A few months ago I got a slow cooker and it has been a game changer. I love how I can make 5+ portions of something with only a few minutes of prep time. Does anyone have any slow cooker recipes they’d like to share?
I’ll start with a simple recipe for refried beans. It was probably just the first one from Google, but it works well and is so much better than canned refried beans. I have used this recipe with pinto and black beans.
My chili has won over many carnivores. I’ve been making it like this since before I was plant-based, it’s just better than my meaty chilis ever were.
It’s not a recipe though. I just kind of make it until it looks right. Kinda like this:
- Cook about 400g of beans overnight in the slow cooker. I usually go for about half-and-half kidney beans and black beans. Add a couple bay leaves and a couple dried chilis, if you swing that way.
- Drain the beans and put 'em in the slowcooker.
- Chop and sautee 1 onion, 6 mushrooms, and 1 carrot (maybe a stick or two of celery as well) in a splash of cooking oil until the onion is starting to brown. Dump them in the beans.
- Add a can of diced tomatoes, 1-2 chopped bell peppers, 4 crushed garlic cloves, maybe some niblet corn if you like. I like hominy in there but my family doesn’t, so I just suffer in silence.
- Add vegetable broth until it’s roughly a consistency you like. I like my chili pretty thick, my wife likes it a bit more soupy. I guess between 2-4 cups.
- Add 1/4 cup of chili powder (make sure it’s not a spicy one unless that’s how you roll), 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp oregano
- The secret ingredients! Put 1/4 cup walnuts and 4-6 dried shiitake mushrooms (available at most asian food stores) into a blender, pulverize them, add to the mix. Add about a tbsp of soy sauce.
- cook on low overnight, or even longer. Better the longer it cooks.
You can also add diced jalapenos, or a bit of cocoa, or … tons of stuff.
This sounds awesome, wouldn’t have thought to use soy sauce but I’ll give it a go
I suggest adding a shot or two of soy sauce to the refries when they are done. It gives a little of the salty umami that traditionally comes from salt pork. It’s my secret trick with refries.
Trying to think of a good slow cooker recipe, maybe I’ll offer up my leek and potato soup in a bit.
