Check out my progress on Crock Pot S.O.S.
This past weekend, due to some Christmas money from Santa and a crazy-good sale at Macy’s, I purchased my very own Crock Pot.
I feel so domestic.
The trouble is, however, that I don’t have any recipes. The cookbook provided with the appliance devotes all of two pages to “Vegetarian” recipes, none of which particularly appeal to my veggie-lovin’ taste-buds. The rest of the recipes involve roasting the shank of some animal; while tasty I’m sure, these are not exactly the type of dishes I envisioned making with my Crock Pot. The only time I’ve ever used a slow cooker is when I borrowed my mom’s neglected machine to make Pumpkin Oatmeal. We all know that I love my oats, but there have got to be more options for slow cooker-cookery.
Accordingly, I ask you this: What’s your favorite Crock Pot/slow cooker recipe?
In light of my Crock Pot conundrum, I stuck to my tried and true gadgets today to make some tasty meals…
For breakfast, I put a few Costco purchases to use as oat bran toppers. Dried blueberries and almond butter make quite a glorious combo.
Lunch was Ellie recipe #3, Edamame Hummus with Spiced Pita Chips. This dip is quite similar to my own Edamummus, with some minor modifications in the spice department.
My immersion blender was dirty, so I prepared the hummus is the regular blender. He’s been bored lately due to the cessation of my smoothie habit.
The end result was a surprisingly creamy goop with an interesting blend of spices. I need to use coriander and cumin together more often! You can watch Ellie make this recipe on FoodNetwork.com: Spicy Edamame Hummus
After a hugely successful TJ Maxx run, I returned home to make my favorite veggie plate: salsa black beans, roasted broccoli, and spaghetti squash.
Before I go, I want to draw your attention to the left sidebar–I’ve devoted a new page to The Ellie Project, so you can check out my progress on the recipes in case you missed a post or two:)
Alright, I am off to bake some pumpkin muffins!
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
LOVE LOVE LOVE crockpots! somewhere in the depths of my email, i have a killer link to a million crockpot recipes. most of them are with meat, but there is a HUGE vegetarian section. will promptly find that and send it ovaaaaa
BroccoliHut Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
That would be awesome! Thanks in advance, my friend.
I don’t have a crock pot because the recipes normally feed an army. LOL. I prefer to cook anyways
the edamame hummus sounds amazing!!!
Aww I miss the smoothies! We have an ancient crockpot but I’ve never used it. I say make some chili!
BroccoliHut Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Yeah, I kinda miss the smoothies too–maybe I’ll get back in the habit again. But first, I need to re-stock my frozen fruit supply!
I have been on the Ellie re-run kick recently– SOOOO extremely sad she doesn’t do her cooking show anymore! She, along with Giada Di Laurentiis would have to be my fav food-network cooks
I received _Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker_ by Robin Robertson for Christmas this year and am looking forward to making a bunch of the recipes in my crockpot, which has been hidden away for quite awhile. I haven’t tried any yet, but you might want to check it out from the library or at a bookstore if you’re looking for ideas!
BroccoliHut Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Great info! I will definitely check out the cookbook–perfect for my needs.
Soups and stews are good for the crockpot! I actually didn’t do very well with the crockpot when I tried. There was something off about the flavors of the foods I cooked in there that did not please me. Also, since I got a large one (and it was only me and my husband at the time), it was hard to make smaller portions and I would end up with tons of food. The one I had needed to be filled up to a minimum.
I hope you have good luck with your slow cooker Caroline!
I am really enjoying seeing the Ellie recipes, I am a total fan of hers!
Can’t wait to hear what you think of her pumpkin muffins, we love it around here! I usually make it with “flax eggs” and either soy or almond milk and it comes out delicious every time!
Ana
BroccoliHut Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
The pumpkin muffins were a huge hit! I’ll have to veganize them next time and see how they taste.
Hope you enjoy your crockpot! I have one, but I rarely use it. I definitely think it’s a great way to make healthful meals in a time crunch.
Your edamame hummus looks really good. I’ve never tried to make soy hummus before; it kind of looks like guac!
i totally need a crockpot. i keep seeing slow cooker recipes popping up that i need in my life
The only thing I ever make in the crockpot is soup and chili! Chili is my FAVORITE! If you get the spices right and add your favorite beans and veggies, it makes a delicious meal!
haha my crock pot makes me feel domestic, too. hooray!
BroccoliHut Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Yee-haw for domestic divas.
I LOVE crockpots – but after switching to my vegetarian diet, I didn’t find them AS useful (and still don’t). However, they are great for cooking dried beans – and I LOVE beans. You can put them in overnight, and the consistency is perfect. Likewise, the crock pot is great for chili’s and other soups, excluding those with pasta, as they will overcook, which is a taste I do not particularly enjoy! My favorite crockpot recipe is my posole. I do not exactly follow a recipe – but here is a rough estimation of what I put in it!
Posole:
1 large yellow onion chopped and sauted with four cloves of minced garlic (before putting in the crockpot)
1 large can of white or yellow hominy (I like mine mostly drained and rinsed).
4 c of vegetable stock
Mexican chili powder to taste
Cumin to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Put ingredients in crock pot and let cook on low heat for 6+ hours, or until hominy is at the desired level of doneness. Serve with fresh cilantro, more chili powder, chopped yellow onions, and lemons (everyone can add their desired amounts of ingredients individually).
The recipe seems quite simple – and it is. Some people also add cabbage for the last 30 minutes, or other beans (I would recommend kidney beans). I personally like it just like this.
Let me know what you think!
BroccoliHut Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Great recipe! Thanks so much–can’t wait to try it!
I can never advance plan long enough to use our crockpot, but I’ve seen some recipes for crockpot “apple crisp” that I bet would smell just amazing while its slowly cooking!
BroccoliHut Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Whoa, that sounds seriously delicious! Googling it as I type…
This is why reading your blog is so entertaining: “The rest of the recipes involve roasting the shank of some animal; while tasty I’m sure, these are not exactly the type of dishes I envisioned making with my Crock Pot.”
Hahaha you are so funny! I don’t have crockpot recipes either – the only thing i can think of is throwing all the ingredients for a veggie chili into the crockpot and then walking away for the day and let it do its thing! Chili tastes best anyway when it has been sittin’ for a while, so I bet the crockpot would be a vast improvement over eating freshly made stovetop chili right after making it!
BroccoliHut Reply:
January 5th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Ha! I’m glad at least someone besides me thinks I’m funny.
Veggie chili is def going on the list of Crock Pot recipes!