slow cooker quick questions thread

jackyann

My larger one doesn't bubble on high, my smaller one does.
No, shouldn't smell - i agree, just wipe it.
On the whole I don't use thickener - though it does depend a bit (on flavour - if the liquid is a bit thin 7 btasteless, I don't want it to become thick & tasteless!). I usually do one of these:
Reduce liquid before I put it in
Scoop out liquid at the end and boil to reduce - then return to the slow cooker for serving. This works well with things like pot roasts & meatballs, but the first method is better for stews.
Using a slow cooker does take a bit of trial and error.
I find a meat thermometer invaluable - they are not expensive, and save you over-cooking roasts & BBQ, and under-cooking in the slow cooker. If you haven't got one - put in a skewer or thin-pronged fork and touch to your tongue - it should be hot!

maman

The smell is probably a bit of dust where you've not used it lately. I'm sure it'll disappear soon when you wipe it out and wash the pot..

When its about 30 mins before supper time I'd check one meatball. if you're not happy it's cooked enough then tip them into a saucepan and cook on the hob for a while.

I got a chart like the one on here with my SC

http://busycooks.about.com/library/weekly/aa022103a.htm

It's useful for deciding how long to cook for.

circulartriangle

Hello everyone

I was given a slowcooker (3.5 L) for Christmas and - am ashamed to say - used it for the first time yesterday! I made a veg soup following a recipe that came with the slowcooker, and it turned out quite nicely.

My question is - do you generally cook things before slowcooking? Because nearly all the recipes included in the instruction manual require some kind of pre-cooking (browning the meat etc.). Is this necessary? It seems to make it quite washing-up-intensive!

Would anyone be kind enough to share any foolproof slowcooker recipes with me, please? I'd particularly like to try a stew or casserole next, but any ideas would be great!

thanks! :j

Pink.

Hi circulartriangle, Welcome!

These threads should help:

slow cooker quick questions thread

In my slow cooker today.... part 2

Slow Cooker - The Recipe Collection

I'll add your post to the first link later.

Pink

circulartriangle

Thanks Pink. !

troll35

I don't bother browning meat or doing any sort of precooking when using my slow cooker. I do find that onions cook better when I cook for longer on the low heat setting than on the shorter timed high setting. I would start by trying out some of the more common recipes eg bolognese, chilli, casseroles etc however I do find that you need less liquid than normal recipes might use. If I don't decrease the liquid I either throw in a handful of lentils or porridge oats at the start of cooking or thicken with cornflour (mixed with a little water) at the end of cooking.

Linda32

circulartriangle wrote: »

Hello everyone

I was given a slowcooker (3.5 L) for Christmas and - am ashamed to say - used it for the first time yesterday! :j

Hi, this isn't answering your question but I've got a slow cooker setting on my oven. I've used it once in the best part of 15 years.

Ken68

No I don't pre-cook, just raw veg and to brown I put in Soy sauce or the like and to thicken I mash up some of the spuds OR add prrridge oats.

joedenise

If I've got time I brown the meat before putting into the SC but if not I just chuck it in. Think there's a bit more flavour when the meat is prebrowned.

Denise

YORKSHIRELASS

I dont generally bother browning the meat first but it does depend on the recipe. I also agree that most of your standard meals can be done in the slow-cooker. One of my favourites is Aloo Keema which turns plain old mince into something really tasty:

3 medium sized potatoes
1 medium onion
450g minced beef or lamb
1 teaspoon diced ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 tin chopped tomatoes

Peel the potatoes, dice them into bite size chunks and put in a microwavable bowl. Cover with water and microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Peel and chop the onions into small pieces and put in the slow cooker with the mince. Mix the tinned tomatoes with the spices and salt and pour this into the slow cooker with the mince and onions. Give it all a really good stir breaking up the mince and making sure its all well combined.

Add the potatoes and stir very gently just once. You dont want to break the potatoes up.

Cook on low. I leave it for about 6-8 hours but it will be fine left for longer. We have this with pitta breads to mop the sauce up - the recipe serves 4 but it freezes well.