Guest Writer's Article 2: Cooking with a Slow Cooker

This weeks Guest Writers is Charlene Underwood. She stays in the UK and also has a number of blogs. This one is my favourite blog of hers - great recipes that are simple, comforting and delicious. - Simply Cheap and Cheerful!!

I personal thick that her blog is just in the nick of time - as Winter is approaching rather quickly, I have to agree that there is nothing nicer than a hot stew on a winters day. Even better if you have slow cooker - all you have to do is add the ingredients, switch it on and go off to work - come home to a hearty warm meal that makes your tummy all nice and happy. 

So herewith is her article - ENJOY!!

Winter is fast approaching in South Africa and there is nothing better on a cold and rainy day than to eat a steaming bowl of stew while curled up under a blanket. 

True comfort food! 

One of the best ways to make lovely rich stews is by using a slow cooker or crockpot. Sadly though the slow cooker has grown out of fashion and many haven't used one before. 

Yet it is a great time saving device that has many benefits.

1: You can use cheaper, tougher cuts of meat:

I often head down to my local butchers and buy cheap stewing meats. Good cuts of meat to use are beef shin and leg, chuck, brisket and oxtail. Lamb, goat and chicken also make lovely slow cooker dishes. 

Cooking these tougher kinds of meat in a slow cooker helps the flavours to deepen and the meat gets tenderer and tenderer the longer it cooks resulting in a succulent, flavoursome stew.

2: It is really healthy:

Using a slow cooker requires virtually no oil. I brown the meat on the stove with a drop of oil before adding it to the slow cooker. Also many of the tough cuts of meat can be quite lean and usually very dry if cooked quickly but slow cooked they stay moist and tender without the exra calories. 

3: You can come home from work to a ready made dinner:

A great benefit to using a slow cooker is that you can prepare all the food before going to work or the night before. Pop it all in the slow cooker and forget about it. 

While you're at wok slaving away you can have the comfort of knowing that you have a hot dinner waiting for you at home. 

4: It's versatile:

A slow cooker doesn't just have to be used for stews, but also for soups, roasts and even puddings. I have several slow cooker recipe books and am always in awe of the variety of dishes that can be made. 

**A delicious mushroom soup made from my slow cooker**

Here is a recipe I found online (with a few modifications by myself). It always comes out so tasty and rich. Of course, the longer it cooks the better the flavour. I find that 5-6 hours on a high setting should be the minimum cooking time to get the best flavour.

Tasty Beef Stew

700g (23oz)  stewing beef 

2 large carrots

2 onions

2 baking potatoes

3 cloves garlic (minced)

400ml beef stock

100g tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon paprika

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon thyme

Cut carrots, and onions into small pieces.

Peel and cut potatoes into one-inch cubes.

Cut meat into small cubes and brown in a pan over a high heat on the stove.

Add carrots, onions, potatoes, and beef to the slow cooker. 

Add in garlic, stock, tomato paste, paprika, Worcester sauce, caraway seeds, pepper, bay leaf, and thyme.

Stir ingredients in slow cooker to mix. 

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 9 hours or on high heat for 4 to 6 hours.

Serve warm and enjoy!!

Competition Time: 

Share you winter comfort food stories and you can win a 470page recipe book on Crockpot/Slow Cooker Recipe Book!!!