No meat, no problem
When you hear the words “slow cooking,” does the image of a pot roast pop into your head? Well, think again. The slow cooker works beautifully in the preparation of versatile, meat-free dishes.
Soups, chili, side dishes, main dishes and even desserts – the possibilities are endless when it comes to using this often-neglected appliance. Instead of using meat, protein can come in the form of beans and other legumes, whole grains, pasta, soy products like tofu, cheese and other dairy products.
There really isn’t much of a difference between slow cooking with or without meat, but paying attention to a few extra details will reward you with delicious results.
Beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber. One pound of dried beans – about 2 1/2 cups – will yield 6 to 7 cups of cooked beans after they are soaked and cooked. To save time, use canned beans instead. A 19-ounce can of beans is the equivalent of 2 cups of cooked beans.
Dried lentils do not need to be presoaked like beans but they do need to be rinsed. Pay particular attention to the type of lentil a recipe calls for. For example, red lentils will cook more quickly than brown lentils, which can change the end result.
Tofu is another good source of protein. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold up to hours of slow cooking. Use extra-firm tofu for chunks and add it near the end of the cooking time. Use silken tofu to make sauces.
The preparation of vegetables for the slow cooker is an important detail. Cut root vegetables like carrots and potatoes into thin slices or small chunks to help them cook more thoroughly. Lightly sautéing vegetables will help release their flavors. Bell peppers and hot dried peppers can become bitter if cooked for a long time, so add them during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
Author JoAnn Rachor (“Fast Cooking in a Slow Cooker Every Day of the Year,” Family Health Publications, 2006) doesn’t cook strongly-flavored vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower for hours in a slow cooker. Instead, she lightly steams them and adds them near the end of the cooking time.
Rachor also recommends adding uncooked pasta during the final hour of cooking. Thin noodles require about 15 minutes; thicker noodles need about 45 minutes. Use whole wheat, semolina or spelt pasta as they contain gluten, the protein found in whole grains.
Seasonings must be added at the right time as well. Unless a recipe states otherwise, fresh herbs should be added during the final hour of cooking so they won’t lose their flavor.
The amount of moisture in a recipe is an important consideration. Since the lid stays on during cooking, no evaporation occurs. Use concentrated liquids like vegetable broth to avoid watering down a dish.
If you have vegetarian recipes that you would like to try in a slow cooker, look for a comparable recipe in a slow cooking book to get an idea of the cooking time and ingredient proportions. Reduce the amount of liquid called for in the recipe because of the lack of evaporation. Start by reducing the liquid in the recipe by half, write Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann in “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook.” Add more liquid at the end of the recipe, if needed, and adjust accordingly the next time you make the dish.
To save time, busy cooks can also prepare the ingredients for a slow cooker dish the night before, refrigerate them in the stoneware, then start the cooker in the morning. The cold stoneware won’t affect recipes that cook longer than four hours. If the cooking time is less than that, it will add about 30 minutes.
Southwestern Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
From “The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes” by Judith Finlayson
This dish can be assembled the night before it is cooked but without adding the roasted pepper and whipping cream.
1 dried New Mexico chili (optional) (see note)
1 cup boiling water
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, dried or fresh
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups corn kernels, thawed if frozen
6 cups vegetable stock
2 red bell peppers, roasted and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 cups whipping cream
Finely chopped parsley or cilantro
In a heatproof bowl, soak chili pepper in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain.
In a blender or food processor, puree chili, onion, garlic, cumin seeds and rosemary with ½ cup stock. Add to slow cooker stoneware along with remaining stock, bay leaf, salt, black pepper and corn.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Add roasted pepper and whipping cream. Cover and cook on high for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through. Discard bay leaf. Spoon into individual bowls and garnish with parsley or cilantro.
Note: Dried chilies that are not properly reconstituted impart a bitter taste to slow cooker recipes. In the author’s experience, they require a full 30-minute soak in boiling water. With larger chilies, make sure the entire pepper is submerged throughout the process.
Yield: 6 servings
Nutrition per serving: 417 calories, 31 grams fat (18 grams saturated, 64 percent fat calories), 7 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrate, 109 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams dietary fiber.
Mushroom and Artichoke Lasagna
From “Delicious & Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes” by Judith Finlayson
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained, or thawed if frozen
3/4 cup dry white wine or vegetable stock
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups baby spinach
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Grease large (minimum 5 quart) oval slow cooker.
In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring, just until mushrooms begin to release their liquid. Stir in artichokes and wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 or 2 minutes, until liquid reduces slightly. Set aside.
Cover bottom of slow cooker stoneware with 4 noodles, breaking to fit where necessary. Spread with half of the ricotta, half of the mushroom mixture, half of the spinach, one-third each of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat. Arrange final layer of noodles over cheeses. Pour any liquid remaining from mushroom mixture over noodles, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until hot and bubbling.
Yield: 8 servings
Nutrition per serving: 443 calories, 18 grams fat (10 grams saturated, 36 percent fat calories), 28 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrate, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 7 grams dietary fiber, 472 milligrams sodium.
Creamy Leek, Potato and Mushroom Stew with Blue Cheese
Adapted from “The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes” by Judith Finlayson
The original recipe calls for chicken broth. Substitute vegetable stock to make it vegetarian.
1 package (1/2 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large leeks, white part only, cleaned and thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound portobello or cremini mushrooms
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, including juice, coarsely chopped
1 cup condensed vegetable stock
2 to 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 ounces good quality blue cheese, such as Maytag or gorgonzola, crumbled
In a heatproof measuring cup or bowl, combine dried mushrooms and boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes and strain, reserving liquid. Pat mushrooms dry, chop finely and set aside.
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks and celery and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, thyme, pepper, salt and dried mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they are well-integrated into mixture. Add tomatoes, vegetable stock and reserved mushroom liquid and bring to a boil.
Place potatoes in stoneware. Add contents of pan and stir.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream and cheese. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted into sauce and mixture is hot and bubbling.
Yield: 6 servings
Nutrition per serving: 223 calories, 14 grams fat (7 grams saturated, 55 percent fat calories), 7.5 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrate, 38 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams dietary fiber, 774 milligrams sodium.
Lentil Chili
From “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook” by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann
The original recipe calls for chicken broth, but cooks can substitute vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.
1 medium-size yellow onion, diced
1 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium-size carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon pure New Mexico chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 1/2 cups dried brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
8 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
For serving:
Sour cream or crema Mexicana
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Chopped green onions (white part and some of the green)
Chopped fresh cilantro
Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker, except the olive oil and salt. Cover and cook on low, stirring occasionally, if possible, until the lentils are soft, 6 to 8 hours. During the last hour, add the olive oil and season with salt.
Serve the chili in bowls with toppings. You can also spoon it over brown rice.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition per serving, based on 6 without garnishes: 395 calories, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated, 20 percent fat calories), 22 grams protein, 61 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 14 grams dietary fiber, 1,404 milligrams sodium.
Red Wine Risotto with Mushrooms
Adapted from “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Recipes for Two” by Beth Hensperger
This recipe uses a 1 1/2-quart slow cooker and originally called for chicken broth. Substitute vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion or 2 shallots, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, halved or thickly sliced depending on size
1 cup Arborio, Vialone nano, or Carnaroli rice
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup full-bodied red wine, such as Chianti or Merlot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until soft, 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to coat the grains. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker with a heatproof rubber spatula. Add the broth, wine, and salt.
Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until all the liquid is absorbed but the rice is still moist. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve immediately.
Yield: 2 servings
Nutrition per serving: 617 calories, 18 grams fat (11 grams saturated, 26 percent fat calories), 88 grams carbohydrate, 44 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 1,360 milligrams sodium.
Anybody have room for dessert? Slow cookers aren’t just for main dishes, you know. The even heating works great for cooking puddings and custards.
Rice Pudding with Cherries and Almonds
From “125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes” by Judith Finlayson
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Arborio rice (see note)
1/4 cup dried cherries (see note)
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Pinch salt
4 cups milk (see note)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
Toasted sliced almonds (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)
Lightly grease slow cooker stoneware.
In stoneware, mix together sugar, rice, cherries, almonds, lemon zest and salt. Whisk together milk, eggs and almond extract, and stir into rice mixture. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, until rice is tender and pudding is set. Serve warm, garnished with toasted almonds and whipped cream, if desired.
Notes: Long-grain white rice can be successfully used in this recipe, but the pudding will not be as creamy as one made with Arborio rice.
Use 1 cup fresh pitted cherries in place of the dried cherries, if desired. Or substitute an equal quantity of dried cranberries, instead.
For a richer pudding, use half milk and half cream.
Yield: 6 servings
Nutrition per serving: 314 calories, 6 grams fat (2.6 grams saturated, 16 percent fat calories), 9 grams protein, 58 milligrams cholesterol, 1.4 grams dietary fiber, 151 milligrams sodium.