200 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

Cut the preserved lemons into quarters, then remove and discard the flesh. Shred the lemon skins into strips. Place the onion, strips of lemon skin, the chilli, olive oil and sugar in the slow cooker dish and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2 hours or until the onion is very soft.

Add the quinoa and hot stock and mix well to combine. Cover again and cook for a further hour.

Meanwhile, warm a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the pine nuts and cook for 3–5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until they are an even golden colour. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the quinoa is tender, with just a little bite to it (like cooked rice or couscous), stir in the coriander and the reserved pine nuts. In a separate bowl, mix the tomato paste with the boiling water to make a thin sauce. Serve the quinoa on warm plates with the tomato sauce drizzled around the edge.

SLOW-COOKED GARLIC AND HERB PASTA

Slow cooking garlic makes it gloriously sweet in flavour and absolutely perfect in this creamy pasta dish. This is great with a tomato salad.

Preparation time: 2 minutes

Cooking time: 2½–3 hours

Serves 4

Vegetarian

1 whole head garlic, unpeeled

100ml (3½fl oz) white wine, plus extra if needed

8–12 tbsp crème fraîche, or to taste

2 tbsp mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley and basil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

400g (14oz) dried pasta, such as farfalle or fusilli

Place the whole garlic in the slow cooker dish and pour over the wine. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 2½–3 hours, adding more wine if it starts to boil dry, until the garlic is soft.

Remove the garlic from the slow cooker and, using a sharp knife, cut the top from the garlic to expose the tips of the cloves. Squeeze out the now softened flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.

Add the crème fraîche and herbs together with any juices from the slow cooker and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions or until tender but still firm to the bite (al dente).

Drain the pasta reasonably well leaving a little of the cooking water behind in the pan. Return the drained pasta to the pan, add the garlic sauce and mix to combine, then serve with a tomato salad.

I ALSO LIKE...

to roast another head or two of garlic at the same time and keeping them well wrapped in the fridge for up to two weeks. Try mixing some of the garlic into mayonnaise for sandwiches or to top jacket potatoes, or even blended with cream cheese and used as a dip for crudités or crisps.

BRAISED LENTIL SALAD

This simple, rustic salad is packed with flavour and is utterly more-ish. It’s great on its own with crusty bread or equally at home as an accompaniment to meat, especially lamb.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 3 hours

Serves 4 as a main salad

Vegetarian

4–6 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled

250g (9oz) Umbrian or brown lentils, rinsed and drained

1 celery stick, trimmed and finely diced

2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only

1 bay leaf, broken

A large pinch of dried basil

1 litre (1¾ pints) vegetable stock

Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

15g (½oz) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Lemon wedges, to serve

Cover the base of the slow cooker dish with the olive oil. Using your thumb, press the garlic firmly to bruise it and add it to the slow cooker dish. Add the lentils, celery and herbs and mix well to coat in the oil.

Pour the stock over the lentils. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3 hours or until the lentils are tender.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. The mixture will be quite liquid. Season to taste with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix in the parsley before serving with lemon wedges.

RED PEPPER, BASIL AND RICOTTA CANNELLONI

Basil makes this cannelloni amazingly fragrant while the ricotta filling helps keep the mixture light and refreshing.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Serves 4

6 red peppers