Kitabı oku: «200 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes», sayfa 3

SPINACH AND LENTIL SOUP

This colourful, hearty soup is packed with flavour. You can use either chicken or vegetarian stock.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 3–4 hours

Serves 4

75g (3oz) brown or green lentils

Olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 red onion, peeled and finely diced

1 celery stick, trimmed and finely diced

1 x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes

2 fresh thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf, broken

2 litres (3½ pints) stock

125g (4½oz) baby spinach leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil or basil oil, for drizzling

Wash the lentils in cold water and drain thoroughly. Pour in 1–2mm (1⁄16in) of olive oil to cover the base of the slow cooker dish.

Using your thumb, press the garlic firmly to bruise it, then add it to the dish. Add the lentils and mix to coat in the oil. Add the onion, celery, tomatoes and herbs and mix together. Don’t season the soup at this stage, as salt will toughen the lentils. Pour the stock over the lentils. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3–4 hours or until the lentils are tender.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and herbs. Mix the spinach into the soup and stir until the leaves are just wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls and drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil or basil oil before serving with ciabatta.

FAB FOR THE FREEZER

Leave to cool before transferring to freezerproof containers and freezing for up to three months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating gently on the hob (never in the slow cooker).

SPICY CELERIAC AND APPLE SOUP

I absolutely love celeriac raw in salads and remoulade, but here it really benefits from long slow cooking, which coaxes out its characteristic nutty flavour. The warming spices of the curry paste and the tart apple also work well to complete this easy soup. You can also make this with parsnips instead of celeriac.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 4 hours

Serves 6

Vegetarian

1 large celeriac, about 1.5kg (3lb 5oz), peeled (about 1.3kg/2lb 13oz peeled weight) and cut into 3cm (1¼in) chunks

1 large onion, peeled and cut into 3cm (1¼in) chunks

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced

Juice of 1 lemon

2 vegetable stock cubes

1 tbsp medium curry paste

1 litre (1¾ pints) boiling water

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the celeriac and onion chunks in the slow cooker dish. Add the diced apple, then pour over the lemon juice and toss together until everything is coated in the juice.

Place the stock cubes and curry paste into a large measuring jug, then pour over the boiling water and stir to dissolve the cubes. Pour this mixture over the celeriac and top up with more boiling water if the vegetables and apple are not covered with liquid (otherwise the apple will turn brown). Cover with the lid and cook on high for 4 hours or until the vegetables are completely tender.

Remove the slow cooker dish from the heated base and place it on a heatproof surface. Blitz the soup with a hand-held blender until completely smooth (or blend in batches in a food processor). Add more hot stock if you like your soup thinner. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP

This easy soup is very warming and tasty – perfect for a cold day or if you’re in need of some real comfort food.

Preparation time: 5 minutes, plus overnight soaking

Cooking time: 2–3 hours

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, white part only, diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

500g (1lb 2oz) green split peas, soaked overnight and drained

2 litres (3½ pints) chicken or vegetable stock

2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

50g (2oz) ham, finely shredded

Pour the olive oil into the slow cooker dish, then mix in the leeks, garlic, drained split peas and stock.

Cover with the lid and cook on high for 1 hour. Remove the lid and skim off and discard any froth from the surface with a slotted spoon. Mix the soup well, then cover again and cook for a further 1–2 hours or until the peas are tender.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with the parsley and shredded ham. Serve with hot buttered toast.

I ALSO LIKE...

replacing the ham with hot, crispy bacon pieces.

CHICKEN AND LEMON SOUP

Slow cooking the chicken on the bone before adding it to the soup gives it a wonderful flavour.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 6½–8½ hours

Serves 4

750g (1lb 10oz) chicken wings

1 celery stick, trimmed and finely diced

1 leek, trimmed and finely diced

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1 fresh lemon thyme sprig, plus extra to garnish (or use 1 ordinary thyme sprig)

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (preferably unwaxed)

1 large potato, peeled and cut into small 1cm (½in) cubes

3 tbsp double cream

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken wings, celery, leek, garlic, thyme and lemon zest and juice into the slow cooker dish and mix well. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring halfway through cooking.

After 2 hours, carefully pour enough boiling water into the slow cooker dish to cover the chicken and stir to combine. Cover with the lid again and cook on low for a further 4–6 hours (the longer the better).

Strain the chicken and vegetables through a sieve into a large saucepan. Pick over the chicken, discarding any skin or bone but saving the meat, and add the meat to the pan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, skimming with a slotted spoon to remove any remaining skin, sinew or bits of vegetable that have escaped the straining process.

Add the potato to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately sprinkled with a few lemon thyme leaves.

I ALSO LIKE...

to use baby pasta or risoni (a type of pasta that looks like large grains of rice, used in soups, salads, stews, stuffings, etc.) instead of potato in this soup.

SPICY SEAFOOD CHOWDER

A hearty soup with just enough spice to give your taste buds a bit of a kick. If you don’t like spicy food, then either add more crème fraîche or simply less chilli.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2¼ hours

Serves 4

4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, diced

4 tbsp dry vermouth

1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

2 celery sticks, trimmed and cut into 5mm (¼in) pieces

250g (9oz) floury potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm (½in) cubes

2 corn on the cob

2 bay leaves, broken

500ml (18fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock

2 red chillies, deseeded and finely diced

3 tbsp crème fraîche

250g (9oz) mixed ready-to-eat, cooked seafood, such as prawns, calamari or mussels

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Warm a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the bacon and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until opaque but not coloured. Add the vermouth and remove the pan from the heat. Stir well, scraping any caramelised bacon from the base of the pan, pour into the slow cooker dish, then add the onion, celery and potatoes to the slow cooker dish.

Stand the corn on their ends and carefully run a knife from top to bottom to cut off the kernels. Add to the slow cooker dish together with the bay leaves and stock.

Place half of the chillies in the slow cooker dish and set the rest aside. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2 hours or until the potato is tender.

Ladle half of the chowder into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Return the purée to the slow cooker dish and mix in. Add the crème fraîche, seafood and the remaining chillies and mix to combine. Cover again and leave for 15 minutes to heat through thoroughly. Serve immediately in warm bowls, sprinkled with chopped dill.

VIETNAMESE BEEF ‘PHO’ BROTH

This is a substantial meal in a bowl. It’s a nice idea to assemble this dish at the dining table – serve a bowl of noodles and then a selection platter with bean sprouts, spring onions and more sliced chilli for example – and let people customise their own broth.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 8–10 hours

Serves 4

400g (14oz) beef feather steak (available from good butchers) or braising steak, sliced into thin strips

1 red chilli, sliced

1 tsp shredded fresh root ginger

1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole

6 cloves (optional)

1.3 litres (2¼ pints) cold good-quality beef stock

250g (9oz) vermicelli (fine rice noodles)

100g (3½oz) bean sprouts

4 spring onions, trimmed and finely shredded

4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves, plus some whole

4 tbsp roughly chopped mint leaves, plus some whole

Juice of 1 lime, to taste

1 tbsp fish sauce, to taste

Lime wedges, to serve

Place the steak strips in the slow cooker dish and top with the chilli, ginger, garlic, cloves (if using) and stock. Make sure that the meat is completely immersed in the stock. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8–10 hours or until the meat is wonderfully tender.

When you’re ready to eat, place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for 4 minutes. Drain thoroughly, then divide among 4 deep serving bowls. Top each one with a handful of bean sprouts, some spring onion, chopped coriander and mint.

Season the hot stock with the lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Top the noodles with the cooked beef and then ladle over the hot stock. Garnish with a few whole mint and coriander leaves. Serve immediately with lime wedges to squeeze over.

BREAKFAST OMELETTE

This recipe caters for a larger number, so making breakfast for a crowd is a doddle.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 6–9 hours

Serves 6

50g (2oz) butter, diced and softened

650g (1lb 7oz) potatoes, such as King Edward or Maris Piper, unpeeled and diced into 1cm (½in) cubes

12 rashers smoked back bacon, diced

1 onion, peeled and diced

12 eggs

250ml (9fl oz) skimmed milk

½ tsp mustard powder

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Butter the inside of the slow cooker dish very thoroughly with about one-third of the butter, then arrange a layer of the diced potatoes in the base of the dish.

Working quickly so that the potatoes don’t have a chance to turn brown, cover the potatoes with a layer of bacon and a layer of onion.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and mustard powder together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour the mixture into the slow cooker dish. Dot the remaining butter over the top.

Cover with the lid and cook on low overnight or for up to 9 hours until set in the centre.

Remove from the slow cooker base and leave to stand for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges or squares and serving with plenty of crusty bread and grilled cherry tomatoes.

I ALSO LIKE...

adding diced black pudding or chorizo with the diced bacon.

CARAMELISED SWEET AND SOUR SESAME SHALLOTS WITH NOODLES

When onions and shallots are slow-cooked they deserve to be a main ingredient in their own right! Here, they are cooked in a sweet and sour sauce until they caramelise and become meltingly tender and full of flavour.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours

Serves 4

Vegetarian

10–12 shallots

100ml (3½fl oz) red wine vinegar

2 tbsp tomato purée

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Using a sharp knife, halve the shallots lengthways and then peel – it’s much easier doing it this way, rather than peeling them first. Place the shallot halves in the slow cooker dish.

In a measuring jug, mix the wine vinegar, tomato purée, sesame oil and sugar together. Pour over the shallots and mix well to combine. Ensure that the shallots are nestled together in a single layer.

Cover and cook on high for 1 hour before carefully turning the shallots over. Cover again and cook for a further hour or until the shallots are tender and caramelised.

Scatter over the sesame seeds and toss to combine. Garnish with coriander and serve with freshly cooked egg noodles.

COOKING CONVENTIONALLY

Place in an ovenproof dish and cook, uncovered, in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, turning occasionally, for 1–2 hours or until soft and caramelised.

CREAMY ROASTED GARLIC AND ROCKET PASTA SAUCE

Slow cooking garlic makes it sweet and flavoursome – perfect in a creamy pasta dish like this.

Preparation time: 2 minutes

Cooking time: 2½–3 hours, plus cooking the pasta

Serves 4

Vegetarian

1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled

100ml (3½fl oz) white wine

8 tbsp double cream

1 egg yolk

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

400g (14oz) dried pasta, such as farfalle or fusilli

50g (2oz) rocket leaves

Place the whole garlic in the slow cooker dish and pour the wine over the top. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 2½–3 hours, adding more wine if it starts to boil dry, until the garlic is soft.

Cut the top from the garlic to expose the tips of the cloves. Squeeze out the flesh into a bowl and mash until smooth. Add the cream together with any juices from the slow cooker dish, then beat in the egg yolk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions or until firm to the bite. Drain the pasta, leaving a little of the cooking water (about 2 tablespoons) behind in the pan. Return the drained pasta to the pan and add the garlic sauce and rocket. Fold through quickly (to avoid making scrambled egg!) and season to taste. Serve with a tomato and red onion salad.

EASY TOMATO PASTA SAUCE

There still seems to be a certain suggestion that tinned food is inferior to fresh. When it comes to cooking with tomatoes, and especially tomato sauce, tinned tomatoes are the way to go!

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 8–12 hours

Serves 4

Vegetarian

2 x 400g (14oz) tins chopped tomatoes

1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp caster sugar

100ml (3½fl oz) red wine

60ml (2fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

Fresh basil leaves, torn, to garnish

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, salt, sugar and wine into the slow cooker dish. Drizzle over half of the olive oil and mix well.

Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 hours or for up to 12 hours.

Season with more salt to taste and mix in the remaining olive oil. Spoon over hot, freshly cooked pasta and sprinkle with torn basil leaves and grated Parmesan to serve.

I ALSO LIKE...

to add a whole dried chilli to the sauce at the start of cooking for an extra kick. Remove it before serving.

ITALIAN TOMATO AND AUBERGINE SAUCE

One of my lasting memories of Sicily was the classic sugo alla Norma (tomato and aubergine sauce). This is my version.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 6¼–8¼ hours

Serves 4

Vegetarian

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks

2 large aubergines, about 450g (1lb), trimmed and cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks

1 x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp baby capers, rinsed and drained

100ml (3½fl oz) red wine

1 tsp dried oregano

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

150–200g (5–7oz) freshly cooked penne pasta

A large handful of fresh basil leaves

Ricotta cheese, to serve (optional)

Warm a large frying pan over a high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until softened but not coloured. Transfer to the slow cooker dish.

Stir the pepper and aubergine chunks into the slow cooker dish with the tomatoes, capers, wine, oregano and seasoning to taste. Cover with the lid and cook for 6–8 hours or until rich and thick.

Taste and add more seasoning if necessary, and drizzle with extra olive oil to taste. Add the cooked drained pasta to the slow cooker dish and mix well. Scatter with the basil leaves and serve with plenty of ricotta (if using) and freshly ground black pepper.

I ALSO LIKE...

to make this dish and then spoon it into a baking dish, before topping with lots of ricotta and Parmesan cheese and baking in an oven preheated to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5, until golden and crisp.