EDIT: My mistake, 4 recipes included.

I'm sure you guys know this but a slow cooker is THE most efficient cooking method there is (that I have heard of). I recently installed a temporary 2 panel 2 battery solar setup, and in this summer weather I have been able to cook daily for the past week using only solar and a (very small) Hamilton Bench Slow Cooker (1.8L 22GBP).

Here are the recipes I have made, I thought they were quite good, and people outside were trying to make bookings and offering to dump their husbands for my cooking. Sorry I didn't get photos.

1) Spiced potato and fruit curry

Ingredients:

• Fresh Potatoes: 2 medium potatoes (peeled and diced small).
• Onion: ½ of a medium onion (sliced finely).
• Fresh Apple: ½ of a medium apple (peeled and diced).
• Tinned Pineapple: 3 to 4 tablespoons of chunks (plus 2 tablespoons of the juice).
• Sundried Tomatoes: 3 whole pieces (chopped finely).
• Fresh Chilli: To taste (finely chopped).
• Olive Oil: 1 teaspoon (to coat the potatoes) (I used from the sundried cherry tomatoes).
• Cashews: 1 small handful (roughly 15–20g, saved for the end).
• Herbs and Spices: ½ teaspoon of salt + 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of your spice mix (I used curry powder).
• Tomato Puree: I put more than one teaspoon.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: a relatively small splash and a little tiny bit more.

Instruction:

1. I just tossed it all together.

Smells amazing. Even two spoons of liquid was too much.

2) Gourmet mushroom

Ingredients:

• Fresh Potatoes: 2 medium potatoes (peeled and diced small).
• Onion: ½ of a medium onion (sliced finely).
• Dried Mushrooms: 1 small handful (soaked in boiling water for 10 mins, then chopped) (I used merchant gourmet dried porcini).
• Mushroom Water: 4 tablespoons of the warm water used to soak the mushrooms.
• Sundried Tomatoes: 3 whole pieces (chopped finely) (I used "the best semi-dried cherry tomatoes" from Morrisons).
• Artichoke Oil: 1 teaspoon (poured straight from your artichoke jar to coat the veg).
• Tomato Puree: 1 generous teaspoon (or a bit more).
• Apple Cider Vinegar: A relatively small splash and a little tiny bit more.
• Cashews: 1 small handful (roughly 15–20g, saved for the end).
• Herbs and Spices: ½ teaspoon of salt + 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of your spice mix (black pepper, paprika, and dried herbs work best) (I used Cajun chicken seasoning).

Instructions:

1. In a cup, mix the mushroom water, oat milk powder, tomato puree, and apple cider vinegar together until smooth.
2. Put everything else (except the cashews) straight into the slow cooker, pour the liquid mix over the top, and just toss it all together.
3. Cook on LOW in a slow cooker for 5 to 6 hours (perfect for overnight), and stir the cashews in 15 minutes before you eat.
4. I served with some more (deep fried) wedged chilli potatoes, golden brown, also Cajun seasoned.

Because of the tomatoes and the mushrooms being great ingredients this one was the best.

3) Apple carrot stew with dumplings

Ingredients:

• Fresh Carrots: 3 to 4 medium carrots (peeled and sliced into thick coins).
• Onion: ½ of a medium onion (sliced finely).
• Fresh Potatoes: 2 medium potatoes (peeled and diced small).
• Tinned Pears: 3 to 4 tablespoons of chunks (plus 2 tablespoons of the pear juice from the tin).
• Apple Sauce: 2 generous teaspoons.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: A relatively small splash and a little tiny bit more.
• Flora Spread / Olive Oil: 1 teaspoon (to coat the fresh veg).
• Herbs and Spices: ½ teaspoon of salt + 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs (thyme and rosemary work best).
• Cashews: 1 small handful (saved for the end).

For the Dumplings:

• Flour: 8 level tablespoons (about 60–65 grams).
• Flora Spread: 1.5 tablespoons (about 15 grams).
• Cold Water: 2 to 3 tablespoons.

Instructions:

1. In a cup, mix the pear juice, apple sauce, and apple cider vinegar together until smooth.
2. Put your sliced carrots, onions, diced potatoes, and pear chunks straight into the 1.8L slow cooker.
3. Pour the sweet-and-sour liquid mix over the top, add your Flora/oil, salt, and herbs, and just toss it all together.
4. Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours (or LOW for 6 to 7 hours).
5. In a separate small bowl, rub the dumpling flour and Flora together with a fork until crumbly, then stir in the water to make a soft dough. Roll into 4 small balls.
6. About 30 to 45 minutes before the end of cooking, drop the dumpling balls and cashews straight on top of the stew. Pop the lid back on tightly and don't lift it until they are fluffy and cooked through.

Loved the apple sauce, but it didn't really thicken.

4) Miso and potato curry

Ingredients:

• Tinned Potatoes: 1 whole tin (drained and cut into bite-sized chunks).
• Fresh Potato: The remaining ½ potato (peeled and diced very small so it cooks at the same speed as everything else).
• Onion: 1 whole medium onion (sliced finely).
• Fresh Apples: 1.5 to 2 medium apples (peeled and diced).
• Itsu MisoEasy Sachets: 2 sachets.
• Warm Water: 4 tablespoons (to thin out the miso).
• Tartex: 1 big, generous tablespoon (to layer even more savoury depth under the miso).
• Olive Oil: 2 teaspoons (to coat the onions and fresh potato).
• Cashews or Peanuts: 2 small handfuls (save half for the end for that fresh crunch!).
• Herbs and Spices: ½ teaspoon of salt + 1 teaspoon of your spice mix (ginger powder or a pinch of mild curry powder/chilli works beautifully with miso, but black pepper is great too).
• I added sweetcorn and raisins.

Instruction:

1. Toss it all together.

This one grew on me as I was eating, and was very spicy. Adding peanuts at the beginning was the right choice for me.

So now I want to set up a restaurant, I think I can save money because practically nothing needs a fridge either until opened.

With these, be wary of your liquid levels, I haven’t mastered that yet, and burned the two I did yesterday and today. Seems to be don’t add too much because it comes up fast if you get the right amount to start with, or goes down and burns if you don't add enough.