Fall crockpot

Since it finally feels like fall, I felt like making this. The rich, savoury flavours are both delicious and comforting. And if you are not familiar with seitan, it's a toothsome, chewy, dense food made primarily from the protein in wheat. So obviously, not for those with gluten intolerance or wheat allergy! This crockpot is great without it, so that part is totally optional. I added some chickpea flour to my seitan this time because I am totally a chickpea flour fan. A last minute addition of oven crisped chickpea flour tofu when the crockpot is finished would also be good, or chunks of tofu for extra heartiness when you fire up the crockpot. We ate this with oven roasted potato wedges one day, and with brown basmati another. Versatile, hearty, and perfect for fall.

equipment needed:
crockpot
 (or cook in a large pot on the stove, no prob)
measure cups
measuring spoons
cutting board
knife
mixing bowl
mixing spoon


ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cups green cabbage, finely diced

2 cups uncooked green lentils, rinsed

2 cups chopped celery hearts
2 cups diced carrot

4 dried shiitake mushrooms


4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp herbe de provence
1 tsp cumin

8 cups water


directions:

1. layer all ingredients in order listed -- that's my crockpot secret for you.



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for seitan:

1 cup gluten flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder (or sea salt, herbs, and seasonings to your taste e.g. 1/2 tsp sea salt, some marjoram, basil or oregano, some chili powder or garlic powder etc -- I was in a hurry hence the bouillon powder)
1 1/2 cup water


directions:
1. combine chickpea flour, gluten flour and seasonings, and mix well
2. add water and mix well
3. knead
4. roll flat, and place on top of other ingredients in crockpot.

--------------------------

finally:
1. cook the concoction on high in crock pot for 5 hours
2. remove the seitan and cut into cubes
3. remove the mushrooms and cut into pieces
4. return the mushrooms and seitan to the crockpot, stir, and let cook for 1 final hour


This is a dish that tastes great the next day. It's really good as soon as it's made, but don't worry about making it ahead if that's more convenient.

Also would be great with some crusty bread for soaking up any residual (and delicious) broth.

** Lentil Vegetable Crockpot -- vegan, whole food, delicious

The smell of this dish while cooking is out of this world. I'm such a sucker for the combination of cumin and paprika. I adore lentils. This is wonderful with brown basmati, or by itself. Huge hit with everyone. Simple, comforting, unpretentious food that cooks itself while you do something else.

equipment needed:

6 quart crockpot
knife
cutting board
sieve for rinsing lentils
measuring cups
measuring spoons



ingredients:

1 onion, chopped ( 1  cup)
2 cups chopped green cabbage
3 cups rinsed green lentils, not cooked

1/2 cup sliced dried mushrooms

2 cups chopped celery (I use the hearts for this)
2 cups diced carrot
2 cups diced asian sweet potato

4 tsp sea salt
black pepper
2 tbsp marjoram
2 tsp paprika (sweet)
2 tsp ground cumin)

1/2 cup dried apricots -- sliced

8 cups boiling water


set crockpot for 5 hours on high

Lumahai's Carrot-Green Soup with a secret ingredient **

My six year old thought we should reserve all the carrot tops from the bunches we bought today and create a soup out of it. I suggested that pureed soup, thick and creamy, might work. He recommended we start with an onion. I suggested the leafy bits of celery hearts we have would add a nice dimension to the soup, and added that I thought perhaps some of our green cabbage, white sweet potatoes, and split indian yellow peas would give us the body and creaminess we wanted, while giving us enough sweetness to offset the bitterness of the carrot greens in a pleasing way.

This is what we came up with, together. I adore cooking with my son. I adore cooking. This was grand. I love his recipe ideas!!

I taught him the correct way to hold and use a gigantic chef's knife shortly after he turned six and I figured his hands were both big and strong enough to start handling this instrument under supervision. (I've also taught him out to cut bread with a bread knife.)

Today, he did most of the chopping of and adding of the ingredients to the pot.

Anyway, I think this soup is delicious, and I love the flavour. Cumin and carrot greens -- who knew??

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 large cooking onion, diced (yellow kind)

2 cups chopped green cabbage

1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup split yellow indian peas, very well rinsed
2 cups diced sweet potato

3 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cumin

10 cups boiling water

black pepper


3 cups carrot-greens, washed and chopped (mostly the frondly bits, removing the toughest parts of the stems)

2 tbsp marjoram


directions:

1. saute/sweat/cook down the cabbage and the onion with some of the sea salt -- we let ours get a tiny bit brown, to be honest -- 5 or 10 minutes, not long
2. layer in the celery, split peas, sweet potato
3. sprinkle on the salt and cumin
4. pour on the water
5. cover and let simmer for 40 minutes
6. add the carrot greens
7. simmer for 5 minutes
8. take off the heat
9. puree with a hand blender, and add salt and pepper to taste

** we found a wild carrot in our garden, and added the carrot, sans greens, whole to the pot to simmer for the  cooking time, and then removed before pureeing

Split yellow pea crock pot -- vegan stew

This shy little number is comforting and enjoyable. No strong flavours, just savoury, mellow, deliciousness. The Indian split yellow peas do not have a strong flavour like other split yellow peas, and the vegetables and peas just work together beautifully. A little cumin and sea salt perk them up, making for a simple, tasty dish that is comfort food to me. Perfect with a side salad and some chickpea flour flat bread. Devoured with delight by my 6 year old, and enjoyed with evident pleasure by my husband, both of whom can eschew slightly more esoteric flavours. Nice.




2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
5 cups green cabbage, finely diced
2 cups split yellow peas (toor dal kori)

2 cups finely chopped celery
2 cups finely diced carrot


4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin
6 cups water


directions:

1. turn the crockpot on and let it heat
2. load in the ingredients in the order listed
3. cook on high for 6 hours
4. stir, and taste, adding salt and pepper if needed.

Chickpea Vegetable Soup

Well, Papa is coming over for dinner, and we're going to have a houseful for his birthday. So, in addition to eatables such as lasagna and chickpea flour flat bread, we'll rock this vegan crockpot.  Simple and delicious. Old fashioned diced veggies and chickpeas. Super delicious. And since it feels like fall, perfect really. We all enjoyed it.

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 cup green cabbage, very finely chopped

4 cups soaked chickpeas -- not cooked

1 tsp sea salt

2 cup diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
1 diced kohlrabi

1 tsp sea salt

4 cups diced white sweet potato

1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp marjoram
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chill powder

9 cups water

1 tsp sea salt


directions:

1. turn crockpot on to high, and set for 6 hours
2. layer ingredients in the order listed
3. let cook for 6 hours. I used dry chickpeas that had been fully soaked but not cooked. If you use canned or cooked chickpeas, you can reduce the cooking time
4. stir and taste, add seasoning if needed.

A chickpea and vegetable 'pot' dish

'Pot' as in cooking vessel, not as in marijuana. I recently read Michael Pollan's cooked. I am a Michael Pollan fan, and in his description of learning to cook in his book, I was inspired to make a dish that used very finely chopped vegetables as a base, and to let those vegetables sort of cook down into nothingness. Nothing, that is, except for flavour. As is my wont, I used a crockpot instead of a stove top pot. I layered finely diced vegetables, with the onions and garlic right in the oil at the bottom of the pot where they would get the most heat, then proceeding with the cabbage, then carrots and celery. The layers of chickpeas and sweet potato went last, and then enough water to come up to the chickpeas.  The chickpeas and sweet potato, being largest as well as farthest from the heat  will breakdown the least. Which is just what we want!! Even with very very little seasoning (only a bit of salt), this is a very richly flavoured dish. Perfect with socca-ish ...

ingredients:


2 tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 cup very finely chopped onion
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic

1 cups finely chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped carrot

4 cups finely chopped cabbage

4 cups soaked chickpeas

3 cups diced sweet potato -- if possible use a firm dry variety (I love bonita. others are kyushu and murasaki, also called 'asian sweet potatoes' or 'oriental sweet potatoes') Chop 'em so they are about the same size as the chickpeas


3 tsp sea salt

2 to 4 cups water


directions:

1. turn on the crockpot to high, and add the coconut oil
2. chop the veggies. In the interest of time (I had very little) I used the food processor and did a fine chop.
2. once the oil has melted and the crock is hot, spread the onion and garlic over the bottom, and the cabbage right on top.
3. spread the carrots and celery bits on top of this
4. evenly spread the soaked chickpeas over this
5. sprinkle a couple of tsp of sea salt over the chickpeas
6. spread the diced sweet potatoes over the chickpea layer
7. sprinkle one more tsp of sea salt over the sweet potato

Warming Winter Vegetable and Lentil Crockpot

I was going to be at work all day, and Papa and Nana were coming to play. So, knowing that Papa is a huge lentil fan, I loaded up my crockpot with a bunch of goodies. The resulting concoction is so flavourful and sweet and sour and savoury and spicy. The flavour is not overwhelming, but rather symbiotic. Everything about it is comforting and delicious. Try it. You'll like. The sweetness of sweet potato with the brightness of lime and sundried tomato, and the warmth of ginger. I kinda, you know, love it already. My husband made garlic toast out of our almond flour/coconut flour bread to go with this and it was fab beyond all reckoning.

ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups very finely chopped green cabbage
1/4 cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes

2 cups massoor lentils

2 cups frozen green peas

1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup coconut butter

1 cup diced celery hearts
2 cups diced carrots


4 cups diced sweet potatoes


4 tsp sea salt
2 tbps oregano
black pepper
1 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger

9 cups water (I add boiling)

2 tbsp lime juice


directions:

1. layer the ingredients in the order listed. I combine the almond butter, coconut butter, lime juice, and seasonings with 1 cup of boiling water and pour it on, then pour on the rest of the water.
2. cook (I did it on High for 6 hours)
3. turn off and after stirring thoroughly, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and add water if needed
4. serve or let the flavour mature and serve the next day
5. Today we are serving this with garlic toasts made from our 'almond flour and coconut flour bread'.

Vegetables Baked in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven

My beautiful sister and her beautiful family stayed with us recently, and it was joyous. One of the meals we made was this rustic baked vegetable dish, served with fresh spelt flour bread and fresh tomatoes and basil as a side salad. It was fantastic. This is one of those meals that somehow transcends and is far far more than the sum of it's parts. I highly recommend this as a scrumptious rustic meal especially if you want to impress someone with deliciousness. I made it in a cast iron dutch oven -- Nemesis, for those of you who remember my red pot. I imagine you can bake it in a large casserole dish, too, or a stainless steel dutch oven. Just make sure whatever you use has a lid. You can also vary the vegetables, but the ones chosen married together beautiful for maximum savoury awesomeness. Mostly, they were the vegetables that we found at the farmer's market in the morning. A tad opportunistic, perhaps? I'll never deny it.  In a word? Heavenly. A rustic peasant meal fit for an emperor. A naked emperor, perhaps ...?

I wish that you could smell how amazing, delectable, and savoury the house smelled when this was ready ...

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil -- unrefined, extra virgin, organic, etc
1 medium onion, small dice
4-5 large green cabbage leaves, chopped
3 cups split chickpeas, cooked, or whole chickpeas cooked (or canned, rinse, drained)
1 kholrabi peeled and diced
4 celery ribs, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
3 large green zucchinis, diced

2-3 tbsp herbe de provence
4 tsp sea salt
1 can coconut milk (400 ml, full fat, organic)
1 cup water

directions:

heat oven to 345 and put your dish in to melt your coconut oil.

1. In a dutch oven I melted 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, and then threw in my diced onion.
2. I layered on 4 or 5 large green cabbage leaves that I had cut fairly finely
3. on top of this went 3 cups of split chickpeas that had been previously cooked. Whole chickpeas would be fine, too. Cooked or canned (well rinsed).
4. Next I layered a diced kholrabi
5. On top of this went 4 diced celery ribs
6. Next went 2 diced medium carrots -- fresh from the ground and wonderfully tender
7. This was topped with 3 large zucchinis, diced
8. All this was sprinkled with 2-3 tbsp herbe de provence and 4 tsp sea salt
9. I then poured 1 cup of coconut milk on it, which washed the herbs and salt through everything
10. I baked it covered for 2 1/2 hours at 345
11. Then I stirred it and added 1 cup of water, and stirred again
12. I then baked it for another 30-45 minutes at 345, lid still on.

Fantastic ....

Remember to layer and not stir until after it has cooked for most of the cooking time. That's my secret I will share with you.

Flavourful Vegetable Soup

Weary travellers arriving need simple and delicious fare that won't keep them up. This definitely fit the bill with a fresh loaf of spelt bread fresh from the oven.

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion finely diced
1 cup  purple cabbage finely chopped
1/4 cup dried mushrooms, finely crumbled

3 cups split chickpeas, soaked but not cooked
3 cups green peas

1/4 cup amaranth
1/4 cup buckwheat groats
1/4 cup milllet

1 kohlrabi, peeled and diced (approx 2 cups)

1 large carrot finely diced (approx 1 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup celery finely  diced

2 cups zucchini diced
4 cups sweet potato diced

4 tsp sea salt
8 cups boiling water


directions:

1. layer all the ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook. Pour the water on after you've added the sea salt btw.
2. stir, and season to taste

Delicious served with fresh baked bread ...

Crockpot July 2013

Moong dal is great because it completely breaks down and makes the stew nice and thick. Yummy!

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cup moong dal
2 tbsp millet
2 tbsp buckwheat groats
2 tbsp amaranth
3 cups frozen green peas
1/4 cup crumbled dried mushrooms
2 cup finely diced carrot
2 cups diced zucchini
2 cups diced sweet potato

4 tsp sea salt
3 cups water

1 cup finely diced celery



3 cups chopped broccoli florets, slightly cooked


directions:
1. layer the ingredients in the order listed (except the broccoli) and cook on high in your crockpot for 5 hours
2. stir well then add the broccoli
3. stir well, adjust seasoning if needed
4. let sit for 1 hour
5. serve

Delicious Black Lentil and Sweet Potato Crockpot

Beluga lentils -- unlike their piscine homonym in caviar -- are vegan. They are tiny and black whilst uncooked, and become a little bigger and dark mahogany brown when cooked. They can also turn the ingredients they are cooked with darker in colour. They tend to keep their integrity even in sketchy situations such as over cooking. They have a lentil taste that is all their own. This dish is deletable, and I highly recommend it for lentil lovers and the lentil curious alike.


ingredients:

2 tbsp avocado oil

2 cups black lentils (caviar lentils)
1/4 cup amaranth
3 cups frozen green peas
1/4 cup dried sliced mushrooms crumbled up

1 1/2 cups diced carrot
2 1/2 cups diced celery
4 cups diced sweet potato

4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp marjoram

6 cups boiling water


directions:

1. layer the ingredients in the order listed into your crockpot. Sprinkle the sea salt and marjoram before pouring the water all over
2. cook
3. stir and season to taste

Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas

ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
4 cups finely diced green cabbage
1/4 cup finely shredded dried mushrooms
4 cups cooked chickpeas
3 cups green peas
2 cups diced sweet potatoes
3 cups diced celery
2 cups diced carrots

4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp marjoram



8 cups  water


directions:

1. layer the ingredients in the order listed and cook in the crockpot until done.

Split pea, green pea, and green cabbage crockpot

I've had some later evenings lately, and it's very convenient to do the crockpot thing. If you make a large batch, you can always freeze it in serving portions for next time. This was entirely constructed out of what I had lying about the house ...

ingredients:

3 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
2 cups split green peas
3 cups frozen green peas

1 1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups finely diced sweet potato

3 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp marjoram
black pepper

1/2 cup almond butter
7 cups water


3 cups chopped broccoli
2 tbsp lime juice

salt and pepper to taste


directions:

1. layer the ingredients in the order listed, and cook on high for 4 hours
2. add the lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, and add the broccoli
3. turn off the heat
4. serve

crockpot with friends -- vegan and delicious

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 onion -- 1 1/2 cups chopped
2 cups finely chopped green cabbage

2 cups moong dal


500 grams green peas -- 3 cups

1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
2 cups diced sweet potato -- small pieces


2 cups hot water
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup coconut butter
1 cup tomato sauce

3 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder

3 cups hot water

A Great Moong Dal Crockpot -- veggies and deliciousness in one great dish

I put my crockpot to work again today while I did other things. Green cabbage, green peas, purple carrots, and moong dal conspired with broccoli to make a fabulous stew. Fantastic.

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp finely  minced garlic
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
2 cups moong dal (split mung beans)



3 cups frozen green peas
2 cups finely diced carrots
1/2 cup finely diced celery



4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
black pepper
3 tsp raw cacao powder
3 tsp carob powder



combine the following:

4 cups water
1/2 cup coconut butter
1/4 cup almond butter

4 cups water

2 tbsp lime juice

3 cups (steamed) chopped broccoli -- to be added after cooking is complete



1. layer the ingredients in the order listed
2. sprinkle the seasonings on, then pour on the liquid mixture of water, coconut butter, and almond butter, pour on the rest of the water (8 cups total), reserving the lime juice until cooking is finished
3. cook for 6 hours in the crockpot, then add the lime juice
4. when done, add the broccoli, stir, and let sit for  a little while.
5. serve!

Nemesis makes dinner -- vegan chickpea veggie bake

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp very finely minced garlic
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups green cabbage, finely chopped
4 cups chickpeas, soaked but not cooked
3 cups frozen green peas
2  cups chopped celery
2  cup chopped carrots

4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
black pepper
1 tbsp rosemary

1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup almond butter
2 cups hot water
4 cups tomato sauce (I get mine from the freezer)

3 cups steamed chopped broccoli


1. melt the coconut oil in a large casserole or dutch oven -- i use the nemesis
1. layer the ingredients up to the carrots
2. sprinkle the seasonings on top
3. in a large bowl combine the almond butter, coconut butter, hot water, and tomato sauce
4. pour the sauce on top
5. cover and bake at 345 for 2 hours
6. remove from the oven, stir well, and then add the broccoli
7. serve

yum!

Crockpot Stew -- giant lima beans in the pink

You are probably sick of me going on about the goings on in my crockpot. But let me tell you that this one is too good to miss. Imagine the satisfying toothsome texture of giant limas simmered in a stew of veggies, tomato sauce, and coconut milk. The coconut milk mellows the bite of the tomato sauce, and the veggies all add sweetness and texture. Truly a delicious combination. Yo, vegans!!

ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

3 cloves of garlic, very finely minced

1 large onion, very finely chopped

500 g frozen green peas

4 cups giant lima beans soaked but not cooked (bring to a boil in plenty of water for 2 minutes then turn off heat and soak for 1 hour. Rinse well)


2 cups diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
3 cups diced sweet potato

3 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp herbe de provence

4 cups tomato sauce (either make it using tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, or take some out of your freezer)

400 ml coconut milk


1. layer the ingredients in the order listed
2. cook for 4-6 hours on high in your crockpot

Green Soup -- peas and broccoli do the tango in my crockpot

My crockpot beckoned and I answered. Hello crockpot, here is some green soup for you to make. Split peas, green peas, broccoli. One of those hearty concoctions that make you glad you're hungry. My husband practically rhapsodized as he ate it, and he's not a guy who gets excited about food. Apparently it full on hit some pleasure center of his brain. I think it was the complex layering of flavours that did it for him -- nothing brash, everything subtle, but fully delicious.

ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
3 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

2 cups green split peas, dry

1/4 cup finely crumbled dried mushrooms

2 cups diced sweet potato

3 cups frozen organic green peas

3 cups diced celery
2 cups diced carrots


4 tsp sea salt
black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp herbe de provence

8 cups hot water

after:

2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to adjust  if needed

500 grams chopped broccoli florets

1 cup hot water


directions:

turn on your crockpot and let it start to warm up!

1. layer the ingredients in the order listed, reserving the ones listed under 'after' for the end of cooking
2. cook until the green split peas have dissolved
3. stir in the lemon juice and adjust the salt and pepper if needed
4. add the chopped broccoli florets and 1 more cup water and let cook until done

Simple Vegetable Soup -- a pleasing autumn crockpot

I had a hankering for a very simple vegetable soup -- the kind with diced vegetables, and a clear broth. This fits the bill! It's delicious and satisfying, and is a perfect autumn meal. I like to put a little chili powder in mine, but you can skip it if  you want. The vegetables make the broth very sweet and savoury at the same time. Naturally vegan, and gluten free.

ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced -- approx 2 tbsp
2 small-medium onions, finely chopped -- approx 1 1/2 cups

4 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups green peas
3 cups diced sweet potatoes
3 cups diced celery
2 cups diced carrots

4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
black pepper
2 tbsp marjoram


8 cups vegetable broth or water (I used leek and mushroom broth from my freezer -- I made extra back in October, then froze it in mason jars)


directions:

1. layer the ingredients in the order listed and cook in the crockpot until done.
2. or if using a pot on the stove, saute the onion and garlic in coconut oil, then add the rest of the ingredients, and cook until the vegetables are of desired consistency.

Autumn Crockpot? C'mon and get your Vegan on!

I love crockpot season. Basically, any time of year that isn't hot is crockpot season around here. This week's rainy weather has made comfort food a must.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 medium onions -- finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic -- finely minced

2 cups beluga lentils (or dupuy)
3 cups diced celery
1 small green cabbage, diced
2 cups diced sweet potatoes
1/4 cup dried mushrooms finely crumbled


1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp sea salt
black pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp marjoram

1 400 ml can coconut milk
2 cans water


directions:

1. layer ingredients in the order listed
2. pour the coconut milk on last
3. cook in the crockpot for 6 hours
4. stir well