Travelers can almost count on bumping into a friend or business associate these days when visiting popular vacation destinations.

Seafood generally isn’t slow-cooker friendly. When cooked for long periods, most white fish will dissolve into mush, while shellfish such as shrimp will get tough and rubbery. This recipe solves that problem by adding cod only at the end.

If you’ve been slow to warm up to slow cookers, it probably wasn’t the incredible convenience that turned you off.

This easy slow cooker-friendly beef and barley soup take just 15 minutes prep, then can be ignored for as long as 11 hours — a perfect meal for starting on a frosty morning and welcoming you home in the evening.