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Solstice Bean Stew (Dark Days Week 4)

December 27, 2010 · by · 2 Comments

I brought these beans to a Festivus party this year and they were actually well received. I thought beans and kale might not go over so well on the meaty buffet. Luckily I was wrong. No one knows there is pumpkin in this because the pumpkin actually breaks down into the sauce!

This is also my dark days meal for last week. The pintos were bought dry at the Raleigh farmers market and they said they were grown locally. The pumpkin was from the Durham farmers market and was also a Halloween decoration earlier in the year. I also got the kale and the dried hot pepper blend from the Durham market.

The jerk seasoning, salt and pepper, bouillon, and port wine were not local ingredients.

Solistice Bean Stew
soy-free, gluten-free

  • 3 cups cooked pinto beans (or 2 – 14.5 ounce cans)
  • 2 to 3 cups pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon chick’n bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon jerk seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon port wine
  • crushed hot pepper or cayenne, to taste
  • 2 cups kale (or other greens), stems removed and chopped small
  • salt and pepper, to taste

The night before: Peel pumpkin then cut in half and remove seeds. You can clean up the seeds and toast for snacking or garnish. Chop the pumpkin into

In the morning:  Add the pre-cooked pinto beans, pumpkin, water, jerk seasoning, wine and hot pepper to an oiled crock. Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

40 minutes before serving:  If there are any chunks of pumpkin that haven’t ‘melted’ into the stew mash them with a fork. Add the kale and cook until tender (about 40 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste and add more chili or jerk seasoning if needed.

Serve over cornbread for a hearty winter meal.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, Cooking Time 6 hours, Cooking Time 8 hours, crockpot, Dark Days, Main Course, Slow cooker, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Beyond Easy Slow Cooker ‘Down Home’ Beans

May 16, 2010 · by · 3 Comments

These are some beans I made for a southern food party. Someone else made cornbread and together you have a traditional southern dish. The type of beans change state to state or what you have in your pantry, but they all are delicious. If you have extras freeze them for another time.

If you don’t have access to liquid smoke see if you can find smoked salt or paprika. It works in a pinch. If you are going to cook them often it’s well worth ordering some off the  internet.

As always, customize to suit your personal taste and traditions. The most important part is that you enjoy them, but it doesn’t hurt that this is a super cheap dish to make either.

You can cook any bean in the slow cooker but be aware that kidney beans can have a toxin called phytohaemagglutnin and need to be brought up to a boiling temperature. So boil them for 10 minutes before cooking in the slow cooker. This step is not necessary for other types of beans.

Slow Cooker Down Home Beans (Gluten-free Recipe)

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 8- 16 hours  (can cook longer if you are working late)

  • 1 lb. dried pinto beans, white will work fine too
    (You can use kidney beans but boil them for a full 10 minutes on the stove before adding to the slow cooker. This is because kidney beans contain a toxic agent, Phytohaemagglutnin also known as Kidney Bean Lectin.)
  • Approx. 8 cups filtered water
  • 1 Tb. Liquid Smoke
  • 1 tsp. Tabasco (garlic if you can find it) or Texas Pete
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tb olive oil or Earth Balance (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

The night before: Put dry beans, garlic, liquid smoke, and Tabasco in the slow cooker and cover plus two inches with filtered water (about 8 cups). Cook on high all night.

In the morning: Add some water if needed and continue to cook on low. Smash a few of the softer beans with the back of a spoon to make a thick gravy. Add in oil if you want to make it creamier.

Before serving add more hot sauce and liquid smoke if needed. Salt and pepper to taste and serve over fresh made cornbread.

Remember that the water will not evaporate in a slow cooker like it will on the stove,  so don’t add a whole lot. Add enough that it will not dry out before you come home for dinner.

Filed Under: Beyond Easy, crockpot, Gluten-free, Main Course, Overnight (8+ hours), Vegan, Vegetarian · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , ,