The best thing about slow cooking is that you can use the cheaper cuts of meat that normally need longer to cook. Slow cooking tenderises the meat creating a delicious meal. Slow cooked recipes are ideal for weeknight family meals especially as the weather grows colder.

Tender pieces of pork, I used loin, but you could use shoulder if you prefer, cooked with leeks, apple slices and juicy prunes. Even though the recipe has a small amount of rice in it, we enjoyed the casserole with mashed potatoes carrots and peas.

Serves 6

Low – calorie cooking spray

2 medium leeks, washed and sliced thinly

800g lean diced pork loin or shoulder

50g plain flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1ltr chicken stock

100g white long grain rice

4 medium apples, sliced thickly

170g soft pitted prunes

2tbs fresh sage, chopped

2tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Method

Spray a non – stick large, lidded saucepan with low – calorie cooking spray.

Cook the leeks until soft, remove from the pan and put on a plate.

Toss the pork in the flour, salt and pepper, shake off any excess.

Spray the pan with more low – calorie spray, fry the pork in batches until golden brown.

Return the leeks and all the pork to the pan, add the stock and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the rice, apples, prunes and half the sage and cook for a further 30 minutes until the pork is tender.

Transfer to a serving dish, scatter with the remaining sage and parsley.