Healthy meals the slow cooker way

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B vitamins, beef, Broccoli, brown off, carrots, cayenne pepper, celery, cheese board, cheese sauce, chickpeas, Cinnamon, coconut milk, cool kids on the block, copper, cost-effective, creamy, crusty bread, culinary beauties, cumin, curry paste, delicious lasagne, diced tofu, fridge, frozen peas, garlic, garlic bread, ginger, green beans, green salad, healthy, herbs, hunger, iron, kitchen, layer, leeks, leftovers, Lentil soup, lentils, light supper, low heat, lunch, meatballs, mince, mushroom soup, mushrooms, old-fashioned, onions, parmesan, pasta, pasta sheet, peppers, plant based diet, plates, potassium, protein, red lentils, rice, salt and pepper, sandwiches, slave, slow cookers, soups and stews, spices, to casseroles and curries, tomato purée, tomato sauce, totally tasty meal, turkey, turmeric, two tins of tomatoes, vegans, vegetable stock, water, wholesome food, wonderful meal, Worcestershire sauce

Far from being old-fashioned, slow cookers are the cool kids on the block when it comes to making healthy, wholesome food, The brilliant thing about these culinary beauties is that you don’t have to slave in the kitchen for hours to make a wonderful meal for all to enjoy.

From soups and stews, to casseroles and curries, we have a feeling that if you make the move to the slow side, there will be no looking back.

Bolognaise
The days of splashing tomato sauce everywhere when you make a bolognaise are over, because the slow cooker will keep it all contained. You might want to brown off your mince and onions first, then you can add this mix to your pot, together with two tins of tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, tomato purée and herbs. Put the lid on and let it cook for around six hours and the magic will get to work. When meal time comes around, cook up some pasta, pile onto plates, add some parmesan and enjoy.

Tofu curry
With more and more people choosing a plant-based diet, the slow cooker is a ‘must have’ for vegans. Put some diced tofu, a blend of spices, curry paste, some peppers, green beans, and diced onions together with coconut milk and a little water, into the pot and leave to slowly simmer. In just a few hours you will have a healthy, totally tasty meal that you can eat for dinner, and pack for lunch the next day. Just add rice, and you are good to go.

Spicy sweet potato and lentil stew
Lentils are a really great source of healthy protein and are also cost-effective when it comes to cooking. Mix a few tablespoons of red lentils, with diced sweet potatoes, sliced carrots, and celery as well as peeled leeks, a thumb of crushed ginger, and a small teaspoon of curry powder. Place it all in your slow cooker with a cup or so of water, put on a low heat for around six hours and you will have a delicious, nutritious meal waiting for you when hunger strikes.

Mean meatballs
You might not have thought about the slow cooker for meatballs, but this dish is perfect for exactly that. Either buy pre-made beef or turkey meatballs, or you can make them yourself, and as with bolognaise, brown the meat and onions before adding them to the pot with tinned tomatoes, tomato purée as well as frozen peas and mushrooms. Put the lid on, press go and let the flavour of the ingredients get to work as you get on with your day. This dish is perfect with rice or pasta and a side of broccoli, and the leftovers are great cold in sandwiches the next day!

Mushroom soup
Mushrooms are jam-packed with B vitamins, potassium, iron and copper, and make a brilliant slow cooker soup. Slice a good-sized pack of mushrooms and put them in your slow cooker together with vegetable stock, browned onions, garlic plus salt and pepper, and cook on high for about three hours. If you want the soup to be thick and full, add some cream, then serve with crusty bread and a cheese board.

Lasagne
You heard it right here, you can totally make a delicious lasagne in a slow cooker. Once the meat and onions have been browned, mix with a couple of cans of tomatoes, tomato purée and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then layer this with your pasta sheets and cheese sauce. Put the lid on and cook for around six hours on low. Once piping hot, serve with a green salad and garlic bread and we think you will be pleasantly surprised at how good it tastes.

Lentil soup
There is nothing boring about lentil soup if you add in chickpeas, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper as well as any veg you have kicking around in the fridge. Cook on slow for a few hours and you will have a filling lunch or late supper waiting for you when you are feeling peckish.

If you have got a recipe you think we would like, drop us a line as we would love to know what it is.

Team Pure Beauty

Three ways with turkey

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bird, Boxing Day, breadcrumbs, buffet, casserole, chopped tomatoes, cloves of garlic, copped and diced, curry paste, egg whites, film, fizz, garlic, glass of white wine, mango chutney, mayo, mixed herbs, naan bread, new potatoes, olive oil, one pot wonder, onion, peeled and crushed, rice, root vegetables, round patties, salt and pepper, seasoning, strong plain flour, sweet potato, turkey, turkey burgers, Turkey curry, two thick slices of bread, water, Worcestershire sauce, wrapping paper

The crackers have been pulled, the hats have been worn, the fizz has been drunk and the wrapping paper is in the recycling box.

What’s left of Christmas is a lot of memories, a few sore heads, some great photos and of course, turkey.

Rather than throwing your bird out with the bottles and soggy sprouts, we have put together three easy to cook, delicious recipes that will have you realising that turkey isn’t just for Christmas after all!

First of all, on Christmas day don’t let the meat sit around all day uncovered, put it in the fridge once cool and eat within two days of cooking. We would suggest putting wrapped meat on the middle shelf away from raw meat and fish. You can freeze meat and if you do so wrap it carefully, ideally in a sealed container, and date it.

Once you are feeling hungry again and are ready to cook, turkey burgers are a good place to start. You will need to mince your turkey for this recipe, but we promise that the effort is so worth it. For around ten burgers, you will need:

• 1.5kg minced turkey
• 30g breadcrumbs, we like fresh ones
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 organic egg whites, lightly beaten
• A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• Salt and pepper to season

To serve

• Burger buns
• Sliced beef tomatoes
• Cheese
• Ketchup and relish

Mince the turkey then place into a large bow. Mix the mix with the breadcrumbs, onion, egg whites and parsley and season with the garlic, salt and pepper. Form the dough into round patties then either grill or cook over a medium in a frying pan. Once well cooked, put into buns, garnish and enjoy.

A winter winner is a casserole and turkey is perfect for this one pot wonder.

You will need:

• Your leftover turkey, chopped and diced
• A selection of root vegetables, copped and diced
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs
• 2 tablespoons of strong plain flour
• 500 ml of stock – vegetable or chicken
• A splash of Worcestershire sauce
• Dumplings – frozen, pre-made are pretty good

Fry the onion until they softens in a deep pan, then stir in the herbs, flour, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Boil the veg and then add these and the turkey and stir well so all the flour is dispersed. Cover the pot and gently simmer for around 30 minutes until the turkey is piping hot. Enjoy with sweet potatoes or jackets and a glass of white wine.

Turkey curry tastes great and can be welcome addition to any Boxing Day buffet or New Year celebration if you froze your meat.

You will need

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large, red onion
• 1 green pepper, diced and deseeded
• 2 tablespoons of curry paste – choose the strength that is right for you and your guests
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 150ml of water
• Leftover turkey, chopped
• Cooked, new potatoes, peeled and diced
• I packet of coriander, we like fresh
• Rice, naan bread and mango chutney to serve

With your ingredients prepared, heat the oil in a pan over a high heat. Cook the onion and pepper until starting they are softening and turning light brown. Slowly stir in the curry paste and garlic and cook for another five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the water, bring to the boil and allow to bubble for ten minutes. Next turn the heat down, stir in the turkey and potatoes and cook for another five minutes adding more seasoning as needed.

Scatter with coriander, serve and make sure you have a glass of water ready.

Of course, you could just put the meat between two thick slices of bread, add mayo and enjoy in front of a good film and the fire.

Team Pure Beauty