Slow cookers are a busy persons best friend , stick it on in a morning and come home to the amazing aroma of a home cooked meal.
Make a big pot full and freeze in individual portions so you always have a healthy option on those busy days.
You don’t have to stick to the usual recipes of chilli and stews – though they are amazing when cooked slowly . There are a whole myriad of recipes out there now just waiting to be discovered!!!!!
Here’s two to get you started :

CRAZY Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Ingredients
• 1 kg (2 lb 2 oz) Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast, Diced
• 1 x Onion, Peeled & Quartered
• 3 x Garlic Cloves, Peeled
• 1 x Green Pepper, Deseeded & Quartered
• 1 x 140g (5 oz) Tin of Tomato Puree or passata
• 500ml (2 Cups) Coconut Cream or 400 ml coconut milk
• 2 tsp Salt + Extra for seasoning
• 3 tbsp Curry Powder
• 2 tbsp Corn Flour
• 2 tbsp Water
• Chopped Coriander & Fresh Red Chilli, To Serve (Optional)

Essential Equipment
• 1 3.5 litre Slow Cooker
• 1 Food Processor

Instructions
1. Prep your ingredients as above. (Diced, peeled etc) then place the diced chicken into your slow cooker. Season well with salt.
2. Put the onion, garlic cloves, green pepper, tomato puree, coconut cream, salt and curry powder into a food processor and blitz until very smooth.
3. Pour the sauce over the chicken (don’t stir!) and put the lid on. Cook on low for 5 hours.
4. Dissolve the corn flour in the cold water and stir into the curry. Mix well but gently do as not so break up the chicken. Cook for 1 more hour.
5. Serve immediately with rice. Sprinkle over some chopped coriander and chilli if you want to.
6. Alternatively you can freeze portions for another day.

Slow Cooker Potato & Chickpea Tikka Masala : Vegan and gluten free

Ingredients

For the spice blend
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

For the tikka masala
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional, if sautéing )
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated (I use store-bought paste to save time)
• 3 cups white or yellow potato, diced
• 2 cups tomato purée (Also called strained crushed tomatoes. Plain old crushed tomatoes work, too.)
• 1 19oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 14oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
• 15 oz can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Instructions
1. Make the spice blend: Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside.
2. Heat coconut oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to sauté for another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Transfer mixture to the slow cooker.
3. Add the potato, chickpeas, green peas, bell pepper, jalapeño, tomato purée, fire-roasted tomatoes and spice blend to the slow cooker. Mix until ingredients are evenly distributed, then set the slow cooker to cook on High for 4 hours.
4. Once the slow cooker is done, add the coconut milk and lemon juice and stir until well combined. If needed, add salt to taste. Serve immediately with basmati rice or naan.
Notes
1. Sautéing the onion, garlic and ginger is an optional step. It adds great depth of flavour, but you can skip this step and still get a great result.
2. The potatoes should be fully cooked after 4 hours, but if you like your potatoes on the softer side, you can increase the time up to 5 hours.
3. Store in the refrigerator and consume within 4 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.

Don’t be afraid to tweak recipes to suit your taste !!!!!!