slow cooker Archives | Mari's World

Marianne Weekes March 8, 2014

WIN a Sage multi cooker

I have been trying out my Sage Multi cooker now for about a month and I LOVE it. I already loved my slow cooker and you can find tons of recipes on this blog including some of our favourites here

Beef slow cooker recipes

Hungarian Goulash

Beef in Guinness

Cowboy Stew

Lamb shank slow cooker recipes

Lamb shanks with chorizo and garlic

Lamb shanks with red wine and rosemary

Chicken slow cooker recipe

Hot chilli, tomato and basil flavoured roast chicken

Fish slow cooker recipes

Italian fish stew

Tomato fish curry

Smoked fish chowder

But this multi cooker really takes the biscuit. It has different settings which allow you to do so much more.

Any seasoned slow cooker user will know that for an even better taste it pays to brown your meat, to cook your onions and to prepare certain parts in a frying pan before placing in the slow cooker for cooking. Well the Sage Multi cooker can do that for you!

It has an incredibly genius button called sautè/sear … I have no frying pans to wash up now as I sautè my onions, celery, garlic, add my meat and brown that get everything ready and THEN click on to slow cook low or high depending on the time I have and the recipe I’m using.

Genius.

Then there’s a button for risotto, I ADORE risotto, husband doesn’t, so I’m waiting for him to go out so I can start cooking some delicious risotto recipes for you, one coming next week and I can’t wait to see if it works as well as the traditional watch and stir method I learnt in Italy and have used until now.

Then there’s a steam button, ever so handy for cooking vegetables, I tried with broccoli and beans and they cooked beautifully, just a nice bite to them and of course you retain all the nutrients by steaming so #winwin on the 5 a day.

I have cooked a ragù sauce for pasta using the slow cooking settings and it is superb. Ask any Italian how to cook a ragù sauce and they will tell you it needs to cook slowly for a long time, the Sage Multi cooker does that for you and in the 5 hours cooking all the different tastes are drawn out and mingled into a mind blowing taste bud ecstacy.

Convinced yet?

This baby is worth around £100 and it does not deserve to sit in a cupboard forgotten, you can use it daily and it is very economical to run.

Want to win one?

Follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below and the very best of luck, it’s a dream

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marianne Weekes October 18, 2013

Beef in Guinness slow cooker recipe

Want some beef that melts in your mouth, that has a dark brown and super flavoured sauce with it? That comes with it’s own vegetables and all you need to do is make some mash? Then Beef in Guinness slow cooker recipe is what you’re looking for.

If you’re worried about the children getting tipsy on the beer, don’t. It cooks for over 6 hours and by that time every drop of alcohol has evaporated leaving you with a delicious meal for the whole family. I bought some braising steak in the supermarket and cut it into thick chunks, slow cooking does shrink the meat a bit and I find larger chunks survive better, here’s the recipe

Beef in Guinness – slow cooker recipe

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1kg stewing beef, cut into large chunks
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 carrots, cut into large chunks
1 stick of celery
2 tbsp seasoned plain flour (I add salt, pepper and mixed herbs)
1 tbsp English mustard powder
500ml can Guinness
1 beef stock cube 1 litre
pinch of sugar
2 bay leaves

Method

Sautè the beef until browned on all sides, add the onion, carrots and celery and cook till tender.

Sprinkle over the seasoned flour, the English mustard powder and stir well to coat all of the food.

Pour over the Guinness and add the stock cube to the liquid.

Add the bay leaves and set on low for 8 hours.

Serve with the mashed potato.

Notes

This stew is better made one day in advance as it gives the chance for the flavour to come out more.

Beef in Guinness stew can be chilled and frozen for up to 3 months – defrost completely before reheating until piping hot.

Marianne Weekes January 21, 2013

Beef and onion braise – WeightWatchers recipe 7 Propoints

I promise my next task will be to improve my food photography and place the food rather than ‘dish it up’

Having shown the photo of my Beef and Onion braise on the Week that was I thought I’d share the recipe with you as it’s a WeightWatchers recipe book from the One Pot Meals book which I was sent before Christmas to review.

This recipe is 7 Propoints for an extra 5 Propoints you could serve with a baked potato.

I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, I added a bottle of stout to the cooking liquor and therefore added an extra 2 Propoints per serving and where WW cook it in the oven I did mine in the slow cooker.

Beef and onion braise – WeightWatchers recipe

Ingredients

calorie controlled cooking spray

3 small onions, cut into wedges

4 x 150g lean braising steaks trimmed of all visible fat

2 tbsps flour

400 ml beef stock

1 bottle of Stout 750 ml

300g carrots cut into thin strips

3 garlic cloves

2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp mixed herbs

350g mushrooms sliced

freshly ground black pepper

Spray a large non stick pan with cooking spray add the onions and cook for 4 minutes turning to colour on all sides. Place in slow cooker

Season the steaks with black pepper add to the pan and brown on all sides only to colour not to cook. Remove and add to the slow cooker

Sprinkle over 2 tbsps of plain flour and stir well. Add the stock and stir well. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well to amalgamate well. Add a bottle of stout if you like. Here’s my Fuller’s Black Cab – not sponsored just loved the name and look of the bottle :)

Place the lid and set on low cooking for 4 hours. Stir occasionally.

Marianne Weekes November 23, 2012

Winter pot roast – slow cooker recipes beef

Brisket is one of the cheaper cuts of beef and therefore can be hard and stringy if not cooked gently and that is why the slow cooker is the perfect method for all tougher joints as the low temperature and long cooking time breaks down the toughness of the meat so it will melt in your mouth. If you’re looking for slow cooker recipes beef here’s your recipe.

Slow cooker beef pot roast

Ingredients

1 brisket of beef (750g – 1 kg)

olive oil

1 onion

handful of carrots

1 leek

2 parsnips

1 clove of garlic

250 g beef stock

Fry the beef joint in a little oil on all sides and put to one side

Cut and prepare all of your vegetables to the serving size desired and place at the bottom of the slow cooker to act as a bed. I didn’t fry them this time.

Place your fried beef joint on top and pour over the beef stock. You can add any seasonings, mustard, a drop of red wine, some balsamic vinegar too to add your preferred taste to the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours

Once cooked, carve the meat and set aside to keep warm. Remove the vegetables from the liquid left in the slow cooker and place with the meat.

Your joint will have produced a delicious stock which can now be turned into an even more delicious gravy to serve. If it’s a bit too runny add some gravy granules (a tsp or two depending on the quantity of liquid you have) and stir in a saucepan until the sauce thickens.

My four year olds didn’t appreciate ‘the bits’ in the gravy so if you have fussy toddlers you might like to strain your gravy before thickening it ;)

We served our beef pot roast with Yorkshire puddings, carrots and

Marianne Weekes October 27, 2012

Lamb shanks slow cooker recipe with red wine and rosemary

My lamb shanks with chorizo and garlic is one of the most popular recipes on here so I thought I’d have a second option just in case chorizo and garlic isn’t your thing. I decided on rosemary which always marries well with lamb and red wine. Cooked in the slow cooker it becomes a succulent piece of meat that literally falls off the bone and having spent half a day surrounded by delicious flavours the meat is super tasty too.

A simple and easy lamb shanks slow cooker recipe to follow which will definitely wow over whoever eats with you.

Lamb shanks with red wine and rosemary – easy slow cooker recipe

Ingredients

2 lamb shanks

oil

100 ml red wine

1 onion

200g carrots – I used small chantenay whole

2 parsnips – because I had them in the fridge

150 g small potatoes

2 rosemary sprigs

3 bay leaves

250ml lamb stock (beef will do too)

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Season the lamb shanks and fry off over a high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Add the red wine to the pan and simmer to burn off the alcohol, add to the slow cooker

Fry the onion until soft and golden and add to the slow cooker. Whilst frying prepare your carrots, parsnips and new potatoes and throw them in the slow cooker too.

Add the rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, stock, mustard and wine vinegar and stir. Season well and stir, cook for 4 hours on the high setting or 8 on low.

You can add a bunch of chopped fresh parsley before serving and it could be served with mash potato too. I didn’t as we had the new potatoes.