Making dinner healthier, one slow cooker at a time.
Yesterday I posted Quinoa Jambalaya with Tempeh and today we have a Mexican variation.
You can add in extra veggies, tempeh, seitan, tofu, or something yummy from Gardein if you want. Think of this as a base and see where your creativity takes you. to recipe→
Some of you let me know you’d like to have a formula for making variations of meals. Today I’m posting a Quinoa Jambalaya with Tempeh and tomorrow I’ll be posting a Mexican Quinoa with Black Beans to illustrate that.
Both use the same amount of liquid and quinoa but the spices, protein, and veggies change. You can use this quinoa stew as a base for what’s at the farmers market right now and what spices you have on hand. to recipe→
There’s not much I like more than going out to a fancy dinner with friends. The Fearrington House is a 5 star restaurant right in my backyard and the food there always leaves me speechless.
Cheryl and I like to celebrate there as much as possible, which on our budget means only a few times a year. But they do have specials sometimes where you can get a few bucks off. Sign up for the mailing list to get those announcements.
The staff couldn’t possibly be any friendlier or more knowledgeable. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions just tell them when you make your reservations. They all put up with our guesses about unknown ingredients and were good sports when walking into our odd conversations! [Read more...]
I have always liked tempeh, but never really loved it. It tastes great in a strong sauce or in a sandwich mixed with other bold flavors. Typically I steam it for about 10 minutes to remove that hint of bitterness than can be off-putting.
Last week I posted a Tempeh Stroganoff that was super simple to make and tasty. It was even tastier because it was made with Tempeh Girl’s artisanal tempeh. Hers is ready to go right out of the package and no steaming is needed! [Read more...]
I originally made this as a Valentine cocoa, but romance shouldn’t be limited to just one day. Surprise your someone special with the yummy dessert cocoa. The lavender and rose flavors blend together to form its own taste that’s not as floral as you think.
I used lavender extract which I got at Savory Spice Shop, but if you can’t find any you could fill a muslin tea bag or tea ball with 1 to 2 teaspoons of culinary lavender and add this at the beginning of cooking. This will infuse the milk with a great lavender flavor too.
I do use real sugar in this recipe, because it helps to thicken it up. The longer you cook it the thicker it will be. You can substitute stevia or agave, but the hot chocolate will be thinner.
Slow Cooker Lavender Rose Cocoa
soy-free, gluten-free
Serves 2 to 3
**Uses a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker**
Add all the ingredients and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours or on high for 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
Stir once or twice during this time with a whisk to help the chocolate mix in well. Whisk a final time and serve.
This Tempeh Mushroom Stroganoff is amazingly easy and full of great flavors. It has few ingredients, but the mushrooms combined with the bouillon create an amazing broth that becomes the base of the sauce.
I don’t use tempeh as much as I should. It’s a fermented soy product that’s originally from Indonesia. Most people agree that fermented soy products are better for you and easier to digest.
Tempeh has a reputation for having a bitter taste, but if you steam it for 10 minutes before adding to your dish it will take most of that away.
If you are lucky, like I am, you might have an artisanal tempeh maker in your neck of the woods. The triangle area has Tempeh Girl and I think there is one in Asheville, NC and Gainesville, Fl. (If there’s one in your area please share the info in the comments.)
I’ll be talking more about Tempeh Girl, but she uses a different culture than the mass producers do and her tempeh is not bitter at all. And it’s ready to use right out of the package, so no steaming needed!
(I don’t usually do before pictures, but I wanted you to see the new tempeh I’m using. See how pretty it looks?)
Slow Cooker Tempeh Mushroom Stroganoff
gluten-free (with plain soy tempeh and gluten-free pasta)
serves 2 to 3
I used my 3 1/2 quart, but think this would be better suited for a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker. If you are using a 4 quart or more you can double the recipe or add even more extra water.
The night before: Chop tempeh and mushrooms. Steam tempeh for about 10 minutes unless you have a locally made tempeh and then follow their recommendations. (For Tempeh Girl tempeh no steaming is needed!) Store in fridge until the morning.
In the morning: Add tempeh, mushrooms, garlic, water, bouillon, and paprika. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.
20 minutes before serving: Add vegan sour cream and mix. Taste and add more paprika if needed, as well as salt and pepper. Serve over pasta (or mashed cauliflower, rice, quinoa, etc.) and top with dill if desired.
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
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
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?
Roasted root veggies are my latest obsession. Well, one of my obsessions, but at least my craziness keeps me occupied. Things like this tend to happen when you get more than one turnip that’s as big as your head! (Thanks winter csa for making me more turnip friendly!)
You can roast veggies in the slow cooker or in the oven depending on your preference. It’s been really cold here the past few days and I have enjoyed turning on the oven as much as possible for a little extra heat in the house. One thing is that you have more wiggle room time-wise in the slow cooker and it’s much harder to burn them.
In The Oven:
I tried roasting in the oven 2 different ways, one covered with aluminum foil and one not covered. I cooked both on a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes. I stirred them half way.
I found the one that I covered (until the last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking) to be juicy and lush. I liked the uncovered ones but the texture was a little tougher and they took a little longer to cook. It just depends on what you like the best.
In The Slow Cooker:
Roasting in the slow cooker is easy too. You can cook them on high for about 2 hours on high or low for about 4. Just oil the crock and place a layer or two of chopped or diced root veggies. You want to fill it less than 1/2 way if possible. I use one of my 6 quart ovals just so the veggies aren’t crowded.
Just how long you’ll cook the veggies depend on how big you cut them. I’d recommend cutting them smaller for the slow cooker and stirring every 30 to 45 minutes so they cook evenly. They are ready to eat when a fork pierces the veggies easily.
My first batch contained turnip, rutebaga, purple potatoes, carrots and radishes. I’ve been saving up radishes from my csa because I just didn’t know what to do with them. The answer is roast them. They lost that spicy edge and became sweet and juicy. It was a revelation for me.
I would suggest you don’t add sweet potatoes into the mix though. They will break down before the other veggies are done. You’ll end up with chunks of roasted veggies in what is basically mashed sweet potato.
The first recipe I made with these yummy veggies was a pizza. It’s not really an exact recipe but it’s super easy. All you need is some pizza dough, a pizza shell, or something else to build your pizza on.
I used a vegan cashew spread from The Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas as my base. Then I topped it with the roasted veggies and sprinkled arugula pesto over the whole pizza. I cooked it in a 375 degree oven until the crust was cooked since I used raw pizza dough. If you used a pre-cooked pizza shell you will cook it about 7 to 10 minutes or until the center is hot.
I’ve been meatless for so long that sometimes I forget to mention some of the simple things. This recipe is one of those. I made this last night for my sweetie and remembered just how much I love this stuff!
If you’ve already made a silken tofu mousse before, then you can move along. There’s not much new to add. However, if you’ve never made one before and are new to the wonders of silken tofu be prepared to be wowed.
This is my favorite impromptu dinner party dessert. It takes about 10 minutes and then all you do is stick it in the refrigerator for about an hour to thicken up.
You can make this mostly sugar-free by using grain sweetened chocolate chips, or use unsweetened chocolate and add your favorite sweetener like stevia or agave. There will be sugar in the liqueur, so you can use an extract instead to keep it sugar-free.
This is gluten-free with Amaretto, but it would not be if you choose another liqueur that has gluten.
Make sure to check out the rest of my Valentine’s dinner over at my post on Key Ingredient’s blog. I think my not-quite souffle turned pretty good too.
The Easiest Chocolate Mousse Ever
Serves 4
gluten-free (with Amaretto)
Puree the tofu in a food processor, stopping a few times to scrap down the sides. When you are finished it will be silky smooth.
Melt chocolate chips on the stove top in a double boiler (or in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds).
Add melted chocolate and liqueur to the food processor and process until thoroughly mixed, scraping down the sides and processing some more.
Put in serving cups or martini glasses and stash away in the fridge for at least 1 hour to let it thicken up.
I had The Market‘s Mint White Russian the other night. (It was one of two creamy vegan drinks on their menu!) They used homemade Kahlua and mint infused vodka. If you live in the triangle you must give them a try.
I was hesitant about the coffee mint combo but I was won over. It was so good that I wanted one again. I didn’t have any mint vodka ready to go, but I decided this warm minty drink would fill in just fine.
If you don’t have mint extract you can add a mint herbal tea bag in the beginning. You could also use semi-sweet chocolate instead unsweetened, just adjust the sweetener.
Hate coffee flavors? Try substituting Grand Mariner for an orange mint twist.
Slow Cooker Tipsy Mint-Coffee Cocoa
**Uses a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker**
Serves 2 to 3
Add the coconut milk, baking chocolate, and mint extract and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. Whisk then add Kahlua and sweetener. Whisk again and serve.
The Virtual Vegan Potluck is over, but the virtual feast lives on!