Slow Cooker - The Recipe Collection

I think the one I use from a Pat Chapman book would work very well in a slow cooker, especially with good stewing steak.

Brown the (diced) beef in a little oil and then set aside. Slice a whole onion and fry in the oil left from the beef.

If you don't have all the spices don't worry, improvise and substitute, if you have, all well and good.

(Recipe based on around 500g meat).

4 dry red chillies (more if you like heat)
1/2 tsp black pepper (ditto above)
1/2 tsp chilli powder (ditto above)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds
1 tsp turmeric
2 green cardamoms.

Brown the onions and then reduce the heat and add the spices, be careful not to burn them as the curry will taste foul if you do, cook for 5-10 minutes. Add a tin of tomatoes and 2 tbps tomato puree and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.

Then simply add the whole lot into the slow cooker, adding salt to taste, cook until the beef is tender. A little while before serving you may want to add a squeeze of lime juice, a tsp of garam masala and a desert spoon of methi/fenugreek leaves, and a knob of ghee or butter immediately before serving.

Glad wrote:

any curry recipe will be lovely in the SC
I must admit though that when doing curries I do make it in the pan up to the point all ingredients are added then bung it into the SC and leave on low,
works great for chille too

I agree, I tend to find the spices taste raw and bitter if they are not cooked off in a bhoona style first.

I'm considering buying myself a slow cooker but all the recipies i've found look to be far too much. I'm a single guy wanting to move off microwave meals. I don't want to spend an hour in the kitchen when I come home to make a meal so I thought a slow cooker might be better, 10-15 mins in the moring and ready for when I come home. I'm a bit of a cooking virgin (bean on toast about my limit).
I don't know nothing about the weight of meat i'd have to buy to feed myself. Most recipes look like they would feed a small army. What kind of measurements would I be looking to use for feeding 1, maybe with having another portion left for the next day.

Sorry if i sound a bit green, i've never really done any cooking. If i make things and then freeze them how do I go about reheating them? Let them defrost and then zap then in the microwave for 3 mins or something?

Can anyone give me a recipe for vegetable soup to make in the slow cooker? I have looked in the slow cooker recipe index but cannot find one.

Thanks!!