Something for the weekend: Relax with our recipes for a slow cook dinner

The sun is here for the weekend and you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen cooking. Here are some low-maintenance slow-cook favourites that won’t take over your day

Take it slow this weekend with these low-effort dinners

One-pot beef with juniper

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Enjoy this spiced beef dish with a hint of chilli, vegetables and juniper berries for a kick of flavour

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 30 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• generous dash of rapeseed oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped 

• 4 garlic cloves, sliced

• 2 large carrots, sliced

• bunch of rosemary, left on the stalk 

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp mild chilli powder

• 2 tsp juniper berries

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 400ml stock

• 600g stewing beef, cut into large chunks

Method

1. Heat the oil over a gentle heat in an oven proof dish, which you have a lid for.

2. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrots and rosemary for 10 minutes, until they have all softened. You can add a knob of butter as well as the oil if you wish.

3. Stir in the cinnamon, chilli and juniper berries.

4. Stir in the flour until it has all combined then add the purée and stock a little at a time so they all blend together.

5. Add the beef to the pot and place into an oven heated to 160°C for two hours. Taste and season.

6. Place back into the oven with the lid removed and allow further cooking, about 30 minutes, until the meat is completely tender and the sauce has thickened.

7. Serve with mash or rice.

 

Roast pork with watermelon, ginger and chilli salad

recipe by:Darina Allen

A quirky combination, the refreshing taste of watermelon pairs will with the roasted pork

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 45 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the pork belly

• 1kg (2 1/4lbs) pork belly with rind attached

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 2 teaspoons of freshly-chopped rosemary

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• extra virgin olive oil

• For the watermelon salad

• 450g (1lb) watermelon

• 1 heaped tablespoon of pickled ginger, chopped

• 1 small mild chilli, deseeded and chopped

• flaky sea salt and a little sugar

• fresh mint leaves

• fresh basil leaves

• 8 - 12 black Kalamata olives, stones in.

• To garnish

• sprigs of mint and basil leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.

2. Score the rind of the pork belly.

3. Put the sea salt, rosemary, crushed garlic in a bowl and mix well.

4. Rub the rosemary mixture into the scored skin.

5. Lay the joint of pork on a rack in a roasting tin, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes to allow the crackling to form, then reduce the temperature to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3 and cook for a further hour or until fully cooked and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 15-20 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, peel the watermelon and cut the flesh into approx. 2cm (3/4 inch) dice, removing the seeds. Fold the chopped pickled ginger and chilli into the watermelon, season with salt and a little sugar to taste.

7. Carve the pork into 2cm (3/4 inch) thick slices approx.

8. Add mint and basil leaves and black olives to the watermelon.

9. Serve the pork with a side of watermelon and olive salad. Garnish with sprigs of mint and basil.

 

Whole roast cauliflower

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Roasting a whole cauliflower requires minimum effort with maximum results and can be served with good quality soft goat’s cheese

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 1 whole cauliflower

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 2 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes

• 2 tsp harissa paste

• 2 tsp maple syrup or honey

• a good pinch of sea salt

• For serving:

• 200g soft goat’s cheese

• fresh parsley, chopped

• couscous flavoured with harissa (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and fill a baking pan or casserole halfway with water. Leave in the bottom of the oven for steam.

2. Remove the stalk and any leaves carefully leaving the core intact. Place the cauliflower in a large casserole or oven dish.

3. In a large bowl, combine the oil, water, red pepper flakes, harissa paste, maple syrup and salt. Baste the cauliflower in the sauce, flipping it upside down making sure everything is well coated.

4. Roast core side down in the oven for around 40 minutes until a knife can easily pierce the core. I like to turn on the grill to brown or even blacken the top of the cauliflower for a few minutes at the end.

5. Serve in the middle of the table with a good dollop of goat’s cheese on top. This dish also pairs really well with couscous and salsa verde.

 

Rachel’s roasted vegetable coconut curry

recipe by:Darina Allen

Rich and creamy, with homemade curry paste to enhance the depth of flavour, this dish is bursting with flavourful vegetables

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 25 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 35 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• 2 tins of coconut milk

• 600ml vegetable stock

• 400ml natural yoghurt

• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

• 6 parsnips, peeled, cores removed and flesh cut into 2cm cubes

• 700g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

• 4 onions, peeled and cut into eighths

• 150g spinach (any large stalks removed before weighing), chopped

• For the paste:

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 2 tsp cumin seeds

• 2 tsp chana masala

• 50g root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 12 garlic cloves, peeled

• 4 red chillis, de-seeded

• 200g onions, peeled and quartered

• 50ml vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp ground turmeric

• 2 tsp caster sugar

• 2 tsp salt

• To serve:

• large bunch of coriander, chopped

• 100g cashew nuts, toasted and chopped

• 200ml natural yoghurt or crème fraîche 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2. First make the paste. Place a small frying pan on a medium heat and add the coriander, cumin and chana masala. Cook, tossing frequently, for about 1 minute or until they start to pop, then crush. Place the ginger, garlic, chilli, onions and vegetable oil in a food processor and whiz for 2–3 minutes or until smooth.

3. Pour this mixture into a large saucepan or casserole dish and stir in the freshly ground spices, along with the turmeric, sugar and salt, then place on a medium–low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced slightly.

4. Remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture into a large bowl. Pour the coconut milk and stock into the remaining half in the saucepan or casserole dish, stirring to combine. Stir the yoghurt into the spice paste in the bowl, then add the root vegetables and onions and stir in the mixture to thoroughly coat. Tip into 1–2 roasting tins or baking trays and cook in the oven for about an hour or until lightly browned.

5. Remove the vegetables from the oven and add to the saucepan or casserole dish. Place on a medium heat for a few minutes to warm through, and then stir in the spinach and spoon into bowls with a sprinkling of fresh coriander, a scattering of the toasted nuts and a spoonful of yoghurt or crème fraîche.

Chicken and streaky bacon casserole

recipe by:Darina Allen

This easy family meal is richly flavoured with plenty of fresh herbs and hearty vegetables, made with mushroom a la créme

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1.57kg chicken or 6 chicken thighs

• a little butter or oil for sautéing

• 340g green streaky bacon (blanch if salty)

• 340g carrot, peeled and thickly sliced

• 450g onions

• sprig of thyme

• 750ml homemade chicken stock

• roux – optional (melt 14g butter and stir 28g white flour, cook on a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes)

• 2 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped

• For the mushroom a la créme:

• 15-25g butter

• 75g onion, finely chopped

• 225g mushrooms, sliced

• 100ml cream

• freshly chopped parsley

• ½ tbsp freshly chopped chives (optional)

• squeeze of lemon juice

• salt

• freshly ground pepper

• roux

Method

1. For the mushroom a la créme, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams. Add the chopped onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes, or until quite soft but not coloured.

2. Meanwhile cook the sliced mushrooms in a little butter in a hot frying pan in batches if necessary. Season each batch with salt, freshly ground pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice.

3. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the saucepan, then add the cream and allow to bubble for a few minutes. Thicken with a little roux to a light coating consistency. Taste and correct the seasoning, and add parsley and chives if used.

4. Preheat oven to 180°C.

5. Cut the rind off the bacon and cut into approximately 2 cm cubes, (blanch if salty). Dry in kitchen paper.

6. Joint the chicken into 8 pieces. Season the chicken pieces well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp, remove and transfer to the casserole. Add chicken pieces a few at a time to the pan and sauté until golden, add to the bacon in the casserole. Heat control is crucial here. The pan mustn’t burn, yet it must be hot enough to sauté the chicken. If it is too cool, the chicken pieces will stew rather than sauté and as a result the meat may be tough.

7. Then toss the onion and carrot in the pan adding a little butter if necessary, add to the casserole. Degrease the pan and deglaze with stock, bring to the boil and pour over the chicken, etc. Season well, add a sprig of thyme and bring to simmering point on top of the stove, then put into the oven for 30-45 minutes, 180°C. Cooking time depends on how long the chicken pieces were sautéed for. When the chicken is just cooked, strain off the cooking liquid, degrease, return the degreased liquid to the casserole and bring to the boil. Thicken with a little roux if necessary (see above).

8. Add the meat, carrots and onions back into the casserole and bring to the boil. Taste and correct the seasoning. The casserole is very good served at this point, but it’s even more delicious if some mushroom a la crème is stirred in as an enrichment. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and bubbling hot.

 

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