Since starting y new job it has meant being more organised than usual and prepping meals at the weekend and thinking ahead. After seeing lots of slow cooker creations on some of my favourite blogs I thought it was time to dig out my own that had been left abandoned in the cupboard.
I cannot tell you what a God send it has been! It’s so lovely to put something in the slow cooker before work and knowing that you will be greeted with a wonderful meal on your return home. My life is so much easier now.
My first slow cooker adventure involved a Butter Chicken Curry. This is by now means an authentic recipe, but it’s close enough for me and tasted amazing!
Ingredients (adapted from this recipe)
6 skinless chicken thighs diced
2 tbsps. of butter
2 tsp. of rapeseed oil
1 diced onion
1 clove of garlic
3 tbsps. of tomato puree
220g of chopped tomatoes
1 can of full fat coconut milk
2 tsps. of curry powder
1 tsp. of garam masala
10 cardamom pods
2 tbsps. of Greek yoghurt (optional)
First cut the chicken into small chunks and fry in a pan with the oil and butter. Add the onions and grate the garlic into the pan and cook until the onion is tender. Stir in the spices until the chicken and onions are well coated.
Transfer the chicken and onion mixture into the slow cooker. Pour in the tomatoes, tomato puree, coconut milk and cardamom pods. Cook the curry slowly for 6-8 hours. Before serving stir in the Greek yoghurt to create a creamier texture.
This curry came out so well. Chicken thighs are generally quite tender anyway but after being cooked for so long they were melt in your mouth good. Obviously this could be made vegetarian by taking out the chicken and adding chick peas and mixed vegetables.
My next slow cooker adventure was so simple that it doesn’t really justify a recipe, but it was so good I thought I might as well. This slow cooked Chinese Char Sui Pulled Pork was also a triumph.
Ingredients
1 onion sliced
4 tbsp. of char sui sauce
1 pork shoulder off the bone
3 spring onions
Place the joint of pork in the slow cooker and pour over the sauce and chopped onion. Cook in the slow cooker for 10 hours. When it’s finished cooking transfer the pork to a plate and shred the meat by pulling in opposite directions with two forks. Pour the remaining sauce over the pork and sprinkle over the chopped spring onions.
I’ve always wanted to cook pulled pork and this didn’t disappoint. As I said above this is so easy to make that it doesn’t warrant a recipe. I just love the idea of putting a few ingredients in a slow cooker and letting it do all of the hard work.
Point of this blog post: If you have a slow cooker just sitting in the cupboard, dust it off and start using it as you won’t regret it!
Have you used a slow cooker before? What are you favourite slow cooker recipes?
The butter chicken looks gorgeous.
Thanks Nikki! 🙂
Well your slow pork sounds and looks way better then my attempt this weekend it was a total fail! Better luck next time! ha x
Ha! Aww I’m sure it still tasted great!
I kept meaning to experiment with a slow cooker all winter long but I just kept putting if off, and now that the weather is warming up and I don’t find myself craving warm comfort foods that much, I think my slow cooker experimentation may be put off until the fall. This recipe sounds delicious, though!
I thought like that as we’ve had some lovely sunshine over here recently, but I’ve been loving cooking curries in it and made a chilli in it last night. But I can see what you ,mean I usually opt for salads over stews when it’s boiling hot.
Oh this pot makes me feel so guilty! I have borrowed my parents slow cooker and still haven’t used it yet…I am determined! That chicken sounds lovely, how many does that meal serve?
Mine was sitting in a cupboard exactly like yours. It’s so worth digging it out!
After looking at these pictures I want to persuade the boyf in us getting a slow cooker – I just LOVE the idea of chucking everything in before work and then coming home to all the tasty aromas, mmm! That said, I’m bit of neurotic when it comes to switching off all appliances/stoves etc. etc. when leaving the house so not sure how my OCD would cope knowing that something was cooking at home without anyone there 😉
Hahaha! I thought I would be the same as I hate leaving things switched on, but it;s not so bad.
Those look delicious Jemma! I really want to get a slow cooker, it would be lovely to have a meal waiting for me!
It’s fabulous coming home to cooked food. You have more time to enjoy your evening, 🙂
Oh my god, that butter chicken curry looks fantastic. I love slow-cookers for their ease. Coming home on a cold day to a warm dinner is perfect.