Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (26 page)

1.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the jalapeño, ginger, garlic, and cilantro until sizzling and aromatic, 2 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.

2.
Add the coriander through the stock and stir well.

3.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6 hours, or until the beans are tender.

4.
Add the vinegar through the green beans, cover, and cook for 2 hours, or until the beans are tender.

5.
Taste, season with the salt and pepper, and add maple syrup, if required.

NOTE
: Black bean sauce is usually found in the ethnic foods aisle with the Asian cooking sauces and marinades.

Potato and White Bean Curry

O
H, HAPPY ACCIDENT
!
In my original planning for this dish, there were not supposed to be any caraway seeds. I just grabbed the wrong spice jar in error and didn’t realize until too late. I felt the seeds worked with the other flavors, so I assumed the universe was speaking to me. A word of warning: This dish is not very saucy. If you think more is better when it comes to liquid, after the beans are cooked add more coconut milk to reach your desired consistency.

Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 10 minutes

6 medium white potatoes, peeling optional, cut into ½-inch cubes

1½ teaspoons cumin

1½ teaspoons curry powder, your preferred heat

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ to 1 teaspoon chile flakes, or more to taste

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¹
/
₈
teaspoon caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

¾ cup dry navy beans (or any other white beans besides cannellini or white kidney), soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained

½ medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1¼ cups canned coconut milk

3 cups vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
 

¾ cup frozen peas
 

Salt, black pepper, and hot sauce

Additional stock or water, as required

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Combine the potatoes through the stock in the slow cooker.

2.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 7 hours, or until the beans and potatoes are just tender.

3.
Stir in the peas and cook for 1 hour.

4.
Remove the bay leaf. Taste and season with the salt, pepper, and hot sauce as required. Adjust the liquid to reach your desired consistency, if necessary.

Cauliflower and Cashew Korma

A
H, CHICKEN KORMA
,
a favorite for Indian takeout. A very nonauthentic curry—English rather than Indian—it is a mildly spiced, rich, creamy (usually using both coconut cream and heavy cream) dish, often with added nuts, that just cries out for being made vegan. No meat substitute—I allowed the cauliflower and the cashews to really star. It is every bit as heavy and delicious as the original, or so I have been told. Although this ingredient is farther down the ingredients list, remember to soak 1 cup of cashews the night before you make this dish. If your food processor or blender doesn’t get the cashews entirely smooth, don’t despair; the sauce is fine with a little texture, especially when served over rice. Use the remaining cauliflower to make a soup such as Lentil, Cauliflower, and Potato (
page 79
).

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes

½ cup raw cashews, unsoaked (see Note)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon mustard seeds
 

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cardamom

2 teaspoons Tandoori Spice Mix (
page 53
), or other mild or medium curry powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper
 

1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 8 hours or overnight, drained, and rinsed
 

¾ cup vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

1½ cups canned coconut milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch
 

½ medium head cauliflower, cut into medium florets
 

3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
 

Salt and black pepper

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the ½ cup of cashews until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and reserve.

2.
In the same skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and sauté the onion through the mustard seeds for 5 minutes, or until they are soft and very aromatic. Add the coriander through the black pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Transfer to the slow cooker.

3.
Meanwhile, pulse the 1 cup of soaked cashews in a food processor or powerful blender until they reach a paste-like consistency. Add the stock through the cornstarch and blend until smooth and creamy.

4.
Add the cauliflower and blended nut mix to the slow cooker and stir well to combine. Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 5 hours, or until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce has thickened.

5.
Stir in the toasted cashews and the cilantro, taste, and season with the salt and pepper as required.

NOTE
: You can use roasted cashews and skip step 1.

Shiitake and Chickpea Curry

N
OT A TRUE
curry in the sense that it contains no curry spices, but this lightly heat-spiced coconut-based stew fits better in this section than any other. It’s also wonderful if served over rice, just like a curry. The mushrooms, retaining a little chewiness, provide an interesting texture contrast to the tender beans and rich, creamy sauce. Add thawed frozen green peas or other vegetables along with the oyster mushrooms if you’d like to add some vegetable love. If you’re a mushroom hater, don’t write this recipe off just yet; you can make it without them and call it Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry instead.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes, divided

1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed (see Note)

One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeling optional

1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and crushed

4 cups water
 

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 red Asian chile pepper, seeds removed, minced

1 teaspoon tamarind paste

1 teaspoon agave

¼ teaspoon chile flakes, optional

¼ medium finely chopped sweet potato

6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stalks removed, caps cut into ½-inch dice

½ cup vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

1½ cups canned coconut milk
 

4 ounces oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon salt
 

1 tablespoon cornstarch
 

Mung bean sprouts, optional

Salt, black pepper, and Asian hot sauce

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Combine the chickpeas through the water in the slow cooker. Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 8 hours, or until the chickpeas are tender.

2.
Turn off the slow cooker, drain, and discard the ginger and lemongrass. Return the chickpeas to the slow cooker.

3.
Add the garlic through the coconut milk to the slow cooker, cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 4 hours, or until the sweet potato and shiitake mushrooms are tender.

4.
Add the oyster mushrooms and salt, stir well, and cook 1 hour.

5.
Make a slurry of the cornstarch and a little water. Stir into the curry to thicken.

6.
Serve garnished with mung bean sprouts, if desired, and season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.