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A Monster Ate My Purple Sweet Potato Casserole Oatmeal!

October 7, 2011 · by · 9 Comments

Aaaaarrrrggghhhh!!!!

I love Halloween and am always on the look out for something slightly spooky and cool. I’ve been all about Fork and Beans blog posts this week. She’s got some amazing edible Halloween ideas. Fork and Beans, this monster is for you!

I love purple sweet potatoes because, well, they’re purple. They taste the same as orange ones but love the extra attention, making them the narcissists of the vegetable kingdom…

While you probably want to make a monster face this month, later in the winter just sprinkle some brown sugar, chopped pecans, and vegan marshmallows over the top. Even the pickiest kid can’t turn down sweet potato casserole for breakfast!

Slow Cooker Purple Sweet Potato Casserole Oatmeal
soy-free, gluten-free
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
  • 2 cups unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk
  • 1 cup chopped peeled purple sweet potato (or use a regular sweet potato)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground allspice
  • pinch ground cloves
  • pinch nutmeg
  • sweetener to taste (brown sugar is great, but agave, stevia, etc. will still work fine)

toppings:

  • 2 tablespoon chopped pecans (or whole ones to make monster face)
  • 2 tablespoons vegan mini-marshmallows (2 smashed with cardamom or black sesame seeds for pupils if making monster)
  • 2 tablespoon agave nectar
  • optional slivered almonds (for scary monster mouth)

The night before: Spray your crock with some oil to help with clean up later. Add everything except sweetener and toppings to the slow cooker.  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. If there are still chunks of potato smash them with a fork.  Add some water if it’s still a little thick. Taste and sweeten. Top with toppings and make a monster face if you’re in the mood (or just in a mood).


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

Celebrate National Coffee Day with a Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte

September 28, 2011 · by · 47 Comments

When Hilary from So Delicious reminded me National Coffee Day was coming up I started thinking of my favorite fall weather treats. I never tried to recreate a gingerbread latte before, so I thought that was a good place to start.

Just so you know, Hilary did send me some of their creamers to test out, as well as a great mug and a pound of Peets French Roast coffee! Even though I got those goodies for free, I was not paid for my opinion. I actually use So Delicious products on an almost daily basis already, so I already have a crush on them even without the cool swag.

I developed my love of coffee when I lived in New Orleans. That’s the first place I had cold brewed iced coffee and I was hooked after that. Cold brewed coffee is less acidic and much easier on your stomach. Plus, once you make the concentrate it can stay in the fridge all week. It’s perfect for a quick iced coffee and easy to heat up for a hot coffee too.

You can buy a special contraption called a Toddy Maker, or you can just make it in a French Press you already have. The ratio of coffee grounds to water varies. Since it’s a concentrate you use more or less depending on the strength. That way it’s always perfect. I have a link in the recipe that takes you to more detailed coffee-making instructions.

If you don’t want to fool with this new-fangled coffee method, then go ahead and use regular brewed coffee.

I typically use the plain creamer in a heavily spiced beverage like this one, but the So Delicious French Vanilla would work well also. You would need to use less sweetener or you might be able to leave it out completely.

In the next week I’ll be experimenting with the Hazelnut and French Vanilla flavors, so be on the look out for some more coffee recipes!

Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte

*This recipe requires a small 1 – 1.5 quart slow cooker.* (You can double or triple the recipe and use a larger one if you like.)

Makes 2 servings (unless you drink a venti and then it’s just one serving)
soy-free, gluten-free

  • 1/4 cup (63ml) cold brewed coffee concentrate or 1 cup (250ml) regular brewed coffee
  • 1/4 cup (63ml) So Delicious Coconut creamer original flavor
  • 2 cup (500ml) Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk
    (can use vanilla or plain just adjust sweetener)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch ground clove
  • pinch ground allspice
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon molasses (optional)
  • Sweetener to taste: brown sugar, stevia, agave nectar, or maple syrup, etc.
    (I used 1/2 packet Nu-Stevia) 

Put everything but sweetener in the slow cooker. Add molasses. Whisk until ingredients are well combined. Taste and add your choice of sweetener until it’s the way you like your latte.

Cook for 3 hours on low or 1 1⁄2 to 2 hours on high. You are just heating it, so you could also do this on the stove top if you are in a hurry.

I like to put drinks on in a slow cooker before a dinner party and then it’s piping hot and ready to serve with dessert.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Breakfast, Cooking Time 2 hours, Cooking Time 6 hours, crockpot, Drinks and Syrups, Fall, Gluten-free, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Time to Preserve the Harvest Again: Diced Tomatoes

August 22, 2011 · by · 6 Comments

Last year I posted this when I was working on recipes for my book. This was my canning work around. I hate having the stove on when it’s hot outside. But I wanted to enjoy cheap, organic heirlooms all winter and spring – and I did!

Another plus is that you can freeze heirlooms that aren’t acidic enough to can.

So, go by some ugly, not perfect, seconds tomatoes this weekend. Ask the farmers and you’ll probably get a box cheap. Then you can enjoy them all winter long!

This is an easy, free-form recipe. Give it a try and you’ll feel that satisfaction when you use your handy work in soups and stews later in the year. Try to cook the tomatoes on the same day you buy them if at all possible.

Buy Inexpensive Fresh Tomatoes

At the farmers market, select tomatoes that are not over ripe or mushy. With that being said I try to buy up all the imperfect tomatoes at my market. They are sometimes called ugly, seconds, or another creative word to let you know why they are less per pound than the perfect tomatoes. Many times you can buy these at 1/3 of the perfect tomato price, making it even more of a bargain.

Even when you are buying tomato seconds, make sure it’s a cosmetic reason it’s put in the discount bin and not that it’s past it’s prime. Your tomatoes will be no better than the product you start with.

Let’s Get Started

There is an easy way to judge how many tomatoes you can cook at one time in your slow cooker, no matter if you are using a 2 quart or a 6 quart.

  • Rinse off the whole tomatoes.
  • Take the whole tomato and put them in your crock one at a time until they are peeking out over the rim.
  • Remove the tomatoes and now you will prep them for cooking.
  • Dice the tomatoes. Make sure to remove the top of the stem, and any bruised or mushy parts.
  • Put the diced tomatoes and their juice in the slow cooker.
  • Cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 3 hours.

Get Ready to Freeze

Make sure the tomatoes are completely cool before freezing them. Many times I cool it in the fridge before I pack them.

Weck canning jars have glass lids and a rubber gasket and are my new favorite thing to freeze tomatoes in. It does take longer to defrost, but your tomatoes never come into contact with BPA or plastic!

Or you can use a freezer safe container, or a re-closable plastic bag that says it’s for the freezer. Those bags are thicker and help it stay fresh longer. The bags are easy to stack in the smallest freezer. I put about 1 1/2 cups (the size of 1 can of tomatoes) per bag, push the air out, and close. Wipe the outside of the bag off to make sure it’s dry, or they will freeze together. Stack them on top of one another.

How to Use

Pull a bag out the night before you need it and thaw it in the fridge. Or, since the bag is so thin, run cold water over the bag in the sink. Most of all, enjoy not going out to the store to buy a can of tomatoes in the middle of a snow storm!

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, crockpot, Gluten-free, Overnight (8+ hours), Preserve the Harvest, Slow Cooking Basics, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker White Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Oatmeal – For Mikey

August 16, 2011 · by · 1 Comment

For those of you who haven’t heard Jennie Perillo, creator of  In Jennie’s Kitchen, lost her husband Mikey to a sudden heart attack. She had been meaning to make him his favorite peanut butter pie, but never got around to it. She asked other bloggers to make one last Friday. This is my belated version.

Most white chocolate is not vegan, but Peanut Butter and Co. White Chocolate Wonderful is.

Slow Cooker White Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Oatmeal

2 to 3 servings

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

The night before: Spray your crock with some oil to help with clean up later. Add oats and milk. 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. Mix in peanut butter and sweetener. Top with crushed graham crackers.

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

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

Slow Cooker Summer Pasta Sauce with Fresh Basil

July 12, 2011 · by · 4 Comments

I fell in love with all the vibrant colors at the farmers market this weekend! There were various shades of eggplant from lavender to deep purple, peppers of all colors and heat, even Italian tomatoes in red, yellow, and orange.

The colors memorized me into buying more eggplant than I can typically sneak by Cheryl, my resident picky eater, in a week. But then I thought about cooking the eggplant down in a pasta sauce. Usually summer sauces are made with fresh veggies barely cooked and tossed with pasta, but there’s no rule that says that’s the way it has to be.

I used wax peppers in my sauce because they were beautiful and cheaper at the market. Any kind of sweet (as in not hot) peppers will work great.

For the fresh tomatoes it’s best to use Italian since they are meatier and not as juicy. If you use regular tomatoes seed them or be prepared to cook your sauce down longer than 8 hours. You can also seed the Italian ones to make a thicker sauce.

Slow Cooker Summer Pasta Sauce with Fresh Basil

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 to 8 hours on low (or 3 to 4 on high)

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup onion, minced (about 1/2 a medium onion)
  • 1/2 cup sweet or bell pepper, minced (about 1/2 a medium bell pepper)
  • 2 cups (164 g) eggplant, diced
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups (395 to 474 g) diced fresh Italian tomatoes (of any color)
  • 3 cups diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (around 14 ounces or 392 g each)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
  • Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup (10 g) fresh basil, chopped

The night before: Chop the veggies. Heat the oil and sauté the onion and pepper until translucent. Store the onion mixture and together with the diced tomatoes and eggplant in the same covered bowl in the fridge overnight.

In the morning:  Combine all the ingredients (except for fresh basil) in your slow cooker and cook all day on low (or 4 hours on high).  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and then stir in the chopped fresh basil. Serve over pasta. (Whole wheat angel hair is my favorite.)

You can also purée the sauce with an immersion blender for really picky eaters or for an extra thick sauce.

You can freeze the leftovers for another meal later in the month. (Or make extra pasta and use the leftover for lunches instead.)

When you come home you may need to add extra water if the sauce is too thick. If it is too thin put the handle of a wooden spoon between the lid and the crock then turn it to high. This should help the extra liquid to evaporate. If it is really watery, transfer it to a pot and cook on the stove without a lid to reduce it faster.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Gluten-free, Overnight (8+ hours), Pasta, Slow cooker, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romaine Strawberry Salad with Roasted Asparagus and a Surprising Crouton

April 22, 2011 · by · 1 Comment

I posted a new salad over at Busy Vegan that’s perfect for Easter brunch or even just to celebrate spring! It’s a Romaine Strawberry Salad with Roasted Asparagus and a Surprising Crouton made from a hot cross bun! Plus it has a home-made Strawberry Mint Balsamic Salad Dressing that’s super easy to make and uses Crofter’s Strawberry ‘Just the Fruit’ Spread.

Filed Under: Busy Vegan · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Orange Coconut Oatmeal

April 21, 2011 · by · 3 Comments

It’s spring and my thoughts turn to green smoothies in the morning. I’m not giving up on oatmeal, but I probably won’t be posting a new oatmeal everyday for a awhile. I’m going to try and post a few of my smoothies over at Busy vegan in the neat future.

I have experimented with a couple of savory oatmeals that tasted pretty good but look fairly disgusting. I think the secret to the savory is to top oats that you cook plain with a stew or steamed veggies like you would polenta. Cooking it all together in the slow cooker makes it too gooey and really unappetizing.

What you can look forward to is some small-scale stews and soups using seasonal ingredients. This means I have to really get my act together and cook regularly again. Once I’m out of the groove it takes dedication and planning to get back on a schedule.

Slow Cooker Orange Coconut 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
  • 2 cups Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk
  • 1/3 cup finely shredded coconut
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons sweetener
    (I used agave)
  • orange zest for topping

The night before: Spray your crock with some oil to help with clean up later. Add everything but sweetener and zest. 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.  Stir in sweetener and top with orange zest.

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

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

Beyond Easy Slow Cooker Beans – 1 1/2 Quart Version

April 7, 2011 · by · 3 Comments

Making beans in the slow cooker is super simple. I usually go ahead and make a pound of dried beans and freeze the extra for recipes later in the month. But sometimes I don’t want to fool with all that. All I really want is about 2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked beans for what I want to make that night.

This is just one more reason to have a 1 1/2 quart slow cooker. If I haven’t already talked you into getting one, I’m going to try even harder this month! In the morning I throw in a cup of dried beans and 3 cups water and when I come back home my beans are ready to be used. No cans, no bpa, no soaking and they are cheap enough that you won’t bat your eyes at paying the extra money to get organic ones.

If your beans are really old (like over a year – I always find some in the back of my pantry from who knows when) you may need to soak them, cook on high, or just cook all night and then all day on low. It’s really about what works into your schedule best. You can add spices or herbs if you want. But I like to keep mine plain when I am going to use them in another recipe.

Beyond Easy Slow Cooker Beans: 1 1/2 Quart Version (Gluten-free Recipe)

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

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 to 10 hours

  • 1 cup dried beans: pinto, white, garbanzos, etc.
    (You can use kidney beans but boil them for a full 10 minutes on the stove before adding to the slow cooker. This is because kidney beans contain a toxic agent, Phytohaemagglutnin also known as Kidney Bean Lectin.)
  • 3 cups water

In the morning: Add beans and water to slow cooker. Cook on low all day.

When you come home your beans will be ready for you to use in another recipe. You may have extra water in the beans, simply drain them in a colander if you don’t want to use the broth.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Gluten-free, Overnight (8+ hours), Slow cooker, Slow Cooking Basics, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Hide and Seek Veggie Pasta Sauce

April 4, 2011 · by · 3 Comments

This sauce gets puréed before serving so it’s a perfect place to hide some of your families least favorite veggies. Eggplant works great in addition to the carrots or in place of them. I just didn’t have any on hand.

Make sure to think about the color while you are adding more veggies. If it’s not fairly red, they will suspect that something is not right. And those picky eaters have some crazy heightened senses!

Check out the recipe for the homemade Sun-Dried Tomato White Bean Wheat Balls over at my other blog Busy Vegan.

Slow Cooker Hide and Seek Veggie Pasta Sauce

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 -8  hours

  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 to 15 ounces each)
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh or frozen basil (or 2 teaspoons dried)
  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar, if needed
  • Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

The night before: Chop the veggies and store them together in a covered bowl in the fridge overnight.

In the morning:  Combine all the ingredients (except for basil, agave, salt and pepper) in your slow cooker and cook all day on low.  Taste the sauce and add the agave if it needs some sweetness. This will depend on the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and add extra basil if you’d like. Purée and serve over pasta. You can freeze the leftovers for another meal later in the month. (Or make extra pasta and use the leftover for lunches instead.)

When you come home you may need to add extra water if the sauce is too thick. If it is too thin put the handle of a wooden spoon between the lid and the crock then turn it to high. This should help the extra liquid to evaporate. If it is really watery, transfer it to a pot and cook on the stove without a lid to reduce it faster.

As seen at:

The Saturday Evening Post

The Healthy Home Economist

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

Slow Cooker Red Velvet Cake Oatmeal – The Oatmeal to Brighten Your Monday

March 21, 2011 · by · 2 Comments

Happy Monday! I don’t know about you, but I’d rather still be at home sleeping. I may have to implement a permanent dessert for breakfast Mondays to tempt me into a better Monday mood.

Red velvet cake is one of my absolute favorite desserts, so I thought I’d turn it into an oatmeal. (Big surprise, right?) I cooked the beets ahead of time because I didn’t think they would mash into a paste if I cooked them along with the oatmeal. It’s a great way to use a that leftover or forgotten beet in the back of your vegetable drawer.

This didn’t turn out as red as I wanted it, but I don’t think it could take more beets or less cocoa and still taste as good. But even my resident beet hater didn’t complain!

Slow Cooker Red Velvet Cake 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
  • 2 cups Unsweetened  So Delicious Coconut Milk
  • 1/2 cup cooked beet, puréed (Use 1 – 3 tablespoons of the milk or water if needed.)
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons sweetener
    (I used agave)

vanilla creme icing:

  • 3 tablespoons Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Yogurt mixed with the paste scraped out of 1/2 vanilla bean

The night before: Spray your crock with some oil to help with clean up later. Add everything except for the sweetener and vanilla creme icing. 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.  Stir in sweetener and top with vanilla creme icing.

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

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