Monday, September 10, 2012

Slow Cooker Meatballs | Super Bowl Snacks

Football Serving Dishes
Bookmark this recipe, next time you have a crowd coming over - especially if it involves football - then these little spicy numbers will be a very popular part of the buffet or football snack menu.  Check out this range of football themed serving dishes these will get the party started!

Slow Cooker Meatballs 

1-1/2lbs pork mince
¼ C chopped flat leaf parsley
½ C soft breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp flour
    * In a bowl combine pork mince, parsley, breadcrumbs, mustard and tomato paste.
    * Mix well and then form in to 28 balls
    * Put the flour in a shallow bowl.
    * Drop each of the balls in the flour and coat before adding to slow cooker.
    * Combine the sauce ingredients and drizzle over the meat balls.
    * Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Sauce Options

Spicy Cranberry Sauce
16oz can whole-berry or jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup chili sauce 
1/4 cup water
Add the sauce ingredients in a bowl/jug and stir to combine.
Pour over meatballs, cover and cook as above.

Sweet n Sour Sauce
2 packed Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
16oz can whole-berry or jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup chili sauce 
1/4 cup water
Add the sauce ingredients in a bowl/jug and stir to combine.
Pour over meatballs, cover and cook as above.

Chunky Chili Salsa Sauce
3 cups (or 2 x 12oz bottles) of apple jelly
3 cups (or 2 x 12oz bottles) chunky chili salsa
1/4 C thin sliced green onion/scallions
Add the sauce ingredients in a bowl/jug and stir to combine.
Pour over meatballs, cover and cook as above.

Tomato Barbecue Sauce
2 x 5oz cans tomato paste
4 cups water
1/4 C minced onion
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C brown sugar
2 Tblsp lemon juice
2 Tblsp maple syrup
2 tsp dry mustard powder
Add the sauce ingredients in a bowl/jug and stir to combine.
Pour over meatballs, cover and cook as above.

Previous Post: Garlic Herb Roast of Pork | Slow Cooker Roast Pork

If you are cooking for a crowd, you may also enjoy: Crock Pot Rump Roast - Shredded Beef Rump Roast and my family's favorite Chocolate Fudge Pudding as nice end to the meal.

More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Garlic Herb Roast of Pork | Slow Cooker Roast Pork

If you are anything like me, when on vacation I love to have a look around the kitchen gadget shops... years ago, I stumbled across one of my favorite gadgets - the humble Fat Separator I use this little strainer jug to make gravy for all my slow cooker roast meals - when you can so easily remove the fat from the cooking liquid, why wouldn't you!

Seasoned, well flavored roasted pork is so delicious and easy - it seems such a shame to not serve it this way occasionally.  Especially when it even almost makes it's own tasty gravy.
Slow cooker roast pork is always so soft and tender too - love it done this way!


Garlic Herb Roast of Pork | Slow Cooker Roast Pork

1 Tbsp Lemon Herb Seasoning
(or replace Lemon Herb Seasoning with 1 Tsp each of Salt, Thyme, grated lemon peel; 1/2 Tsp Sage,  1/4 Tsp Ground cloves)

4-5 Lbs Pork roast, boneless or bone-in (same shape as slow cooker)
4 Large cloves garlic, quartered

To thicken juices to make a gravy
2 Tbsp Water, optional
2 Tbsp Cornstarch, optional

  • Spray the pork roast lightly with oil and rub Lemon Herb Seasoning into roast. Make 16 tiny cuts in the roast and insert garlic pieces.
  • Place roast in slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. 
  • To ensure meat is cooked to perfection, insert meat thermometer into roast, internal temperature needs to be 170°F/77°C or higher before serving. 
  • Remove garlic pieces and allow roast to rest 10-15 minutes before carving.
  • Strained juices may be thickened for gravy, if desired. Dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water. Stir slowly into juices until thickened in a saucepan on the stove.
Makes 8 servings.

Previous Post: The Everyday Low Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook | Slow Cooker Cookbook

You May Also Like: Slow Cooking For One | Slow Cooker Recipes for Two

More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Breakfast Slow Cooker Recipes | Steel Cut Oats Slow Cooker

I've been looking to eat a little healthier lately, and I've swapped my usual breakfasts for steel cut oats.  I am  really enjoying the different ways you can enjoy oatmeal from the slow cooker.  

Getting up and having a healthy, hot breakfast ready for as each member of the family as they come downstairs in the morning seems like a miracle.  Slow cooker oatmeal for breakfast is even easier if you have a programmable slow cooker that automatically switches to keep warm mode when the cooking time is done.  That way everyone can come and help themselves when they are ready.  Great on a weekend morning when you want to have a sleep in, the children can each take what they want as they get up.

This recipe calls for steel cut oats. If you are not familiar with them, they are the tastier, more nutritionally available, best for you version of oatmeal oats.  They take longer to break down - which is one of the things that makes the perfect in the slow cooker - and one of the best reasons to cook them this way.

This recipe has a real nutrient boost with the added dried fruit, but watch the amount of maple syrup if you are trying to eat healthier - a little of the good stuff goes a long way when you are just adding it for flavor.

I really like the idea of oatmeal in slow cooker breakfasts, so I will be creating more recipes and reporting back later!  Meanwhile, do enjoy this one.

Berries and Steel Cut Oats in a Slow Cooker | Breakfast Slow Cooker Recipes

Cooks overnight on low for 7 to 8 hours, makes 4 servings

1/2 C dried blueberries
1 C steel cut oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 C water
1/4 C maple syrup to serve

  • Before you head to bed, combine the blueberries, oats, salt, cinnamon and water in a 1-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or until oats are tender and creamy. 
  • To serve, stir in cranberries, dish out into serving bowls, pour over the syrup - enjoy!  
  • Store any extra portions covered with cling wrap in the fridge and use within 3 days, reheat in microwave as required.

Special Feature | 1-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker

Do you need 4 servings of oatmeal?  Here's the perfect slow cooker for the job.  If you eat early and enjoy oatmeal, this is a great way to get a perfect, no fuss hot breakfast that is ready when you are.

You may want to check some customer reviews on the 1-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker and see how other oatmeal fans rated it!

Great for making my cut oats for breakfast.
5 out of 5 stars     By TBM, MI, USA     "If you enjoy cut oats for breakfast and don't want to wait for water to boil and then stand stirring for a half hour, this CrockPot is the answer. I place four cups of water and one cup of oats in, plug it in and let it go........it is much slower, but you do not have to be so involved. Stir it once or twice and you can store the unused portion in the ceramic bowl in your fridge."
5 out of 5 stars     By  KL, USA     "My husband gets up by 5 am and I... well, I don't! :)  I bought this unit to make hot cereal so I could offer my husband a hot breakfast without having to (painfully) alter my own sleep schedule. I fill it with water and whole grains around 9 pm. My husband takes his breakfast at 5 am and unplugs the unit. When my son and I get up around 6 or 7 am, the cereal has cooled to a perfect temperature to eat right away without exceeding the "maximum 2 hours at room temperature" time frame for food safety."
Customer Reviews - courtesy of Amazon.com

Previous Post: The Everyday Low Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook | Slow Cooker Cookbook

You May Also Like: Slow Cooking For One | Slow Cooker Recipes for Two

More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Everyday Low Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook | Slow Cooker Cookbook

With this book you can stay on your eating plan, keep your family happy and make your life easier. The recipes in this book will do all of the above. These meals will be enjoyed by all whether they are eating a low carb diet or not.
 If you are looking for delicious low carb recipes that you can use your slow cooker with, you are going to love this book!  (As indicated by the customer reviewers comments above!)


The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook will quickly become your most used and referred to cookbooks.  Customer review KH from California has this to say about the recipes..."And the recipes....Wow! Easy, low carb, and yummy! You've gotta love a scrumptious meal that only requires 5 minutes of prep time, and is ready the minute you get home from work. There are recipe chapters on breakfast and brunch, beef, poultry, seafood, soups, desserts, and more."

Hank, a reviewer from South Carolina describes the recipes as "delicious and easy" and adds "Slow cooking is an ideal way for me to stay low carb and because of the leftovers, lunch has never been easier."  Hank's favorite recipes are the Lemon Chicken and the  French Onion Soup.

NH from North Carolina says her family loves the recipes from this book.  Their "favorite is Italian Chicken, it tastes wonderful and smells great. The Quiches, are a wonderful taste treat. We've tried most of these! This cookbook is the best investment I've ever made."

Acutally the range of Crustless Quiche Recipes (pages 25-27) and the French Toast Casserole recipe are the main reason I purchased this book - my family would agree the quiches are amazing!

And it sounds like review AO from Texas would agree with my reasoning... she had this to say... "My favorite so far is the Creamy Blueberry French Toast Casserole OHMYGAWD. Uses a cup of Splenda but it's INCREDIBLE. I do miss French Toast, but not anymore with this creation."

I found a recipe from The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook that the Foodnetwork.co.uk had posted online -Italian Sausage and Peppers. This quick and easy to assmeble recipe is one of my favorites - especially when green or bell peppers are plentiful and cheap, or if you have a supply of them in the freezer from when they were. Well flavored, quality sausages are the key to this recipe - don't be tempted to leave out the garnish - that little touch adds more than you might imagine!

So if you tired of bland recipes from a can of this and a packet of that, or hum drum low-carb protein recipes... then The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook is the answer!


You may also like... Slow Cooker Revolution or Art of the Slow Cooker

Previous Post: Slow Cooker Thai Curry | Slow Cooker Vegetarian
More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!


Friday, December 30, 2011

Slow Cooker Thai Curry | Slow Cooker Vegetarian


Light coconut milk gives this Thai style slow cooker entree a touch of sweetness, which I find combines beautifully with the red curry paste, Yukon gold potatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas and chunks of butternut squash and other seasonal vegetables.

If you have a slow cooker and a programmable rice cooker that you can set to have the rice cooked and ready for when you get home, this model has a keep warm mode too, then delicious curry recipes such as this one are going to become regular treats in your house too.  

Cook on low for 6-7 hours

Slow Cooker Thai Curry | Slow Cooker Vegetarian

1 can (14 oz) light coconut milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 Tbsp red curry paste
1 large onion, chopped
4 small Yukon gold potatoes (8 oz), quartered
4 cups butternut squash cut to bite size cubes
4 cups cauliflower florets bite size
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, cut into large pieces
1 cup frozen peas thawed (best added warmed through at the last minute)
3 cups cooked basmati rice
Garnish: fresh shredded cilantro
    • Add coconut milk, flour and curry paste in the based of a 3-1/2 quart or larger slow-cooker and whisk to a smooth consistency.
    • Stir in vegetables (except peas) and combine well to coat the vegetables in the liquid..
    • Cover and cook on low 6 to 7 hours until vegetables are tender. 
    • Stir in peas, cover and let sit 5 minutes. 
    • Serve over rice; garnish with shredded cilantro.

    Previous PostSlow Cooker Meat Loaf | Easy Crock Pot Recipes

    More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!


    Wednesday, November 30, 2011

    Slow Cooker Revolution


    Slow Cooker Revolution: One Test Kitchen, 30 Slow Cookers, 200 Amazing Recipes!
     
    Wow!  When I first saw this slow cooker cookbook and noticed it was done by "America's Test Kitchen", I was excited, I thought to myself, this won't be one of those dreadful 'dump a can of soup and run' types of slow cooker cookbooks - this would be worth checking out.


    I was right!  The quick story of how the America's Test Kitchen cooks make this book, is inspiring.  They have delivered 200 recipes in this edition (and there is no Beef Stroganoff versions 1 through 10 either!)  They describe the book as: Slow Cooker Revolution: One Test Kitchen, 30 Slow Cookers, 200 Amazing Recipes!

    It's so much more than a recipe book.  I have been cooking with a slow cooker for more than 20 years, but their combined skills and experience in the kitchen has come up with some ideas to build flavor in dishes that I would never have come up with on my own.  The best part is (other than they build flavor) they don't require the tedious step of get the pan dirty browning the onions, garlic and meat to do it.  Wait till you see how they do, it's ingenious!

    Curious?  You bet!  Click on the picture in the box above and go have a look.

    Also check out this page I made, dedicated to all things related to Slow Cooker Revolution - check out some of the tips, tricks and hints I've enjoyed learning from the book - and I tracked down some stunning recipe reviews for you too.

    Bit of a different post from me today, but I hope you enjoy it!  Be sure to stop by Slow Cooker Revolution and check out the recipes! Enjoy!

    Previous Post: Crock Pot Oatmeal | Slow Cooker Oatmeal Recipe | Easy Apple Nut and Spice

    Tuesday, November 1, 2011

    Crock Pot Oatmeal | Slow Cooker Oatmeal Recipe | Easy Apple Nut and Spice

    A warming hot breakfast dish full of fruit and nuts the whole family will enjoy!

    No one wants to get out of bed on a cold day, but the spice aroma of this welcoming breakfast wafting to them from the kitchen will make your family glad to come to the breakfast table!

    This is an easy to make slow cooker recipe that's packed with taste and nutrition

    Crock Pot Oatmeal - Easy Apple Nut and Spice

    Cook on low for 7-9 hours
    Serves 6-8

    2 cups water
    2 cups milk
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    1 Tbsp melted butter
    pinch of salt
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1 cup steel cut oats (not quick cooking or instant)
    1 cup peeled and chopped apple
    1/2 cup chopped raisins (or cranberries)
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts

    Spray the inside of a 3-4 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
    Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and mix well.
    Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until oatmeal is tender.
    Stir well before serving.
    Serve with milk.  A great breakfast on a chilly day.


    Previous Post: Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

    More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!