YAY!! You’re getting a Wonderbag!! I’m sure you’re excited about getting started with using this revolutionary slow-cooker, so here’s one of my favourite recipes for you to try out! I’ll be adding more tips, ideas, and links to recipes to try as I test them out for you.

Before you begin using your Wonderbag, please make sure you read through the booklet that comes with it, as it has all the info you need to cook safely and successfully, as well as providing you with some delicious recipes to try. Especially make sure you have a pot that suits the size of your bag, the amount of food you’re cooking and make sure it has a tight-fitting lid.

Enjoy, and let us know how it goes and what else you cook in your Wonderbag! If you’d like to share some photos, feel free to post them in the Quirky Cooking Chat Group.

Happy cooking, Jo xx

For more info, or to buy a Wonderbag click here!

Pork Belly Apple Hotpot

Serves 4-6

This recipe is from our Life-Changing Food cookbook, and is perfect for slow-cooking as it’s an all-in-one meal that usually simmers for a few hours to tenderise the meat and increase the flavour. The pork simmers gently with vegetables, fennel, garlic and apples, and the result is a delicious, rich broth and melt-in-your-mouth pork. It can be made with cubed pork ribs if you want to cut costs down. In this recipe, I have reduced the water slightly as the liquid doesn’t evaporate when cooking in the Wonderbag, but you can take it back to the original 1 litre of water if you like a soupier result. (I must say, the broth that results from this recipe is so delicious I could drink it on its own… so you decide – more or less water, up to you!) By the way, I usually double this recipe and cook it in a 6 or 8 litre pot which fits snugly into the large Wonderbag. This recipe is a good one to double, as it freezes well! Enjoy 🙂

Method

1kg pork belly

1 brown onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp fennel seeds (opt)

800ml filtered water

800g pumpkin, peeled (I prefer butternut as it doesn’t fall apart as much)

2 cups shredded cabbage

2 green apples

2 Tbsp ghee or tallow

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp herb salt or sea salt, or to taste

½ tsp pepper

 


  1. Chop pork belly or pork ribs into cubes, roughly chop onion and finely chop garlic.
  2. Place pork, onion, garlic, fennel seeds and water into a heavy, 4 litre capacity pot, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, while you prepare remaining ingredients. 
  3. Chop pumpkin into 2cm cubes, shred cabbage, and peel and core apples cutting into 5mm slices. 
  4. Add pumpkin, cabbage, apples, ghee or tallow, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
  5. Place a pot holder in base of Wonderbag. Turn off heat and transfer pot carefully from stove to Wonderbag. Place lid on top and pull drawstring tight to seal pot into bag.
  6. Leave your hotpot cooking in the Wonderbag for 6-10 hours. Don’t open until about ready to eat, or heat will escape. Trust!! 😀
  7. Enjoy your delicious hotpot!

Storage

Store in fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Apple & Pork Belly Hotpot

Apple and Pork Belly Hotpot – photo by Cook Republic for Life-Changing Food