Trying to get prepared for school year...healthy crock pot recipes please!

[Halcyon]

I need more recipes for my crock pot :) It helps my day IMMENSELY when I have something in the crock pot by noon, particularly since most afternoons we are out and about.

 

One of my favorite purchases this year was Indian Slow Cooker; my boys loved the lentil dahl. I would love to find other mostly vegetarian, easy to prepare recipes and would love to find some that others here have tried and loved.

 

Care to share?

[sassyscrapperinid]

:bigear:

[songbirdie]

Red Beans and Rice:

2 cups dry small red beans (Kidney beans are fine as a substitute; I live in the South so we use actual *red beans*, LOL!)

1 cup brown basmati rice (You can use white rice if you're not into the whole grains, but white tends to get all gummed up in the crockpot because of the long cooktimes, for me anyway.)

4 cups chicken broth (You can use vegetable broth. I use organic chicken broth with no msg.)

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp dried minced onion

1 tsp dried minced garlic

2 tsp salt (Sounds like alot, but this *grows* into a whole pot of food that feeds my family of 4 two meals.)

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

 

1. Rinse and sort beans. Cover with water in lg. pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for one hour. Drain.

2. Add ALL ingredients to crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

 

*Tip: Try it now before school starts. My previous crockpot took vastly different times to cook things than my current one, and I don't know what yours is like. Then you don't come home from a busy day during the school year and find it not fully cooked. If you use the brown rice, it seems to take longer than the beans to fully cook. If you use white, you may have to adjust the cook time shorter. ???

[songbirdie]

I also love to use the same general recipe above, but substitute the red beans with dry pintos or navy beans. Leave out the cumin and add 2 Tblsp curry powder and 1 cup raisins. This makes a WONDERFUL curry beans and rice!!

[Joyofsixreboot]

I was just checking this out since I will NOT be turning on the stove this week.

[songbirdie]

1 bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (4 cups)

2 cans navy or great northern beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, undrained

1 can (14 oz.) cream-style corn

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk (I use 2%)

1 med. onion, chopped (I use frozen, chopped onion when I have no time.)

1 package nitrate-free honey ham lunchmeat, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

 

Dump it all in and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on low for 3 to 4 hours. YUMMMMY!! The beans combined with the corn and potatoes combine to make a complete protein, so if you don't want the ham in there just leave it out. I'd add some other seasonings if you don't put it in though - maybe some onion powder and garlic powder and your favorite dried green herb seasoning. The ham really does flavor it, so definitely go with the seasonings.

[Matryoshka]

Red Beans and Rice:

2 cups dry small red beans (Kidney beans are fine as a substitute; I live in the South so we use actual *red beans*, LOL!)

1 cup brown basmati rice (You can use white rice if you're not into the whole grains, but white tends to get all gummed up in the crockpot because of the long cooktimes, for me anyway.)

4 cups chicken broth (You can use vegetable broth. I use organic chicken broth with no msg.)

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp dried minced onion

1 tsp dried minced garlic

2 tsp salt (Sounds like alot, but this *grows* into a whole pot of food that feeds my family of 4 two meals.)

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

 

1. Rinse and sort beans. Cover with water in lg. pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for one hour. Drain.

2. Add ALL ingredients to crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

 

*Tip: Try it now before school starts. My previous crockpot took vastly different times to cook things than my current one, and I don't know what yours is like. Then you don't come home from a busy day during the school year and find it not fully cooked. If you use the brown rice, it seems to take longer than the beans to fully cook. If you use white, you may have to adjust the cook time shorter. ???

 

This sounds dee-lish! A question - I tend to use canned beans because I'm too lazy to soak them overnight. If you do this in the crockpot, are you saying I can just dump the dry beans in without presoaking? That would save money!!

 

Also, could someone send me a picture of what these red beans look like? I have never seen them up here in the north. Red kidney beans yes. Red adzuki beans from Asia, yes - but not "red beans". If I can use them dry, maybe I could order them bulk? I've just been using the Kidney beans.

[Enough]

A friend tipped me off recently that you can cook dried beans in the crockpot, NO SOAKING/boiling. It blew my mind, but it works. (And is a lifesaver when you are really, really pressed for time.)

 

I usually make a big crock o' beans all at once... 4 cups, maybe? plus equivalent of water, cook on low all day, add seasonings (except for salt) about halfway through the cooking time. Check it about 1-2 hours before dinner and let it cook without the lid on if it's too watery. The first night we'll have something like burritos, and then throughout the week we might have rice and beans, or rice and bean salad (cold) etc.

 

You can cook garbanzos this way, too. Add curry powder/spices, maybe some tomato paste about halfway through cooking time (remove lid if needed about 1-2 hours before end of cooking time) and you'll have curried chickpeas by dinner time.

 

Now I'm hungry! :lol:

[songbirdie]

This sounds dee-lish! A question - I tend to use canned beans because I'm too lazy to soak them overnight. If you do this in the crockpot, are you saying I can just dump the dry beans in without presoaking? That would save money!!

 

Also, could someone send me a picture of what these red beans look like? I have never seen them up here in the north. Red kidney beans yes. Red adzuki beans from Asia, yes - but not "red beans". If I can use them dry, maybe I could order them bulk? I've just been using the Kidney beans.

 

Yes, totally dee-lish!

 

The step in the recipe is the substitute for the overnight soak: Cover rinsed beans in water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let them sit for 1 hour. Then they are ready to use as if you'd soaked them all night. This is the "quick soak" method for all dry beans.

 

Red beans: They are the size of dry pinto beans, but red. They are a little redder and less purple than a kidney bean, and round instead of kidney shaped. But if you have easy access to kidneys - go for it! To me, the red beans are softer and creamier without as tough an outer lining as the kidney, but kidneys are great too!

[gingersmom]

I need more recipes for my crock pot :) It helps my day IMMENSELY when I have something in the crock pot by noon, particularly since most afternoons we are out and about.

 

One of my favorite purchases this year was Indian Slow Cooker; my boys loved the lentil dahl. I would love to find other mostly vegetarian, easy to prepare recipes and would love to find some that others here have tried and loved.

 

Care to share?

 

I just ordered the cookbook. I never even knew an Indian cookbook existed. I am so excited. I sit in the bookstore and flip through them. Anything using cream of yuck soup is out for me.

[hsbaby]

My kids love this:

 

Chicken Lettuce Wraps:

4 chicken breasts

5 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 chopped onion

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 tsp. Ginger

2 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

 

Cook on low 8 hours, shred chicken, serve with rice wrapped in romaine. Yummy:)

[Tawlas]

I use this link a lot: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

 

she reviews each recipe and there are some real good'uns in the index list!

[hsbaby]

I use this link a lot: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

 

she reviews each recipe and there are some real good'uns in the index list!

 

:iagree: that's probably where I got my recipe....good stuff there!

[Halcyon]

I just ordered the cookbook. I never even knew an Indian cookbook existed. I am so excited. I sit in the bookstore and flip through them. Anything using cream of yuck soup is out for me.

 

 

It really is amazing. Keep in mind, you will need to buy a few indian spices. I bought stuff online: spent about 60 dollars, and have made about 12 meals so far from the cookbook and still have TONS of everything left-enough for another year or two (not the lentils etc, but definitely enough of the spices, chiles, etc.)

 

Enjoy.

[MicheleinMN]

:lurk5: