Crock Pot Sweet Black Bean Chili

Crock Pot Sweet Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:
2c black beans (soaked overnight.  3/4c dry)
½ Red Onion, chopped
½ Jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1¼ c Organic Vegetable Broth
1c water
1 bay leaf
½T Dark Chili Powder
½t Cayenne Pepper
½t Cinnamon
¼t Cumin
½T Raw Sugar

Directions:
Saute onion, jalepeno, and garlic in ½ T olive oil for 3-5min on medium-low.

Add black beans, vegetable broth, water, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and spices to the crock pot. 

Cook in your crock pot for 8 hours on low. (I cooked 6 hrs with with the last hour on high to speed it up.  Seemed to work out OK.)

Makes 2 servings.  Double or Quadruple for larger batch. 


Forgot to take a photo and just ate it right up!  I ate mine over some brown rice pasta.   I'd say it turned out pretty well for just winging it.  Next time I'm going to try to cook the beans right in the pot without presoaking per advice from The Vegan's Husband. 

Red Beans & Barley

Had a 7 hour work day today, and this crock pot recipe cooks for 7 hours, so I thought it would be a perfect day for it.

Recipe: WW Slow Cooker Red Beans and Barley

The recipe said not to stir until the cooking was done, but at the end some of the edges were burned and sticking to the crock pot.  I might try to stir at the last hour if able.

Verdict:  Good filling meal.  Really liking barley and it's taste and texture.

Bourbon Baked Beans

I must admit, I was a little hesitant to make this recipe at first.  I am not a drinker, and having never cooked with alcohol before, I was unsure of the taste.

I found the cheapest and smallest bottle of bourbon I could find ($1.49 at a local wine & liquor store) and decided to give it a shot.

I used the recipe from the Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker book.

Verdict: Not too bad.  Would make a good side for a vegan cookout!

Slow Spanish Beans and Rice

Today was the first time I have used my Crock Pot since I got it when I got married 2½ years ago.  People tell me how wonderful crock pots are, and it was not until today I understood why!

Slow Spanish Beans & Rice
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Green Pepper, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
¼ Tomato Paste
2 tsp Chilli Powder
2 15.5oz cans Kidney Beans, drained & rinsed (I used 1 light red & 1 dark red)
1 14.5oz can Diced Tomatoes, with juices
1½ c water
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
2c Cooked Brown Rice

Cook up onion, green pepper, and garlic in olive oil until soft (about 5 min)
Add cooked onions, peppers, & garlic to crock pot with all other ingredients minus the rice.  Cook on low for 6-8 hrs[we cooked it for about 6½ and it came out great].  Add the rice to the crock pot about 10 minutes before you are ready to eat.

To cook the rice we used a rice steamer.  I got this steamer from my mom to sell at a garage sale and decided to keep it for myself.  Used it a few times for veggies recently then read on a vegan blog about a rice steamer, and decided to give it a shot.  A rice steamer is a god send!  We could never get the rice to cook just the way we wanted it using the stove, but it always comes out great.  Invest in one, you wil not regret it!

Verdict: Loving it!  Tasted great on it's own, or with some tortilla chips.

I will be trying to use the slow cooker more often, especially since going back to work.  Not sure how I feel about leaving a crock pot on all day when no one is home, any thoughts on this reader?