There are a few misconceptions about the slow cooker, one being that it’s just to cook meat. Nothing could be further from the truth!
A slow cooker is the perfect tool in a vegan arsenal. I wouldn’t be able to eat as many homemade meals without it. It’s great for making soups and stews in the winter. But it also has its place in a summer kitchen. Most of us still eat hot foods in the summertime, and a slow cooker is a great way to keep your house from heating up. You can even make a pizza in it!
If you work a day job, imagine dinner waiting when you walk in the door. It’s the same case if you are a stay-at-home parent or a college student. The slow cooker buys time to focus on other things in our lives and still have a nice, nutritious meal.
A little over half the recipes in this book cook from 6 to 8 hours. Many others are 2 to 4 hours. The shorter cooking time is perfect for when you want to come home, start dinner, and do some chores, go to the gym, or relax for a while before you eat.
People think that with a slow cooker you just throw in a few things and magically you get a tasty meal. While it really is simple to cook in one, you still need to get a few basic safety concepts under your belt.
STAY AT HOME THE FIRST TIME YOU USE YOUR SLOW COOKER
As you would with any appliance that heats up, you need to check and make sure the slow cooker is functioning properly before using it without being in the house. This will also let you know whether it runs on the hotter side, so you can adjust recipes with no mishaps.
FILL YOUR SLOW COOKER TO THE MANUFACTURER’S RECOMMENDED AMOUNT
Your slow cooker should be half to three-fourths full to cook at its proper temperature. This can vary from model to model as well as make to make. Be sure to check your user guide to see what’s recommended for your model. You may find that foods such as stews and casseroles burn if this rule is not followed, because the food will cook much hotter than it should. This is one of the main complaints about newer slow cookers. If you have a 6- to 7-quart (5.7 to 6.6 L) slow cooker, you can double many of the recipes to fill your slow cooker up enough.
Note: We will use this to our advantage in some of the baking recipes, by not filling the slow cooker up to the recommended fill line.
USE COMMON SENSE
Always make sure the area around the sides of the slow cooker is clear. I leave my slow cooker on while I’m away at work at least three to five times a week. It’s made to leave on while you are away from the house. But the outside parts do get hot, so you do not want it near anything that could melt or overheat. If you have young children, make sure the slow cooker is where little toddler hands can’t grab the hot parts or pull on the cord.
CHECK THE SETTINGS ON YOUR SLOW COOKER
Almost all slow cookers have a low and high setting, and many have a warming setting as well. Some of the fancier slow cookers have programmable settings. You can’t program when the slow cooker starts, but you can program how long it will cook at your chosen setting (low or high). After the allotted time, the slow cooker will switch to warm to keep your food ready to eat once you get home.
One thing to be aware of is an auto setting that is found on some slow cookers. From one of my amazing recipe testers, I found out that, at least in Canada, there is an auto temperature instead of low on some slow cookers. This is not the timing mechanism that controls switching the setting to warm after the programmed time. It is actually on the dial in place of the low. This auto setting cooks the first 2 hours on high and them automatically switches the cooker to low. You need to treat this like a very hot slow cooker and reduce total times and add extra liquid in most dishes. The 2 hours on high are like 4 on low.
KNOW YOUR SLOW COOKER
Older slow cookers cook at lower temperatures than newer models do. With all the food safety concerns of the past few years, slow cooker manufacturers have raised the temperature at which their appliances cook. The new low is almost as hot as the old high! If your slow cooker runs on the hotter side, you will have more evaporation and will need to add extra liquid to make up for this.
If you have an older model that cooks at a lower temperature, you may need less liquid and/ or longer cooking times. Newer models may need extra liquid and tend to cook quicker than the older ones do.
Once you cook a few dishes, you’ll have a good idea what temperature your slow cooker cooks at. Until then, use caution and add more liquid rather than less. You can always cook something longer, but if it burns it’s not always as easy to fix it.
I have ten slow cookers and I’m not afraid to use them. Experimenting with them has given me a depth of knowledge that can help you on your own slow cooker journey. Here are a few of the questions I get asked the most. You might find a few tips that will make it easier and tastier to cook in your slow cooker.
Q: HOW CAN I TELL WHETHER MY SLOW COOKER RUNS HOTTER?
A: If you find that gravies or sauces don’t thicken as instructed, you probably have an older one. If you can see that your soup is almost at a boil on high, then you have a slow cooker that runs hot. There is no good or bad here; you just need to learn how to adjust cooking times and liquid amounts so all your dishes turn out perfect.
Q: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SLOW COOKER AND A CROCK-POT?
A: They are two words for exactly the same thing. Crock-Pot is a brand name that’s become interchangeable with the item name, just like tissues have come to be known as Kleenex. With that said, there are many differences among brands, types, and years of manufacture of slow cookers.
Q: WHAT SIZE SLOW COOKER SHOULD I USE?
A: It really depends on how many people you cook for, and how much leftovers you like to have. Most of the recipes in this book work great in a 4-quart (3.8 L) slow cooker, unless another size is clearly noted, and tend to serve four to six. You can easily double, or even triple, most of the recipes in this book to fit properly in a larger slow cooker.
Q: WHAT’S THE BEST SLOW COOKER FOR ME?
A: There is no right answer to this one. It depends on your family size, and how simple or complex you like your gadgets to be. An inexpensive 4-quart (3.8 L) with manual controls will work just as well as a more expensive model with a programmable timer. A 4-quart (3.8 L) size can work for two people with leftovers or make a single meal for a family of four or five. A 6- or 7-quart (5.7 or 6.6 L) will feed eight to twelve people, depending on the dish.
If you have unpredictable work times it might be worth the extra money to get a programmable one. It doesn’t let you put off cooking until a certain time, but it does switch to warm after the time in the allotted time has elapsed. This can save your dinner if you come home a few hours later than planned.
I recommend that everyone pick up a small 1 1/2- to 2-quart (1.4 to 1.9 L) slow cooker for breakfast and party dips. They are very inexpensive, and I promise you’ll use it more than you think. I have two that I use weekly. You can also buy a 3-in-1 slow cooker that has three crocks: 2-quart (1.9 L), 4-quart (3.8 L), and 6-quart (5.7 L). It’s great if you don’t have a lot of storage room because they nest inside each other.
Q: WHY PRECOOK ONIONS, GARLIC, ETC.? CAN I SKIP THAT STEP?
A: You can skip the step, but the dish will not be as flavorful. Do I ever skip it? Heck, yeah!
If I’m in a hurry and it’s the difference between eating a home-cooked meal or grabbing takeout on the way home, I throw everything in together.
I’ve set up most recipes so that you can do most of the prep the night before, including softening onions and other veggies. Getting most of the prep done the night before really makes cooking in the morning much easier.
Q: DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT TO SEASON FOOD IN THE SLOW COOKER?
A: Because there is a long cooking time, you should always taste the dish before you serve it. Reseason, if needed. You’ll find that you will do this especially with stews and soups. Really, if you get in the habit of doing this you’ll find out it helps make any cooking method taste better.
Add or readjust fresh herbs right before serving. For example, if you are using fresh ginger in a dish and cook it all day, you may need to add a little more ginger about 30 minutes before serving.
I’m notorious for using what I have on hand in place of what’s called for in a recipe, and I don’t expect you to be any different.
CANNED VS. HOMEMADE
I’ve listed measurements for canned beans and homemade wherever possible (see recipe on page 17). Beans are super easy to make in the slow cooker. You can make them with no added salt, and you can make sure they are organic.
If you’re trying to avoid BPA in cans, make the recipe to freeze your own diced tomatoes (see recipe on page 25) to use in place of canned. This also works for canned pumpkin and butternut squash. Just use 1 1/2 cups (368 g) precooked puréed pumpkin (see recipe on page 34) or squash instead.
MAIN INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
If a recipe calls for tofu and you’re trying to avoid soy, try using homemade or store-bought seitan instead. Going gluten-free? Then add beans or tofu in place of seitan. Almost every recipe can work well with a switch like this. Even the Tempeh Braised with Figs and Port Wine (page 123) could work great with white beans in place of the tempeh.
SMOKY FLAVORS
Can’t find liquid smoke where you live? It’s showing up more in stores outside of the South, but if it hasn’t hit your area yet, add some smoked paprika, smoked salt, or chipotle chile powder. You’ll need to start on the light side, and then add more to your taste. After all, you don’t want to make your food too hot or salty. You can order liquid smoke from stores on the Internet. It’s actually an inexpensive item. It’s vegan and has no added chemicals!
HERBS
I’m in love with cutting celery and lovage. They are great to use in place of celery, and don’t take up as much room in the fridge. In pots they stay fairly small, but planted in the garden they can grow much larger.
Dried and fresh herbs can always be switched out. Just use 1 tablespoon fresh for each teaspoon dried, or vice versa.
SPICES
A few of the dishes call for some spices that might not already be in your cupboard. To try new spices I recommend that you go to a store that sells bulk spices. You can get as little or as much as you want and they are much cheaper than at the supermarket. It’s great for your budget.
I almost always use bouillon in recipes instead of broth. It takes less space to store and can add a quick flavor boost to stir-fries, loaves, and other dishes when broth would make them too soupy. If you prefer to use broth, just leave out the bouillon and use broth instead of the liquids called for in that recipe.
GLUTEN-FREE SUBSTITUTIONS
In most of the recipes you can use gluten-free baking mix. You can also use oat flour in place of oat bran if you can’t find a gluten-free version in your area. Bob’s Red Mill (www.bobsredmill.com) is a great resource for gluten-free products and even has nutritional yeast that is gluten-free.
STEEL-CUT OATS VS. ROLLED OATS
Everyone has his or her favorite, but the slow cooker does better with steel-cut oats. It’s the longer cooking time that makes them work well.
If you don’t like steel-cut oats, try using polenta, grits, or plain brown rice in the breakfast recipes. It’s a great change of pace, and you may find yourself a new favorite.
SWEETENERS
Personally, I use tons of different sweeteners. I find that each one lends its unique properties to different kinds of dishes. Agave nectar and maple syrup are pretty interchangeable and you won’t need to make many adjustments to the recipe. If you swap agave nectar for brown sugar, you will need to use less liquid in the recipe to make up for that.
If you are using a sweetener that is not called for, check the consistency of the batter or mixture and adjust accordingly. More liquid or more flour may be needed.
NONDAIRY CREAMER AND MILK
When I call for nondairy creamer, I am not suggesting that you go get one of those artificial coffee whiteners. I’m talking about a soy or coconut creamer that you’ll find in the refrigerated section of the supermarket with soy, rice, and coconut milk.
You can always use your standby nondairy milk in place of creamer. It just won’t be quite as rich. Most of the recipes in this book have been tested with soy, rice, almond, or coconut milk (the So Delicious brand in the carton–not the canned kind). You should be able to use hemp or oat milk as well.