Caitríona Redmond: My speedy slow cooker supper will feed a family quickly
Pic: iStock
Feeding a family takes time.
Some people resent the cycle of planning, cooking, and cleaning on repeat. Others see it as a chore. Then some see it as a fulfilling part of their lives. Food can bring great enjoyment to us all.
When the weather gets hot, and Irish salad produce is at its best, it’s time to down most tools in the kitchen and prepare the authentic Irish salad plate for the main meal instead of meat and veg.
I love the idea of eating salads every day in the summer, but it can all work out quite expensive unless you grow your own. Even though I do grow my own food, I still need to serve up a ‘real’ dinner now and again. But who wants to be stuck in the kitchen in warm weather? Not me!
Enter the slow cooker. It’s a lifesaver for planning around a busy week of work/school/activities. The slow cooker also consumes far less energy than an oven or hob, generates less heat, and will save on your energy bills. I know most people associate slow cookers with winter meals. They haven’t gone away, so if you want to save money all year, get a slow cooker.
During the summer, I put the slow cooker into use far more than any other cooking appliance in my kitchen. Without monitoring its progress, I can leave it to bubble away on the countertop and get out to the allotment or garden.
Our time is precious; there is no reason why we can’t prioritise eating well on a budget while recharging our batteries. I’m taking inspiration from the Irish salad plate and taking the heat out of my kitchen and meal-planning stress. There’s no reason why you can’t too.
There is no ‘best brand’, especially in the lower end of the market. I checked the main electrical retailers this week, and you can pick up a 3.7L slow cooker for as little as €24.99. The price of this appliance has remained fairly static over the past few years; plus, if you buy during off-peak times (summer), it tends to be budget-friendly.
At the mid to top-range prices, you can expect to get a sear function in your slow cooker, which allows you to build up layers of flavour by searing meat or sauteeing vegetables before cooking. I don’t bother paying the extra for these functions because they make minimal difference to the result, plus I’d have to be standing in the kitchen to sear/saute. After all, a slow cooker is a time-saving device for me.
Stretch your investment and buy a timer plug to go with your slow cooker (if it doesn’t have a timer function). This will allow you to schedule the time your cooking completes; even if you fill the cooker at 7 am before heading off to work, you can still sit down to a fresh and piping hot meal at 5.30 pm.
A slow cooker uses about the equivalent energy of a light bulb which is considerably less of an energy drain than a hob or oven. Replace your hob/oven use three times a week, and you will start to notice the difference in your energy consumption.
Every time you take the lid off while cooking, you can take 20-30 minutes of cooking time to whatever is inside the pot. Stand your ground and stick to the cooking time.
Slow cookers use a heavy ceramic pot inside an electric heat-conducting sleeve. This means it can stay hot for about an hour after turning it off, making it ideal for families with loads of activities.
If you can increase your budget to get the larger cooker (roughly 6L capacity), do! You can cook a whole chicken inside and double up your regular recipes to freeze half the contents for another day.
Smokey Chicken & Butterbean Stew
Just because this recipe is designed for a slow cooker doesn’t mean it’s cooking all day. This is a speedy slow cooker supper that we usually eat with crusty bread rather than rice or pasta. The beans bulk out the meal with extra protein and fibre too.
Servings
4Preparation Time
3 hours 0 minsCooking Time
15 minsTotal Time
3 hours 15 minsCourse
MainCuisine
AmericanIngredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 tin of butterbeans, drained
1 onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 peppers, sliced
1 chicken stock cube
2 tbsp tomato purée
½ tsp chipotle chilli flakes
½ tsp paprika
Fresh chopped parsley and coriander for serving
Method
Place the chicken, beans, onion, garlic and peppers into the slow cooker. Boil a kettle of water. Put the chicken stock and tomato purée into a large mug and fill the rest of the mug with hot water. Use a fork to stir the mug's contents until the stock cube and tomato purée are dissolved.
Pour the broth from the mug into the slow cooker. Add the chilli and paprika to the slow cooker, then stir well to combine all the ingredients.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high. Season to taste before serving with freshly chopped herbs and crusty bread.
Strawberry & Mango Ice Pops
This great sugar-free recipe for strawberry ice pops is convenient for introducing new foods and flavours to picky eaters. It’s also handy to use even squishy fruit that might be past its best - give them 24 hours to freeze!
Servings
6Preparation Time
10 minsTotal Time
10 minsCourse
MainIngredients
200g fresh strawberries, chopped
½ mango, peeled and chopped
100ml fresh orange juice
Method
Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor/blender until you have a fine pulp. Carefully pour into ice pop moulds.
Freeze for at least 3 hours at the top of your freezer before eating, although ideally overnight.
To get the ice pops out of their moulds, dip each into a mug of warm water for 20 seconds before turning upside down (handle facing to the ground) and pulling the mould off upwards. This prevents any breakages/leaving the ice pop behind in the mould.
No sugar or sweetener is added to this recipe, so it’s suitable for all ages from weaning (after six months). One pop can also count as 1 of your seven-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables. I have a good few of these ice pops on standby in the freezer because they’re far cheaper and better value than buying from the ice cream van.
