What better way to warm up your wintery nights than with a belly full of hearty slow-cooked food? Even better if it’s ready to go when you get home – so dust off your Crockpot and get set to slow cook your way to wintery goodness.
These four delicious recipes cater for carnivores and the vegie-inclined alike. Most make enough to ensure you have leftovers for the next night or at least lunch the next day.
Make sure you use certified Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in your slow-cooking for lighter, healthier meals that are even tastier. Your body will thank you for it.
Warm up with these tasty recipes.
Beefing it up
This beef ragu is ideal for serving over warm pasta, but it works just as well with rice, mashed potato or with your favourite beans and greens on the side.
Make sure you drizzle the beef with certified Australian EVOO and use a little extra to fry the onions, garlic, celery and carrot to keep this dish as healthy as it is tasty.
Family favourite
This Mexican chicken dish is perfect for family dinners.
It uses chicken thighs, which are cheaper and more flavourful than chicken breasts. Make it even healthier by using certified Australian EVOO to brown the onions and cook the spices when making the paste that gives the chicken its rich flavour.
Serve with purple cabbage, black beans or brown rice.
Perfect pork
If there’s a tastier way to eat pork than this, we’d like to hear about it.
This recipe for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork can be served with a side salad or in a wrap or bun for the ultimate eat-with-your-hands treat. If you’re looking for a winter treat you can also serve it over creamy mashed potatoes whipped up with Australian EVOO.
Tip: Freeze any leftover pulled pork in small plastic zip-lock bags for quick easy meals on the go.
Magic is in the sauce
These Slow Cooker Butter Chickpeas will satisfy vegetarians, vegans and those who need gluten-free dishes. Plus, they make an excellent side dish or as part of an Indian-style feast.
“The magic is all in the slow-cooked, rich sauce,” dietician Alexandra Caspero says on her blog, Delish Knowledge. “Trust it. Let it simmer for hours until it’s thick, bubbly and coating every square inch of the beans and tofu squares.”
Use certified Australian EVOO to gently cook the onions. And don’t worry when the recipe calls for garbanzo beans – that’s just another way of saying chickpeas.