Crockpot Cooking: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes

Something for everyone can be found on Crockpot Cooking: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes because vegetables are not only for vegans and vegetarians, but for meat lovers too.    Cooking vegetables in a crockpot can be quick, easy, and simple.  For example butternut and winter squash (spaghetti squash) can be washed, placing the whole plant in the crock pot, and cooked on low for 6 to 7 hours.   As one can see vegetarian cooking can be made simple by throwing everything in the crockpot; and coming back hours later to a hot meal.

I am not a vegetarian or vegan; however, the food pyramid requires that an individual have 3 to 5 servings of vegetables daily. The above picture is a great vegetable soup with a little meat in it. Of course if your family prefers strictly vegetarian, then this can be prepared without any meat and just vegetables.

Presently, crockpots are relatively inexpensive, which can allow one to have multiple slow cookers. Ideally if you have two or three cockpits you could fix a complete dinner of vegetables, an entrée of meat or a tofu dish, and a dessert. Throughout this series I have revealed to you different steps and techniques that can assist one in saving time and money while preparing delicious and nutritious meals.

Here are some additional ways to make crockpot cooking a breeze:

Cooking time can be extended – If you are away from home for more than the allotted time required to cook a certain dish, try plugging you crockpot into a digital timer and set it to be turned on at a time that will have the meal hot when you arrive home.  

Make preparations the day before – One dish meals can be prepared the night before for cooking the next morning.  Place ingredients in a bowl or the crockpot itself, place in the refrigerator and start the crock before leaving the next morning.  This step may require an extra hour of cooking time.

Timely meals via using both crockpot and stovetop - One can also utilize time by keeping in mind that some vegetables like beans or potatoes like to be slow cooked. However, carrots or canned vegetables will not require much preparation.   So slow cook some ingredients while microwaving or using the stovetop for other ingredients.

Save time by cooking an additional meal - If you have a large slow cooker, while cooking beans, vegetable soups, and other dishes, double the recipe and freeze the additional meal for a quick meal on another day.

According to mypyramid.gov, health benefits from eating vegetables are that they may reduce risks of:

• Type 2 Diabetes
  
• Cardiovascular diseases, such a stroke
• Mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum cancers
• Developing kidney stones and assist in reducing bone loss

2 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 4 oz. can diced green chilies, undrained

1 tbs. chili powder or cayenne pepper

2 tsp. dried oregano or thyme

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup water

Instructions - Place all ingredients into the crockpot and stir in water last.  Cover and cook in a 2 ½ to 5 quart slow cooker on low for 5 to 6 hours or until the vegetables are tender.

Alternatives – Feel free to replace the northern beans with your favorite beans that have similar cooking time.  Also, note that one can use dried beans just was and soak beans properly. You can find those instructions on Crockpot Cooking: Organic Beans and Rice.  This is an example of a meal that could be placed in the crockpot the night before and turned on in the morning.

This concludes Crockpot Cooking: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes. I hope you’ve found this hub useful in providing some inexpensive recipes that you and your family will enjoy. Remember for the most part the recipes on the videos are different from the recipes I’ve given therefore you might like to bookmark this hub for future reference.

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