Squash and couscous in the slow cooker - vegan

2/3 cup chopped, dried apricots
1 1/2 cups boiling water
6 cups cubed butternut squash (1" pieces)
7 ounce box of lemon and spinach couscous ( I used Casbah brand)
2 tbsp pine nuts or hemp seeds

Combine apricot and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain, reserve 1 cup of the water. Transfer apricots to 4 to 5 quart slow cooker.

Add squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low 6 - 7 hours, or, on High 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until tender.

Combine couscous with reserved water. Add to squash mixture. Stir gently. Cook covered, on High,  for 10 minutes, until couscous is tender and water is absorbed.

Sprinkle with pine or  nuts of hemp seeds.
Makes 7 cups

1 cup 270 calories, 5.7 grams fat (2.2 Sat) 54 carbohydrate, 6 g fibre, 7 g protein, 375 mg sodium.

Slow cooker Barley Primavera Casserole (dairy)

This is a slow cooker meal that requires an additional step 30 minutes before serving. Creamy and filling with a rich flavour and a nice chewy bite from the barley,  it was a nice dinner all on its own.


Ingredients
2 cups pot barley
6 cups water
3 bouillon cubes
4 cups mixed vegetables.  I used a frozen Italian mix that I thawed.
1 1/2 cups Alfredo pasta sauce


Put the barley, water and bouillon cubes into the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 - 6 hours, or, 2 1/2 - 3 hours on high. Stir in the vegetables and Alfredo sauce and heat for another 30 minutes. Serve.


Makes 12 cups.
1 cup 270 calories, 12.7 fat ( 5.8 sat), 34 g. carbohydrate, 6 g. fibre, 6 g. protein, 577 mg sodium

Vegetarian Chili in the slow cooker - Fast and Easy recipe

2 cups kidney beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 large can diced tomato
1 tsp - tbsp chili powder
1 bouillon cube of choice
2 cups diced celery, carrot and onion, any proportion to taste
1 tbsp minced garlic


Put it all in the slow cooker ( I use frozen vegetables and frozen kidney beans). Set on low and leave 6+ hours. Serve by itself or over grain of choice.

Slow Cooker Curried Chickpeas

Prep time 5 minutes
Serves 6 - 8


1 large can (28 ounce) diced tomato
1 can chickpeas
1 tbsp curry powder
1 bell pepper, red yellow or green diced
2 cups Spaghetti Blend frozen vegetables (onion/carrot/celery)
1 bouillion cube, any flavour.


Place all ingredients in slow cooker and set on Low, overnight, or for the day.
Serve with grain of choice ( brown rice, whole wheat couscous, quinoa, whole oat groats, millet).

Plant Inc.

Saw the movie Food Inc. While most of the material was familiar to me, it was still provocative and informative. If you are reading here you likely already eat close to home, less processed and out of sync with the mainstream North American diet. If you live in the US check here  to see when the film is coming to an area close to you.

Samosa stuffed baked potato

From Veganomicom, this is something to think about making if you have some leftover baked potatoes. Essentially a scooped out potato with the filling mixed with spices, and then placed back in the potato skin shell.

4 large baked potatoes cooled
1/4 cup soy unsweetened non dairy milk, water or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon oil
1 tsp yellow mustard seed
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1 cup diced  onion
1 cup diced carrot
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup frozen peas
juice of 1 lemon

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out insides leaving about 1/2 inch of potato in skin. Mash the potato insides with the milk and set aside the skins.

Preheat oven to 400 F

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, Add mustard seeds and coriander seeds. The mustard seeds should start to pop. If not, turn heat up a bit. Keep a lid on the pan and let them pop for about a minute. Add the onions and carrot and saute for 7 - 10 minutes or until onion begins to brown.

Add garlic and ginger, cumin, turmeric and salt and continue to saute. Add a splash of water if it seem dry. Add potatoes and mix well in pan. Add a bit more water if it looks too dry. Cook until potatoes are heated through, then add frozen peas, and cook until those are heated. Add the lemon juice and stir in until  well incorporated.

Scoop and press  the filling into the potato shells. Place potato halves on a baking sheet  and bake for 20 minutes. Serve.

Quinoa, black bean and mango salad

I like the combination of flavours in the recipes  in a new cookbook by Moskowitz and Romero, Veganomicon. This one is very  easy and can be any mix of grain, fruit and bean that appeals.

1 mango, peeled and small diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and small diced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup scallions, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons oil (optional)
2 cups, quinoa, cooked
1 (19 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups beans

Combine everything but the bean and quinoa in a bowl and mix together. Then add quinoa and stir into well coated. Fold in black beans. Can be served immediately or let sit, for favours to meld