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Peek Inside The Vegan Slow Cooker – Simmering Soups

July 29, 2011 · by · 2 Comments
Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press

Hot and Sour Soup (Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press)

Here’s another teaser from The Vegan Slow Cooker. It’s available for pre-order, but it doesn’t come out until October 1.

Soups are amazing. Ranging from light, brothy soups to a hearty Hungarian Mushroom Soup that’s thick and rich with cashew cream. No matter what the season, there’s a soup that’s perfect for it. Summer wants chilled soups, Spring and Fall want to celebrate the local harvest, and Winter just would like to keep warm.

I seem to want soup all the time. If I’m sick I want Hot and Sour Soup or Smoked Tofu and Stars. If I’ve found some great veggies at the market I want to make a soup that features them. I could spend all winter eating soup and fresh-baked bread, but Cheryl won’t hear of it!

Chapter 3

Simmering Soups That Cook While You’re Away
1. Golden Borscht
2. Herbed Carrot and Baby Turnip Soup
3. Creamy Corn Chowder
4. Summer Squash Bisque
5. Asparagus Tarragon Soup
6. Spring Minestrone with Pesto Parmesan
7. Sweet Potato White Bean Soup
8. Cauliflower and Celery Root Bisque
9. Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup
10. Hungarian Mushroom Soup
11. Asian Tofu Soup
12. Tortilla Soup
13. Hot and Sour Soup
14. Split Pea and Apple Soup
15. Delicata Squash and Pear Soup
16. Turbodog Root Veggie Soup
17. Split Pea and Lentil Soup
18. Smoked Tofu and Stars Soup
19. What’s in the Freezer? Veggie Soup
20. Creamy Potato Soup
21. Citrus Black Bean Soup

Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press

Smoked Tofu and Stars Soup (Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press)

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

Peek Inside The Vegan Slow Cooker – Staples You’ll Want to Know

July 19, 2011 · by · 3 Comments
Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press

Citrus Rum BBQ Sauce (Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press)

I want to give you a little teaser from The Vegan Slow Cooker since the book doesn’t come out until October 1. It’s available for pre-order, but my publisher doesn’t have the look inside the book feature turned on yet. Hopefully this will get you as excited as I am about the launch!

This staples chapter is one of my favorites. You save so much money by cooking the things you use everyday from scratch right in your slow cooker. Plus you know exactly what went in them including how much salt!

I can’t begin to tell you how much money I saved when I was writing the book because of these recipes. Canned beans cost 3 to 6 times what dry beans cost, and wheat gluten flour is so much cheaper than ready-made gluten at the store.

I still try to take one day a month to make up a few batches and freeze them.

Chapter 2

Staples You’ll Want to Know: Make Your Own Bouillon, Seitan, sauces, and More

1. Dry Beans from Scratch (1 1/2 quart recipe on blog)
2. Perfectly Easy Everyday Brown Rice
3. Chickeny Bouillon
4. Beefy Bouillon
5. Chick’n Seitan
6. Beefy Seitan
7. Apple Sage Sausage (with gluten-free alternative)
8. Tea-Scented Tofu
9. Preserve-the-Harvest Diced Tomatoes
10. Beyond-Easy Baked Potatoes
11. All-Occasion Roasted Garlic
12. Citrus Rum BBQ Sauce
13. Balsamic Onion Marmalade
14. Homemade Smoky Ketchup
15. Fall Harvest Fruit Butter
16. Perfect Pumpkin Purée
17. Brandied Cranberry Sauce

Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press

Fall Harvest Butter (Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press)

Filed Under: crockpot, Slow cooker, The Vegan Slow Cooker Book, 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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vegan Slow Cooker Kheer – a Creamy Indian Rice Pudding

June 30, 2011 · by · 13 Comments

I’m on a summer dessert kick and I started thinking about kheer because it’s such a great cooling dessert that deserves to be veganized. I’ve made kheer oatmeal, but I had never made proper kheer.

Kheer is an Indian rice pudding flavored with cardamom that’s speckled with nuts and raisins. One of the things I like about it is that the rice breaks down to make it creamier than the typical American rice pudding.

It’s ridiculously easy and nutritious when you use brown rice and nondairy milk. In fact, I had it for my breakfast every morning this week. I like the idea of making a batch of this on Sunday and just grabbing a portion to take with me to work each morning.

I’m bringing more stevia into my desserts lately. The only problem is that it varies so much between brands and types (powder, liquid, etc.). That makes it hard (or impossible) for me to tell you exactly how much to use.  I’m using the small packets from Trader Joe’s and I have only needed 2 packets for a batch of pudding.

Depending on the stevia you are using you may need to use more or less. But either way add it little by little (1/8 of a teaspoon at a time) until you are confident you know the amount you need. If you add too much it will be bitter and you can’t go back, so it’s worth putting in a little time to get it just right. I also like to a tablespoon or two of agave when I use stevia. I think it gives the sweetness a rounder feel, but that’s completely optional.

This post is featured at Chez Cayenne in their House Favorites: Vegan Roundup.

Vegan Slow Cooker Kheer
soy-free gluten-free
serves 8

  • 1 cup (185 g) long grain brown rice
  • 6 cups (1448 ml) nondairy milk (I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk)
  • 1/2 cup (83 g) golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup (73 g) slivered or chopped almonds (pistachios and/or cashews work great too)
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • sweetener to taste – I used 2 small packets of stevia and about 2 tablespoons of agave nectar – you can use regular sugar, brown rice syrup, etc.

Place all the ingredients except for your sweetener of choice into a 3 1/2  to 4 quart slow cooker. (Double the recipe if you have a larger slow cooker.)

Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for about 2 1/2 hours. The size of your slow cooker and how hot it runs will change the exact cooking time. Add sweetener and stir in. Then taste and add extra sweetener if you feel that you need it. (If you are using stevia I would recommend adding 1/8 teaspoon at a time. Just a little too much and it becomes bitter.)

The pudding will still be a little loose in the slow cooker. But it will thicken in the fridge. Serve it cold topped with extra raisins and nuts. You could even go crazy and add some fresh berries too!

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 2 hours, Cooking Time 4 hours, crockpot, Dessert, Gluten-free, Slow cooker, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vegan Creamsicle Tapioca Pudding

June 27, 2011 · by · 5 Comments

It’s been the hottest June I can remember and all I can think of is eating something cold and not heating up the house.

I wanted to try cooking something with the new Sugar Free Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk. Since I use unsweetened milk as my go-to I found the sugar-free vanilla milk to be a little sweet in most of my beverages, but it would be perfect with Thai tea if the concentrate was made without sweetener.

I wasn’t sure how their new sugar-free milk it would cook-up. It uses stevia and monk fruit as the sweeteners. I’m very curious about monk fruit and So Delicious’ new sugar-free products are the only place I’ve seen it so far. Have any of you heard of it before?

I think it worked well in the slow cooker and this pudding. It seemed to lose a bit of the sweetness during the cooking process, but you can always add a little extra sweetener after it’s cooked.

I added an extra teaspoon of agave in my batch. I like to use a small amount of agave when I use stevia. It adds some of the round sweetness that stevia lacks.

You can vary the flavorings to suit your mood. Hot summer days make me think of the creamsicles that I grew up eating. This is a healthier, natural, and vegan way to enjoy the same flavors.

You can substitute any nondairy milk if the sugar-free milk is not in your area. You will just need to adjust the sweetness. I haven’t use regular sweetened vanilla in this recipe but I would think you would not need to add any (or much) sweetener with it.

Please note that I did get some coupons from So Delicious to try some of their new products for free. But honestly if I don’t like it I certainly won’t tell you I do.

Vegan Creamsicle Tapioca Pudding
soy-free gluten-free
serves 6 (And is under 80 calories a serving!)

  • 1/2 cup (76 g) small pearl tapioca
  • 1 container (4 cups or 960 ml) Sugar Free Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk
  • 2 teaspoons orange extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • extra sweetener if needed (agave, stevia, etc.) – optional

Place all the ingredients into a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker. (Double the recipe if you have a larger one.)

Cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or on high for about 2 hours. The size of your slow cooker and how hot it runs will change the exact cooking time. Taste and add extra sweetener if you feel that you need it.

The pudding will not set up all the way in the slow cooker (and will look like it may never set up). But it will set up perfectly after a few hours in the refrigerator. I like to portion mine out so I can just grab some from the fridge when I want it!

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 2 hours, Cooking Time 4 hours, crockpot, Dessert, Gluten-free, Slow cooker, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome HBD Readers!

June 24, 2011 · by · Leave a Comment

My kheer oatmeal recipe was posted on Healthy Bitch Daily today. So I wanted to welcome all you new viewers! (And remind my regulars it’s time to try it out again.)  Also there was a mistake in the recipe printed on their site and I wanted to make you aware of it.

The oil is completely optional and only used to coat the crock in for easier clean-up. If you are concerned about clean up, spray the crock with a little oil before adding the ingredients to the crock. You would never need a teaspoon of oil to do that. If I use oil at all I use a spray bottle and do a quick spritz.

A healthier way, that uses less calories, is to not use the oil at all. Even if you spray your crock with oil some oatmeal will still stick to the sides. To clean it out (with or without oiling to begin with) just fill the crock with water in the morning. It will come out easily that evening. I fill mine with water, then drain off the excess water and give my dog the oatmeal that was stuck to the sides. She loves it and it’s good for her coat.

You can see more oatmeal FAQS here.

So I invite those of you new to my site to try some my other oatmeal recipes:

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

Vegan Pound Cake From Your Slow Cooker!

June 17, 2011 · by · 16 Comments

Since I just proclaimed summer the best time to use your slow cooker I thought I better get some new recipes up for you to try! I will have more not-so-quick bread recipes coming in the next few months. I have added detailed instructions to help you through your first few batches!

This one is great because the variations are almost endless. Think almond thyme, lemon basil, coconut lime-basil, vanilla mint… Of course, the best thing to do with a pound cake is to top it with fresh seasonal fruit from your local farmers market or your very own garden. It’s summer, so I take the lazy route whenever possible. Instead of topping it with vegan whipped cream I use So Delicious Vanilla Yogurt.

I made a lemon mint version and it has been my breakfast all week, I also have a pineapple-sage coconut one in the slow cooker right now - yum! Cakes in the slow cooker cook up extra-moist so the texture may be a little different than you are used to.

I am using unbleached flour to capture the full pound cake effect, but feel free to use whole wheat pastry flour instead. You can also try using a gluten-free baking mix in place of the wheat flour to make a gluten-free version.

If you haven’t baked in your slow cooker before, the first time will be a bit of an experiment. Some slow cookers run very hot and others don’t. This will make the time vary a huge amount. You’ll have a good idea on just how long it will take after your first try.

I like to use a loaf pan and one of my oval 6 quart slow cookers. It takes longer than putting it in the crock, but you have more control over the end result. Most slow cookers, like most ovens, have hot spots. If you are cooking in the crock make sure to turn it every hour or so it will cook evenly. In fact, you should do the same if you cook it in a loaf pan or one side may be darker than the other.

Vegan Herb Pound Cake

Makes 1 loaf (I used 1.5 quart loaf pan in my 6 quart oval slow cooker)

  • 1⁄2 cup (112 g) non-dairy butter (like Earth Balance)
  • 1/4 cup fresh herb (mint, thyme, basil, etc.)
  • 1 cup sugar (200 g) sugar
  • 1 box (12.3 ounce/349 g) silken tofu
  • 1 teaspoon extract of your choice (lemon, vanilla, coconut, almond, rum, etc.)
  • 2 cups (240g) unbleached flour (or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Baking Mix)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

Make sure to try putting the loaf pan you plan on using in your slow cooker before you start the batter! Some fit and some don’t.

Add non-dairy butter to mixer and mix until creamy. Put the whole herbs and sugar into a food processor, pulse until the two are integrated together. Add the sugar mixture to the mixer and beat until creamy.

Add the silken tofu to the unwashed food processor bowl and purée until smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides so you get all of it the same silky-smooth texture. Then scrape the tofu into the mixer bowl with the rest. Also add the extract of your choice and mix until everything is well combined.

Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add 1/3 of the dry mixture at a time to the mixer. Mix until just combined and repeat until all dry in mixed in. Remove bowl from the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and make sure everything is mixed in.

Add batter to an oiled loaf pan that fits in your slow cooker, or directly to your pre-oiled crock.

If you are using a loaf pan: take a long piece of aluminum foil, roll it into a snake, and pinch the ends together to make an ‘o’. Put this on the bottom of your crock, then set the loaf pan on top of it. Press the pan so the aluminum foil is even and doesn’t make your pan tip or sit at an angle. (You can reuse this when you make your next loaf.)

Cook on high, with a clean dish towel doubled and placed over the top of the crock. Then place a wooden spoon on top on that, and finally the lid. The lid will be cracked open some to let the moisture evaporate, but will still hold the dish towel in place. What doesn’t evaporate the dish towel will absorb. If you cook it normally with the lid closed the condensation will drop onto your cake and keep it from cooking.

Cook until the edges start to brown and it’s mostly cooked through, but the very middle will still be softer. (about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours cooked in crock, 3 to 4 hours cooked in loaf pan).

I touch it to see how springy it is. The edges will feel like a normal loaf from the oven and the middle you can still indent.

Remember if you cook it as a loaf, it will continue to cook a little more after you remove it from the slow cooker. So you are taking it out of the slow cooker sooner than you would the oven.

Note: If you let the edges brown too much the brown parts will be hard to cut (more so than in an oven-baked loaf.) Better to get them lightly brown and be a little nervous about the middle. If the middle is too moist you can always toast it a little or if you’re like me and eat the middle of the loaf in a day or two you may find that it’s dried out by then anyhow.

The time will vary depending on how hot your slow cooker runs and older slow cookers may take longer than stated.

Yields: About 8 servings
Total Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours cooked in crock, 3 to 4 hours cooked in loaf pan

Filed Under: Breakfast, Cooking Time 2 hours, Cooking Time 4 hours, crockpot, Dessert, Slow cooker, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Iced Thai Tea Concentrate

June 13, 2011 · by · 6 Comments

Cooking in the slow cooker is the perfect choice on these hot, sweaty, summer days because it doesn’t heat up your house like the stove top does.  I love how inexpensive this recipe is compared to just one glass of tea at a Thai restaurant and this one is vegan, of course!

This is my second try at this recipe. I didn’t like the first batch because the spices were too subtle and got lost in the non-dairy milk. The first time I also used a whole vanilla bean and all the flavor cooked out. But I really feel like I got it this time. I added a beet to get that reddish hue that you think of when someone mentions Thai tea. But don’t worry it doesn’t make the tea taste like beets.

I love the way it’s sticky-sweet almost like a popsicle and how the orange flower water adds a floral punch to the creamy non-dairy milk. I think I have a little crush on it and it’s going to be replacing my normal iced chai for a while.

Slow Cooker Iced Thai Tea Concentrate

  • 6 cups (1500ml) water
  • 1 red beet , quartered (optional for color)
  • 2 whole cinnamon sticks, about 3 inches long
  • 4 whole star anise
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • 10 teabags black, green, or roobios (or about 8 to 10 teaspoons of loose tea in a very large tea ball or muslin tea bag)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons orange flower water
  • 1/2 to 1 cup (100 to 200 g) sugar (or other sweetener like maple syrup, stevia or agave nectar, or leave unsweetened if you prefer)

This is much easier to clean up if you put the spices in a re-usable muslin tea bag. It takes more work to get all the cardamom seeds out without it. You can throw the whole bag into the slow cooker and it’s easy to take out. Then just rinse the tea bag out and let it dry before you put it away. It will be waiting for the next batch of tea concentrate you make.

Put water, beet and spices (or all of the spices in a spice bag) in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Remove spice bag and beets. Add in tea bags to the slow cooker and turn to high. Let seep 5 to 10 minutes depending on how concentrated you want the flavor to be. Remove teabags and add vanilla, orange flower water, and sweetener.

(If you didn’t use a spice bag, before adding extracts and sweetener – pour into a pitcher while straining out the spices through a piece of cheesecloth places in a funnel to remove the rest of the whole spice.)

Store in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. Use about 1/2 glass concentrate to 1/2 glass non-dairy milk. I like to use So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk which comes as no surprise, but unsweetened vanilla almond milk works well too. It’s also good with slow cooker evaporated coconut milk too.

Yields: About 6 cup (1500ml)
Total Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 4 hours

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Cooking Time 4 hours, crockpot, Drinks and Syrups, Gluten-free, Slow cooker, Soy-free, Staples, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Get Out Your Slow Cooker – Summer is Here!

June 10, 2011 · by · 4 Comments

The irony of summer is that you have the most beautiful fruits and veggies available at your farmers market and it’s just too hot to think about cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against salads or raw food, but sometimes you need to eat something warm even if it’s 100 degrees.

One way to beat the heat is to pull out your slow cooker. It’s not just for the winter. In fact, it has even more benefits now. It doesn’t heat up the house like the stove or oven does giving your a/c a fair shot at cooling your home. If you have a grill with a burner you can even sauté veggies ahead of time outside the night before – hopefully it’s cooled down a bit by then.

I wanted to remind you of a few summer-friendly recipes.  The Beyond Easy Herbed Beets are great chilled on a salad or even as the main ingredient in a chilled borscht. They are in season and you can cook the greens in the slow cooker too. Cauliflower is also a great side dish as a mashed potato substitute.

The slow cooker is the perfect summer oven substitute. Bake up a batch of Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf or Black Bean Brownies.  Experiment with flavors in the loaf using the general dry to wet proportions.  I’m planning on posting a few new ones as summer progresses. I have bananas begging to become banana bread of some sort, so that will probably be the first one I post.

I also posted a Beyond Easy Vegan BBQ Tofu Pizza Topping over at Busy Vegan. All you need is a premade crust (or an English muffin in a pinch) to get dinner on the table. It’s the laziest meal of all and you can cook it on your grill!

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Busy Vegan, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Spicy Vegan Seitan Flautas with Gluten-free Options

May 16, 2011 · by · Leave a Comment

Make sure to try this super easy recipe for Spicy Seitan Flautas over at Busy Vegan. It’s perfect for a quick dinner on nights that you don’t have dinner waiting in the slow cooker.

Filed Under: Busy Vegan, Gluten-free, Main Course, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,
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