Category: Evening Meal

Slow Cooker Sausage & Gnocchi Bake

Another fantastic 5 min prep meal that can be made into so many different dishes.

I have wanted to create a basic sausage casserole recipe for ages that can be served with anything you fancy but also one that is not tinned tomato based as i know lots of people are not overly keen on this kind of sauce including me at times.

In this recipe you can add anything you like any vegetable any beans use any sausages it really is a forgiving base to add too, and for me a fantastic family meal.

In this updated version i turned the recipe into a bake by adding it to an ovenproof dish and topping it with cheese then melting the cheese under the grill, verdict?? was really good!







by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Doner Kebab

Another one ticked off my “to cook list” in my head this has always just felt like cooking a giant beefburger which has always put me off making it, because in my eyes a kebab is chicken or lamb.

However, i had minced beef that needed using up and needed a quick recipe so decided to bite the bullet and make a Doner Kebab but as always taking the easy route and popping it in the slow cooker.

This recipe is so easy and will make a fantastic family weekend meal for me what made it even easier is is that it can sit in the fridge once made and still be perfectly fine – i made mine on Friday and didn’t get around to eating it until Monday.

Easiest way to reheat the doner meat is to slice it and then heat on low in a frying pan – i used a grill pan but use whatever is easy for you.

This recipe appears in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS Press here for my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS
https://amzn.eu/d/bxDzxmn



by julessmithie

Sweet Chilli Prawn Stir Fry

Another fantastic quick lunch idea or evening meal this can be on the plate in under 5 mins and is really tasty.

Use whichever sweet chilli sauce you like 

I didn’t use noodles in this stir fry but i have added a little top tip in the video which stops the noodles from breaking up in the pan plus they cook much quicker this way – just make sure when you take them out of the microwave they are warm and you can easily pull them apart if not microwave for longer.


by julessmithie

Garlic & Rosemary Saute Potatoes

I love these little potatoes they really do go with anything and you can change the flavour to suit what you and your family enjoy.

Top tip leave them in cold water as long as possible overnight if you want as this will remove some of the starch making it easier to cook them without using loads of spray oil.

I have also cooked these in an oven/ halogen especially if I’m short on time as standing stirring pans is one of my pet hates 😂😂🙈 it works exactly the same just fry off the garlic and rosemary in a pan then stir it through the potatoes.

If you make too many dont worry add them to an omelette for lunch.

by julessmithie

Sticky Sausages

Yay!!! i finally got around to making this recipe – one more ticked off my list 😃

I would say 95% of the time i cook from scratch but there are times when this is just not possible for a multitude of reasons – lets face it we all have those days when lack of energy or tiredness win out but that doesn’t mean we have to eat an off plan meal or something that is boring and here is a prime example of what i mean. In this video everything i used is from a packet – was it boring? No was it tasteless? No in fact quite the opposite, a really tasty meal that im sure you can adapt for all the family.

I used quorn sausages in this one but you could really use any you or the family like

by julessmithie

Red Onion Gravy

I think this has got to be one of the most asked questions i get from my Facebook Group and Instagram – so i thought i would make a little live video to show you how i do mine, i use this method a lot and it never fails plus i find it a nifty quick hack for whipping up a jug of tasty gravy.


If you don’t have a red onion then use a white one, you can leave it chunky as i did or blend it smooth – onion is a natural thickener so it will really help get a fab thickness if like me you like your gravy to coat the food.

The key is to have patience softening onions takes time and the more you soften then the sweeter & tastier they become. Also this gravy freezes well so any leftovers pop it in the freezer, during the winter months I make up a huge batch and freeze it saves me doing it every week 🤣.


To get this thicker style gravy I used a whole red onion between 2 of us soften it down added the liquid as in the above video. Then I took half the onion out with a little of the liquid and blended it smooth returned it back to the pan and continued to reduce. If you blend the onion it will give you a lovely thick gravy.
by julessmithie

Sticky Pork Stir Fry – Cooked in Real Time

It seems like an age since i have posted or made any new recipes – life and time always seem to get in the way and this is a great example of that! Me cooking in my pjs lol

Sticky Pork Stir Fry a very easy meal which can be created very quickly and if following slimming world the only syns are for the honey – this serves 2 people.

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

I have to say if your ever going to try any of my reicpes then this is the one not only is it super simple but boy its super tasty also!

If following slimming world you will need to syn the honey and hoisin – but can vary in value so check the brand you are using. There are many ways to thicken the sauce of a slow cooker meal and to be honest its not that often i have had to do this, but since changing over to using chicken thighs im finding im having to make adjustments to the sauce. I think this is down to the fat content within the chicken thighs as it release much more liquid back into the sauce than say chicken breast. Dont let this put you off using thighs as they are cheaper and work well in the slow cooker and in the video below you will see how easy it is to get a lovely rich thick sauce to coat the chicken.

This will batch cook well and freeze well – which is what i will be doing next time i make it. You can also cook this in a pan on the hob if you wish it will still work just the same.


TOP TIP VIDEO FOR THICKENING THE SAUCE
by julessmithie

Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms (sauce) ish

This really is my basic recipe for creating a creamy sauce where you can add any vegetables or meat you like. Today i added mushrooms and cooked chicken, the reason for the cooked chicken was i had some leftover and it cut down on prep and cooking time. 

Its such a versatile sauce and can be pared with anything even a nice steak 😀



by julessmithie

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Bake

This is a perfect food waste recipe as you can literally add anything you like, all those vegetables in the fridge looking past their best – those work well in this recipe. Leftover chicken or ham from Sunday dinner again perfect for this dish is a great all round base to create a dinner using up whatever you have.

Keep a cup of pasta water as its starchy and will help you create the creamy sauce, in the recipe i have used Philadelphia but you can use any cream cheese you like whichever one works best in your diet use that one.

The spice I use is from Spicentice go to https://bit.ly/2VYUZLG use discount code JULES10 FOR 10% off any order AFFILIATE







by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Honey Chilli Chicken

Another fantastic easy meal and again would make a brilliant alternative to a weekend takeaway.  


My suggestion with this meal is make it when your in the house the first time and keep your eye on it because there isnt much “sauce” in the slow cooker these kind of dishes can end up cooking very quickly. I have estimated approx 5 hrs on low but it may not take that long or it may take a bit longer its so difficult to say as not all slow cookers work at the same heat mine is a bit of a hottie with dishes like this.

I used chicken thigh which i think works so much better in the slow cooker however you can use chicken breast if you wish but leave it whole until the dish is fully cooked.

I have given some top tips with the sauce on this one they are in the card below again this is all down to personal preference and taste.

This recipe appears in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS which is available on Amazon in Paperback & kindle press here https://amzn.eu/d/bxDzxmn

The slow cooker i use has an aluminium non stick inner, i have used this slow cooker for years now and highly recommend it, you can find it on my Amazon Shop press the link it will take you there then look under KITCHEN GADGETS https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook



by julessmithie

KFC Flamin’ Wrap Fakeaway

Woahooooo wow just wow this was absolutely amazing i loved every mouthful and so did Graeme.  Its another super easy one to make and on nights when you fancy something different and tasty then this is it.  

If your not too keen on heat/spicy foods either reduce the amount of chilli powder or leave it out it will still work it just wont have the zingy hit to it.

The only syns come from the cornflakes so syn according depending on the brand you use.




by julessmithie

Cheats Char Siu Pork

Well well well if your looking for a fab weekend chinese meal or a quick cheeky mid week treat then give this one a whirl i promise you will love it ……..plus it takes less than 5 mins to prep always a winner in my books!

If your going to BBQ the chops i would leave the fat on then trim it off once cooked but as always the choice is yours. 

The only syns with this come from the Honey & Hoisin so they will need to be synned accordingly 




by julessmithie

Sticky Prawns

This is a fantastic easy recipe and makes a fab weekend or weekday fakeway its so quick and to bring together so when time is against you this is a real “go to”.

The only ingredient that you need to syn is the Honey



by julessmithie

Taco Shells

Not a recipe as such just a fab little trick that will save you syns, 1 x weight watchers wrap is your HEb so if using this wrap 4 taco shells are syn free ….woohoo.

Fill with whatever you fancy and top with cheese …yummy


by julessmithie

Cheats Nando’s

I just love these easy cheat meals especially when your busy or at weekends when time is against you and to be really honest this worked a treat. In this video i used pork and it was delish but im making it again but this time im using chicken.




by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Cheats Pulled Pork Cooked Real Time

This is such a simple dish and really easy to cook and if your looking for no fuss easy slow cooker recipes it doesn’t get any easier than this one. In this recipe i have cheated to make the cooking of pulled pork simpler sometimes buying a huge joint of pork and getting all the fat off can be a right mess on but in this version there is non of that time consuming faffing needed. 

The finished dish freezes well and is a great one for batch cooking.


by julessmithie

Spicentice Chinese Chicken

I love a good curry and this is a good curry and i also love Spicentice and make no bones about how good i think their products are. This curry is designed to be cooked on the hob but i have also cooked this in the slow cooker. So here you will find the method for both ways, all i know is next time i cook it I’m making up 4 portions and freezing two as its such a fantastic fakeway.

The recipe calls for flour to thicken the sauce but i used XANTHAN GUM which you can find in most supermarkets you only need a small amount, don’t be fooled and start adding more – let the sauce reduce after you have added it and if you feel you need more add only tiny amounts.

If you want to try any of the Spicentice rubs or meal kits hit the link here →→ Spicentice
and enter code JULES20 at checkout to get 20% off your order.

The onion slicer i use in the video is on my Amazon shop press the link it will take you there then look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

HOB METHOD

I followed the ingredients and instructions on the card the only thing i did different was add the ginger and garlic into the stock it actually made no difference to the end taste and i didn’t use flour to thicken the curry.



SLOW COOKER METHOD

Lots of top tips in this video so keep you ears open – this method worked really well and if you are busy its a perfect solution.


by julessmithie

Thai Chicken "Zingy" Burger

Move over Zinger Burger there is a new kid on the block the Thai Zingy burger!! This was amazing the flavours were sooooooo good an absolute winner!

I used chicken breast but you can use whatever part of the bird you like i made 6 burgers out of the mix i used 3 to eat 3 for the freezer……….winning at life woohoo!

How many packets of crisps you use depends on how thick you like the coating i used 2 for 3 burgers but you could get away with one the choice is yours.  

My top tip is dont over blend the chicken in the food processor or it will go to slop and make the burgers difficult to handle – they need to resemble a “rough chop”


by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Chinese Pork

You will not believe how easy this one is to make but trust me it is and it tastes amazing and in my book that is definitely a win\win.

The key to this recipe is get the taste to how you want it we all have different tastes so its important to get the sauce the way you like it.  You can either cook the recipe as it is and taste the sauce at the end of cooking – if you need to make any adjustments pop it in a pan add more of whatever you like …. probably honey and 5 spice then heat through or taste it before you start cooking and adjust.  Its a very hardy sauce an you cannot ruin it so dont worry and if you want a really thick sauce just reduce it down in a pan on the hob, i didn’t need to do this but as i always say all slow cookers are different.


by julessmithie