Slow Cooker Chatter #16

I never brown the meat first, I just chuck it in.

Its personal choice

tehehehe the browning is bit of a contetious topic.
I brown roasts and mince but generally don't bother with anything else. I brown the roast because I just think it looks nicer that way and I do the mince so that I can be sure its properly broken up because I hate it when it isn't and I get a big chunk.
If I'm making a curry I give my spice/masala mix a bit of a stir fry with the garlic and ginger before I put them in because it releases the flavours better that way. If I'm using a pataks etc I don't bother because they do it before bottling it.

I did a moroccan chicken thing last Sunday and DID brown the pieces (skinless thighs on the bone). Same with chuck. I'd be inclined to try the chuck without browning but I think the chicken may be better browned. Fillets might be ok though.

Danni - here's the recipe:

Ratatouille
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tblspns tomato paste
2 eggplants cut into 3cm dice (seems big but trust me)
2 med zucchinis sliced into 1cm rings
1 red and 1 green capsicum cut into 3 cm pieces
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 tblspns fresh thyme (I used 1 tspn dried)
Salt & pepper

Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in SC. Coko for 3-4 hrs on high or 6-7 hrs on low. Season to taste.

I also added about 2 tspns sugar towards the end - a chef friend taught me to do this with tomato dishes to help balance the acid.

I hardly ever brown stuff, unless it's a recipe I haven't done before then I follow it strictly. After that I just do whatever I like, not browning of course saves you time and having to wash another pan. I find chicken doesn't need it, not fillets anyway, and I cook chicken for a lot less time than recipes say. My cooker might just be a quicker cooking one but I find cooking it for longer than 4-5 hours (sometimes it doesn't need that) makes it way too dry. I do not know about chicken pieces with bones as I've never cooked them in there before.

I never brown anything...too lazy LOL.
I just chuck it all in.
If I do a whole chicken I rub it with Morrocan spice mix (masterfoods one) so it goes nice and golden...and tastes yummy too :)

I havent browned anything in mine either...

Hope it was nice Cato, sounds good!

5 cups of water might be a typo? It sounds like alot - you might end up with soup...
I never put water in my roasts - just sit them on a saucer so they're not sitting in the juice...

I'm sure it wil be yummy anyway - if it's too watery you could pour off some of the water and then use it to make gravy (just mix in some flour or gravox and boil it until it thickens).
In Tajikistan they do a roast in water at really low tempatures then cut it into chunks and sear it just before eating....

I don't think it would hurt it to remove it, I probably would.

I think I would too. I always dry roast and it still comes out really tender and juicey.

Yeah I thought too much water too, but figured you had the recipe properly, sure it wasnt a 5th of a cup???? LOL.

I find my roasts are really moist & I have never added water...

I don't agree. Well it won't harm it but I guess it would be more stewed/poached, a bit like you do with a corned beef although 5 cups probably wouldn't totally cover the meat. However when I do a roast I put it on an upside down saucer and then maybe put a small drizzle of wine over the top and that's it.

Bec, that's how I do mine. I use a saucer too - the idea of picking foil balls out afterwards with the juices dripping out of them grosses me out lol.

Yeah the foil ball are annoying a saucer is so much easier.

Caro, what I usually do with roast lamb is to eat roast on the night then a lamb curry for dinner the next night.
Just cut it off the bone in chunks and toss it in the slow cooker with some potatoe, carrot, peas (or whatever you fancy) and the curry mix of your choice (I like the pataks korma at the moment - it's quite mild) and cook until the veges are done (about 3 hours on auto in mine). Serve with rice and natural yoghurt (with fine sliced leb cucumber and finely chopped or mashed oregano and/or mint).

I need ideas, what is good to cook in the slow cooker that is low fat ?
I'm doing weight watchers.

Michelle, have you had a look at the recipes thread?
What about Cailin's Pepper and red kidney beans Rice or the Porcupine meatballs?

Does anyone have any good ideas about what to marinade lamb shanks in before I slow cook them tomorrow?

Michelle- The porcupine meatballs are low in fat and definitely yummy. I think pretty much most things aren't that high in fat especially if you use lean cuts of meat because you don't have to cook with any oil. Of course anything creamy or cheesy will add to the fat content but you can make things creamy by using light evaporated milk and then thickening with cornflour.

Caro- YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY I'm so glad that you loved your meal last night, meat alwas comes out so beautiful in the SC. You could do what Chloe suggested buy putting all the leftovers in with some veg but maybe add a tin or 2 of tomatoes, a bit of red wine and some herbs? Thicken just before serving with some cornflour? A suggestion out of the SC would be rissoles, leftover roast lamb rissoles are delicious.

Christine, you could marinade them in just plain BBQ sauce from a bottle, my friend does hers in that & they are delish!!!

I marinade mine overnight in crushed garlic, rosemary and some olive oil rubbed in. It's simple but I like it.

Thanks Tracey and flowerchild, great ideas. i love lamb shanks and woolies had them for $4.99 a kg which is the cheapest I have seen them.

Hi all :)

Going to jump in on this thread. I've been a proud SC owner for almost a year now. It is the best thing ever. I have told my DH if we ever split, I get custody of the SC :lol:

Tonight we are having french onion lamb chops done in the SC. One of the family favs. I'll serve it with steamed vege....

Caro- Let go hun and just bung it all in. As long as it's about half way you should be right. Depending what else you put in, ie, veg etc. 2-3 hours would probably be enough.

PMSL you're a dag.

Ok I would do meat and veg casserole type thingy as you put it. Is your veg already cooked or would it be raw going in?

Thanks for the link Dachlostar. I'll have a good look later.

Bec i love them porcupine meatballs i used to make them all the time before i fell pg with Eleanor.

You could if you wanted to have a lamb and veg pasta sauce.

Well here is a made up recipe you could do using your ingredients. I would cook the veg alone because your meat is already cooked and then add that in maybe when there's an hour to go.

1 can tinned tomatoes, crushed
3/4 tsp dried organo
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 bay leaf (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic crushed
1 1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1 onion chopped
2 cups chopped mixed vegetables

Cook on high for 3-3 1/2 hours. Keep an eye on it, if it gets too thick add some stock or plain water, or even some more tomatoes. If it's too thin, thicken with cornflour at the end. Put your lamb in after 2 hours.

I think that will be ok.

Can i ask a silly question what is osso bucco ?

YAY! Good for you :D Yep I would, it doesn't need cooking at all moreso just heating through. Maybe just for good measure put it in when there's about 3 1/2 hours to go.

I have seen it at the shops Caro but it just looks so ugly. Would it be low in fat ?

Mince
Bolognaise
Lasange
chilli con carne (the one that I have is not hot or spicy at all, it's really mild and lovely with corn chips for dipping)
Meatballs
Meatloaf

Beef Steak
Stroganoff
Swiss Steak Mediterranean
Polynesian Steak Strips
Steak and mushrooms


Diced Beef
Hungarian Goulash
Casserole of some kind
Beef Bourguignonne

Chicken Legs
Drumstick Bake
Chicken Marengo
Sweet and Sour Chicken Legs
Oriental Chicken Legs

I have the recipes for a lot of these things, let me know if you want them :D

Yep I think 5 hours will be ok :D

Ok I will get those to you asap, I have to type them up first :D

Actually I will send you my recipes that I have already done, a lot of them are ones that I have found plus a lot of BB recipes in there too. And whatever isn't in there I will send after I have typed them

ETA: Michelle, I have a whole book of Weight Watchers SC recipes that I can send to you if you want them? They are in word so can easily e-mail them to you. Give me your addy if you want them :D

Bec yes please. Thank you so much.I'll PM you my home email.

No worries :D

OMG Bec thank you so much. There are heaps of yummy things to make and i don't have to work out the points as well which is great.

:

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I have a whole book of Weight Watchers SC recipes that I can send to you if you want them? They are in word so can easily e-mail them to you.

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Can I puhleeeese have a copy of your weight watchers recipes Bec???

kel_n_kids@bellybelly.com.au

Tar!!

soooo loving this cooler weather!!

mien take ages....make sure they are fully submerged?

Oooooh, how did you go?? Sorry I've been off for a while. How big did you cut the veggies?

ages = all day lol

i always put my sc on in the morning and let it run all day

Time for a new thread everyone.