In my slow cooker today...

missychrissy

quids_in wrote: »

I think it was because it was frozen veg. The frozen stuff allways seems to take less cooking in the conventional way and seems to go to mushy if left a bit too long. Try it using a bag of fresh carrots in something. I used medium whole carrots yesterday with a brisket of beef, it cooked for 10 hours and sat in the pot the rest of the day warm and the carrots are still firm.
I am still learning too, there was no recipie booklet with mine!

A question too. If I cook a chilli, would I fry up the onions and mince 1st before adding to the SC?

Thanks x

I've never tried chilli in the sc. I always cook mine in a big pan on the hob as it only takes half an hour.

I never bother to brown any meat before putting it in the sc and most everything I do now comes out ok.

Sublime_2

Hello quids in. Root vegetables are best in small pieces in the SC as they take ages otherwise.

Don't bother pre-browning anything with chilli. I used to, but now don't bother, and just throw everything in. It makes no difference whatsoever to the flavour. I do cook this quite regularly in the slow cooker

quids_in_2

Anyone tried a whole chicken in there??
I don't mean them 2 for a £5 tesco gross ones. I mean a real nice decent free range one that tastes nice!
I'd like to know, Do I need to put any liquid in with it, or anything else?
Thanks again x

Oh and with regard to a chilli..... How long would it take in the SC if I just throw all the stuff in? (prob be 1lb of mince)
Dang to Russell Hobbs for not putting a boooklet in with my SC....

SandC

Thanks guys, you could be right - I think I might give it a go with fresh and see what happens. I think cauli is necessary for a veggie curry (not that I'm a veggie but there you go).

I did chilli and it worked just fine but I did brown the mince first but I don't think I'll bother next time - the colour of mince changes whether it's slow cooked or fried off.

Next time I'll do a stew of some description with chicken and root veg. What about liquid, hardly any? My sausage casserole was a bit too runny.

SandC

missychrissy wrote: »

I think there is a certain amount of trial and error with these things. Some ovens are much hotter then others. I find it can take me a while to work out what temp in a new oven to cook the Yorkshire puds. Perhaps it's the same with slow cookers.

I havn't tried cauliflower in mine but I can imagine that it is one of the things most likely to go mushy. I nearly always use root veg and onions and sometimes peppers, mushrooms and celery in mine as well as lots of pulses.

Don't give up on it yet S and C. Try something like carrots and swede in it together with onions and meat of your choice. I love my sc but it took me a while to work out what to and what not to cook in it. I don't like potatoes cooked in it, both for the texture and taste - well not unless they are cut up very small and in a mixed veg soup.

I never just do meat in it. I like the idea that I'm getting my veg cooked for free at the same time.

It's Sand C by the way. I had no problem with tinned peas and sweetcorn thinking about it. Yes, I've been experimenting a tad.

Sublime_2

quids_in wrote: »

Anyone tried a whole chicken in there??
I don't mean them 2 for a £5 tesco gross ones. I mean a real nice decent free range one that tastes nice!
I'd like to know, Do I need to put any liquid in with it, or anything else?
Thanks again x

Oh and with regard to a chilli..... How long would it take in the SC if I just throw all the stuff in? (prob be 1lb of mince)
Dang to Russell Hobbs for not putting a boooklet in with my SC....

I've cooked a lovely organic one with 1/2 glass wine, herbs, seasonings, and 30 garlic cloves. It was really nice, but you could really smell it afterwards.

I just put chilli on auto setting all day.

Icey77

keith969 wrote: »

Yummy instructions from Keith969 for Steak & Mushroom pies ... post 2770 on page 139

I was wondering ... if I made the filling and then made pies with a pastry base and lid I could freeze them right?

I could then defrost and cook in the oven as before?

Thanks!!

dizziblonde

In answer to the chilli thing - we've switched to doing it in the slow cooker only as it really seems to bring out the flavours in it - I brown the onion, mince, garlic (I shove garlic in most stuff - just in case there's a passing vampire around) and chilli off, shove whatever veg I've got going spare in there to bulk it out (strangely - diced new potatoes in there do taste really nice at the end of the cooking) bung some spice in, and the rest of the stuff and leave it to be ignored.

Find it actually does get some depth to it rather than just being tomatoey mush with a bit of a kick like when it goes on the hob.

In mine tonight for tomorrow is going to be a sweet potato and chilli soup (will prep it tonight and stick it on overnight to cook through probably), followed by a chilli for Friday night.

pammie39

hi all and thanx again sublime for recent replys.

regarding cooking mince in the sc, will it leave all the fat on top, like cooking on the hob??
if i put bol sauce (for sag bol), will it leave the meal all oily and fatty?

cheers all!!

Sui_Generis

I think that depends on the mince? I have no great knowledge of cuts etc but I buy the leanest mince I can I think its less than 12% fat? The SC doesn't get to a great heat so there's no fat on top like cooking on the hob.