Stooow, Childhood Memories & Admiting I Was Wrong....

As the nights are still so cold and dark, my mind has been filled with thoughts of soups, casseroles, curries and chillis, which can only mean one thing  – it’s time to dust off the slow cooker and put it to good use.

I purchased my first slow cooker last year and although you can really use the slow cooker at any time of the year, it is best used as soon as the cold weather kicks in and I get lazier in the kitchen.

If you haven’t yet got a slow cooker, I seriously recommend you invest in one as soon as you can.

I am the first to admit for years (and years!) I resisted. Haunted by memories from my childhood where a brown lumpy ‘stoooow,’ as we called it, would be regularly served up to mine and my sister’s horror.  I swore I would never own one.  Until I got one. And now it is a game changer, without a drop of stoooow (gag) in sight! They’re generally between £15 and £30 from Amazon depending on which size you require and they’re really worth every penny. If you are feeling super fancy (and have my aversion to stooow) I would highly recommend the Sage by Heston Blumenthal Fast Slow Pro Slow Cooker (you can buy it here ). Not only does it slow cook but it steams, pressure cooks and makes the most amazing risotto in 7 teeny tiny minutes. Winner winner, no stoooow for dinner! There is nothing quite like opening the front door on a cold evening and being greeted by the inviting smells of comfort food that’s been simmering away all day.

Other benefits of a slower cooker (I can barely believe I am typing this, 3 months ago I could not find one let alone other benefits!) is that they use minimal electricity making them eco-friendly as well as making enough left overs  to stock your freezer from now till the clocks change back. What’s not to love?!

I have a couple of tried-and-tested slow cooker recipes that I’ll be blogging about in the coming weeks with not a stooooow in sight so first let’s start with this winter warmer –

Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Dahl

•3 large sweet potatoes, diced

•3 cups vegetable broth

•1 onion, minced

•4 cloves garlic, minced

•2 teaspoon each ground coriander, garam masala, and chili powder

•½ teaspoon salt

•1½ cups uncooked red lentils (masoor dal)

•1 can coconut milk

•1 cup water

How To -

1.Place the sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, lentils and spices in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 - 8 hours, until vegetables are soft.

2.Stir in the coconut milk and as much water as needed to get the right consistency. Serve with rice poppadum’s and cozy socks. Enjoy!