They all seem to be so gloppy! Every crock pot recipe I have has some illicit ingredient (cream of something soup, etc.)

When I use a crock pot, I usually seer the meat (after seasoning of course), then add veggies and onions and a little water. I don't usually use cream soups, although it sounds good! Also, you could substitue some fat free broth for flavor!

Here's one that I just found and it sounds really good. A lot of prepping but it might be worth it. Very healthy, low in cals and fat. Of course, you could always add low fat cheese to make it even tastier!

Zoe's Vegan Vegetarian Chili: Colorful, tasty, satisfying, guaranteed to please starving teenagers.

Vegetarian Chili, Serves 4 - 6: We adapted this vegetarian chili recipe many years ago from The Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen. We ate vegetarian chili so often at our house, when the kids were growing up, that we knew the recipe by heart. There were always several containers in the freezer, for those times when ravenous appetite struck without warning.

We dedicate this chili recipe to our vegetarian daughter, Zoe, who pretty much lived on it for several years, and had been nagging us for the recipe. Vegetarian chili is a great vegan recipe by itself, or with salad and cornbread, or make it vegetarian with parmesan or ricotta cheese, or sour cream.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried kidney beans, with cooking liquid (see recipe below)
Or 2 cans bean, drained and rinsed + 4 cups water
1 cup bulgur or cracked wheat
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped small
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded, or 1 pinch cayenne
2 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled, or 1/2 tsp dried
1 tiny pinch asoefetida, OR 1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cinnamon stick
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each: paprika, gr. cumin, coriander, fennel
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. minced parsley
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Kidney beans:

1 cup dried dark red kidney beans
Soak 4 hours in hot water, or overnight
Drain, rinse, add 6 cups unsalted water
Bring to a boil, skim foam, cover and simmer 2 hours

Chili Directions:

1. Preheat saute pan or frying pan on medium
2. Prep veggies, including garlic clove, if you're using it
3. Saute veggies in oil 5 minutes
4. Add remaining spices, saute another two minutes
5. After sauteing the veggies, transfer everything to the cooker, cover and simmer 2 hours. Add minced parsley and soy sauce to taste.

*If you're going to soak and cook beans, it's worth making extra, to freeze in small amounts for future meals.

^^That sounds great. I'd leave out the oil and the step that requires you to sautee altogether. I just put everything together in the crockpot without any additional prep after chopping.

I made some salsa chicken in mine this week: I took a jar of my favorite salsa and dumped it on a few frozen chicken breasts, turned it on low before I left for work and it was delicious over brown rice (or quinoa, etc).

I thought the same thing. Although a little oil isn't going to hurt you. Olive oil, especially, is actually very good for you. I also think that I'll leave out the sauteing step as well. Sort of defeats the purpose of using the crock pot, kwim?

K8-EEE I have a very easy excellent one for fajitas using flank steak ~

If anyone is a meat eater like me and wants it just post and I will pull it out of Angie and my recipe folder...easy!

Oh, I agree! I just like to "spend" my oil/fat calories in other ways (like avocado, homemade salad dressings and dark chocolate ) and I find that soups and stews really don't need oils added to be tasty.

Hey, I'd say 99% of everyone on these boards eats meat (and a meat recipe is already here ) so why not post away!

Gary, I'd love to have that recipe! I love using my crock pot especially in the Winter. I'll be watching for it! Thanks.

Here is my crock-pot recipe for fajitas ~ With some black, pinto or refried beans, tortillas and guacamole, this serves my family of 6 very nicely. It is so easy I never mess it up!

FAJITAS

1 1/2 lbs. beef flank steak, cut into about 6 pieces

1 cup chopped onion

2 bell peppers, cut into strips ~ red or green or both ~ your choice

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped optional

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 8 oz. can drained chopped or diced tomatoes

12 tortillas

Toppings ~ your choice ~ cheese, salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream

Combine all ingredients (except tortillas and toppings) into the crock-pot and stir. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. I usually find it done faster. Take beef out and shredd with fork, return to pot. Stir and serve with the tortillas and toppings.

Gary, that sounds surprisingly delicious. I might give it a go! I'd probably add more veggies to keep the calories lower. I bet you could sneak a couple of zucchini into that pot and no one would even notice.

(I don't have a crock pot, but I do have a dutch oven and an oven. I imagine that would work just as well.)

Ezmoney that recipe sounds great...but do the peppers shrink down to nothing cooking them that long?

Have you ever tried putting them in about 1/2 way done?



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