3HEALTHY HABITS

1. UP YOUR VEG

If you want dinner on the table fast, you may not have time to wait for root veg to roast – but putting them in the slow-cooker during the day means you can enjoy vegetables you wouldn’t normally have time for.

2. PREP AHEAD

You can peel and chop in advance, or even add frozen veg to your slow-cooker, meaning you can plan more variety and abundance of vegetables too.

3. TRIM THE FAT

1 Line the base and a little up the sides of the slow-cooker with a single sheet of baking paper. Mix the fours in a bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingers until it feels like small crumbs. Stir in the salt, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and chopped herbs.

2 Mix the buttermilk and milk in a jug. Make a well in the middle of the four mix, add the liquid and mix to form a soft, shaggy dough. Tip onto a lightly foured surface and knead just a few times to bring the mixture together – do not overwork the dough. With foured hands, shape the dough into a round to fit your slow-cooker pot, then lift it in.

3 Slash a deep cross in the top using a foured knife. Cover the pot with a clean tea towel before adding the lid, then cook on high for 2 hrs. Check the bread is cooked in the middle – the top will be soft but set, the sides and bottom crusty. If it’s not ready, keep cooking for 10-min intervals until done. Use the paper to lift the loaf from the slowcooker; allow to cool for 20 mins, then enjoy warm or at room temperature. Will keep for 3-4 days.

With slow-cooking, you can’t drain fat like you would when frying, so trim your meat –this makes it a little healthier, while also preventing excess oil in your curries or stews.

24% of Brits are trying to save money in the kitchen by swapping the oven for more energyefficient devices*

Want more slowcooker recipes?

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Use It Up

Speedy ideas for using up leftover ingredients from the recipes in this issue

SPAGHETTI

This will keep in the storecupboard for up to a year. Use cooked spaghetti in stir-fries, or break up to bulk out soup.

CUCUMBER

Make cucumber last longer by wrapping the exposed end or, if it’s been sliced, laying between sheets of damp kitchen paper to keep crisp. Use up by grating, draining in a tea towel and