Post Punk Kitchen Forum

So last year a friend moved to Japan and gifted to me his crock pot. First off, it's a big 'un. I'm gonna have to start hosting crockpot dinner parties or something.

Anyways, I've never lived in a house with one of these things before... my mom never used one growing up and I've never had one, so I don't even have a go-to recipe that I could veganize or something. Well, other than hot cider that you them dump rum in, but that's not so helpful.

Is there a really good vegan crockpot/slowcooker cookbook out there? Or even one with recipes that you find are readily veganizable? Now that it's getting to be cold, I'm feeling the urge to make lots of warm meals.

Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegetarian- ... 1558322566

On the rare occasion that something calls for milk or cheese, it specifies or the vegan version. I've made a billion yummy things from that book.

We've had great success with that one as well. I would highly recommend it. My husband loves the chili recipe, it's become our go-to. And there's a potato soup we love in it as well.

I love my crock pot! I think I probably use it most for making big batches of beans, but there's definitely a lot that you can do with it. I second the recommendation of Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. Lots of great stuff to be found in there. Also, check out A Year of Slow Cooking (http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/), it's a blog by a woman who decided to cook with her crock pot every day for a year. There's meat stuff on the blog, but she has a vegetarian tag and a lot of it is easily veganizable.

Vegan on the Cheap has a chapter dedicated to slow cookers with some awesome looking recipes

After discovering the joys of Better Than Bullion (No Beef & No Chicken flavors) and home made seitan, I don't think I'd have a hard time at all veganizing a regular crock pot recipe. Well, for stews and chilis anyway.

Speaking of seitan, a slow cooker is ideal for the 'simmer' method. Don't have to worry about boiling dry.

Thank you all! I will look into all of this. Om nom nom.

Also consider making a normal stew in the slow cooker too. I have made VWAV Chilli and Veganomicon Cholent in the slow cooker with great results.

Mat.

this person's blog is all about slow cooking, and she is writing a vegan slow cooker cookbook > http://healthyslowcooking.wordpress.com/

Thanks for posting my blog Celine! My book will be coming out next fall.

Exciting! Welcome to the ppk, geekypoet

Kfishered!

Welcome geekypoet!

When will your book be available (& in the UK)?

My book will be out next fall. It's being published by Fair Wind Press.

Can you get 500 Vegan Recipes and the Joy of Vegan Baking in the UK? It's published by them as well. (In other words I guess I have no idea at this point!)

I would think so because I have to use grams and ml in addition to the normal cups we use in the states. I'll be glad to post when I know. Right now I'm working on the last recipes to turn in December 1.

Thanks, yes, we can get them both through Amazon uk. I'll be checking out the recipes on your blog, I'm trying to use the slow cooker more and just bought one for my parents.

ooooh i've been thinking about this too!
it's cold and i'm lazy-that's what crock pots are for right?
i'll probably look into the books and blogs mentioned here.

but what size slow cooker should i get? (generally cooking for 2.)

A 4 quart is standard for most recipes, and you can cook for 2 and have leftovers for lunch. A 1 1/2 quart is nice to make 2 servings of steel cut oats or grits if you like to wake up to a warm breakfast.

My newest favorite is Cuisinart's 3 1/2 quart programmable http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-PSC-350-2-Quart-Programmable-Cooker/dp/B001E5CWVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293068024&sr=8-1. It costs more than a plain 4 quart, and a cheaper one will work just fine too. What sells me on it is it has high, low and warm settings like all the rest and adds a simmer setting which is close to the old slow cooker low. It also has a timer you can set and it will switch to the warm setting after the time you put in elapses. It's nice if you don't always get home at the same time.

My second favorite is the Hamilton Beech 3 in 1 http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hamilton-Beach-3-in-1-Slow-Cooker-Refurbished/4923428/product.html. It has a 2, 4, and 6 quart crocks that all fit into one base. You can make oatmeal in the 2 quart and if you don't have much storage space it gives alot for a small footprint.

Both the Hamilton Beech and the Cuisinart state that their crock is lead free which is another plus.

I third, fourth, whatever the recommendations for Robin Robertson's book - I've made lots of good things from "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" and while I haven't made them (wasn't in a slow cooker mood when I was gung ho on the book this summer), Vegan on the Cheap has some tasty looking variations.

I'm a little meh on the smaller "Little Vegan Slow Cooker" book, which to me seems more like adapted nonveg recipes that have fake meat substitutes for the nonvegan ingredients.

Keep in mind that most soups and stews can be made in a slow cooker as well. Just cook them on 8 hours on low/4 on high instead of simmering.