More Slow Cooker Recipes. Katie Bishop
a single layer in the slow cooker dish (they should fit snugly with few gaps between them). Divide the garlic slices between the peppers.
Place the couscous in a large bowl and add the boiling water. Add the herbs, olive oil, tomatoes and harissa paste, then season with salt and pepper and mix well. Spoon the mixture neatly into the pepper halves and drizzle a little more olive oil over the top. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 1½–2 hours or until the peppers are wonderfully soft but still holding their shape, and the couscous is tender. Serve immediately with some rocket leaves and dollops of Greek yoghurt.
I ALSO LIKE …
to do this with other vegetables, such as halved, hollowed-out courgettes, tomatoes and mini aubergines, using their diced flesh in the couscous stuffing mixture.
Roasted red pepper, tomato and feta salad
PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 2–3 HOURS
SERVES 4
VEGETARIAN
This salad is packed full of flavour. It is utterly wonderful in the summer, and particularly good for picnics and barbecues, or just as good for brightening up grey days in winter!
4 red peppers
500g (1lb 2oz) baby cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 handfuls of rocket leaves
200g (7oz) feta cheese, cubed
50g (2oz) toasted pine nuts
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Using a sharp knife, deseed the peppers and cut each one into 6 wedges. Add the peppers, tomatoes and garlic to the slow cooker dish and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2–3 hours or until softened.
Mix the rocket leaves into the pepper mixture and season to taste. Spoon the pepper mixture onto a platter, then scatter over the feta and pine nuts. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve with warmed pitta bread.
I ALSO LIKE …
to let this mixture go cold before tossing it through cooked and cooled pasta to make a perfect summer pasta salad.
PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 2–3 HOURS
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN COURSE OR 4 AS A SIDE DISH
VEGETARIAN
I love fennel, raw and shaved thinly into a salad, or even more so when braised long and slow until meltingly soft. This recipe is fabulous on its own with crusty bread or as an accompaniment to meat or fish.
4 medium fennel bulbs
2 tbsp olive oil
50g (2oz) butter
75ml 2½fl oz) dry white wine
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
2 bay leaves, broken in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Using a sharp knife, remove the stalks and any damaged outer leaves from the fennel and slice the bulbs in half lengthways. Remove any feathery fronds and set aside.
Pour the olive oil into the slow cooker dish, tipping the dish to ensure an even layer of oil over the base, and arrange the fennel, cut side down, in a single layer in the dish. Dot the top of the fennel with butter and add the wine, lemon zest and juice. Tuck the bay leaves in between the bulbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2–3 hours or until the fennel is soft and the juices have reduced.
Remove the bulbs from the heat and leave to rest for 5–10 minutes. Scatter the reserved fronds over the top before serving.
I ALSO LIKE …
topping the raw fennel with a pork shoulder or belly joint then cooking on low for 6–8 hours until there is no more pink meat, for a delicious all-in-one roast.
PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 3 HOURS 10 MINUTES
SERVES: 6
Aubergines and tomatoes are a fantastic pairing. Here they are used in an easy, layered bake, which benefits from its long slow cooking in terms of flavour and texture.
3 large aubergines
500g (1lb 2oz) jar good-quality tomato pasta sauce
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A large handful of fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
75g (3oz) quartered black olives
100g (3½ oz) grated mozzarella cheese
6 tbsp finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Using a sharp knife, trim the aubergines and slice them lengthways into thin slices no wider than a pound coin (about 3mm/1/8in).
Spread about 4 heaped tablespoons of pasta sauce over the base of the slow cooker dish, then top with a third of the aubergine slices and drizzle with some of the olive oil, add a layer of basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over a third of the olives and a third of the cheeses. Repeat this process twice more, but do not add the final layer of cheese. Finish with the remaining pasta sauce, spreading it evenly over the aubergine slices. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours until the aubergines are meltingly tender.
Uncover and sprinkle with the reserved mozzarella and Parmesan, then replace the lid and cook on high for a further 10 minutes