Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (56 page)

T
HINK CORNBREAD, BUT
in scone format. Super simple to throw together, and with just a bowl and a piece of parchment to clean up, they are way less messy than making cornbread in a skillet or cake pan. Also think super simple to eat, a little crumbly but not as much as cornbread can be. Any recipe in the Chilies and BBQ-Inspired Dishes chapter (
page 129
) is a good match. These scones are best eaten on the day they are made but also freeze well.

Makes about 8 scones
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

½ cup creamed corn

½ cup water

¼ cup canned coconut milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon agave
 

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup yellow corn flour

½ cup fine cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon chile flakes

¼ teaspoon cumin

Freshly ground black pepper

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.
Combine the corn through the agave in a large bowl and whisk well.

3.
Sift in the flour through the pepper; mix just to combine.

4.
Shape into 8 equal portions about 1½ inches high and place on the prepared pan. If the dough is too soft to handle easily or you don’t want to use your hands, scoop out with a measuring cup.

5.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden; cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to finish cooling.

Oregano and Sun-Dried Tomato Rolls

T
HESE ROLLS ARE
perfect for the middle of winter when you’re craving a taste of summer. The pretty orange color and the tomato and herb flavors will make even the dreariest of days seem filled with sunshine. These are also good with dried basil, and are great served with pasta dishes such as Lasagna (
page 182
) and soups (especially tomato-based) like Triple Tomato Soup (
page 66
) or Minestrone-Inspired Chunky Fennel and Bean Soup (
page 83
). You can refrigerate the rolls overnight to complete their rise. In the morning bring the dough back to room temperature, shape, and let rise prior to baking for a lovely warm accompaniment to breakfast or brunch.

Makes 4 rolls
Preparation time: 4 hours, but much inactive

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed (see Note)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
 

2 teaspoons dried yeast

1 teaspoon sugar
 

1½ cups white bread flour, or 1½ cups all-purpose flour plus 1½ tablespoons vital wheat gluten

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano
 

1 cup white bread flour, or 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
 

Olive oil

1.
In a very large bowl, soak the tomatoes covered by the water until the temperature of the water is lukewarm, about 20 minutes.

2.
Remove the tomatoes, squeeze out and retain all the liquid, and finely chop.

3.
Add the yeast and sugar to the liquid and let stand for 10 minutes.

4.
Add the flour through the oregano and tomatoes. Stir 100 times to combine. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

5.
Add the remaining flour and stir to combine. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until the dough is soft and supple and all the flour is incorporated, 15 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add flour by the scant handful as required.

6.
Clean the inside of the bowl and wipe with a small amount of the oil. Add the dough and turn to coat. Cover and place in a warm place to rise for 1½ hours.

7.
Punch down the dough, remove from the bowl, and knead on the lightly floured board until supple again, 2 minutes. Divide into 4 equal pieces and form into cigar- or log-shaped rolls about 6 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter.

8.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the rolls on the sheet. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

9.
Preheat the oven to 375°F while the rolls rise.

10.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and hollow-sounding if tapped on the bottom.

NOTE
: If you have oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you don’t need to soak them. Just ensure your water is lukewarm prior to adding the yeast and sugar.

Puff Pastry Roll-Ups

T
HIS IS A
super way to have something to dip into your soup or stew. It’s so fancy yet so very simple! Mix and match the fresh herbs so they complement your meal.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

One 14-ounce package store-bought vegan puff pastry
 

¼ cup fresh basil or other fresh herbs to match the meal, finely chopped

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.
On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry into a large square, as thin as possible. If the pastry comes in halves, roll out each in turn.

3.
Sprinkle evenly with the fresh herbs.

4.
Starting with the side closest to you, roll the pastry into a tight log shape, enclosing the herbs in the layers. Dampen the edge of the pastry and press to seal.

5.
Cut into ½-inch pieces and place them cut side up 1 inch apart on the sheet.

6.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden, taking care not to burn, especially the bases and bottom edges.

Herbed Caramelized Onion Mini Loaves

D
ON’T PANIC ABOUT
the volume of onions you’re chopping! They reduce a great deal when caramelized, and they do get very sweet, so the loaves have a nice sweetish-savory buzz about them. Perfect with chili, stews, and soups, these cute loaves will add a little (more) pizzazz to your meal. Caramelize the onions in advance and hold until required. If refrigerating, bring back to room temperature prior to continuing with the recipe. If you don’t have mini loaf pans (a sheet with 8 loaf-shaped indentations), make these in muffin tins; they will make a perfect batch of 12.

Makes 8 loaves or 12 muffins
Preparation time: 40 minutes, including caramelizing and cooking
Cooking time: 20 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ large red onion, quartered and finely sliced

½ large sweet onion such as Vidalia, quartered and finely sliced
 

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or

1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
 

1¼ cups soymilk

½ cup vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

2 tablespoons olive oil
 

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions, covered, until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

2.
Turn the heat to medium high and sauté, uncovered, to a golden color with a speckling of brown, stirring frequently to ensure the onions don’t stick or burn too much, 7 to 10 minutes. Add splashes of water as required to prevent sticking.

3.
Stir in the rosemary and thyme.

4.
Let stand in the skillet until cooled to room temperature, 15 minutes.

5.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray the pans with nonstick spray.

6.
Add the soymilk through the oil to the onions.

7.
Into the skillet sift the flour through the pepper. Mix just to combine.

8.
Spoon the mix into the pans and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.

9.
Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto the rack.

Cooking Times List

T
O HELP WITH
menu planning and good kitchen time management, I thought you’d appreciate a list of the slow cooker recipes by their cooking time. This list does not include the conventionally made To Serve With items or the recipes for ingredient items found in the Basic Recipes chapter.

The recipes indicated with the
symbol are those with a Preparation Time (the actual active hands-on time) of 15 minutes or less—super quick and easy!

3 hours or less

CURRIES AND ASIAN-INSPIRED DISHES

Peas, Potatoes, and Broccoli
108

PASTA BAKES AND SAUCES

Autumn Baked Macaroni
179

Baked Artichoke Pasta
177