Notes on the Recipes

• I designed these recipes, for the most part, to be cooked in a large oval 6.5 litre slow cooker but almost all can be cooked in a smaller round 3.5 litre cooker. Remember that some small models cook quite quickly on High, so you may prefer the Low setting.
• All ingredients are given in imperial, metric and American measures. Follow one set only in a recipe. American terms are given in brackets.
• The ingredients are listed in the order in which they are used in the recipe.
• All spoon measures are level: 1 tsp = 5 ml; 1 tbsp = 15 ml.
• Eggs are medium unless otherwise stated.
• Always wash, peel, core and seed, if necessary, fresh produce before use.
• Seasoning is very much a matter of personal taste. Taste the food before serving and adjust to suit your own palate.
• Fresh herbs are great for garnishing and adding flavour. Pots of them are available in all good supermarkets. Keep your favourite ones on the window sill and water them regularly. Jars of ready-prepared herbs, such as coriander (cilantro), and frozen ones - chopped parsley in particular - are also very useful. Don't use dried for garnishing.
• I have called for chopped fresh tomatoes rather than canned most of the time but you can always use canned instead if you prefer. On average, 4 tomatoes (or 2 beefsteak) will be the equivalent of a 400 g/14 oz/large can.
• When I call for stock, use fresh if possible, or make up the equivalent with stock cubes or powder.
• All can and packet sizes are approximate as they vary from brand to brand.