Slow cookers - any good for vegetarians?

[jamandjerusalem]

I was complaining to my neighbour about how much trouble it is to come home and have to cook and she said her slow cooker has changed her life - she sticks a few bits and pieces into it in the morning, comes home and her dinner's ready.

I thought it sounded brilliant, but she eats meat and I don't - but I'm thinking lots of grainy/pulsey stews could work really well.

Does anyone use one regularly? Are they much cop? Are they safe being on all day?? What do you like to cook in yours? Are there any good veg recipes for slow cookers?

[janeite]

I haven't left mine alone yet, so it sort of defeats the object - and I've only done a few bits in it: lentil casserole / beany chilli / lentil soup - but am bumping for you in the hope of stealing more ideas!

[mumof2teenboys]

I cook chick peas in mine regularly. I soak them overnight, then bring them to the boil on the hob, once they are simmering, I put them in the slow cooker.

I made an indian style lentil dahl last week, my lentils don't need soaking so just used the slow cooker for the whole recipe.

Veggie chilli/curry would be good as well, just prepare as normal and then bung in the slow cooker.

Ratatouille (sp) would be ok as well I would of thought.

Any kind of tomato-based sauce for pasta would be good, then all you would have to do is cook the pasta when you got in.

[jamandjerusalem]

Wow, that sounds brilliant! I'm seriously tempted. Which model do you use? What should I look for in a slow cooker??

[weegiemum]

Tesco's own.

Cost about £10 3 years ago, is now an astonishing £12 something.

Can't see the need for anything fancier myself - it has high and low settings .....

[kif]

Slow cooker changed my life too - and DH is a veggie so it only cooks meat one night out of seven (it's on 5/6 days out of seven).

I cook: lentils (red); green lentils w/bits (french style); chilli beans v. popular.

I cook rice when I'm not out all day - it only takes 3 hours, but it saves faffing with boiling water while kids are at my feet. It stays warm and doesn't burn (within reason), so don't need to be hands on while kids are being seated.

Let me think... minestrone soup tastes good. Most soups are good. Pea soup, leek and potato soup... anything really

Make pasta sauce in there. Go a jar or aubergine caviar in the fridge which I made in the slocker yesterday - which then got turned into aubergine and feta tart.

I actually have 2 - one is almost exclusively used for daily porridge.

Roast veggies in it.

Apparently it's good for puddings, but I've mainly done savoury.

[Carrotfly]

Soups are great too.

Just bung in all the ingredients and switch on.

Liquidise if wanted.

[Iklboo]

I do a lovely chicken casserole in mine you can easily leave the chicken out of to make a hearty veg stew/casserole.
I chuck in baby carrots, baby corn, peas, leeks, broad beans etc in, add veg stock and leave for a couple of hours then sprinkle in some veg gravy granules to thicken. A good handful of barley or tin of mixed beas would be nice too

If you don't want to leave them on all day plug them into one of those timer devices you can get for switching lamps on

We got Asda own for £10 - it's great for cooking some warming winter grub

[janeite]

Yum - recipes.

Please tell me more about:
daily porridge
green lentils with bits

[dyzzidi]

I use mine all the time I replaced my small one with a big one as i like to freeze portions of anything i cook so wanted large quantities. I do loads of soups with whatever left over vegetables we have around. loads of casserole/stew type meals including curries.

[kif]

porridge - in the evening I put 250g of oats w/ water to cover. I'm an early riser, and I flick it to 'high' as I'm making myself tea. Family arrives for brekkie 2 hr later - hot porridge on tap.

Interweb has overnight recipes - but they've never worked for me. I sometimes add 'extras' like raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Lentils with bits distinguishes it from the homogenous mush that is red lentils!

I soak lentils overnight in crockpot. Drain & tip out onto plate in morning. Then I start with a tablespoon of oil; cooker on H. I chop onions, carrot, celery and stick it in the slocker. Get on with other things (e.g. eating breakfast!). Then I fill up the pot with the soaked lentils, whole garlic cloves, bay leaf, parsley stalks, parmesan rind plus quite strong stock. Leave it on L all day. I serve it with chopped fresh tomatoes and parsley. (And salami - but obviously Dh doesn't have that).

[janeite]

Thank you - lentils with bits sounds great.