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→
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...]
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?
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)
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Don’t forget to enter Crofter’s PB&J contest on their Facebook page. You get to build your own PB&J creation. I made a wacky Berry Good Almond Butter Breakfast Panini. I bet you can do better than that! The contest ends Saturday so get your entry in soon.
I posted another quick and easy dinner over at Busy Vegan. Take a look if you want to give your slow cooker a rest. I made Cherry Pomegranate Gardein Beefless Tips Over Cauliflower Mash.
Ok, you and I know both that these are just mashed potatoes with puréed spinach. I have fancied them up with some Unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk and some smoked salt. But with St. Paddy’s day just around the corner it’s a perfect way to dress up tomorrow’s dinner. (Don’t panic the “beef” in the pic above is Gardein‘s vegan beefless tips.)
To make the cooked potatoes in the slow cooker use the Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Baked Potatoes. Once they are done (they can cook all day while you are at work), make sure to use a clean pot holder to handle the cooked potatoes with since they will be really hot then split them open and scrape the flesh out into a bowl.
This isn’t a slow cooker recipe if you boil your potatoes on the stove, but either way they are great for St. Paddy’s Day!
Green Mashed Potatoes
Serves 3 to 4
Puree the nondairy milk and the spinach in a blender until smooth. No matter how you cooked your potatoes transfer the insides (no peel) to a bowl and mash the potatoes. You can use a mixer after you add the liquid and Earth Balance, just make sure not to over mix or they will get gluey. Mix everything together.
Note: If the mixture is too thick make another spinach coconut milk batch and add it to the mixture as well.
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.
The Virtual Vegan Potluck is over, but the virtual feast lives on!