Sorting your tea (& slow cookers)?

Nine_Lives

Sounding really positive here. Thanks for the replies.

I'm not a big veg eater, but like i say - once i leave home, i really want to improve what i'm eating.
At home, my mum just cooks for everyone 3 days per week. The other days she just cooks for my brother & sister & my gf+I just sort ourselves out - which is usually chilli, chicken in a tomato chilli based sauce & pasta, or a curry. I'd like a bit of variation.
I'd also like to incorporate more fish into my diet. Don't think anyone has mentioned fish in a slow cooker yet. I've never cooked fish so don't know how long it takes. I only have 1 rule .... if it has bones in it, then it's for the bin!!

My gf is a terrible eater though. She's almost literally a no veg person. She'll stomach the odd veg or so. She's quite a fussy eater. Should be a nice challenge.

LandyAndy

freyasmum wrote: »

I definitely think everything comes out tasting the same - and everything has the same texture.


I would recommend either buying one which would allow you to return it if you weren't happy (QVC) or borrowing one from a friend.

daska wrote: »

Possibly if you cook similar dishes but there's little similarity between my chilli, domoda and a lamb shank. Using a timer means they don't have to be cooking all day.

I think the point was that in any one dish there was a blurring of the individual flavours.:)

I don't like slow cookers. They are no substitute for cooking.

On the other hand other aspects of my life wouldn't be enhanced by using one. I can see for some that the trade off between the quality of the food and the time freed up would be attractive.

joedenise

Fish only takes minutes to cook so not good for a slow cooker. You won't have problems with bones if you buy fillets. Try to find a good fishmonger and not only will they prepare the fish properly and they will even tell you the best way to cook it. Most fish I just flour and pan fry for a couple of minutes on each side. Although thicker, oily fish like salmon or tuna I do wrapped in foil in the oven for about 15 minutes.

I do use a slow cooker a lot as well. If you do buy one buy an oval one not a round one as you seem to be able to get more in it. I've got a 3.5 litre oval one and can do a whole chicken in it but the old 3.5 litre round one you'd be lucky to get any more than a chicken portion in it.

Denise

Nine_Lives

thanks denise.

What's that yellow fish? I say "that", there's probably more than 1 sort LOL!! Just before my dad died, he started eating fish. He'd buy in this yellow fish which was boneless & smoked & he'd lay tinfoil on the grill & put some milk on it, sit the fish in it & grill it. Tasted lovely.

daska

LandyAndy wrote: »

I don't like slow cookers. They are no substitute for cooking

But they are a way of cooking in their own right. There's very little difference between a slow cooker and putting a casserole in the bottom of an aga. And my Italian friends won't countenance a bolognese that hasn't been cooked for less than 4 hours.

How many cooking implements do we have to remove before we get back to 'real' cooking? Perhaps we should knap our own flints, butcher a cow and roast it over the firewood we've gathered? An oven, hurrumph, what's that, it's no substitute for real cooking. :rotfl:

belfastgirl23

freyasmum wrote: »

I definitely think everything comes out tasting the same - and everything has the same texture.

Everything I made fell under the category of 'brown stew' for DH which was really a fair enough observation though we are veggie and there's a limit to what you can do in some ways.

I must dust it off and try again though! I do really like the idea of it I've just never got to grips with it properly.

clairehi

K_P83 wrote: »

thanks denise.

What's that yellow fish? I say "that", there's probably more than 1 sort LOL!! Just before my dad died, he started eating fish. He'd buy in this yellow fish which was boneless & smoked & he'd lay tinfoil on the grill & put some milk on it, sit the fish in it & grill it. Tasted lovely.

sounds like smoked haddock to me. the yellow colour is just dye.

Sally_A

Rather than leave it on all day when I'm at work, if you prepare a stew/casserole or whatever (yes I do seal the meat first, and also bring the veg up to a boil), and bung it in around 10.00pm, it will be ready by 7.00am, so just switch it off and go to work, saves you worrying about leaving an appliance on if you are late home.

And yes, I will leave it in there all day cooling down before the OCD Sell by Date Brigade etc shoot me down, it adds to the flavour

Then just reheat in the microwave for a time that suits you.

A crusty baguette that needs no prep other than buttering goes particularly well with a slow cooked casserole.

meer53

Sally_A wrote: »

Rather than leave it on all day when I'm at work, if you prepare a stew/casserole or whatever (yes I do seal the meat first, and also bring the veg up to a boil), and bung it in around 10.00pm, it will be ready by 7.00am, so just switch it off and go to work, saves you worrying about leaving an appliance on if you are late home.

And yes, I will leave it in there all day cooling down before the OCD Sell by Date Brigade etc shoot me down, it adds to the flavour

Then just reheat in the microwave for a time that suits you.

A crusty baguette that needs no prep other than buttering goes particularly well with a slow cooked casserole.

I like Yorkshire puddings with my stew, or even pancakes.

Poosmate

Oh dear! I bought a 4.5l slow cooker today from Morrisons for £17. I'm a bit worried now though as I live alone. I think I should be ok though as I was thinking of cooking a full load over a Saturday night and containering (I think I just made that word up) it up and freezing most of it.

I am hoping it will save a few bob on my electric bill and lunch at work bill too. I'm hoping it will pay for itself within a month.

4.5 litres! lol

Must do some more research before my first attempt this coming weekend.

Nipping over to the "In My Slow Cooker Today...." thread now. Thanks for the link kind poster.

4.5 litres!!!

Poo