Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Mushroom and Red Wine Gravy

I had this lovely Beef Topside Roast, and had no idea what to do with it.

I have never really been a roast cooker. I always found it intimidating, and my Mum was such great cook and roast was her specialty. So I avoided them. I let Muddled Hubby cook them from time to time, and he is a great cook too, but not me.

I decided to tackle this head on. Take my Slow Cooker Challenge to the next level and do a Slow Cooked Roast.

I started exploring for a recipe I knew the family would like. I searched my favourite Facebook pages, my favourite websites, then more widely, google. Nothing. Nothing jumped out at me and said "THIS is your recipe". So I decided since I was tackling a roast, I may as well tackle the idea of creating my own recipe!

I know, from past casseroles and meals that red wine and mushrooms make a good base, so, without further rambling on my part, here is my VERY FIRST own recipe creation!!

Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Mushroom and Red Wine

Topside Roast around 1.2kg 

1 cup beef stock (I made my stock stronger than normal, using 1 1/2 times the amount of stock powder for a stronger flavour)

1/4-1/2 cup Red Wine. (I used 1/2 cup and found it a little too much, but its a personal thing!)

1 tin crushed tomatoes

1 brown onion sliced into rings

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp coriander

2-3 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp basil

1 tsp paprika

2/3 cup mushrooms

Sauce 

1/2 the juices in the slow cooker

4 heaped tsp of beef gravy powder

2 tbs corn flour

Line base of slow cooker with onion rings and place roast on top.

Coat with spices. You could add more or less, depending on how strong you like your flavours to be.

Add crushed tomatoes, red wine and the beef stock.

Cook on high for 3 hours. Turn meat over and cook for a further 2 hours on high. 

Remove approx 1/2 the liquid in the cooker. The liquid will increase during cooking time due to the moisture in the slow cooker. Once liquid is removed, add mushrooms and cook for a further hour.

Remove meat and allow to rest while making gravy

Using remaining juices in the slow cooker, add gravy powder and corn flour and whisk until thick and creamy. Add more corn flour if needed.

Serve with oven roasted vegetables.

Hopefully your family enjoys as much as mine did! 

Sweet Lamb Curry Casserole

So here is my first recipe. This started as a recipe from a Facebook page Slow Cooker Recipes 4 Families, but turned into my own. I didn't have some of the ingredients, so I improvised, and then added a few of my own flavours to make it a richer, tastier casserole. 

The family all went back for seconds (and maybe thirds) so I think it was pretty tasty! Even Mini Miss Fussy Britches (yes, occasionally I like to use old fashioned words!) ate some! And there is plenty left over for freezing, turning into pie (a favourite use of left over casseroles for me!) or even having again for dinner tomorrow night so its one less thing to think about tomorrow! 

Sweet Lamb Curry Casserole

• 500-750 grams Lamb diced
• 4 potatoes
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2 zucchini
• 1 cup broccoli
• 8-10 mushrooms
• 1 brown onion diced
• 1 tin corn kernels 
• 1 tin tomatoes (I used Italian flavoured tomatoes)
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• decent splash of lemon juice
• 1-1.5 tsp curry powder (to your own taste)
• 2 tsp garlic (I use minced, but you could also use 2 cloves of fresh garlic)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Oregano
• garlic and herb salt
• 1/2 - 1 cup of Beef Stock (I use Vegata as it is gluten free)
• salt and pepper to taste
• extra virgin olive oil 

1. Turn slow cooker onto high to heat. Put potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms and corn in slow cooker bowl while it heats up.
2. Brown lamb in a little olive oil and coat with curry and garlic and herb salt while cooking. Put into slow cooker.
3. Add a little more olive oil, add onions and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until onions turn translucent. Put into slow cooker.
4. Sprinkle turmeric, cumin and oregano into slow cooker. Add honey and lemon juice.
5. Add tomatoes and mix thoroughly.
6. Add enough stock to cover and cook on high for 4 hours, then for a further 2-4 hours on low, stirring occasionally.
7. Take off lid in last hour and add 1 Tbs of corn flour if needed to thicken sauce.
8. Serve with rice, or just with warm crusty bread!

My Slow Cooker Challenge

So, those that know me well know I was never keen on cooking. 

In fact, once upon a time I CHOSE, yep I CHOSE to do the washing up over cooking dinner every night. 

How times change......

Apparently becoming a Mum, a wife and now being the stay at home person, was enough to inspire me. Now I LOVE LOVE LOVE cooking! I love cooking dinners, breakfasts, I love baking and cooking sweets...I love my kitchen!

I am completely self taught. My Mum used to love cooking. It was her major passion, but her kitchen was HER kitchen! I rarely got to get in there and so I never really learnt the ins and outs of how to cook. Now I have my own passion for cooking, I kind of understand where she was coming from....maybe I get my need to control freak obsessive compulsiveness from her!

But, it turns out, I am not too bad at it, if I do say so myself! I rarely follow a recipe too closely, I usually tweak it depending on my personal tastes, what I have in the cupboard, or what I think I will just taste better! So far I think I may have had 1 or 2 failures, but thats it. The rest have turned out just fine and tasty!

So, to the slow cooker challenge. 

I have had my slow cooker for a couple of years now, but I have never really experimented with it. I tend to stick to 6 or so recipes I know work well and taste good. Family favourites. 

Well NO MORE!!!

Time to branch out and with the help of a Facebook page, Taste, and several other internet sources, I am embarking on a new journey, a new tastes journey!

Also, I'm looking for recipes with left overs, to freeze so I don't have to cook when Mr Squishy arrives! As any new mum knows, being prepared when a little one comes in and turns your lives upside down is VERY important. Given the fact we know I will be having a c-section, and that there is a longer recovery time, preparation is essential.

Until yesterday, I had never used my slow cooker for desserts. Then I may a To Die For Gooey Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding! Now, I know I will continue to use it for more desserts! 

I'm branching out! Experimenting. Having fun.

So each week, thanks to several friends and fans asking, I will bring you my favourite recipes, the ones that turn out tasty! Maybe, for a laugh, I'll also share the ones that crash and burn! 

This will be handy (I hope) and just in time for winter, when casseroles, soups and roasts are sooooo good! Loads of Winter Warmers, that are family friendly and most importantly, QUICK AND EASY!!