Slow cooker question

dbrookf

Can anyone give me a tried and tested vegetarian/pescatarian recipe please? 

comeandgo

There is a good Facebook page called slow cooking uk.  Many recipes on there.

goldfinches

@dbrookf - I can recommend these recipes as they have all made it into my successful recipes folder
Vegan Slow Cooker Dumpling Stew (goodhousekeeping.com) 
Slow Cooker Bean Chilli Recipe - olivemagazine
Vegetarian Chilli Con Carne Recipe - olivemagazine
Chipotle sweet potato & black bean stew with cheddar dumplings recipe | BBC Good Food
Slow cooker sweet potato soup - Slow cooker vegetable soup recipe (goodhousekeeping.com)
Coconut cashew & butternut squash curry recipe | BBC Good Food
Spiced lentil & butternut squash soup recipe | BBC Good Food

I can also recommend this book which is available in e-book format on Kindle Unlimited as well as other formats
The Skinny Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipe Book: 40 Meat Free Recipes Under 200, 300 And 400 Calories eBook : CookNation: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
as well as the entire Skinny Slow Cooker series which has lots of slow cooker cookbooks that are really worth looking at so here's the Cook Nation page for you to see Amazon.co.uk: CookNation: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle

I think I might have gone a bit overboard here so if you are feeling like I've just flung the kitchen sink at you, I apologise. Your question was so up my street I may have been a touch enthusiastic with my response.

I do have more recipes particularly for aubergine, tomatoes, peppers, cabbages and carrots so do ask again if you don't fancy any of those above and I'll give you another list to look through.

dbrookf

Kgoldfinches said:

@dbrookf - I can recommend these recipes as they have all made it into my successful recipes folder
Vegan Slow Cooker Dumpling Stew (goodhousekeeping.com) 
Slow Cooker Bean Chilli Recipe - olivemagazine
Vegetarian Chilli Con Carne Recipe - olivemagazine
Chipotle sweet potato & black bean stew with cheddar dumplings recipe | BBC Good Food
Slow cooker sweet potato soup - Slow cooker vegetable soup recipe (goodhousekeeping.com)
Coconut cashew & butternut squash curry recipe | BBC Good Food
Spiced lentil & butternut squash soup recipe | BBC Good Food

I can also recommend this book which is available in e-book format on Kindle Unlimited as well as other formats
The Skinny Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipe Book: 40 Meat Free Recipes Under 200, 300 And 400 Calories eBook : CookNation: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
as well as the entire Skinny Slow Cooker series which has lots of slow cooker cookbooks that are really worth looking at so here's the Cook Nation page for you to see Amazon.co.uk: CookNation: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle

I think I might have gone a bit overboard here so if you are feeling like I've just flung the kitchen sink at you, I apologise. Your question was so up my street I may have been a touch enthusiastic with my response.

I do have more recipes particularly for aubergine, tomatoes, peppers, cabbages and carrots so do ask again if you don't fancy any of those above and I'll give you another list to look through.

Thank you 😊 it looks to me like most slow cooker veggie recipes seem to have to prep a lo beforehand in a pan! I wasn’t expecting that when I bought mine yesterday ☹️

joedenise

@dbrookf - it's not really necessary to start stuff off in a pan when you're using a slow cooker, you can just chuck everything in the slow cooker and switch on.  

The only time I start anything in a pan is when I'm making a meat dish as meat is better browned before going in the SC but for vegetarian dishes there is no need at all.

Give it a go and see how things are.  The only thing I would mention is don't add too much liquid as it doesn't evaporate like it would in a pan or in the oven.

MandM90

I do my veggie Bolognese in the slow cooker. I used to have a sear and stew (i.e. could put the inner bit on the hob to brown onions) but now I only have my granny's 70s/80s SC so I just lob stuff in.

I do:
2 small onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 ribs of celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

Handful mushrooms, sliced

1/2 mug dried red lentils

A glug of olive oil

1 tin tomatoes

A small glass red wine (optional) - I buy the cheapest Tesco one once in a while and freeze it in jars just for spag bol (or water if not using)

1 veggie stock cube

1 heaped TSP dried basil or oregano

0.5 TSP dried thyme

1 bay leaf

I shove everything in and cook on low from breakfast to dinner then serve with spaghetti (obviously!)

goldfinches

@dbrookf - I also have the sear and stew one specifically because of the light weight of the pan, it's an aluminium non-stick and mine weighs 484g, so I'm sorry I didn't think to ask which sort you'd bought. I bought mine when I realised that it meant I didn't have to faff about with transferring from one pan to another as well.

What I have seen recommended for the ceramic type slow cookers is to warm both the pot and the outer jacket up by switching them on about 20 mins before you want to use them and then adding your prepared vegetables plus spices etc. and then add hot stock which is easy if you're using a cube that has to be dissolved in boiling water from the kettle. Doing it that way means it would then come back up to simmering temperature quite quickly but I do think you need to allow a longer cooking time if you use this method. 

cornishchick

the way I do it is, put the slow cooker on as you boil the kettle and prep and vegetables. ( have also done the veg the night before and stored it in the pot in the fridge) put on the side to reach room temp as I eat my breakfast,
add hot water over veg with stock cube and put on high till ready to leave the house then on to low. 
never had an issue. Let posters have said, not to overfill on the liquid. enjoy 

dbrookf

MandM90 said:

I do my veggie Bolognese in the slow cooker. I used to have a sear and stew (i.e. could put the inner bit on the hob to brown onions) but now I only have my granny's 70s/80s SC so I just lob stuff in.

I do:
2 small onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 ribs of celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

Handful mushrooms, sliced

1/2 mug dried red lentils

A glug of olive oil

1 tin tomatoes

A small glass red wine (optional) - I buy the cheapest Tesco one once in a while and freeze it in jars just for spag bol (or water if not using)

1 veggie stock cube

1 heaped TSP dried basil or oregano

0.5 TSP dried thyme

1 bay leaf

I shove everything in and cook on low from breakfast to dinner then serve with spaghetti (obviously!)

Sounds delicious - will try - thanks!

bouicca21

I’ll give it a go too. Presumably with a bit of tweaking that could also turn into a chilli sin carne?

Jellytotts

I have never, in 25 years of slowcooker ownership, precooked or browned anything that goes in there.

I never follow recipes and just Chuck stuff in with the seasoning and let it cook.  The secret is to not put too much liquid in and if the sauce is too runny, either decant some and use cornflour to thicken before returning to the pot or use some gravy granuals to thicken in the last 10 mins 

I make large batches of veg and bean chilli and vegetable curry, all have the basic onion, celery and grated carrots but then the other veg and beans/chickpeas vary depending on what's around.  Last months was marrow and chickpea curry with a couple of apples and pears that needed using up (adds a lovely sweetness) and this months was a marrow and butter bean chilli with the last of my homegrown runner beans added for luck.