Tag: slowcooker

• 

  PK’s Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

  This mouth-watering dish is designed to be super thrifty and dead easy to boot. I managed to use some old tired veggies and to get a free-range chook on special. I am also happy to say it took longer to eat the dish than it did to prepare it.

  I simply took a whole chicken, patted it dry and stuffed it with a whole lemon. I then rubbed a very generous amount of garlic salt, celery salt, ground black pepper and parsley flakes into the skin. The bird then went into a slow cooker that already had a bed of roughly chopped onions, carrots, a whole garlic bulb and a cup of white wine.

  

  8 hours on low and the meat was moist and falling off the bone 🙂 . I was very pleased because chicken is a lean meat and can dry out in a slow cooker if you are not careful.

  

  

  Serving

  I served it with some extra steamed vegetables on a bed of white basmati rice.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  P.S. I have a oven variant of this recipe here.

  And here are some more chicken dishes and slow cooker recipes: 

  Please consider subscribing to a weekly email summary of our posts or check us out on Facebook @growitcatchitcookit.

  [mc4wp_form id=”15771″]

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 15, 2017

• 

  PK’s Pea And Ham Hock Soup

  Talk about nostalgia. My mum used to make this for me as a kid and it brings back happy memories every time. I think I might have done my mum proud with my recipe and stayed true to the dish’s thriftiness to boot :). It also freezes well so I got a whole week’s worth of lunches.

  You don’t have to cook pea and ham soup in a slow cooker but it is worth the low and slow cook for the extra depth of taste you will get. I will also leave the decision to blend or leave the soup chunky up to you. I did a halfway option, blended soup with some of the ham left chunky.

  You will be:

  1. Preparing your ingredients
  2. Cooking low and slow
  3. Removing the bones
  4. Blending or not
  5. Serving.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1.5 cups dried yellow split peas
    • 2 celery sticks, rough chopped
    • 2 carrots, rough chopped
    • 1 brown onion, rough chopped
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 ham hock (mine was ~850g)
    • 10 cups water
  •  Equipment:
    • a long sharp knife
    • a chopping board
    • a slow cooker
    • a pair of kitchen tongs
    • a wooden spoon
    • a stick mixer

  Preparing your ingredients

  1. Thoroughly rinse the split peas under cold water until it runs clear.
  2. Place them at the bottom of your slow cooker, turn this on to low.
  3. Chop the:
     • 2 celery sticks
     • 2 carrots
     • 1 brown onion
  4. Add them on top of the layer of split peas.
  5. Add the bay leaf.
  6. Add the ham hock after giving it a quick rinse.
  7. Add 10 cups of water and cover.

  

  

  

  

  

  Cooking low and slow

  Cook for about 6 to 8 hours (more if the meat is not falling off the bone) turning the hock over every now and again.

  

  Removing the bones

  Remove the main bones and then look carefully for any other little bones. This is important if you are going to blend the soup. You can use the bones to make Bone Meal for your garden.

  

  Blending or not

  Blend the soup now if you want to. I did but I kept some of the ham hock whole for serving purposes.

  Serving

  Some crusty bread and cracked black pepper would go a treat :).

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Related Links:

  • see more soup post here
  • see more slow cooker posts here
  • see more pork posts here

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 7, 2017

• 

  Slow Cookers

  A slow cooker is an essential piece of kitchen kit. It allows you to very slowly simmer the cuts of meat that do the most work in an animal, turning the meat tender and breaking down the connective tissue. An example is lamb shanks, one of my favourite meals (see my take on River Cottage’s Citrus Braised Lamb Shanks).

  I got mine second hand from my sister in law (read free) and yours shouldn’t cost and arm and a leg if bought new either.

  

  Most recipes can be adjusted to suit slow cooking by adding more liquid and significantly extending the cooking time. At the other end, it is so easy to clean up and sometimes it is the only dish used in the whole meal

  Related Links:

  • see more kitchen kit here
  • see more equipment posts here

   

   

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 22, 2017

• 

  Equipment: Slow Cooker

  A slow cooker is an essential piece of kitchen kit. It allows you to very slowly simmer the cuts of meat that do the most work in an animal, turning the meat tender and breaking down the connective tissue. An example is lamb shanks, one of my favourite meals (see my take on River Cottage’s Citrus Braised Lamb Shanks).

  I got mine second hand from my sister in law (read free) and yours shouldn’t cost and arm and a leg if bought new either.

  

  Most recipes can be adjusted to suit slow cooking by adding more liquid and significantly extending the cooking time. At the other end, it is so easy to clean up and sometimes it is the only dish used in the whole meal

  Related Links:

  • see more equipment posts here

   

   

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 22, 2017

• 

  PK’s Lazy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

  This slow cooked dish isn’t going to win me points for authenticity but it is tasty, easy to make and kid friendly :).

  My youngsters insist on having the sour cream (that you would normally mix through) on the side and they are not mushroom fans. I feel however, that you need mushrooms for a richer flavour. My solution is to use whole ‘cup’ or button mushrooms and that seems to avoid turning dinner into a picking out bits of chopped mushroom exercise :).

  You will be:

  1. Preparing your ingredients.
  2. Browning the beef and softening the vegetables.
  3. Cooking low and slow.
  4. Serving.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1kg of beef (I used rump steak), cubed
    • A few slugs of olive oil
    • 1 large brown onion, sliced
    • 2 -3 garlic cloves, finely diced
    • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
    • 1 Tbsp paprika, ground
    • 3 medium mushrooms (I used ‘cup’), whole or chopped
    • 2 Tbsp plain flour
    • Table salt to taste
    • Black peppercorns to taste, ground
    • 2 cups home-made stock (I only had chicken to hand)
    • A good slug of tomato paste
    • A good slug of Worcestershire sauce
    • A handful of small or chopped mushrooms (optional)
  •  Equipment:
    • 1 long sharp knife
    • 1 chopping board
    • 1 fry pan
    • 1 slow cooker
    • 1 mixing jug
    • 1 whisk or fork

  Prepare your ingredients

  1. Turn your slow cooker onto medium and add a slug of oil, lid on.
  2. Cube the 1kg of beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Slice the 1 brown onion.
  4. Peel and finely dice the 2 -3 garlic cloves.
  5. Peel and chop the 2 carrots.
  6. Rinse the 3 ‘cup’ mushrooms and rough chop them if you prefer.

  

  Browning the beef and softening the vegetables

  1. Heat a slug of olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat.
  2. Brown the beef and then add it to the slow cooker along with the whole or chopped mushrooms.
  3. Add a bit more oil to the fry pan if you need it (I didn’t).
  4. Throw into the fry pan the
     • onions
     • garlic
     • carrots
     • tomato paste
     • stock
     • 2 Tbsp plain flour
     • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
     • a good slug of Worcestershire sauce
  5. Give everything a gentle but thorough mix, cooking on medium heat until the onions have softened.
  6. Pour the contents of the fry pan into the slow cooker.

  

  

  

  Cooking low and slow

  1. Cover and cook on medium for 4  to 5 hours and the sauce is somewhat reduced.

  

  Serving

  My kids prefer that I take the mushrooms out before I serve the dish on a bed of rice and steamed greens. I then give everyone a very healthy dollop of sour cream.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  June 25, 2017

• 

  PK Makes River Cottage’s Citrus Braised Lamb Shanks

  Everyone has a dish that they feel slightly guilty about. Guilty because somehow it turns out exceptionally good every single time.  This is mine and it has magical powers :).

  It is originally from the hit Channel 4 series and books, ‘River Cottage’ and I merely adapted it to work in a slow cooker. I like dishes that are a bit different and I prefer this lighter white wine and citrus version over traditional red wine based lamb shank recipes.

  River Cottage’s Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstool can’t have known its romantic power when he added this dish to his cookbook though, surely not. It was the first meal I cooked for my wife to be and she fell madly in love with me. That’s the magical bit and might contradict her version of events :).

  You will be:

  1. Sweating the vegetables in the slow cooker.
  2. Browning the lamb shanks and deglazing the frypan.
  3. Cooking it slow.
  4. Serving.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 4 lamb shanks
    • 2 carrots
    • 1 large brown onion
    • 2 celery sticks
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
    • a few sprigs of fresh thyme or lemon thyme
    • a small handful of parsley or celery leaves, chopped
    • 1 large orange
    • 1 large lemon
    • half a bottle of white wine (I used a Sauvignon blanc)
    • 1 cup of home made stock (I used chicken stock as that was all I had) or 1 cup water
    • several slugs of olive oil
    • a good slug of tomato paste
    • ground rock salt to taste
    • cracked black peppercorns to taste
    • 0.5 Tbsp whole black peppercorns (optional)
    • A handful of small or chopped mushrooms (optional)
  •  Equipment:
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • kitchen tongs
    • a wooden spoon
    • a citrus zester
    • a citrus juicer
    • a large frypan
    • a slow cooker

  Steps:

  Sweating the vegetables in the slow cooker

  1. Put a slug of olive oil into your slow cooker and turn it on high, lid on.
  2. Rough chop the:
     • 2 carrots.
     • 2 celery sticks.
     • handful of parsley or celery leaves.
  3. Finely slice the 1 large brown onion.
  4. Finely chop the 2 garlic cloves.
  5. Add the above to your slow cooker to start them softening up, lid on (mix everything around occasionally).
  6. Once the onions have started to soften, throw in the 2 bay leaves and the sprigs of thyme.
  7. If you like a bit of peppery kick, chuck 0.5 Tbsp of black peppercorns in too.
  8. Juice and then zest the lemon and the orange and add to the slow cooker (retain some of the mixed juice and zest for serving time).
  9. Add the 1 cup of stock or 1 cup of water and mix gently.
  10. Add a good slug of tomato paste.
  11. Add a handful of small mushrooms now if you are using them.

  I love seeing ingredients together like this:

  

  Nice and soft:

  

   

  Browning the lamb shanks and deglazing the frypan

  1. Season the 4 lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
  2. Chuck another slug of olive oil into the pan and bring to medium heat.
  3. Slightly brown every surface of the shanks. Yep, even the ends with a bit of creative meat stacking :).
  4. Then add them to the slow cooker.
  5. I now deglaze the frypan with half a bottle of white wine. When boiling I then add it to the slow cooker.
  6. If the slow cooker looks a bit full don’t panic. Everything will shrink down as it cooks :).

  

  Cooking it slow

  1. Turn your slow cooker to medium and cook for at least 2 hours using kitchen tongs to periodically move the shanks around.
  2. Now you can keep the slow cooker on medium for speed or turn it down to low for a slower cook (my preference).
  3. When the meat is literally falling of the bone, when you are giving it a gentle mix with the kitchen tongs, it is ready.

   Serving

  I generally serve the shanks on a bed of mashed potato with some steamed green vegetables alongside. This time though I cooked my PK’s NoRecipe Oven Baked Potatoes and served the shanks on the bone with some greens.

  Remember how we set aside some mixed zest and juice? Sprinkle a bit of the zest and then drizzle some juice over each serve to freshen the citrus flavours and aromas.

  On or off the bone this dish is visually appealing:

  

  

  Make this dish for someone you love,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  February 17, 2017

• 

  PK’s Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

  This was the first time I have made my own stock. Up until this point I had thought it wasn’t worth the time and effort required. I couldn’t have been more wrong :).

  After a quick bit of prep I left it to its own devices overnight. In the morning I recovered the left over ingredients, filtered the stock and froze it in 2 cup batches.

  I got so much joy and reward from making this stock because I:

  • got to be in the kitchen cooking :).
  • gave a second chance to some carrots at the back of the fridge.
  • picked fresh vegetables from the garden with my young son.
  • used parts of chickens that normally go to waste.
  • didn’t add any packaging to landfill.
  • recovered the cooked vegetables for my compost bin.
  • recovered the bones to make my own bone meal for soil improvement (post coming soon).
  • retained some rendered chicken fat for cooking (hey I never said this was a good health blog hehehehe).
  • got an amazingly tasty stock that is salt, sugar and preservative free.

  STEPS:

  1. Get some chicken bones
  2. Gather/harvest and chop your vegetables
  3. Slow cooker time
  4. Straining
  5. Storing
  6. Recovery and resuse (optional)
  7. Defrosting

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 2 onions
    • 4 carrots
    • 2 – 4 celery stalks (leaves on)
    • 1 Tbsp peppercorns
    • 1 handful of basil leaves
    • 2kg of chicken bones and/or carcasses
    • 2.5L of water
  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a tablespoon
    • a 1 cup measuring cup
    • a strainer (like you would use for pasta)
    • a fine mesh sieve
    • a large pot
    • several deep dishes to hold the leftover vegetables and bones
    • a slow cooker
    • freezer containers or glass jars
    • a butter knife when it comes time to defrost the stock

  Get some chicken bones

  There must be tons of methods for doing this but I went to the butchers and bought 6 chicken carcasses. It cost me $5 AUD and they weighed approximately 2.2kgs. There was a little bit of meat on them too.

  

  Steps:

  1. I took each carcass and wrenched them in the middle to separate them into halves. I only did that to help them fit into the slow cooker though.
  2. Put them aside and turn your slow cooker on its lowest setting.

  Gather/harvest and chop your vegetables

  

  Steps:

  1. Take about 4 stalks of celery (leaves on and hopefully fresh from your garden) and give them a good wash. Tap dry and then rough chop.
  2. Rough chop the 4 carrots (skin on) and 2 onions.
  3. Rough chop a handful of basil leaves (not stems). I used some from my garden that I had previously frozen.
  4. Add all the vegetables to the now warmed up slow cooker along with 1 Tbsp of peppercorns.

  Slow cooker time

  

  Steps:

  1. Place the chicken carcasses on top of the vegetables and pour in enough boiling water to cover everything. In my case this was 2.5L.
  2. Don’t worry if the slow cooker is full to the brim and a bit squishy. By the end everything will have shrunk down and there will be plenty of room to stir everything.
  3. Let it simmer for as long as you can but at least 8 hours on low. I didn’t have to add any water the whole time but keep an eye on the water levels.
  4. As you notice a bit of space developing you can start to give it the odd stir.

  In this picture you can see how everything has reduced down:

  

  Straining

  The last few steps can be a little time consuming if you want to make the best use of the left over ingredients.

  Steps:

  1. Pour everything into a pasta colander (or a strainer that will catch most of the larger ingredients but still let the liquid through easily) over a large saucepan. I was worried that using a fine mesh sieve at this point would end with stock all over the place so I used this two part process.
  2. Now run the stock through the fine mesh sieve over the slow cooker and pour the stock in slowly.
  3. Clean the sieve under the tap and then run the stock through it again but into the original saucepan.
  4. Keep putting the vegetables and bones aside if you intend to recover them.
  5. Let the now filtered stock cool in the fridge slightly to get the skim of fat on the top.
  6. Spoon a tiny bit of the fat skim off but don’t be too fastidious as I have a tip for that later. We don’t want to lose any more of the precious stock than we have too :).

  Storing

  At this stage the stock should be super tasty but it will also be oily. I trialled two methods for dealing with this.

  Steps:

  1. Initially I placed a sheet of paper towel on the surface of the stock and let it slowly draw in the fat beads. I carefully removed the paper towel and disposed of it.
  2. I then used a 1 cup measuring cup to ladle the stock into several freezer containers.
  3. I then turned the containers upside down and froze them. This means that most of the fat beads will rise to the surface.

  In this picture you can see the beads of fat on the top and nice clean stock underneath:

  

  Recovery and Reuse

  I will expand on this in a later post but here are a few tips if you want to reuse the leftover ingredients. I had fun doing it but making the bone meal was a labour of love.

  1. Keep the bones for making your own bone meal.
  2. Chuck the vegetables into the compost bin.

  Defrosting

  I would like to show you now the advantage of freezing them upside down in a slightly concave shaped container.

  Steps:

  1. Pop the lid off the container and let it ever so slightly thaw.
  2. Turn the container upside down again and pop the stock out.
  3. Using a butter knife, scrape the fat off the top of the stock block.

  I got about 1 Tbsp of fat off two cups of stock, enough to fry up some potatoes I bet :).

  I would love to hear from you if you have any tips you want to share about making stock.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  July 6, 2016