tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60168772061478129552024-03-05T20:10:37.709+00:00Ramblings of a working motherAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-39843481873296204242016-03-08T19:12:00.000+00:002016-03-08T19:12:05.700+00:00Beef Stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamQhmI9RRjjCa9Cf0lnKw7qmc6dCaOBAnb0LBUN5VkEUwWJCK_PADuGcYtaPHqmsZLJmiUROowQGswSFFctz3xv88CeJ40vElcoQP7Kqf4oq14qhXGXuS5qnAl-quP2mueKTzK-KZufY/s1600/24143696443_b976869c27_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamQhmI9RRjjCa9Cf0lnKw7qmc6dCaOBAnb0LBUN5VkEUwWJCK_PADuGcYtaPHqmsZLJmiUROowQGswSFFctz3xv88CeJ40vElcoQP7Kqf4oq14qhXGXuS5qnAl-quP2mueKTzK-KZufY/s320/24143696443_b976869c27_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Since the start of 2016 I've been following the new WeightWatchers SmartPoints programme. As a WW gold member for for 13 years, I think this is the best programme so far, discouraging the consumption of sugar and saturated fat, while encouraging filling, healthy eating habits. And so far, it's working for me.<br />
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Many of our favourite crockpot recipes are already low in SmartPoints, so we've continued to include them in our weekly planning. For example, I've just prepared the <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2015/02/pulled-pork.html" target="_blank">Pulled Pork</a> recipe for tomorrow's dinner, and we had the <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/06/the-best-whole-chicken-in-crock-pot.html" target="_blank">Best Whole Chicken</a> yesterday (with chips!). This recipe for beef stew is adapted directly from the new WeightWatchers book. We've made it twice since the start of the year, and it's likely to continue in our repertoire of recipes. </div>
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Like many other recipes on this blog, this can be put together the evening before cooking, and left overnight in the fridge. We've eaten it with rice or mashed potatoes, and it has gone down well with both children. The original recipe browns the onion, celery and carrot first, but I've found this isn't necessary.</div>
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Preparation</b></div>
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Chop 1 onion, 2 celery sticks and 4 carrots, quite small, and put them in the bottom of the crockpot. Crush 2 cloves of garlic and add this to the put. Add 500g of cubed lean beef (I used round steak). Combine 1tsp ground cinnamon with 1tbsp flour, and sprinkle this over the meat in the crockpot. </div>
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In a jug, combine 400ml beef stock, 2tbsp tomato purée, 3tbsp balsamic vinegar, 125ml red wine, and 1/2tsp dried thyme. Pour this over the meat and vegetables in the crockpot. Now leave this in the fridge overnight, or continue to cook. </div>
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When you are ready to start cooking, switch the crockpot to LOW and leave it for 8 - 10 hours. </div>
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The Outcome</b></div>
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This results in a very tasty beef stew, with plenty of vegetables. While the gravy is a little thin, it is full of flavour. Serve with rice or mashed potato, or just with green vegetables if you need a really low fat dinner. This serves 4 people very easily. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-75500006046180458672015-12-29T14:06:00.001+00:002015-12-29T14:11:03.818+00:00Chicken (or Turkey) Noodle SoupTwo days after Christmas, hubby stripped the turkey from the carcass. We had quite a big turkey, feeding 7 people, but with plenty of leftovers. Since then I have made a turkey curry, and there's more meat in the freezer. We thought we'd try using the bones to make stock. Since the crockpot wasn't being used for anything else, it made sense to use that. <div><br></div><div>Ms Fussy Eater has had a cold all over Christmas, making her a bit miserable. Our Spanish au pair, Bea, used to make a chicken noodle soup whenever the kids were sick. So, I had an idea to use the turkey stock in that way. I had no recipe to guide me, but an idea of what I wanted to achieve. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Preparation</b></div><div><br></div><div>We put as much of the turkey carcass into the crock pot as would fit, breaking it up as necessary. Then I poured over a couple of pints of water, turned it to HIGH, and left it for about 6 hours. It was soon bubbling away and producing a lovely healthy aroma in the kitchen. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Making the Soup</b></div><div><br></div><div>Once the stock had cooled, we took out all the bones, leaving behind a golden stock with small pieces (sometimes chunks) of turkey meat. I heated this up, adding a tablespoon of paprika, two tablespoons of dried thyme and two tablespoons of garlic salt. When it came to the boil, I added some fine pasta noodles and allowed them to cook for 4 minutes. </div><div><br></div><div><b>The Outcome</b></div><div><br></div><div>The result is a golden soup full of flavour. We ate it with slices of oat bread, and it tasted really good and healthy, especially after the excesses of Christmas. </div><div><br></div><div><b>The Verdict</b></div><div><br></div><div>Mr Teenager was very enthusiastic and finished off a bowl very quickly. He said next time I should add some carrots. Unfortunately Ms Fussy Eater could not be persuaded to eat more than a few spoons. She said she was not hungry and couldn't taste it anyway. </div><div><br></div><div>I will make this again when we next make the whole chicken in a crockpot recipe. The stock from that should make a delicious soup. And maybe I will add some carrots. </div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPMJ1YLmy6pxBnnJj1CAPVlLvFRYL3fSegOwQnm44smUkdwWfb78n2s10EFF3DOHR0Dg2fCakuSR0CnEPiLg1tOpqryFETQrAga178fcSk7BxuxIOUU5nvj6R5MeRNXj1k0gk4g4-VTI/s640/blogger-image-203409335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPMJ1YLmy6pxBnnJj1CAPVlLvFRYL3fSegOwQnm44smUkdwWfb78n2s10EFF3DOHR0Dg2fCakuSR0CnEPiLg1tOpqryFETQrAga178fcSk7BxuxIOUU5nvj6R5MeRNXj1k0gk4g4-VTI/s640/blogger-image-203409335.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-42856774577250863982015-11-03T22:06:00.000+00:002015-11-03T22:06:54.758+00:00Chorizo Butter BeansDear readers, it has been quite a while since I last posted anything on this blog. This is not because I haven't been using the crockpot, but really because we've been busy and access to the family PC is often difficult when Mr Teenager has his friends around.<br />
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Another reason is because we've been going back to some of our recipes, which have become family favourites. Our most favourite recipe, by far, has to be the <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/06/the-best-whole-chicken-in-crock-pot.html" target="_blank">Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot</a>, which we make at least twice a month. This has become Ms Fussy Eater's favourite dinner, especially when it's served with some oven chips. It makes a very easy come-home-from-work dinner and we usually have some leftovers to use the next day in a quick pasta dish.<br />
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Other regulars include <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/03/chilli-con-carne.html" target="_blank">Chilli con Carne</a>, Miss South's <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2015/02/pulled-pork.html" target="_blank">Pulled Pork</a>, and <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/11/chicken-tikka-masala.html" target="_blank">Chicken Tikka Masala</a>, which we make at least once a month, the latter with variations. In fact, I've just put together the chicken tikka masala, using chicken breasts, and put it in the fridge overnight. I'll set it cooking tomorrow morning, because tomorrow is another long, busy day.<br />
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I'd say we use the crockpot at least twice a week, and often on Sunday - allowing us the freedom to get out and about without worrying about cooking times. I have become a lot more confident with how I use the slow cooker and quite happy to cook a Sunday "roast" without needing a recipe.<br />
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This recipe for Chorizo Butter Beans is from Miss South's Slow Cooked recipe book, which I bought at the start of this year. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to try it. It is AMAZING; for me it's the ultimate in comfort food. It's delicious hot from the cooker, but equally good eaten cold in a packed lunch the next day. I would quite happily cook a batch and eat it all myself over 3 days (and have done so). Hubby also really likes it.<br />
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I haven't tried it on the children. They are not keen on beans unless they are the baked variety. Mr Teenager no longer removes them from his chilli, which is progress. But he's not ready to eat a meal based on beans. Ms Fussy Eater will eat neither beans nor chorizo, so there's no point even trying.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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You need about 200g dried butter beans - I had never tried cooking butter beans from scratch before. Put them into the crock pot with: 1 onion, diced; 4 cloves of garlic, chopped roughly; 200g chorizo, cubed. Sprinkle over 1 heaped teaspoon of smoked paprika and add a time of tomatoes and 450ml water. Then cook on the LOW setting for 8 hours.<br />
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What could be easier? <br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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When it has finished cooking you'll have the most amazing and intense dish. The beans are melt-in-the-mouth and the tomatoes and chorizo have infused into a gloriously unctious sauce. Just scoop it out into bowls and grab a fork or spoon.<br />
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<b>Notes</b><br />
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The recipe states it serves 2 as a main meal, or 4 as a side. My experience is that 3 portions is about right. You could serve with some crusty bread, to stretch out the recipe. The bread would also be delicious for dipping and wiping out the bowl.<br />
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The first time I made this, I didn't have smoked paprika, so I used plain. It was still delicious. But since then I've used smoked paprika, and that raises the whole dish to a new level.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-80867534774907249692015-02-22T14:56:00.000+00:002015-02-22T14:56:01.269+00:00Goulash<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Goulash</td></tr>
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February has been a cold month here. We had a fairly mild Christmas, but the cold came in January and has continued throughout February. We've had no snow worth talking about, but the cold and damp just creeps into your bones. At work, we have a visitor from Pennsylvania, where the temperatures are much lower than Galway; but she says she has never felt so cold before.<br />
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So, having a recipe for a delicious, warming dish, such as this Goulash, is a real bonus. There's nothing quite like coming home from the cold, wind and rain/sleet/hail to find an amazing pot of warmth and goodness just waiting for you.<br />
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Once again, this is based on a recipe from Miss South's Slow Cooked - a veritable treasure trove of recipes. I had to make some changes because I didn't have quite the right ingredients, but I'm putting that right for the next time. <br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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Cut about 500g stewing beef (I used round steak) into cubes and toss it is 1tbsp flour. Put this in the crock pot with 1 onion, chopped, and 2 garlic cloves, cut up small. I used 75g peppers from a jar, mixed with a tin of tomatoes, blended in a food blender with 2tbsp paprika and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Add this paste to the meat in the crock pot and mix well. The recipe calls for smoked paprika and alway 1tsp caraway seeds - which I didn't have.<br />
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Add another tin of tomatoes (I used tinned cherry tomatoes, but the recipe calls for plum) and a beef stock cube. Make sure the meat is covered and add some hot water if necessary (I didn't).<br />
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I did all this the evening before cooking, and left the pot in the fridge overnight. Next morning I took it out, and left it cooking on LOW for the day, about 10 hours. When I came home, I cooked up a pot of potatoes for mashing.<br />
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<b>The Outcome</b><br />
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This dish was just what we needed on a cold, wet Friday evening. The beef was cooked perfectly, meltingly tender. The tomato-based sauce was rich and thick. The flavour wasn't as full as I expected, but I suspect that the inclusion of smoked paprika and caraway seeds would have made all the difference. I've since purchased both and will make the dish again very soon - the forecast for March doesn't indicate that the weather will improve anytime soon. The cayenne pepper added a nice bite, warming the dish without making it spicey.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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We all enjoyed this meal. The kids picked out the obvious whole cherry tomatoes, but otherwise ate up all the rich tomato sauce, oblivious to the presence of peppers. Pure comfort food.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-11865856508810471092015-02-22T14:18:00.000+00:002015-02-22T14:18:32.599+00:00Perfect Mince<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljMHXhsJZSYOTDqBh8Cccr1DVjEmmv3Dd_-wiyCaZccCa4eAGQNmwQ9q0Zc1z7qh2_S_7Kk8zvEV1_h0RaEvCPotY7xLd0Z_iNc_M9J1n5fYTen65VpQvzCGocS_BLE-oebAmaLadX78/s1600/IMG_7004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljMHXhsJZSYOTDqBh8Cccr1DVjEmmv3Dd_-wiyCaZccCa4eAGQNmwQ9q0Zc1z7qh2_S_7Kk8zvEV1_h0RaEvCPotY7xLd0Z_iNc_M9J1n5fYTen65VpQvzCGocS_BLE-oebAmaLadX78/s1600/IMG_7004.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Here's an interesting little recipe, very simple, but tasty. It's perfect for the sort of day when you just have no time. It certainly has an echo of childhood dinners. You can see from the photo that it's not in the least bit fancy, but sometimes that's just what you need. I could see this as a great meal for somebody who has been ill and just needs a bit of building up. We served it with rice, but actually mince and potatoes would be ideal comfort food.<br />
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Again, it's based on a recipe from my new favourite book, Slow Cooked by Miss South.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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This takes almost no time to prepare, it just requires boiling the kettle and could easily be done in the morning before heading out to work. I usually make myself a cup of tea first thing, so just make sure there's enough in the kettle to make up 200ml beef stock as well.<br />
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Put about 500g beef mince in the crock pot and sprinkle over 2tbsp flour, giving it a quick mix with a fork to break up lumps and coat the meat. Make up the 200ml of beef stock and stir in 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp tomato purée and 1/2 tsp soy sauce, or adjust quantities to taste. We quite like Worcestershire sauce in our house, so I probably added a bit more than 1 tsp. Also, if you're really in a rush and can't be bothered to get out the measuring spoons, I wouldn't worry too much about measuring these at all.<br />
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Pour the stock mixture over the mince and stir again. Leave it cooking on LOW for 8 hours.<br />
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<b>The Outcome</b><br />
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There's very little added to the mince in this recipe, nothing to bulk it out. The mince is beautifully cooked and has a great flavour, but I'd really recommend serving with some vegetables. I think it's just calling out for peas, which could be mixed in just before serving, or a side portion of carrots or brocolli. A side salad would go well either. Our serving, with just rice, was a little sparse. Ms Fussy Eater wasn't with us the evening we had this (her first disco - the excitement!) and we had just enough for 3 adults, with no leftovers.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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Mr Teenager, of course, was delighted with the absence of vegetables! His portion disappeared in about 2 minutes, with absolutely nothing left on the plate. Hubby and I both enjoyed the simplicity of the meal, and especially the lack of any fuss.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-37054659075531498372015-02-22T13:49:00.002+00:002015-02-22T13:49:51.216+00:00Pulled PorkPork is certainly something that works extremely well in the crock pot. We often return to the recipe for <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/04/mexican-pull-apart-pork.html" target="_blank">Mexican Pull-Apart Pork</a>, with some variations, and serve it with rice, mashed potato or flour tortillas. It is delicious, and doesn't require too much preparation. But this recipe for Pulled Pork from Miss South's Slow Cooked is even easier. Despite the very simple ingredients, the flavour is delicious. I've made it twice already in the last month. For some reason, though, I haven't managed to take a picture yet. Maybe because it gets eaten so quickly.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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Slice 2 onions thinly and place these in the bottom of the crock pot with 4 cloves of garlic - peeled, but no need to chop or crush. Mix 4 tbsp tomato purée with a little water and rub the paste all over the pork. I used a simple pork fillet, trimmed of any excess fat. Put the pork on top of the onions in the crock pot and then pour over a tin of chopped tomatoes. Finally, sit a little star anise on the top.<br />
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Cook the pork on LOW for about 8 - 10 hours - this is a perfect meal if you're out at work for the full day. Lift the pork out of the pot and shred it using two forks - this will be really easy. Then put it back into the sauce, star anise removed, and stir to get the meat covered. Serve with whatever you like - rice, potato or flour tortillas.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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This is so easy and so delicious. The pork is tender and melt-in-the-mouth. It's real comfort food. We had it with plenty of mashed potato and both children really enjoyed it. There was plenty for a family of 4 hungry people, with a little bit leftover for hubby to take for lunch during the week.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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Absolutely no complaints from anybody. Mr Teenager left behind a few of the more obvious lumps of tomato, but otherwise we had 4 clean plates.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-80001848834816935022015-02-22T13:30:00.000+00:002015-02-22T13:30:48.935+00:00Chickpeas and Beetroot HummusMiss South's book Slow Cooked (as mentioned in my last post) is rapidly becoming a favourite in my house. I really like the no fuss approach to using the slow cooker and there has been very little preparation for the dishes so far.<br />
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I was intrigued to find out that I could cook chick peas in the crockpot. I've done it twice now. It's incredibly easy and could be done overnight or on a day when you're just not using the slow cooker. Basically, put 200g of dried chickpeas in the pot, add 500ml of boiling water, and leave it cooking on HIGH for 8 hours.<br />
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The chickpeas are not coming out as plump as I was expecting, but they have a lovely firm texture, unlike the slightly mushy ones that come in a tin. In the last hour, they do tend to start sticking to the side of the pot, but are not exactly burnt - more caramelised.<br />
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They make a wonderful hummus! I've made the hummus from Miss South's book and it is deliciously chunky, lemony and garlicky. I tried taking it to work for lunch but I completely stunk out my office and couldn't talk to anyone for the whole afternoon. So, probably safer to share with a loved one in the privacy of your own home.<br />
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I cooked another batch yesterday and intend to make a Beetroot Hummus with it - suitable for a packed lunch at work. The ingredients aren't exact - basically blend up the cooked beetroot and chickpeas in a blender, add some lemon juice and fresh coriander or mint. Spice up with some fresh chilli. You can thin it out with a little plain yoghurt, if you like. This keeps perfectly well in the fridge for a couple of days.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-15043729613073640682015-02-04T16:35:00.000+00:002015-02-04T16:35:38.821+00:00Balsamic beetrootI haven't posted recently, but that's not because we haven't been using the slow cooker! On the contrary, we have used it probably at least twice a week since New Year. We've just been revisiting some recipes. The <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/06/the-best-whole-chicken-in-crock-pot.html" target="_blank">Best Whole Chicken</a> has now been declared Ms Fussy Eater's favourite meal - to the extent that she requested it (with chips) for her birthday meal recently. We also return frequently to the <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/03/chilli-con-carne.html" target="_blank">chilli recipe</a>, as well as <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/04/mexican-pull-apart-pork.html" target="_blank">Mexican Pork</a> and also <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/04/italian-pork-and-pepper-ragu.html" target="_blank">Pork and Pepper ragu</a>.<br />
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But it's time to start experimenting again. On Sunday I was browsing in Eason and I came across a new recipe book called Slow Cooked by <a href="http://www.northsouthfood.com/" target="_blank">Miss South</a> (who also has a food blog). I leafed through it, wondering whether to purchase or not. But then I came across this idea for cooking beetroot - and I was sold. </div>
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I adore beetroot, it's definitely one of my favourite vegetables - but not the doused-in-vinegar kind. One of my favourite restaurants in Galway, Ard Bia, often has beetroot on the menu, and I will always go for it. I recently started making a beetroot hummus, which is healthy and tasty. This week, while grocery shopping, I found some fresh, uncooked beetroot, and bought it. I thought I might try roasting it, until I found the new cookery book. Cooking beetroot in the crock pot is a no-brainer. It's perfect for that long, slow cooking, which brings out the sweet flavour of the beetroot. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balsamic Beetroot</td></tr>
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<b>Preparation</b></div>
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I used about 500g of uncooked beetroot, stalks removed. It was already well-cleaned and didn't require any scrubbing. I cut the raw beetroot into quarters, with the biggest one cut into 8. This went into the crockpot, and mixed up with 1tsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and a good shake of dried thyme. </div>
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While hubby and I went out to the cinema, I left the crockpot cooking on HIGH for about 4 hours. </div>
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<b>The Outcome</b> </div>
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<div>
When we got back from the cinema, there was a fabulous smell in the kitchen. I had forgotten about the beetroot, so it was lovely to be welcomed back to such an aroma. The beetroot was a beautiful deep red colour and it looked just gorgeous sitting at the bottom of the crockpot. I scooped the chunks out of the pot and let it cool a little before putting it in the fridge in a Tupperware container. Of course, I had to try a chunk, and it was just perfect. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>The Verdict</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To be honest, I am really the only person in the house who appreciates this. Hubby could take it or leave it, while Ms Fussy Eater and Mr Teenager will actively avoid beetroot. All the more for me!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I took some slices today, with some homemade oat bread, for my lunch at work. What a treat! I might use some to make hummus, before the end of the week, but then again it might not last that long. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-43539310143815345512014-12-29T18:37:00.001+00:002014-12-29T18:37:35.581+00:00Spiced beefAccording to wikipedia <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiced_beef" target="_blank">Spiced beef</a> is a cured and salted joint of rump or silverside beef, which is traditionally served at Christmas or the New Year in Ireland</i>.<br />
<br />
I remember eating spiced beef as a child, it was always a Christmas special, though not usually eaten on Christmas day. Downey's butchers in Terenure, near where I grew up, was known for its spiced beef, and it was a favourite of my father's. In the last few years, I have usually cooked a spiced beef in the run up to Christmas, and it is a special dinner. This year I bought it from <a href="http://www.jameswhelanbutchers.com/" target="_blank">James Whelan butchers</a>, planning to cook it on the 23rd December, when the family (including my mother) would be together to enjoy it.<br />
<br />
It was my mum who suggested I try cooking it in the slow cooker. I was afraid that it might get a little overdone, but since I was at work on the 23rd, and I didn't want her to have to cook it, I decided to give it a try - and I'm glad I did. This is definitely how I'll cook it in future.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation</b><br />
<br />
This took almost no preparation at all. I chopped up two onions and put them at the bottom of the crock pot, and set the spiced beef on top. I then poured over a 500ml can of Guinness. I put the lid on the cooker, set it to cook on low and left it for 8 hours.<br />
<br />
Shortly before eating, we prepared some mashed potato and some peas - because we were too lazy to prepare any other vegetables.<br />
<br />
<b>The Outcome</b><br />
<br />
The spiced beef was absolutely as it should be, and certainly not overcooked. It was tender and full of flavour - not at all dried out. The mashed potato was a perfect pairing.<br />
<br />
<b>The Verdict</b><br />
<br />
If you can get your hands on a good piece of spiced beef, this is absolutely the way to cook it. Between the 5 of us, we finished off every piece. Ms Fussy Eater cut off all of the delicious spices, of course, but that's her choice. The Teenager had no such qualms and ate his dinner heartily.<br />
<br />
No pictures, I'm afraid.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-23343657911134649822014-12-29T18:16:00.000+00:002014-12-29T18:16:25.112+00:00Beef curry II<br />
A couple of weeks back, in mid-December, it was getting cold and dreary, with short days and not a lot of light even during daylight hours. I had a wanting for a decent beef curry and thought I'd see what I could do with the slow cooker. I looked up a few recipes, but couldn't find exactly what I wanted. I did consider the <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/09/beef-curry.html" target="_blank">beef curry</a> from back in September, but I wanted something different - good as that was.<br />
<br />
In the <i>Australian Women's Weekly easy slow cooking</i> I found a recipe for massaman beef curry which looks great in the accompanying photo, but it uses peanut oil and includes roasted peanuts in the ingredients. With two nut allergy sufferers in the house, it just isn't suitable. But I liked the idea of using coconut milk and I always have a selection of curry paste in the house. So, I decided to make my own version.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuy98vxzVKpsFTtYBSoADIsV2Quz_PI1cS5vsYVtft_kbz1tjCl5pqDZ6tG8Nxv_NkaUZlsFioQOBwaXOT6bw7rcSeV76JAwAsjQirsz8xwoJ55_1UBuaEH0fIp1cvbPSLk5QysjKgIA/s1600/IMG_6653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuy98vxzVKpsFTtYBSoADIsV2Quz_PI1cS5vsYVtft_kbz1tjCl5pqDZ6tG8Nxv_NkaUZlsFioQOBwaXOT6bw7rcSeV76JAwAsjQirsz8xwoJ55_1UBuaEH0fIp1cvbPSLk5QysjKgIA/s1600/IMG_6653.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef curry served with rice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Preparation</b><br />
<br />
I sliced up two onions and fried them until brown in a small amount of (olive) oil. They then went into the bottom of the crock pot. I then browned about 600g round steak, cubed, in the large frying pan and added 2 tbsp rogan josh curry paste. This I stirred for about 1 minute until the beef was well coated with paste. I added the beef to the crock pot along with 1 can of low-fat coconut milk, a chicken stock cube, a cinnamon stick and two bay leaves. Finally, I cut 3 medium potatoes into cubes and mixed them in.<br />
<br />
The crock pot was left to cook on low for about 8 hours. After that time, the cinamon stick was discarded and I added 1 tbsp light brown sugar and 1 tbsp fish sauce. We served the curry, as in the picture, with some brown rice.<br />
<br />
<b>The Result</b><br />
<br />
This was a really good curry. The meat and the potato both held their shape and texture, while the sauce was spicey with a good kick. The coconut milk gave a good balance without being sweet in any way. Eating it with the rice was probably a little bit carb-heavy, but given the miserable, wet, cold, dreary weather, I think we could do with a little more carbs.<br />
<br />
<b>The Verdict</b><br />
<br />
Hubby and Mr Teenager really enjoyed this meal and both went back for more. Ms Fussy Eater was pleased to discover that the obvious chunks of vegetables were actually potato and not anything more sinister (such as squash or parsnip). The sauce was smooth without being creamy, so she was happy enough to mix it into her rice. We all appreciated the extra warmth of the sauce.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-7851143761166045502014-12-13T11:37:00.001+00:002014-12-13T11:37:54.645+00:00Chicken Burrito BowlsI'm not a big Pinterest user. I created an account a couple of years ago, but have never found a real use for it. It seems quite useful as a bookmark tool, for interesting websites, but only if the site of interest has an image associated with it. More recently though, I've found a good use for it in collecting recipes of interest. I've created a board just for <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/sharonlflynn/slow-cooker-recipes/" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Recipes</a>, and whenever I come across an interesting recipe I pin it to the board. Then, when I'm planning meals for the week, I have a growing collection of recipes to try.<br />
<br />
This recipe for Chicken Burrito Bowls I came across some weeks ago and have been meaning to try. The recipe is pinned from <a href="http://www.slowcookerfromscratch.com/2014/09/slow-cooker-chicken-burrito-bowls.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooker from Scratch</a>, but the full recipe is from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-slow-cooker-chicken-burrito-bowls-recipes-from-the-kitchn-207333" target="_blank">the kitchn</a>. The recipe involves two stages, with the rice being added later in the process. Normally I wouldn't be able to do this, so I noted that the version on the kitchn recommends cooking the rice separately if necessary.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, hubby and I took the day off to go Christmas shopping, so it was an ideal opportunity to try this out. The preparation was dead easy, no pre-cooking or browning, simply throw everything in. When we got in, later that day, I decided to just add the rice to the crock-pot and turn it to high for about an hour. This approach worked a treat.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation</b><br />
<br />
On Wednesday morning, I put all the ingredients, apart from the rice, into the crock pot. These were: about 5 chicken breasts, a tin of chopped tomatoes, a chicken stock cube, 2tsp hot chilli power, 1tsp each salt and cumin, a tin of black beans, a handful each of frozen corn and frozen peas. I gave it all a bit of a stir and left the crock pot to cook on low for about 7 hours.<br />
<br />
When we came home, I considered cooking the rice separately, but I could see a lot of juice in the crock pot and thought it would be much nicer to cook the rice in that. So, I added about 240g brown rice, again stirred it up, then switched the crock pot to high. Less than an hour later it was ready.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Outcome</b><br />
<br />
As expected, the chicken was well cooked and could be easily broken up into chunks and shreds in the pot. The rice had absorbed all the juice, and so we ended up with something quite substantial. The beans, corn and peas added some colour and texture to the dish. The flavour was good and I think we were all quite suprised at how tasty it all was.<br />
<br />
<b>The Verdict</b><br />
<br />
Three of us really like the dish: simple, easy and tasty as it was. We covered our rice mixture with grated cheese, and hubby and I added a little quacamole and sour cream. Hubby declared it all to be delicious, and just what was needed after a day's Christmas shopping in the cold and rain. Mr Teenager didn't utter a word as he finished off a large bowl and went back for more. He didn't seem to notice the black beans and corn, which he would ordinarily have turned up his nose at. Only Ms Fussy Eater lived up to her name. She had a cold coming on and was probably not feeling too hungry anyway. She picked a little at her chicken but wouldn't eat anything else.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately I didn't get a photo this time, but do take a look at the pin.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-10329675736129428632014-11-12T17:11:00.003+00:002014-11-12T17:11:43.914+00:00Chicken Tikka Masala<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
We have been using the crock pot quite a bit recently. Our daily
lives are driven by work, school and after-school activites and there's
just no time (most evenings) to prepare, serve and eat a family dinner.
On Tuesday's, for example, Ms Fussy Eater has guitar from 5 to 6; Mr
Teenager has guitar from 7 to 8; and Hubby has his music group from
8:45. Anything we start preparing from 6:15 (when we get in) won't be
ready for us all to eat before 7, so usually we eat when Mr Teenage
comes home, and before Hubby has to leave. It's a logistics nightmare!</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyuPhIFcWUEI7hQsfzvtG_4bd6hZgn1a5zUqUGucwem4eGWHSMwUigk9OHRcjBKnmv75FmAuMu4COrYg0wSsKtzpR674N1A56KakgeK0XpWq75FK61sM9Fkp2d1V5wiUrtzgEJWaP3zg/s1600/IMG_6460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyuPhIFcWUEI7hQsfzvtG_4bd6hZgn1a5zUqUGucwem4eGWHSMwUigk9OHRcjBKnmv75FmAuMu4COrYg0wSsKtzpR674N1A56KakgeK0XpWq75FK61sM9Fkp2d1V5wiUrtzgEJWaP3zg/s400/IMG_6460.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken tikka masala with rice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />So, this recipe from the <i>Australian Women's Weekly easy slow cooking</i> look particularly easy and appealing. Both children have recently discovered a love of "chicken curry" and they both like the flavours and the spices.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt-G24DEI9nm0ynux2i5LvgCxA_QrSbeaIG3Dn75K6lDparXnpXfLgFeAGebky9pSofeYogClFJ9ILepnWvQNkLFYowvoeBlRzCItP3oAkKeR2SllWXVV9Mw1i4Mvf4xhPN8Os6Nb7iQ/s1600/IMG_6461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt-G24DEI9nm0ynux2i5LvgCxA_QrSbeaIG3Dn75K6lDparXnpXfLgFeAGebky9pSofeYogClFJ9ILepnWvQNkLFYowvoeBlRzCItP3oAkKeR2SllWXVV9Mw1i4Mvf4xhPN8Os6Nb7iQ/s200/IMG_6461.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erin Dine-ins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When shopping for the ingredients, however, we couldn't get a jar of tikka masala paste! The supermarket was just out - an empty space on the shelf where it should have been. This was a drawback - using a different paste would make a curry, but it wouldn't be chicken tikka masala. As we progressed around the shelves however, we came across a new product from Erin called <i>Dine-ins</i>, which includes a tikka masala version. Basically it is a little pot (very small) of concentrated paste and another pot of spices. We decided to give it a try.<br />
<br />
The recipe calls for 1kg skinless chicken thigh cutlets. We used 4
chicken oyster thighs and 4 chicken oyster thigh legs. This was more
than enough for 4 people. In fact, hubby has been bringing it for lunch
on at least two separate occasions. <br />
<br />
<b>Preparation</b><br />
<br />
In the morning, between preparing breakfast and getting the kids ready for school, I skinned the chicken pieces. This was the most time consuming piece of the whole recipe. They were then put into the crock pot with 1 can tinned tomatoes; 2 onions sliced thinly; and the contents of the Dine-ins spice and paste. We stirred this together and then left it cooking on low for the rest of the day.<br />
<br />
Later that evening, all we had to prepare was some rice. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Outcome</b><br />
<br />
This produced a really lovely curry, with great flavour, in a chunky sauce. The recipe added 60ml pouring cream, but we didn't think it was necessary. To get a creamier texture, you could certainly add it. The chicken was tender and came off the bones very easily.<br />
<br />
There was more than enough curry for four of us, we could probably have fed six people. Mr Teenager went back to for a second helping.<br />
<br />
<b>The Verdict</b><br />
<br />
This was a big hit with the whole family. Although it was really quite spicey, Ms Fussy Easter finished everything on her plate and said it was "very nice". Mr Teenager, as mentioned, had two platefulls and said it was delicious. Hubby was also very satisfied.<br />
<br />
Since then, we've managed to procure a jar of tikka masala paste, but we've also purchased a couple of other Erin Dine-ins to try them out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-8699862152015372352014-10-22T21:37:00.001+01:002014-10-22T21:37:21.742+01:00Beef ProvencaleAs expected, we've been using the crock pot more often as the weather turns colder, the evenings get darker, and we're all busy with work and school. Next week is mid-term break, the clocks will go back and it'll be Halloween before we realise.<br />
<br />
At the moment, we are using the crock pot about 3 times per week - on Sundays and then two mid-week dinners. With the kids so busy with after school activities, hubby back at his musical society, me on the parents' association, and both of us doing mom/dad taxi, it's amazing that we all manage to sit down to eat together at the same time, most evenings.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/15416464329" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Beef Provencale by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Beef Provencale" height="375" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15416464329_b8eafee79c.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Provencale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yesterday (Tuesday) we had this delicious beef stew, based on a recipe from a weightwatchers magazine. As usual, we prepared it all the night before, including browning the beef. That saved time yesterday morning, and by the time I got home from work the stew was bubbling and hubby had prepared his famous mashed potato.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation</b><br />
<br />
I browned about 500g stewing beef, cut into chunks. I put the beef, along with the juices left after I deglazed the pan with a splash of water. To this we added: 2 onions, cut into quarters; 8 peeled garlic cloves, left whole; a can of chopped tomatoes; 1tbsp tomato puree; 2 tbsp dried thyme; a beef stock cube; a red pepper, cut into strips; and a splash of water. This mixture was left overnight in the fridge.<br />
<br />
Next morning I simply set the slow cooker to cook on low, and left it all day - about 10 hours in total. When hubby got home, he prepared his mashed potato.<br />
<br />
<b>The Outcome</b><br />
<br />
I think I am getting better at judging the quantity of liquid to add into a dish like this. The reciped called for 300ml beef stock, but the only liquid I added was the little bit from the pan, the can of tomatoes, and the splash of water to rinse out the can. As a result, the stew was perfect in terms of its quantity and consistency of sauce. The meat was beautifully tender and there was a lovely flavour.<br />
<br />
There was easily 5 good helpings of stew - 6 at a stretch. Only three of us ate (see below) and we all had second helpings. There was plenty left over, which hubby will take to work for his lunch on two days. <br />
<br />
<b>The Verdict</b><br />
<br />
Ms Fussy Eater had been sick earlier in the day, so she just had mashed potato. Mr Teenager wolfed his helping down and then demanded more - so that's a good sign. Hubby said it was delicious, and just the thing for a damp, dark night.<br />
<br />
This definitely goes on the list for repeating.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-89184234803530449992014-10-07T21:37:00.003+01:002014-10-07T21:37:57.535+01:00Slow cooker cheesy lasagneThe other evening, I found myself in a twitter chat about using a slow cooker. This is not something that I usually discuss on twitter, but somebody had tweeted a question about suitable recipes and a number of people responded. I found myself in a small group chat about what can or can't be cooked, and one person said that they liked to make lasagne. Now, lasagne isn't something that I'd considered making in my crock pot, I thought it was largely reserved for stews and dishes with a sauce, or else long, slow cooking of meat, so I have to admit that I was quite intrigued. I asked if the person (who tweeted) had any hints, and she pointed me to this recipe for <a href="http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/21606/slow-cooker-cheesy-lasagne.aspx" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Cheesy Lasagne</a> on allrecipes.co.uk.<br />
<br />
At this point, I should say that I make a damn good lasagne, the conventional way. I was taught by a fellow student, many years ago, who had an Italian girlfriend at the time. I don't have a written recipe, but my version is really good, and my family Loves it (with a capital 'L'). But, for my first time, I didn't trust myself to use my own recipe and instead I decided to follow (more or less) the slow cooker recipe.<br />
<br />
However, I did notice that the slow cooker recipe contains a LOT of cheese. I do like cheese, but in general I try to stick to a low fat diet, so I had to make a couple of adjustments to the recipe to bring the fat content down. I used low fat cottage cheese (rather than the full fat recommended) and I halved the amount of mozarella. I also used about half the quantity of lasagne sheets. The lasagne still filled my crock pot almost to the brim, so it was plenty for 4 of us.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/15285406367" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cheesy lasagne by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Cheesy lasagne" height="375" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3956/15285406367_e7ea1a2cdd.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slow Cooker Cheesy Lasagne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I made this on Sunday. It takes just 4 to 6 hours in the crock pot, and I didn't want to overcook it, so it wasn't suitable for making on a weekday. But on Sunday I just prepared everything and switched it on at about 1pm. Our delicious dinner was ready to eat at 6:30pm, giving me plenty of time to get out to the Galway BakeFest in Leisureland with Ms Fussy Eater. <br />
<br />
<b>Preparation</b><br />
<br />
I browned about 450g lean minced beef with a chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic, minced, in a large pan. Once browned, I added about 800g passata, a large tablespoon of sundried tomato paste, a pinch of salt and a decent sprinkling of dried oregano.<br />
<br />
In a separate bowl I combined 350g low fat cottage cheese, about 40g freshly grated parmesan, and 200g grated mozarella cheese. This is quite a thick, sticky mixture.<br />
<br />
I put a layer of the meat into the bottom of the crock pot and covered this with a layer of (wholewheat) lasagne sheets. I had to break the sheets up to get them fitted into the pot, because it's an oval shape. I used about 3 sheets, so the lasagne was in a double layer in some spots. Then I spooned about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of the lasagne. I repeated this twice more, finishing with a layer of cheese.<br />
<br />
I then switched the crock pot on low and left it for about 5 and half hours.<br />
<br />
<b>The Outcome</b><br />
<br />
This looked very odd as it was cooking, especially with the lumps of cottage cheese on top. Ms Fussy Eater looked in at one stage, about an hour into cooking, turned up her nose and exlaimed "Eugh, I'm not eating that!".<br />
<br />
Later that evening, though, the aroma was too delicious for her to turn up her nose. On opening the lid of the pot, it was clear that the lasagne was quite saucy, and it didn't come out in clean layers (see the picture above). The pasta itself was very well cooked and the cottage cheese had transformed itself, somehow. The recipe fed the full family of 4, with generous portions.<br />
<br />
<b>The Verdict</b><br />
<br />
Despite appearances, the lasagne was very good. The whole family devoured it in about 15 minutes and there were no leftovers.<br />
<br />
Mr Teenager, on first seeing it, asked if he could put it into a sandwich (he was recently introduced to Sloppy Joes). He declared it to be delicious. Ms Fussy Eater also finished off her portion very quickly, leaving nothing on the plate. She also agreed that it was very good, but said she preferred the "normal" lasagne. Hubby, who has always enjoyed lasagne, was very pleased with the result of the experiment.<br />
<br />
I think I will probably make this again, especially if I want the time during the afternoon to do something else. It was great to put everything together early in the day and then forget about it. I might try adapting my own recipe to see how that works out. But in the meantime, another success story.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-48262456435003972622014-09-27T21:34:00.000+01:002014-09-27T21:34:02.691+01:00Beef CurryNow that the children are both back at school, and their activities are kicking in, the crock pot is going to become an essential piece of equipment in the kitchen. We don't seem to have a single evening when there isn't something happening - basketball, guitar, piano, musical society, parents' association....<br />
<br />
This was particularly true this week, with both hubbie and me very busy at work, and we had to plan well all week. On Tuesday evening, I prepared this beef curry, which cooked away all day Wednesday and was ready for Wednesday evening, when hubbie got home late and Ms Fussy Eater got back from basketball training.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/15372427665" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Slow cooker beef curry by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Slow cooker beef curry" height="300" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3925/15372427665_f5f36d354d.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef curry with rice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had some prepared beef (about 650g) and was wondering what to do with it. I was trying to choose from the Slow Cooking Properly Explained recipe book, between a beef curry and beef in barbecue sauce. So, I asked Mr Teenager what he'd prefer. He managed to look up from his laptop long enough to say "curry", and so the decision was made.<br />
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<h3>
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</h3>
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<h3>
Preparation</h3>
First, mix together 2tbsp flour, 1tbsp curry powder (I used hot), 1tsp each ground cumin, turmeric and ginger, and a pinch of salt. Then toss the prepared beef in the mixture to coat. <br />
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I heated 1tbsp olive oil in a pan and fried a chopped onion and crushed garlic clove until soft, then added the beef and browned it all over. I put the onion and beef mix into the crock pot, with any remaining flour and spice mix.<br />
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Added to the beef is: 150ml beef stock, 400g chopped tomatoes, 2tbsp mango chutney, dash of Tabasco, 1tbsp lemon juice and 2 apples, chopped.<br />
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The recipe calls for cooking apples, but I used eaters from the garden. The recipe also uses 25g sultanas and 25g cashew nuts - but we have nut allergies in the house, and nobody except me would eat the sultanas. So, I left them out.<br />
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I left the crock pot in the fridge overnight (while the flavours developed) and next morning left it to cook on low for about 10 hours.<br />
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<h3>
The Result</h3>
The smell in the house that evening was amazing. The recipe produced a beautifully rich curry with a thick tomato sauce. There was no evidence of the apples at all (which is just as well, because Ms Fussy Eater would spend her time picking them out of the sauce) and the curry had a lovely, gently sweet flavour. I expected it to be hotter, since I'd used hot curry powder, but it was actually just nicely spicey. Next time, I might add more curry powder. We ate it with rice and it really was a lovely meal.<br />
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<h3>
The Verdict</h3>
Mr Teenager certainly enjoyed it, declaring it to be delicious. Ms Fussy Eater was tired after 90 minutes of basketball training, but she had a small helping and pushed her rice around the plate a little bit. She was heard to say that it was "quite nice" which is high praise. There was no evidence of vegetables in the meal, which is always a plus, for her.<br />
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This was definitely a success and could well become a regular on our menu.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-83724234261736029262014-09-07T13:02:00.001+01:002014-09-27T21:37:41.353+01:00Meatballs in Tomato SauceTo be honest, I haven't made much use of my crock pot over the summer. With the kids off school, and our days a bit more relaxed, not to mention holidays, it just didn't seem necessary. I did make<a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/06/the-best-whole-chicken-in-crock-pot.html" target="_blank"> the best whole chicken in a crock pot</a> a couple of times, and also some versions of the <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/03/slow-cook-bacon.html" target="_blank">slow cook bacon</a>, but I didn't try anything new at all.<br />
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Until last week, when the kids went back to school. Ms Fussy Eater progressed to secondary school, joining her brother Mr Teenage on the school bus. This means that they both have longer days and are not hanging round the house any more. They get home about 5pm and get homework done before Hubby and I get home from work. Unless they manage to prepare something for themselves - and seriously, Mr Teenager can barely manage to pour boiling water over pot noodles - they are usually hungry.<br />
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So, last week we selected two recipes from the Australian Women's Weekly<i> easy slow cooking </i>book. The first of these we had on Tuesday - meatballs in tomato sauce.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/15147701951" title="Untitled by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="375" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3847/15147701951_b14b140428.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Meatballs and spaghetti is a huge favourite in our house, especially with Ms Fussy Eater. But she has a favourite recipe, for Spanish meatballs, made with minced lamb. We're tried other recipes, but she's never satisfied. So, it was a little risky to try this, but the picture looked so good!<br />
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I made the meatballs the night before, putting them (in layers) into the crock pot and leaving them overnight. I made the sauce separately in a jug, and poured it over the next morning. It took a bit of preparation.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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On monday evening I soaked 2 slices of bread (brown/white mix) in 125ml milk for 10 minutes. Then I whizzed this up in the food processor with an onion, a carrot, 3 cloves garlic. This mixture was added to about 600g lean minced beef, with an egg, 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste, and some dried oregano. I shaped the mixture into small-ish balls, resulting in about 30 meatballs, which I put into the crock pot bowl and left in the fridge overnight.<br />
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To make the sauce I softened a chopped onion and 2 more cloves of garlic in a little olive oil. Then I added a can of chopped tomatoes and a can of cherry tomatoes (these were whizzed together in the food processor to avoid any lumps). I also added another 2tbsp sundried tomato paste and 250ml beef stock. This was left in a jug in the fridge overnight.<br />
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Next morning I simply poured the sauce over the meatballs and left it to cook on low for about 6 hours. We served it with spaghetti.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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I honestly expected to come home to find all the mince stuck together at the bottom of the dish, and that I'd have to just mix it up and serve as bolognaise. But, actually, the meatballs all held their shape beautifully, dispersing themselves around the sauce, which was beautifully rich in texture, colour and flavour. The breadcrumbs in the mix made the meatballs light and not at all dense, like you might find in other recipes.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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This was really delicious and everybody had second helpings, and there was still some leftovers. Mr Teenager just covered his plate with parmesan (a usual behaviour) and devoured it. Ms Fussy Eater complained initially that it wasn't the favoured recipe, but then ate everything down quite enthusiastically. She did concede that it might be her second-favourite recipe for meatballs and she wouldn't mind if we made it again.<br />
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I think we will make it again!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-1038837357633273532014-06-08T11:08:00.002+01:002014-06-08T11:08:47.041+01:00The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/14366543122" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Untitled by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="240" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/14366543122_a1736a6cdf.jpg" width="320" /></a>The weekend before I cooked the <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/06/luscious-italian-chicken.html" target="_blank">Luscious Italian Chicken</a> recipe was very, very busy. On the Saturday morning, I accompanied Ms Fussy Eater to Dublin to see 1 Direction live at Croke Park. We left home that morning at about 8:45am, and went on a bus with 45 other mums and young ladies, stopping off at Dundrum shopping centre for a couple of hours, before proceeding on to <a href="http://www.crokepark.ie/" target="_blank">Croke Park</a>. 1 Direction played to more than 80,000 fans that evening, while it lashed rain. Ms Fussy Eater enjoyed the event immensly, and I have to say that I had a good time too. We got to bed, after a long bus journey home, at 3:30am.<br />
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So, I was in no mood to cook the next day. We ate mostly rubbish, leftovers from a family event the previous week. By Monday, we needed some proper, wholesome nourishment. A whole cooked chicken was just perfect.<br />
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I've cooked a while chicken in the crock pot before, with good results. The <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/03/slow-cooked-chicken-with-tarragon.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooked Chicken with Tarragon</a> was excellent, as was the <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/02/fall-off-bone-whole-slow-cooked-chicken.html" target="_blank">Fall off the Bone Chicken</a>. Ever adventurous, I decided to try another version and found this recipe for <a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/02/25/recipe-the-best-whole-chicken-in-a-crock-pot/" target="_blank">The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot</a> over on <i>100 days of real food</i>. It's not unlike the Fall off the Bone version, but it was absolutely delicious.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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The recipe calls to combine the spices in a bowl: 2tsp paprika, 1tsp salt, 1tsp thyme and 1/4tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp black pepper. It also calls for a few things I don't have, so I used 1tsp onion salt and a crushed clove garlic. I cut up 2 onions, quite small, and put them in the bottom of the pot. The chicken sat on top, and I just poured/rubbed the mixed spices over it. Then I left the chicken cooking on LOW for the whole day while I was at work - about 9 hours.<br />
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When I came home, I prepared a big pot of mashed potato.<br />
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<b>The Outcome</b><br />
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As before, the chicken just falls apart when we tried to take it out of the pot. There is almost no carving involved. The chicken is tender, suculent, perfectly cooked and full of flavour. But the best part of this dish is the flavoursome and rich stock left behind in the pot. Each person got a mound of mashed potato, tasty chicken and some delicious sauce poured over. There could be nothing more wholesome.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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I don't think you can go wrong with mashed spuds and chicken. We all loved it and everybody went back for second helpings.<br />
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The chicken was quite large, so we had quite a few leftovers, which went into sandwiches and salads during the week.<br />
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Hubby has declared this the best of the three whole chicken recipes.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-6031783344268234832014-06-07T19:24:00.000+01:002014-06-07T19:24:19.018+01:00Luscious Italian ChickenWow, it has been a busy couple of weeks. Mr Teenager finished his second year at secondary school and went off to Irish College. From the lack of communication, it appears he's getting on fine. His last week at school was a busy one in the house, and I used the crock pot twice. The first time was for a whole chicken, which I'll write up soon. The second time was midweek, while we had a guest staying, and I picked this reciped for<i> Luscious Italian Chicken</i>, from the<i> Skinny Slow Cooker Recipe Book</i>. I picked it because it seemed a little bit unusal for a slow cooker recipe, with a creamy sauce, but also because it looked very easy to prepare.<br />
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Our guest that evening is a reader of this blog, and she made me promise not to identify her, so I won't. But she did seem to enjoy this dish, which I'm really pleased about.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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First thing that morning, I combined 1tsp each of dried oregano, rosemary and thyme. I put 4 quite large chicken breasts into a bowl and mixed the herbs in to coat the chicken. These then went into the crock pot with: 2 tins of condensed mushroom soup (I used Campbell's); about 150g mushrooms, sliced; 2 small onions, chopped; 1 garlic clove, crushed. The reciped called for 2 tbsp fat free cream cheese, but I didn't have any, so I mixed in 2 tbsp fat free fromage frais instead. All of this was mixed together. I put the lid on the pot and switched it to HIGH.<br />
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I left a note for our guest, who was due to arrive later that day, to turn the crock pot to KEEP WARM when she got in. I estimate that it cooked for about 6 hours. By the time I got home, the smell was delicious and our guest couldn't wait to get tucked in! We cooked up a big pot of mashed potato to accompany.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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This was a really good dish. The chicken was good perfectly, not overcooked at all. Although there were five of us, there was plenty in the four chicken breasts. The sauce really was deliciously creamy with good mushrooms flavour. Unlike many slow cooked recipes, it was not at all watery. The mushrooms were still chunky enough that they could be picked out easily for Mr Teenager and Ms Fussy Eater.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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Everybody really enjoyed their dinner that evening. Our guest was very impressed with the crock pot and the meal it had produced. Without the mushrooms, Mr Teenager was quite happy to eat all his chicken and potato with a good helping of sauce. Ms Fussy Eater had to have any excess sauce removed, but was quite happy with her chicken.<br />
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We all gave this a thumbs up and it is certainly included in recipes that must be cooked again.<br />
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Unfortunately, I didn't remember of get a photo before everybody ate, so you're just going to have to imagine how good it looked!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-44818953444133343532014-05-19T21:13:00.001+01:002014-05-19T21:13:49.456+01:00Sweet Asian Chicken<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/14018299689" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Untitled by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="400" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2931/14018299689_3f9c750c53.jpg" width="300" /></a>Mr Teenager was still at home, sick, on Thursday. So, his dad decided to work from home that day, to keep an eye on him. We had already decided to try this recipe for Sweet Asian Chicken, from the Skinny Slow Cooker Recipe Book, which doesn't take too long to cook, so it was good that Hubby was there to monitor it. In fact, Hubby prepared the whole thing, from start to finish.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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This didn't take much preparation, apart from chopping meat and vegetables, and it was all done on Wednesday evening. To serve 4 people, we used just 3 large chicken breasts, which were cut into pieces. Into the crock pot went the chicken pieces, along with: 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 onion, chopped; 1/4 cup honey; 2tbsp tomator puree; 4 tbsp soy sauce; 2 carrots, cut into batons; some crushed chilli; 1 cup orange juice; and 1tsp cornflour mixed with a little water.<br />
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Next day, the crock pot was switched on to LOW and left for about 6 hours. At the end, we cooked some plain noodles - one of the children's favourites.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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This was a tasty dish with some good flavours. The chicken was well cooked. There was plenty of sauce, which went quite well with the noodles. The carrots were a little too soft, but not mushy. This fed the family of 4 people quite comfortably, with no leftovers.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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Usually Ms Fussy Eater likes Oyster Sauce with her noodles, and we often just pick out the bits of chicken and carrots that she will eat. This time, to our dismay, we found we had run out of Oyster Sauce, so she had to go without. We didn't give her too much of the juice, just plenty of chicken and carrot, but the flavour was not disguised the way it usually is. To our surprise, Ms Fussy Eater admitted to quite liking the sauce. Success!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-48742001856753381412014-05-18T21:02:00.001+01:002014-05-18T21:02:19.041+01:00Italian Pork ChopsThe last time I cooked <a href="http://ramblingsofaworkingmother.blogspot.ie/2014/01/slow-cooker-pork-chops.html" target="_blank">pork chops in the slow cooker</a>, it was a huge success. I'm sorta surprised that I haven't cooked them since. This week was a good opportunity. As I said in my last post, it was a busy, busy week, when I felt that I was constantly trying to catch up with myself. To complicate matters, Mr Teenager came down with a bad cold on Wednesday morning, probably after the very wet Car Boot Sale, and had to stay at home from school. While I couldn't be with him all day, I went to work later than usual, and left earlier to work from home. This gave me plenty of opportunity to ensure that the Italian Pork Chop recipe, again from <i>Slow Cooking Properly Explained</i>, was cooking for just the right amount of time.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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On Tuesday evening, we got together the ingredients and assembled them in the crock pot. I trimmed the fat from the chops (I used 5 nice thick ones) and browned them quickly on both sides in a non-stick pan.<br />
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Into the bottom of the pot went: 1 onion, chopped; and one red pepper, chopped. The recipe actually called for a green pepper, but I prefer the flavour of red. The chops went in on top of the onion and pepper.<br />
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Then we added: 2 courgettes, sliced; 6 tomatoes, skins removed and chopped; 4 green olives, sliced; 1tsp dried oregano; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; one chicken stock cube, and a splash of water.<br />
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Next morning, I remembered to turn the crock pot on LOW, and left it for about 6 hours. Initially I was going to serve this with rice, but at the last minute I cooked up some wholewheat pasta. It was a good accompaniment.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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The large amount of courgette in the dish meant that the sauce was copious and quite thin. I think next time I'll use less courgette. Otherwise, the flavour was lovely, and the meat was beautifully tender, almost falling apart. Eating it with the pasta worked very well. Mr Teenager, despite his bad cold, coated his dinner with an avalanche of parmesan, and then ate up everything on his plate.<br />
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There was lots of sauce, too much for 4 people. Again, we had leftovers, which hubby will take for lunch at work.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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This was a good family dish, and very easy to prepare. Even Ms Fussy Eater finished her meal, although she was not given any courgette on her plate. There were no complaints, and Mr Teenager gave it a thumbs up.<br />
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So - another successful pork chop recipe for the collection.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-57923074556212371352014-05-18T19:23:00.002+01:002014-05-18T19:23:26.548+01:00Beef in Red Wine<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/14158854552" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Untitled by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="240" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/14158854552_100871e6aa.jpg" width="320" /></a>This last week was a busy one. At the weekend, we had lots of activity, including the Car Boot Sale at Mr Teenager's School, so I spent lots of time last Saturday baking for the cake stand. The weather on Sunday was atrocious and we spent about 5 hours standing outside in the wind and the rain (and cold) raising funds for the school. On Sunday afternoon, after we came home, we lit a fire and I fell asleep on the sofa. I don't think I quite recovered all week.<br />
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On Monday I had a big day at work, with a visitor coming from the UK to give a seminar, which was to be streamed and recorded. No pressure! I though it would be nice to invite my visitor and her husband to dinner on Monday evening. So, we chose this recipe for Beef in Red Wine from the <i>Slow Cooking Properly Explained</i> recipe book.<br />
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We did all the preparation on Sunday evening, after I had roused myself from the sofa, and let the crock pot overnight in the fridge. On Monday morning, I got the slow cooker all set up. The recipe said to cook the casserole on LOW for up to 10 hours, so I knew I could safely leave it all day.<br />
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After the seminar, while I was having coffee with my guest at about 3pm, she casually asked what was on the menu that evening. It was at that point that I suddenly had the horrible realisation that I had forgotten to switch the slow cooker on! Panic stations! I phoned my neighbour, who very kindly let herself into the house and turned the crock pot on. At that stage it was too late to give it the long, slow cooking that it needed and instead I had to cook it on HIGH for a much shorter amount of time. All the same, when I got home shortly after 6pm, I was hugely relieved to smell the wonderful aroma of garlic, thyme and red wine cooking together.<br />
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In total, the casserole had about 4 hours of cooking on HIGH. I suspect that the dish would have been even nicer if it had cooked longer and slower, but I have to admit that it was pretty good. We served the beef in red wine with brown rice, but I think it would also go very well with some mashed potato.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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On Sunday night we cut about 750g of round steak into cubes. We fried 1 onion, chopped finely, in a little olive oil, until browned, then added the beef. Once the meat was browned on all sides, it went into the crock pot with the onion. To this we added: 12 black olives; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 5 large tomatoes, skinned and with seeds removed; 150g button mushrooms; 300ml red wine; 1tsp dried thyme.<br />
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This was cooked on Monday for about 4 hours on the HIGH setting - but see above.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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When I got home, the aroma from the pot was just wonderful. The sauce of the casserole looked quite thin, though, so I added 1tsp cornflour mixed with a little water. Once served, the rice soaked up a lot of the juice anyway.<br />
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There were 5 of us for dinner, Ms Fussy Eater was out at her gymnastics class. There was plenty for everybody, with enough left over to make a generous lunch for hubby next day.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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Well, our guests seemed to enjoy it, and all the plates were cleaned. I'd like to try this recipe again, with a longer, slower cooking. I think the meat wasn't as tender as it could have been. <br />
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I didn't get a picture of the dinner, so please enjoy a photo from the Car Boot Sale instead.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-90075801745745342014-05-05T20:52:00.001+01:002014-05-05T20:52:49.224+01:00Shredded beef tacosIt's been a little while since I last posted on this blog. I was travelling last week and my mother-in-law came to visit, so the crock pot stayed in the cupboard. I do love my MiL, and I appreciate all she does for us, but when I come home I find all sorts of strange things in my fridge and on my pantry shelves. It takes me a couple of days to get everything straightened out the way I like it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/13929829667" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Shredded beef tacos by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Shredded beef tacos" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5322/13929829667_58b6aac711_c.jpg" width="240" /></a>Just before I went away, we made this recipe for Shredded Beef Tacos, from the <i>Australian Women's Weekly easy slow cooking</i> book. I had a nice piece of round steak and considered making a stew, but the weather was getting warmer and the children like the notion of assembling their tacos at the table, so I went with this instead.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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I was off work, so didn't need to get prepared the night before. Instead, on the day, I assembled everything in the crock pot. First I mixed together 1/4 tsp chilli powder and 1tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander and paprika, and then rubbed this all over the beef (about 2 lbs of good quality round steak). I put this into the crock pot and added: a beef stock cube; 2tbsp sundried tomato paste; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; and half a cup of water. This was cooked, on the low setting, for about 7 hours.<br />
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When cooked, I took the beef out of the pot and shredded it roughly, using two forks. The shredded meat went back into the sauce.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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We served the shredded beef with flour tortillas and an assortment of sides: shredded lettuce, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, grated cheese. Each person assesmbled their own tacos according to their own tastes. For Ms Fussy Eater, this means nothing except beef, and very little sauce. For Mr Teenager, large helpings of grated cheese are involved.<br />
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The beef was delicious, in quite a spicey sauce. The original recipe calls for a sliced red chilli, which I didn't add. I'm quite pleased because I don't think Ms Fussy Eater would have been able for any further heat. There was a lot of shredded beef, probably enough for at least six people. We had our fill and there were leftovers which went into sandwiches during the next few days.<br />
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The photo was taken after we had eaten our dinner, so it depicts just the leftovers! <br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
<br />
Ms Fussy Eater enjoyed her two tacos, even without anything more than the shredded meat in them. Mr Teenager declared the whole thing to be delicious.<br />
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I would certainly make this again, perhaps even adding the extra chilli.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-16555723017397125272014-04-20T20:10:00.003+01:002014-10-22T21:40:46.833+01:00Mexican pull-apart porkThis last week has been a traumatic one, in the run up to Easter. Our lovely au pair, Roberta, left us to return home to Italy on Friday. We only had one slow-cooked meal during the week, on Monday. Unfortunately, that was also the day that Mr Teenager broke Roberta's glasses with the basketball, completely by accident. But poor Roberta was devastated and refused to eat anything. Ms Fussy Eater invited herself to her friend's house for dinner. So, in the end, it was just three of us for dinner. But it was a good one!<br />
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I had a pork fillet in the freezer, so we decided to try this mexican pull-apart pork from the <i>Australian Women's Weekly Easy Slow Cooking book</i>. It involved just a little bit of preparation on Sunday evening, and then was left to cook all day on Monday. As per the recipe, we served it with some flour tortillas and sour cream, adding some salad and grated cheese. It could also be served with rice, or even mashed potato.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/13953088263" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="mexican pulled-apart pork by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="mexican pulled-apart pork" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3831/13953088263_bc4bb2feba.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Preparation</b><br />
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On Sunday evening, we put into the crock pot: 2 red peppers, sliced; 2 onions, sliced; a jar of tomato-based pasta sauce (the recipe called for a jar of salsa, but this was the closest thing we had); one cup of barbecue sauce; 4 cloves of garlic, crushed; 3 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp cayenne pepper and 1tsp dried oregano. Then I added the whole pork fillet, making sure it was coated in the sauce. The crock pot was left, covered, in the fridge overnight.<br />
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Next morning, I just set the slow cooked on low and left it for about 9 or 10 hours until I came home from work. I switched it to the keep warm setting while I prepared the salad, cheese and sour cream.<br />
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I carefully lifted the pork fillet out of the pot onto a carving dish and used two forks to pull it apart into shreds. The meat went back into the sauce and the whole thing was stirred.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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We put the crock pot in the centre of the table. Each of us took a flour tortilla and loaded it with meat, sauce, sour cream, salad and grated cheese. Then we rolled it up and attempted to eat the hot, spicey, delicious wrap with our hands. Some of the sauce dripped out, but was easily scraped up using spoons. We each had two of these, which was plenty.<br />
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There was lots of meat and sauce leftover, and the dish could easily have served all five of us. There were no complaints from the two men, one of whom brought a helping to work next day for lunch. Mr Teenager was on his Easter break from school, so he finished off another helping of it the next day.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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I asked Mr Teenager what he thought of the dinner. His response - Can we have it again tomorrow? This was definitely a success. I think that Ms Fussy Eater would even go for it, if she didn't get too much sauce, and didn't have to put anything other than the pork into a tortilla.<br />
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It was so easy to prepare, I think this recipe will become one of our regulars.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-193463131345717162014-04-03T18:40:00.000+01:002014-04-03T18:40:12.630+01:00Italian pork and pepper ragú<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/13606219713" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Italian pork and pepper ragu by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Italian pork and pepper ragu" height="400" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/13606219713_41bab06ca4.jpg" width="300" /></a>Last time we were grocery shopping I picked up a couple of pork loins on special offer. They tend to be quite versatile: you can cook them whole in the oven or in a pan, or cut them into rounds for a stir fry, or into smaller pieces for a casserole. We had a packet of skinny sausages, which can be difficult to find. We intended to eat them as a treat on Mothers' Day, but Ms Fussy Eater asked if Hubby would make American style breakfast pancakes instead.<br />
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So, when I found a recipe in my new <i>Australian Women's Weekly easy slow cooking</i> recipe book for Italian pork and capsicum ragú, I thought I'd try modifying the ingredients slightly to suit what we already had available.<br />
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We prepared the ingredients on Sunday night. It didn't take too long: a bit of chopping and some browning of meat. The photo in the book looked pretty good and I was confident we were in for a hearty meal the next day.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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Hubby trimmed one of the pork loins of all visible fat (he's very good at this - much more patient than I am). The recipe called for pork belly. We then browned the pork in a pan, with a little spray oil, in batches, and put it all into the bottom of the crock pot. Next, we browned the sausages in the same pan, and added these to the pork.<br />
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To the meat we added: 2 red peppers, sliced; 2 onions, chopped; a can of mixed beans; 6 cloves of garlic, crushed; a can of chopped tomatoes; a chicken stock cube; 1tbsp tomatoe puree; 1tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp chilli flakes. This was all mixed together and left in the fridge, covered, overnight.<br />
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Next morning the crock pot went on, at the low setting, before I left for work. By the time I came home, about 10 hours later, it was ready. We served it with some wholegrain pasta.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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The ragú had a nice, rich tomato sauce. It wasn't too think, since I didn't add the water for the stock - just the stock cube. It was mildly spicey, from the crushed chilli, but not so much that anybody would notice. It just had a nice bit of heat - perfect for a wet Winter's day (which it was not, on Monday). The pork was perfectly cooked; tender, without falling apart. Likewise, the sausages were still intact. A very nice dish, which could have been served with rice or mashed potato, instead of the pasta.<br />
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This recipe made plenty. It easily fed 4 adults plus Ms Fussy Eater, with another two portions left over. <br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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The teenager appeared to enjoy his meal, though he left behind the onions on his plate. Ms Fussy Eater was less than enthusiastic, although she did finish off her sausages. Both Hubby and I enjoyed the dish very much. It's probably more of a Winter dish, than a surprisingly sunny Spring evening.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016877206147812955.post-53498702830793232182014-03-29T21:30:00.000+00:002014-03-29T21:30:07.804+00:00Braised bacon ribs<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharonlflynn/13453478004" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Braised Ribs by Sharon Flynn, on Flickr"><img alt="Braised Ribs" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5106/13453478004_5b7a20a6ce.jpg" width="320" /></a>While browsing a few weeks ago in Eason's, I came across The Australian Women's Weekly Easy Slow Cooking recipe book. I like this series of recipes, and the book was only €10, so I decided to add it to my vast collection of recipe books.<br />
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Last weekend, while we were planning meals for the week (the only way, when you have two working parents) Hubby picked out a recipe for <i>braised asian-style beef ribs</i>. We put it on the list and made sure to add any unusal ingredients to the shopping list. When shopping later that day, we managed to get mirin (a Japanese condiment, similar to sake, but with lower alcohol and more sugar). However, when we asked at the butcher about beef ribs, he explained that there isn't much demand for these and they would need to be ordered in advance. A little stumped, Hubby found some low-salt bacon ribs and we decided to adapt the recipe to use these instead.<br />
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<b>Preparation</b><br />
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So, on Wednesday evening, Hubby put together the sauce, which was left in the fridge overnight. This involved combining: 1/2 cup hoisin sauce; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup mirin; 1/2 cup honey; a 2 inch piece fresh ginger, grated; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; a fresh red chilli, sliced thinly; 2tsp sesame oil; and 2 strips orange rind. All this just involved a lot of measuring, and a little peeling and chopping.<br />
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Next morning, I cut each rack of ribs (2 racks, each about about 850g) into 3 pieces so that they would fit into the crock pot, then poured the sauce over. I switched it on low just before I left for work, about 8:30am, and left it all day.<br />
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When I got home at about 6:30pm, we switched the slow cooker to "keep warm". I put a tray of baby potatoes into the oven to roast, while I went to a meeting in the school. When I got home, at almost 8pm, we were finally ready to eat. By this time the ribs were cooked well, so that the meat was almost falling from the bones. It was still possible to cut the ribs into singles and we ate them with our fingers.<br />
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<b>The Verdict</b><br />
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The ribs were good. However, even though they were low-salt bacon, there was enough salt in them to combine with the soy sauce in the sauce to make the overall taste very salty. We drank a lot of water! Although Mr Teenager liked them, and did go back for more, he couldn't finish. They were just a bit too salty. Ms Fussy Eater refused to eat the ribs at all, and just filled herself up with the roast baby potatoes.<br />
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So, overall, not our best effort. I certainly wouldn't make this disc with bacon ribs again. I might make the effort to order beef ribs sometime, or it might work with pork ribs.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362634953594904626noreply@blogger.com0