Slow Cooker Veggie Chilli
This chilli is packed with vegetables, making it a great choice for children.
Ingredients:
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, kidney beans or white beans of your choice, tinned
- 2 celery sticks
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 small courgettes
- 2 red peppers
- 1 green chilli
- 1 tsp. each of dried oregano, basil and chilli powder
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tbsp. tomato puree
- 1 beef or veggie stock cube
- Salt and pepper
Method of Preparation:
- Thinly slice the carrots and onion. Dice the celery sticks finely and thinly slice the courgettes. Mince the garlic cloves. Dice the peppers and remove the seeds and pith. Slice the chilli in half and remove the seeds with the back of your knife then finely chop.
- You can cook this chilli in two ways – either cook the carrots, onion, celery and garlic together until soft, then add the tomato puree, oregano, basil, chilli powder and ground cumin and cook for another 3-4 minutes, and then add to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or you can simple put everything into the slow cooker together and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Sweating the carrot, onion, celery and garlic together first will give you more flavour, but the chilli will still be tasty without this step.
Serve over brown rice or with some homemade tortilla chips and a sprinkling of low-fat strong cheddar. Recipe serves 6.
Calories per serve – 248
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
This tasty ragu is very low in fat and full of flavour.
Ingredients:
- 2 small onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 500g extra-lean beef steak mince
- 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 100g tomato puree
- 200ml red wine
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. each dried oregano, marjoram, parsley and basil or 1 tbsp. mixed Italian herbs
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch chilli flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 beef stock cube
- Oil spray
Method of Preparation:
- Finely chop the onions, carrots and celery sticks. Heat oil spray in a frying pan and cook the onions, carrots and celery together for 10-15 minutes until soft and beginning to sweeten. Mince the garlic cloves and add these after about 8 minutes, and cook for a few minutes with the rest of the veg.
- Put the veg in the slow cooker, then dry fry the meat in the frying pan until completely browned. Drain of any fat then put into the slow cooker. In a jug, combine the tomatoes, red wine and tomato puree and cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until bubbling. Add this to the slow cooker.
- Season everything in the slow cooker with oregano, marjoram, parsley, basil, chilli flakes, beef stock cube and salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf.
- Cook on high for 1 hour and then turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for 8-10 hours adding more water if needed.
Serve the ragu over freshly cooked wholemeal pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese – you only need about 20g per person because it’s so rich, but it’s relatively low in calories and fat. Recipe serves 6.
Calories per serve – 419
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken & Mushroom Curry
This simple recipe uses a secret ingredient for maximum creaminess and flavour – condensed soup.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts, or you can use 8 chicken thigh pieces with all fat trimmed
- 2 x 400g tins low-fat low-cal mushroom condensed soup
- 2 onions
- 350g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 tbsp. medium curry powder
- 1 tbsp. dried mixed herbs
- Salt and pepper
- Oil spray
Method of Preparation:
- Finely slice the onions and thinly slice the mushrooms.
- Heat the oil spray in a frying pan and brown the chicken on all sides.
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker and then soften the onions in the same pan you put the chicken in.
- Add the onions to the chicken in the slow cooker, then pour in the condensed soup and add the mushrooms, curry powder, mixed herbs, salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Cook on low for around 6-8 hours or until the chicken is tender and the sauce thick.
If you want to, add more vegetables – carrots would be a great addition. Recipe serves 4.
Calories per serve – 246
Slow Cooked Beef and Butternut Squash Stew
This warming, hearty stew tastes so good you’ll never believe that it’s super low in fat.
Ingredients:
- 450g lean stewing steak, trimmed of excess fat, cubed
- 400ml Passata
- 1 large onion
- 1 small butternut squash
- 120g baby carrots
- 250g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 x tin of kidney beans
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 tsp. each dried thyme, oregano and basil
- Salt and pepper
Method of Preparation:
- Mix the Passata, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock cube, thyme, oregano, basil, salt and pepper in a saucepan and simmer for ten minutes.
- Finely chop the onion. Peel the squash and remove the seeds, then dice it into cubes.
- Brown the stewing steak in a dry frying pan and place into the slow cooker. Cook the onion in the same frying pan until softened then put into the slow cooker with the squash, carrots, kidney beans and mushrooms. Pour the Passata mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker then stir well.
- Cook on low for eight hours, adding more water if needed. Take the beef chunks from the slow cooker and shred the beef with two forks, then put back into the slow cooker and cook on high for an hour or so.
Serve this with mashed sweet potato for a lovely, hearty dinner. Recipe serves 4.
Calories per serve – 476
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
This rich pumpkin soup is a cinch to make – serve it with warm brown bread and a sprinkle of parsley.
Ingredients:
- 1 pumpkin
- 1 onion
- 750ml chicken stock
- 125ml low-fat yoghurt or cream cheese or milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large cinnamon stick, snapped in half
- Sprig of rosemary
- Sprig of thyme
- Sprig of sage
- Salt and pepper
Method of Preparation:
- Dice the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Thinly slice the onion and soften in a frying pan with the pumpkin cubes until browned.
- Put the pumpkin and onion into the slow cooker with the chicken stock. Tie the bay leaves, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme and sage into a piece of muslin cloth and then add this to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 4 hours then remove the muslin herb packet. Blend the contents of the slow cooker with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth then stir in the yoghurt and blend again. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
This recipe would also be lovely with a little bit of nutmeg or cloves. Recipe makes 4 servings.
Calories per serve – 190
BBQ Slow Cooked Pulled Chicken
Serve this BBQ chicken on soft tortillas with a dollop of sour cream and a big crunchy salad.
Ingredients
- 1.125kg chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, all fatty bits removed
- 1 small onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 225g chopped tomatoes (or use 225g tomato pasta sauce from a jar)
- 1 x 110g can chopped green chillies, drained
- 3 tbsp. cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. runny honey
- 1 tbsp. sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp. tomato puree
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp. mustard powder
- 1 tsp. chilli powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground pepper
Directions
- Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic clove. Roughly dice the chicken thighs.
- Stir the chopped tomatoes, green chillies, cider vinegar, runny honey, paprika, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper together in a slow cooker.
- Add the onion, garlic and chicken and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours until soft. Pull the chicken apart with a fork and then if desired, cook on low for another 1-2 hours until thickened.
Recipe serves: 8. Calories per serving: 184.
Hungarian Beef Goulash
This saucy goulash is perfect for serving over wholemeal pasta or some toast.
Ingredients
- 900g beef chuck steak
- 2 tbsp. sweet paprika
- 2 tsp. caraway seeds
- Salt and pepper
- 2 medium onions
- 2 x medium potatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- Small handful freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp. water
- 400ml beef stock
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
Directions
- Mince the garlic cloves. Slice the onions into half-moons. Slice the pepper in half, remove the seeds and pith and dice the flesh. Dice the beef steak.
- Put the beef in the bottom of a slow cooker. Crush the caraway seeds in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Sprinkle over the beef along with the paprika. Toss to coat. Top the beef with the sliced onions and diced pepper.
- Combine the chopped tomatoes, minced garlic cloves, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and season well with salt and pepper.
- Pour the tomato sauce over the beef and vegetables and place the bay leaves on top. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours until the beef is soft and tender.
- Remove the bay leaves and stir in the parsley and corn starch mixture. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thickened and then serve immediately.
Recipe serves: 8. Calories per serving: 280.
Irish Stew
This filling stew comes complete with potatoes, carrots and leeks – one pot cooking at its very best.
Ingredients
- 700g boneless leg of lamb, fat trimmed
- 700g potatoes
- 3 large leeks
- 3 large carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 400ml chicken stock
- 2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Handful freshly chopped parsley
Directions
- Dice the lamb into 1-inch pieces. Peel the potatoes and carrots and dice into 1-inch cubes. Remove the outer leaves from the leeks, slice in half lengthways and wash to remove any sand or soil. Finely slice. Finely slice the celery stalks.
- Combine the lamb, potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, chicken stock, thyme leaves, salt and pepper in a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8 hours until the lamb is tender.
Recipe serves: 8. Calories per serving: 266.
Slow Cooked Beef Stew
This slow cooked beef stew yields succulent, tender beef with plenty of flavour and a rich sauce.
Ingredients
- 1.6kg beef shank, trimmed
- 2 medium onions
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 celery stalk
- 4 slices bacon or turkey bacon
- 650ml beef stock
- 450ml red wine (use non-alcoholic wine if you prefer or just use more beef stock)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. freshly cooked thyme leaves
- 2 x pieces orange zest, around 2 inches in length
- Salt and pepper
- Handful freshly chopped parsley
Directions
- Slice the beef shank. Finely dice the onions, carrots and celery. Dice the bacon. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet and add the bacon. Cook until browning and releasing oils and then add the onions, carrots and celery. Stir and cook until softening, around ten minutes. Add the stock, wine, bay leaves, thyme leaves, orange zest and salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
- Place the beef into a slow cooker. Pour in the hot vegetable and stock mixture and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours or until the beef is tender.
- To serve, lift the beef from the slow cooker. Pull the beef from the bone with a fork and discard the bones and marrow. Put back into the slow cooker, stir and cook on high uncovered for up to an hour until thickened. Stir in the parsley.
Recipe serves: 8. Calories per serving: 297.
