Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (48 page)
Read Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking Online
Authors: Carla Kelly
You can also use this as a stuffing for vegetables, such as red bell peppers, hollowed-out zucchini, or portobello mushrooms. Stuff the rice into the vegetable then top with bread and grated vegan cheese, if desired. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350°F.
Bread Crust Stuffing
I
F YOU ARE
anything like me you have bags of bread crusts in your freezer, often left there for ages and in need of using up (bread crumbs to the rescue, but that is another story). This recipe is a perfect holiday-inspired way to do so. You don’t have to use just crusts, and the bread can be whatever sort you like, even gluten free. I use mixed salted, roasted nuts since we often have bags of them around at holiday time and it is easier than roasting and salting my own. If you have specific nut likes or dislikes (or allergies), use whatever you prefer, even if you have to roast and salt your own. If your slow cooker has a hot spot, partway through the cooking time turn the insert to avoid an overcooked patch.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 10 minutes
¾ cup mixed salted, roasted nuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon white pepper
7 cups bread crusts cut into ½-inch pieces (about 10 slices)
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
Salt and black pepper
1.
Line the slow cooker insert with 2 sheets of foil placed in opposite directions with some hanging over the edge to use as handles when removing. Spray with a little nonstick spray.
2.
In a large bowl toss together the nuts through the bread crusts.
3.
Drizzle the oil and stock over the top and mix well with your hands.
4.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required. Mix well.
5.
Transfer the stuffing mix to the slow cooker and press down until even.
6.
Cover, set heat to HIGH, and cook for 3 hours, or until the edges and bottom are firm and crisp with the center still a little moist.
7.
Remove the stuffing using the foil handles and let stand for 10 minutes prior to peeling off the foil and serving.
Squash and Cranberry Bake
T
HIS IS A
perfect dish for days like Thanksgiving, when you are running around trying to organize seven dishes so everyone in your family has at least one dish they like. Breathe. Relax. Get this dish started, then get busy with something else. The result is a little sweet, a little tart, and a lovely addition to your meal.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise, peeled, seeded, and sliced widthwise ¼-inch thick
¼ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
¼ cup dried cranberries
1
/
3
cup orange juice
1
/
3
cup soy creamer, store-bought or homemade (
page 56
)
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon orange zest
1
/
8
teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch each salt and black pepper
Toasted pumpkin seeds, optional
1.
Layer the squash in the slow cooker in alternating directions with the dried and fresh cranberries sprinkled between the layers. Use the smaller pieces from the bulbous seed end as the top layers since they won’t take as long to cook. Ensure the layers are even and the cranberries well distributed, producing about 5 layers depending on the dimensions of your slow cooker.
2.
In a small bowl, mix the juice through the pepper and pour over the squash. It will reach about halfway up the squash.
3.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 3 hours, or until the squash is tender.
4.
Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds, if desired, just prior to serving.
To Serve With
A
LTHOUGH MOST OF
the dishes in the preceding chapters stand alone and make a meal in themselves, sometimes it is nice to have a little something on the side—be it a grain, a bread, or additional vegetables. That is where this chapter comes in—dishes made conventionally to complement the wonderful meal you have been lovingly simmering for hours in your slow cooker. Many of these are also one-dish dishes, and very quick and easy, so no excuses after work or the gym! Many recipes that take a little longer can be made in advance and whipped out or reheated when you are ready to serve.
I tried to indicate on each recipe what sorts of meals they would best complement, even if it is just as simple as “best with meals in the Curries and Asian-Inspired Dishes chapter.” As always, use your discretion and mix and match to your heart’s content!
Starchy Vegetables and Grains
When you want to add more bulk to your meal, head to these recipes. From potatoes to go with a hearty “meaty” stew to rice to accompany a spicy curry, here are tasty options.
Garlic and Onion Mashed Potatoes
Couscous with Dried Apricots and Pistachios
Israeli Couscous with Almonds and Parsley
Colorful Cooked Vegetables
These are quick-cooking accompaniments from a range of vegetables to add a splash of color, and extra nutrition, to your plate. Casseroles and stews are all very well, but sometimes you need some brightness!
Zesty Broccoli with Pine Nuts and Poached Garlic
Broccoli in Tahini and Mustard Sauce
Citrus and Poppy Seed Green Beans
Maple-Touched Chili Brussels Sprouts
Savoy Cabbage with raisins and pecans
Salads
What would a BBQ-inspired dish be without a side of coleslaw? According to everything I’ve seen on the Food Network, not worth eating! Here’s a range of make-ahead slaws and salads that will be ready when you are.
Sauces and Condiments
What is “Not-Meat” Loaf (
page 162
) or Nut Roast (
page 164
) without gravy?
Savory Baked Goods
Fancy something to dunk into your soup or serve alongside your chili or stew? Look no further. From fast and simple quick breads to more time-consuming (but great to make ahead and store) yeast breads, there’s something to fill your every craving.
Oregano and Sun-Dried Tomato Rolls
Herbed Caramelized Onion Mini Loaves
Baked Garlic Potatoes
W
HO’D HAVE THOUGHT
two ingredients could create such flavor, such a creamy texture in the simple potato? You need to try this way of baking potatoes; it is so good. Add salt and pepper to taste as you eat them, and, if you would like, a little vegan margarine or vegan sour cream, but I don’t think they need anything else. Great served with a chili, so check out your favorite from that chapter. This is our favorite way to bake potatoes on the barbecue in the summertime! Just prepare as directed, heat the barbecue, and cook over indirect heat until tender. For leftovers, fully slice the potato along the partial cuts and panfry in a little oil until crisp and golden.