I'm giving my slow cooker one last chance...

[storminabuttercup]

Then it's going in the bin.

And I know I've said it before but I mean it.

If I can't cook a decent meal this time it's gone.

Any ideas

No ideas, but I'm watching with interest :)

I've got a lovely chicken curry cooking in mine at the moment

Making my mouth water

I was going to say shove the stuff in and eat it 8 hours later but you must have tried that...

I do a whole chicken or chicken thighs, carton of chicken stock, green/brown lentils, root veg (not white potato)

Lamb, barley, tin of tomatoes, rosemary, pint of water, stock cube, root veg.

Baked beans
falafel
sweet and sour chicken
I cooked that on low for 8 hours in my slow cooker.

Pesto- whats the curry recipe please?

Pork shoulder (trim offall the fat)
Can of full fat cola
Paul Newmans BBQ sauce
On low all day
It has never failed me yet
Go on give it a go

I have a bit of brisket in mine just now with leeks, onions and nushrooms the smell is devine...

this is fab and a firm favourite here!

Redlac, that sounds good, wonder if I could use anything different to cola? I'm intolerant to caffiene,

I'm going to try the pork chop one first though, sounds right up my

Posted too soon.

Up my street thank you jcee

You could add brown sugar instead of the cola maybe?

This is our favourite: www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/jools-s-favourite-beef-stew

These are two of our favourite curries

allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/9169/slow-cooked-chicken-korma.aspx

allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/17202/slow-cooker-butter-chicken.aspx

Have you had a look at this site. Lots of ideas and she is honest about which recipes worked and which didn't. crockpot365.blogspot.co.uk/

Pinner, I've been reading that blog with interest, I think in the past I've been adding too much liquid so there's been very little flavour. I'm actually tempted to stick some beef strips I have in the freezer that I'm reluctant to use in stir fry as I find it too tough, in with a jar of black been stir fry sauce for when I'm on my late shift at work... What do you think?

You could try Root Beer instead of Cola. www.americansoda.co.uk/uk/American-Soda/Home/Drinks/Root-Beer/Mug-Root-Beer-12-FL-OZ-(355-ml).aspx I'm not sure how that would work out though.

I personally love doing chilli in a slow cooker. Soak the beans overnight in the slow cooker, drain water in the morning. Add the browned meat (I like to use chunks of beef rather than mince), seasoning, beef stock, vegetables, and cook. When the beans are finished, take off the lid add some tomato passata and tomato puree (I also add some ketchup for a little sweetness) and cook on high until it reaches your desired thickness.

I bought a book the other day "The French Slow Cooker" which is a load of French recipes adapted to make in a slow cooker. Eg yesterday I made Slow cooked salmon with lemon and green olives - slice shallots and lemon and place in the slow cooker, place a salmon fillet over them which has been rubbed with olive oil and salt and pepper, layer a few more shallot and lemon slices, a 1/2 cup of water (sorry US cookbook) then slowcook for 1 - 1.5 hours. The salmon was very soft and flaky - like baked but with no crispy edges, and just fell off the skin. Plus I had done a load of other stuff while it cooked. (The green olives are in the accompanying salad btw). So I will hang onto my slow cooker for a bit longer. (Although dc hate anything they know is cooked in there.)

Stop trying to make stews / casseroles.

Stick a shoulder of lamb in, on its' own. Nothing else. OK maybe some rosemary and garlic if you really want.

leave on high all day.

You will be converted

I've got a stew just started - I can't get all the veg under the stock/wine mix - does this matter? Do I need to add more or will it just soften/steam anyway?

Don't think that will matter but veg does take longer than meat, so meat should be on top.

VivaLeBeaver my curry was dead simple as I cheated a bit.

I chopped up some chicken thighs, coated them in flour and browned them off in a wok. Then I added chopped onions and chopped up sweet potatoes and gave them a quick blast in the wok too.

Then I put the whole lot in the slow cooker with a jar of Bhuna sauce on top and a teeeeny bit of boiled water from the kettle.

Left it to cook all day and it was melt in your mouth delicious by tea-time

But Pesto why wouldn't you just do that in a low oven? I can brown all that stuff in my Le Cruset in one go, shove it in the oven and leave it for 5 hours and it will be delicious.

I think they are bollocks. Nothing needs to be cooked that long.

Why have something simmer to death for 8 hours when 3 will do?

And if you are going to brown the meat (and brown the onions, unless you put them in raw in which case you are not to be trusted anyway ) you may as well use the pan you have browned the stuff in and cook on a v low heat in the oven.

Hermione, thanks. I gave it all a stir round to get the meat on top so hopefully will be fine. Smells nice.

Pesto, I'll give the curry a go. Sounds simple.

Its good if your out all day. Chuck meat, veg and stock in the morning (you don't even need to brown it if you don't want to) and come home to a stew.