8 Tasty Meals To Make In Your Slow-Cooker
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8 Tasty Meals To Make In Your Slow-Cooker

There are several reasons to appreciate a slow cooker. Not only do they produce cosy, comforting food, you can also leave them to simmer away in the background and – if you’re partial to over-cooking things – the name indicates they’re a bit more foolproof than recipes that require exactly the right times and measurements. From a nourishing coconut and kale dhal to family-friendly smokey chilli beef, here are eight easy recipes to try this season…

Vietnamese Chicken Curry: Sarah Wilson, I Quit Sugar: Slow Cooker

Putting the prep time into this curry is worth it for the end result. An impressive and indulgent supper that will satisfy even the most discerning of tastes, make this dish for a dinner party or special occasion.  

Serves
Serves 6
Total Time
12 Hours
Ingredients
700g of chicken thighs or pieces, with skin on and bone in
1 stalk of lemongrass, peeled and thinly sliced (only use the cream end, reserve the green end)
2 garlic cloves
3cm knob of ginger, grated (or 1 tbsp of store-bought grated ginger)
2 tbsp of fish sauce
125ml of yellow curry paste or massaman curry paste
250ml of chicken stock
2 sweet potatoes, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
1 x 400ml can of coconut milk
½ tsp of granulated stevia
2 bay leaves
2-3 tbsp of arrowroot (if gluten-free or paleo) or cornflour, mixed to a paste in cold water
2 spring onions, finely sliced
To serve:
Roti, mountain bread or poppadoms
Method
Step 1

The night before, place the chicken, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, fish sauce and half the curry paste in the slow-cooker insert. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or, in this case, overnight.

Step 2

In the morning, place the insert into the slow cooker and add in the remaining curry paste, stock, vegetables, coconut milk, stevia, leftover lemongrass and bay leaves.

Step 3

Stir to combine. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

Step 4

In the evening, if you like a thicker curry, 20 minutes before serving stir in the arrowroot or cornflour paste. Cook on high with the lid off for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Step 5

Garnish with the spring onions and serve with roti, mountain bread or poppadoms.

Jerk Chicken with Easy Slaw

Switch up your roast chicken with this jerk version for a delicious, spicy twist on your usual dinner. The easy slaw balances the heat and adds freshness to the dish. Prepare the chicken, put in the slow-cooker and forget about it until it's time to serve. 

Serves
Serves 4
Total Time
50 Minutes
Ingredients
40g of butter
1.5-1.8kg whole organic chicken
Juice of 3 limes
1 tbsp of ground allspice
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
½ tsp of cayenne pepper
2 tsp of sea salt
1 tbsp of rice malt syrup
For the easy slaw:
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 bunches of tenderstem broccoli, halved lengthways
1 pack of pre-shredded coleslaw mix
4 spring onions, sliced
Method
Step 1

In the morning, melt the butter in a hot frying pan and brown the chicken all over. Remove from the pan and place it upside down in the slow-cooker insert.

Step 2

Combine the lime juice with the spices and salt in the same pan over low heat. Add the rice malt syrup and stir until melted and combined.

Step 3

Pour the mixture over the upside-down chicken and rub all over, including the cavity, to coat thoroughly.

Step 4

Cover and cook for 6 hours on low or 3 ½ hours on high.

Step 5

In the evening, to make the slaw, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then gently sweat the broccoli until almost tender. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until warmed through.

Step 6

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and slice the meat from the bone. Serve with slaw.

Hummus With Slow-Cooked Chickpeas: Ronen Givon & Christian Mouysset, Hummus to Halva: Recipes from a Levantine Kitchen

This double whammy of chickpeas is full of flavour – not to mention fibre, protein and healthy slow-release carbs to power you through the afternoon.

Serves
Serves 4
Total Time
50 Minutes
Ingredients
250g of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water
700ml of cold water
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of ground cumin seeds
For the hummus
500g of dried chickpeas
1.2l of cold water
2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
300g of tahini
Juice of 2 lemons
Sea salt, to taste
To finish:
450g of hummus (from the above recipe)
3 tbsp of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Tahini
Sea salt
Paprika, to taste
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for sprinkling
Method
Step 1

For the hummus, tip the chickpeas into a bowl and cover with plenty of cold water (they will expand as they soak). Cover and leave to soak – there’s no need to refrigerate them – for 12 hours, or overnight. There aren’t any shortcuts to this, just aim to soak them the day before.

Step 2

Drain the chickpeas and put into a medium saucepan. Pour in the fresh measured cold water so that the water only covers the chickpeas by about 2cm. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda, then bring the water to the boil. Don’t be tempted to add salt at this stage as it can make the chickpeas tough. Keep a watchful eye as it comes to the boil as it can easily boil over.

Step 3

Skim off any scum with a slotted spoon. Cook over a medium heat or in a slow-cooker for 1-1 ½ hours until the chickpeas are very soft. If the water level seems to be going down too quickly then partially cover the pan with a lid to help reduce evaporation, but don’t cover the top completely or the pan will boil over. Keep an eye on the water level and top up with a little extra boiling water from the kettle if needed, especially towards the end of cooking. Stir from time to time, stirring more towards the end of cooking, as the chickpeas take on a soupy texture as there is less water in the pan.

Step 4

Once cooked, drain the liquid if there is a lot, but don’t throw it away – keep it for later to adjust the consistency. Spread the chickpeas over the surface of a large roasting tin and leave to cool.

Step 5

You should have about 1.25kg cooked chickpeas. Purée in batches with any liquid from the roasting tin in a food processor, adding the tahini, lemon juice and salt to taste until you have a creamy, velvety smooth consistency. Adjust the consistency with some of the reserved cooking liquid or water. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your machine. Make sure it’s nice and thick, but smooth.

Step 6

Transfer the hummus to a large plastic container, spread it level, then press on a well-fitting lid. Chill until needed.

Step 7

Drain the soaked chickpeas, put into a medium saucepan and pour in the water so that the chickpeas are covered by about 2cm. Add the oil and cumin and bring to the boil. Skim off any scum, then partially cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat, or in a slow-cooker, for 40-60 minutes until the chickpeas are tender but still a good shape. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid.

Step 8

Spread the hummus over 4 serving plates and make a small well in the middle. Add a few spoonfuls of chickpeas to each well. Dress each portion with lots of olive oil, lemon juice and tahini sauce, then season to taste. Moisten with some of the reserved cooking liquid, if necessary and top with a little paprika and chopped parsley.

Quinoa and Sweet Potato Kitchari: Jasmine Hemsley, Wellness & Nutrition Expert

Get up early and cook this on the hob, or pop all the ingredients into a slow-cooker the night before, ready to pop straight into your thermos the next morning for a hot lunch. A good stainless steel thermos will keep your food hot for up to ten hours. You can look forward to a delicious, freshly made, easy on the pocket lunch without the need to stand in line, giving you the chance to head out to a quiet spot, well away from your desk and make a proper break of it.

Serves
Serves 2
Total Time
40 Minutes
Ingredients
200g of yellow mung dal
100g of white/pearl quinoa, soaked overnight
1 sweet potato, peeled if the skin is tough and chopped into chunks
2 tbsp of ghee (or coconut oil)
1l of water
1 tsp each of: black pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin, sea salt
2 tsp each of: black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, fennel seeds, ground ginger or finely chopped fresh ginger
Method
Step 1

Soak the quinoa overnight in double the amount of water. When you’re ready to cook, rinse the quinoa and rice until the water runs clear.

Step 2

Soak the quinoa overnight in double the amount of water. When you’re ready to cook, rinse the quinoa and rice until the water runs clear.

Step 3

Measure out all of the spices into a cup — this makes it less likely that you'll burn your spices while searching for the others.

Step 4

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pot. Add all the spices and sauté together on medium heat for a minute until fragrant. Be careful not to overdo this stage – it's better to err on the side of caution on your first attempt than risk frazzling the spices and making them bitter or burnt.

Step 5

Stir in the mung dal and quinoa. Add 4 cups of water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, lid on.

Step 6

Cook for 10 minutes, then add the sweet potato. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes (longer if using whole green mung beans or a slow-cooker), or until the dal is completely soft (easily squashed between finger and thumb), the kitchari has a porridge-like consistency and the ghee has risen to the top, adding more water if necessary.

Step 7

Adjust the seasoning and garnish with fresh chopped herbs or the fresh green chutney if you like.

Brazilian Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry: Nicola Graimes & Cathy Seward, Superfood Slow Cooker

Electric slow cookers are ideal for those with busy lifestyles wanting hearty, healthy dishes. This softly spiced chicken dish is a superfood-packed alternative to a Sunday roast.

Serves
Serves 4
Total Time
5 Hours
Ingredients
2 onions, coarsely grated
4 garlic cloves, coarsely grated
5cm piece of root ginger, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp of hot cayenne pepper
900g of skinless chicken thighs on the bone
1 tbsp of coconut oil or ghee
1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 medium-sized red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
450g of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp of tomato purée
1 tsp of turmeric
1 x 400g can of coconut milk
2 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
85g of curly kale leaves, finely chopped
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Chopped coriander, black rice and lime wedges, to serve
Method
Step 1

Mix together half the onion, garlic and ginger and all of the cayenne pepper in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and stir in the chicken thighs. Cover and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for two hours or overnight.

Step 2

Heat the coconut oil or ghee in a large frying pan, add the remaining onion, garlic and ginger and fry for five minutes, until softened. Tip the onion mixture into the slow cooker pot and add the red pepper, chilli, sweet potatoes, tomato purée, turmeric, coconut milk and tomatoes. Stir well until combined, then press the chicken into the sauce. Cover and cook on low for five to six hours, or high for four to five hours, until the chicken is cooked.

Step 3

Twenty minutes before serving, turn the heat to high if it’s on low and stir in the kale. Remove the chicken thighs from the sauce, pull the meat off the bones in pieces and return it to the sauce, discarding the bones. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with coriander leaves, black rice and wedges of lime for squeezing over.

Coconut & Kale Toor Dhal: Nitisha Patel, The Delicious Book of Dhal: Comforting Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes Made with Lentils, Peas and Beans

Add sweet, nutty coconut milk to the toor dhal base alongside the spiced seasoned oil, before serving with super-healthy kale and coconut chips. 

 

Serves
Serves 4
Total Time
1 Hour
Ingredients
For the toor dhal base:
150g of toor dhal
500ml, plus 2 tbsp of boiling water
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
½ tsp of fine sea salt
For the tadka:
5 tbsp of vegetable oil
1cm of piece of cassia bark or cinnamon stick
4 cloves
½ tsp of mustard seeds
½ tsp of cumin seeds
10-15 fresh curry leaves
½ tsp of ground cumin
½ tsp of ground coriander
½ tsp of ground turmeric
½ tsp of kashmiri chilli or chilli powder
To finish:
200ml of coconut milk
1 tsp of palm sugar/jaggery
50g of chopped fresh kale
To serve:
Dried coconut chips
Cooked basmati rice or naan breads
Method
Step 1

For the dhal base, pick through the toor dhal to remove any stones. Place it in a colander and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Transfer the rinsed lentils to a pressure cooker with the boiling water, ginger and salt. Close the pressure cooker and place over a medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes. (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you will first need to soak the picked and rinsed lentils in 1 litre of boiling water for 4 to 5 hours. Drain, then transfer the lentils to a large saucepan with 1 litre of fresh boiling water, the ginger and salt. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then simmer over a medium heat for 60 to 70 minutes, topping up the boiling water as needed.)

Step 2

When the lentils are soft and falling apart, release the steam from the pressure cooker slowly (or remove the pan from the heat). Most of the water should have been absorbed during cooking, but gently crush the lentils with any small amount that remains. Set aside.

Step 3

For the tadka, place the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cassia bark or cinnamon stick and the cloves and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and shake the pan gently. After about 30 seconds, stir in the curry leaves, cumin, coriander, turmeric and kashmiri chilli/chilli powder.

Step 4

Pour the cooked toor dhal base into the seasoned oil and mix well. Simmer gently over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5

To finish, pour in the coconut milk, add the palm sugar or jaggery and kale. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the kale to soften.

Step 6

Meanwhile, toast the coconut chips in a hot, dry frying pan or skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until crisp and toasted.

Step 7

Divide the dhal into serving bowls and top each one with toasted coconut chips. Serve on its own or with cooked rice or naan breads. Here, sweet, nutty coconut milk is added to the toor dhal base alongside the spiced seasoned oil. Super-healthy kale and coconut chips bring an extra dimension of texture.

Korean Kimchee Pork: Crockpot

Serves
Serves 8-10
Total Time
6 Hours
Ingredients
1.5kg of boneless pork shoulder cut into 3-4cm chunks
3 tbsp of chilli bean paste (gochujang)
3 tbsp of soya bean or miso paste
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200g of kimchee
2 bunches of spring onions, diagonally slice each onion into 3 pieces
250g of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
To serve:
Steamed rice, soy sauce, sweet red pepper flakes and extra kimchee
Method
Step 1

Place the chilli and soya bean pastes into a large bowl and mix together. Add the cubed pork and stir well to coat all the pieces. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes. (The pork can also be marinated the day before for even greater depth of flavour).

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the sliced onions and begin to stir fry until the onions start to colour. Turn down the heat and cook gently until golden brown, this will take about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Step 3

Spoon the onions into your crockpot bowl, add the marinated pork, kimchee, spring onions, sliced mushrooms and 100ml of water. Stir well, covering with the lid.

Step 4

Adjust the hour and minutes you would like your food to be ready for, then press the flashing start button to begin cooking – this dish will be fine between 6-12 hours.

Step 5

When you’re ready to eat, serve alongside some steamed rice and garnish with a drizzle of soy sauce, red pepper flakes and some extra kimchee on the side.

Smokey Chilli Beef

This recipe has minimal prep time, simply prepare the ingredients and add to the pot without any pre-cooking.

Serves
Serves 8-10
Total Time
6 Hours
Ingredients
1kg of lean minced beef
2 medium sized onions, diced
2 red peppers, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp of chipotle paste
1 tbsp of ground cumin
4 tbsp of tomato puree
2 x 400g cans of tinned chopped tomatoes
200m of water
2 x 400g tins red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
To serve:
Steamed rice, tortilla chips, sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, chopped coriander, dried chilli flakes and salsa.
Method
Step 1

Place all the ingredients into the slow-cooker and stir well, covering with the lid.

Step 2

Adjust the hour and minutes you would like your food to be ready for, then press the flashing start button to begin cooking – this dish will be fine between 6-12 hours.

Step 3

Serve with a selection of the above serving suggestions.

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