Category: Slow cooker

Pumpkin, chickpea + tatsoi curry with stir fry asian greens

naturalhealthconsciousliving4 Comments

There are two components to this dish. Firstly, the curry itself … and then the stir fry asian greens which are cooked just prior to serving the meal.

With all slow cooker meals, they really cook themselves … so pop this on + forget about it until dinner time (but, do check on your pumpkin periodically + give it a stir). My slow cooker is very old school (it’s my nan’s from the 70’s), so I put this on at lunch time + by dinner, it is ready. The newer models tend to cook a lot quicker, so your’s might be ready much earlier. Check. You want your pumpkin tender, but not mash – throughout the curry.

If you don’t have tatsoi, you can substitute for kale or spinach. Same goes with the asian greens, use what ever you like … anything will taste great (bok choy, chinese cabbage etc). I have an assortment of greens in the garden right now + am loving doing my nightly shopping for dinner out back. Herbs included!

Do adjust the heat according to your taste. You can always start a little cautious with the chilli – then add more when serving.

 

ingredients

1 tbsp organic unrefined coconut oil
3 cloves garlic
1cm ginger grated
chilli flakes *to taste
1 brown onion finely diced
1 tsp mustard seeds
15 curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp curry powder
black pepper
400g organic tomatoes
400g organic coconut cream
1/4 cup water
750g pumpkin diced into big chunks
400g chickpeas
good handful tatsoi leaves

sesame oil
3 kai lan *cut into quarters
2 pak choy * leave pieces whole
gluten free soy sauce

steamed basmati
fresh coriander leaves

 

Heat the coconut oil in a large frypan over a medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, chilli flakes + onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent.

Next, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, curry powder + a pinch of black pepper, and continue to fry until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, coconut cream + water. Gently stir until combined. Bring to the boil and then turn off the heat.

Turn your slow cooker onto a low setting. Add pumpkin, chickpeas + curry sauce.

Cook until the pumpkin is tender. Add the tatsoi leaves + wilt through.

 

STIR FRY ASIAN GREENS
Stir fry kai lan + pak choy #homegrown

 

In a wok, heat a little sesame oil. Add kai lan + pak choy. Stir fry over a medium to high heat. Add a good splash of soy sauce + cook until the veg is tender.

Serve steamed basmati rice in bowls, top with a portion of asian greens, followed by a generous spoonful of curry, lastly add fresh coriander leaves + extra chilli.

 

With love + in fabulous health,

Kristy x

 

Potato, carrot, chickpea + spinach peanut curry (slow cooked + vegan)

naturalhealthconsciousliving4 Comments

With the weather in Australia finally getting “a little” cooler (the summer was long + extremely hot this year!) … it’s time to start thinking about introducing slow cooked, warming foods – that nourish. Plant-based too.

I popped this on low early Sunday morning (as I knew I had a big working day ahead), and it’s just so good at the end of the day to tuck right in! Simply steam some rice – and you’re good to go! Well, perhaps with a glass of organic red too?

I love the heartiness of a good bowl of curry (we eat a lot of them) … + you can adjust the spice level simply with the addition/omission of chilli. For me, I like to load it up!

The addition of peanut butter really thickens up the curry sauce, giving it a creamy, rich texture.

Once you’ve done the initial prep, this meal really cooks itself.

 

ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
3 cloves garlic finely diced
1 cm ginger grated
1 + 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 heaped tsp cumin
chilli flakes *to taste 
3 large peeled potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
2 carrots diced
400g organic chickpeas
2 cups vegetable stock
3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
400g organic diced tomatoes
sea salt
black pepper
generous handful baby spinach

to serve

peanuts
fresh coriander leaves
cooked basmati rice 

 

method

Gently heat the olive oil in a frypan + sauté the onion over a medium heat. Add the garlic + ginger and continue to cook for a minute.

Add the spices + cook until fragrant.

Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker, followed by the rest of the ingredients (excluding spinach + garnishes). Gently stir through to combine.

Set on low + cook until the vegetables are soft (but not mushy!) I have a very old slow cooker which I can leave on for 8 or so hours + the result is perfect. Some of the newer varieties cook much faster – so continue to check how your veg are doing + give the curry a stir from time to time.

Just before serving, add the spinach + wilt through.

Serve in bowls with steaming basmati. Garnish with peanuts + coriander leaves. Oh, and extra chilli flakes if you wish.

 

With love,

Kristy xx

 

Mocha pudding (slow cooker)

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I bloody love my vintage ’70’s slow cooker (crock cooker). It’s at least 45 years old + never misses a beat. I inherited the orange goddess from my beautiful nan when she passed. I hope that it continues working for another 45 years! They certainly built things to last back in the day.

I must admit, I have used more modern slow cookers, but they tend to cook faster with the different technology. I like to be able to leave mine on all day when cooking a curry or the like. You hearing me?

In this recipe, I cook my pudding for 1.5 hours on a low setting … but, I would check regularly with your pudding if you are using a more modern cooker. You want it slightly firm, yet still gooey. There should be moist crumbs when you insert a toothpick in the centre.

The combination of coffee + chocolate is always a winner in my book. You can really taste the coffee in this dessert. I haven’t been shy with the quantity!

Pop this little number on when you are staring to cook dinner, so it will be ready when you have eaten + are sniffing around for dessert.

x

ingredients

serves 4 

1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
1/2 cup raw organic cacao
1 tbsp coffee ground (I used Yahava Espresso)
pinch sea salt
4 large free range eggs
1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
1/2 cup melted organic butter
1 vanilla bean

method

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Pour pudding mixture into your slow cooker (low setting). Cover + cook.

Serve immediately with ice-cream (I love almond milk/caramel – it’s dairy free), berries or chopped nuts.