Slow Cooker Lamb Rogan Josh

The best lamb curry recipe.

I'm a bit of slow cooker addict at the moment. I'm also loving a bit of lamb at the moment too!

I adore a good curry - but I will usually make vegetarian curries. There's so much flavour to be had and sometimes, there's just no need for meat. But I had this lovely bit of lamb in the fridge and decided to make a curry with it.

Mr Mean doesn't get back from work until after the children's dinner time, so I try to make a meal that will be good earlier on for the children and something that will be equally as nice when me and Mr Mean sit down to eat after the children are in bed. The slow cooker always seems a good solution. I can prepare the meal earlier on and avoid the stress of starting to cook a meal from scratch at dinner time with a toddler hanging off my leg. Once I've served dinner to the children, I can leave the slow cooker on for the grown-up's meal later on! I might even go to town and add some more chilli or seasoning - I am living the high life!

I think the slow cooker is one of the best ways to cook a meat curry. It makes the lamb in this dish super melty and tender - perfect for getting picky kids to eat some protein (mine just won't eat tough and chewy meat).

A good trick for this curry is to leave the slow cooker lid slightly ajar for the last two hours. This makes the curry less watery.

Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe with Quinoa

The essential chicken soup recipe 

There are some things in life that everyone should know - and a really good homemade chicken soup recipe is the only thing that with make you feel better and remind you of home when you've been feeling a little under the weather.

I love this chicken soup recipe for being a super frugal dish too. It all starts the day before with a roast chicken. Once all the meat is off the bones, I pop the carcass into the slow cooker with a bunch of stock vegetables (1 x onion, 3 x carrots and 2 x sticks of celery) with some black peppercorns and a couple of slices of lemon. Then I top up the slow cooker with cold water and leave it on low overnight.

In the morning, I drain the liquid off (keep the fat too - it's good for you) and discard all the veg and carcass. You can either freeze this and use as a bone broth/stock in other recipes, or use this as your base for this super chicken soup.

Here's how I make my soup:

Start by soaking 1 cup of quinoa in cold water for at least two hours.

Make sure your slow cooker is nice and clean. Put the bone broth/stock back into the slow cooker with the veg (1 x finely chopped onion, 2 x diced carrots, 2 x diced sticks of celery and 1 x minced clove of garlic), left-over shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours. You could also add your favourite herb too.

Now cook your quinoa (follow my guide HERE for perfectly cooked quinoa) and add to the slow cooker. Taste your soup - it may need more salt or a squeeze of lemon.

Check out 27 Surprising Health Benefits Of Quinoa to find out more about how quinoa can be a great addition to your diet.

Aduki Bean & Coconut Curried Stew

This great vegetarian main dish is full of beans!

Without a doubt, this Aduki Bean & Coconut Curried Stew is one of the best vegetarian/vegan curries in my opinion - and everyone in my meat-eating household agrees!

It's a curry that never disappoints. You won't miss the lack of meat either - it's just so satisfying. Plus, I like an easy life, so if everyone enjoys and eats all their dinner - I'm a happy Mother Cooker!

Aduki beans are a little gem. They are smaller than haricot beans (familiar kiddy favourite - Baked Beans), so I call them baby beans! I also add a whole load of grated veg into this curry. No one knows - and they all yum it up!

The coconut milk makes the dish lovely and creamy. It's also a fantastic store-cupboard meal that's great for a meat-free Mondays. Very cheap and very nutritious.

Feel free to add some fresh chilli for a bit of a kick. I leave it out whilst the kids are young. Of course, if you are a vegan - leave out the yoghurt.

Store Cupboard Pad Thai

I love a bit of Thai food. Pad Thai must be one of my favourite dishes, so I'm going to have a crack at it! My recipe is a good store cupboard meal. The prawns were from the freezer, but you could easily replace them with chicken or tofu - or stick them all in if you really feel like going to town!

The trick to cooking this dish is to have everything prepared before you start cooking. Make sure you've made the sauce up so it's ready to add quickly. Once you start cooking, it's a very quick dish!

Spanish Omelette

I've been super organised and made a meal planner for the week. I even did some prep in advance to make this Spanish Omelette super quick. So when I had a spare few minutes yesterday, I chopped the spuds, sliced the onions and cooked them. Once cool, I put them away in the fridge until I needed them today.

Tuna Pasta Salad

I haven't got much time for anything at the moment. I certainly haven't got time to be standing cooking for hours on a weekday at all. What with little babies needing my undivided attention, children needing to be picked up, the ever-growing mountain of washing and cleaning, and my heavy boxing training schedule - I should be the perfect candidate for a takeaway lifestyle. But that ain't ever gonna happen! So I need some cheeky recipes that I can make in advance or only take a few minutes to throw together.

Let me indroduce you to my little friend - The Tuna Pasta Salad. It's so easy to make, it can be made in advance and popped in the fridge, and everyone loves it. Job done. Can I have a mummy prize please?

Miso Ramen Noodles with Smoked Mackerel

I have a disclaimer before you make this tasty miso ramen noodle recipe, packed with yummy smoked mackerel. I have never been to Japan. I am not Japanese. I have been to a Japanese restaurant, and I do have friends that have lived in and visited Japan. My recipe might not be 100% authentic, but it sure is tasty! Let me know what you think. 

My children love noodle dishes, and this is a great way to get them trying ingredients they might otherwise not want to try. All the different elements seem to be attractive to kids too. They feel like they are being given a choice of what to eat.

Sausage & Tortelloni Soup

I've never been a huge fan of fresh Tortelloni until I used them in this recipe. This soup is a great midweek recipe and no child can resist little balls of sausage! Whilst they are cooking, you can prepare the rest of the soup.

Beef and Oxtail Stew

I've been making a lot of beef stews recently and I've got to say this is the best one yet. It is just the easiest and most comforting Sunday dish that can be cooking away while you relax.

As with all beef stews and casseroles, the main ingredient is time - the slower you cook it, the yummier it will be! I always try to give it at least three hours at 150C. This recipe is also perfect for the slow cooker. Follow all the steps and just transfer all the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours. You could choose to add your potatoes to the stew to have a one pot wonder, or have a creamy mash instead. I served this stew with kale, which was lovely - or you can't go wrong with some Savoy cabbage.

I can guarantee you won't be disappointed with this recipe...

Chicken & Mushroom Ramen

This dish is a winner! In fact, chicken & mushroom ramen could be one of my all time favourites! The children absolutely love it too, which makes dinner time a little easier! 

I used fresh chicken thighs, but you could easily use leftover chicken for an even quicker dish. The poached egg brings the whole noodle dish together with gooey runny egg yolk.

Beef & Bean Burgers

These burgers are really tasty with the addition of red kidney beans - it also makes the beef go further, which is always good for your budget! I find the children prefer these burgers to all-meat varieties.

Lentil & Cashew Nut Curry

This lentil & cashew nut curry is a great vegan dish with all the nutrition of any meat dish - and you certainly won't feel like you're missing out on anything. It's also a great budget dish - so you can feel good on all counts! I served the curry with cardamon infused rice and stir-fried greens.


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon root ginger, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 chilli, chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin powder
75g green lentils
75g red lentils
1 pint cold water
half can of coconut milk
75g cashew nuts
salt and pepper
squeeze of lemon juice to taste

HOW TO MAKE:
Firstly, put the lentils and cashews in the cold water and leave to soak.

In a hot pan, add the oil, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds. Once they start to pop add the sliced onion and fry until soft and slightly golden. Now add the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add the cumin powder and turmeric and fry for another minute. Add the lentils and cashew nuts in the water and add the coconut milk. Once simmering, lower the heat and cook for a further 20 minutes until the lentils are nice and soft. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice - you may also need to add half a teaspoon of sugar.

I stir-fried shredded savoy cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli and dwarf beans in a teaspoon of cumin seeds and seasoned with lots of pepper, salt and lemon juice. You could also add chilli and ginger if you wish.

Slow Cooker Shepherds Pie

As promised more slow cooker recipes! I think slow cooking the minced lamb made a huge difference to the dish and the meat was really tender and tasty. If you don't have time in the morning to prepare the dish, prepare everything in the evening and put it in the fridge until the morning, then you can just stick it all in the slow cooker and leave it to cook throughout the day.


Ingredients:
500g mince lamb
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
100ml red wine
400ml beef stock
half teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper

HOW TO MAKE:
Fry the mince in a dry pan until brown (I had to drain off quite a lot of fat). Once the lamb is nice and brown, remove from the pan. Add a glug of olive oil to the frying pan and saute the onion, celery and carrot. Put the mince back in the pan and add the garlic and flour. Stir until the flour disappears, then add the red wine, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and seasoning. If you are preparing this in the evening, leave the sauce to cool and refridgerate. If you are preparing in the morning, add the sauce to the slow cooker and cook for 7 hours on low.

This is my red wine lolly pop. When there's some undrunk red wine, I pop it in the freezer for future use in some yummy sauces - nothing wasted!

When your sauce is lovely and tender (check the seasoning), remove from the slow cooker and put into a shallow rectangular oven dish and leave to cool slightly whilst you boil the spuds for the mash (always do more potatoes than you think, it takes a lot of mash!) Once the spuds are cooked, drain and mash with butter, milk and seasoning. Spread over the mince sauce and sprinkle with the cheese of your choice. I used Pecorino because it's made from sheep's milk! My son said it was perfect!

SLOW COOKER PORK LOIN

Thanks to the wonderful Mr Mean, my Christmas present this year was a requested slow cooker ("less time in the kitchen, more time for cleaning", the swine...). Good job I've got a sense of humour (just waiting for him to earn more money before I think about divorce!).

Anyway, with more financial hardship on the cards and food prices higher than ever, I thought a slow cooker would be a good idea for weekday cheap meals with cheap cuts of meat. The kids are getting bigger - as are their appetites, so finding a cheaper alternative instead of just upping the ingredients list seems like a cunning plan!

Sweetcorn Curry Recipe

My Dad used to make this sweetcorn curry recipe when we young and we all used to love it. It's a very good curry for vegetarians (substitute the chicken stock for veggie) and children love it too with all that lovely sweetcorn. For babies, I just leave the salt and chilli out. You can add them after you've served the baby portion. Serve with rice or naan.


Ingredients:
4 cobs of corn
3 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 onions, finely chopped
3 green chillies
1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 can of sweetcorn
60g peanuts, ground
60g sesame seeds, ground
300ml milk
3 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

HOW TO MAKE:
Boil the corn cobs until tender. Drain and reserve 300ml of the water. Quarter the cobs and leave until later.

Heat the oil in the pan and add the black mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the onions and cook until soft. Now add the chillies and ginger and cooks for another couple of minutes. Making sure the pan isn't too hot, add the turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Dry fry for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes, stock (made with the reserved cooking liquor), corn cobs and tin of sweetcorn. Once it has reduced down, add the peanuts, sesame seeds and milk and cook on a low heat until there is a thick gravy. Finish with the fresh coriander just before serving.

If you like this recipe try Lentil Dhal with Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken with Broccoli and Mushrooms

This is a very simple recipe with maximum taste - yum!

For the Teriyaki Sauce:
50ml Soy Sauce
50ml Sweet Rice Wine
1 tablespoon soft brown sugar

1 large chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 head of broccoli
10 mushrooms, quartered
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For the sauce, add the ingredients to a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Now heat your pan to a high heat and stir fry the chicken, broccoli and mushrooms. Add a small amount of water to steam the broccoli. Once the chicken is cooked, add the Teriyaki sauce, spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice.

Steak and Chips

You can't beat a classic, so here's my Steak and Chips. The main course of the Mean Mother Cooker Valentine's menu. The steak is served rare with a red wine jus, horse radish cream, potato and sweet potato baked chips and wilted spinach.


Ingredients:
2 rump steaks - or the steak of your choice
1 wine glass of red wine
2 teaspoons of horse radish
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon creme fraiche
3 potatoes
1 large sweet potato
baby spinach

HOW TO MAKE:

Cut the chips and place on a baking tray with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 200ºC. Once the chips are in the oven., get your steaks out of the fridge to bring to room temperature.

Make the horse radish cream by combining the horse radish, mayonnaise and creme fraiche. 

Season the steak with olive oil and black pepper. Make sure your frying pan is very hot before adding the steak. A rare steak will take about 7-9 minutes, turning every minutes or so. Once your steak is done, let it rest while you deglaze the pan with the wine. Let it rapidly boil and reduce to a syrup. At the last minute, wilt the spinach in a hot pan, season and serve. Always remember to season the meat with salt before serving.

Lentil Dhal with Chicken

I love a dhal. In fact, I don't think you can beat lentils. This Lentil Dhal with Chicken is a quick "does-everything" curry. My ideal dish at the moment is something that can just blip away on the stove. I want to bang all the ingredients in a pan and have a yummy dish at the end of it all - and this dish is very good for that.


I've simplified this dhal recipe and added chicken, although it is equally as nice without the meat. And if you've got a baby, check out my Baby Dhal with Chicken, which is easiest to make when making this grown-up dish!

Ingredients:
125g green lentils
125g red lentils
600ml water
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 onion, chopped
225g tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3cm root ginger, chopped or grated
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
2 chicken breasts, sliced


HOW TO MAKE:
First of all, soak the lentils in the water. Now prepare the onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Once you have them all chopped, heat two tablespoons of oil and add the black mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger. Fry for 5 minutes, then add the chilli, turmeric and cumin. Fry for 30 seconds, then add the lentils in their water and the coconut milk. Simmer for 20 minutes then add the chicken and in a separate pan, put your rice on to cook. When the rice has cooked, add coriander to the dhal, season to taste and serve. Sometimes, I find a squeeze of lemon just lifts the flavours of the dish.

If you like this recipe try Sweetcorn Curry

Leeky Pasta with Ham

You can't go wrong with this dish - it's a winner every time and children love it too. Gorgeous!

Ingredients:
3 leeks, trimmed and chopped
400ml chicken stock
olive oil and knob of butter
3 slices of ham, chopped
100g creme fraiche
20g Parmesan
salt and pepper

HOW TO MAKE:
Pan fry the leeks for 5 minutes, making sure not to brown them. Add 100ml of stock and continue to cook on a gentle simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Continue the same process by adding 100ml of stock at a time until all the liquid has been added. The leeks should be tender and soft. Now add the ham, creme fraiche, seasoning and Parmesan. Stir in the pasta and serve.

Jamie Oliver's Smoked Haddock and Corn Chowder

I've just made this chowder for dinner and my son loves it - so I'd recommend it for kids. It's from Jamie Oliver's book, Jamie's 30 Minutes Meals.

It was very easy, quick and simple and I managed to stick it all on whilst seeing to a baby. Just watch out for bones when serving it to little children. I even left out the prawns and it was still super tasty. I will be definitely making it again, but I think the potatoes could do with a little extra time. Here's Jamie's recipe:

Jamie Oliver's Smoked Haddock and Corn Chowder

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
A small bunch of spring onions
250g (9oz) red-skinned potatoes
4 corn on the cob
1 x 300g (11oz) fillet of smoked haddock, skin off and pin-boned
3 fresh bay leaves
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 litre (1.75 pints) organic chicken stock
150ml (0.25 pints) single cream
200g (7oz) peeled cooked prawns
1 x 150g (5oz) pack of large matzo crackers


HOW TO MAKE:

1. Finely slice the bacon and put it into the saucepan with a good lug of olive oil. Stir until golden.

2. Trim and finely slice the spring onions, add to the pan and stir.

3. Wash the potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks. Add to the pan and mix well. Keep an eye on the pan, stirring often.

4.  Meanwhile, put a clean tea towel over a board and ruffle up the edges to catch the corn. Hold a corn cob upright on the board and run a knife gently down to the base of the kernels, all the way round. Repeat with the rest of the cobs, discarding the cores. Tip the kernels directly from the tea towel into the pan.

5. Add the smoked haddock to the pan with 3 bay leaves and the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme. Cover with the chicken stock, then put the lid on and cook for 12-15 minutes.

6. Add 150ml of single cream and the peeled prawns to the chowder and stir well. Put the lid back on and turn the heat down to low.

7. Put the matzo crackers in a pile on the table.

8. Take the saucepan off the heat. You can leave it coarse and chunky, or use a potato masher to mash it up a little bit and make it silky, or purée the lot – it’s up to you. I like to roughly mash one side of it, then mix it through.