All tagged slowcooker

French vegetable "tian" with goat cheese

A Tian is a classic dish from my beloved childhood southern France. It is perfect served alongside grilled meat or fish, or just aside salad for a light lunch. It is perfect to use up all of your summer vegetables. I like to use mixed provencal herbs and garlic for the seasoning but dried oregano works brilliantly too. A super easy one to make vegan by simply skipping the cheese. It’s a bit like a structured ratatouille!

Butternut squash garam masala soup

Soups always help making lunch quick, easy and healthy. The secret, as always, is in the planning and prepping! If you want your soup to keep you full until supper, you need to make sure it contains some protein and healthy fats. This soup contains coconut cream ticking both boxes. You could always swap for greek yoghurt, but the coconut does work really well with the garam masala spice. Perfect comfort food!
I make this soup using my slow cooker, but you could do in an AGA, or slowly on a stove.

Immune boosting chicken soup

Roast chicken on a Sunday is my ultimate comfort food. What’s even better is knowing that nothing will go to waste. First make a stock/broth with the leftovers and then make the ultimate comforting and immune boosting chicken soup. Full of the warming goodness of ginger and turmeric, packed with vegetables, this soup is a winner every time. I have also added pearl barley to make it go further , but you could ommit or swap for brown rice, giant couscous or quinoa.

Easy slow cooked moroccan lamb

With a busy hectic family life, managing time and meal planning is tricky. That's where your AGA or like me a “Crockpot” slow-cooker is a saviour several times a week. This shoulder of lamb is quick and easy to prepare first thing in the morning and will welcome you in the evening with warming spiced aromas and a healthy hearty family meal ready to serve, and hopefully leftovers for lunch the next day.

moroccan chicken & olive tagine

The hearty, warm and spicy dishes of the mediterranean are my best food memories from summers in the South of France, enjoying my grandmother's home cooking. Chicken is an easy and inexpensive source of lean protein but being creative with it is key to re-inventing how you will enjoy it all year long. Slow cooking is not just a winter months thing. It's a must for busy health conscious families. Put everything in early morning and your delicious flavoursome meal will be awaiting when you all get home, stopping you reaching for other unhealthy processed ready made options.

spiced red lentil soup

As much as we keep going on about green vegetables, a large helping of warm coloured soup makes everyone happy! Packed with great fibres, vitamins and health boosting spices this heart warming soup makes a great starter or one pot supper . Soups are one of the best "batch cooking" meal to make ahead and freeze. Great healthy option for busy family lives.

prebiotic soup

It is very much soup season all year round as far as I am concerned! Why? Soups, whether hot or cold, are a fantastic way to easily include lots of daily veggie portions. This soup is packed full of real food pre-biotics, very light and works really well as a warming starter. Soups are a great make ahead and freeze healthy option for busy lives.

My easy family shakshuka recipe

Growing up in France, my paternal side of the family was from French North Africa and I grew up enjoying many of the flavourful dishes of the cuisine of the Sephardic Jews. My grandmother spent her time spoiling us with feast after feast of delicious spicy foods. My favourite was her "Choukchouka". Little did I know that this dish would see such a revival and feature in every culinary, foodie, healthy cookbook or blog! So here's my own family recipe for you to enjoy.

ginger chicken broth

I love nothing more than a roast chicken on a Sunday! Even more so when I know that nothing will go to waste as I will be making broth with the leftovers. If you are ever feeling like you are coming down with a cold then this is the option for you. We have lost the tradition of making stock every week like our grandmothers and great-grandmothers – but I think we are missing a trick.

simple vegetable curry

When days get shorter and cooler, we all seek comfort in warming foods. Spices do just that, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Plenty of vegetables and plenty of gorgeous colours are sure signs that you're eating something full of goodness. So have a go! This is a great vegetarian dish on its own or the perfect side for a roast chicken for example.

ratatouille provençale

With its origin  in the area around Provence and Nice where I spent all my summers as a child,  the word “ratatouille” originally meant a coarse stew as "touiller" or "ratouiller" means to stir in French. Ratatouille is a dish I make weekly all year round, because besides being loved by all at home, it is extremely versatile and packed full of vitamins and nutrients.

slow cooked gammon & rosemary

One of the difficult things about a busy hectic family life is managing time and meal planning. That's where your AGA or like me a slow-cooker is a saviour several times a week. This gammon joint offers really intense flavours and requires no stock or liquid added.