General Chat

Ah Gill, I see you are reading your recipe book that came with the slow cooker lol

I think it could be more clearly explained in parts, but that's just me.
I plan to try mine out this week.
Didn't someone say Tesco's had a recipe book for £4.99 for slow cooking.
I know I have one somewhere but can't think where at the mo.

Not to worry, plenty to copy from this thread

Happy cooking, Gill

Lizx

The main point of Coq au vin is that it is chicken cooked in wine so if you just put in stock it will be chicken stew/casserole. One thing to note is that when you cook with alcohol it tenderises the meat and the actual alcohol content 'burns' off.

You can cook the beef meal using the ingedients you like and leave out the ale. Use stock cubes, or sometimes I use a can of soup. Your dish will then taste of whatever stock/soup you use.

1 recipe is a beef meal but it has half a pint of brown ale in it...I actually don't like alcohol but the meal has other ingredients I do like, there is only 3 quarters pint of beef stock besides the ale.

other recipe is coq au vin which I know is a popular wine dish but I wonder if I can substitute wine with something else.

Thanks

Gill

I would think you would need to add extra liquid. Explain more please, what is the recipe and what is the alcohol, how much etc.

would someone tell me about leaving out the alcohol in recipes...

would I need to substitute that quantity of liquid with something else or will the meal cook as nicely without it.

I would appreciate any help with this.

Gill

Hi
Yes Julia, got back on Saturday. Just restocked the cupboard as we couldn't shop yesterday. The ham hock soup/stew sounds lovely. was it salty though?

I have sent a link to this thread for my son to read before he starts using his new slow cooker, will pick ours up today or tomorrow from the other store and use it during the week.

Hope you are happy with yours Gill.

Lizx

Hi all, Ann are you back from your folder olls then.
On Friday afternoon, I put a couple of Ham Hocks in mine, and cooked them for about 6hrs. Took them out to cool for carving the next day. Saturday, I skimmed the fat off the liquor, added a few carrot rings roughly chopped, a shallot, a few new potatoes with skins on, a tin of mixed beans, and a small tin of Marrow Fat peas, and let it all bubble together, before putting in a hand full of the chopped ham bits. Bloomin' loverly. Will try this again. Just couldn't bear to throw away a perfectly good liquor.
Have a Happy Easter All
Julia in Derbyshire

I have just ordered the slow cooker liz was saying about, I copied some of the recipes too - hope I am a success with it.

Nice to see this one still going, would be good to see some more recipes added.

Thanks Julia I will bookmark and have a good read through.

I use my slow cooker well like most people use ....errm an oven I guess seeing as I 'roast' in it. it can be on 4/5 times a week.

Nudged for Uzzi on Chat

Julia in Derbyshire

Aah, thanks Julia, it might be capable of more than a slow cooker is then I would think.

Good Morning Ann, I knew you would sus me sooner or later.LOL
I have an ELECTRIC Aga, bought by OH as a get -well present last year after the Gall Bladder Op. It was something we had both wanted for years.
One of the ovens is a Slow Oven that works on the same principle as a Slow Cooker Pot, or a Crock Pot as I used to call mine.
I find this oven invaluable, and use it for rising bread, on its lowest setting, aswell as using it for the usual Slow Cooker facilities. I am still, one year on, getting used to all it's possibilities of this cooker.
Have a good day, and keep on with that packing.
All The Best
Julia in Derbyshire

PS. Just had a thought, I use a cast iron Le Creuset 'Pot' in this oven

That's clever Julia, thanks. What is the difference between a slow oven and a slow cooker? Shape?

This afternoon, I have cooked a bunch of large fresh beetrood in my slow oven. I put them on at 12.00, and took them out at 6.00, but reckon they may have been ready at 5.00, though I was carried away with gardening things and partly forgot to look at them. This is alot better than boiling on the top of the cooker,with the splashes everywhere, and having to top the saucepan up. I will definitely use this method from now on.
Julia in Derbyshire

Thanks Susan, worth looking for.

200 slow cooker recipes by Hamlyn

Tesco £4-99

I looked up gammon cooking on the net - and would you believe that there was talk of cooking gammon in Coca-cola. Someone asked could you use Diet Coke.

We don't do gammon as such over here in our recipes - I have used British recipes for Gammon to cook my hamsteaks -with a tiddly sauce but that was not in a slow cooker.

I do corned beef, bacon hocks and pigs trotters
in the slow cooker though.

Busy Day Beef Casserole - simple as

serves 4

650g Cubed chuck steak (or any cheap cut of beef – slow cookers are good for these)
A 400g tinned Mediterranean tomatoes / actually I use a different variety so don’t think that matters too much.
½ cup of red wine – or for the non imbibers chicken or beef stock
1 Tbsp tomato paste – I use the one in the tube – and I never measure it in fact I only measure things when I am making cakes or biscuits etc.
1 Tbsp brown sugar (I actually leave that out – don’t want the extra sugar intake.
½ tsp salt – I don’t bother with this either if I use stock.
About ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
And though this is supposed to be optional 2 bay leaves – I think they do make a difference.

No precooking Mummo – just turn the slow cooker on to high – spray the cooker with a non-stick spray and put the steak in and then add everything else and stir it gently to mix.
Put the lid on and turn to low and cook for 6 – 8 hours – then thicken – I use corn flour but my dad always used flour and others use gluten free etc. Now for some reason I usually turn it up to high and give it another 10 minutes (but this is just me you understand) Serve with mash or rice or whatever you like.

If I want it to go further I am liable to chuck in frozen peas or sliced carrot at the beginning and/or mushrooms. I am a bit of a whatever I have on hand sort of cook. My father was a cook in the army and when he was on his own after mum died he used to make a rice pudding last forever – he would add another egg one night and then some more milk the next and woe betide wasting leftovers.

Persey

Thanks Ann and Persey will try it and let you know

oldbean x