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[Ali]

I'm always on the look out for new ideas for my slow cooker. I already do stews and casseroles in it. Its ideal for slow cooking tougher cuts of meat like briskets, to tender perfection.

Its a real boon if, like so many women now, you work outside the home. Just pop all your ingredients in the morning, put the cooker on lo and viola! The basis of your main meal ready when you get home.

So add your tried and tested recipes here.

Here's my beef brisket;

Take one boneless, rolled brisket, place fat side down in the cooker. Add two or three cups of hot water in which you've dissolved a cube or two of beef stock (my fav is Knorr, but OXO works well too) along with a handful of chopped onion. Some salt and pepper to taste.

Cook on lo for up to 8 hours or until the brisket is tender. Serve with your choice of veg.

The liquid from the cooking can be used to make gravy or stored in the freezer to be used later as a base for a beef stew or casserole.

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A Cosy Life
Moon Garden Blends

[Melanie]

I think John would love your recipe for beef brisket, he loves beef. I was thinking of buying a slow cooker, my mam and dad both have one and swear by it.

[Ali]

A simple roast for busy days;

1 beef roast, boneless or bone-in
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix

Add the can of cream of mushroom soup and the packet of dry onion soup mix to your slow cooker or crockpot. Stir well to mix. Add the meat, fresh or frozen.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hrs  if meat is defrosted /8 hrs if frozen OR on high for 4 hrs defrosted/6 hrs frozen.

At the end of cooking, remove meat and whisk a tablespoon of flour into the remaining liquid to make a gravy. Serve this most tender roast ever with mashed potatoes smothered in the fabulous gravy!

Alternative: use two or three cups of beef stock and a handful of onions instead of the soup for liquid.

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A Cosy Life
Moon Garden Blends

[Melanie]

That is very simple, and I bet it tastes wonderful, will have to try it on my John.

[Ali]

I think you could substitute a whole chicken, but I'd use vegetable or chicken stock rather than the soup mixes. along with some chunky cut veg like potato.
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A Cosy Life
Moon Garden Blends

[Melanie]

Good idea, I'm sure John would like that too, as he is partial to a bit of chicken.

[Domestic Goddess]

I think you'd love a slow cooker Melanie. My Mum got me one last year and I used it SO much in the autumn and winter. It really makes life nice and easy, as Ali says, just pop your ingredients in and leave on, doing it's thing all day, ready for whenever you want to serve it - perfect! My daughter is a veggie like you, and it's great doing veg soup, or stew or a veggie sausage casserole, etc. I have done some lovely curries in mine as well - the meat just ends up meltingly tender and the flavours really develop.

The only thing I've never done is a whole joint in it - I can't wait to try it though. My organic veg box delivery scheme has just started doing organic meats, so I will sit down and plan some meals and place an order. Thanks for reminding me about it Ali.  They don't have to be expensive to buy Melanie - so give it a whirl! It was great last winter, when there was a snow day, to put dinner on first thing, go out and build snow men and toboggan with the kids, come in from the freezing cold and wet and have a steaming hot casserole waiting for us! Bliss.
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Live, laugh, love!

[Melanie]

Sounds wonderful Sasha, my dad makes chilli's, curries, panhagletys (local dish) all kinds in his. Like you he puts it on first thing, then he and Pam get on with their day, and dinner is ready for them in the afternoon. So I am definitely considering buying one.
How are those organic veg boxes? Are they value for money, as opposed to buying from the shops? We had a leaflet for one through our door, I chucked it in the bin because I thought it was rather expensive, what do you think?

[glitzypursegirl]

I actually have heard that the cheaper cuts of meat work best in the slow cooker, since they usually have more fat or tougher meat they then get nice and tender with a long cook time, I have done pork roasts, not sure the cut, but cheap shoulder maybe? for about 8 hours with spices and in the end just served it as pulled pork in a sandwich bun with bbq sauce or in tortillas with salsa, great to serve a large crowd.........and on the vegetarian side, my cooker does great chowders or bean based soups, like a white bean vegi with just plain water no stock needed.....you can put in a spice parcel or just add ground spices, I used both dried beans and canned beans , the dried ones just needed the overnight soak and a  bit longer cook time, my favorite last winter was corn chowder, using frozen corn kernels and diced potatoes, celery, onions and carrots with just water to cook them in and then before i served it i added some cream....that with bread....MMMMMM,
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semi-sleep deprived mom
with a growing up too fast born premature son,
loud, shedding dog and loving husband that share our home in the mountains of the high sierra (we live at over 6000ft elevation)

[Domestic Goddess]

Funnily enough Melanie, according to my veg box scheme newsletter in this week's box, a survey has been done and they turn out to be on average 22% cheaper than an equivalent amount of organic produce from the big 3 supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose) and if you go for the largest veg box it's cheaper by 45%, which works out even cheaper than the supermarket non-organic fruit and veg!

I would certainly agree that it is better value for money. I was spending a ridiculous amount of money each week on organic fruit and veg from the supermarket, and now I get a small box and a fruit bag for 3 of us for about £13 a fortnight. You can adjust the contents, or how frequently you want them, or skip a week, or whatever suits you really. And it's really exciting when you get something unusual in there (you do know what you're going to get each week btw) that you've never tried before - makes you get creative and try new recipes! The one that supplies me (River Nene Organic vegetables) also supplies milk, drinks, eggs, chocolate, ready made soups, cook books - you name it, you can order it organic basically! And all brought to your door with no delivery charge, by a very nice man (in my case) who is very friendly and helpful, and leaves the box all covered, water tight and in a safe place if I am out when he comes. He will sometimes offer extra fruit etc if they have a glut of something, rather than let it go to waste. And now they do meat as well (incl gluten free sausages - how fab!), meaning even less for me to cart home from the shops. Brilliant!

Do you get the impression I am really rather pleased with them?! I have had them delivered from here now for two years or so, and have never been disappointed with the contents or service - I love it! And don't forget they are supporting local farms and farmers, and good for the environment - they source locally, and if for any reason they can't, they never air freight (ie: fruits out of season here, etc) and the cardboard boxes they supply the produce in is returnable to the delivery man for recycling!

I say give it a try Melanie! You only need to try one, and if you don't like it, don't re-order. You can check out the website of the one I use, as they have three farms around the country I think (promotions@email.riverford.co.uk) and there may be one near you? It's all manageable on-line as well, making it nice and easy. See what you think.

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Live, laugh, love!