I love my slowpot, I use it several times a week, particularly on the days I work so we can come home and dish up. They are economical to use on fuel consumption and low maintenance. I tend to chuck all the ingredients in and run.... I like to use it to make curries and casseroles, bolognese, sticky ribs, sausages, chilli, stuffed peppers, soups, pot roasts and stews. Today for Sunday Lunch it is cooking a Gammon Joint. I also use it for beef joints and whole chickens. I have made preserves in there, jams, apple sauce and chutneys and I use it to stew fresh fruit. More recently I discovered, to my delight it can make yogurt and I was over the moon when I discovered it could bake cakes. If you haven't already got a slowpot I would really recommend them, if you have got one and it is neglected, get to know it better. They are brilliant for busy families. I also used mine a lot when I lived on my own as a student, you can freeze portions to use at your convenience using economical ingredients such as cheaper cuts of meat that become tender with the long slow cooking process and beans, grains and pulses. Today's Gammon 'leftovers' will turn into 'Split Pea and ham soup'. There are loads of recipe ideas on the internet, with forums and blogs for people who love their 'Crockpots'. Here is a link to the recipe I used for Carrot Cake;
Link to Original Slowpot Carrot Cake Recipe
I adapted it (as usual). My recipe:
Ingredients
6oz/ 150g self raising flour
4oz/100g sugar
3 eggs
125 mls water
175 mls vegetable oil
1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice
2 large grated carrots
Method
Preheat the slow pot on medium. Plonk everything altogether in a mixing bowl and stir well.
Well butter the sides and bottom of the slowpot. Put the cake mixture in the slowpot for approximately 20 minutes. Then turn it on low and leave for approximately 2 - 3hrs. I occasionally wiped the condensation from the lid of the pot. When the cake was firm I turned the pot off, removed the lid and covered with a cloth to cool. I loosened the edge of the cake and turned it out on to a chopping board. It came out of the pot without any problems.
Frosting
100g cream cheese
50g caster sugar
The zest of one lemon.
Mix the frosting ingredients together and spread on top of the cold cake.
