Book excerpt: Slow cookers are the ultimate way to cook if you want to save time, money and effort while still enjoying delicious home cooking. They can do so much more than you might realise, from hearty and comforting to fresh and light. But the fear of bland, watery or mushy dinners means this quintessential Seventies appliance needs a modern makeover! Appliance queen Alyce Alexandra is here to show you that with the right recipes, slow cooker meals can be vibrant, interesting and full of flavour – not just endless soups and stews. Whether it’s a simple weeknight supper ready when you walk in the door or an elaborate weekend dinner party, you’ll find the perfect recipe for every occasion in Modern Slow Cooker. It’s filled with satisfying and nutritious meat-free dishes that take very little effort and will have everybody coming back for seconds. Alyce shows how the slow cooker shines for healthy and cost-effective ingredients such as veggies, grains, pulses and legumes, and shares all her tips and tricks for best results with your slow cooker. The 85 foolproof recipes cater to vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free diets – though you won’t hear any complaints from the meat eaters at the table, either! So, rethink your slow cooker. You’ll be amazed by what you can create.