When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing blogs or cooking for the lovely Mr G, this is wha

Baker & Foodie Content Creator

Hi.

My name is Lee, welcome to my pages. I hope we can have fun together?

When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing guest blogs, writing my own blog, or even trying to learn how to paint, I’m usually spending time with the amazing Mr G (my husband) or with my lovely daughter or my lovely son (very proud mum).

What is this all about? Great question. This site is about real cooking and baking, real recipes and real mistakes.

No filters here, (although i’d love to find a filter that can take ten years worth of laugh lines away. Just me, whats happening, and whatever cameras or phone i have to hand .

There are many things that get under my bonnet and wiggle around, one of those is food waste. If i buy ingredients specifically for a recipe, and i only need a small amount of the ingredients, i want to be able to use the rest up and not have to throw them away. My mum used to say , “Waste not Want not” is that still a saying ?

For me, waste is not just about using up all the ingredients. What about leftover food? If i’m able , i hope to give ideas as to how to use up any leftovers too.

Be Brave

Cooking isn’t hard , neither is baking, its all about being brave and being ok with making mistakes

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Lee Majhen-Todd

Let me introduce you gently to a magic ingredient that everyone should have in their cupboard and something that I use in almost every savoury dish I cook.

Have it close to the oven and I know it’ll become a staple ingredient for you too!

 This magic powder contains amongst other things, salt, dried vegetables (carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onions, celery parsley) sugar, spices and cornstarch.

 This ingredient is truly Croatian, developed by a Bosnian Croatian Scientist in 1959 and is now in every Croatian household and in most of their dishes too.

 Sold in over 40 countries, it’s definitely time for me to share with you.

Using it as a part of a rub for this Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken is such an easy way of getting to grips with the flavours of Vegeta.

Cooking for a crowd or just feeling a little lazy, this slow cooker shredded chicken lettuce wraps are just blooming perfect.

It’s got the feel of something light and summery whilst still having that slow cooker comfort feel about it.

This makes it perfect for me to get it in the slow cooker on a day when i want to be in the garden with the lovely Mr G having a bit of a potter in the flower beds, or the raised the vegetable patches.

 Side note: There’s no need to add any liquid to the slow cooker, all the juices mix with the onion and the basting mix which ends up making an amazing chicken stock liquor, just perfect to mix back in with the chicken shreds.

Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life! 

Sprinkle with spring onions

 What You Need

  • 1 Chicken – The size depends on the size of your slow cooker – See Tip Box

  • 1 Large Onion – Roughly Sliced

  • 1 Lettuce of choice – I used Romaine

  • 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp Paprika

  • 2 Tbsp Vegeta

  • 1 Small Cucumber – sliced into batons – See Tip Box

  • 1 Large Red pepper – de-seeded and sliced into batons

  • 4 Large Gherkins – Drained and sliced thinly

  • 4 Large Spring Onions

Onions and chicken into the slow cooker

 How It’s Done

  • Pat the chicken skin dry with kitchen paper and then discard the paper

  • Peel and slice the onion and place the slices on the bottom of the slow cooker

  • Place the Vegeta, soy sauce and paprika in to a cup and mix together really well.

  • Brush the Vegeta mixture all over the skin of the chicken, even the bottom of the chicken, making sure to get right into those creases.

  • Sit the chicken directly on top of the sliced onions

  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and let it cook on the low heat for at least 5 hours (The chicken should be falling off the bone)

  • Whilst the chicken is cooking, prepare all of the vegetables and the lettuce.

It’s cooked when its falling from the bone

 Vegetables

  • Deseed the red pepper and slice it into batons (long strips)

  • Wash, dry and then slice the cucumber into batons

  • Drain the gherkins and slice into £1 thick slices

  • Finely slice the spring onions

Let the chicken sit for 10 minutes before shredding

  • Place all the vegetables into serving bowls and set all of these aside until needed.

  • Once the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the slow cooker, remove it from the slow cooker onto a plate and let it sit for around 10 minutes

  • Use two forks to shred the chicken, making sure to mix the skin in with the meat of the chicken – See Tip Box

Shred the chicken, including the skin



  • Place all that shredded chicken back into the cooking liquid and mix together letting the chicken soak up all of the liquid.

  • Throw the chicken bones away

  • Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the chopped spring onions, set aside until needed

Mix the shredded chicken back into the cooking liquid

 Assembly

  • Lay one lettuce leaf on a plate

  • Start to layer up all of the other ingredients, starting with the shredded chicken and ending with the sliced gherkins.

Enjoy!

Batons of cucumber and red pepper with disks of gherkin

  Tip Box

  • Chicken – I used a medium sized chicken, but the size to use usually depends on how many people I’m feeding and how big the slow cooker is.

b) Caution – When shredding the chicken, some of the smaller bones may be gathered up into the edible parts.

Start to layer up everything into a lettuce leaf

  • Batons – These are long slices of various thickness. For this dish, make the slices around £1 thickness.

  • Vegeta – This is my magic ingredient for my of my dishes. You’re welcome! 

Find it on Amazon and in Croatian speciality shops.

No Yeast Beer Bread with Black Olives & Rosemary

No Yeast Beer Bread with Black Olives & Rosemary
A Traditional Quiche Lorraine

A Traditional Quiche Lorraine

0