Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

by | Nov 18, 2020 | All Recipes, Mains, Recipes, Slow Cooker

Tender, fall apart lamb slowly cooked to perfection. Yes please!

Ingredients

  • 4 lamb shanks
  • 1/2 cup of homemade beef broth
  • 2 garlic cloves whole, minced or crushed
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 carrot sliced
  • ¼ cup mushrooms sliced
  • 2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil or Ghee
  • ¼ cup red wine (optional)
  •  1 heaped tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 heaped tsp dried thyme
  • 1 heaped tsp of dried oregano
  • salt
  • pepper

 

SLOW COOKER METHOD

  1. Heat the oil/ghee in your slow cooker to sauté/brown option (if you don’t have this function, use a fry pan)
  2. Brown lamb shanks, 2 at a time, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  3. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper in the same pan or slow cooker for a 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  4. Place lamb shanks in the slow cooker and cover with the sautéed garlic and onion
  5. Add the carrots, broth, wine, mushrooms and herbs.
  6. Cook on low for 6+ hours.
  7. The broth is divine poured over the plated shanks and cauliflower mash.

THERMAL COOKER METHOD

  1. Heat the oil/ghee in the large internal pot.
  2. Brown lamb shanks, 2 at a time, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  3. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper in the same pan for a 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  4. Place lamb shanks in the pot and cover with the sautéed garlic and onion
  5. Add the carrots, broth, wine, mushrooms and herbs.
  6. Place the lid on and bring to a gentle boil for at least 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from heat (keeping the lid on) and place into thermal cooker. Seal it up and let it cook for at least 6 hours. I do mine for 12 -24.
    I give it an extra burst of 20 minutes on the heat half way through to make sure it’s still cooking.
  8. The broth is divine poured over the plated shanks and cauliflower mash.

 

Notes

 

  • Use fresh herbs instead of dried
  • Use store bought broth if you don’t have homemade
  • Add 3 Tbsp tapioca flour to thicken gravy/broth/sauce
Beef Stroganoff (thermal cooker)

Beef Stroganoff (thermal cooker)

by | Oct 14, 2020 | All Recipes, Mains, Recipes, Slow Cooker

This is a set and forget kinda meal, and it’s a delicious one at that! One of my favourites actually. This can be made in a traditional slow cooker, but I don’t have one of those anymore – I gave it to my son when we moved into the caravan. What I do have is a thermal cooker. It cost me $99 from Aldi and is the best thing when traveling. It’s just like a slow cooker but doesn’t use power to cook. You just heat it up on the stove then pop it into the thermal/insulated container and let it do it’s thing for a few hours. Easy as! Here’s how I made my beef stroganoff.

Ingredients:

  • ½ brown onion, sliced
  • 20g butter
  • 500g beef strips, thinly sliced
  • 2-4 rashers streaky bacon
  • 125g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tomato, peeled and chopped.
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 tsp of pepper
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 Tbsp of tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable stock concentrate (this is homemade)
  • 1 1/4 cups of water
  • ½ Tbsp of worstershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp sour cream (optional)
  • 180g rice in 400ml water (optional) Only needed if eating with rice. We usually eat cauliflower mash with it, but the rice is delish cooked this way!

Method:

  1. Place small inner pot on hot plate over high heat with 400ml water and salt (to cook rice). SKIP IF NOT EATING WITH RICE
  2. Meanwhile, to large pot add butter, bacon and beef. Cook stirring gently.
  3. When it starts to brown, add garlic, tomato paste and paprika. Continue to cook while stirring.
  4. Add vegetable stock, pepper, mushrooms, worstershire sauce and onion.
  5. Stir until it dries out a little on the bottom and starts to caremelise.
  6. Add red wine and chopped up, peeled tomato. Stir until well combined
  7. Add enough water to almost cover, continuing to stir while you bring it to the boil.
  8. By now the water for the rice should be boiling.
  9. Add rice to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. (absorbtion method) SKIP IF NOT EATING WITH RICE
  10. You will see it starting to absorb the water.
  11. Give the stroganoff one last stir before placing the little pot with the rice inside the big pot and popping the lid on.
  12. Allow to cook for a further 8 minutes.
  13. Remove from heat and place into the thermal cooker and close the lid.
  14. Leave for at least 2 1/2 hours (I’ve left mine up to 5 hours before)
  15. If eating with cauli mash (or anything else) prep this before it’s time to eat (of course … lol)
  16. When you are ready to eat, open the thermal cooker, remove the rice and set aside. This is where you add the sour cream (or yoghurt) to the stroganoff if you like.
  17. Serve up and enjoy!

Tips:

  • Add more of what you like (garlic, spices etc)
  • Leave out what you dont like (fresh tomato, wine, worstershire sauce etc)
  • Use normal stock if you don’t have the homemade stock concrentrate. This is quite salty, so if not using, add salt to suit your taste.
Bone Broth

Bone Broth

by | Jul 8, 2020 | All Recipes, Drinks, Recipes, Slow Cooker, Soups, Vegetarian

You should be making bone broth on a regular basis so you have it on hand as a base for lots of your yummy recipes. It is often used as a healing meal on its own. It’s always a good idea to have bone broth ready in the freezer!

It may seem like a hassle to begin with, but after making it a few times, you will get the hang of it. And preparing it yourself makes it really economical. Remember this is a lifestyle, not a diet, and these changes are to benefit your health long-term.

If you can’t make your own bone broth you can purchase pre-made bone broth from certain supermarkets (I know Food Works in QLD often stocks it) and from health food stores. Pre-made is more expensive but can be convenient (although often only cooked for 12 hours).

Bone broth concentrate is also very handy to have in the cupboard just in case you run out of your own. I take a jar with us when we go away in the caravan as it’s easy and saves space in the fridge or freezer. And as all caravanners know, space is precious!  I simply add it to whatever I’m cooking, or even just add it to a mug of boiling water for a gut soothing addition to my caravanning diet 🙂

You can substitute store bought stock in the recipes, but please know that the bone broth is extremely important to a true healthy way of eating. Bonox is NOT a suitable replacement.

Bone broth contains proteins and other nutrients in the marrow; calcium, magnesium, iodine, potassium, phosphorus and much more that won’t be present in stock. Bone broth can help to heal your gut, protect your joints, help you sleep better, is wonderful for immune support, can strengthen you hair, bones and nails, give you glowing skin and more energy! If you feel ‘blah’ a cup on its own works wonders.

There is a vegetarian option, but the healing properties and all the benefits from traditional bone broth, are not present.

A slow cooker is a wonderful investment in your health as it is much easier to flick it on and leave it than worrying about the stovetop burners being left on for hours on end. Slow cookers are very cheap (about $40) and are used ALL the time in our house!

 

A warm mug of bone broth while I work … yum 🙂

Chicken or Beef Bone Broth Makes about 1.5 litres

Ingredients:

  • 2.5k of mixed bones (beef marrow, knuckle bone and some meatier bones like neck and ribs) or 2-3 organic chicken carcasses (roasted or raw)
  • 2 litres filtered water
  • 2 Tbsp. vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar, but white wine or other vinegar would be fine) OR 1-3 cups of KOMBUCHA VINEGAR
  • Herbamere

Method:

  1. Oven roast the meatier beef bones for 45 minutes at 170C (optional, you can skip this part, but I love the extra flavour!) of if you have a slow cooker like mine with a sear function, brown them off before changing the setting to slow cook.
  2. Soak the less meaty beef bones in water and the vinegar (optional – you can add it later, but it draws more nutrients out this way).
  3. Sprinkle bones with vinegar (if you haven’t soaked the bones in it; if you have, add all the water and vinegar together)
  4. Add filtered water up to the brim
  5. Cook on low for at least 12 hours – if you can, leave it for 2-3 days – the longer, the better (in my opinion!) I leave mine 2-3 days. (you can also boil the broth before transferring it to the slow cooker – this can help extract more of the collagen that helps the broth to ‘gel’ when cooked.)
  6. Add water if it becomes extremely thick or the level drops considerably.
  7. Strain it into a large bowl (I use a large collander and then repeat with a sieve) and place in the fridge.
  8. Stir in herbamere to flavour (or salt and your choice of flavourings)
  9. Cool and then scoop the congealed fat from the top (set aside to use for something else if the bones were from healthy animals)
  10. Divide finished stock between containers (leave some head space if freezing) or use zip lock bags and save in portions sizes in fridge or freezer for later use. Ice cubes trays are great for smaller portion sizes. I use silicon muffin trays.
  11. I always have a 2L bottle in the fridge and my freezer is always ‘stocked’!

Vegetarian Bone Broth Alternative makes almost 3 litres

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 celery stalks, chopped
  • 6 carrots (unpeeled if organic)
  • 2  onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 unpeeled large sweet potatoes (peeled if not organic)
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 bunch coriander (with stems)
  • 4 cups mixed of fresh chopped spinach and kale
  • 1 sheet seaweed
  • Handful of peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 3  bay leaves
  •  Filtered water

 

Method:

  1. Put all the veggies in a large soup pot. Cover and bring to the boil.
  2. Remove lid, and reduce heat to low, so that the broth can simmer gently for about two hours. Add water if the level drops below the tops of the veggies.
  3. Add the coriander, parsley, seaweed, peppercorns, and bay leaves during the last 15 minutes.
  4. Strain using a strainer over a large bowl.
  5. Let broth cool, taste and season to your liking.
  6. Cool completely before storing in fridge or freezer.

 

We should all know how AMAZING bone broth is for us, and we should be drinking some EVERY DAY ….but is tasteless bone broth driving you crazy?

Have you given up having your daily dose because it’s just so ‘blah’?

Here are some simple tips to improve the flavour of your bone broth:

  • Season with something like Herbamere.
    Herbamere contains: sea salt, organic celery leaves, organic leek, organic cress (water and garden), organic onion, organic chive, organic parsley, organic lovage, organic garlic, organic marjoram, organic rosemary, organic thyme, kelp (with trace iodine).
    Use about 1 tsp. per litre.
  • Let it boil down (by removing the lid for about 15 minutes at the end to reduce the stock down and let it thicken up).
  • Roast the bones and veggies first ( I ALWAYS do this!).
  • If using veggies and herbs, don’t add them until the last few hours (sometimes overcooked carrots can give off a horrible taste.
  • Use fresh, good quality ingredients.
  • Ideally, you want bones with a bit of meat on them and bones with visible cartilage and marrow. The more collagen the better!

Is your bone broth not ‘gelling’?

Bone broth that doesn’t gel is still good for you and it probably even has some gelatin in it, just not enough to make it ‘set/gel’.  If you’d like a broth you can tumble (rather than pour) out of your jar, there are a few things you can try.

  • Adding more collagen-rich animal parts, like skin, feet, and joints.
  • Knuckle bones (from any animal).
  • Chicken feet, pork, lamb, goat, or pig or beef feet.
  • Tendons.
  • Entire chicken carcasses (I get these from my butcher).
  • Heads. Fish chicken, duck, or goose heads will work just as well. (not sure I could bring myself to try this one!) lol
  • Wingtips (chicken, duck, or goose).
  • Bring the broth to a boil first. Even if you’re making it in the slow-cooker, just boil the borth in a pot on the stove first, then transfer that straight to the slow cooker.
  • Try adding a little vinegar to your bones before you pour in the water. I use ACV.
  •  Leave it for a few days – the longer the better 🙂

 

What tips do you have for making a tasty bone broth? 🙂

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Chicken & Veggie Soup

Chicken & Veggie Soup

by | Jul 8, 2020 | All Recipes, Dairy Free, Recipes, Slow Cooker, Soups

This was my first ever attempt at creating a meal in the thermal cooker – and it turned out fabulous! So tasty! 🙂 And it only required 30 minutes of electricity/gas.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large brown onions, peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium eggplants (cubed)
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 6 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
  • 2 cups bone broth or stock (chicken or beef)
  • ⅓ cup white wine (optional)
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
  • 1 Tbsp. mixed herbs
  • 3 Tbsp. crushed garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Oil for sautéing (I used onion infused olive oil)
  • 1 cup baby spinach (optional)
  • 1/2 cup cream/sour cream or coconut cream (optional)

Slow cooker method:

  1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker (except sour cream ).
  2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
  3. Stir in sour cream or dollop on top.

 

Thermal Cooker Method:

  1. Heat oil in large inner pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion, garlic and zucchini and cook until onion is translucent and zucchini is starting to brown.
  3. Add remaining ingredients (except sour cream and baby spinach) and stir to combine.
  4. Bring to the boil, cover with lid and reduce to a fast simmer/slow boil for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and place into thermal pot and case.
  6. Close the lids/do up the zipper etc.
  7. Leave for at least 5 hours.
  8. Open and remove from inner pot from case.
  9. Stir through optional baby spinach and/or cream/sour cream/coconut cream.
  10. Return inner pot to heat and simmer for 1/2 hour before serving
  11. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Surprise! It worked .. and it tastes amazing 🙂

Options:

  • Stir through some sour cream/coconut cream right before serving.
  • Add baby spinach and place pot back on stove to simmer for half hour before serving