You know what I love most about this whole cold weather scenario? Bringing out the slow cooker. This morning I chopped a few onions, a couple of potatoes and an orange capsicum, browned up a few chicken drumsticks and cut six thighs into bite-sized chunks and threw it all into the slow cooker with some coconut milk and a mild chicken curry slow cooker mix. Then I popped a layer of baking paper over the top {my slow cooker's huge, so I need the paper to keep in moisture and to let it bake more evenly} and seven hours later it smells divine. So for dinner tonight all I'll need to do is throw a package of microwave basmati rice on and two minutes later a delicious and nutritious meal will be served.
Yesterday, after a rapturous phone call from my friend G, I hunted down the new Woman's Weekly slow cooker book. No, it's okay, I'll wait her while you go by it because it's a seriously damned good recipe book. Now you know me, I like to wing it and make things up but a slow cooker is a contrary soul - it's likes very, very specific recipes and if you don't follow recipes and ratios you end up with very bad things at the end of the day.
I want to try almost every single recipe in my new book - starting at the soups and finishing with chocolate puddings - eating everything in between. For $12 it's a rather lovely investment in my winter nourishment...
I love my slow cooker in winter.
ReplyDeleteI just brown some onions and whatever meat I can find in the fridge. Throw in some vegies and spices and leave it for the day. The smell drives me crazy all day long. Yum.
Isn't it the best! I love it on the days I train my daughter's neball team - we get home at 6pm to a meal - bliss!
ReplyDeleteI hear you! Ours is an old crock pot circa 1972 and is still going strong and I love love love it. I dug mine out yesterday and tomorrow we will feast on apricot chicken.
ReplyDeleteWill have to go and find that cook book, I love our slow cooker too. To come home to a yummy smell as you walk in the door is divine.
ReplyDeleteI just about love everything about my slow cooker and was so happy when I got a new oe for Christmas. We eat out of it at least once a week. Because we do eat a lot of things like dried beans, that need to be soaked overnight, our slow cooker is PERFECT for it. I also love it for just about any roast, almost better than roasting in the oven, to be truthful.(meat moreso than veg tho- with roasting, I still prefer onion roasting for veg). Off to go look up that cook book and feed owen some banana!
ReplyDeleteI don't have this wonder cooker! it seems I just added one more thing on my shopping list! xx
ReplyDeleteOh Lucy, there's nothing like a retro crockpot! Jealous!!
ReplyDeleteKakka, go find the book, it's amazing, and you know I don't really like recipes!
Sara Rose, I agree with you on the roasting - for falling off the bone, tender meat nothing's better. I start the vegies in the slow cooker and then blast them in the oven for 15 minutes to crisp while the meat's resting and I'm making gravy with the juices. mmmmmm.
Oana, once you have one you'll wonder how you survived without it
I'd love you to share some of these recipes, if you get the chance. I bought a slow cooker 2 weeks ago and have used it once, following a bit of an awful recipe in the cookbook you get with it.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally all ears and on the prowl...!