March 23, 2017

10 things I have learned since using my slow cooker

10 things I have learned since using my slow cooker

It took me a long time to get one. I don’t know why. Now that I have one, it’s like this thing is a no-brainer. I can’t believe I didn’t have a slower cooker when I was working. It would have saved so much time, arguments, and we would have had delicious nutritious hassle-free meals. But now I have one I am realising the many benefits of my slow cooker. These are the 10 things I have learned since using my slow cooker.

10 things I have learned since using my slow cooker

1. With a slow cooker I can cook hassle-free meals

Yes, there’s no racing home thinking crap what shall I feed the kids tonight (OK meal planning was not my forte back then). But with the slow cooker, I have to plan and shop for what I am going to cook for the week. It’s turned me into a meal planning ninja! And that’s great because I’m not charging around the supermarket thinking …argh need more fish fingers.

Nope, with the slow cooker, there’s a chicken curry waiting ready to be dished up. All I need to do is pop on some rice. And no more moaning kids, they eat whatever that darn slow cooker cooks!

2. I can cook cheaper cuts of meat

This is a good one. Because the cooking is long and slow I can buy and cook cheaper cuts of meat. The slow cooker works its magic making the meat soft and succulent. I love a bit of slow cooked pork belly, or a beef curry made up of stewing cuts. This week I am trying beef massaman curry.

3. When I get home, there’s a hot delicious meal waiting for me

That’s the beauty of the slow cooker. I prep in the morning, chopping, slicing and dicing and a bit of browning of the meat. Then I pop all ingredients into the slow cooker. Put the lid on and set the cooking level. Usually low or if I’m pressed for time, medium to high. Flick the timer on and get on with my day. And in the evening – there it is a super, slow cooked meal.

4. A slow cooker is economical. I can double up quantities. Eat and freeze

With a slow cooker I can cook more and save more. I can double up on quantities and freeze the extra portions. When I haven’t had time to cook, there’s usually a Chilli con Carne to be found in the freezer.

5. It’s energy efficient, less of a drain on the electric

That slow cooker is economical and efficient. It uses far less electricity than our electric fan oven.  More pennies saved. Kerching!

6. The long, slow cooking does amazing things to food flavours

I have converted my chicken curry recipe for the slow cooker and after six hours of low, slow cooking, it tastes divine. The pungent spices have penetrated deep into the chicken, the sauce is full of zest, that chilli trips of the tongue.  Oh and the meat, it just falls away from the bone. No more moaning about chewy meat!

7. There is less washing up with a slow cooker

Hurrah! Oh so much less washing up, especially if I’ve opted for the one-pot recipes. I am a big fan of any meal that can be cooked in a single pot! Anything to keep the washing up to a manageable, in my case, non-existent level.

8. It’s easy on my purse

The slow cooker is giving me extra wriggle room in my purse. Less stress on the electricity bills, using cheaper cuts of meat, and meal planning which I have finally got my head around, means we are saving money on our weekly shop!

9. It’s saving me more time

Slow cooking saves time, by redistributing time.

I either prep in the night before or in the morning after the school run. Then the food is tipped into the slow cooker, switch it on and return when the food it is done.

My slow cooker has put an end to the evening kitchen frenzy of cooking something, anything for starving, grumpy, tired kids, and then something for us.

I know, almost four years of cooking two sets of meals. You don’t have to tell me. I am still kicking myself!

If it’s slow cooker night – we are all eating it!

10. I can just pile it in then walk away

And that’s the beauty of slow cooker cooking, pile it in, switch it on, walk away! I love my slow cooker!

 

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