Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 8 chicken thighs (or fillets if you prefer)
• 8 spring onions, cut into lengths
• 150ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp double cream or crème fraîche
• 100g frozen peas

Method

1. Heat the slow cooker. Melt the butter in a frying pan and quickly brown the chicken thighs all over. Make sure the skin picks up plenty of colour. Season, then put them in the slow cooker. Brown the spring onions and add them to the slow cooker as well. Add the stock, mustard and honey and cook on low for 4 hrs
2. Stir in the cream or crème fraîche and peas, then cook for a further 15 mins with the lid off. Re-crisp up the chicken skin under the grill, if you like.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 3 carrots, halved and cut into chunks
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ pack thyme
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 beef stock cubes or stock pots
• 900g beeffor braising such as skirt, buy a whole piece and cut it yourself for bigger chunks or buy ready-diced
• 2 tsp cornflour (optional)
• ½ small bunch parsley, chopped
• Buttery mash, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Fry the onion and celery in 1 tbsp oil over a low heat until they start to soften – about 5 mins. Add the carrots, bay and thyme, fry for 2 mins, stir in the purée and Worcestershire sauce, add 600ml boiling water, stir and tip everything into a slow cooker. Crumble over the stock cubes or add the stock pots and stir, then season with pepper (don’t add salt as the stock may be salty).
2. Clean out the frying pan and fry the beef in the remaining oil in batches until it is well browned, then tip each batch into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hrs, or on high for 4 hrs.
3. If you want to thicken the gravy, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to make a paste, then stir in 2 tbsp of the liquid from the slow cooker. Tip back into the slow cooker, stir and cook for a further 30 mins on high. Stir in the parsley and season again to taste. Serve with mash, if you like. Leave to cool before freezing.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 large courgettes, diced (400g)
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and roughly sliced
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tsp vegetable bouillon
• 15g fresh basil, chopped plus a few leaves
• 1 large aubergine, sliced across length or width for maximum surface area
• 6 wholewheat lasagne sheets (105g)
• 125g vegetarian buffalo mozzarella, chopped

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large non-stick pan and fry 2 sliced onions and 2 chopped large garlic cloves for 5 mins, stirring frequently until softened.
2. Tip in 2 diced large courgettes, 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, both roughly sliced, and 400g chopped tomatoes with 2 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tsp vegetable bouillon and 15g chopped basil.
3. Stir well, cover and cook for 5 mins. Don't be tempted to add more liquid as plenty of moisture will come from the vegetables once they start cooking.
4. Slice 1 large aubergine. Lay half the slices of aubergine in the base of the slow cooker and top with 3 sheets of lasagne.
5. Add a third of the ratatouille mixture, then the remaining aubergine slices, 3 more lasagne sheets, then the remaining ratatouille mixture.
6. Cover and cook on High for 2½ – 3 hours until the pasta and vegetables are tender. Turn off the machine.
7. Scatter 125g vegetarian buffalo mozzarella over the vegetables then cover and leave for 10 mins to settle and melt the cheese.
8. Scatter with extra basil and serve with a handful of rocket.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 3cm slices
• 500g (about 5 medium) parsnips, peeled and cut into 3cm slices
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 150g red lentils, rinsed
• 600ml hot vegan vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• Lemon juice, to serve

Method

1. Heat the slow cooker to low. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for 10 mins until soft and transparent. Add the carrots and parsnips and fry for 8-10 mins more until the veg is just golden. Stir in the garlic and spices, and fry for 4-5 mins until fragrant, stirring. Add a splash of water if needed. Tip into the slow cooker and stir through the lentils, stock, bay and seasoning.
2. Close the lid and cook on low for 5-6 hrs until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened. Check the seasoning and stir in the lemon juice to taste. Serve with bread, rice, or potatoes, if you like.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, thickly sliced
• 240g chorizo ring, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
• Pinch of saffron (optional)
• 150ml white wine
• 300g paella rice
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400ml chicken stock
• 150g frozen peas
• 200g fresh or frozen raw king prawns, peeled
• ½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• Lemon wedges and crusty bread, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Set the slow cooker to high. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken and chorizo for 7-10 mins until golden. Transfer to the slow cooker using tongs. Add the onion to the pan and fry for 5-7 mins, or until just softened. Stir in the garlic, paprika and saffron, if using, and cook for 2 mins. Add your rice. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Tip into the slow cooker with the tomatoes and stock. Season. Cover and cook for 1½ hrs.
2. Add the peas and prawns and cook for 30 mins more. Check the rice is tender; if not, cook for another 15-30 mins.
3. Scatter over the parsley and serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread, if you like.