Category: Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Vegan Lasagna

12/15/2014

What a winning recipe! I like making slow cooker recipes when I'm home on the weekend. I was looking through my cookbook Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Patalsky and was inspired to make a vegan lasagna. I used tofu to make the ricotta and added tempeh to tomato sauce to make it resemble a meat sauce. Jay loved it! Here are some of his quotes while finishing his plate:

"Definitely Jay Approved!"
"I can't tell that this is vegan at all!"
"The tempeh tastes exactly like ground beef!"
"One of your better ones!"

He kept on raving on the texture of the tempeh and how it worked perfectly for ground beef!

This lasagna has tofu and tempeh in it - so it's packed with protein! Definitely a hearty meal. It doesn't serve quite as easily from the slow cooker since your slices will be taller than from a lasagna dish, so not every piece will include every layer. You can also cook this in the oven if you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 package tempeh
1 teaspoon vegan Worcester sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 large bunch of fresh cooking greens (I used kale) or two packages frozen
2 jars tomato sauce
1/2 package no boil lasagna noodles

Tofu Ricotta:
1 package firm tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Servings: 6 generous portions

Instructions:

To make the tempeh meat sauce: Dice onions and cook over medium heat until translucent. Crumble the tempeh and add to the pan. Add the soy sauce and Worcester sauce and stir to coat the tempeh. Combine with the tomato sauce.

To make the tofu ricotta: Press the tofu to remove excess water. Crumble it into a bowl and add the nutritional yeast, minced garlic, and onion powder.

If you're using fresh greens, chop them up and heat them in a pan with a little water just to wilt them a bit.

Oil the bottom of your crock pot and layer the ingredients inside. Start with the tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles, followed by the tofu ricotta and greens and then start over again with the sauce. After you've placed the top layer of noodles pour the rest of the sauce on top. Cook on high for 1.5 hours or on low for 3 hours. Serve and enjoy!

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Cook Dry Beans from Scratch

11/22/2014

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I buy dry beans instead of canned for many reasons (of course, sometimes you're in a pinch and you just need a can). People think that dry beans are too big of hassle to deal with, but they're very simple to cook. I like to make a big batch and then store them in smaller portions so it's just as convenient as buying canned beans, except this way I can control the amount of sodium (none) and other additives (none), plus it's cheaper.

It's a two-day process, but it doesn't take much work. The day or night before you're planning on cooking your beans soak them in water. This helps to activate some of the nutrients, neutralize the enzymes that cause gas, and reduce the rest of the cooking time. I like to cook my beans in a slow cooker because then it's even less effort (and worry) and frees up space on the stove, but you can cook them regularly on the stove if you would like.

Ingredients:
Kidney Beans
Water

Prep Time: 12-24 Hours
Cook Time: 6-8 Hours
Yield: 6 cups

Instructions:
Soak Beans for 12-24 hours, depending on how much time you have. If you're short on time you can bring the beans to a boil and then soak them for an hour.

Rinse the beans and place in the pot you'll be cooking them in, either your slow cooker or a pot on the stove.

Important Note: If you are cooking kidney beans you need to boil them for 10 minutes in order to remove a toxic chemical called Phytohaemagglutinin.

Cover the beans so that it comes about 2-3 inches above the beans. The amount necessary varies based on the type of bean, your cooking method, or the specifics of your slow cooker. If you put in too much water you can just cook your beans a bit longer and then you know to put in less next time. Using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours. If cooking on top of your stove simmer for 1-2 hours (again, it varies depending on the type of bean).

Once the water has been mostly absorbed, drain the beans and let them cool. 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked beans equals one can of beans. Anything you're not using put into 1 1/2 - 2 cups portions and put in the freezer for later use.

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Slow Cooker Vegan Lasagna

Cook Dry Beans from Scratch

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