Food & drink

Slow cooker comfortsNow the weather is cooling down it’s time to dust off your trusty slow cooker and whip up some hearty, comforting meals

Irish Stew

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil 200g smoked streaky bacon, cut into chunks 900g stewing lamb, cut into chunks small bunch thyme 3 onions, thickly sliced 5 carrots, cut into big chunks 6 medium potatoes, cut into chunks 700ml lamb stock 3 bay leaves 85g pearl barley 1 large leek, cut into chunks Small knob of butter

Method

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Sizzle the bacon until crisp, tip into the slow-cooker pot, then brown the chunks of lamb in the pan. Transfer to the slow-cooker pot along with the thyme, onions, carrots, potatoes, stock, bay leaves and enough water to cover the lamb. Cover and cook on low for 7 hrs.

Stir in the pearl barley and leek, and cook on high for 1 hour more until the pearl barley is tender. Stir in the butter, season and serve scooped straight from the dish.

Chicken Korma

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves Thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled 2 large onions, finely chopped 2 tbsp vegetable oil 6 skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks 2 tbsp tomato purée 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander ¼-½ tsp chilli powder 2 tsp sugar 300ml chicken stock 150ml double cream 6 tbsp ground almonds Toasted flaked almonds, coriander, basmati or pilau rice and naan breads, to serve

Method

Heat the slow cooker to low. Put the garlic, ginger and onions in a small blender with a splash of water and whizz to a paste. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and sear the chicken all over. Remove from the pan and set aside, then add the onion paste. Fry over

a medium heat for around 10 mins until lightly golden.

Stir in the tomato purée, spices, 1 tsp salt and the sugar, fry for 1 min until aromatic, then put the chicken back into the pan (with any resting juices) and add the stock. Stir and bring to a simmer, then spoon into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Stir through the cream and the ground almonds and bubble for 10 mins to reduce, if needed. Scatter with flaked almonds and coriander, if using, then serve with rice and naan breads.

Mac 'n' Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients

350g macaroni pasta 600ml whole milk 50g butter, cubed 50g soft cheese 100g mature cheddar, grated, plus extra to serve 20g parmesan, plus extra to serve

Beef Stew

Serves 4

Method

Pour boiling water over the pasta and drain, then put everything in a slow cooker and stir well. Season, cover and cook on low for 1 hour.

Stir again, put the lid back on and cook for another 30 mins until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has reduced enough to coat the macaroni.

Leave the lid off and reduce for the last 10 mins if you need to, or add a splash more milk. Sprinkle with extra cheese when serving.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 3 carrots, halved and cut into chunks 2 bay leaves ½ pack thyme 2 tbsp tomato purée 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 beef stock cubes or stock pots 900g beef for braising 2 tsp cornflour (optional) ½ small bunch parsley, chopped Mashed potato, to serve

Method

Fry the onion and celery in 1 tbsp oil over a low heat for 5 mins until they start to soften. Add the carrots, bay and thyme, fry for 2 mins. Stir in the purée and Worcestershire sauce, add 600ml boiling water, stir and tip everything into a slow cooker. Crumble over the stock cubes or add the stock pots and stir, then season with pepper (don’t add salt as the stock is usually salty enough on its own).

Clean out the frying pan and fry the beef in the remaining oil in batches until it is well browned, then tip each batch into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4 hours.

If you want to thicken the gravy, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to make a paste, then stir in 2 tbsp of the liquid from the slow cooker. Tip back into the slow cooker, stir and cook for a further 30 mins on high. Stir in the parsley and season again to taste. Serve with mashed potato, add greens such as broccoli or kale if you like.