Thursday, May 7, 2015
Tangy Black Bean Soup Slow Cooker Recipe
I cant believe I hardly posted during Crocktober. Someone should really take away my internet license. If you are joining me from the east coast, please know that Im thinking of you and hope that you are reading this somewhere in a safe, well-lit, cozy, and dry place.
If you are able to do so, here is the information to donate to The Red Cross to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Every little bit helps. Thank you.
Ive got a beautiful, velvety black bean soup for you today. The tang comes from three kinds of citrus-- lemon, lime, and orange. You can prepare this completely and totally vegan by using veggie broth, and steer clear from the liquified chicken that I used (I already had it in the pantry).
We share the leftovers with my friend Jenny, and she reported back that the lemon twist at the end was a nice surprise and a great flavor combo.
The Ingredients.
serves 8
1 pound black beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 orange, juiced
1 lime, juiced
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable!!)
1 lemon, sliced in wedges for serving (not pictured in the ingredients, and the one pictured in the final shot looks like a lime because I plunked it right off the tree and it wasnt ripe yet! oops.)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the soaked and drained black beans into your slow cooker.
for a quick soak method: place dried beans into a large saucepan on the stovetop with a bunch of fresh water. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and cover the pot. Let the beans sit for at least one hour before draining.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, bell pepper, and all dried spices. Now add the orange and lime juices, and stir in the broth until the spices and broth are completely distributed. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are completely soft. Blend with a hand-held stick blender (I use this one, but mine is white) or carefully scoop the soup into a traditional blender and pulse until the soup is fully blended.
Serve each bowl with a lemon wedge, to use at the table for an even more pronounced burst of citrus.
The Verdict.
This soup feels like a vacation in a bowl. The bit of heat from the chipotle chile powder is washed away by the fresh citrusy tang. My whole family loved this soup, as did our neighbors! I kept my soup pretty light, but Adam and the kids added cheese, sour cream, and avocado slices to their bowls (and Tostitos scoop chips....).
I hope you had a very happy and safe Halloween. My kids all went out, although the baby (now 2 1/2) really just wanted to stay home and eat loads of candy. I somehow scheduled orthodontist appointments for my big kids later today, so they really did a top-notch job of flossing and brushing last night --- which makes me wonder if I should just make this a standing appointment? Hmmmmm.
In honor of NINJEMBER (its okay to groan and roll your eyes....), click on over to the review page---- Ive got a Ninja Cooking System giveaway up, just for you. Good luck to all, and happy slow cooking!!
CrockPot Breakfast Risotto
Day 173.
I love risotto. I was very pleased with the crockpot risotto I made earlier in the year---it was cheesy and creamy and delicious.
I think I just drooled a little, remembering.
I was excited when I thumbed through a little Crock-Pot recipe card book that I got at the grocery store to see that there was a Breakfast Risotto recipe listed, and that I had all of the necessary ingredients in the house. I followed the recipe, with a few tweaks. I found a pretty surprising typo, also...
see if you can find it.
The Ingredients.
--1/4 cup butter
--3 little apples (I had 2 greens, and 1 red in the house)
--1 1/2 t cinnamon
--1/8 t nutmeg
--1/8 t cloves
--1/4 t kosher salt
--1 1/2 cups arborio rice
--1/3 cup brown sugar
-- 4 cups of liquid. I used a tiny can of apple juice, and half and half for the rest.
The Directions.
I used a 4 qt round crockpot for this dish.
Turn your crock to high and add the butter so it can start melting. Wash and cut up your apples while it begins to melt.
Add the rice to the butter, and stir it around to coat it nicely. If the butter isnt completely melted, dont worry. Mine wasnt either, and it didnt seem to make a difference.
Add the apples, and spices. Stir in the juice/milk.
Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours, or on low for 6 or so.
I was really surprised how long it took---I needed to cook it on high for 4.5 hours---and since I just made the rice and beans, I thought it would cook as fast as that dish did.
The Verdict.
Oh my. This was delicious. The kids each had 3 small bowls, and I had more than I probably should have since it was full of half and half. But it was very tasty.
The half and half did separate a bit, and created some white chunks. We had it in the house because we made some plastic bag ice cream, and I didnt want it to go bad, but next time Ill stick to 2% milk in the crock. That said, the white chunks dissipated after a quick stir, and it didnt taste sour or weird at all.
It was creamy and delicious. We added a touch more brown sugar to the top and sprinkled on some dried cranberries.
I will definitely make this again, and not try to fix the brown rice and quinoa dish. The kids decided it was porridge and did a whole bear and Goldilocks routine. My part was sitting on the couch and eating. good deal.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
CrockPot Horseradish Scalloped Potatoes
Day 355.
This has cream in it. mmm. Its okay, though. Youve got 12 days until your diet begins. These potatoes pair wonderfully with roast beef.
and pancakes and coffee.
The Ingredients.
3 pound red potatoes, washed and sliced (no need to peel, yay!)
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish (not the cream kind, the regular; I went with extra hot)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, optional
The Directions.
I used a 4 quart crockpot. Scrub your potatoes well and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Layer into a crockpot youve sprayed with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, horseradish, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour over the top of the potatoes. Stir.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, high for 4 hours, or until potatoes are fork tender. I cooked ours on high for 2 hours, then low for another 4. Garnish with shredded Parmesan.
The Verdict.
Delicious. The kids each had two bowls. The horseradish provides a bit of a fun flavor that is not spicy as much as it is different and interesting. The kids didnt think it was spicy, just tasty. These are heavy---Id say that this could serve 6 grownups as a side dish, yet Adam and I ate them as a main course.
were going for a run today.
Fruit Till Noon Raw Till Dinner
I must sound like a broken record, droning on about the heat, but its just been relentless. The Dog Days of Summer arrived early this year and havent left us.
Two summers ago, when I was making the BIG transition from Fast Food Queen to a primarily raw plant-based diet, one of the things I did initially was fruit till noon, raw till dinner. It worked well for me. If youve been struggling with adopting a healthier diet, you might want to give it a try.
I tend to eat very simple and light meals during the summer months anyway, and with the heat and humidity being off the charts, Ive been making myself a nice refreshing fruit salad just about daily. Heres a few of my recent combos:
Two summers ago, when I was making the BIG transition from Fast Food Queen to a primarily raw plant-based diet, one of the things I did initially was fruit till noon, raw till dinner. It worked well for me. If youve been struggling with adopting a healthier diet, you might want to give it a try.
I tend to eat very simple and light meals during the summer months anyway, and with the heat and humidity being off the charts, Ive been making myself a nice refreshing fruit salad just about daily. Heres a few of my recent combos:
kiwi, nectarine, watermelon
strawberries, blueberries, red raspberries, cherries
blueberries, mangos, red grapes
One thing you want to remember when shopping for produce is to check the Dirty Dozen™ list compiled by the Environmental Working Group. You can download your own Shoppers Guide To Pesticides™ and keep a copy on your fridge or in your wallet for handy reference.
So for instance, if you were looking to recreate one of my fruit salads here, youd want to make sure to purchase organic nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, cherries and grapes as they all show up on the list of 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. By contrast, kiwi, watermelon and mangos are on the Clean 15™ list.
A good rule of thumb: when in doubt, buy organic.
Tell me, whats your favorite summertime fruit?
So for instance, if you were looking to recreate one of my fruit salads here, youd want to make sure to purchase organic nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, cherries and grapes as they all show up on the list of 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. By contrast, kiwi, watermelon and mangos are on the Clean 15™ list.
A good rule of thumb: when in doubt, buy organic.
Tell me, whats your favorite summertime fruit?
I think mine is watermelon.
Cooking Dried Beans in the Slow Cooker
Day 292.
Its day 292. And I finally have cracked the cooking-with-dried vs. cooking-with-canned-beans code.
Why did it take me 292 days?
Sheer laziness. I have no other reason.
1 bag of dried black beans costs $1.89 at the fancy-pants grocery store, and it costs $0.89 at our local produce stand.
1 can of organic black beans at Trader Joes costs $0.99.
1 dried bag of black beans (16 oz) = 3 cans (15 oz each).
Which means even if you buy over-priced dried black beans you will save some money making them at home yourself.
The Ingredients.
--bag of black beans (or other beans. but remember that kidney beans have that freaky toxin -- see note below.)
--water
--crockpot (4 quarts and up)
The Directions.
Pour the entire bag of dried beans into a colander and rinse under cold water. If you see any beans that have broken in half, or skin that floats to the surface, get rid of it. Also pick out any beans that look shriveled and gross.
Dump all the beans into your crockpot. Add enough water to cover all the beans and an additional 2 inches.
Cover. Do not turn on. Let the beans soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight. If you live in a very warm area, and the crockpot wont be in a room that is climate-controlled, put the stoneware in the fridge. You dont want bacteria to have the opportunity to grow.
In the morning, dump the water, and rinse your beans. The water will be bean-colored.
(NOTE: if you are using red or kidney beans, you need to boil your beans rapidly on the stove for at least 10 minutes to kill a possible toxin lurking in the beans. Its better to be safe than sorry!)
Put the beans back into your crockpot and cover with enough fresh water to completely cover the beans with an extra 2-3 inches.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
The beans are done when they are bite-tender. Dont worry if the water hasnt all absorbed. Youre going to dump it, anyway.
Drain the beans.
When cool, put 1 2/3 cups of beans into storage containers or freezer bags (youre adding this amount because you arent adding filler-liquid like the cans have). The beans will store nicely in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for 6 months.
Use as you would canned beans in your favorite recipe.
The Verdict.
I like knowing what is in my food. I like the idea that we can save money and reduce consumption by using dried beans.
This takes a while. When I do this again, Im going to get quite a few bags of beans and do them all at once in a few crockpots. The kids liked picking through the beans to weed out the undesirables, and they will munch on black beans (and garbanzo and pinto and kidney) for a snack, which makes me happy.
Ive found a chart that breaks down the energy consumption of kitchen appliances.
The chart states that the energy consumption is equivalent to a desktop computer---which many of us leave on round-the-clock.neat!
Slow Cooking in the Real World
 |
| Crock-Pot plugged in the garage, on the dryer |
Were doing a tiny bit of remodeling right now. Nothing fancy---- were (and by we, I mean not me) tearing up the linoleum that came with the house and having tile installed in the kitchen.
This was my anniversary present to Adam. I promised that if he got me tile, Id never again complain about the flooring.
Im such a giver.
 |
| the last of the nasty linoleum |
Because our kitchen has pretty much been rendered useless (the refrigerator is plugged in the dining room, and the stove/oven combo and dishwasher are under a sheet behind the couch) Ive been needing to utilize my own advice and use the MANY MANY MANY slow cookers we own to get dinner on the table.
 |
| Crock-Pot loaded with baked potatoes in an otherwise unusable kitchen |
and its been kind of fun.
The kids wanted a baked potato bar the first night. No problem. Then they wanted brown sugar chicken. Not an issue---I already had it frozen in a ziplock, so I thawed it in the fridge overnight then squeezed the contents into the slow cooker in the morning. Tonight, were having baked sweet potatoes and foil-packet tilapia (the fish wont go on until later this afternoon).
and so far, so good.
 |
| the coffee pot is also a necessity |
I get a lot of emails, and some of my favorites are from readers who use their cookers in non-traditional ways. Last night I got an email from a construction worker who leaves a crockpot plugged in the trailer so he doesnt have to rely on fastfood or soggy sandwiches for lunch and dinner.
I like hearing from people who travel with their crockpots and plug it in the hotel room while they are out sight-seeing for the day.
I have great kids, but after a long day of vacationing, sometimes they arent up to "restaurant manners"--- and its nice to come back to a pot full of Korean Ribs or BBQ Beef and Bean sandwiches.
We recently got back from a roadtrip to Oregon, and stopped at a few pioneer museums that were built along the Oregon Trail. Talk about hardships! A bit of rain, a torn up kitchen? Thats nothing.
I even bring my crockpots camping. And no, thats not an oxymoron.
:-)
We are so lucky to be living in the time we are living----roughing it just really isnt roughing it anymore.
What about you? Do you have any odd or different uses for the slow cooker?
Have a wonderfully great day.
CrockPot White Bean and Sausage Soup
Day 146.
We went from a hundred million degrees to freezing in the course of about 4 days. Weird.
I get cold easily, and really felt like some soup. Im making my way through the garbanzo bean surplus and threw together a soup with what we had on hand.
The Ingredients.
--1 can white kidney beans
--1 can pinto beans (I guess these arent really white)
--1 can garbanzo beans
--1 t thyme
--2-4 spicy chicken or turkey sausage
--1/2 chopped yellow onion
--1/2 cup leftover rice pilaf (if you want to use raw rice, you should have enough liquid to add 1/4 to 1/3 cup without losing soupiness)
--2 cups chopped fresh vegetables (I had broccoli, carrots, asparagus)
--1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
The Directions.
Drain your beans (I didnt rinse, for no reason other than sheer laziness) and throw them into your crock. Chop up whatever vegetables you are going to use in tiny pieces. I used my Pampered Chef handy dandy chopper. Slice the sausage that you are going to use. I chose to use two spicy turkey sausage---if you would like your soup to have a kick, use more than two. Two just kind of gives flavor without spice.
Cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The soup is done when its heated through and the vegetables are tender, but its not going to hurt anything to cook it longer and give the flavors more time to meld.
The Verdict.
This was super easy to throw together, because I had everything on hand. I am usually tempted to throw tomatoes into soup, and was glad that I refrained this time. The broth was mellow and wasnt too spicy for the kids. I served it with shredded Parmesan cheese on top.
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