Vegetarians and Slow Cookers

Cat72

I am a vegetarian and have had a slow cooker for a few years.
At first I got quite board of it thinking there was hardly anything I could cook.
However recantly I have discovered it and am using it to bulk cook meals and freeze them by- reheating in microwave or cooker.
There are recipes on here for slow cooker also recipezaar have loads of recipes too.
For instance there i cook vegetarian chilli, yummy curry, chickpea stew ,greek vegetables ,rataouille ,chestnut stew, nut roast etc.

I love cooking vegetarain sausage stew in there it is really quick. Just some vegetarian sausages (chopped ), some gravy, some passata put it all in and it tastes yummy a few hours later.
You could also add beans instead of the passata .
You can also just buy jars of food sauces put a few vegetables in and maybe tofu,or veg sausage, or quorn or chickpeas and it comes out great.

I have a dual pot slow cooker with two sections. So ican good my dinner in one side eg veg sausage and just gravy ( tastes gorgeous in slow cooker over low heat).On the other side I can cook potatoes and carrots with a small amount of stock. Or even a desert.
The only thing about my cooker is it is really heavy and I find a pain to clean .
However when Im bulk cooking I can do two different batches of food at one time !

tryingtoruletheworld

I do mostly veggie food in mine!

Curries, soups, various pasta sauces, lentil cottage pie, lots of options. I think there is a veggie slow cooker recipe book on Amazon that might be worth a look.

Angelhales2601

Thanks for those tips, think I may just invest in one then

Thanks

frugalmumof4

hi, we use our slow cooker most days and only cook vegetarian meals in it! currys, lentils dhal, chilli, sausage casseroles, vegetatable cobbler, bolognese. You can cook frozen vegetables in it, i put frozen vegetarian sausages in it, along with a tin of baked beans, tin of chopped tomatoes, onions, carrots and some vegetable stock, and they cook beautifully!
I love using mine!

beverleyhills

Buy a larger one so that you can freeze the portions you don't need.

I bought 125 best Vegetarian Slow Cooker recipes by Judy Finlayson from Amazon. It is an American book but quite easy to follow.

missychrissy

I'd buy a larger one too. I live on my own and have a 4.5 litre Prestige (the big one in Lakeland). My motto is to 'cook one for today, one for tomorrow and 4 for the freezer'. Ready made meals on hand. I take one out of the freezer on my way to work and by the time I want to eat it, it has defrosted and all I have to do is reheat.

This system saves on fuel and time.

ceridwen

Cat72 wrote: »

I am a vegetarian and have had a slow cooker for a few years.
At first I got quite board of it thinking there was hardly anything I could cook.
However recantly I have discovered it and am using it to bulk cook meals and freeze them by- reheating in microwave or cooker.
There are recipes on here for slow cooker also recipezaar have loads of recipes too.
For instance there i cook vegetarian chilli, yummy curry, chickpea stew ,greek vegetables ,rataouille ,chestnut stew, nut roast etc.

I love cooking vegetarain sausage stew in there it is really quick. Just some vegetarian sausages (chopped ), some gravy, some passata put it all in and it tastes yummy a few hours later.
You could also add beans instead of the passata .
You can also just buy jars of food sauces put a few vegetables in and maybe tofu,or veg sausage, or quorn or chickpeas and it comes out great.

I have a dual pot slow cooker with two sections. So ican good my dinner in one side eg veg sausage and just gravy ( tastes gorgeous in slow cooker over low heat).On the other side I can cook potatoes and carrots with a small amount of stock. Or even a desert.
The only thing about my cooker is it is really heavy and I find a pain to clean .
However when Im bulk cooking I can do two different batches of food at one time !

This thread is giving me some useful ideas.

It would never have occurred to me to cook nut roast in my crockpot - errr.....could I trouble you for the recipe purlease?:D

Cat72

Will post some recipes later as have to go shops this now .
Here is some tips for cooking in slow cooker/crock pot and about adapting original recipes for slow cooker.

General Slow Cooker Tips

• Adapting recipe- Since slow cookers retain liquid better than an open pot, you can usually reduce the amount called for by up to half
• One hour on HIGH is equal to two hours on LOW.
• The LOW setting is about 200 degrees, and the HIGH setting is about 300 degrees. Note that both of these temps are well above the minimum safe temperature of 140 degrees.
• Only fill the crockpot one half to two thirds full. The foods will not cook properly if the appliance is filled to the brim. If the food and liquid level is lower, the foods will cook too quickly.
• Foods cooked on the bottom of the slow cooker cook faster and will be moister because they are immersed in the simmering liquid.
• Don't lift the lid to stir, especially if you are cooking on the low setting. Each time you lift the lid, enough heat will escape that the cooking time should be extended by 20 minutes to half an hour

Rebekah24

Just wondering if any fellow vegetarians have found their slow cooker useful??

Am thinking of investing in one next month as I have now turned off my cooker at the mains as part of a conserve energy drive!

Any feedback/advice would be fantastic!

Looking at getting a small one, as its only me!!

Pink.

Hi Rebekah,

This earlier thread may help:

Vegetarians and Slow Cookers

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the replies together.

Pink