Making dinner healthier, one slow cooker at a time.
In my pre-vegan days eggs were often my go to ingredient for a quick dinner. Now that I’m vegan, I still make some of the same convenience foods only I use the magic of tofu instead of eggs.
Scrambling tofu is surprisingly similar to scrambling eggs in that the excitement comes from the add-ins. (And be honest, the picture above looks pretty close to regular scrambled eggs.) to recipes→
Last week I was talking with my friend, Kalpana, about “Indian Chinese food”. I had eaten Manchurian dumplings/patties before but wasn’t a huge fan because it was deep-fried and the ones I got were pretty greasy. After hearing her talk about them I really wanted to give them another chance.
So, I did what any modern person would do and searched the internet for a recipe. I found the one I used at Veg Inspirations and it’s even baked instead of fried! I nearly jumped up and down as I realized this would help deplete my cabbage section of the fridge.
I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, but I think the recipe was great for a base and you’d do well to follow it for your first batch. The dumplings are made with finely grated veggies and are held together with flour, rice, and a little corn starch.
You can use any veggies you want as long as they are finely minced/shredded. I used a food processor and did my veggies in batches. I also processed my rice in the processor to make it a little more binding. My rice came from the freezer though, and I think if you used fresh rice you could skip this step.
You could also use a different binder if you avoid corn starch and gluten-free flour should work as well as wheat flour. I saw some recipes in my search that called for rice flour.
I cooked mine on 350 for almost twice the amount of time recommended. But I also used more shredded veg than called for. Next time I would try cooking them at 375 and just keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. But I thought baking made them nice and crunchy.
In my sauce I used the more water variation suggested. I used Sriracha for red chili sauce, no chilies, and some plain tomato sauce I had in the fridge in addition to a little ketchup. The sauce was thickened with corn starch and I probably could have used less. Again you’d probably be safe if you follow the recipe at Veg Inspirations.
You guys know about my cabbage saga, and it seems like a never-ending one. Because of this yummy dish I am down to one small cabbage!
You may (or may not) wonder what I’m eating when there is a lull here at the blog. Sometimes it means a recipe is being developed and isn’t quite ready to show the world and other times I’m rushing around catching up on housework, bills, and writing.
As much as I want to cook every meal we eat, it’s not always possible. I keep Tasty Bite on hand for a last-minute meal. In my house we call this cheater food since it looks (and tastes) like you actually worked to get the meal on the table. They even have pre-cooked brown rice. They are also great to bring with you when you go camping.
They have 28 vegan dishes that are clearly labeled vegan, as well as some that are kosher and/or gluten-free too. You can see their list on-line. The entrees are usually between 150 to 200 calories a serving and each pack contains 2 servings. At my local stores they run around $3.00 each, which makes them much cheaper than takeout.
If you can’t bear to eat a ready-made dinner they have some wonderful cooking sauces, that can help you get dinner on the table fast. Their Korma, Pad Thai, Rogan Josh, Satay, and Tikka Masala sauces are all vegan. It’s a great way to use up the last of your CSA or just to elevate frozen veggies.
Tasty Bite also has a line they call Meal Inspirations. I keep a few of the Zany Multigrain and Barley Medley in my desk if I can’t get out to my favorite Indian restaurant, Curry Leaves, for lunch.
The best part about Tasty Bite is that they really are tasty. But I also love the fact that they contain all natural ingredients and no preservatives.
I haven’t tried one of their dishes that I haven’t liked, but Bombay Potatoes, Mushroom Takatak, Bengal Lentils, and Channa Masala are the favorites at my house.
Follow Tasty Bite on Facebook and /or Twitter to find out about new dishes and recipes.
In keeping with the winter squash theme of the week, I present you with one of my personal favorites – acorn squash. Like all the winter squash it’s high in vitamin A, C, and B6 and is just a great food to add to your day.
By using your slow cooker instead of an oven, you’ll have a dish ready to serve as soon as you get home. Too often I think of making stuffed squash when I’m already running behind. Then it’s too late to have the baking time it needs.
Use the recipe below as a jumping off point. You can use any leftover grains, beans, even chopped stale bread (think Thanksgiving stuffing) to make a filling. Since the acorn squash is a little sweet, I like to add some dried fruit as well as savory herbs. It’s a perfect place to use up that last bit of the sausage (cook it first), crumbled baked tofu, or other meat substitute.
You can also just bake plain acorn squash in the slow cooker with a little cinnamon and brown sugar to have as an extra healthy dessert. Or simply cook it plain to use in a side dish.
Slow Cooker Acorn Squash Stuffed with Cranberry Pecan Rice (Gluten-Free )
This recipe serves 2, but you can easily double it. Just make sure your slow cooker is large enough to sit all the halves side by side.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 hours
The night before: In a bowl mix the leftover rice with the lentils, chopped pecans and cranberries. Add in garlic and herbs, mix, then cover and put in fridge until the morning. Add some water or broth if the mixture is too dry.
Cut the acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Lightly oil the exposed flesh with a little olive oil and place in the fridge until morning.
In the morning: Add about a half-inch of water in the bottom of your slow cooker. Take some aluminum foil to crumple up under your squash halves to keep them from turning over and spilling out the stuffing. No aluminum foil? Cut a little off the bottom side of the squash half to get it to sit straight.
Fill the squash with the stuffing and round it over the flesh if possible. Cook on low for 8 hours.
Optional: At the end of cooking add some 2% shredded cheese over the top of each squash half and pop the ceramic crock part of the slow cooker into the oven at 350 degrees until it melts.
If your crock doesn’t separate from the electrical part you can’t put it in the oven. Instead add the cheese while everything is still in the slow cooker, turn it to high and cook for about 15 minutes. The only difference is you will get a nice golden brown color if you put it in the oven.
The Virtual Vegan Potluck is over, but the virtual feast lives on!