Advice about slow cooker

Mrstimmy · 15/08/12 - 18:23

I bought a slow cooker last week but the instructions that came with it are hopeless!

I'm a really fussy eater so hoping if I slow cook some meat whilst out at work for the day with some vegetables it'll get rid of vegetable taste so I can tolerate them

I have quite a few packets of frozen mince to do it in a few pieces of chicken to try.

So...how do I use it?

There's 3 settings, low, high and warm. So I was thinking put the vegetables at the bottom, I was going to use the bags of carrots, brocolli and cauliflower, then put the mince on top. Can I add beans to it? Am I meant to add water? Is it best to mix it all together? Can I add potatoes?

Once it's cooked and I turn it off, do I just set it to warm the next day, or do I put it on warm 10 minutes before I want to eat the rest?

I'm really not good with stuff like this! All my meals are very plain and very simple.

Thanks

radioanorak · 15/08/12 - 19:16

I can only say how I do things in our cooker
Need to set it to high to start for about 1- 1.5 hours till it starts bubbling. Then turn to low to finish cooking. at this setting its safe to leave all day in neccessary
you need to add some liquid at the start otherwise meat & veg or whatever will burn
Adding water would be fine but adds no flavour
A tin of chopped tomatos would suffice.Or meat stock. Even curry sauce depending on what you are cooking
Meat should go in first @the bottom Add vegetables part way through as they dont take as long to cook
www.allrecipes.co.uk is good for things to cook
Just type slow cooker in the web site search bar

Bedsit Bob · 15/08/12 - 19:35

For a stew, I just throw all the ingredients (starting with 2 tins of chopped tomatoes) in, filling it to about 1.5" from the rim, then top up with water to cover the ingredients, add a couple of heaped desert spoons of gravy powder, give it a stir, put the lid on and switch onto High.

When it starts to bubble, I turn it to Low, and let it cook, undisturbed, for about 18 hours.

You can't (and shouldn't try to) use the warm setting to reheat it. It won't get hot enough.

Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Don't put the slow cooker pot on the stove, or in the microwave.

The warm setting is intended to keep it warm, immediately after it is cooked, and should only be used for a few hours.

Keeping it on warm for a long time, could allow bacteria to multiply, causing food poisoning.

smudges dad · 15/08/12 - 21:35

Chuck everything in, give it a good stir, make sure there is enough liquid. If you're at work all day (8am - 6pm including travel) then 10 hours on low is fine.

Mrstimmy · 16/08/12 - 13:20

Thanks :-)

[Deleted User] · 16/08/12 - 13:57

Bedsit Bob wrote: »

For a stew, I just throw all the ingredients (starting with 2 tins of chopped tomatoes) in, filling it to about 1.5" from the rim, then top up with water to cover the ingredients, add a couple of heaped desert spoons of gravy powder, give it a stir, put the lid on and switch onto High.

When it starts to bubble, I turn it to Low, and let it cook, undisturbed, for about 18 hours.

You can't (and shouldn't try to) use the warm setting to reheat it. It won't get hot enough.

Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Don't put the slow cooker pot on the stove, or in the microwave.

The warm setting is intended to keep it warm, immediately after it is cooked, and should only be used for a few hours.

Keeping it on warm for a long time, could allow bacteria to multiply, causing food poisoning.

18 Hours?? is way to long a meal would cook during the day while you were at work .

Bedsit Bob · 16/08/12 - 14:10

I work 12 hour days, so start it the night before, put it on low in the morning, then leave it on till I get home..

Porcupine · 16/08/12 - 15:40

Bedsit Bob wrote: »

I work 12 hour days, so start it the night before, put it on low in the morning, then leave it on till I get home..

I would put it on low in the morning. This is what i do. I shove everything in, stick it on the low setting, and by the time you get home it will be cooked and delish.

Sorry - its been one of those days ... I thought you were asking a question - hehehehe *ooops*

bluebottle · 17/08/12 - 20:16

I always microwave the chopped onions with a drizzle of oil for ten minutes then add them to browned meat [mince /diced steak etc].The steak will be tender before the carrots..strange but true and a roast beef browned then on high till hot then low for up to 8 hours [turned a couple of times] the sieved juice makes a super gravy I am hungry thinking about it

dumplings
4 ounces sr flour
2 ounces suet [can be vegetarian if that is all you have]
salt
cold water.
mix dry ingredients add enough cold water to make stiff dough
with floured hands roll in to small balls about an inch and a quarter across
add to mince or stew 20 minutes before serving
make sure there is enough liquid in the stew before adding them as they soak it up
herbs of your choice can be added to the dumpling mix
hope this helps

burton07 · 19/08/12 - 18:08

Mrstimmy wrote: »

I bought a slow cooker last week but the instructions that came with it are hopeless!

I'm a really fussy eater so hoping if I slow cook some meat whilst out at work for the day with some vegetables it'll get rid of vegetable taste so I can tolerate them

I have quite a few packets of frozen mince to do it in a few pieces of chicken to try.

So...how do I use it?

There's 3 settings, low, high and warm. So I was thinking put the vegetables at the bottom, I was going to use the bags of carrots, brocolli and cauliflower, then put the mince on top. Can I add beans to it? Am I meant to add water? Is it best to mix it all together? Can I add potatoes?

Once it's cooked and I turn it off, do I just set it to warm the next day, or do I put it on warm 10 minutes before I want to eat the rest?

I'm really not good with stuff like this! All my meals are very plain and very simple.

Thanks

I'm sorry to say this, but you can't just bung a load of frozen food into the slow cooker and expect a meal to come out of it.

I suggest you buy a cookery book and learn to cook first. Then you can convert existing recipes for say. Mince and potatoes, Chicken curry, Lamb Hotpot, Bolognaise sauce, chicken casserole, into meals that can be cooked in a slow cooker.

I bought a couple of slow cooker recipe books from Amazon and they have some lovely recipes in.

cdtaylor_nats · 19/08/12 - 22:25

Have a look here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/slow-cooked_dishes

Hey there!

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