cook on low for 6 hours. Step 3 Remove hock from soup. Remove and discard rind and bone. Shred ham. Return ham to soup. Cook on low for 1 hour or until ham and peas are tender. Serve with parsley and crusty bread. BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP 1 Butternut squash 1 Onion 2 stock cubes (chicken or vegetable) 1 to 2 pints of boiling water (depending on size of vegetables and slow cooker) Salt & pepper to taste The quantities can be doubled or trebled for larger slow cookers 1. Switch slow cooker on and fill with the water (from the kettle) 2. Cut up stock cubes and add to boiling water 3. Peel and cut up butternut squash and onion & place in slow cookers 4. Cook for several hours, until the vegetables are soft 5. This will depend on the individual cooker, heat options and quantity made 6. You can blend or use potato masher on this or leave in chunks 7. Add salt & pepper as required for your taste

SWEET POTATO & RED PEPPER SOUP 2 Sweet potatoes 1 or 2 red peppers 1 Onion 2 stock cubes (chicken or vegetable) 1 to 2 pints of boiling water (depending on size of vegetables and slow cooker) Salt & pepper to taste The quantities can be doubled or trebled for larger slow cookers 1. Switch slow cooker on and fill with the water (from the kettle) 2. Cut up stock cubes and add to boiling water 3. Peel and cut up sweet potatoes, red peppers and onion & place in slow cookers 4. Cook for several hours, until the vegetables are soft 5. This will depend on the individual cooker, heat options and quantity made 6. You can blend this or use a potato masher or leave in chunks 7. Add salt & pepper as required for your taste LAMB SHANK One leg of lamb Crushed garlic (to taste) Olive oil Mint (fresh-chopped) ½ teaspoon salt Assorted veg Method:- Mix crushed garlic, salt, mint and olive oil into a thick paste. Score & stab the lamb & rub paste into the lamb. Place into slow cooker cook on LOW FOR 4HRS Prepare new potatoes & carrots & part boil. Turn lamb over after 3hrs cooking & add potatoes & carrots Once cooked the lamb will fall off the bone when lifted out.

MOROCCAN SQUASH STEW Generously serves 4 on its own or 6 with rice or cous cous 1 small-medium butternut squash - around 800g - cut into 2cm cubes TIP - Double peel the squash as the outer layer is thick and hard and takes ages to soften in a slow cooker. 2 medium onions - diced 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 100g red lentils 400g tin chickpeas, drained & rinsed 1 400-500g pack passata (or a tin of chopped tomatoes) Bunch of coriander leaves, roughly chopped 1 litre vegetable stock (chicken would do but not beef) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Possible variations Other sweet root veg (sweet potatoes, parsnips, pumpkin) could be used instead of or in combination with the butternut squash. Add 1 teaspoon chilli powder if you like some heat. Add 75g dried fruit (sultanas, raisins or quartered apricots) for a sweeter twist. Preparation Switch on the slow cooker to warm up. Put the diced squash directly into the slow cooker. Heat oil in large pan on medium heat and add the onions. Fry until lightly golden. Turn down the heat and add the celery, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon and ginger. Add the passata, chickpeas, lentils and half the coriander leaves and stir. Make up the stock using cubes / powder and boiling water. Add this to the pan. Bring to the boil and then pour the whole contents of the pan into the slow cooker over the squash. Stir together and leave to cook for about 8 hours. Taste test and add salt if required. If it is a bit watery, add 1-2 teaspoons cornflour with 20ml cold water and stir into the stew. Serve in bowls, with the remaining coriander scattered on top. Alternatively serve with cous cous or rice which will make it go further.

DIET COKE CHICKEN 1lb / 500g Chicken or turkey pieces (diced turkey is often cheapest) 1 onion 1 can diet coke (cheap brand works) 1 stock cube chicken or vegetable 1 to 2 pints / 500 to 1000 ml water Any other vegetables you may like to add such as sweetcorn, peppers Garlic powdered or fresh (optional) Salt & pepper to taste Chicken gravy granules or cornflour to thicken (if required) 1. Switch slow cooker on and fill with the water (from the kettle) 2. Cut up stock cubes and garlic and add to boiling water 3. Chicken /Turkey can be cut up or left in larger pieces 4. Peel and chop onion 5. Put both in cooker 6. Cook for a few hours actual time required dependent on size and heat of cooker 7. If it needs thickening up, use gravy granules or cornflour as required. 8. Serve with jacket, mash or boiled potatoes CORNED BEEF HASH / HOTPOT 1 tin of corned beef (don t slice your fingers opening the tin!) 1 onion 2lb potatoes 2 beef or other stock cubes 2 pints water 1. Switch slow cooker on and fill with the water (from the kettle) 2. Cut up stock cubes and add to boiling water 3. Add chopped up corned beef 4. Peel and chop onion & potatoes into chucks smaller will cook more quickly 5. Put both in cooker 6. Cook for a few hours actual time required dependent on size and heat of cooker 7. If it needs thickening up add more potatoes, these can be boiled on the hob, drained and added. 8. Serve with any combination of mushy peas, beans, vegetables and pickles as you choose.

BEEF IN GUINNESS 1lb / 500g beef, pork, chicken or turkey pieces (diced turkey is often cheapest) 1 onion 1 can Guinness or cheap beer or lager (cheap brand works) 1 stock cube any variety 1 to 2 pints / 500 to 1000 ml water Any other vegetables you may like to add such as mushrooms, beans Garlic powdered or fresh (optional) Salt & pepper to taste Chicken gravy granules or cornflour to thicken (if required) 1. Switch slow cooker on and fill with the water (from the kettle) 2. Cut up stock cubes and garlic and add to boiling water 3. Meat can be cut up or left in larger pieces 4. Peel and chop onion 5. Put both in cooker 6. Cook for a few hours actual time required dependent on size and heat of cooker 7. If it needs thickening up, use gravy granules or cornflour as required. 8. Serve with jacket, mash or boiled potatoes This basic casserole recipe can be used without the can of beer. Any variety of meat and vegetables can be put in to suit your taste. Diced or fresh herbs can be added to taste. BEEF CURRY Diced Beef 2 onions 2 carrots 1 red / green pepper Mushrooms (optional) 2 cloves garlic (optional) 1 jar of curry sauce Gravy granules to thicken (optional) Method: Peel and cut onions, carrots, pepper, mushrooms into slices and place in slow cooker. Peel garlic and crush or cut into small pieces place in slow cooker. Add the diced beef into slow cooker. Put jar of curry sauce in slow cooker. Put slow cooker on low and leave to cook. If you want thicker sauce use gravy granules near the end to thicken. You can leave in slow cooker for about 8-9 hours or if you want to do a shorter time put slow cooker on high for the first hour and a half then put on low for next couple of hours.

SLOW COOKER BACON & SAUSAGE CASSEROLE 6 sausages 6 slices smoked or unsmoked bacon 1 swede, peeled and chopped 3 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 leeks, chopped 1 tin tomatoes tomato puree herbs such as paprika and mixed herbs 2 tablespoons plain flour 1 beef OXO cube, crumbled 300ml (1/2pt) water Brown the sausages and the bacon under the grill. Add the sausage, bacon and all the veg to a slow cooker or Pyrex dish. Add the tomatoes and puree to the dish and stir. Place in a jug the herbs, the flour and the OXO cube and stir before sprinkling over the bacon, sausages and veg. Add the water and stir, making sure the flour isn't stuck to the sides. Put on the lid and cook in the slow cooker cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 9 hours. Alternatively, bake in the oven, covered, 200C / Gas 6, for 2 hours. Serve with mash or jacket potatoes... Enjoy :) Tip If the mixture is too runny then add more flour to the mixture. If it becomes to thick add a little more water. Other ideas If you would like to add mushrooms, slice a handful and add 30 minutes before eating! MY MUMS RICE PUDDING! Serves: 4 110g (4 oz) pudding rice 55g (2 oz) sugar (granulated or caster) 25g (1 oz) margarine 1.2L (2 pints) of milk (whole, semi skimmed or skimmed) 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon Put it all into the slow cooker, stir it and turn it on to high and cover. After about an hour stir it then you can leave it for a further 4 hours until it has finished cooking. Add jam, syrup or honey to taste but will also taste fab on its own. Enjoy!

GAMMON IN CIDER Gammon Joint (unsmoked) Bottle or Can of Sweet Cider 2 Onions Peel and cut onions to your own taste and place in slow cooker. Place the gammon in the slow cooker. Add the cider just enough to cover meat or below if you want a more intense sauce. Put slow cooker on low and leave to cook. You can leave in slow cooker for about 7-8 hours. Once cooked you may want to pull the meat apart and serve with the sauce over mashed potatoes and vegetables and enjoy. MEAT CASSEROLE Diced Chicken/Pork/Beef or other meat of your choice 2 onions 2 carrots 1 red/green pepper Mushrooms (optional) 2 cloves garlic (optional) 1 packet of casserole mix Gravy granules to thicken Peel and cut onions, carrots, pepper, mushrooms into slices and place in slow cooker. Peel garlic and crush or cut into small pieces place in slow cooker. Dice the meat of your choice and place into slow cooker. Put packet of casserole mix into jug and put recommended amount of hot water into jug and mix together then place liquid in slow cooker. Put slow cooker on low and leave to cook. If you want thicker sauce use gravy granules near the end to thicken. You can leave in slow cooker for about 7 hours or if you want to do a shorter time put slow cooker on high for the first hour and a half then put on low for next couple of hours.