In my slow cooker today...

Dobie

Pauls wrote: »

We'll be sticking a sausage casserole in our slow cooker today, but it always seems a bit watery when it comes out.

I always presumed I needed to cover the veg with liquid, is this right? Should I use some flour or something to thicken it up?

We've had the thing for ages, but very rarely use it (at the minute)

I find that you only need a really small amount of liquid, MUCH less than if you were cooking on the hob or in the oven. For example if I was making a casserole in the oven I might use a tin of tomatoes & an equal quantity of stock/water thickened with cornflour. In the slow cooker I'd just use the tomatoes &, if necessary thicken the sauce towards the end.

Katie-Kat-Kins

Well the spanish chicken was good last night, despite DH forgetting to turn it on until much later than intended so it wasn't ready when I got in and had to be done on high........

It was a bit runny though so next time I'll be using less liquid and maybe adding some lentils to soak up any excess.

Today is another new experiment, beef goulash!!!

Its exciting all this new food, and I love coming in to the smell of cooking, DH is tormented by it all day though, poor thing!!!

Sublime_2

sarahg1969 wrote: »

Being very lazy today.

Diced chicken breasts, peppers and onions, and two jars of tikka massala sauce.

Lazy's good! Bet it turned out nice.

Rachie_B

If a stew or something tomato / gravy based is too watery at the end

i sprinkle over some gravy granules! you can't taste it in spag bol / chilli it just adds to the meaty flavour and brings out the tomatoey flavour too

Katie-Kat-Kins

Yep I've heard gravy granules are good for thickening up and it recommended some in my cook book for one or two of the recepies.

newlywed

There's nothing in mine today but last night there was butternut squash soup. Just had to blend it this morning and bring some for lunch.

valk_scot

First outing for my new Asda bargain SC (£7)...some stewing beef I found in the freezer, rolled in seasoned flour, onions, garlic,, diced celery, dried mushrooms (soaked in half a pint of boiling water to give a quick stock), sliced up fresh mushrooms, some chopped sundried tomatoes, some sliced baby potatoes and a tin of slightly out of code Guinness.

I fried the meat and onions off in a casserole, added the other ingredients, brought it to the boil as normal then stuck it all in the preheated SC at low. To be honest though I can't remember if this is the correct method or not? It's a while since my last SC died and the instructions that came with this one were obviously translated by a non-english speaker from Korean or something. However it smells fine...that's one of the best things about SCs, the smell!

Olliebeak

Oxtail pieces in mine today (floured and browned first in a pan), pre-soaked soup/broth mix, chopped celery, carrots, onions, parsnips, 'past-their-best' spring onions, dried mixed herbs, 3 beef oxos, 1 veg oxo, celery salt and then boiling water - will be served with creamy mashed pots.

Smells and looks delicious and is thickening beautifully.

Any left over veggies and gravy will be whizzied into beef and veg soup :drool:.

Sublime_2

valk_scot wrote: »

First outing for my new Asda bargain SC (£7)...some stewing beef I found in the freezer, rolled in seasoned flour, onions, garlic,, diced celery, dried mushrooms (soaked in half a pint of boiling water to give a quick stock), sliced up fresh mushrooms, some chopped sundried tomatoes, some sliced baby potatoes and a tin of slightly out of code Guinness.

I fried the meat and onions off in a casserole, added the other ingredients, brought it to the boil as normal then stuck it all in the preheated SC at low. To be honest though I can't remember if this is the correct method or not? It's a while since my last SC died and the instructions that came with this one were obviously translated by a non-english speaker from Korean or something. However it smells fine...that's one of the best things about SCs, the smell!

I love beef stew in the slow cooker. I had forgotten about dried mushrooms; they give a great depth, plus sun-dried tomatoes too! I always add tinned tomatoes for flavour, but hadn't thought of using sundried (Mind you there's never any left, when bought!:rolleyes:)

Thanks for posting.

TrixieB

With chicken/beef stews and casseroles if you shake flour over the meat and toss it before cooking it'll thicken up no problem.

Nothing in my sc today as having a lazy day and heating up some hmsc pasta sauce from the freezer but going to make a veggie curry overnight Anyone got a good chapati recipe??