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Roasted Root Veggie Hash with Gardein Beefless Tips

February 21, 2012 · by · 5 Comments

So, yesterday you made a big batch of roasted veggies right? If you missed yesterday’s post, you can go here and get some info on roasting veggies in the oven and in your slow cooker!

Maybe you made the yummy pizza too but you still have a ton of left over veggies. What else should you make? When I was in that position I decided some root veggie hash was in order.

Plus Cheryl loves Gardein beefless tips and had a hard week so I thought this combination would cheer her up. Well, except for the greens. I was right about the hash and wrong about the greens.

Oddly enough she loved the greens. I used fresh squeezed mandarin juice from the leftovers still in the fridge, some tangerine balsamic and a little liquid smoke.The recipe for the greens is below too.

Roasted Root Veggie Hash With Beefless Tips
serves 4 with side dishes or a big salad

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 to 5 cups roasted veggies
  • 1 package Gardein Beefless Tips, cut into small chunks (sub seitan or even beans if you prefer)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ketchup, to taste (can sub tomato paste)
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked salt (or plain salt), to taste
  • pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large sauté pan (or use an oil free sauté method) over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent, add garlic and sauté 1 more minute.

Add roasted veggies and beefless chunks and cook until they are heated through. Then add the mustard, ketchup, and smoked salt and mix in well.

Cook until it’s as chunky (or not) as you want it. This would be a great brunch side with scrambled tofu.

Cheryl’s Favorite Citrus Collards
soy-free, gluten-free
serves 4

  • 5 to 6 cups cleaned collards with tough stems removed
  • 1 cup water (use more as and if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon not-chicken bouillon
  • juice of 2 mandarins (sub about 1 cups oj or tangerine juice)
  • few dashes liquid smoke, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon tangerine balsamic
  • salt, to taste (if needed at all)

In a large skillet heat water and bouillon over medium heat. Add greens in batches so the greens in the pan has cooked down enough to add more. Add more water if needed and cook until tender. When the greens are tender add the juice, liquid smoke, and balsamic.

Taste and re-season if needed. Also add salt if needed. (If your bouillon has salt you may not need to add any.)

What else do you make with roasted veggies? What’s your favorite veggie to roast?

Filed Under: Fall, Main Course, Not Slow Cooker, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Quick and Easy Vegan Winter Squash Pasta Sauce

January 25, 2012 · by · 1 Comment

Sometimes I leave the house without dinner in the slow cooker. For days like that this pasta sauce is easy to put together and tastes like you really put a ton of effort into it. In fact, it’s good enough to serve at your next dinner party!

Tip: Hate trying to carve a giant winter squash? Worry about cutting yourself? Some winter squash are huge and cutting them can be intimidating. Next time try softening it up in the oven first. Poke holes in your squash, place on a cookie sheet, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Take it out and let it cool enough that you can touch it. You should be able to slice through it much easier. You can also use pre-cooked purée from your slow cooker!

Quick and Easy Vegan Winter Squash Pasta Sauce
Serves 4

  • 2 cups winter squash, peeled seeded and chopped (or pre-cooked purée)
  • 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base (or other vegan chick’n base)
  • 3 to 4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
  • a few drops to ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cooked pasta, for serving

In a saucepan with a lid, add the prepared squash, bouillon, and add enough water to completely cover the squash. The amount of water needed will vary on the size of pan you choose to use.

Cook with lid on over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until you can pierce the squash easily with a fork.

Remove the lid and turn the heat to medium high. Add the sage and mash the squash with a wooden spoon as you stir. Cook down until the extra water has evaporated and it is a thick sauce. (If it was almost cooked dry in step 2, add ½ to 1 cup extra water, then mash.)

Add the liquid smoke, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or sage if it doesn’t make you happy yet.

Serve over cooked pasta.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Busy Vegan, Fall, Main Course, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Quick and Easy Citrus Bok Choy Salad

January 5, 2012 · by · 2 Comments

Okay, I want to just get it out in the open and tell you this is not a slow cooker recipe. It’s really a use up all that bok choy that just keeps coming in my Winter CSA box concoction. Also, Cheryl is a picky eater and eating it raw seems to be working better for her.

I’ve been so busy catching up on cookbook reviews that I haven’t been posting many of my own recipes. I promise to do better and this recipe is my sign of good faith ; )

Citrus Bok Choy Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

  • 4 cups of chopped bok choy
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 1 apple, peeled and chopped
  • juice of 1 lime
  • juice of 1 clementine or tangerine
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic (I used tangerine balsamic)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • salt, to taste

Toss everything together. I made mine the night and packed it for for lunch today. It definitely tasted better after it marinated all night, so I’d recommend making it in advance.

Filed Under: Asian, Busy Vegan, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Strawberry Balsamic Oatmeal – If It’s Good Enough for Dessert…

March 17, 2011 · by · Leave a Comment

Berries are one of my favorite fruits and I love balsamic vinegar in sweet and savory dishes. In fact I love it so much that  friends give me fun flavors of balsamic for gifts, so I’ve accumulated a wide range of them. I love fig balsamic which is one I would have never bought myself. If you have some on hand it’s great with strawberries and in this oatmeal.

In the spring I look forward to all the strawberry balsamic dessert and sweet breakfast dishes that all the cretive chefs start making. This is my oatmeal interpretation.

Slow Cooker Strawberry Balsamic Oatmeal

2 to 3 servings

**This recipe uses a smaller slow cooker that’s 1 1/2 to 2 quarts

  • 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons sweetener
    (I used agave)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar per serving per your taste (try fig balsamic if you have some on hand)

The night before: Spray your crock with some oil to help with clean up later. Add everything except sweetener and balsamic. Cook on low over night (7 to 9 hours).

In the morning: Stir your oatmeal well. It may seem watery at the top but if stirred it should become a more uniform consistency.  The berries will have floated to the top of the crock. Just smash them a little with the spoon while you’re mixing the pot to incorporate them into the mix. Stir in sweetener and drizzle with balsamic.

**(See Page Link on Menu Bar to get to Slow Cooker Oatmeal FAQS)

Filed Under: Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Gluten-free, Love Your Oatmeal Celebration, Overnight (8+ hours), Slow cooker, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,