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Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Veggie Loaf

February 25, 2010 · by · 2 Comments

Sorry I’ve been gone for so long. I got a virus that just didn’t want to go away. I’m feeling better, put still making super easy meals. I’ll make something more extravagant next week!

Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Veggie Loaf
Makes a small loaf that serves 2 – 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 6 – 8  hours

  • 1-15 oz. can of pinto beans
  • 2 Dr. Praegers Tex Mex Veggie Burgers (or your favorite mexi burger)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup oat bran
  • 1 Tbl worcester sauce (a vegetarian version of course)
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • veggie broth if needed
  • salt and pepper to taste

The night before: Rinse pintos and put in a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork. Cook burger in a skillet and break up with a spatula. Add burger crumbles to the bowl. Add oat bran, ketchup, worcester and mix. Add more oat bran if mixture is too thin to form into a loaf. Add veggie broth if it’s too thick.

A trick I learned from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker is to make an aluminum foil ‘cradle’. Tear off a strip of aluminum foil that’s a little longer as the bottom of your slow cooker added to the sides. Fold it in thirds lengthwise. Try fitting it into your slow cooker – it should at least come up to the edge on two sides. Take it out, put it on a cutting board and form your loaf on it in the middle.

In the morning:  Place the loaf and the aluminum foil in the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 –  8 hours. Remove using the cradle.

You could probably use parchment paper instead of the aluminum. If you try it, let me know how it works.

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

Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Artichoke Salsa Chick’n

February 9, 2010 · by · 3 Comments

This truly is a beyond easy dish! Sometimes I get jealous of all the easy meat slow cooker recipes. But it’s my choice to not eat it or use the cans of cream of “fill in the blank” soup.

This is my answer to the throw it all in and forget it slow cooker recipe your Mom used to make. I used gardein brand fake chick’n that I actually found in the regular supermarket. It seems that all the fake meat is getting more expensive, but these were definitely worth the money.

Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Artichoke Salsa Chick’n – serves 4

Prep time: none, unless you count opening packages
Cooking Time: 6 – 8  hours

The night before: Relax and watch your favorite tv show!

In the morning: Spread 1/2 the salsa on the bottom of the slow cooker, place chik’n and top with rest of salsa and artichoke hearts. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve over steamed quinoa or rice.

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

Slow Cooker Meatless Sausage Mushroom Ragu

January 13, 2010 · by · 4 Comments
Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press

Photo by Bill Bettencourt, Property of Fair Winds Press

This is definitely not the ragu from your supermarket shelves! It’s a great meal to transition hard core meat eaters into a meatless night. And, of course, serve to all your omnivore friends. (I define omnivore as a person who eats tofu and meat.)

If you are watching your fat or calorie intake it’s the perfect topping for pasta or grilled polenta. You can just buy a tube of polenta and slice it, then crisp it in the oven or on a grill.

You do need to cook the veggie sausage ahead of time, so why not go ahead sauté the onions too? It does take more time, but trust me it’s worth it.

This recipe makes enough for a dinner party and still have leftovers. The best thing is that it freezes great. You can freeze in ice cube trays to have a quick cooking single serving size. Once the cubes freeze, just pop them out into a ziplock bag.

Meatless Sausage Mushroom Ragu

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 -8  hours

  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 package Gimme Lean Sausage
  • 2- 28 oz cans of organic crushed tomatoes
  • 16 oz crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 large portabella mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 Tb fresh basil (or 2 frozen cubes from Trader Joe’s)
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 – 3 Tbl. red wine or port wine

The night before: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté until translucent. In the same skillet that you cooked the onions, now cook the package of Gimme Lean. Chop it with a large spatula as you cook to break it up into sausage crumbles. It will be fairly sticky until it browns. It’s less mess to slice it into patties first and break apart after you flip them.

In the morning:  Combine all the ingredients (except for wine) in your slow cooker and cook all day on low.  Add water if it needs it, extra seasoning and the wine about 10 – 15 minutes before serving.

Filed Under: Cooking Time 8 hours, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,