Spicy Southern Chickpeas and Grits (from Vegan Slow Cooking for Two or Just You)

Photo by Kate Lewis, Copyrighted by Fair Winds Press

This is a big book year for me. The Great Vegan Bean Book came out in the Spring and now my fall book is just around the corner. In fact, if Amazon is correct, it may ship a month early.

Once I found that out, I had to get a few recipes and photos from  Vegan Slow Cooking for Two or Just You ready to post on the blog to give you a preview of my new book. This is a slow cooker book with a twist – it’s all cooked in a 1 1/2 or 2 quart slow cooker. It’s perfect for 1, 2 or even 2 1/2 people households. (In my mind 2 1/2 equals two adult and a toddler.)

Like my first book, The Vegan Slow Cooker, there are some long cooking dishes as well as a few quick cooking ones too. One of my favorites is the chocolate chip cookie that cooks while you eat your dinner. There are more staples – even a batch of slow cooked onions that you freeze to avoid sautéing (because you can just throw a frozen cube in instead). There are many soy-free, gluten-free and oil-free dishes or options so they can easily be tailored to you diet.

Kate Lewis did the beautiful photography for this book and I worked with the Lisa Ekus Group to make the whole process even smoother. (I love my agent!)

This is my (vegan) version of shrimp and grits. Like many Southern dishes, there’s bacon in the original, but my version contains liquid smoke. You get all of the flavor, plus it’s cruelty-free. If you have two small slow cookers, you can even cook these tasty grits while the chickpeas cook, and come home to a complete meal. You all know I think it’s worth it to have at least two!

Both recipes use a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker.

Spicy Southern Chickpeas

soy-free, gluten-free, no added oil

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 4 ½ cups

Calories: 28kcal

Author: Kathy Hester

Ingredients

• 1 can 16 ounces, or 455 g or 1 1/2 cups (246 g) cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup 150 g bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can 14.5 ounces, or 410 g or 1 1/2 cups (270 g) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup 120 ml water
• 2 teaspoons 4 g Cajun Spice Blend (you can get the recipe in the book on page 23)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• Few dashes liquid smoke or smoked salt
• Tabasco or other hot sauce optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add all ingredients, except for the salt and pepper, to the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.
• Before serving, taste, add salt and pepper, and then re-season to your liking. You may need to add more liquid smoke, Cajun seasoning, or chipotle.
• Serve over Slow Cooker Grits for Two (recipe follows).

Nutrition

Calories: 28kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 195mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g

Tried this recipe?Post a pic of yours and tag @geekpoet

Slow Cooker Grits for Two

soy-free, gluten-free, no added oil

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 104kcal

Author: Kathy Hester

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup 70 g grits, yellow or white
• 1 cup 235 ml unsweetened nondairy milk
• 1 cup 235 ml water
• 1 veggie bouillon cube
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1.8g | Fiber: 1.5g

Tried this recipe?Post a pic of yours and tag @geekpoet