Slow Cooker Veggie Curry

You can prepare this dish ahead of time storing it in a large storage bag sealing tightly with all the air squeezed out for up to 2 days in the refrigerator before cooking in slow cooker. You can freeze it to thaw and cook at a later date. I found this idea in a grocery store flyer.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 head cauliflower florets cut to bite sized pieces
• 1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed (I used asparagus)
• 1 sweet potato, washed and diced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. tumeric
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients (excluding cilantro) in a large plastic storage bag sealing tightly to store.
2. Refrigerate for up to 2 days in the refrigerator or freeze.
3. When ready to use empty the plastic bag contents into slow cooker and cover.
4. If frozen, thaw contents before putting into slow cooker and cover.
5. Cook on low setting for 4 hours.
6. Serve topped with cilantro.  

Alternate Method:

1. Combine all ingredients (excluding cilantro) in the crock pot.
2. Cook on low setting for 4 hours.
3. Serve topped with cilantro. 

Depending on the size of your cauliflower this will serve 4- 8 people.
Judy's Naan bread would go well with this curry.
Here's what it looks like before it is cooked.

Spinach with Eggs

For today's Flashback Friday I thought I'd remind readers of this unique dish that my mother often made (minus the mushrooms) when I was growing up. We always had it with pan fried potatoes and that is how we continue to like it. It can be served as a meatless dinner or a brunch dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter, divided
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 10 - 12 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped (about 275g ) OR 1 pkg frozen, thawed
• 4 - 5 eggs 
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Butter a small Pyrex dish such as a pie plate and preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In sauté pan, cook mushrooms in a little butter until juices disappear. Dish into pie plate.
3. Cook spinach in a large pot with a small amount of water, just enough to steam it until it shrinks down (a few minutes). Remove any excess water and spread on top of mushrooms in pie plate. If using frozen spinach, no need to steam if it's thawed completely.
4. Season with salt and dot with butter.
5. Crack eggs on top.
6. Bake at 375 F about 15 minutes or until done to your preference. When the egg whites turn white, watch yolks carefully if you want them a little runny.
7. Serve with a hashbrown casserole, on plain hashbrowns or toasted English muffin.



Vegetable Meal in a Crock Pot

It's been a week of leftovers and dreaming up new ways to serve them. Not complaining here at all, we love leftovers at our house. And when you get tired of reheating them use the last for soup. I had chopped up way too many vegetables for roasting at Christmas. To use up the excess, I decided to make a meatless dish. A nice change to omit meat and enjoy a good dose of vegetables.

• 2 cups sweet potatoes, chopped
• 2 cups butternut squash or use regular potatoes, chopped
• 2/3 cup peas, frozen
• 2/3 cup corn, frozen
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 sweet green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups pasta sauce
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Spray the inside of your crock pot generously with cooking spray.
2. Add vegetables in order given to the crock pot.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour pasta sauce over the top.
4. Top with cheese and cover.
5. Cook on high for 4 hours or until done.
6. Serve with a salad or serve over spaghetti and a salad.
7. Yields: 4-6 generous servings.

Barley Mushroom Bake

This casserole is great served as a sidedish to fish or chicken, but can also be served as a main dish if you like to go for a meatless dinner. The wonderful neighbor lady who shared the recipe with me many years ago knew how to cook up the tastiest vegetarian menu.

Ingredients:

• olive oil for cooking
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup pearl or pot barley
• 2 1/4 cups chicken, beef or vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Cook chopped onion in a bit of olive oil until tender. Spread into buttered 5-cup casserole.
2. Cook chopped mushrooms until tender and juicy, then add to onions.
3. Add barley to onions and mushrooms, then stir.
4. Cover with broth and salt (or boiled water in which you have dissolved 2 teaspoons Better than Boiulon or your prefered cubes).
5. Bake covered at 350° F for 1 1/4 hours or until liquid has evaporated.

Quinoa Salad

This hearty salad has a nice flavor and is naturally gluten free. You can add or delete ingredients to suit your own taste buds, too.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1 cup chopped fresh mango
• 1/2 to 1 cup garbanzo beans drained and rinsed (Chickpeas)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. In a small saucepan combine quinoa with the chicken stock and bring to a boil. 
2. Once it boils reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 
3. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. 
4. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool completely. 
5. You can set it in the refrigerator to speed the cooling.

While the quinoa is cooling prepare the rest of the ingredients. I left the amounts of beans and green onion to your discretion. We enjoy green onion so I added the full 1/2 cup. Mix together all these ingredients with the cooled quinoa and enjoy as a side dish or a meal. You can easily make this a vegetarian dish by cooking the quinoa with water or vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock.

Moroccan Rice Salad

What do you bring to a potluck gathering, when there are folks there who can't have gluten, dairy, or follow a vegetarian diet? This salad can feed all the people with those dietary restrictions, plus those who don't have dietary restrictions enjoy it too. It has quickly become one of my families favorite summer salads. It has a burst of fresh flavor and all the ingredients are good for you.

• 1 cup of uncooked brown rice (or white) which makes about 3 cups cooked rice, let it cool after cooking
  
• 1 can black beans
• 2 cups of cooked corn
• 2 cups of green beans
• 4 green onions
• 1 pepper (any color)
• 2 cups of tomatoes chopped
• half of a chopped cucumber
  
• 1/2 cup chopped green or black olives (I used green)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
  
• 1/3 cup of fresh lemon or lime juice, about 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon cumin or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• a handful of chopped parsley or cilantro, your preference
  

Tip-I found that if I added the dressing earlier in the day that I wanted to serve it and let it sit to let the flavors combine for several hours, that the rice soaked it up and it was a bit dry, so I needed to add more. Now I add all the ingredients including the spices and parsley and add the oil and lemon juice an hour or so before serving, it worked fine and the rice did not soak up the oil, there for making this lower in fat than adding more dressing later.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I've enjoyed making this flavorful sweet and spicy soup as an appetizer or lunch. You can make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. I like it either way.

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet red peppers
• 3 sweet potatoes or yams
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Italian herb seasoning (rosemary and basil mix)*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups cold water
• 2 cups chicken broth

Method:

1. Cut peppers into into 1-inch strips. Peel and slice yams. Coarsely chop up onion.
2. Toss vegetables, peeled garlic, oil, Italian herbs, salt and pepper in large roasting pan.
3. Roast (covered)  in 400° F for 45 - 60 minutes. Until tender.
4. Stir 1 1/2 cups cold water into roasted vegetables to cool slightly, then blend in blender (in batches) to puree. (A
   n immersion blender works well too)
5. Pour into cooking pot. Add chicken broth and a bit more water, to desired consistency. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes.
6. Serve with sour cream. Serves 4-6

* I use Pampered Chef Rosemary Herb seasoning mix

Black Bean Salad

I knew I'd like this salad even before tasting it, when I saw it on the buffet table! Thank you, Monika, for sending me the recipe. It's now one of my favorite salads.

Ingredients:

• 2 – 19 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2 - 12 oz. cans cooked corn
• 2 sweet red peppers, diced
• 1 finely chopped shallot or some red onion
• ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander (or mint or more parsley)
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Method:

1. Cook rice and drain, then rinse.
2. In large bowl combine beans, rice, corn, peppers, onion, coriander and parsley.
3. In a small bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and spices.
4. Pour over salad and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings. I used mint and cilantro instead of coriander and added a bit of cumin.

Note: This makes a large salad (about 12-15 servings). You can adjust amounts according to personal preference. Salad keeps well in refrigerator for several days. We enjoyed the leftovers as a filler in beef steak wraps.