Slow Cooker Pork Soup

• 500 g boneless country style pork ribs, in 1-inch pieces
• 1 peeled, potato, diced into small cubes
• 2 chopped ribs celery
• 4 sliced carrots
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 chopped cabbage
• 1 chopped onion
• 800 g can crushed tomatoes in juice
• 4 chicken stock cubes
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

How to make it:

Add all the ingredients to your crockpot, then cover it and cook it on high for four to five hours or low for eight to nine hours. The soup is ready when all the vegetables are tender and the pork is cooked through.

This is a good basic recipe. The first time I tried making it we used pork ribs with bones and a few slices of bacon too. Also threw in left over vegetables so didn't have room for the cabbage.

Rich Chocolate Self-saucing Pudding

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours, using high and low



Ingredients

3 cups self-raising flour

1/4 cup cocoa

100 grams butter, chilled and diced

1 cup sugar

2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla essence



Chocolate sauce

3 1/2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup dark rum or coffee liqueur

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa
Method
Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.

Sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.

Beat the milk, eggs and vanilla essence together and mix into the dry ingredients using a holed spoon to form a stiff batter.

Into the pre-warmed slow cooker, put the boiling water, rum or coffee liqueur, sugar and cocoa and stir to dissolve the cocoa.

Carefully spoon the batter evenly into the slow cooker and cover with the lid.

Cook on high for 1 hour then turn to low for a further 1 hour.

Serve hot with ice cream and cream.



Allyson's tip

The alcohol will have cooked out of the rum or liqueur, however, use only water for an alcohol-free recipe.

Vegetables in Coconut Curry Sauce

Serves: 6

Time: 20 mins

Cost: $10
Ingredients



4 tbsp peanut oil


1/2 cup raw cashew nuts

2 large red onion cut into think wedges

1 large carrot cut julienne

2 stalks celery - cut into thick slices

1 green pepper; 1 red pepper cut into small squares

4 cloves garlic - finely sliced

1 heaped tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

Small tin pineapple pieces - drained

1 cup green beans

1 1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp brown sugar



Method

Into a large heavy based pan, add a little oil and pan fry cashew nuts. Set aside.

Heat in the same pan, 2 tbsp oil then sauté, onion, carrots celery and capsicums. Stir fry until almost cooked, yet still firm. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Heat a little more oil and sauté garlic, ginger and curry powered until aromatic - about 30 seconds.

Mix in pineapple, beans and stir to coat with spices.

Return vegetables and nuts to pan along with coconut milk, water, salt and sugar and simmer gently uncovered for around 10 minutes.

If mixture becomes too thick - just add a little of the pineapple juice.

Beef Stroganoff - Slow Cooker

This is an extremely flavourful, tender, sumptuous slow cooker recipe. Perfect for guests or as a warm comfort food! Also great to prepare in advance and freeze!

Ingredients

600g stewing steak chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (not a cheap brand)

200ml milk

100-200g closed cup mushrooms sliced thickly

2 medium onions chopped

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

150g garlic & herb cream cheese

5 portions fusilli or taglietelle pasta (size & type depending on appetite!)

60 ml soured cream (optional) Preparation method 1.Add steak, onions, mushrooms, mushroom soup, milk and Worcestershire sauce to slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. You do not need to add extra liquid for the condensed soup, this is what the milk is for. 2.An hour before finish, add the cream cheese and stir well to disolve. 3.Cook pasta according to packet instructions when stroganoff is done. 4.Serve stroganoff over pasta with sour cream on top.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Serves 4

4-6 boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp oil

Stir fry chicken, onion and garlic in frying pan on medium heat until the chicken has some color and the onion is translucent. Then pour entire contents of pan into crock pot. Then add:

15 green cardamom pods (can be strung together with needle and thread - I always do it this way, and then a friend informed me putting it in some cheesecloth would be easier...good thinkin')
2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp curry paste (like Patak’s mild curry paste**)
1 tsp cayenne powder (optional) It’s really hot if you add this
2 tsp tandoori masala*
1 tsp garam masala*
1 can coconut milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1 5.5 fl oz can of tomato paste
Salt to taste

Mix gently and cook on high heat 4-6 hours or low heat 6-8 hours.

*If you live in Canada you can find these two spices (as well as the cardamom pods) at Superstore in the International Foods aisle.

**I have also used Patak's Hot Curry Paste and it makes this dish have a good kick to it. When serving company (or kids) I stick with Mild.

Serve with basmati rice and warm naan bread.