Marinated Chicken & Pork

Marinated Chicken & Pork

Serves 6

3 lb chicken pieces

2 cloves garlic,crushed

1 lb lean boneless pork cubed

3 tomatoes chopped

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

3 cups beef broth, (Campbell's)

 

Place chicken pieces and pork cubes in a large bowl. Mix all other ingredients thoroughly, pour over chicken and pork. Allow meat to marinate in sauce for about 2 hrs. (you could leave it over night) Transfer chicken, pork and marinade to cooker. Cover pot, turn on LOW and cook 6-8 hrs.or until chicken and pork are thoroughly cooked. 

GREEN THAI CHICKEN FOR THE SLOW COOKER

GREEN THAI CHICKEN FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 6

Approx. 3 Syns per serving

500g boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 level tbsp. Thai curry paste - 1-2 Syns
2 small parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
400g can of Blue Dragon light coconut milk - 14.5 Syns
1 tbsp. fish sauce (Blue Dragon nam pla is Syn Free)
2 level tsp. light muscavado sugar - 2 Syns
100g sliced mushrooms
Handful of frozen peas

Add everything, apart from the mushrooms and peas, to the slow cooker, mix well and cook on High for 3-5 hours.
Half an hour before the end of cooking, add the mushrooms and peas, stir and continue to cook.

Lovely served with rice. 

SLOW COOKER LASAGNE

SLOW COOKER LASAGNE

Serves 4.

Modified from an Allrecipes recipe.

Syn Free, if using 4 x HEX's for the cheeses

450g extra lean mince
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
800ml passata
Tomato puree to taste
1 tsp. dried oregano
350g BGTY (or similar) cottage cheese 
Dried lasagne sheets
195g reduced fat Mozarella - equivalent of 3 x HEX's
40g grated, reduced-fat mature Cheddar - 1 x HEX

I don't usually pre-cook anything I put in the slow cooker but this definitely needs it.

Spray a large frying pan well with Frylight and cook the onion, garlic and mince until browned. Drain off any fat.
Add the passata, tomato puree, oregano and a pinch of salt and stir until well mixed. Cook until heated through.
In a large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, Mozarella and grated Cheddar.
Spray the slow cooker with Frylight to help with the cleaning afterwards. 
Spoon a layer of the mince mixture onto the base of the slow cooker. Add a double layer of the uncooked lasagne sheets, breaking them, if necessary, to fit into the cooker.
Top the pasta with some of the cheese.
Repeat the sauce, pasta and cheese layering until everything is used up. Finish with a sauce or cheese layer.

Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours. 

CHICKPEA AND CHORIZO IN THE SLOW COOKER

 

CHICKPEA AND CHORIZO IN THE SLOW COOKER

 

Serves 4

6.5 Syns for the whole recipe

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400g can chopped tomatoes
100g diced chorizo - 6.5 Syns
1 medium-sized BNS, peeled and cubed (easier to peel after being in microwave for about 4 mins)
1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
1 tsp. turmeric
1 clove of garlic, crushed

Put everything into the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6-7 hours. Season to taste but be careful with the salt.

 

BROWN SUGAR BEEF FOR THE SLOW COOKER

BROWN SUGAR BEEF FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

Approx. 2.5 Syns per serving

500g stewing steak, diced and all visible fat removed
2 tbsp. flour - 7 Syns 
4 level tbsp. tomato puree
1 tbsp. Worcester sauce
2 tsp. brown sugar - 2 Syns
1 rounded tsp. mustard powder
1 onion, chopped
1 mugful of beef stock

Mix all the dry ingredients together and toss the stewing steak in it.
Put the stewing steak into the slow cooker, sprinkle over the dry ingredients and add the beef stock.
Add a pinch of salt and stir together.

Cook on High for 5-6 hours. 

GARLIC AND CORIANDER PRAWNS IN THE SLOW COOKER

GARLIC AND CORIANDER PRAWNS IN THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

1.5 Syns per serving

500g raw king prawns
200g frozen peas
2 onions, sliced or chopped
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. ground ginger
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 level tbsp. curry paste - 6 Syns (I've based the Syns on the higher side. Some curry pastes are as low as 0.5 per tbsp. but others are 2 Syns.)
2 tbsp. freshly chopped coriander
250ml passata

Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, season, mix together and cook on Low for 2 hours or until the prawns are cooked through and the peas are tender.
Serve on warmed plates with rice.

If preferred, you can substitute some of the passata with the same amount of light coconut milk. 

CUMIN PORK AND KIDNEY BEANS FOR THE SLOW COOKER

CUMIN PORK AND KIDNEY BEANS FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 6

Syn Free

400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
300g extra lean boneless pork shoulder, cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ground cumin
Half a teaspoon of turmeric
250ml hot vegetable stock

Spray a large frying pan well with Frylight and quickly brown the pork, if you like, although I never bother with browning.
Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and season to taste.
Cook for 3-4 hours on High or 6-7 hours on Low.
If the sauce is still too runny for your liking either remove the lid for the last 45 minutes of cooking or, I find it more effective to transfer it all to a large pan and simmer rapidly until the desired thickness is reached. This way also keeps the food warmer.

This is good with rice and maybe a dollop of half fat sour cream (1 tbsp. = 1 Syn. Also good with some finely chopped chillies sprinkled over.

ANOTHER CHICKEN CURRY FOR THE SLOW COOKER

ANOTHER CHICKEN CURRY FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

1 Syn per serving

400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp. plus an extra teaspoon of red wine vinegar
1 level tbsp. plain flour - 3.5 Syns
1 tbsp. tomato puree
2 tsp. garam masala
Half tsp. dried ginger or a 1 inch piece of fresh, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
450g red skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
1kg skinless chicken thighs (could use breast but thighs are tastier)
150g baby spinach

In a blender, combine the chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp. of the vinegar, flour, puree, 1 teaspoon of the garam masala, ginger, garlic, half a tsp. salt and quarter of a tsp. of pepper. Whizz until well blended but still slightly chunky. Set aside.
Put the potatoes on the base of the slow cooker.
Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining garam masala, a quarter of a tsp. of salt and a quarter of a tsp. of pepper.
Put the chicken on top of the potatoes and pour the blended ingredients over.
Cook on Low for 6-7 hours or on High for 3.5-4 hours.
At the end of this cooking time, stir in the baby spinach and leave until wilted (about 1 min).
When the spinach has wilted, add the remaining teaspoon of vinegar to the slow cooker and season further, if necessary.

Lovely with a dollop of FF Greek yoghurt on the top.

SAUSAGE AND LENTIL CASSEROLE FOR THE SLOW COOKER

SAUSAGE AND LENTIL CASSEROLE FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

Syn Free

8 Syn Free SW sausages, cut into bite size pieces 
2 large potatoes, cut into large dice
225g dried red lentils
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 litre beef stock
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped (optional)

Rinse the potatoes and lentils, but do not soak.
Stir everything together in the slow cooker, cover and cook for 3 hours on High or 6-7 hours on Low.
Stir well before serving.

Lovely with a HEX chunk of crusty bread and also, topped with a HEX serving of grated mature Cheddar. I sometimes add in some chopped onion, peppers, garlic and paprika too. Suppose bacon pieces would be good stirred through this too.

SLOW-COOKER CHINESE STYLE BRAISED BEEF

SLOW-COOKER CHINESE STYLE BRAISED BEEF

Serves 4

(Adapted from Good Food)

2.5 Syns per serving

6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and shredded (Sure dried would do.)
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
1.5kg braising steak, cut into large pieces
2 tbsp. plain flour, well seasoned - 7 Syns
2 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
3 tbsp. rice wine - 3 Syns
3 tbsp. dark soy sauce
500ml beef stock

Now, I never fry anything before adding to my slow cooker, except chorizo to crisp it up, but thought I'd better stick to the recipe, as I've never made this. Will do, in the future though and will be omitting the frying and the flour, therefore bringing the Syns way down. I'll let you know how it goes! :S

Spray a large frying pan well with Frylight and fry the garlic, ginger, onions and chilli until soft and fragrant.
Tip onto a plate.
Toss the beef in the flour, re-spray the pan well and brown the beef in batches, adding a little water if it's seeming to stick.
Add the 5-spice to the pan, tip in the ginger mix, then cook for a minute.
Add the beef and stir until well combined. Splash in the rice wine.
Place all the contents of the frying pan into the slow cooker, add in the soy sauce and stock, bring to a boil on High, then switch to Low and cook for 7-8 hours.

If still too much liquid left at the end of cooking, I just put it all in a large pan on the hob and simmer rapidly until the desired consistency is reached. Much better than adding cornflour!

SWEET CHILLI WHISKY CHICKEN FOR THE SLOW COOKER

 

SWEET CHILLI WHISKY CHICKEN FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

Approx. 3 Syns per serving

1 x 1.5kg chicken, skin scored lots of times
4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. whisky - 3 Syns
2 tbsp. sweet chilli sauce - 3 Syns
2 level tbsp. runny honey - 5 Syns
Pinch of dried chilli flakes

Slash or snip with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors, lots of cuts in the skin of the chicken.
Mix together the soy sauce, whisky, sweet chilli sauce, honey, a pinch of salt and dried chilli flakes.
Rub the mix all over the chicken, trying to loosen the skin as you go and working as much of the mixture as possible underneath the skin and through the slashes.
Scrunch up four pieces of foil to form balls. Place these in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the chicken on top of them.
Cook the chicken for about 7 hours on Low.
Check the chicken is thoroughly cooked through before serving with your choice of potatoes (I prefer SW baby roast potatoes) and lots of fresh veg. Oh! Don't forget to remove the skin before serving!! 

Suppose you could also add some 5-spice powder, ginger and garlic to the mixture before rubbing into the chicken, if you liked.

WHOLE CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER

WHOLE CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 6

Syn Free

2kg whole chicken
2 onions, sliced into rings
Dried rub mix of :
1 tsp. of garlic powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder plus a pinch of salt

Combine the dried ingredients together.
Slash the skin of the chicken to allow some of the dried rub flavour to seep through as, unfortunately ladies, we won't be eating the skin!! 
Rub the dried mixture well into the chicken, paying particular attention to the slashed areas.
Place the onion rings in the base of the slow cooker and place the chicken on top.
Cook on Low for 7-8 hours with the lid firmly shut.
Ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked through before serving.

If you like, you can always put some potato pieces and other veg over the base and up the sides of the cooker and maybe pour a couple of tablespoons of hot chicken stock over. If not adding in any vegetables, it really doesn't need any liquid adding in as it just cooks in its own juices. 

RUSTIC CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER

RUSTIC CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 6

Negligible Syns

2kg skinless chicken pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2x400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 handful of pitted green olives - 8 olives = 1 Syn
3 bay leaves
2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled

Season the chicken well and place in the slow cooker (brown first, if preferred).
Put the chicken and all the other ingredients into the slow cooker.
Cook on Low for 7 hours or High for 4 hours.
Check the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and, if not thick enough, transfer to a large pan and boil rapidly on the hob until desired consistency is reached.

I sometimes add 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste from Waitrose (1 Syn per tablespoon) to it but know it isn't to everyone's taste. 

SAUSAGE WITH SPICY BEANS in the Slow Cooker

 

SAUSAGE WITH SPICY BEANS in the Slow Cooker

Serves 2 or 3

2 Syns per serving, based on serving 2

6 Syn Free SW sausages
400g can of kidney beans in chilli sauce
50g chorizo - 4 Syns (I've slightly over-Synned these)
1 onion, finely chopped - I used ready prepared frozen
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Half a teaspoon of paprika

Basically, throw everything into the slow cooker.
Cook on High for 3.5 - 4 hours. This produced a lovely, thick sauce when I made this last night.
I didn't brown the sausages or, even the chorizo (which is the only thing I usually do brown before putting in the slow cooker) and it turned out perfectly.
I had a pack of BGTY sausages and a small pack of diced chorizo, wondering what to do with them, and that was when I decided to just chuck them all in to the slow cooker.
It doesn't need any salt, because of the chorizo and we had it with baked potatoes and will definitely be making again

SIMPLE CHICKEN CURRY IN THE SLOW COOKER

SIMPLE CHICKEN CURRY IN THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

Syn Free

500g skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. tomato puree
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. fresh, grated ginger or 1 tsp. of ground ginger
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
Half tsp. chilli powder or, to taste
375ml passata

Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Season.
Cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 4 hours.
Ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and, if you want it a little more creamy, once removed from the heat, stir in about 250ml FF Greek yoghurt.

I also sometimes stir through some baby spinach during the final 15 minutes of cooking. 

SWEET AND SOUR PORK for the SLOW COOKER

SWEET AND SOUR PORK for the SLOW COOKER

Serves 6

Not quite 3 Syns per serving

900g extra lean cubed pork
400g tin of pineapple chunks in juice (reserve the juice) - 10 Syns
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 carrots, cut into batons
1 tbsp. brown sugar - 3 Syns
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornflour - 3.5 Syns

If you like, brown the pork in a frying pan with a little Frylight. I never bother with the browning and it doesn't seem to make any difference. Personal opinion!!
Put everything into the slow cooker, including the pineapple juice but, not the pineapple chunks.
Season with about half a teaspoon of salt and add 50ml of boiling water.
Cook on Low for 6 hours.
Check the pork is tender and, if not, cook for a further hour, adding the pineapple chunks for the final 30 minutes of cooking.
If the mixture is too liquidy, blend the cornflour into a thick paste with a small amount of cold water and pour into the slow cooker, stirring continuously. Leave to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Serve with boiled rice

BEEF IN GUINNESS FOR THE SLOW COOKER

BEEF IN GUINNESS FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

Approx. 2 Syns per serving

4 medium potatoes, cut into fifths
3 large carrots, cut into chunks
12 shallots, peeled and kept whole
330ml bottled Guinness - 5 Syns
2 onions, sliced into half rings
1 fat clove of garlic, crushed
4 rashers of bacon, all visible fat removed and sliced into strips
150g button mushrooms, washed and kept whole
500g stewing steak, all visible fat removed and diced
1 level tbsp. cornflour - 3.5 Syns

Put the potatoes over the base and up the sides of the slow cooker.
Put the carrots over the top of the potatoes.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon, either under the grill (before cutting into strips) or in a small frying pan.
Add the bacon to the slow cooker, along with all the other ingredients.
Cook on Low for 8 hours.
During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the cornflour, after having blended it with a tiny amount of water, stirring whilst adding.

If this doesn't thicken the stew to your desired consistency, rather than adding anymore cornflour, transfer the stew to a large pan and simmer rapidly on the hob until more of the liquid has evaporated. 

BBQ CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER

 

BBQ CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

Less than 1 Syn per serving

450g skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. tomato puree
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
120ml hot chicken stock
Half tsp. ground cumin
Half tsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. brown sugar - 3 Syns
3 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook for or 6 hours on Low.
Check the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.
Shred the chicken breasts using two forks, then mix them back into the sauce at the base of the slow cooker.
If the sauce needs to be thickened, cook for a further 45 minutes on High with the lid off.
Serve with salad and maybe a little rice or roasted baby potatoes, SW style.

CHICKEN AND CHORIZO IN THE SLOW COOKER

 

CHICKEN AND CHORIZO IN THE SLOW COOKER

Serves 4

Approx. 2 Syns each serving

4 skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 large onion, finely chopped
100g diced chorizo - 6.5 Syns
450g potatoes, diced into large chunks
1-2 tsp chilli powder
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. tomato puree
250ml hot chicken stock
16 pitted black or green olives - 2 Syns

Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker, except the olives. I prefer to fry the chorizo first to crisp it up a little and then add it to the slow cooker, along with its oils. It's the only thing I ever cook before adding to the sc, in any recipe.
Cook on Low for seven and a half hours and then add the olives.
Cook for a further half hour.

VERY SIMPLE CHICKEN CURRY FOR THE SLOW COOKER

 

VERY SIMPLE CHICKEN CURRY FOR THE SLOW COOKER

- no messing in the morning, just throw everything in and switch on!  Serves 4

Approx. 3.5 Syns per serving

400ml can of Blue Dragon Light Coconut Milk - 14.5 Syns
400g can of chopped tomatoes
Half an onion, chopped
4 tbsp. of your favourite curry powder (more or less is fine too)
500g skinless chicken breast, diced

Put everything in your slow cooker. Stir and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.

Could add in some chopped peppers to up the veg and you could also stir some baby leaf spinach in, right at the end of the cooking time - just long enough for it to wilt.