Product Description

By now the remarkable convenience of the slow cooker is no secret. It keeps the kitchen cool on warm days and is inexpensive and durable. At last vegetarians and anyone looking for healthy meal alternatives can take full advantage of this amazing appliance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #924646 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Vegetarian cooking instructor Robertson (Vegan Planet) turns her attention to the growing number of slow cooker owners. Starting with Slow Cooker Basics, she takes the user through the ins and outs of the appliance from the size of machine suitable for good results to cooking times and 10 quick tips for cooking success. She also devotes a small section to those vegetarian ingredients, such as seitan, that nonvegetarians may not be familiar with. Branching out from the traditional casseroles and stews so popular in the early days of the slow cooker, she tackles appetizers, soups and desserts as well, using the appliance with great effect to produce vegetable stocks as well as flavorful offerings like the Indian-inspired Curried Cauliflower Soup with Chutney and Cashews as well as Asian-influenced Hot and Sour Soup. The fundamental chilis and stews are not forgotten, but beans and grains so essential to the vegetarian diet put the slow cooker to best use. Pastas and vegetables nicely round out the book.
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Customer Reviews

great for vegans!
I was searching for a while for a slow cooker cookbook for vegans and finally found this one. The recipes are really good. There is a lot of seitan recipes, which is one of my favorite proteins.

If you are in a hurry many could be cooked in a covered pot but the long times in the slow cooker means you could put them on in the morning and they will be ready at night.

In some of the recipes I did find it a bit annoying that she wanted you to do so many things before adding the food ( grilling or browning or marinading etc) but I cant argue that the food tastes great.

A word of caution. Many of the recipes call for a trivet for your slow cooker to sort of steam the food. Mine did not come with this and I have no idea where to get it!

My New Favorite!
I absolutely love this cookbook. I've always liked to cook, but, as a college student, I have struggled to find the time. This cookbook is wonderful because it allows you to cook dinner when you have the time, whether that's between morning classes or the night before. You just sautee a few vegetables, throw them in the slow cooker with canned beans and tomatoes, and when you get home at the end of the day, you have a hearty meal waiting for you. The best part is that by the time you eat dinner, the dishes have been done for hours. I disagree with the earlier reviewer who complained about the "heat" of the recipes. I made the Spicy Black Bean Chili recipe yesterday, and I thought the four-ounce can of green chiles was perfect. Often, I find that I actually need to make the recipes a bit hotter---but that't just a personal preference. So far, I've made Spicy Black Bean Chili, Three-Bean Chili, Indian Cauliflower and Kidney Bean Stew with Coconut Milk, Moroccan-Inspired Vegetable and Chickpea Stew, Vindaloo Vegetables, Orange and Bourbon Baked Beans, Spanish Beans and Rice, Spicy Black Beans and Rice with Mangoes, Vegetable Curry, and Bell Peppers Stuffed with Salsa Rice and Beans. I loved many of the recipes, and liked all but the Baked Beans, which were interesting, rather than bad. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone who finds they are already hungry by the time they can start dinner. You'll eat better and feel better.

Easy vegetarian recipes
I've made about a half a dozen of the recipes from this book now and I have to say they are quite yummy. I'm very fond of her other book "The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook", so was happy to see a new book out. I've also been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years and it's about time someone came out with a good veg slow cooker book! It's seems like (until now) all I ever made with my slow cooker was nothing but beans. It's nice to finally use it for other things.

My only real complaint with the recipes so far is that I keep finding that they are done sooner than anticipated even when left on the low setting. I'm starting to suspect that there must be some variation among heat settings with crock pots though. I noticed another reviewer mentioned that their slow cooker took longer (for lentils, which cook quite fast in my experience.) I've also noticed I usually have to stir things a few times, even though the author says it's not a good idea. I made the french onion soup recently and if I hadn't of stirred it would have burned. So maybe my cooker's low setting runs kind of hot or something. I just mark in my book that I need to stir, so I know in the future not to make that recipe when I'm gone all day, but at home puttering about. Other than that, I've been quite pleased with the ease and tastiness of the recipes. It's true some of the recipes ask that you sauté onions, etc., but I don't find that's a big deal. It doesn't take very long and it dramatically improves the flavor of a dish. Also I like that she uses normal ingrediants that are easy to find. Some of the recipes call for different size slow cookers, which could be fun if I ever decide to invest in a larger or smaller one. I think it would be usefull around the holidays, since it opens up oven space. Overall, I'm happy with this book.