Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (52 page)

4.
Uncover, add the lime juice, taste, and season with the salt as required.

Savoy Cabbage with Raisins and Pecans

S
AVOY IS MY
favorite cabbage. I find it somewhat less cabbage-y than green or red cabbage, and I like how pretty it looks with its crinkly leaves. This way of cooking and the additions accentuate the cabbage’s natural sweetness (the raisins) and its natural earthiness (the fennel seed), and the dish has an added crunch for wonderful texture contrast. Nontraditional but great with the St. Patrick’s Day Irish Stew (
page 99
), and anywhere you’re serving mashed potatoes. Use the rest of your cabbage to make the Peasant Vegetable and Sausage Stew (
page 97
).

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

¼ cup pecan pieces
 

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ red onion, sliced
 

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¹
/
₈
teaspoon ground fennel seeds
 

½ head savoy cabbage, large spines removed, shredded
 

¼ cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
 

Salt and black pepper

1.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and toast the pecan pieces until aromatic and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and hold.

2.
In the same skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onion until soft, 4 to 5 minutes.

3.
Add the salt through the fennel seeds; stir in the cabbage, distributing the onion and seasonings throughout.

4.
Add a splash of water, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the cabbage is tender and wilted but still bright green, 7 to 8 minutes. Add splashes of water if the cabbage starts to stick.

5.
Toss through the pecans, raisins, and parsley.

6.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required just prior to serving.

Bean and Olive Salad

S
OFT AND CRUNCHY
at the same time and with plenty of saltiness from the olives, this is a great salad to have as part of a picnic spread, at a barbecue, or alongside a pasta dish. Use any combination of beans you have handy, as long as you end up with 3 cups. Roughly chop the peppers and olives; as long as they are of similar size and not too much bigger than the beans, it will be fine. Use your slow cooker to cook the beans for this salad, following my basic cooking steps for beans (
page 24
).

Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 10 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon agave

½ teaspoon dried oregano
 

1 cup cooked pinto beans, if canned, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked chickpeas, if canned, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked black beans, if canned, drained and rinsed

½ medium green pepper, chopped

½ medium red pepper, chopped

¼ cup chopped green olives, with or without pimientos

¼ cup chopped black olives
 

Salt and black pepper

1.
In a large bowl whisk together the oil through the oregano.

2.
Add the beans through the olives and combine well.

3.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

4.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours for the flavors to meld. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

VARIATIONS:

ITALIAN PASTA AND BEAN SALAD

Make this into an impromptu Italian pasta salad with the addition of some leftover cooked small pasta shapes.

SPICY BEAN AND OLIVE SALAD

For a spicier salad, add 1 finely chopped jalapeño and chile flakes to taste.

Cherry Tomato Salad

F
OR WHEN YOUR
garden is producing more cherry tomatoes than you know what to do with or, if like me you don’t have a garden, for when the farmers’ markets and stores are selling them super cheap. If you can get a variety of colored cherry tomatoes or, even better, heirloom tomatoes, the salad looks ever so much prettier. This salad is even better the next day, so make ahead if you can. Serve with your favorite pasta dishes, or chili, or even on top of a green salad alongside a bowl of soup.

Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 10 minutes

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 garlic clove, minced
 

4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if slightly larger

½ medium green pepper, finely chopped

½ to 1 jalapeño pepper, minced, or to taste

2 medium spring onions, finely chopped
 

Salt and black pepper

1.
In a large bowl whisk together the oil through the garlic until smooth and creamy.

2.
Add the tomatoes through the onions and toss to coat.

3.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

4.
Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Celery and Caper Coleslaw