All in one beef 'pot roast' (slow cooker)

Tender juicy beef, vegetables, potatoes and a gorgeously comforting onion gravy, what could be better?

We start with 1kg of lean beef (use what you can afford! it doesn't actually have to be a joint or anything!)
3 large onions sliced thinly
(i use chesnut mushrooms in mine too, usually about 6-7 sliced thin but i saute them in a frying pan with some low cal spray before adding them to the slow cooker! just put them under the beef with the onions)
1 bay leaf
1tbsp cornflour (1syn)
4 large carrots chunked up
4 potatoes chunked up
generous pinch of dry thyme and rosemary.
200ml beef broth
1 bay leaf
generous pinch of salt and pepper.

lay the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the beef on top.
mix the beef broth with the cornflour, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and pour over the beef and onion. put the carrots and potatoes on top.
cover and cook for 6 hours on high or 8 on low.
i usually just boil some broccoli and green beans to go with it but i dont see why you couldnt also add that to the slow cooker!

I hope you like this dish i would love some feed back!

Chicken casserole

The best chicken casserole/stew is done by using roasted bone in meat, unfortunately if you roast skinless chicken it becomes dry. So we have an alternative! Packed full of speed veggies this meal would be suitable for SP day, you could always have with singing swede mash, if you aren't having an SP day you could always chuck in a couple of tins of potatoes or something! you can also use any P beans you want i just prefer haricot :)

4-6 people
4 rashers extra lean smoked bacon (visible fat removed and cut into small pieces)
6-8 skinless (bone in if you can get it) chicken thighs
4 large carrots (into slices/chunks)
4 large celery sticks (sliced)
2 large leeks (washed, trimmed and sliced)
2 large red onions (peeled and medium diced)
1 large courgette (medium dice)
1 small swede (peeled and diced)
2 tins of haricot beans
salt and pepper to taste (at the end)
chicken bovil 2 tsp in 500ml of hot water
if you have it, 1tsp each of fresh rosemary and thyme, or 1 tsp mixed dried herbs.

Fry off the bacon until it is crispy. (add it to your slow cooker)
Sear the chicken thighs in the same pan (and then into your slow cooker with the swede and carrot)
Fry off the celery, onion, courgette and leeks in batches giving them a little colour.
Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, cover and cook for at least 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.
If you do not have the time to add the extra flavour by frying off first, you can always just add everything to the slow cooker.
Enjoy :)