What did you have for dinner?

Ha ha, not this hippy-chick Kev @NorthantsGeezer - I can save snails and eat a burger at the same time - a girl of many talents and loadsa contradictions me!

I tried beef casserole in my slow cooker at weekend @Kandy, think I did it wrong though, am just learning this slow cooking malarky! Had to speed-finish it come teatime in a pan on the hob!

I can recommend the halogen Kev, and the actifry too

Depending how many you're cooking for, I find the halogen great for saving heating up a conventional sized oven and the clean up is a doddle in comparison.

The actifry's great for doing all sorts of things, not just chips, and again clean up's so much simpler

As for slow cookers, I'm just learning the art of them things, even though I've had mine for years - but my workmates swear by it, specially in winter

 

...... oops....sorry
I think my neighbour has a halogen. Do they give off a really bright light @SharonL ??
I think the halogen may be my best bet

 

Yeah Kev, they light up brightly when the halogen heat is on, but the light goes out intermittently on a thermostat-thingy when its reached the right temperature makes a nice warming glow in your kitchen!

I've not used my big oven since I bought the Halogen & Actifry

 

Do you work for a halogen oven manufacturer @SharonL ? Maybe you should! You have just made my mind up for me I only have 2 light bulbs working out of 7, in my kitchen

 

Cheers Sheal mine has the auto function as well but I think the mistake I made at weekend was trying to "convert" a pan-method casserole recipe into a slow cooker one
I've got myself a couple of slow cooker recipe books now, I'll practice but thanks for the guide tip that should help

 

Ah, so is all that "browning things first" another urban myth Sheal? do you tend to pre-fry onions, meat etc or just chuck it straight in?

 

tonight it was chicken tikka curry , rice, garlic naan and salad

 

Today was motorway café slops (well, that's at best!)

 

@SharonL I usually buy braising steak or casserole steak as it is now known in some shops.

I wash the blood off of it under the cold tap but not too much and then I cut it up into cubes removing all the fat in the meat.I either use one of those packet mixes which has all the seasonings in it or I make up beef gravy granules in boiling water,enough to fill the slow cooker about half way up.To this I add peas,carrots,parsnip sliced onions or leeks.The carrots and parsnips I cut up fairly small as per instructions in the manual.

The spuds I add are usually small ones and these I also cut up smallish(but not too small) and I microwave them first for about seven minutes before adding them with all the other veggies to the gravy mixture in the croc pot.I give the whole lot a good stir and if I haven't used a packet mix I add my own salt,pepper and herbs and then give it another good stir with a wooden spoon.I usually set it to high for a couple of hours and then down to low for the rest of the cooking time.If I addd a couple of dumplings later on,I turn the slow cooker back up to high as the dumplings need the heat to get them to cook.When they have cuffed up and grown big I usually use a large unslotted spoon to turn them to cook the other side.

Once cooked,I turn off the slow cooker and dish up.Yummy,yummy

PS, @SharonL forgot to say I also add fresh mushrooms which I slice up after giving them a quick wipe with a piece of damp kitchen towel.You can leave the mushrooms as thick slices rather than thin slivers.You can also use tinned mushrooms and if you like frozen sweetcorn kernels then you can add them as well.

I don't add cauliflower,runner,French or broad beans to the stew but if you like these they can be cooked separately and added to your plate.When I first used spuds I never cooked them first and they came out as hard as bullets.You can also use Bouquet Garni's if you so wish for seasoning taking them out before serving....

 

This evening we are having smoked mackerel on warm bean salad (cannellini beans/ french beans / broad beans / potatoes / olives / shallot / capers and parsley) . Perhaps a glass of white wine.

a-a

 

For dinner this week do not have to worry much, as husband is away for the week. YEAH. I can just nibble what is around and move on. Grab a glass of wine and I am good.

 

Had my dinner already today went for a 9 course taster menu at adam's in Birmingham. Was very nice

 

not much of an appetite so just a cheese salad sandwich the rest of the gang are on fish,rice and salad

 

Thanks @Sheal sounds good to me!

Cheers @Kandy I'll give that a go

 

Lasagna and garlic bread