Slow Cooked Spiced Ham

It might seem like a bit of an extravagance to buy a ham in January, but you can get an awful lot of eating out of a large ham like this eating it sliced, warm and cold, then stretching the rest into several meals using rice, pasta, quiche, bakes, pies and pasties.

Adding some spices and citrus fruit to the cooking liquid just adds a little extra flavour to the ham.  It's not overpowering and is more obvious in the cold ham than when it is served warm.

Slow Cooked Spiced Ham
1 ham or gammon joint (2.5 kilos)
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
3 all spice berries
1/2 lemon
1/2 orange
1 litre of liquid (you can use apple juice, cider, white wine or water or a combination)

Place all the ingredients in your Slow Cooker or Crockpot,  put on the lid and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Farmersgirl Tips

• If you are using a smaller gammon joint, simply reduce the liquid, spices and cooking time, it's a really that simple.
• If you want to glaze your ham, remove the rind, then using a sharp knife, make a criss cross pattern in the fat.  Make a mixture of  50g dark brown sugar and 1 tsp dried mustard powder and rub into the fat.  Heat the oven to 180C and bake until the rind is bubbling about 10-12 minutes.  I would recommend lining your tin with foil as the sugar mixture is really sticky and difficult to remove.

• 

This is my entry for my #SlowCookedChallenge, the theme for January is CITRUS, why not join me?

Labels: all spice, bacon, Cinnamon, crockpot, Gammon, ham, lemon, orange, Slow Cooked Challenge, slow cooker, spice, star anise

posted by Janice @ 19:30 10 Comments

Slow Cooked Christmas Round Up

I hope you all had a very Happy Christmas.  Unfortunately, I was rather unwell with a terrible cold and cough throughout the festive season, but managed to enjoy it in short bursts!

The Slow Cooked Challenge for December was to make a festive recipe using a slow cooked method, here are the entries.

Ema at De Tout Coeur Limousin cooked up  Bigos Polish Stew   made with pork and sauerkraut and s traditionally served around Christmas time, a lovely warming dish with a great story of it's origins and significance to Ema.


Lucy at Baking Queen 74  is the Queen of Slow Cooker cakes and does not disappoint with her Christmas offering of  Slow Cooker Christmas Cake 



Nasifriet at By the Way  shared some Christmas lore from Belgium along with this intriguing Slow Cooked Turkey Stew with Speculoos and Abbey Beer I really must make this, it sounds so good.




Claire at Foodie Quine provides a host of delicious Slow Cooked recipes featuring Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork, all quality assured Scottish meat products.  I'm featuring the  Slow Cooker Scotch Lamb with Red Wine and Butter Beans but please visit as there are more delicious recipes to choose from.



It's always nice to finish a meal with something sweet, and Sarah of Tales from the Kitchen Shed is supplying this very festive Black Forest Chocolate Pudding as our finale, this one isn't just for Christmas, it would make a great Sunday Lunch or dinner party dessert.

Many thanks to all those who took part in the Slow Cooked Challenge, both this month and throughout the year.  I'll be back with a new linky on the 1st of January.

Labels: Bigos, Black Forest Chocolate Pudding, Christmas Cake, crockpot, Scotch Lamb, Slow Cooked Challenge, slow cooker, Speculoos, Turkey

posted by Janice @ 18:49 4 Comments

Christmas Gifts for Cooks and Bakers

Here we are in early December and Christmas shopping is in full swing.  I thought I'd share a few gifts for cooks and bakers.  Some of them have already featured at Farmersgirl Kitchen,  others have only come to me recently but I feel they would be well received.



The Crockpot
You may have noticed that I'm a bit of a fan of slow cooking, and I really would recommend a Crockpot.  They are slightly more expensive than other brands of Slow Cooker but you get what you pay for and it's a really nice piece of kitchen kit.
Who should you get this gift for? 
1. Someone on a budget as you can use cheaper cuts of meat or ingredients like beans in the long slow cooking.
2. Someone who likes to bulk cook and freeze big tasty casseroles, breads or cakes
3. Someone who doesn't always know what time they will be home, the Crockpot will keep the dinner warm till you get there.


Slow Cooked by Miss South
This is my book of the year, it's an unassuming little volume which sets out to get the best out of slow cookers.  There are few books that have grabbed me quite like this one has, it's just full of the most tempting recipes which are easy to make and from my experience so far, work like a dream.
Who should you get this gift for?
1. The person who is getting the Crockpot, it will ensure they get the best from their new cooking method.
2. Anyone who has a Slow Cooker and wants to expand their repertoire.

How much does it cost?


A Pair of Smokies
Yes, you  read that right!  Arbroath Smokies are one of my favourite foods, they are haddock which are tied together in pairs, then cold smoked creating a plump, moist and already cooked fishy treat. They are a taste of my childhood and I 'cooked' and served them in the simple way just like my Mum used to do.  Just cut down the back bone and prise the two halves apart, remove the back bone, then place on a grill pan lined with foil.  Dot with butter and grill for about 4-5 minutes until the butter has melted and the fish is just warmed through.  Don't be tempted to overdo it or you will dry out the fish. Heaven on a plate.

These Arbroath Smokies were sent to me after I was waxing lyrical about my favourite fish on Twitter, many thanks to Jillian McEwan of  Fresh Food Express, the smokies were superb, so fresh and super tasty.  Fresh Food Express will post Arbroath Smokies, Scottish Beef, Venison, Free Range Chicken, Wild Salmon, a Heavenly Veg Box and a whole lot more right to you or your gift recipient.

Who should you get this gift for?
1. Homesick Scots who drone on about Arbroath Smokies and how good they are.
2. Anyone who loves good food and likes high quality fresh food.

How much do they cost?
£8.40 for a pair of Arbroath Smokies
£24.99 for an Exceptional Smoked Fish Box from Arbroath
NB: I do live in Scotland but Smokies are just not the same unless you get them fresh from Arbroath (Fresh Food Express make sure they get their straight from the smokehouse)


Oregon Kitchen Timer with Clock and LED
This is a really useful little kitchen timer which has two channels, you can have your timer on one and the clock on the other OR you can have two different times set up which is brilliant if you are cooking or baking different things at the same time.  I found the timer easy to set up and use and it is now my constant kitchen companion.

Who should you get this gift for?
1. Bakers (especially ones who burn the cakes!)
2. Busy people who run around the house multi-tasking and forget the time (you can take it with you as you go)

How much does it cost?
Oregon Kitchen Timer with Clock and LED RRP £19.99




Cheeky Monkey Cheese Making Kit - Mozzarella and Ricotta
This slim box contains everything that you need to make 2 kilos of cheese from 20 litres of milk (milk not included)  I haven't had a chance to make it yet, but the instructions look simple and it looks like a lot of fun. There is also a goat's cheese version if you prefer, or get both.

Who should you get this gift for?
1. Anyone who likes a challenge in the kitchen.
2. Pizza lovers
3. Older children and teens would enjoy getting messy with this kit

How much does it cost?
It's a bargain at £6.00 +P and P

More fun gifts on the Cream Chargers website: Molecular Gastromony and Popping Candy to name a couple.


Masterclass Crusty Bake Non-Stick Bakeware

We are all terrified of the 'soggy bottom' of Great British Bake Off fame, KitchenCraft's Masterclass Crusty Bake Non Stick bakeware is a revolutionary new take on the award winning Master Class bakeware that creates the perfect crispy crust. Carefully selected, the Crusty Bake range in Master Class includes key items for baking and cooking anything dough and pastry related. I tested the 18 cm quiche tin in which I baked a Mincemeat Tart (recipe coming soon) and crust was beautifully baked and slid easily out of the tin.  I also tested the Masterclass Crusty Bake Non Stick  Pizza Tray, it's the idea size and again baked the crust to a nice crisp finish. The range also includes a baguette tray, different sized quiche tins, baking trays and loaf pans and they are Dishwasher, oven, fridge and freezer safe with Quantum 2 non-stick coating, Perforated holes, PFOA, PTFE and BPA free with a
20 year guarantee.

Who should you get this gift for?
1. Pizza lovers
2. Serious bakers of tarts, quiches and pies
3. People who are fed up with soggy bottoms and sticky bakes

How much does it cost?
Pizza Tray - £9.25
18cm Quiche tin - £8.75



OXO Good Grips Baker's Dusting Wand
This inauspicious looking gadget from those clever people at OXO Good Grips, is really worth buying.  I've fiddled about with sieves and tea strainers to dust my baking with icing sugar or cocoa and it's always messy.  The Baker's Dusting Wand does away with the mess, because one side is perforated and the other is not, so once you put in your sugar, you twist the handle to close the ball and then simply shake over your mince pies or desserts or drinks.   You can also use it to flour baking tins or your work surface when rolling pastry.


Here is it in action, apologies for the shaky camera action, dusting with one hand, filming with the other!

Who should you get this gift for?
1. Bakers and pastry cooks
2. People who like to shake cocoa or cinnamon over their coffee or hot chocolate
3. Gadget freaks (err that would be me then!)

How much does it cost?
RRP £10.00

OXO Good Grips 3 in 1 Adjustable Potato Ricer


Another great gadget from OXO Good Grips, this is the 3 in 1 Adjustable Potato Ricer, perfect for making gnocchi but don’t  have to limit yourself to just potatoes with the OXO Good Grips Adjustable Potato Ricer. This patented Ricer has three settings, easily changed with the twist of the dial, for many cooking tasks. While the fine setting is perfect for fluffy mashed potatoes, it’s also great for parsnips, carrots, turnips, gnocchi and more. The medium setting is ideal for spaetzle, and pressing water out of cooked greens and the coarse setting is perfect for chunky apple sauce, egg salad and pressing tomatoes for sauce. Since the disks are attached, there is no need to go searching for extra parts when you want to adjust settings. The brushed stainless steel Ricer comes apart for easy cleaning and has soft, comfortable non-slip grips.

Labels: Arbroath Smokie, Cheeky Monkey, Cheese Making Kit, Christmas, Cream Chargers, crockpot, Fresh Food Expresss, gifts, kitchen timer, Mozzarella, Oregon, ricotta, slow cooked

posted by Janice @ 07:00 6 Comments

St Andrew's Day Slow Cooked Challenge and a Giveaway

St Andrew's Day is a day of celebration for Scots, both in Scotland and for those who live elsewhere. Last year I wrote about St Andrew and how he became the patron saint of Scotland , this year I'm concentrating on the food, because all celebrations generally involve food!

So for the November Slow Cooked Challenge I'd like you to make a dish that would be suitable for St Andrew's Day.  It can be a traditional Scottish dish like Cock-a-Leekie Soup, porridge or stovies, it could use Scottish ingredients such as Scotch Beef or Scotch Lamb.  It could even be a Dundee Cake or a bread like a Selkirk Bannock.

OR you could simply make a dish that is delicious to eat and would be suitable to serve on the 30th of November, something warming is probably in order.

As a bit of a bonus, and only loosely connected to Scotland, I was delighted to receive a review copy of Slow Cooked by Miss South of North South Food blog from Ebury Press and to offer a copy to one lucky reader (scroll down for Rafflecopter)  Miss South does acknowledge the Scottish side of her family and the cooking of Northern Ireland, where she was brought up, has a lot in common with Scotland.


Slow Cooked is the first book from Miss South, one half of the popular North South Blog. In this book Miss South is on a mission to reinvent one of her favourite kitchen appliances, her beloved slow-cooker.

Chorizo Butter Benas -one of the best recipes I've ever made in my slow cooker

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Labels: Butter Beans, chorizo, cookbook review, crockpot, giveaway, Miss South, review, slow cooked, Slow Cooked Challenge, slow cooker, St Andrew's Day, win

posted by Janice @ 08:22 27 Comments

The Slow Cooked Challenge - October 2014

New logo and new rules!  The Slow Cooker Challenge had morphed into The Slow Cooked Challenge in order to include those who don't own an electric slow cooker.  So from now on, although I will mainly be cooking my dishes in my slow cooker, you can also choose to cook your recipes in a low oven, in a hay box, in your Aga or on top of the stove on a very low heat.

The theme this month is OPEN, which means you can enter any slow cooked recipe that you like.

If you would like to take part, then please: 

• Make your recipe in your Slow Cooker or other slow cooking method and post a photograph and the recipe, or a link to a recipe, on your blog
• Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen
• Use the Slow Cooked Challenge logo in your post
• If you use twitter, tweet your post with @FarmersgirlCook and #SlowCookedChallenge and I will re-tweet it to my followers AND post your picture on the dedicated Pinterest Board. 

Rules: 

• Please do not publish recipes from cookbooks on your blog without permission, they are copyright.
• If you are using recipes from another website, please link to the recipe on the website rather than publishing the recipe.
• One entry per blog.
• Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month.

Labels: crockpot, October 2014, Slow Cooked Challenge, slow cooker

posted by Janice @ 06:00 6 Comments

Mexican Chicken in the Slow Cooker

The Slow Cooker is often put away in the cupboard over the summer, in the Slow Cooker Challenge for July I have challenged my readers to get that Crockpot or Slow Cooker out of the cupboard and make a summery dish to enjoy after a day out.  Let's face it we are more likely to be away all day to the beach, the park or other attraction over the summer months and it's so nice to come home to a meal that's ready as soon as you walk in the door.

This recipe for Mexican Chicken Drumsticks comes from The Slow Cooker Cookbook by Gina Steer which is reviewed on the Slow Cooker Challenge post.  I used chicken thighs rather than drumsticks but either would work just as well. The chicken was soft and fell off the bone and the sauce was rich with an intense tomato, chilli flavour.  Highly recommended.



Mexican Chicken
Serves 4

4-8 chicken drumsticks or thighs, skinned
1tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 red serrano chilli, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato puree
475ml (16 fl oz) chicken stock
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 squares (50g)/1 3/4oz) bitter chocolate
salt and freshly ground pepper
2tbsp sesame seeds
Lime wedges
Cooked rice and tossed green salad, to serve

Preheat the slow cooker on high. Lightly rinse or wipe the chicken drumsticks and pat dry on kitchen roll.  Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan, brown the drumsticks on all sides, drain and place in the cooking pot.

Add the onion, garlic and chilli to the frying pan and saute for 5 minutes or until softened. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then take off the heat.  Blend the tomato puree with a tablespoons of the stock and gradually stir into the pan with the remaining stock and the chopped tomatoes.  Add the chocolate with seasoning and bring to the boil  Cook, stirring until the sauce has thickened slightly, then pour over the drumsticks.  Cook on high for 3-5 hours. Remove from the cooker, adjust the seasoning of the sauce then pour over the chicken.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, garnish with lime wedges and serve with freshly cooked rice and a green salad.

I served my chicken with couscous and roasted peppers, courgettes and onions.



You can win a copy of The Slow Cooker Cookbook by Gina Steer on the Slow Cooker Challenge post entries open until 28th July, 2014. 

Labels: Chicken, chilli, crockpot, mexican, slow cooker, Slow Cooker Challenge

posted by Janice @ 21:20 10 Comments

The Slow Cooker Challenge - January 2013

If you read the previous post, you will know that I am going to be cooking on limited equipment in the next few months.  Thinking ahead, I requested a Slow Cooker for my Christmas as I felt that it had more possibilities than only cooking in the microwave.  I've now used it three times and am quite excited about what I am going to cook next. I've been scouring Pinterest for recipes and have also downloaded a Slow Cooker cookbook on Kindle.

I really didn't intend to run another challenge this year, what with all that is going on in the house, but I just couldn't resist! Here is how it will work:


The Slow Cooker Challenge is a monthly blog challenge dedicated to making recipes using a Slow Cooker or Crockpot. Each month there will be a theme e.g. soup, dessert, vegetarian etc.

If you would like to join me for the Slow Cooker Challenge, then please:

• Make your recipe in your Slow Cooker and post a photograph and the recipe, or a link to a recipe, on your blog
• Link to Farmersgirl Kitchen
• Use the Slow Cooker Challenge logo in your post
• If you use twitter, tweet your post with @FarmersgirlCook and #SlowCookerChallenge and I will re-tweet it to my followers AND post your post your pictures on a decicated Pinterest board.

Rules:

• Please do not publish recipes from cookbooks on your blog without permission, they are copyright.
• If you are using recipes from another website, please link to the recipe on the website rather than publishing the recipe.
• One entry per blog.
• Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month.

Labels: blogger challenge, crockpot, recipes, slow cooker, Slow Cooker Challenge

posted by Janice @ 18:44 11 Comments