Cooked in The Sage Fast, Slow, Pro
I have a new kitchen toy, and I cannot stop playing with it as it’s so amazing! I have mentioned it before and shared a recipe when I used it too……..Cumbrian Chimney Pot Pie, I used the pressure cooker facility on this impressive piece of kitchen kit then; today’s recipe for Chicken and Pearl Barley Stew, which is quintessential January comfort food, uses the slow cooker function on the machine, and the machine in question is the Sage Fast, Slow, Pro……as combined pressure cooker and slow cooker in ONE appliance. If you have to buy one appliance this year, for ease of family meals and batch cooking, them I cannot recommend this highly enough – plus, it’s underwritten by Heston (Blumenthal), so it must have a bit of class about it!
I’ve used it extensively since receiving it just before Christmas, and it’s been so well used that I have made space for it on my kitchen counter – the ultimate test for a kitchen appliance in my house. I love the simplicity of using it – it looks a bit of a beast, but it really is easy to use and has a multitude of handy functions. You can choose whether to use the pressure cooker function, or the slow cooker function, or a combination of both, and there’s even a very handy risotto and soup setting, as well as a sear, sauté and reduction programme setting; basically, it saves lots of washing up by being able to use the one pan in the appliance and it WORKS too, a prerequisite I know for kitchen kit, but they aren’t always that functional.
Today’s recipe for Chicken and Pearl Barley Stew was a “chuck it all in and start the slow cooker” kind of recipe, BUT, you could also have cooked this on the pressure cooker setting, as well as using the sear and sauté function to brown the chicken pieces first. It’s a healthy recipe that I developed for my January diet days, and of you are following the Weight Watchers diet, then a large bowl of this will only set you back 7 Smart Points (or 9 Pro Points) and is a very low 295 calories per bowl for those on the 5:2 Fast Day Diet. The recipe is shared below, and is the PERFECT recipe for all this snowy weather we’ve been having recently. Enjoy! Karen
Chicken and Pearl Barley Stew
Print recipe
| Serves | 6 |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 10 hours, 45 minutes |
| Total time | 11 hours |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Casual Party, Halloween |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 4 skinless and boned chicken breasts (diced into 2.5cm/1)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 onions, peeled and diced
- 4 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 sticks celery, trimmed and diced
- 2 slender leeks, washed, trimmed and diced
- 2 small turnips, peeled and diced
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 150mls red wine
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 chicken stock cube made up to 600mls with boiling water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 115g pearl barley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Note
Comfort food at its best, this Chicken and Pearl Barley Stew hits the spot for wintry days, and is perfect as a mid-week family supper - plus it's healthy too, with only 7 Smart Points in a bowl for those in the Weight Watchers diet, or 9 Pro Points.
Directions
| Step 1 | Slow cooker method: Place all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and set to high, cook for 6 hours or on auto for up to 10 hours. |
| Step 2 | Pressure cooker method: Place all the ingredients into the pressure cooker and set the programme for chicken stew, if using a Fast, Slow, Pro, bring it up to pressure and cook on high for 30 minutes - or for 45 minutes if using a normal pressure cooker. Release the pressure slowly on completion. |
| Step 3 | Stove top method: Spray a large saucepan with some low-fat oil spray and sauté the chicken pieces all over until they are golden brown. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, leeks and turnips, add a little of the chicken stock, and sweat the vegetables for 15 minutes with the lid on the pan. |
| Step 4 | Add the remaining ingredients, replace the lid and simmer for a further 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft. |
| Step 5 | Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread. |
The Sage Appliances Fast, Slow, Pro is £199:99
Functions include:
Interactive LCD tells you when it’s building pressure, cooking and releasing steam
Dual sensors for accurate pressure and temperature control
Sear, saute, reduce and steam settings
Custom temperature/pressure and time
Variable pressure or high/med/low
Slow cook high/Low
Dishwasher safe removable lid
No-mess moat
Included Accessories:
Stainless steel steaming basket
Stainless steel roasting trivet
Benefits:
You can pressure cook, slow cook, steam, reduce, sauté and sear with the press of a button and you can rely on the fully interactive LCD to tell you when its building pressure, cooking and releasing steam.
You can make Risotto, Gravy, Soup, Stews and Pie Fillings and it also cooks Rice to perfection too.
It comes with a handy recipe book and a concise instructions manual.
Verdict:
I LOVE it! Ten stars for ease of use, practical cooking settings and the results, which have always been superb to date – I have made pie fillings, soups, stews and even a risotto. It’s easy to clean and the removable inner pan is a practical idea.
Disclosure:
I received a Sage Appliances Fast Slow Pro Multi-Cooker free for review; all views and opinions are my own and I was not asked to write a positive review.
Other reviews and recipes:
The Sage Fast Slow Pro – the gadget to have in 2016
Pressure cooker beer can chicken
Christmas & New Year Cumbrian Chimney Pot Pie
As I cooked this using the Slow Cooker function, I am adding it to Slow Cooked Challenge hosted by Janice (Farmersgirl Kitchen) and Lucy (Baking Queen 74) – the theme this month is Anything!
Glamorous Glutton says
This is perfect for January and looks really delicious. I’m amazed it’s so few points, definitely on my winter comfort food list. GG
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks GG – the stew was really tasty and very filling too! Karen
Dom says
oooh, I do love the colour of this dish. It looks so rich and hearty. I’m not a huge fan of pearl barley but I have grown to like it more and more and I think I could be convinced with a hearty bowl of this glorious stuff. That looks like a fab new toy but I have simply run out of room in the kitchen now and have been told categorically i’m not allowed any more gadgets!!
Karen Burns-Booth says
To be frank Dom, excuse the pun on your name, you can’t taste the pearl barley, it’s just a healthy and GF thickening agent! I know about the gadgets, but I count this as two in one, so can make room for it! 😉
Mari says
Thanks for the tag Karen, you have a couple of delicious recipes here that I shall add to my review. I am totally in love with my Fast Slow Pro. I made a fish stew last night and it worked really well.
Karen Burns-Booth says
You are welcome Mari – I meant to leave a comment on your blog too, but was up against it for time – will pop over later to leave one! Karen
Janice says
What a lovely warming recipe for a cold winter’s day. What a useful kitchen appliance the Fast Slow Pro looks, I love my slow cooker and my pressure cooker and use them weekly.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Janice! I love this appliance as it combines two of my most used kitchen machines in ONE machine!
Sharon H says
This is my favourite winter food, I make a slight variation of this but will be definitely giving this a go next week.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Sharon – I think it’s the wine that makes the difference! Hahahaha! Karen
Margaret Baxter says
I’m seeing a lot of “Winter warmer” recipes this week and this seems exactly the kind of thing a slow cooker does best – a rich, hearty stew or soup, full of flavour, waiting for you at the end of a Winter’s day to warm you up when you’ve been outside, frozen down to the bone. It’s hard to imagine anything to better welcome your family home in cold weather.
Karen Burns-Booth says
This really warmed the cockles of our hearts Margaret and is on the menu again for next week! Karen
Jan says
Oh my goodness I could eat a bowl of that right now! Loving the Sage Fast Slow Pro – what a great appliance to have in the kitchen.
Karen Burns-Booth says
I’m loving mine too Jan and I have even made space for it on the counter top, I use it so much!
David says
OMG Yummy Food Recipies,Really Loves Lot,Mouth Watering Delicious Foodies,Best Collection Of Snapshots…
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks David!
Karen colcomb says
I love the look of thos recipe. I purchased a fast slo pro after Christmas and absolutely love it, amaming piece of equipment. Made risotto tonight for the first time in it best risotto ever
Karen Burns-Booth says
I am so pleased you like this recipe, and also, the slow cooker/pressure cooker too! It really is a fab piece of kit isn’t it?
Alan says
would be nice to know weight of chicken required
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi Alan
It’s a bit difficult to say as they vary so much in weight – I’d say an average of 125g each – but it’s not that crucial really.