Vonshef Premium Halogen Cooker - a review

The Vonshef Premium Halogen Oven has landed in our kitchen for review, available direct from Domu or alternatively Amazon  using this link.

The Vonshef represents very good value for money if  you are in the market for a halogen oven for the miserly sum of £34.99 (slightly less if you go for another colour than white) you can purchase a 12 litre (family sized) oven which comes complete with all the accessories you need, plus a stripey oven glove and handy Hamlyn 200 Halogen oven recipe book. This is sized oven is ample to cook a roast chicken and roasties for a family of 4.

Initially I was a bit sceptical of the claims that the oven would be new favourite thing but I must say after cooking a roast dinner in the oven, I think I am smitten. The oven is a little large for my family size and I am struggling to find worktop space but  I love the oven and the speed it cooks food especially meats, its also very handy for reheating food as the oven does not have to be preheated. I am still learning the best ways to cook various dishes but if you want a quick, healthy way to cook halogen ovens are for you.

The oven is easily controlled with the control knobs and once you work out the way the oven cooks then any recipe you can cook in a traditional oven can be cooked in a halogen oven. The washing up is also easy as all parts except the lid can washed in the sink or dishwasher and the lid itself just needs a good wipe and I have found so far that there isn't as much mess as normal as you cook with less fat than you normally would.

I am looking forward to trying baking in the oven, the roast beef was excellent beautifully browned but still juicy and moist, the roast potatoes crispy and tasty, given the level of interest in the oven at the recent cake club a few of my friends will also be splashing out on an oven soon too.

The oven was kindly provided free of charge for review purposes by Designer Habitat, I was not compelled to write a positive review, all views and opinions are my own.

Rosemary, lemon and garlic roast chicken thighs with baby roasties

I love dishes like this where everything cooks in the same pan concentrating the flavours and minimising the washing up. Chicken thighs are an economic cut of meat to get hold of and in my humble opinion also a cut of chicken which has the most flavour, ideally try to purchase free range if you can the taste will be better and the chickens will thank you.

I plundered the herb garden for an ample handful of rosemary which is one of my favourite herbs, so reliable, versatile and it smells amazing too. Rosemary is also this months theme for Cooking with Herbs, one of my favourite blogger challenges hosted over on Lavender and Lovage by Karen if you fancy joining in. The lemony inspiration came from the fruit bowl and preserved lemons. So lets pull together a great easy supper dish which satisfies that mid week crazing for a roast.

What you need

• Large roasting dish (works best if you use metal)
• Chicken thighs (skin on, bones in)
• Lemon - sliced (about thickness of a pound coin)
• Whole head of garlic - sliced across the middle
• Large bunch of rosemary
• Baby potatoes - skin on, slice in half if large
• Olive oil
• Sea Salt and Pepper

What you do

• Pre heat the oven to 200c
• Place all ingredients in roasting pan, nestling the garlic and lemon around the chicken and potatoes
• Break the bunch of rosemary into small sprigs and sprinkle on to the dish
• Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt and freshly ground pepper, toss slightly.
• Place in the oven for 45 minutes until golden and the chicken is cooked through
• Serve with rocket salad dressed with balsamic vinegar or blackberry vinegar.

                                           

Roast Roots and mushroom stew with parsley dumplings

What's better than a stew or casserole on a cold winter evening, nothing, well may be a  hot chocolate by a roaring  log fire comes close. Mildly inspired by the recent series "River Cottage" Veg a vegetable only stew was in order. This has all the flavour of a roast dinner but none of the meat , intensely satisfying and comforting. The recipe serves 3 -4 persons when accompanied with a green vegetable such as cabbage, use whatever root vegetables you have to hand , swede and turnips are just as suitable.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Onion - large , peeled, chopped in to large segments
• 3 carrots - peeled and chunky chopped
• 3 parsnips - peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
• 1 large sweet potato - peeled and chopped in to chunks
• 1/2 a medium celeriac - peeled and chunky chopped or swede or similar
• 4 cloves of garlic - whole and unpeeled
• Cornflour - 1tbsp
• 4 large mushrooms - chopped
• Vegetable stock - about 400ml
• Dried porcini - soaked 

You could also use butternut squash or pumpkin as some of your vegetables if you wish.

Method

• Preheat your oven to 200c
• Place your vegetables (except the mushrooms) on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Roast for approx 30 mins until tender and golden
• Transfer to a large casserole dish and cover with your stock, reduce the oven to 180c and bake covered for 30 mins.
• Fry the mushrooms (drain the porcini and chop if large) in a little olive, now add the cornflour and some of the porcini soaking stock, stir and then add the whole pan to the casserole dish, stir and return to oven. 
• Prepare your dumplings (check out my earlier recipe) and bake the stew with the added dumplings for a further 15 mins until your dumplings are cooked and fluffy and your stock has thicken.
• Serve sprinkled with fresh herbs.