On my last crockpot themed recipe exchange, you guys shared a lot of great ideas and recipes – thank you all!
Today, I wanted to send out a call for pareve or dairy recipes (no meat or chicken) that work in the crockpot. On the KOAB Facebook page, there was some discussion after I posted about the $10 crockpot on Amazon as to why I’d want one for dairy.
Well, here’s the deal: Crockpots make your life easier. Much easier. Many slow cooker recipes don’t require you to do anything more than chop, dump and push a button. By 10 a.m., your dinner can be prepared and all you have left to do is toss a salad.
We love using our meat crockpot for making cholent or chicken soup on Shabbat. Sometimes I even use it to make a lovely beef in red wine stew on Friday nights.
But during the week, we prefer to eat primarily dairy. It saves money, plus we’re so used to it now, that on the rare occasion we do eat meat for a weekday dinner, we all feel kind of over-stuffed when we’re done.
The question is: Can I combine the convenience of a crockpot with our preference for non-meat meals during the week? You bet I can!
Here are five things I do in my pareve crockpot:
1. Make up a big batch of tomato sauce, then freeze it in pareve tuppewares, so I can use it for either a dairy or meat meal. When I pull out my last tupperware from the freezer, I know it’s time to put a new batch of sauce into the crockpot.
2. Make up chickpeas and beans, then freeze them in ziploc bags for use in either dairy or meat meals. We usually have pinto beans, which are great for burritos or “refried” beans; and black beans, which I like for cold salads or beans and rice.
3. Make vegetarian cholent – Sephardi style, with all the ingredients in separate bags.
4. Make Indian style curries and soups, like Quinoa and Red Lentil Soup…. yum!
5. Make vegetarian chili, topped with corn bread, shredded cheese and real sour cream.
We eat kosher-style, so I am not entirely sure about labels, but here is one of two dairy recipes we like: Rigatoni and Cheese (serves 6 unless you have teens like us, then 4.)
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (10oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed black peppercorns ( I think last time I just added ground pepper.)
3 cups rigatoni, cooked until barely tender
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (Mine are in a box, not fresh.)
2 tbsp. butter melted
1. Lightly grease slow cooker insert
2. Combine tomatoes, soup, oregano, salt and peppercorns
3. Combine rigatoni, cheddar cheese and tomato mixture. Add to slow cooker insert
4. In a bowl, mix together Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over rigatoni. Drizzle with butter.
5. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for 8 hours. (My cooker runs hot/quick, so I always check this recipe early to not burn the ends of pasta.)
The credit for this recipe goes to Stephanie @ http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
Sweet & Sour Tofu
The Ingredients. -1 lb extra firm tofu, drained
– 4 cups fresh vegetables (I used 2 bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli)
– 1/2 white onion, chopped
– 1 T corn starch
– 10 oz jar of La Choy sweet and sour sauce
– 1/2 T water
– 1 T butter
The Directions.
You know how in Chinese restaurants the tofu is always really crispy on the outside and has a nice texture? I learned a trick last week to help create that at home without deep-frying. Cube your tofu, and put it in a zipper bag with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Shake the tofu until it’s coated completely in cornstarch.
Then fry on the stove on medium heat in a tablespoon of butter. Resist the urge to flip the tofu often. Let it get a nice crusty coat before turning.
While that’s cooking, wash and trim your vegetables and add to the crockpot. When the tofu is done, put it in also. Pour the entire bottle of sweet and sour sauce on top of the tofu and vegetables.
Add a 1/2 tablespoon of water to the “empty” jar, and shake. Pour the contents on top. Toss gingerly.
Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.
This is finished when the vegetables have reached desired consistency. We like the veggies to have a crunch, so I didn’t let it cook very long. The broccoli was not very crisp, but the onion, bell pepper, and carrot still were al dente.
I don’t like the way the peppers taste so I put in mushrooms and canned baby corn instead. You can use whatever veggies you like and try different things. I tried eggplant once but I didn’t like the results.
Ooooh, I’ve got the best artichoke dip recipe. It’s from tasteofhome.com. I don’t know that this would be so good for a dinner meal (although I’d eat it for that), but it’s awesome to serve at a party.
2 cans artichoke hearts, chopped
2 cups shredded mozz cheese
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup parm cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup swiss (I sometimes just add an extra cup of mozz, since kosher swiss is $$$)
2 T lemon juice
2 T yogurt – plain
1 T salt (I use less)
1 T chopped jalapeno pepper, seeded (I omit)
1 t garlic powder
Combine ingredients in 3-qt slow cooker (mine is not this small and it’s fine). Cover and cook on low for an hour. Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips or cut-up veggies. YUM!
How to make a brand-new pareve crockpot dairy
OR “What do you mean–the cholent is dairy????”
A True Story.
Make vegetarian cholent. Use all of your normal ingredients (whatever they are), except the meat. Substitute Morningstar crumbles.
Enjoy!
I bought my dairy crockpot specifically to make yogurt in it, thanks to Crockpot Lady’s blogpost: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html
It’s amazing and I love it. Now another friend does it because I introduced her to it.
This week for the first time I made a non-yogurt dish in my dairy crockpot (also as part of my famous meal-planning attempts) – I made Mexican Lasagna in the crockpot using a Family Circle mag recipe. It was ok – not a huge fan of it – but I totally loved the ease and I loved knowing all day that my dinner was already ready. I have the meat for dinner tonight sitting in the crockpot, already done, at home…love it…
The second of my pasta recipes for the crockpot. Both come from a very old, stained magazine “Women’s Day Specials: Slow Cooking” from Fall 2003: Mediterranean Pierogies (serves 4 exactly in my house with a side.)
1 pkg. (16.9 oz.) frozen pierogies
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes with basil and oregano, undrained
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. finely chopped garlic ( I use refrigerated minced garlic. )
1/4 cup sliced black olives (Tastes fine without these; we don’t eat olives.)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Remove pierogies from freezer and thaw in refrigerator.
2. In slow cooker, stir together the tomatoes, onion, olive oil, garlic and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours. (My crockpot runs hot/quick, so I only ever cook this for 6 hours.)
3. Stir in olives, vinegar, and thawed pierogies. Turn heat to High and cook until pierogies are heated through., about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Serve sprinkled with Paresan Cheese.
(These are from a wide variety of sources, that I keep in my recipe inbox. Sorry I can’t give them all credit. I’m vegan, but I’ll sometimes pull non-vegan recipes and just veganize them as I go. So you might see “chicken broth” or something in the recipes – just change that to vegetable broth.)
Not Your Usual Baked Beans
Ingredients:
1/2 lb of navy beans
1 onion, chopped (sweet ones like Videlia or Texas would be good here)
4 cups fresh carrot juice (more or less, see method)
Pick over and rinse the beans. Put them in a crockpot or slow cooker. Top with diced onions. Pour carrot juice in to cover the beans plus one inch. Cover and soak overnight. In the morning, cook on high in the slow cooker for 4 hours, then turn down to low for another 4 hours. If you need to leave the house, you could also cook them on low the whole time.
These smell and taste like baked beans, but have no salt, no sugar, and no additives. For a less sweet version, you can substitute no salt vegetable broth for half the carrot juice.
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Crockpot Falafel
– 1 15oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
– 1/2 onion, chopped
-1 T dried parsley
– 2 cloves minced garlic
– 1 egg (I would use a “flax egg” or some other binder here)
– 1 t kosher salt
– 1/4 t black pepper
– 2 t ground cumin
– 1 t ground coriander
– 1/4 t cayenne pepper
– juice from 1 lemon
– 1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs
– 2 T olive oil (for the bottom of your crock)
Drain garbanzo beans. Dump them into a mixing bowl and smash them with a fork. Set aside.
Get out your blender or food processor. Blend together all of the spices, the onion, the garlic, the egg, and the lemon juice.
Pour on top of your smashed garbanzo beans. Use your fork to mix together, and add the breadcrumbs slowly until the mixture is wet and sticky but can be formed into balls nicely. I needed 3/4 of a cup of breadcrumbs.
Pour 2 T of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert.
Form squished golf-ball sized patties of falafel. Dip each side into the olive oil and then nestle into your crockpot. It’s okay if they overlap or are on top of each other.
Cook on high for 2-5 hours. Ours cooked on high for 3.5 hours–you will know that the falafels are done when they turn brownish-golden. You can flip them halfway through the cooking time if you feel like it, but they will brown on top even without flipping.
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White Bean and Tomato Soup
8 oz baby carrots, cut lengthwise into quarters
1 small onion, diced
1 medium leek, white part only, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried thyme
4 cups cooked white beans
28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz frozen spinach
In a medium skillet heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium high heat. Add carrots, onion, and leek and saute until beginning to soften. Add in garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and saute a minute more. Transfer veggies to slow cooker, add beans, tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir to combine and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. During last 5-10 minutes of cooking add in frozen spinach. Remove bay leaves and serve hot, topped with jumbo croutons.
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Pumpkin Oatmeal Crockpot Recipe
Ingredients:
– 1 15 oz can of canned pumpkin OR 3 cups of fresh pumpkin (peeled, seeded, and cut into small cubes)
– 5 cups water
– 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
– 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
– 1 tbsp brown sugar
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp nutmeg
– 1/2 tsp salt
OPTIONAL: Garnish with a few dried cranberries, for a fabulous taste and display
Directions:
Combine everything in a crock pot, cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir well before serving.
NOTE: If you use the canned pumpkin instead of the fresh, your oatmeal texture will be creamier and more like a chunky puree.
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Moroccan Lentil Stew
Ingredients:
* 1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
* 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
* 10 small new red potatoes, cubed
* 1 onion, chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 Tbsp. curry powder
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/8 tsp. white pepper
* 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
* 2 cups water
* 8 oz. pkg. frozen cut green beans, thawed
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except green beans in a 3-4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until lentils, squash, and potatoes are tender when tested with knife. Increase heat to high setting. Stir in thawed green beans, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until mixture is thoroughly heated and beans are tender. 6 servings
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Tofu Spinach Manicotti in the crockpot
12 shells- 4 to 6 servings
olive oil to coat crockpot
1/2 cup (1 medium) onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning; or 1/2 tsp each dry basil, marjoram,oregano, and thyme
1 lb soft tofu, rinsed and well drained
1 (10 oz ) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry OR 1 pound fresh spinach, chopped, cooked and drained
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese or Soy or Rice based parmesan substitute
2 pinches ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
12 dry manicotti shells (about 6 oz total)
1 quart (2 15 oz cans) tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or Daiya vegan mozzarella-style cheese)
In a 5 qt or larger slow cooker, coat crockpot with oil. Combine onion, celery, garlic, and herb seasoning and make a layer in the bottom of the tub.
In a large bowl combine tofu, spinach, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper; mix well. Stuff uncooked manicotti with tofu filling.
Arrange filled manicotti in a single layer over onion mixture in cooker. In bowl you used for filling, mix tomato sauce and wine; pour over manicotti.
Cover and cook on low setting until manicotti are tender when pierced (4 to 6 hours). Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Increase heat setting to high; cover and cook until cheese is melted (about 15 more minutes).
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Crockpot Eggplant and Tomato Stew with Garbanzo Beans
(You could use fire roasted tomatoes).
1 medium eggplant, peeled — cut in 1/2″ cubes
2 cups chopped tomato
1 1/2 cups sliced carrot
15 ounces garbanzo beans, canned — drained
8 ounces red kidney beans, canned — rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery
3 cloves garlic — minced
3 cups vegetable broth
6 ounces tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano — crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil — crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
1. In a 3 1/2, 4 or 5-quart crockpot, combine eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, onion, celery and garlic.
2. Combine vegetable broth, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and bay leaf. Pour over vegetables.
3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Discard bay leaf. Makes 6 servings.
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Three Bean Cassoulet
* 1 cup dried lima beans
* 1 cup dried great Northern beans
* 1 cup dried garbanzo beans
* 4-1/2 cups water
* 16 oz. bag baby carrots
* 1 onion, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
* 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
* 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/8 tsp. white pepper
* 1 bay leaf
* 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
Preparation:
Cover beans with cold water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain beans. Combine drained beans, 4-1/2 cups water, carrots, onion, garlic and seasonings except salt, tomatoes, and tomato paste in 3-1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 8-9 hours or until beans and vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt, cover, and cook 1 hour longer on low. Remove bay leaf before serving. 4 servings
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Robin Robertson’s Slow Phở (recipe from Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker)
serves 4
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 small green chile, seeded and chopped
3 slices fresh ginger
2 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 Tbsp. tamari or other soy sauce
5 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
4 oz. seitan, cut into strips
3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. barley miso paste, dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water
6 oz. dried rice noodles, soaked 15 minutes in cold water to soften, then drained
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts for garnish
4 scallions, chopped, for garnish
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
1. In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, chile, ginger, anise, cinnamon stick, tamari, and stock; cover and cook on Low for 6 hours.
2. Meanwhile or beforehand, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the seitan strips, and brown on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Strain the stock and return the broth to the cooker.
4. In a small bowl, combine the hoisin, lime juice, and miso paste mixture, then add to the broth. Stir in the drained rice sticks and seitan and cook 10 minutes longer, or until the rice sticks are soft.
5. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the bean sprouts, scallions, and cilantro.
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Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
1/2 pound dry black beans
3 quarts water
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dry lentils
1 (14 oz) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 TBS chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 TBS red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup uncooked rice
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, place the beans in three times their volume of water. Bring to a boil, and let boil for 10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rince.
2. In a slow cooker, combine soaked beans and 3 cups fresh water. Cover and cook for 3 hours on HIGH.
3. Stir in carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bell peppers, lentils, and tomatoes. Season with chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, red wine vinegar, and salt. Cook on low for 3 hours. Stir the rice into the slow cooker- and continue to cook on Low until rice is cooked.
4. Puree about half of the soup with a blender or food processor, then pour back into the pot before serving.
This is the most flavorful black bean soup I have ever made. It is so yummy with tomato and avocado on top. My kids love to eat this the day after as a dip with tortilla chips.
You rock, JL! I am so excited about all of these, I don’t know where to start. Who knew you could make falafal in the crock pot! Are they at all crispy? I’m trying that! I’m also looking forward to your black bean soup. Crock pot + black bean soup = Easylicious!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!!!! More cheapie crock pot recipes!
Thai-ish Chickpeas (inspired by Mara, natch.)
http://thefrugalima.blogspot.com/2011/02/frugal-ima-super-frugal-recipe-thai-ish.html
Lentil Soup
http://thefrugalima.blogspot.com/2010/11/super-frugal-recipes-lentil-soup.html
Split pea soup:
http://thefrugalima.blogspot.com/2010/12/frugal-ima-super-frugal-recipe-split.html
xoxoxox Frugal Home Managers! SHABBAT SHALOM!!!!
i have to give credit to my female co-workers for talking me into purchasing a slow cooker. you should know that over the years i have given away 3 {yes three}!. so when i finally purchased mine, the justification was not only a good, hot meal at a reasonable time everynight, but also that this one is programable – whereas the ones i gave away basically just had an on/off switch!. what a life saver! iby the time i come home from work it’s 6:30-7PM. our son has to be in bed 8ish. he would end up with sandwiches for dinner, keeping me company in the kitchen while i made dinner for my husband and myself. NOW i put together dinner either the evening before or in the morning, plug it in before i leave for work, my husband {who is home before me} puts o whatever extras we might need, and whala – we can sit down as soon as i walk in the door. it’s terrific!
and thank you for the dairy recipes!!! i am going to purchase another cooker!!