I won a slow cooker in a raffle - what recipe should I try first

[wysiwyg]

I won a slow cooker in a raffle - never used one before, what recipe should I try first? Something really simple, can get stuff from market in morning. Is abode brand. I haven't read any instructions yet, do you normally have to do anything apart from rinse before first use?

[Rainbow_Mumma]

not sure what foods you eat but here one of my regulars, if you let me know what you like/eat/dislike etc i can give you a few recipes i have 6 slow cooker cookbooks sitting in front of me

beef stroganoff

Ingredients:
1/3 cup / 75 ml flour
1 tsp / 5 ml salt
¼ tsp / 1 ml pepper
½ tsp / 2 ml paprika
2 lbs / 900 g beef round steak, cut into 12 mm ( ½ inch) thick strips
1 ½ cups / 375 ml chopped onion
¼ tsp / 1 ml garlic powder
14 oz / 400 ml canned tomatoes with juice
¼ cup / 60 ml ketchup / tomato sauce
2 tsp / 10ml beef stock powder
2 tbsp / 30 ml sherry
2 cups / 500 ml sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup / 250 ml Light sour cream

Method:
Combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika in plastic bag. Place few strips of steak in at a time. Shake to coat. Place in 3. 5 litre ( 3 ½ quart) slow cooker. Mix next 7 ingredients in a bowl. Pour over steak. Cover. Cook on Low for 7 – 9 hours or on High for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours. Stir in sour cream last 30 minutes of cooking time.

Serve with rice or noodles.


Serves 6

[wysiwyg]

Thx - will give that one a go tomorrow - we pretty much eat everything licorice is about the only thing I don't like but I don't expect that is in many slow cooker recipes.

[Rainbow_Mumma]

ill give you a couple of my other favourites then! i love my slow cooker use it 3-4 times a week!

Slow-cooked pork with chorizo and whitebeans

ngredients (serves 4)

* 1.5kg-piece boneless pork leg, trussed
* olive oil
* 2 sprigs rosemary
* 2 chorizo sausages, sliced
* 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock
* 400g can whitebeans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
* 1 apple, cut into wedges
* steamed vegetables and crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and spray with oil spray. Rub the pork with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
2. Place pork in the slow cooker along with the rosemary, chorizo and stock. Cover and cook according to the slow cooker manufacturer’s instructions (see note).
3. Twenty minutes before serving, stir in the whitebeans and apple. Cover and continue to cook. Transfer pork to a plate, cover and rest for 10 minutes, then slice and divide between serving plates along with the chorizo and whitebean mixture. Drizzle with cooking juices and serve with steamed vegetables and crusty bread.


Thai red curry chicken

Ingredients (serves 4)

* 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1kg chicken thigh fillets, trimmed,
* cut in half crossways
* 114g can Thai red curry paste (see note)
* 1 cup Continental Real Chicken Stock
* 150g fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, halved
* 230g can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
* 1 tablespoon fish sauce
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 140ml can coconut milk
* 1/3 cup basil leaves
* steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 1 to 2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Reduce frying pan heat to low. Add remaining oil to pan. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add stock and stir until curry paste has dissolved. Add mushroom and bamboo shoots. Pour mixture over chicken and stir to combine.
3. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2 hours. Combine fish sauce, sugar and coconut milk in a jug. Stir into curry. Cover and cook on HIGH for a further 30 minutes.
4. Stir in basil. Spoon curry over rice. Serve.

Slow-cooked beef with red wine and mushrooms

Ingredients (serves 4)

* 1.25kg-piece blade bolar roast
* olive oil
* 1 onion, cut into large rings
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1/3 cup (80ml) beef stock
* 400g canned whole tomatoes
* 1/4 cup (80ml) red wine
* 1 cup halved button mushrooms
* basil, roughly chopped
* creamy polenta, to serve

Method

1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and spray with oil spray. Rub the beef with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper. Cook the beef, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
2. Place the onion in the bowl of the slow cooker. Add the beef, garlic, stock, tomato and wine. Cover and cook according to slow cooker manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Twenty minutes before serving, add mushrooms to slow cooker, cover and continue to cook. Transfer beef to a plate, cover and rest for 10 minutes then slice across the grain. Divide beef among serving plates. Drizzle with cooking juices, sprinkle with basil and serve with mushrooms and tomatoes and creamy polenta.

[Nelle]

Ahh that's a shame, my licorice stew's a brilliant one.

Let us know what you cook and how you go! Slow cookers are the bomb, I don't use mine enough.

[Rainbow_Mumma]

desserts are also fantastic in the slow cooker so dont forget about those too! Also a slow cooker can double up as a fondue its amazing

[wysiwyg]

I made the beef stroganoff on Tuesday and it turned out really well, I had to do on the high setting as I didn't get it sorted till late in the day (DD decided to have a crying episode right when trying to chop things etc). Will definitely do that one again. Will try some of the other recipes too. Thanks!