SLOW COOKED BOLOGNAISE
Serves 6-8
30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5ml chopped garlic
2 carrots, peeled, diced
3 sticks of celery, diced
4 rashers of bacon, chopped
500g beef mince
500g pork mince
250ml red wine
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
15ml tomato paste
125ml beef stock
salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Fry the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and bacon until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the mince and brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
Add the wine and cook for 5 minutes, until evaporated.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour the sauce into the slow cooker, cover with lid and cook on the high setting for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.
Check the seasoning and serve with spaghetti and shavings of Parmesan.
OXTAIL WITH CHOCOLATE AND PRUNES
Serves 4
1.5kg trimmed oxtail
seasoned flour
30-40ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
10ml chopped garlic
2-3 carrots, chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
200g baby onions, skinned
100g slab of dark chocolate, chopped
500ml red wine
500ml beef stock
30ml tomato paste
salt and pepper
125g pitted prunes
125g bacon or pancetta, chopped and fried until crisp
Coat the meat with the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the meat in batches. Place into a slow cooker.
Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery to the pan and fry for 5 minutes. Add to the oxtail.
Add the baby onions, chocolate, wine, stock, tomato paste and seasoning. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
Add the prunes and cook for another 30 minutes.
Serve the oxtail with mashed potato and sprinkled with bacon.
PORK BELLY WITH LENTILS
Serves 4-6
1.5kg pork belly
salt flakes
15ml fennel seeds
2-3 red onions cut into wedges
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
10ml chopped garlic
250ml puy lentils, well rinsed
250ml white wine
375ml chicken stock
salt and pepper
chopped parsley for serving
Score the skin of the pork with a sharp knife. Rub it with salt and fennel seeds.
Place the onions, carrots, garlic and lentils into the slow cooker.
Pour over the wine and stock and season.
Place the pork on top of the lentils. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
Remove the pork.
Place it on a baking tray and put under a heated grill for about 10 minutes until the skin is golden and crackling.
Served sliced on the lentil mixture sprinkled with parsley.
* Puy lentils are small green French lentils and are available under the Nature’s Choice brand from health shops.
If not available, they can be replaced with brown lentils.
SLOW COOKER BAKED POTATOES
Serves 6-8
6-8 potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours or until a knife inserted into the potatoes indicates they are soft.
Remove and serve with a pat of butter or as desired.
LAMB SHANKS WITH QUINCE AND FETA
Serves 4-6
4 lamb shanks
seasoned flour
30-40ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
10ml chopped garlic
1 lemon, thinly sliced
45ml chopped dill
salt and pepper
375ml chicken stock
1 quince, quartered and cored
125ml crumbled feta
extra dill for serving
Dust the shanks with the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the meat all over in batches. Place the meat into a slow cooker.
Add the onion, garlic, lemon and dill and season well. Pour over the stock and add the quince slices. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
Serve the shanks sprinkled with feta and extra dill.
* The lamb shanks available are very large and I feel one shank is enough to feed two people, especially women.
ROLY POLY WITH CUSTARD
Serves 4-6
500ml flour
15ml baking powder
60ml castor sugar
80g butter
1egg
150ml buttermilk
125ml apricot jam
Sift the flour, baking powder and castor sugar into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Combine the egg and buttermilk and add to the flour to form a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead gently. Roll out the dough to form a rectangle. Spread with the apricot jam. Roll up.
Place the roll seam-side down in the centre of a large piece of buttered non-stick baking paper. Fold the paper over and make a pleat along the edge of the roll. Tuck in the ends.
Place this on a large piece of foil and enclose the roll in the foil, sealing the edges to make it watertight.
Place on a rack in the slow cooker and pour in about 1 litre of hot water. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours until the roll is cooked through or a skewer inserted into the roll comes out clean.
If you want the roll to have a brown outer crust place it in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. Serve sliced with custard.
Angela Day, The Star