CHAPTER 6

Pasta & Grains

Pasta and grains are the staples of any diet, but they seem to play an even bigger part in the life of a vegan. In this chapter you’ll get a few pasta sauces, too. Sauces are another great addition to a weekend cooking rotation. They freeze well and can be used in other recipes.

Pasta can be dressed up in lasagna, which is a perfect dish for introducing non-vegans to vegan food. And people who say they can’t be a vegan because they’ll miss cheese too much can be introduced to vegan cheesy options in the Mac and Cheese.

You’ll see in the staples chapter that you can make plain rice in the slow cooker, and it’s in this chapter that you can really appreciate it. Jambalaya is my favorite dish to bring to a potluck. You cook everything but the rice all day, then add the rice an hour before you want to eat. Quinoa is a perfect grain to cook in the slow cooker as well, and if you haven’t tried it before, Spanish Quinoa will introduce you to this nutritious and versatile grain.

With all the grain dishes and non-lasagna pastas you will need to stir more frequently, which helps the dish cook more evenly, plus it just feels good to break the old don’t-lift-your-slow-cooker-lid rule.

Make-Your-Own MARINARA SAUCE

Sooner or later you’ll find yourself wishing you had some marinara sauce on hand. Why not make a big pot of it now and freeze some for later? You can add your favorite veggies, vegan wine, or sun-dried tomatoes and make it just the way you like it.

image GLUTEN-FREE  image SOY-FREE  image NO OIL ADDED OPTION*

1 teaspoon olive oil (*omit to make it no oil added)

1 large onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (28 ounces, or 784 g each) crushed or diced tomatoes or 6 cups (1360 g) Preserve-the-Harvest Diced Tomatoes

1 tablespoon (15 ml) agave nectar or (13 g) sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

Salt and pepper, to taste

Image THE NIGHT BEFORE: Heat the oil (*or water sauté for no oil added) in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Image IN THE MORNING: Combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker (*or line with parchment to make it oil-free). Be sure to adjust the salt if you are using canned tomatoes, because they may already contain salt. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING: Add water if needed. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Freeze the extra in ice cube trays, resealable plastic bags, or freezer containers.

YIELD: 8 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

MEATLESS SAUSAGE
and MUSHROOM RAGU

This is definitely not the ragu from your supermarket shelves! It’s a great way to transition hard-core meat eaters to a meatless meal and makes the perfect topping for grilled polenta. You can just buy a premade tube of polenta and slice it, then crisp it in the oven or on a grill.

image SOY-FREE OPTION*  image NO OIL ADDED OPTION**

1 teaspoon olive oil (**water sauté)

1 medium-size onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 package (14 ounces, or 392 g) vegan Italian sausage, store-bought or *homemade (shown here), sliced into rounds

2 cans (28 ounces, or 784 g each) crushed tomatoes

1 pound (454 g) crimini or button mushrooms, chopped

2 large portobello mushrooms, chopped

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) red or port wine

BEFORE SERVING INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons (5 g) chopped fresh basil

Image THE NIGHT BEFORE: Heat the oil in a skillet (**or line with parchment to make it oil-free) over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large airtight container.

In the same skillet that you cooked the onions, cook the sausage until brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Break the patties apart with the spatula to make crumbles. Transfer to the same bowl as the onions and store in the fridge.

Image IN THE MORNING: Combine the sautéed onion, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, pepper, vinegar, and wine in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. About 10 minutes before serving, add water if needed, extra seasoning, and the basil.

YIELD: 12 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours on low

PUMPKIN WHITE BEAN LASAGNA

This is a perfect dish for introducing non-vegans to vegan food and is much healthier than the traditional, fat-laden lasagna. It’s easy to make and hearty. Add a nice spinach salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, and you’re all ready to have friends over for dinner.

image NO OIL ADDED OPTION*

PUMPKIN-TOFU RICOTTA INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil *use aquafaba

3 sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated (pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 5 minutes)

1 package (15 ounces, or 420 g) silken, soft, or firm tofu

1 can (15 ounces, or 420 g) cooked pumpkin or 11/2 cups (368 g) pureéd cooked fresh

1/4 cup (24 g) nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon (3 g) Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper, to taste

LASAGNA INGREDIENTS

1 jar (24 ounces, or 672 g) marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade (shown here)

About 3/4 package (10 ounces, or 280 g) whole-wheat lasagne noodles (the regular kind, not the no-boil noodles)

1 can (141/2 ounces, or 406 g) white beans, drained and rinsed, or 11/2 cups (340 g) homemade (shown here)

Image THE NIGHT BEFORE: To make the pumpkin-tofu ricotta: In a food processor, blend the olive oil and the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes until a paste forms. There may still be some lumps. Add the remaining ricotta ingredients and blend until creamy. Add a little water if the mixture is too thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Image IN THE MORNING: To make the lasagna: Spray the crock with olive oil so you won’t have a nightmare cleanup on your hands later on.

Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the slow cooker. Break off the corners on one side of each noodle so they fit snugly. You can add the corners in as well.

Place a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread another thin layer of sauce over the ricotta and sprinkle one-third of the white beans on top of that. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with a last layer of lasagne noodles, and then top that with more sauce.

Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 11/2 to 2 hours, until a fork will easily go through the middle and the pasta is al dente. Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra sauce or water if you need to leave it an hour or two longer.

YIELD: 6 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 3 to 4 hours on low or 11/2 to 2 hours on high

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◁ MIX-AND-MATCH JAMBALAYA

Vegans and meat eaters alike love jambalaya. It’s an easy dish to make for a dinner party, and it’s filling to boot. I like to use Italian sausage and chicken-flavored seitan as proteins, but you can use tempeh, tofu, or even red beans as the center attraction if you want. I usually use white jasmine rice, but any rice will work. Brown rice will require a little more cooking time, but it adds tons of nutrients.

image GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*  image NO OIL ADDED OPTION**

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil (** water sauté)

1 medium-size onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 or 3 large vegan Italian sausage links, cut into half-moons, or steamed tempeh cubes (*use gluten-free)

1 to 2 cups (225 to 450 g) cubed chicken-flavored seitan, store-bought or homemade (shown here), or cubed firm tofu (*gluten-free option) marinated in 2 tablespoons (12 g) vegan chicken-flavored bouillon, or 4 tablespoons (24 g) DIY Golden Bouillon and 1 cup (235 ml) water

1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped

1 red or orange bell pepper, cored and chopped

1 can (141/2 ounces, or 406 g) diced tomatoes or 11/2 cups (340 g) Preserve-the-Harvest Diced Tomatoes

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (to taste)

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke or smoked paprika

1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or chipotle chile powder (to taste)

3 cups (705 ml) water, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons (12 g) vegan chicken-flavored bouillon or 4 tablespoons (24 g) DIY Golden Bouillon

Salt and pepper, to taste

BEFORE SERVING INGREDIENTS

11/2 cups (293 g) uncooked rice

Image THE NIGHT BEFORE: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Combine the sautéed onion and cut-up sausage, tofu, and bell peppers in a large airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Image IN THE MORNING: Combine the sautéed onion, sausage, seitan or tofu, bell peppers, tomatoes, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, paprika, red pepper flakes, water, bouillon, and salt and pepper in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

1 HOUR BEFORE SERVING: Add the rice. If the mixture looks dry, add 1 to 2 cups (235 to 470 ml) extra water. Turn up the slow cooker to high and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour longer. Check occasionally to make sure it doesn’t overcook. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

YIELD: 8 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: for 7 to 9 hours on low

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Butternut squash makes the perfect fall risotto. I like to use a combination of herbs in this dish, but you can always just use one if you’d prefer. You can switch out any winter squash for the butternut depending on what you happen to have on hand.

image GLUTEN-FREE  image SOY-FREE  image NO OIL ADDED

21/2 cups (588 ml) water

11/2 cups (280 g) arborio rice

1 can (15 ounces, or 420 g) cooked butternut squash or 11/2 cups (368) pureéd cooked fresh or 11/2 cups small dice fresh butternut squash

1/2 cup (48 g) nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon ground rosemary

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon onion

Salt and pepper, to taste

Image IN THE MORNING: Add the water, rice, squash, nutritional yeast, thyme, sage, rosemary, garlic and onion to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 11/2 to 21/2 hours, until the rice is cooked through but still al dente.

Stir every 20 to 30 minutes, adding extra water if needed. Season with salt and pepper and taste and adjust the herbs as needed.

YIELD: 6 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 11/2 to 21/2 hours on high

EXTRA CREAMY MAC and CHEESE

This is the comfort food you’ve been looking for! And if you are gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free, you’re in luck. You can use gluten-free pasta. There’s no soy naturally. And, if you make the Easy DIY Meltable Vegan Cheese it will melt and have no oil added. Try serving this creamy mac and cheese as a side for the Atomic Pecan Loaf.

image GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*  image SOY-FREE  image NO OIL ADDED OPTION**

4 cups (940 ml) nondairy milk

8 ounces (225 g) dried whole-wheat macaroni (*use brown rice pasta)

2 cups (230 g) shredded vegan cheddar cheese (store-bought or **homemade shown here)

2 tablespoons (6 g) nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Pepper, to taste

You can oil the crock first, or just plan on soaking the pan overnight after you make it. Toss all the ingredients into your 4-quart slow cooker, and stir to combine.

Cook on high for 1 to 11/2 hours, or until the pasta is al dente.

You will get the best results if you stir the mixture every 30 minutes. If you don’t use whole-wheat pasta it will cook faster, so check it around 45 minutes instead of 11/2 hours.

It’s important to check this one frequently or you will end up with mushy pasta. And there’s only a minute or two between ready-to-eat and mushy.

NOTE: If you hate checking on the pasta, you can just cook the sauce in the slow cooker and add already cooked pasta before serving. Just cut the amount of nondairy milk down to 2 cups (475 ml).

YIELD: 4 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 11/2 to 21/2 hours on high

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◁ SHIITAKE CONGEE
(Rice Porridge)

The base for the congee gets most of its flavor from the mushrooms, but it’s actually a plain congee that’s dressed up by the toppings that you choose. This is a great get-well-fast soup and is gentle on your stomach. I like mine with soy sauce, sesame oil, and cilantro.

image GLUTEN-FREE  image SOY-FREE OPTION  image NO OIL ADDED

CONGEE INGREDIENTS

8 cups (1880 ml) water or broth

4 cups (280 g) thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms

4 cups (280 g) thinly sliced button, baby bella, shiitake mushrooms or combination

1 cup (185 g) brown rice (I used long grain)

3 tablespoons (24 g) grated ginger

SERVING INGREDIENTS (OPTIONAL)

Soy sauce

Scallions

Cilantro

Chopped hot peppers

Extra grated ginger

Leftover cooked veggies

Tofu cubes

Image THE NIGHT BEFORE: Prepare the mushrooms and ginger, and store in the fridge.

Image IN THE MORNING: Add the water, mushrooms, rice, and ginger to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

To serve, place your chosen toppings on the table and let everyone make it their favorite way.

YIELD: 4–6 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: for 7 to 9 hours on low

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◁ SPAGHETTI SQUASH
with BALSAMIC TOMATO SAUCE

I am about to blow your mind! In this recipe instead of cooking the squash whole, then scraping out the flesh, we are going to peel out spaghetti squash and remove the seeds after cutting it into rounds. Why? When you’re ready for dinner you just press on them with a spoon, and they turn into long strands of veggie pasta.

image GLUTEN-FREE  image SOY-FREE  image NO OIL ADDED

1 medium spaghetti squash

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 can (28 ounces, or 784 g) crushed tomatoes (can be plain or with basil)

2 teaspoons (10 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary

2 teaspoons (10 ml) agave nectar or maple syrup

Salt and pepper, to taste

Image THE NIGHT BEFORE: Peel the squash using a potato peeler. If the skin is super hard you can microwave it for a couple of minutes. Then slice into rounds, and use a spoon to remove the stringy parts in the middle along with the seeds. Store in fridge overnight.

If you want, you can mix all the sauce ingredients together and keep in the fridge. They come together quick, so I’ll leave that up to you!

Image IN THE MORNING: Add the sauce to the bottom of your slow cooker and stack the squash circles however they will fit. They do not need to be immersed in the sauce to cook well. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

BEFORE SERVING: Mash the squash rounds to create strands and mix with the sauce.

YIELD: 4 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 7 to 9 hours

MUSHROOM LASAGNA
with CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE

This is a quick and easy dish that is elegant and perfect for last-minute company. For a special treat, add a layer of chanterelle or lobster mushrooms and use one-third less of the regular mushrooms that are called for in the recipe.

image GLUTEN-FREE OPTION*  image NO OIL ADDED

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 package (15 ounces, or 420 g) silken or soft tofu

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup (235 ml) water

3 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

11/2 tablespoons (9 g) vegan chicken-flavored bouillon or 3 tablespoons (18 g) DIY Golden Bouillon

1/4 cup (24 g) nutritional yeast

MUSHROOM INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil (*water sauté)

20 ounces (560 g) mushrooms, sliced

2 sprigs rosemary

1/2 to 3/4package (10 ounces, or 280 g) whole-wheat lasagne noodles (the regular kind, not the no-boil noodles) *use gluten-free noodles

Image THE NIGHT BEFORE: To make the béchamel sauce: Pureé all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

TO MAKE THE MUSHROOMS: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms with the rosemary until they give off their water and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs. Store the sauce and mushrooms in separate airtight containers in the fridge.

Image IN THE MORNING: Oil the crock of the slow cooker and spread one-fifth of the sauce on the bottom, then top with a layer of lasagne noodles. Break off the corners on one side of each noodle so they fit snugly in the slow cooker. You can add the corners in as well. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce.

Add a layer of one-third of the mushrooms and top with another one-fifth of the sauce. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with a last layer of lasagne noodles, and then top that with the remaining sauce.

Cook on high for 11/2 to 21/2 hours, until a fork will easily go through the middle and the pasta is al dente.

YIELD: 4 servings

EQUIPMENT: 4-quart slow cooker

COOKING TIME: 11/2 to 2 hours on high