Veggie Slowcooking

Mac and 'Beef'

2011-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

1 pkg Yves ground 'beef'
1 can condensed cheese soup
15 (approx.) cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp red onion, minced
1/4 tsp minced garlic from a jar
1/2 tsp jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (dried or fresh)
4 cups leftover cooked macaroni

Cook on high for 3 hours, add leftover pasta and stir. Cook another 1/2 hour or until heated through.

Back to school, back to slowcooking.

2011-09-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

I'm trying this for dinner tonight, I hope it turns out. What should I serve with it? Veggie dogs?

FRESH TOMATO BISQUE
1.5 (approx.) cups vegetable Stock
2 large tomatoes fresh or frozen
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 can evaporated milk (or 1/2 cup heavy cream)
Chopped fresh chives or dill

Put tomatoes and stock in crockette, simmer for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 on high.

Blend with a hand blender or run thru a ricer or sieve, if you are picky.

Add evaporated milk or cream and salt & pepper to taste.

Top with chives or dill.

Notes: This recipe is the perfect size, it doesn't freeze well so the small size is nice. It makes about 4 servings. Do not let this boil when you heat it up or it will curdle.

Algerian Chili

2010-12-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

LOUBIA is an Algerian speciality that gets its flavor from DERSA, a spicy blend of ground dried red chilies (use New Mexican in the US), garlic, and ground cumin. Dersa is a predominant seasoning in the cuisine. A dash of vinegar is traditionally added to each bowl of Loubia on serving.

Algerian Chili

I started to get ready for this recipe and accidentally soaked 2 pounds of navy beans the night before so this is the new recipe; it didn't even fit in my 4 1/2 quart. crockpot (I had to take some out). I would recommend using a 5 1/2 quart. or larger. I also made a few other changes.

Notes: This really took forever to cook, so next time I will cook the beans at least mostly before adding the tomatoes.

2 pounds small navy beans, soaked (4 cups, overflowing)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 small dried red chilies, seeded, or more to taste
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, or more to taste
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups water or vegetable broth
4 bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

2 teaspoons salt
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cans (6 ounces) tomato paste, canned
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
5 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, optional, for serving

Soak beans overnight and drain.

Add all ingredients up to the tomatoes to a 5.5 quart crockpot (or larger) and stir. Cook on high for 8 hours or until beans are tender. Add the tomatoes and cook until heated through.

I put some of this in the freezer and I think I'll add some chickpeas to it when I reheat it for later.

Shredded cheese and sour cream are great on top of this also.

Spaghetti Sauce and 'Meat'balls

2010-12-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

1 can Primo Thick & Zesty (or any brand you prefer)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 can mushrooms, optional
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/4 tsp rosemary, chopped or 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir well. Place the lid on the crock pot can cook on low for about 8-10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Cook veggie meatballs and add to each serving of spaghetti. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Notes: Add a splash of balsamic just before serving, if desired.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

2010-11-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

1 onion, chopped

1/2 small cabbage

1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cup TVP granules

1 cup instant brown rice

3 cups water

2 vegetarian beef bouillon cubes, crumbled

1 bay leaf

pepper

Add all ingredients to crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Frugal Peppers

2010-11-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

Stuffed Peppers
I had a few small containers of leftover rice in the freezer, so I thawed them in a colander under running water. Let it drain while you saute the onions.

1/2 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
a dash of hot pepper flakes, to taste
3 cups (approx) leftover rice (mine had some wild rice, which tastes very nice in this dish)
1 cup tomato sauce (Primo) or 1 cup canned tomatoes

3 tbsp veg. chicken bouillion powder
black pepper and salt, to taste
4-5 bell peppers, hollowed out

Saute onions, garlic and bay leaf in olive oil until soft. Add the hot pepper flakes and saute a minute. Then add in the rest of the ingredients cook until heated through.

Spoon into bell peppers, put lids back on them and bake in 350 F oven for about 45 minutes. Or alternatively, arrange in the bottom of an oval 4.5 quart crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Notes: I didn't have enough peppers so I sliced a cucumber in half and spread the rice on top, then I sliced up a tomato to spread on top.

You could add TVP or tempeh for a bit of added protein if you like.

Cheesy Bean Soup

2010-11-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

Cheesy Bean Soup

1 pkg. Yves ground 'beef' (or TVP)
1 can cheese soup
5 ounces water
1/4 cup cheddar cheese with jalapeno peppers
1 can (15 ounce size) white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounce size) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup medium or hot salsa

Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain off the fat. Stir in the cheese soup until blended. Add the water and stir until fully incorporated. Add to crockpot along with remaining ingredients, stirring to gently mix.

Cook on low 2-4 hours (depending on your crock pot) or until heated through.

Serve with biscuits or rolls.

Notes: I added dried jalapeno peppers with plain cheddar cheese. This soup was a bit salty on the first day, but it seemed to be less salty a couple of days later when we finished it off.

Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce

2010-10-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce

I tried this one last year. This is way better than the canned stuff. Very Yummy!

12 oz cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup freshly sqeezed orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Rinse off the cranberries and put them into your crockpot. Add the orange juice and water.

Add the sugars and cinnamon. Stir. There will be an awful lot of liquid, and the cranberries will float and you'll wonder how on earth it could possibly turn into cranberry sauce.

Cover and cook on high. It will take about 3 hours.

Stir every hour or so. When the skin from the cranberries has softened, the cranberries will "pop" when pushed with a spoon up against the side of the crock. It wasn't until about 2 hours in that my cranberries were soft enough to do this.

Smoosh all of the cranberries. Stir well.

Heat enough for it to be warm throughout. Take the lid off and heat on high for another 30 to 45 minutes. Your house will smell wonderful!

Serve.

Notes: This easily can be made a few days before your holiday dinner.
I also noticed this recipe for Apple and Cranberry sauce on the Jamie Oliver site that I'd like to try sometime.

Moroccan Meatballs

2010-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Moroccan Meatballs

10-12 Oh Naturel! or PC veggie meatballs
1/2 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
4 tbsp good spaghetti sauce
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
sliced green olives, to taste (rinsed)
1 garlic minced clove, or to taste
1 tbsp minced onion or 1/8 tsp granulated onion powder
1/2 lemon, sliced, pitted

Add to crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours.

Goes great over millet, couscous or basmati rice. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Adapted from this recipe.

Millet Cooking Instructions:

1 cup millet and 1 1/2 cups water, cook for about 20 minutes on low heat, until liquid is absorbed.

Taco Soup

2010-10-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

I think this photo was of Taco Soup that I made last spring. This is a very popular crockpot recipe with variations all over the internet.

Taco Soup

1 cup TVP granules
1/2 cube veg. beef bouillon
1 cup water
1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans or black beans
1 (16 ounce) can white beans or white kidney beans
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 (11 ounce) can niblet corn, optional (cook separately)

Some recipes also have: 1 225g (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 onion, chopped
black olives -- chopped or sliced

Add all ingredients to crock pot. Stir.

Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or tortilla chips.

If desired, cook corn separately and add to the soup at the end.

　
　

Curry Poutine

2010-10-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

I discovered a little British shop near my house and I have been purchasing neat things such as mushy peas and this incredibly yummy chip shop curry sauce.

I also discovered that it is really delicious in place of gravy on Poutine. If you do try this at home make sure you use fresh cheese curds and that you heat the sauce to boiling and pour it quickly over the curds so they melt.

Keep curry sauce warm in your Gravy-Mate while you deep-fry or bake the french fries.

Pumpkin Chili

2010-07-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

This is my recipe for Pumpkin Chili.

1 cup pumpkin (fresh pureed or canned)
2 tbsp cumin, or more to taste
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 28-ounce cans tomatoes, diced
2 cups TVP granules
1 vegetarian beef bouillon cube, optional
2 cups water
1 can white kidney beans
1 can chick peas
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 cups mushrooms, chopped (or 1/2 small can)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 (5.5-ounce) small can tomato paste

In a large frying pan, saute onions, celery, and mushrooms.

In a crockpot, combine all ingredients. Cook on LOW all day.

Notes: This is a great way to use up that leftover pumpkin puree you may have left over from the holidays.

Crockpot Vegetable Broth

2010-07-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

How to make use of all those leftover vegetable peelings from your holiday meal preparations.

Make your own vegetable broth.

Keep carrot, onion, potato, and sweet potato peelings, squash and celery tips, tomato tops, to this add some garlic cloves, oregano or bay leaves, fresh or dried parsley, salt, pepper and (remember to save) the water from your potatoes. These can all be saved in the freezer until you are ready.

1. Add the vegetable scraps to your crockpot and fill with water, cook on HIGH 8-10 hours or overnight.

2. Let cool, Then strain it.

Vegetable Broth Uses:

This is great as a broth for many types of recipes, including Matzo Ball Soup, Vegetarian French Onion Soup, Cassoulet, or Risotto.

Cook rice with broth instead of water for added flavour.

Freeze broth in an ice cube tray and grab a cube or two for thinning sauces.

This is my favourite Lentil Pottage.

2010-07-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

Crockpot Red Lentil Pottage
This is a really yummy recipe!!

1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2.5 cups vegetable stock*
1 bay leaf
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook on low for 6-7 hours, or high for 3.5 hours.

Use a 2.5 quart crockpot.

I adapted this recipe from one in 'The Single Vegan'. The original had mushrooms in it but they don't cook very well in the crockpot. If you would like to add them, then just saute a few to add just before serving.

*Homemade vegetable broth.

Crockpot Red Lentil Dahl

2010-07-31T07:38:00.000-07:00

Crockpot Red Lentil Dahl

1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped, optional
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp curry powder
1 bay leaf
Pinch of salt
1/4-1/2 tsp black mustard seeds, optional

Cook on low for 6-7 hours, or high for 3.5 hours.

Serve over basmati rice and 1/4 cup of coconut milk before serving, if desired.

Use a 2.5 quart crockpot.

Crock Pot Italian Tomato Sauce

2010-07-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons rosemary*
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1/4 cup sugar*
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small can tomato paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.
The sauce will reduce slightly in the crockpot resulting in an intense fresh tomato sauce.

*Notes: I found that the rosemary was too strong and the sugar made it too sweet. I would recommend using less of these. This is a tasty recipe otherwise.

How to Cook Beans in the Slow Cooker

2010-03-25T08:43:00.001-07:00

We like cooking beans in the slow cooker because it lets us cook a lot of dry beans at one time. We set aside what we need right away and freeze the rest for later.

Soybeans will foam up when cooking so add alot of water and leave extra clearance at the top. Use half the amount of beans that you would with the other types.

I prefer to cook these when I will be home during the day and can keep an eye on them. They also take forever to cook.

Pinto, kidney, chickpeas, black beans take a similar amount of time to cook.

Navy beans cook more quickly.

Usually I empty a 2 lb. bag of beans into the 4.5 qt. crockpot. I didn't have the type I usually buy so I measured out the dry pinto beans that I had from Bulk Barn.

This time I measured out to 4 3/4 cups, I used the 3.5 qt crockpot and hoped for the best.

If desired, soak beans overnight in plenty of cool water.

In the morning, rinse and drain the beans. Fill again with cool water to about 1/2 inch below the rim.

Cook on Low, all day. (or High 4-6 hours.)

To Freeze: Store in 2 cup (about the same as a can of beans) containers, add some cooking liquid to make Refried Beans.

Cincinnati Chili

Chickpea Salad

A great new slow cooker recipe book!

2010-03-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to find the Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker, at my local library it looks really good!!

I made the 'Risotto and Lentils' which we found really yummy and so easy to make when you feel like risotto, but you don't want to stand over a stove all day. You have to be careful though it will overcook very easily. I found it a bit dry, so I added some margarine at the end with along with more Parmesan.

So go to your local library and check out a book or two for crockpots. "Fix it and forget it" is a great book to start with.

Super Bowl Vegan Chili and Nachos

2010-02-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

These recipes are from Roberto Martin (Ellen's personal chef) they look so yummy, you can keep them both warm in the crockpot.

Watch Chef Roberto prepare his Super Bowl Nacho Recipe

Vegan Chili

1 Large Onion chopped (white or red onion)
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Coriander
1 Teaspoon Dry Oregano
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Large Diced Tomatoes
8 oz Sliced Mushrooms
2 (4oz) canned green chilies
1 bag smart Mexican seasoned ground (or pkg. taco seasoning or chili seasoning)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 can black or pinto beans, rinsed
Salt as needed

Chopped Green Onion
Grated Cheddar, Daiya or Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese

Mushrooms should be rough chopped.
Sauté onions until light brown. Add mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic and all seasonings and sauté 4 minutes more.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until hot and the right consistency.
Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Nacho Cheese

1 Block Silken Tofu
1/2 Cup Vegan Mayo
1/4 cup Water
1 Packet taco Seasoning
1-2 Tablespoons Red Palm Oil
1 Tablespoon Paprika
your favorite Hot Sauce, Chalula, Tapatio, Tabasco; to taste

Blend in Blender and serve warm or in crock pot.

Add the chili and nacho cheese to chips to make great vegan nachos. Add jalapenos for extra spice.

Tasty Lentil Tacos

2010-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

With the cold winter weather moving in again I'm starting to use my crockpot more often.

Crockpot Tasty Lentil Tacos
So easy to make in the crockpot and lower in fat too.

1 onion, finely chopped
1 vegetarian chicken boullion cube
1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

Garnishes
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
shredded Cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa

Crockpot High 3.5 hours or Low 6-8 hours.

(I used a 2.5 quart crockpot.)

Spoon lentil mixture into each taco shell or tortilla. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and sour cream.

This is a nice change from the ground beef alternates I usually use in tacos.

Sauerkraut and 'Sausage' (with Perogies)

2010-01-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

I bought this brand of Best Value perogies from Giant Tiger a few months ago because they were on sale.

It was the first time that we've bought them and I wasn't too impressed with these; they are extremely bland tasting, the most bland perogies I've ever had. I decided to mix them up with some sauerkraut to give them a bit more flavour.

Sauerkraut and Sausage (with Perogies)

1 small onion, coarsley chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Bratwurst veggie sausages, sliced and halved (I used Kraut Brothers)
1 or 2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
dash of celery salt, optional
olive oil and butter, for frying

a splash of cider vinegar

1 (1L) jar of sauerkraut, drained

Saute onions, garlic, sausages, bay leaf, olive oil and butter. Then add the celery salt and a splash of cider vinegar to deglaze the pan. Pour in the sauerkraut and heat to warm.

Place all ingredients in Crockette. Dot with butter.

Cover and cook 4 to 6 hours.

Serve with rye bread or noodles.

Alternatively, serve this alongside perogies tossed with melted butter.

Veggie Slowcooker Cincinnati Chili

2010-01-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Obviously one of the best appliances I’ve ever purchased is a Crock-Pot. It is so wonderful to have the freedom of prepping a meal early in the day and not having to tend to it until mealtime. It keeps the meal hot until it’s ready to be served, which means no waiting around for dinner to cook (and eating some kind of junk food in the meantime).

Cincinnati Chili (3 ½ - 4 ½ Qt.)

This recipe was first adapted for my 3 1/2 quart crockpot. I didn't have the larger one when I first made it. I have since adapted the recipe for a 4 1/2 quart.

I absolutely love this chili recipe, it has so many variations and it is just a little bit different than the traditional type of chili. It's more like a pasta sauce, but with a hint of cider vinegar that just makes all the difference to the flavour.

1 pkg. Yves ground round
1 cup TVP granules (plus 1 cup water)
2 c. water
1 (or 2 cubes) beef bouillon
1 onion, chopped
½ (19 oz) can spaghetti sauce
½ (28 oz) can tomatoes (or 1 can see Notes)
1 can tomato paste
1 tbsp cumin
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp turmeric
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp paprika
½ tsp marjoram or 2 bay leaves
1 tsp sugar
2 - 2 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 can Romano beans (or 2 cans)

½ way through, add:

1 can mushrooms or fresh sautéed
2-4 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped

Cook on low 8-10 hours in a 3 ½ quart crockpot.

Notes: For 4 ½ quart crockpot add: 1 can tomatoes and another can of Romano beans.

Serve over spaghetti or other type of pasta with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions on top.

OR

As a dip with cheese green onions and sour cream with tortilla chips.

Variations: Serve on a bed of spaghetti; top with grated cheddar cheese “3 way“. Chili can be served “4 way” by adding fresh chopped onion or “5 way” by adding kidney beans.

“Coney Island”. A hot dog in a soft bun with mustard and topped with chili, chopped onion, and grated cheese.

Creamy Amish Bean Soup

2010-01-17T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love to use my crockpot in the cooler months, it is a time for hearty, warming soups and stews and it's really easy to cook them in a crockpot.

It's really simple to make beans in your crockpot as well, just soak your beans overnight, rinse and turn it on in the morning, by evening you'll have a pot of fresh cooked beans to put to use in a healthy dinner.

This is a very simple recipe, although it's a bit time consuming; using your crockpot will make things a little bit easier.

Creamy Amish Bean Soup

6 cups water
2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chicken-flavored vegetarian gravy base (or 1-2 vegetarian chicken flavoured boullion cubes and cornstarch mixed with water, sorry I didn't measure)
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
dash pepper
1 cup milk or soymilk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
veggie bacon bits (optional)
finely chopped fresh parsley, garnish

Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover.
The next morning drain beans, add to crockpot.

Cook on low (8-12 hours) or high (4-5 hours), or until tender.
Cool beans and chill in the fridge overnight.
Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid, to cover (about 2 cups).
Stir in onion, chicken flavored gravy base, marjoram, and pepper.
Add enough of the reserved cooking liquid to cover, about 2 cups.
Cover and cook on low setting for 12-14 hours.
Then turn to high. Slowly blend soymilk into flour; stir into beans.
Cover and cook till thickened and bubbly, 10-15 minutes.
Mash beans slightly, if desired.

Garnish with fresh parsley and veggie bacon bits.

3 1/2 quart.

Easy Fondue

2009-12-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

We love fondue.

This is what we do when we get a craving for fondue, go out to the grocery store and buy one of those pre-made fondue kits. We like the Compliments and PC brands.

Heat in a small saucepan, to a boil. Stir constantly.

Pour into a crockette, 1.5 QT or 2.5 QT crockpot. Keep hot on the high setting until ready to serve.

Then turn down to low.

Serve with cubed pieces of french bread for dipping.

Here's a recipe if you would like to make your own from scratch.

The Classic Swiss Fondue
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 cups grated Gruyere
2 cups grated Swiss
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup kirsch liqueur
Freshly grated nutmeg, optional

Mix cheeses together in mixing bowl with flour. Place wine in saucepan and bring to a simmer, being careful not to let it come to a boil. Gradually add cheese to wine, adding a handful at a time and stirring constantly until melted. After the last handful has melted, add the kirsch and freshly grated nutmeg, slowly stirring to incorporate. Transfer to fondue pot (or crockpot).

Homemade Crockpot Marinara Sauce

2009-12-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

Homemade Crockpot Marinara Sauce

This is my favourite Marinara Sauce adapted for the crockpot.

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup vegetable broth
1 small can tomato paste
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp Salt

Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir well. Place the lid on the crock pot can cook on low for about 8-10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

If you would prefer a thicker sauce remove the lid and cook on high for the last hour.

Serve with TVP 'meat'balls over whole wheat spaghetti. Yum!

Crockette Sides

2009-11-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

BUTTERED VEGETABLES

Line CROCK•ETTE with aluminum foil, leaving enough to overlap vegetables when finished. Place fresh or frozen vegetables in foil. Dot with 2 to 3 teaspoons butter or margarine. Season with salt and pepper. Overlap with remaining foil. Cover and cook 8 to 12 hours.

BAKED POTATOES

Prick potatoes with fork and wrap in foil. Place potatoes in CROCK•ETTE. Do not add water. Cover and cook 8 to 12 hours.

BUN WARMER

The CROCK•ETTE makes an excellent bun warmer. Rolls are perfectly heated without drying out. Place rolls in CROCK•ETTE. Cover and heat 2 to 4 hours.

SWEET POTATOES IN ORANGE SAUCE

1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Dash of salt
1/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 16-ounce can sweet potatoes, drained or 1 large sweet potato, sliced thickly (+ a few tablespoons of water)

In saucepan, combine orange juice, butter, salt and brown sugar mixture. Cook until thick. Place sweet potatoes in CROCK•ETTE. Pour syrup mixture over potatoes. Cover and cook 6 to 10 hours.

Winter Bean Soup

2009-11-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

I found some fresh sage in my fridge, so I made up this delicious soup.

2/3 cup navy beans, soak overnight and then drain
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons green pepper, optional
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. sage or 3 small leaves fresh sage, chopped finely
salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup canned tomatoes

Put all ingredients in Crockette, except tomatoes. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 6 hours. Add tomatoes 1 hour before serving. Puree in food processor, if desired.

Variations: If using a 2.5 quart crockpot - 3/4 cup chopped okra can be added (instead of green pepper) and a 1/2 (28 ounce) can of tomatoes.

Serve with nice a nice hearty bread or Homemade Rosemary Focaccia.

Keep Perogies warm in the Crockpot.

2009-11-28T12:26:00.001-08:00

For holiday celebrations I often boil up some perogies ahead, and keep them warm in my crockpot. This works out really well, I always put lots of margarine in to keep them from sticking and they are excellent.

I find many times in conversations with people over 'why they don't like perogies' that it's really because they haven't prepared them properly. I really could eat these for dinner every single night and if they weren't so full of fat.

Just add a really nice glass of a fruity red wine, a Beaujolais and I'm happy.

Here's what you need to do to make perogies:

Chop up some onions.
Saute the onions in a frying pan with some olive oil or margarine.
(If not vegetarian you would be adding the bacon here too)
You can add veggie sausage here if you like.
Add extra margarine to the onions and add some bacon bits.

At the same time, fill a large pot with water and set on high heat.
Add the perogies to the boiling water, cook until they float and are heated through.
When these are ready, pour into a colander to drain.
Place in a large bowl.
Pour the onion mixture over them and mix lightly.

Serve with a side of sour cream, and lightly sprinkle dill over all.

Use your crockpot to heat up canned soup.

2009-11-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

Crockpots are great for heating up canned soup, you won't have to worry about the soup burning as you might with stove top cooking.

It will allow you more time with your family all you have to do is start the soup in the crockpot a few hours before you want to serve it.

Cream of celery or mushroom soup - heat soup undiluted and serve over hot noodles or brown rice. Add some veggie meatballs for an easy frugal main dish.

PC Memories of Damascus Tangy Pomegranate Sauce or other PC "Memories of' sauces with PC meatless chicken breasts.

Sharwood's Indian or Thai cooking sauces with Yves chicken or beef tenders.

Directions:
Pour canned soup in Crockette. Cover and cook on low 4 to 8 hours or on high 2-3 hours.

Almost any canned stew, chili, baked beans or canned main dish may be heated in this manner.

Crockpot Basics

2009-11-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

The crockpot is an amazingly easy way to cook up loads of healthy beans with minimal effort.

Keep them in 2 cup amounts in your freezer, just thaw overnight or add to a packaged soup and let it thaw as you cook.

When purchasing a crockpot, make sure to buy one with a removable liner, they are much easier to clean and you will be very happy you did.

One hour on HIGH is equal to two hours on LOW.

The Crockette® is a small crock pot made by the Rival® company. It is 1 QT size, and only has one cooking setting, Low. This smaller size is perfect for the smaller families where only one or two servings are needed. You can adapt any crock pot recipe by cutting the recipe in 1/2 or 1/3.

Often you can start preparing the vegetables the night before. Cut up the vegetables for your recipe and then add them with broth and seasonings in the morning before work. You will be handsomely rewarded with the smells of homecooking when you arrive home that evening.

Beans can be soaked overnight and added to the crockpot in the morning, cook all day and they'll be ready for you when you arrive home.

The beauty of most crock meals is that you can spend 15 to 20 minutes the night before to prep them, refrigerate them overnight, then pop the whole thing into the heating element just before leaving for work. You can also cook them overnight while you snooze peacefully, dreaming of the delicious dinner you’ll have waiting for you when you get home from work (unless it smells so good the next morning that you decide to turn it into breakfast instead).

Shredded BBQ 'Chicken'

2009-11-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

Shredded BBQ 'Chicken'
This recipe is really yummy, a real Southern BBQ flavour, it's just like pulled pork.

2 PC meatless chicken breasts
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (Equality brand is veg)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
Dash of cayenne
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
Dash of salt
4 hamburger buns, biscuits or dinner rolls
Dill pickle slices

Place chicken in a 2.5 quart slow cooker.
Combine ketchup and next 7 ingredients. Pour over chicken.
Cover and cook on High 4-6 hours or on Low 7 to 10 hours.
Remove chicken from sauce; shred chicken. Stir shredded chicken back into the sauce.

Spoon mixture evenly onto buns, and top with pickle slices and a side of fries.

Makes 4 servings.

BUN WARMER

The CROCK•ETTE makes an excellent bun warmer. Rolls are perfectly heated without drying out. Place rolls in CROCK•ETTE. Cover and heat 2 to 4 hours.

Veggie Friendly Slowcooking

2009-11-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

I have had a difficult time finding crockpot recipes that are veggie friendly, most recipes I find are meat based soups and stews or roasts.

Veggie chilis are the most common, but I would like to make something different, I'm not a huge fan of chili (but I will include a few recipes anyway).

TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) can be used in the slowcooker, it will stand up to the long cooking times without breaking down. Many other meat substitutes can be used as well.

I own several crockpots: a Crockette (1 QT size), 2.5 QT, 3.5 QT, & 4.5 QT. As well as the Rival Gravy-Mate.

I want to use this blog to show that the possiblities for vegetarian slowcooking are endless.