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Slow Cooker Indian Spiced Chickpea Quinoa Stew

January 31, 2012 · by · 22 Comments

As promised, here is the ridiculously easy and tasty stew I mentioned over the weekend. I seem to be on a streak of ugly but packed-full of flavor recipes this month.

I guess the veggies that are available in January aren’t quite as flashy as some of the summer ones. That, and well, stews aren’t always pretty – but you can’t beat a one dish meal for an easy dinner.

In my its next incarnation I think I’ll add a handful or two of chopped greens to shake things up a bit.

You can really add any veggies you have on hand too. I’m all about options and using what you have on hand. Yellow lentils instead of red, potato in place of turnip and even carrot would all work just as good as the listed ingredients.

Slow Cooker Indian Spiced Chickpea Quinoa Stew
gluten-free, soy-free

serves 4 to 6

  • 4 to 5 cups water
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen)
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen)
  • 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 cup peeled turnip, chopped
  • 1 cup sweet potato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped (about 1 stalk)
  • 1 tablespoon not-chicken bouillon
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • salt, to taste

The night before: Chop veggies and store in the fridge.

In the morning: Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low 6 to 9 hours. Taste, re-season if needed (you may not even need the salt if your bouillon is salty.)

This is a good one to make if you are going to be away from the house a little longer than usual. If your slow cooker runs hot add a little extra water if it will be cooking longer than 9 hours.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 6 hours, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Dark Days, Fall, Gluten-free, Overnight (8+ hours), Slow cooker, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas is Amazing!

January 4, 2012 · by · 5 Comments

First I have to disclose that I’ve been a fan of Nava Atlas since her first cookbook. I met Susan Voisin of fatfreevegan.com at Vida Vegan in August and she did all the beautiful photography for Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Her photos are amazing!

A few months ago Nava let me know that she was doing a reading for The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life in Durham. It was one of those things that was just meant to be. Cheryl and I met her for coffee and we immediately hit it off. I’m starting to believe all vegan cookbook authors are just super nice people.

With all that said, I wouldn’t give this book a glowing review unless it deserves it and believe me it is a winner.

Three Sisters Stew - I made this for New Year’s day along side of my southern style greens and some black-eyed peas. My guests went nuts over this stew of corn, winter squash, and beans. (Yes, they liked it more than my black-eyed peas. But I’m not holding that against you Nava…) I even cheated and made it in the slow cooker so I made my beans from scratch and skipped the cans.

Smokey Cheddar Cheese Spread - This was made late one night when we needed a snack, so we ate it before it was chilled and it was still great. Yesterday it was my afternoon snack and it’s going to be a staple at my house. It’s very creamy from the cashews and I used liquid smoke in place of the mesquite seasoning because that’s what I had on hand.

This spread would be a great on a burger or as a bagel schmear. And I can’t wait to try it on a panini. Yum!

This is the Cranberry-Carrot cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting. Susan’s photo is about a million times better than mine. (But I got to eat mine before and after this picture was taken!)

You should buy this book if only for this one gooey low-fat cake –  only 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole cake. But trust me, this cake doesn’t taste low-fat. It’s incredibly moist with bursts of cranberry, carrot, and spices all topped with a delicious vegan cream cheese frosting.

My verdict is that you need this book. Unfortunately, I don’t have one of these to give away, but you can buy a copy through Nava’s site, Veg Kitchen.

I have at least a dozen more recipes marked to try and I expect that each one will be as good as these were.

Filed Under: Book Review, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Love Your Library Giveaway

December 5, 2011 · by · 43 Comments

I’m so excited that so many of you have already bought my book and that it’s still the most wished for vegetarian book on amazon!

(Pictured above is the book on my iPad. The photos look awesome on it.)

One of the things I would like this Holiday season is that people who can’t afford to get a copy would have access to it at their local library. Many of the meals are budget-conscious and it’s much cheaper to make bouillon and seitan from scratch. Also just cooking in a slow cooker helps me spend less money by making it easier to have dinner ready everyday.

You’ll enter this giveaway by requesting my book at your local library. The details are below. It shouldn’t take long to do and you may be able to do it from your computer depending on how plugged-in your library is.

This giveaway will last for the rest of December, so the winner will be chosen on January 1, 2012.

To enter the contest:

  1. Fill out your local library’s form to request The Vegan Slow cooker
  2. Also request that your library gets an e-book edition as well as the paperback
  3. Leave a comment below telling me the name and city/state of your library
Some libraries don’t have e-books yet, so if you can’t request that it’s ok. Maybe you can write to your local library and ask them to add e-books to their collection. (If you do that make sure you thank them for all that they do!)
In case you need this for your form:
  • Publisher: Fair Winds Press; Original edition (October 1, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 1592334644
  • ISBN-13: 978-1592334643

A signed copy of The Vegan Slow Cooker and a brand new slow cooker (I will post a pic later) will mailed directly to you if you win the giveaway. If you already have a copy of my book I will send it to your library instead at your request! (If you and your library already have it I can send it to a library that does not have a copy.) It’s a win-win for everyone.

12/6/2011 – You can also get extra entries by doing one or more of the following. You must add an additional comment for each one you do to get an additional entry!

  • Tweet the following:
    I love my library and so does @geekypoet. Enter to win her book for you or your library (and a slow cooker for you)! http://wp.me/pLJaT-HA 
  • Post this giveaway on your blog, newsletter, etc.
  • Like my Facebook Page

Update: If your library rocks (as so many do) and already has the book and/or e-book on order, still leave me the name city/state of your library and you will still be entered. I’d love it if you would tell me how many copies are there or on order too and how many holds/reserves are already in for the book.

Good luck!

Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Giveaway, The Vegan Slow Cooker Book, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vegan Autumn Lentil Soup

October 26, 2011 · by · 9 Comments

This soup started with the gorgeous lentils above. I found them in a bulk bin at Whole Foods and fell in love. I knew that the red lentils wouldn’t stay red, but I had decided that the mixture would still look like autumn leaves after being cooked. Wrong!

I also added these beautiful purple potatoes to add to the imagined colorful mix. And, well, I was wrong again.

The soup turned out tasty and perfect for a fall day, but it looks like any other lentil soup. The mixed lentils and purple potatoes cost more than the plain ones. So use plain ones in this recipe and you won’t be disappointed. You can use any lentil you have on hand.


Vegan Autumn Lentil Soup
soy-free, gluten-free
 Serves 4

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 cups potato, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, minced
  • 1 tablespoon bouillon
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon ground)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • smoked salt (or plain salt) and pepper, to taste

The night before: Saute the onion in oil until it turns translucent, then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Store cooked mixture with other cut veggies in the fridge overnight.

In the morning: Add everything except salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Cook 7 – 9 hours on low.

Before serving: Taste, add salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings if needed.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Gluten-free, Main Course, Mexican, Overnight (8+ hours), Slow cooker, Soups, Soy-free, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Oatmeal with So Delicious Greek Yogurt

October 5, 2011 · by · 3 Comments

I love oatmeal and I love So Delicious Greek yogurt, but you want to know what’s even better? Both of them starring together in my breakfast this morning!

I tasted the blueberry and plain Greek yogurts so far, and I found the raspberry to be a little tarter. I mean tart in a good way, like closer to regular Greek yogurt. It’s perfect for a “cheesecake” oatmeal.

This may be my new favorite oatmeal. It’s creamy, tangy, sweet with a bright burst of lemon flavor and super delicious!

So Delicious sent me some Greek yogurt to try for free, but the opinions here are mine. I wasn’t swayed by their generosity, just the yumminess.

** Make sure to check out my other oatmeal recipes. I have over 40 different flavors!

Slow Cooker Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake 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 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • sweetener of your choice, to taste (I used 1 packet Nu-Stevia)
for topping:

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

In the morning: Add sweetener and stir your oatmeal well. It may seem watery at the top but if stirred it should become a more uniform consistency. Top each serving with a liberal amount of Greek yogurt.

**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, Slow Cooking Basics, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vegan Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chick’n Chowder

September 6, 2011 · by · 9 Comments

I’m so excited! My book, The Vegan Slow Cooker, was released early and many people who pre-ordered at Amazon will get theirs this week!

This soup was pretty much an accident. I had no intention of adding pumpkin to my new chick’n chowder. However, I freeze my puréed pumpkin in ice cubes just like I do my homemade bouillon. I do label the bags, but if you don’t actually read them bad (and good) things can happen.

Luckily this was a happy mistake – my favorite kind. Once I realized I had put pumpkin cubes in instead of bouillon ones, I changed my plan and added some more pumpkin. I didn’t notice that much difference in the flavor, but it does add more nutritional goodies.

I used a local vegan chick’n called Soy Delight, but your favorite chick’n should work just fine. If you are anti-fake-meat feel free to substitute cubes of pressed tofu, wheat gluten, or even white beans.

Also, if you avoid pre-packaged non-dairy sour cream, use pureed silken tofu or cashew cream instead. It’s your soup after all – so make it the way you like it.

Don’t forget that you can easily make your own pumpkin purée, in the slow cooker of course! Go ahead and get some of those pie pumpkins that are showing up at the farmers market. You can stock up for winter and spring!

Make sure to get in on the giveaway this week at Busy Vegan. Just go to this Busy Vegan link and add a comment to the post there. In the bag is a super cool OXO peppermill, some tasty peppercorns to fill it from My Spice Sage, and a postcard with my recipe for Slow Cooker Tempeh Braised with Figs and Port Wine.  I have coupons I’ll be adding and a few other bonuses too. There will be 2 winners!

Also please like the Healthy Slow Cooking Facebook page if you haven’t already and please spread the word to your friends!

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chick’n Chowder – serves 4

Cooking Time: 6 to 8  hours on low (or 3 to 4 on high)

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1 medium potato, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 1/2 cup vegan chick’n, cubed package (Gardein, Soy Delight, Smart Strips Chick’n, etc.)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 bay leave
  • 1 tablespoon vegan chick’n bouillon, like Better than Bouillon (or 2 tablespoons of the one from my book if you have it)
  • 4 cups water
  • cayenne or chipotle powder to taste
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy Toffuti sour cream
  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious – it’s the thickest and great for soups.)
  • salt and pepper to taste (will vary greatly on the bouillon used)

The night before: Cut up the veggies and chick’n. Thaw pumpkin purée if you have it frozen. Store together in one bowl in the fridge.

In the morning: Add everything except the non-dairy milk, Toffuti sour cream, and the extra salt or pepper. Cook on low for 6 to 8 (or on high for 3 to 4 hours).

Remove bay leaf and thyme stems (if you used fresh thyme). Then add the non-dairy milk and sour cream. Make sure you thoroughly mix them in the soup. Then taste your soup, and add more salt, pepper, cayenne, or thyme if needed.

If you want a thicker soup you can take about 1/3 of the soup and purée it in a blender or food processor and then mix it into the rest of the soup. Personally I liked the thinner soup.

Serve topped with shredded vegan cheddar, extra vegan sour cream, and/or chopped chives if desired.

Filed Under: Busy Vegan, Cooking Time 4 hours, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Main Course, Slow cooker, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Lemon Ginger Oatmeal

August 15, 2011 · by · 7 Comments

A quick note from your friend, Steel Cut Oats:

I know it’s summer, but I’m really starting to miss you. We both know that your Doctor thinks we’re a good team.  It’s about time for this little break to end.

So, as soon as you can, try this creamy, lemony oatmeal with a little ginger kick! It’s even made with your favorite – Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk.

Just wait, you’ll see just how much you missed me too!

Slow Cooker Lemon Ginger 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
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons candied ginger, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sweetener (I used 1/2 packet Trader Joe’s stevia)
  • For serving: extra chopped candied ginger and lemon zest

The night before: Spray your crock with some oil to help with clean up later. Add oats, non-dairy milk, and candied ginger. 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 lemon extract and sweetener. Top each serving with extra chopped candied ginger and lemon zest if you like.

**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, Slow Cooking Basics, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Another Peek Inside The Vegan Slow Cooker – Steamy Stews and Curries

August 9, 2011 · by · 5 Comments
Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press

Tofu Bouillabaisse (Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press)

Here’s another teaser from The Vegan Slow Cooker. It comes out October 1.

Stews are the perfect way to start using your slow cooker while you are away at work. They need the least attention and shouldn’t over cook if you come home a little late.

However, if you are going to be very late or find that your slow cooker runs particularly hot add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid to make sure it doesn’t burn. Typically, I do this the first time I cook a dish and then gauge from the result how much liquid I’ll use in the future.

Chapter 4

Steamy Stews and Curries that Save the Day
1. Soy Chorizo Black Bean Stew
2. White Bean and Kale Stew
3. Asian-Style Winter Stew
4. Veggie Gumbo with Cheater Roux
5. Mojito Pinto Beans
6. Cheater Chili
7. Tofu Bouillabaisse
8. Chinese-Style Eggplant in Garlic Sauce
9. Hard Cider and Cabbage Stew
10. Thai Red Curry Tofu and Veggies
11. Caribbean Mango Black Beans
12. Not-My-Grandmother’s Beefy Stew
13. Sweet Potato and Chard Dal
14. Chana Saag (Indian Greens with
Chickpeas)
15. Baigan Bharta (Eggplant Curry)
16. Easy Veggie Chickpea Biryani
17. Butter Chick’n

Chana Saag (Indian Greens with Chickpeas) (Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press)

Filed Under: crockpot, Slow cooker, The Vegan Slow Cooker Book, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Gardein Beefless Tips in a Fresh Cherry Sauce

August 8, 2011 · by · Leave a Comment

I found some organic cherries hiding in the back of my fridge when I was cleaning the other day. I also had some Gardein Beefless Tips in the freezer. I thought why the heck not, and set out on one of my experiments. This was a very tasty one!

I know some people don’t like meat substitutes. If it’s not your cup of tea use wheat gluten or steamed tempeh instead of the Gardein.

Make sure to be very careful when/if you cut the frozen beefless tips. You can thaw them first or just leave them whole if you prefer. I cut mine smaller just to make it go a little further.

If your family would not like the cherry chunks you can also purée the cherries and the wine together before you add it to the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Gardein Beefless Tips in  a Fresh Cherry Sauce

Serves 4 with a big side of steamed veggies or a big salad (Serves 2 to 3 with no other sides.)

Cooking Time: 6 – 8  hours on low

  • 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and cut into quarters (can use frozen but thaw before cutting)
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 package (9 oz/255g)  Gardein Beefless Tips, cut pieces carefully into thirds (or equivalent seitan)
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 10 medium baby potatoes, sliced thickly
  • 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon smoked salt (or plain salt)
  • Ground pepper

The night before: Pit and cut up the cherries and slice the beefless tips and store in fridge.

In the morning: Oil the crock. Layer the cherries on the bottom, followed by the wine and sprigs of herb, then top with beefless tips. Layer potato slices on top of the beefless tips so they can ‘bake’.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 (or high for 3 to 4 hours).

Tip: If you don’t want a red tinge to the potatoes you can put a layer of parchment paper or foil on top of the beefless then place the potato slices on top of that.

Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

This is very rich and goes well with a large serving of steamed seasonal veggies.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 8 hours, Main Course, Slow cooker, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chick’n

August 1, 2011 · by · 6 Comments

It’s been awhile since I’ve dived whole-heartedly into the slow cooker to make an almost complete dinner. This recipe does require you to cook some rice, but I use my rice cooker, so I can still catch up on writing while the dinner finishes cooking itself.

The catalyst for this one was a sad pineapple sitting on my counter that just wasn’t going to make it another week. I had just bought some long beans at the market and I wanted to start exploring working with Gardein in the slow cooker, so this dish seemed like a perfect way to bring all that together.

If you don’t like fake meat just substitute your favorite protein. Firm pressed tofu, seitan, and wheat gluten should all work just fine. (This holds true for any recipe on this site or in my book.)

For allergies you can use wheat gluten to make it soy-free or use plain tempeh to make it gluten-free.

Also feel free to substitute green or wax beans for the long beans.

I originally cut my chick’n patties into strips and it was too hard to eat that way. Next time I will chop into large pieces. (Which is why I ask you to do that in the instructions.)

Make sure to like the Healthy Slow Cooking Facebook page if you haven’t already. We’re over 500 string so far!

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chick’n – serves 4

Cooking Time: 6 – 8  hours on low

  • 1 pineapple, cored and chopped (or 4 cups frozen)
  • 1/2 small onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 poblano or 1/2 bell pepper, minced
  • 1 package (10 oz/286g)  Gardein Chik’n Scallopini (or equivalent tenders or chopped vegan chick’n)
  • 1 teaspoon jerk seasoning
  •  1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon smoked salt (or smoked paprika and plain salt)
  • 3 cups long beans, cut into 1 inch pieces (or green beans)

The night before: Cut up the pineapple, onion, and pepper. Store in fridge.

In the morning: Oil the crock. Carefully cut the frozen chick’n into large chunks. Layer 1/2 the pineapple, all the onion and pepper, and top with the chick’n. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon jerk seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon smoked salt.

Spread the rest of the pineapple on top of this, then add the long beans and top with another 1/2 teaspoon jerk seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon smoked salt.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Stir everything together, taste, and add more salt or jerk seasoning if needed.

Serve over rice.

Filed Under: Cooking Time 4 hours, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Main Course, Slow cooker, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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