Benefits of slow cooking
Colder months mean two things: dreading getting out of bed on a winter’s morning and delicious hot food to warm the colder nights. To help you get through an Australian winter, we’ve got together our favourite breakfast, lunch and dinner slow-cooker recipes.
Some of the advantages of using a slow cooker include:
- Preparation requires much less effort – simply put it in and walk away
- More servings per batch – you can make meals for the whole week in one go
Most electrical retailers or home appliance stores will stock electric slow cookers.
Breakfast - Banana, macadamia and apple oatmeal
Preparation time: 5 – 10 minutes
Cook time: Overnight or 8hrs
Ingredients:
- Bananas
- Macadamia
- steel cut oats
- Milk (of your choice)
- Water
Ratio of ingredients: 1 banana/1 cup of steel cut oats/2 cups milk/2cups water, and macadamias for your favourite level of crunch!
Instructions:
Step 1 - Mash your banana
Step 2 - Pour all the ingredients into your slow-cooker and mix thoroughly
Step 3 - Leave it on low overnight or for 8 hours
Step 4 - Serve with slices of fresh banana and apple
Step 5 - Add some cinnamon
Lunch – Spicy bean chilli
Preparation time: 5 – 15 mins
Cook time: Morning till lunch (4hrs on high) or overnight (8hrs on low)
Ingredients:
- Minced meat (check the ingredients are just meat)
- Canned tomatoes
- Beans (such a variety to choose from – kidney beans, black-eyed peas, navy beans)
- Corn
- Capsicum
- Brown onion
- White onion
- Garlic
- Chilli powder/flakes/chillies/paprika
- Peppers
- Olive oil
Ratios: 500g mincemeat/1 x 800g tin tomatoes/1 x 800g tin of beans/2 x large capsicum
Note: If you think your ratio might leave your chilli a little dry, you can avoid draining the beans, or add in your desired amount of tomato sauce (not the sugary stuff, actual tomatoes made into a sauce).
Instructions
Step 1 - Mince your onions and garlic, and cook in a pan with a little olive oil on a low heat until golden brown
Step 2 - Finely dice your capsicum
Step 3 - Pour all your ingredients into the slow-cooker and mix thoroughly
Step 4 - Leave on high for 4hrs or on low for 8hrs
Dinner – Turmeric and pepper lamb on kumara rice
Prep time: 5 -10 mins
Cook time: 8 - 10 hrs
Ingredients:
- Lamb (leg or shoulder)
- Turmeric
- Pepper
- Kumara (sweet potato)
- Brown rice
- Olive oil
- Water
Ratio of ingredients: In this recipe, our focus is on water level. You’ll want your brown rice and kumara to be under water and your lamb partially sitting in the water. This will take a little experimentation depending on the size of your slow-cooker and the cut of lamb you use.
Instructions:
Step 1 - Dice the kumara
Step 2 - Spread olive oil, and generous amounts of turmeric and pepper over the lamb
Step 3 - First place the rice into the slow cooker, then the kumara, then cover with water
Step 4 - Gently mix
Step 5 - Place lamb into the slow cooker
Step 6 - Leave for 8 – 10 hours (the aroma should be driving you crazy by that point)
It’s a hearty winter meal that will keep you warm and comforted for hours afterwards.
Stay warm, and bon appetit!
All information contained in this article is intended for general information purposes only. The information provided should not be relied upon as medical advice and does not supersede or replace a consultation with a suitably qualified healthcare professional.