Cooking the shallots until caramelized creates the flavour base, and their subtle sweetness naturally balances out the sharp blue cheese. If you're not a fan of blue, try extra-old Cheddar instead.
Push the pork and sweet potatoes gently to one side of the slow cooker, then whisk the flour mixture into the other side. This helps keep the sweet potatoes intact.
Choose an outside or inside round oven roast or shoulder pot roast. Starting with one piece of meat rather than precut stewing beef means that all the chunks will be similar in size and texture and will require the same cooking time.
Cajun seasoning, okra and sausage transform plain old stewing beef into a lively gumbo. When cooked, the okra acts as a natural sauce thickener. You can make this dish even heartier by serving it over a steaming bowl of rice.
This homey, old-fashioned fish stew has a light, lemony flavour and, because fish cooks quickly, takes much less time to make than a meat stew.
