(Quick Note: I'm still constructing this thread so pleeeease be patient!)
So, I love recipes. I also love websites that love recipes! However, I sometimes struggle to find a recipe that is quick, easy, and cheap (college student here!). So, I've decided to craft an entire thread that I will fill with the recipes that I've tried, want to try, and can't stop trying! I will post recipes according to their difficulty, so that you can easily pick a recipe if you're in a pinch. I also plan to share some websites that I absolutely swear by! So, come one, come all, enter the foodie experience like no other! Mwahahahah!
Feel free to share your own tips, tricks, and attempts at the delicious, affordable, and easy to craft meals posted here!
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:30 pm
Super Quick and Easy
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These Take Some Time
Crock-Pot Coconut Curry with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas
A very straight-forward and easy meal. It does take six hours to cook, so make sure you plan ahead!
Ingredients
2 1/2 diced butternut squash 1 1/2 cups dried organic chick peas 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can 13.5 ounce organic coconut milk (you can use light here, I didn’t) 1 bunch of fresh spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped 1 1/2 cups freshly shelled peas (feel free to use frozen) 1-2 large tomatoes, diced 1 cups baby carrots 2 cups potatoes, cubed 1 medium bell pepper, diced 3 cups vegetable broth or water 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder (you can use your own blend of spices here, I just happen to have a premixed coconut curry powder from Central Markey that I love) handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (save some for serving)
Intructions
1. Rinse and sort through the dry chickpeas. 2. Cut the skin off the squash, remove seeds and cut into 1 inch square cubes. 3. Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker besides the peas and spinach. 4. Cook on high for 6 hours. 5. About 20-30 minutes before serving add in the peas and spinach, and give it a stir. 6. If your sauce seems to be a bit too thin or watery when it is done cooking, you could make a quick mix of cornstarch and hot water and pour a tablespoon or two of the mixture into the crock pot, allow it to simmer a bit longer, or blend some of the curry in a blender and add it back in. This will thicken it right up. 7. Serve over brown basmati or jasmine rice topped with fresh cilantro, mint or basil and maybe even some shredded coconut. I served it over quinoa, because I love the texture, and it was great, too.
Black Bean Soup NOTE: THIS RECIPE INVOLVES SOME "NIGHT-BEFORE" PREP!
Guys, this has to be my favorite thing in the world to make. It is absolutely easy to throw together (minus the time to cook and time to prep, which is why it landed in this category), and totally customizable! I'm going to give you the basics of what I did to make my pot, but feel free to experiment and try it however you want! That is what I love so much about black bean soup. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
3 Tbsp vegan butter or olive oil (I used olive oil here) 3 ribs celery, diced 1 large onion, diced 1 bag of baby carrots 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups mushroom 4 large potatoes 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tsp cumin ¼ tsp thyme 1 lb dried black beans (about 2 cups), soaked overnight and rinsed 4 c vegetable stock (I use "Better than Bouillon". Seriously, go buy this now. It is amazing.) 4 c water 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper (I also added a bag of "heat and serve" quinoa, which I cooked before adding, and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, but that is totally up to you!)
Instructions
1. In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, saute celery, onion and carrot in butter or oil until onion is translucent. 2. Stir in garlic, cumin and thyme and saute another 30 seconds, or until fragrant. 3. Add stock, water, and the rest of your ingredients. 4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 2.5 hours, or until beans are tender. 5. Using an immersion blender, puree about half the soup (this is totally important if you want a thicker soup, but totally optional!) 6. Serve hot.
Okay, Seriously? These Take All Day and Why Do They Even Exist? (So Yummy Though!)
Crock-Pot Eggplant Parmesan NOTE: THIS RECIPE CALLS FOR EGGS AND DAIRY. FEEL FREE TO USE VEGG OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF EGG REPLACEMENT AND NIX THE CHEESE
Ok, so, maybe it was just me, but prepping eggplant is legitimately time consuming and exhausting. I worked up a serious sweat prepping this meal and it was hard to get the eggplant to cook just how I wanted it to, which is why I consider this a difficult recipe to master. However, the outcome was so dang delicious that I recommend everyone try it at least once! It ended up serving my boyfriend and I a solid dinner for three nights! (If you need help prepping eggplant, check out my "Tips and Tricks" section!
Ingredients
2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/3-inch rounds Salt 1 1/4 cups marinara sauce 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs 2 cups shredded mozzarella 1-2 cups sliced mushroom 1 bag of spinach 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or, dry. I used dry)
Instructions
1. Sprinkle eggplant on both sides with salt, place on paper towels, and let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse; blot dry. This is so important to do. If you hate salt, just rinse them really well afterward, but this helps keep the eggplant from giving off a bitter taste. 2. Lightly spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray. I use PAM organic olive oil cooking spray, but feel free to use what you want. Spread 1/4 cup marinara over bottom to prevent the food from burning onto the bottom of the pot. Dip eggplant in egg, then coat with bread crumbs. (I found it easiest to do this AS I layered the eggplant into the crock pot.) 3. Arrange a layer of eggplant over sauce. Top with enough sauce to cover eggplant; sprinkle with mozzarella; add a small handful of mushroom and spinach. Continue to eggplant, sauce, cheese, mushroom and spinach, ending with cheese (about 4 layers), filling cooker 2/3 full. 3. Sprinkle with basil, cover and cook on low until eggplant is soft and cheese has melted, 4 to 6 hours. Spoon onto plates and serve.
1. Cut off the "stem" of the eggplant, just below the leaves. 2. Peel the eggplant just like you would a potato, using a vegetable peeler. 3. Lie the eggplant on it's side and cut slices about a quarter inch thick. (if you cut into the eggplant and it's brown, the eggplant is no good.)
