Recipes: Two warming and nourishing slow cooker dishes

Lemony lentil, potato and chickpea stew

I would really urge you to seek out a waxy variety of potato for this. It’s not just about them holding their shape – you need a potato that has enough texture and bite to go up against the robust chickpeas. This makes a lovely lunch or supper as is, but I can never resist serving a bit of grilled steak or fish alongside.

Ingredients, serves two as a main or four as a side

8 waxy potatoes, skin on and halved lengthways

215g green lentils

400g can chickpeas, rinsed and well drained

2 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon

250ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

60ml lemon juice

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp dried mint

Small handful of finely chopped fresh mint

Small handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra leaves, to serve

100g ricotta salata or pecorino, shaved

Method

1. Heat your slow cooker to high.

2. Tumble the potatoes, lentils and chickpeas into the bowl of the slow cooker. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3. In a small bowl, combine the preserved lemon, stock, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin seeds, dried and fresh mint, and the finely chopped parsley. Pour into the slow cooker, then cover and cook for two hours.

4. Turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for another hour, until the potatoes are cooked through. Serve on a large platter, garnished with the extra parsley leaves and the shaved cheese.

Fragrant lamb and orzo casserole

Greek cooking is so much more than feta and olives. Cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves add spicy warmth to this rich and hearty casserole. Kefalograviera is a hard, salty sheep’s cheese that can be tricky to find, but I’ve made this many times with shavings of parmesan or pecorino and they work nicely too.

The casserole can be left to cook all day while you are at work, then all you need to do when you get home is stir through the pasta and dinner will be ready in an hour!

Ingredients, serves four

400g lamb leg steaks

400g can crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

125ml beef stock

1 stick cinnamon

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

1 tsp dried oregano

Handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

125g orzo or risoni

30g crumbled cheese; see note above

Handful of small basil or marjoram leaves

Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat your slow cooker to low.

2. Trim off any fat from the lamb and discard. Cut each lamb steak in half.

3. Combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, oregano and parsley in the bowl of the slow cooker. Generously season with salt and pepper and give everything a good stir. Add the lamb, nudging it into the sauce, then cover and cook for eight hours.

4. Stir through the orzo, cover and cook for an hour, until the lamb is very tender and the orzo is cooked.

5. Serve the casserole in bowls, scattered with the cheese and basil or marjoram leaves, and with lemon wedges on the side.

Recipes taken from The Healthy Slow Cooker by Ross Dobson (Murdoch Books, £18.99); photography by Jeremy Simons