Hello Dear Reader,
In an attempt to save as much money as I can this month, I'm going to cook my main meal every day in my slow cooker or my Crock Pot to be more accurate. It's getting colder every day and I'm going to hold off heating the house until my wood burner is installed in the October half term. That means wrapping up warm, quilts on the sofa, thick jumpers, warm slipper and hearty warm food.
Our ovens are one of the biggest consumers of electricity in our homes so using a slow cooker will really save you masses of money. Just think, if you cooked half of your meals a week in your slow cooker then you will drastically reduce your energy bills and do the environment a favour whilst you're at it.
The other thing I love about slow cookers is that it's there are waiting for you when you get home, there isn't much you can't cook in it and my plan is to share with you as many recipes as I can, some of which will be a surprise to you.
Here's my recipe for Chicken Cacciatore
I used - 5 chicken thighs - the meat and skin will just fall off at the end of cooking and you can then break the chicken up to make it go a very long way. I used them frozen, didn't defrost and just popped them in this morning.
1 onion - finely sliced
2 green peppers - thinly sliced (but any colour will do)
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of dried chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
salt and pepper
1 chicken stock cube
1/2 tin of water to add to this.
Here is the very very best thing - just add the lot to your Crock Pot and switch on low, as I did for 12 hours, go to work and come home and it is ready to eat!
We ate ours with steamed potatoes, broccoli and carrots. There was plenty left for our lunch boxes tomorrow.
The effect is almost like pulled meat, or pulled chicken in this case as it just melts in your mouth.
I'm looking forward to a very easy month of food and a much reduced energy bill! A great combination as far as I'm concerned!
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs
Hi Froogs
ReplyDeletewouldn't be without mine either make all sorts in it and also do what I call "pot mess" e.g take what ever i have pop it in put it on a low with a tom sauce base as a rule. and either pop in spuds or cook rice in the rice cooker I have. Also use a steamer as well. I use these far more than I do my oven. and then like you I bulk cook.
There is a Face book page ....https://www.facebook.com/groups/slowcookedwonders/?fref=ts. and they make cakes, sweets oh just anything and so helpful with tips and advice. Loved the quilt you were working on the other day. I have just started a heap of Christmas presents. and saving back jars to put in some home made treat. Keep on pluggin froogs as always good advice given.
Perfect timing as I am struggling to find tasty slow cooker meals, all the flavours just become one, so I will be joining you this month, if a day or 2 behind. JC
ReplyDeletePerfect timing! I have been struggling to love my slow cooker, great for chicken stock but everything else just seems a bit dull and tasteless compared to the hob or the oven (obviously missing something). So I will be following along, albeit a couple of days behind. Been a lurker since the beginning and really appreciate all of your fun and informative blogs. JC
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! I use my slow cooker all the time--it was the first thing I bought when I moved from the US to Ireland 6 months ago :-) One thing to remember when using the slow cooker is that you want to add dried herbs near the end of the cooking time, otherwise the flavor washes out. When using dried herbs, I would put them in about an hour or so before the end of the cooking time. One thing I used to do quite a lot when I had more access to fresh herbs was to put in some chicken pieces, along with different veggies--such as cauliflower, carrot, onion, potato, sweet potato, etc--and lay a bunch of fresh herbs on top. Turn on the slow cooker and prepare to be hungry :-) It smells amazing and tastes delicious!
DeleteOh great. I love my slow cooker and use it several times a week, moreso in autumn and winter. Rice pudding is delicious in the slow cooker. Will watch your blog with interest. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOOh, I want a rice pudding recipe for slow cooker. Maybe Froogs will let you guest post that. Fond childhood memories.
DeleteI hate to put a dampener on this 'coz I love my slow cooker but they are not all as economical as each other. I got mine from a bring and buy sale for £6 and it has a wattage of 84/168 ( it has two settings ). I checked out the very nice- looking one from Aldi last winter but noticed that it has a wattage of 200, which means that it would use 2 KWh in 10 hours, similar to using the oven for about 40- 50 minutes on about 180'C ( depending on your cooker ). Slow cookers are wonderful for cooking when you're not there, but it's not the whole picture. Btw, I do chicken legs in the slow cooker and you're right: the meat just falls off the bone. I throw the vegetables in as well and I love the way the gravy flavours the potatoes and carrots. I envy you your wood burner.....and your latest quilt: fantastic effect.
ReplyDeleteYes, the older design of slow cooker without the removable bowl was much more efficient, but the manufacturers stopped making those ones ages ago. My nonremovable bowl slow cooker was a couple of quid from a car boot sale about 20 years ago. Later (I think) there were some food poisonings from people cooking things straight from frozen that caused slow cookers to disappear from the shops for a couple of years. Slow cookers manufactured after that point have a higher-temperature low setting to ensure they always get hot enough to prevent the manufacturer being sued.
DeleteI didn't realise that there had been an issue with that- thanks for the info. My slow cooker is an older type. ( Kenwood ) with a removable bowl. The food is always piping hot and bubbling after cooking but still at 84 watts. Lucky, as I didn't know what I was buying. It was brand new but unused.
DeleteI have a bit of an underused slow cooker. Is there a difference between a crock pot and a slow cooker? I'm determined to get more out of mine and to be a bit more adventurous. It's the word 'slow' that puts me off when all I want is quick, quick,quick. I should rename mine 'Learn to be Patient' cooker!
ReplyDeleteCrock Pot is a brand, slow cooker is the name of the appliance. No difference in "thing" but big variations in size, setting options, and accessories such as timers, removable crock, or locking lids.
Deleteif you have got an electric cooker check the instruction manual. Having read mine it said that the smallest ring on the lowest setting acts like a slow cooker. Didn't believe them so stayed in all day with it. Guess what? they told the truth. Has worked on two other cookers as well. Saves on buying a slow cooker and storing the accursed thing.
ReplyDeleteOur office has a crock pot cook off every fall. We have a main dish, vegetarian, and desert categories. Staff have made everything from bake rigatoni with spinach and mushrooms, my winning dish last year, to apple crisp and chocolate lava cake. My personal favorite was the crock pot roasted root vegetable dish from two years ago. Healthy and comforting, and also tasted a little decadent as the vegetables had a real caramelly taste. My mouth is watering thinking about it.
ReplyDeletehttp://newframereference.blogspot.com
sounds amazing!!! looks good too! I hope you are well, best wishes from Canada
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy! I use boneless skinless thighs in my crockpot often. 6 thighs, 2 29 oz cans of tomatoes (1 crushed and 1 diced) 2 packs of taco seasoning, 3 cans of beans or dried equiv. cook on low 6-8 hours last hour toss in a can of niblet corn. Stir with a fork to break up the chicken. Serve over steamed rice (cheap). Serves 4 teen boys or 2 dinners for a normal family
ReplyDeleteThanks Froogs you inspired me to prep this for tomorrow. I was lucky enough to have all the ingredients on hand. Great idea. I am tired of cooking this week. This will give me a break tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI always find that leaving a slow cooking going even on low for 8- 12 hours is sooo long. I often wondered how much power that actually took. Luckily my hubby is home during the day and can start it up at lunchtime which I find is plenty of time. I like to brown the meat and onions first which adds a whole dimension of taste to the meal.
ReplyDeleteIf you want quick cooking, think about a pressure cooker. I use mine quite a lot. Many people are afraid to use them, but I find only two essentials: turn the burner down after it comes up to pressure, and don't fill it more than 2/3 full. I've NEVER blown a pressure valve and I'm my second pressure cooker. I'd say I use it at least twice a week. Can cook a pot roast in an hour. Cooks many things directly from frozen. Makes soup in an hour that tastes like it cooked all day. Very useful item.
ReplyDeleteI do replace the rubber ring and safety valve every couple years, which costs $8 or so.
With the winter looming we are too trying to economise with fuel , we have a gas cooker which is a little cheaper than electric , i always fill the oven and plan my baking so that its possible , The main thing is we need heat to make sure our health issues are hopefully not getting any worse in the colder months so we are working out how to heat our house and not see a huge difference in our bills , we have saved £60.00 per month moving to a smaller house , With washing i use the half hour cycle for most of my washing now , I have saved at least two hours a week on that , I have used your tip about planning your washing with the weather, At the moment i have a full washing basket , Tomorrow it looks like i will be able to wash it and dry it outside these are just a few things i have done to save on energy Although frugal this is something i have never done thinking that a little bit wont make a difference but it defiantly does as all those little bits make a big bit , Its all down to you frugal queen , thank you
ReplyDeleteI just can't get on with a slow cooker... I find no matter what I cook in it, whether I follow a recipe or not the meat is invariably dry.
ReplyDeleteI too had a slow cooker meal last night - beef and dumplings, yum! The night before I baked 3 banana loaves, roasted a chicken and heated up last week's macaroni cheese all at the same time in the gas oven. This frugal use of fuel is new thinking to me but easy to plan into a week's meals. On Friday I'll be putting a lamb curry in the oven so I'm going to make your 'oaty mincemeat slices' at the same time, Froogs. Have had a jar of mincemeat lurking in the back of the cupboard for a couple of years! I'm still enjoying reading back through your blogs and gradually introducing some of your frugal ideas into my lifestyle. Btw your relationship with 'DB' comes across as a lovely, warm loving one, and I too am jealous of your wood-burning stove!... How do you manage to throw together a slow cooker meal before leaving so early for work in the morning? Very impressive! Love Jane
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