Hold on there, do not step away when you see the subject matter, its summer,the UK has finally welcomed the sun with a vengeance. Its time for salads,strawberries and slow cookers!!!
Yes you did hear me right,slow cookers,give me a few more minutes and I may sell you to my idea.
Judges Slow cookers may also have thought me a tad strange, most people are bust barbecuing and washing lettuce and I am heaving the slow cooker out, the appliance for winter warmers,heartwarming broths and casseroles!!
Well I actually am trying two recipes that are less traditional and I will be posting these from tomorrow.
A really easy chilli, made with brisket of beef, being slow cooked as I type, it will be pulled apart and served in tortillas with fresh guacamole,its the perfect summer meal for lots of friends to enjoy. It smells heavenly so far.
I'm also attempting bread!!!
Yes in the slow cooker. I'm risking putting it out here now and there maybe disaster,but you will see my success or failure.
I had seen a website in Australia that did this and I want to have a go with my bread recipe. One for curiosity, secondly, well the fact that all the proving and cooking is done in the slow cooker,perfect as I am unable to knead bread until my finger has mended.
Onto the slow cooker itself, I have been using it for more traditional recipes to get to know it and I am impressed. I have bought and reviewed several slow cookers, cheaper models often do not cook well and can burn meat.
My beloved Gordon Ramsay slow cooker which served me well, had a Paige attack, it was on my cooker top with a casserole in and she cooked some eggs and melted the control panel.
This model has a 1.5 litre version,I have seen this selling for £16.99 ideal for cooking for 1 person or couples. A 3 litre which is just perfect for a meal for 4. The one I chose was for the pure size the feature I love next to its great efficiency and so far perfect cooking results, its a 5 litre cooker. If you shop around you can pick this model up for between £30 and £43.20 (the latter being Judges RRP)
Its my latest pride and joy (Paige is banned from being near it ;), it looks good, with the sleek stainless steel exterior. A glass lid enables me to see if everything is OK.
I wanted a slow cooker that would easily hold large meat joints, as you can see from the above photo it is hardly full with a whole chicken portioned potatoes and chorizo dish for 6 people. The recipe book that comes with the Judge slow cooker has a recipe for a leg of lamb.
I like to cook to feed an army Chris says. Its more that if I am cooking I like to make enough for a couple of meals.Its better for the gas and electric bills saves 40% on usual cooking, its good to have nights off cooking but still have a great meal.
The function buttons are easy,you really wouldn't need any instructions to get started.my only wish was that once cooking was over,it switched to keep warm.This is not a feature I need as I am a full time carer at home,but for those who work it would be useful. Although using it last night for a beef curry, I switched it off at 5.30 and forgot to put on warming and the curry was still hot an hour and a half later when Chris got home. The thick ceramic inner pot is responsible for that,its a really good looking dish, great to bring to the table to serve.
I have used it so far for Thai curries, roast chicken,all my usual recipes and its dealt with everything well. If you are new to the idea of a slow cooker,this method of cooking locks in all the nutrients of the meal so it much more healthier than casseroles in the oven or on the hob.
For my Slimming world readers most of you already know that many recipes can be adapted, so oil is not used, its handy for making lots of great tasting meals that you would usually have to stand over, a constant comment for a lot of my fellow Slimming World friends is not being able to make quick meals,well the slow cooker makes quick meals in a slow way plus in bigger quantities, even better.
I brown the meat, add the other ingredients and pop the lid on, job done! Its not even necessary to brown meat, I do it for the look of the dish mainly.
Cleaning is easy, the dish is dishwasher safe, that alone makes me adore the Judges slow cooker and on the site it shows the dish in the oven. It has a two year guarantee, with my previous experience of Judge products I don't expect to be needing it. This is my best slow cooker yet! Highly recommended.
Typical in store price
JEA34 Slow Cooker, 1.5L £28.80
JEA35 Slow Cooker, 3.5L £33.60
JEA36 Slow Cooker, 5.5L £43.20
Disclosure- I was sent a Judges 5 litre slow cooker to review and try out recipes.I was given no other payment or incentive,my opinions are my own.
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