VeggieConverter

Helping moms introduce meatless meals with ease.

Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew

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Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew

Chickpea root vegetable stew is a beautiful creation I stumbled upon by accident when the kids were home with the sniffles. They needed something warm, soothing and nutritious. So, I rummaged through our pantry and crisper. Chickpea root vegetable stew is the result. And wow, it is fantastic. We'll be enjoying this again.

This stew is the perfect stick-to-your-ribs sooth your sickies meal. It's also a great amalgamation of fall flavors. I love using root vegetables in a stew, it's a great way to experiment with the different varieties.

The kiddos didn't remember having parsnips previously, so they asked about the "white carrots." One out of two kids enjoyed them. I'm not sure why the other kid didn't like the parsnips since they took on the taste of the broth, which she loved. *shrug* Kids are funny sometimes. 

I intended to add rice noodles in at the end, but the stew looked so lovely and nourishing when finished that I forgot.  However, I don't think the noodles were necessary. If you want noodles or rice, toss in whichever starch you like already cooked. Or, add the raw version and cook it on saute mode for another 15 to 30 minutes until the starch is tender.

Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chickpeas, dried

1 quart vegetable broth

1 quart water

2 parsnips, sliced into coins

2 carrots, sliced into coins

4 potatoes, cubed (peels on)

1/4 cup Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 prunes, diced small

chives, for serving

Instant Pot Method

Place all ingredients, except chives, in the pot. 

Cook on high pressure for 22 minutes and allow pressure to release naturally.

Serve topped with chives.

Slow Cooker Method

Place all ingredients, except chives, in the crock.

Cook on low for 6 hours.  

Serve topped with chives.

Looking for another sick day soup? Try our Paleo chicken noodle soup.

Love it? Pin it, please. 

Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew #instantpot #slowcooker
Yield: 8

Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew

Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew

Chickpea root vegetable stew is a beautiful creation I stumbled upon a bit by accident when the kids were home with sniffles. It's soothing and nutritious!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, dried
  • 1 quart vegetable broth
  • 1 quart water
  • 2 parsnips, sliced into coins
  • 2 carrots, sliced into coins
  • 4 potatoes, cubed (peels on)
  • 1/4 cup Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 prunes, diced small
  • chives, for serving

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

Place all ingredients, except chives, in the pot. 

Cook on high pressure for 22 minutes and allow pressure to release naturally.

Serve topped with chives.

Slow Cooker Method

Place all ingredients, except chives, in the crock.

Cook on low for 6 hours.  

Serve topped with chives.

© Kristi
Cuisine: American / Category: vegan

Leaky Cauldron Guinness Beef Stew

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Guinness Beef Stew

We took an amazing family trip to Universal and Disney during the fall and something unexpected happened in Diagon Alley. I fell in love with a bowl of beef stew, Guinness Beef Stew. The Leaky Cauldron was my favorite restaurant that we visited on that trip. And we visited some great ones!

At the other Universal restaurant---The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade---the food and ambiance was awesome, but with two kids and sore feet, I didn't like how they won't let you sit down until you have your food. So, the girls and I just had to stand and wait for Mr. Meaty to come through the line instead of getting a few extra minutes to relax.

At Disney, I loved the look and the princesses at Akershus, but the food was not great. Lunch at the Beast's Castle, Be Our Guest, was amazing and the food was good so that was a definite winner.

The best Disney restaurants we experienced were at Animal Kingdom. Tusker House was our character experience and it was super fun and the food was great. It was a great mix of African-inspired foods and the buffet presentation made it easy for everyone to get something they liked. We got to try a ton of new-to-us dishes. And we met Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy. Win!

Our other character experience buffet was also fun. We got to see Alice in Wonderland characters, including an amazing Mad Hatter as well as Winnie the Pooh. And the breakfast buffet was pretty darn good at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.

Satu'li Canteen was one of the few places that we just stumbled into. We went to Disney in September, when they do the free Disney Dining Plan. So we had most of our meals planned six months in advance. Crazy, right? But, after going through the super awesome Avatar rides, we were hungry for brunch and saw the Satu'li Canteen had some great vegetarian options for me. So, we popped in and split two meals among the five of us (my mom joined us on this trip). We got a tofu bowl and a beef bowl and both were tasty.

The one restaurant we were disappointed in was Ohana. We stayed at the Polynesian and were excited about the Hawaiian dinner at the hotel's restaurant, but the Brazilian-steakhouse style food (they bring various meats around and ask if  you're ready for refills, but it's just beef, chicken and shrimp) was dull. And the service wasn't particularly friendly or exciting. The veggies and the much-lauded bread pudding were the only items I enjoyed and those weren't spectacular. I'd skip this one unless you're heading to the morning character experience with Lilo and Stitch.

Another pop in restaurant we went to was the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen. We shared a few things among the five of us here, too. For some reason this restaurant wasn't busy at all. But the atmosphere was fun and the food was great!

But, back to the point. We had a great trip and, overall, loved the restaurants that we experienced. Of those, The Leaky Cauldron was the best, in my opinion. Sure, it didn't have Daisy Duck. But it had that great Harry Potter English pub feel, amazing food and great service. I had the Guinness Beef Stew, the girls and Mom and loved their fish and chips. Mr. Meaty got the Cottage Pie.

And, we went for breakfast another day and had full English breakfasts, which were amazing, too. But the Guinness Beef Stew was so tasty that I've been dreaming of making it myself ever since. And, as luck would have it, Mom got us a great Harry Potter Cookbook for Christmas and there's a Guinness Beef Stew recipe inside! So, finally, here it is. And my, oh my, does it live up to my memory.

Both kids went in for seconds or even thirds. I declared it the best beef stew we'd ever made. Tall Fry declared it the best STEW we'd ever made, no beef qualifier required. The broth is rich and somehow creamy and the vegetables come out perfectly cooked: tender, but not mushy. This is the best beef stew ever. Enjoy.

Guinness Beef Stew

Guinness Beef Stew

Adapted from Harry Potter Cookbook 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as necessary
1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or portabella mushroom strips)
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons flour
14 ounces broth (plus more to adjust consistency, if desired)
1/2 cup Guinness (or substitute Mexican Coke, if desired)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped prunes
1 teaspoon ground sage
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or 1 tablespoon dry)

Dutch Oven Method

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Add the meat in batch and sear on both sides over high heat for 4-5 minutes until crusty brown. Transfer each batch of meat to a plate.

Once the meat is done, add more oil to the pot if necessary.

Add onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened. Scrape up the browned bits, fond, from the bottom of the pot as you cook.

Add flour and stir until combined.

Pour in broth and Guinness (or Coke) and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbling.

Add the meat and any juices back to the pot.

Add tomato paste, chopped prunes, sage, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and parsley.

Simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken broth or water as necessary to keep the Guinness beef stew from drying or burning. (We added about another cup of broth.)

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Method

Turn the saute function on medium in your instant pot. When the screen reads HOT, add the oil. Sear the meat on all sides.

Set meat aside. Add onions, adding more oil if needed. Saute onions until softened.

Return meat to instant pot.

Add remaining ingredients.

Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and let pressure naturally release.

Guinness Beef Stew: Our Universal and Disney Dining Experience

Guinness Beef Stew: Our Universal and Disney Dining Experience

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as necessary
  • 1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 14 ounces chicken broth (plus more to adjust consistency, if desired)
  • 1/2 cup Guinness (or substitute Mexican Coke, if desired)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup chopped prunes
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley (or 1 tablespoon dry)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Add the meat in batch and sear on both sides over high heat for 4-5 minutes until crusty brown. Transfer each batch of meat to a plate.
  2. Once meat is done, add more oil to the pot if necessary.
  3. Add onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened. Scrape up the browned bits, fond, from the bottom of the pot as you cook.
  4. Add flour and stir until combined.
  5. Pour in broth and Guinness (or Coke) and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbling.
  6. Add the meat and any juices back to the pot.
  7. Add tomato paste, chopped prunes, sage, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  8. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  9. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
  10. Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and parsley.
  11. Simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken broth or water as necessary to keep the stew from drying or burning. (We added about another cup of broth.)
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Leaky Cauldron Guinness Beef Stew Recipe

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

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Beef and Chinese Green Beans | @VeggieConverter

Holy cow this dish was one of my better ideas. Beef and Chinese Green Beans popped into my head one recent weeknight when the kids and I were pondering what to make for dinner. We were kind of tired of our usual weeknight meals (Broccoli Beef, Curry Chicken, Fried Rice, some-kinda-noodles). I'd picked up some fresh green beans and decided to try something with that and that's when my favorite green beans dish popped into my head: Chinese Green Beans.

And then I thought, hey man, sometimes when I order that at our favorite local Chinese restaurant, I have them add braised bean curd and it's delicious (which, if you're vegetarian or vegan or just like tofu, you should totally do at home, it really is delicious!).

Since I've been trying to eat a little more meat and stir fried beef is one of the few meats I actually think tastes pretty good, I opted to add in beef to the recipe and double the sauce.

Holy moly I am not sorry I tried this little experiment. Not sorry one bit.

The kids and Mr. Meaty and I all LOVED it. So much so that we've already had it again since then. AND tried the same thing with broccoli instead of beans and that was yummy, too!

Part of the yumminess may just be locked into that gorgeous iron skillet you see in the photograph. It was my grandmother's skillet so it has decades of seasoning locked into it and a lot of love-through-cooking, too. It makes me smile every time I use it.

If you've been considering switching to cast iron cookware, I highly recommend it. A properly seasoned one is a nontoxic nonstick dream.

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

Serves 4

Ingredients

SAUCE

1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon Mirin or sherry
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger (ground)
1 teaspoon nut butter (I used almond-cashew)
dash of hot sauce
dash of molasses

OTHER

1/4 cup bacon grease or coconut oil for frying, divided
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced red onion (or 1 tablespoon dry minced onion)
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pound stir fry beef or portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

Method

Mix sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons grease or oil over medium heat in a wok or iron skillet. Add beef, sear on one side and add about half of the sauce. Stir fry until done (about 10 minutes). Remove beef. Add 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry green beans for about 7 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Remove green beans. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry red onion for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Add garlic, hot sauce and chili flakes and heat an additional minute. Add green beans, beef, and remaining sauce and toss. Serve hot over rice or cauliflower rice.
Yield: 4

Beef and Chinese Green Beans

Beef and Chinese Green Beans
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Ingredients
  • sauce:
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon Mirin or sherry
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger (ground)
  • 1 teaspoon nut butter (I used almond-cashew)
  • dash of hot sauce
  • dash of molasses
  • other:
  • 1/4 cup bacon grease or coconut oil for frying, divided
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion (or 1 tablespoon dry minced onion)
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1 pound stir fry beef, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

Instructions

  1. Mix sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons grease or oil over medium heat in a wok or iron skillet.
  3. Add beef, sear on one side and add about half of the sauce. Stir fry until done (about 10 minutes).
  4. Remove beef.
  5. Add 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry green beans for about 7 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Remove green beans.
  6. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and stir fry red onion for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Add garlic, hot sauce and chili flakes and heat an additional minute.
  7. Add green beans, beef and remaining sauce and toss. Serve hot over rice or cauliflower rice.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com
Beef and Chinese Green Beans | @VeggieConverter

Black Bean Tortilla Soup

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Black Bean Tortilla Soup | @VeggieConverter

Tortilla soup is one of those Tex-Mex favorites that I've always wanted to love. I mean, how can you go wrong with a soup topped with avocado and pico de gallo?

But, alas, I don't really dig chicken and it's almost always a chicken soup.

So, I crafted this easy peasy Black Bean Tortilla Soup that's vegan and delicious.

It's pretty much a dump the cans and rice into the VitaClay or slow cooker recipe. But, in spite of that, it's actually healthy since it doesn't include any junky cans.

If you want to go fully homemade, you can also swap in soaked and cooked black beans and diced fresh tomatoes and green chiles for the canned variety when they're in season. Just shy of two cups per can is about the right amount.

I added a little hot sauce and a bit of lime juice to mine to give it more punch and the standard recipe was the perfect spiciness temperature for the kiddos. They added shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips to their bowls.

Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 can black beans
1 can fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles
2 cans vegetable broth
1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
2/3 cup dry rice

optional toppings: avocado, tortilla chips, lime wedges, cheese, pico de gallo or hot sauce

Slow Cooker Method

Place primary ingredients in VitaClay cooker and cook on SOUP setting for 1 hour.

OR, in a slow cooker, place all ingredients EXCEPT the rice in slow cooker and cook on LOW setting for 2 hours. In the last 20 minutes, add the dry rice and continue to cook.

Serve with desired toppings.

Instant Pot Method

Place all ingredients, except rice, in the instant pot.

Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.

Add rice. Cook on rice setting until complete.

The Results

Bug, our 8-year-old, loves the chicken version of this soup at restaurants. So it was no surprise that she loved this version, too. I loved it also.

Goose, our 6-year-old, was horrified. Why, you ask? I'll quote her on this one. "Mom, why would you put rice in soup? That's disgusting."

No, she could not explain why it's disgusting. But the rest of the family really enjoyed it. So take that with a grain of Goose-is-sometimes-a-weirdo...ness.

Love it? Pin it, please!

Black Bean Tortilla Soup | @VeggieConverter

Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles
  • 2 cans vegetable broth
  • 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
  • 2/3 cup dry rice
  • optional toppings: avocado, tortilla chips, lime wedges, cheese, pico de gallo or hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Place primary ingredients in VitaClay cooker.
  2. Cook on soup setting for 1 hour or in a slow cooker on LOW setting for 2 hours.
  3. Serve with desired toppings.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

 

Slow Cooker Dal Makhani

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Dal Makhani | @VeggieConverter #slowcooker

Slow Cooker Dal Makhani and it's just as delicious (if not better) than the restaurant variety? Yes, please!

We're doing the War on Debt still so we're on a restaurant moratorium. I'm missing Indian food. Even though I've made a few Indian dishes at home, it's never quite the same. So I thought about what was in my pantry (after all, we're STILL doing that pantry challenge...oy, it's gonna be months) and decided, hey, it'd be pretty hard to muck up Dal Makhani, right?

But instead of doing my standard use what's in my kitchen tinker with it technique, I went with (nearly) the exact recipe. Other than swapping out dairy items and switching one type of lentils for another and one type of beans for another, I stuck to it.

That's good for me, right? Hah. I cannot be more pleased with how it turned out. It was a HUGE hit with everyone. Even Goose! Who isn't a fan of "spicy" things? She added cream to hers to cool it down (believe me, it's not REALLY that spicy, but it is to her delicate palate).

Dal Makhani

Adapted from Slow Cooker Dal Makhani
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 cup dry red lentils
1/2 cup dry black beans
2 tablespoon dry channa dal
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
4 cups water
GRIND TO PASTE
2 dry, whole red chillies
1 inch piece ginger
6-8 flakes garlic
1 cup tomato puree or sauce
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1/2 teaspoon Indian chili powder
1/2 teaspoon aamchoor powder (raw mango powder- can be found in Indian grocery stores)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped

Method

Wash the lentils, beans and channa dal properly and add them to the slow cooker with 4 cups of water.

Cook on your VitaClay's SOUP setting for 4 hours (or 8 hours on LOW in a slow cooker) with salt, coconut oil and the ginger-garlic-chilli paste added to the lentils and water.

Mash the lentils a bit and add the tomato puree, kasoori methi, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, nutmeg powder, aamchoor, coriander powder, onion powder, and let cook on VitaClay's STEW setting for another 2-3 hours (or 4-6 hours on LOW in a slow cooker).

Add the chopped cilantro and serve with rice, naan or roti.

This was absolutely delicious!! Definitely a new regular at our house. And, bonus, it's amazing on nachos! So good. We have dal makhani nachos a lot.

Instant Pot Method

Add ingredients to instant pot and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. 

Add the chopped cilantro and serve with rice, naan or roti.

Love it? Pin it, please!

Dal Makhani | @VeggieConverter #slowcooker

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry red lentils
  • 1/2 cup dry black beans
  • 2 tablespoon dry channa dal
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
  • 4 cups water
  • GRIND TO PASTE
  • -2 dry, whole red chillies
  • -1 inch piece ginger
  • -6-8 flakes garlic
  • 1 cup tomato puree or sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
  • 2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Indian chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon aamchoor powder (raw mango powder- can be found in Indian grocery stores)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Wash the lentils, beans and channa dal properly and add them to the slow cooker with 4 cups of water. Cook on your VitaClay's SOUP setting for 4 hours (or 8 hours on LOW in a slow cooker) with salt, coconut oil and the ginger-garlic-chilli paste added to the lentils and water.
  2. Mash the lentils a bit and add the tomato puree, kasoori methi, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, nutmeg powder, aamchoor, coriander powder, black salt, onion powder, and let cook on VitaClay's STEW setting for another 2-3 hours (or 4-6 hours on LOW in a slow cooker).
  3. Add the chopped cilantro and serve with rice, naan or roti.
  4. This was absolutely delicious!! Definitely a new regular at our house.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

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Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe | @VeggieConverter

 

We love soup, but our food intolerances and dislikes have made most soups difficult to share. This old fashioned Paleo chicken noodle soup recipe is delicious. I didn't use to like the actual chicken part of the soup, but it's grown on me.

If you're gluten-free, you can use rice noodles. Skip the noodles or use zucchini noodles instead.  We have made this soup in various iterations over the past five or six years and it's always delicious. Make it your own by switching out the meat and the veggies to what you like. The broth is the most important part. The balsamic vinegar really gives it a tasty flavor.

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Adapted from CrockPot 365 

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds raw ground organic chicken (sub chickpeas for a vegan version)

6 cups bone broth or Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth

1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked

1 cup chopped vegetables (we used okra this time, but use zucchini, broccoli, whatever we have on hand)

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

kosher salt to taste

50-cent piece size, or so, a handful of raw zucchini (or rice noodles if you're not grain-free) to add at the end

1 large handful of raw spinach leaves to add at the end

Method

Start with a VitaClay. or slow cooker with broth and add chicken.

Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves.

Stir in the vinegar.

Salt to taste.

Cover and cook on VitaClay SOUP setting for 3 hours or for CrockPot on LOW for 7-8 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender and the onion is translucent.

15 minutes before serving, put in raw noodles and a large handful of spinach.

Cover and continue to cook.

Instant Pot Method

Add all ingredients except noodles spinach to the instant pot.

Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook noodles on the stovetop.

Allow pressure to release naturally. 

Add spinach and turn on saute mode, medium. Cook until wilted.

Stir in cooked noodles. 

Serve.

Need a vegan sick day soup? Check out our Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew.

Love it? Pin it, please!

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe | @VeggieConverter

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds raw ground organic chicken (we buy a pack of chicken breasts and send them through a grinder)
  • 6 cups bone broth or Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
  • 1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
  • 1 cup chopped vegetables (we used okra this time, but use zucchini, broccoli, whatever we have on hand)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 50-cent piece size, or so, handful of raw zucchini or rice noodles to add at the end
  • 1 large handful raw spinach leaves to add at the end

Instructions

  1. Start with a VitaClay. or slow cooker with broth and add chicken. Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves. Stir in the vinegar. Salt to taste. Cover and cook on VitaClay SOUP setting for 3 hours or for CrockPot on LOW for 7-8 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender and the onion is translucent.
  2. minutes before serving, put in raw noodles and a large handful of spinach. Cover continue to cook.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

Chicken Bone Broth

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Bone Broth | @VeggieConverter

So you've decided to make bone broth? Start with chicken or turkey. Trust me. The beef soup bones version is great and all. But it stinks. A lot. So here's what I do. I make a CrockPot Rotisserie Chicken from the amazing CrockPot lady. Apparently this chicken is delicious. My family loves it. A lot. This includes not just Mr. Meaty and the girls, but also my parents and such. I haven't been able to try it yet. Because it's chicken. And it's wet. I just...I can't. But it smells really yummy!

But I digress. I make that lovely rotisserie chicken in the VitaClay (which just means I cut the time in half and follow the rest of Stephanie's instructions).

Once that's done about 4 hours later, I remove the chicken. Sometimes the bones just fall out. If they don't, I pull them out make Jason pull them out and return them to the pot. Then I add enough water to nearly fill the pot, add my veggie scraps (which I save in the freezer in a silicone bag) and a splash of apple cider vinegar. If I have any vegetable scraps saved up in the freezer, I add those, too. Win. When it's all done, I season to taste. Usually with just a hint of Himalayan pink salt.

Bone broth is incredibly good for you. And incredibly frugal. My first experience making bone broth was with a post-Thanksgiving turkey carcass. I've since made it with beef soup bones and now chicken. Chicken is by far the most pleasant for my delicate flexitarian (previously vegetarian) sensibilities. 🙂

How do you bone broth?

Chicken Bone Broth

Makes about 3 quarts

Ingredients

1 chicken carcass, from an organic pastured chicken
vegetable scraps
splash of apple cider vinegar
salt to taste
water

Method

Place ingredients in your VitaClay. Fill nearly full with water. "Slow cook" for max time on soup setting, resetting until the broth cooks for 12 hours. If you're using a crockpot instead, just let it run for 24 hours instead of 12. Strain and pour into quart jars. Freeze if desired. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Method

Place ingredients in your instant pot.

Fill nearly to fill line with water. 

Cook for 1 hour on high pressure.

Allow pressure to release naturally.

Not a meatatarian? Try the vegetable broth instead!

Love it? Pin it, please!

Bone Broth | @VeggieConverter

Yield: 3 quarts

Chicken Bone Broth

Chicken Bone Broth

Instant Pot or Slow Cooker bone broth

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken carcass, from an organic pastured chicken
  • vegetable scraps
  • splash of apple cider vinegar
  • salt to taste
  • water

Instructions

  1. Place ingredients in your VitaClay. Fill nearly full with water. "Slow cook" for max time on soup setting, resetting until the broth cooks for 12 hours. If you're using a crockpot instead, just let it run for 24 hours instead of 12. Strain and pour into quart jars. Freeze if desired. Enjoy!
  2. Instant Pot Method
  3. Place ingredients in your instant pot.
  4. Fill nearly to fill line with water.
  5. Cook for 1 hour on high pressure.
  6. Allow pressure to release naturally.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Staple

 

 

Creamy Homemade Yogurt in a Clay Pot? Yes, Please!

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How to Make Creamy Homemade Yogurt in a Clay Pot (Just 30 minutes active time!) | @VeggieConverter

How to Make Creamy Homemade Yogurt Clay Pot Style: Just 30 Minutes Active Time!

You guys know I love my homemade yogurt, right? I mean, it's delicious, it's easy. What's not to like? I'll tell you what. Standing around my house waiting for timers to go off. And now I'm making homemade yogurt clay pot style.

That's what. My girls go through a lot of yogurt. And that's a good thing! It's chock full of probiotics, so it's great for gut health and immunities. But man those tiny girls can take DOWN some yogurt.

So I'm sometimes making a half-gallon batch every other day. And to do that, I have to sit with my good friend Crocky the Crockpot all day. I mean, I can go do stuff, but only in 2.5-hour spans of time. 🙂 I love him, but sometimes I need to go!

So, when I read about using my VitaClay to make homemade yogurt clay pot style. And that I'd only need to heat it up for 12 minutes, let it cool down, stir in the yogurt or yogurt culture and...GASP...walk away for the full 8 hours, I may've teared up a little.

I get a little emo about my kitchen appliances, don't you?

So, while I had the "regular" version of the VitaClay, I promptly upgraded to the yogurt function version. (Yes, I realize I need a kitchen appliance intervention. But what fun is that?)

I might've gotten a LITTLE excited about it....
I might've gotten a LITTLE excited about it...

I whipped up the first batch just as soon as I got it unpacked and I couldn't be more pleased!

Homemade Yogurt in a Clay Pot

Ingredients

6 to 8 cups whole milk
1/2 cup yogurt (from the store or a previous batch) or 1 packet yogurt culture

Method

Place your milk (really, you can use any milk that has "sugars" in it for the yogurt culture to feed on, but we use whole milk or raw milk) in your VitaClay.

Press the Rice Cooking button until you reach the "Reheat" setting. Reheat for 12 minutes or until your milk reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 Celsius) and is frothy, but not yet boiling.

Take the clay pot out of the cooker, remove the lid and let the milk cool down to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius).

This took about 20-30 minutes for mine, but this will depend a lot on the temperature of your house. If you don't want to wait that long, you can pour the milk into another bowl and set it in an ice bath to cool it faster.

Once your milk is cool, mix your yogurt starter into the milk. Place the clay pot back in the VitaClay. Add the lid, close up the VitaClay and Press the Slow Cooking button until you reach the yogurt setting.

Press the Hour button until you reach 8 hours (6 if you prefer less potent yogurt, 10 if you like it sour).

I try to time this last bit so I do it either right before bed, so I can wake up to yogurt, or early in the morning so we have yogurt around dinner.

Open up your VitaClay and you'll have creamy yogurt inside! You can pour the whey (the liquid on top) into a container for use in lacto-fermentation recipes.

Or, you can just mix it in and have more liquidy yogurt. My girls like smoothies, so I alternate between saving the whey and mixing it in, depending on what our intended use is.

IMPORTANT! Save 1/2 cup of your yogurt in a baggie or container to start the next batch.

DO NOT believe that your children (or you, let's be honest) can hold themselves back from the LAST 1/2 cup of yogurt in the container so you can use it in the next batch. Remove it and store it elsewhere. The freezer is a good place.

Now just pour your fancy schmancy homemade yogurt into a container and use it however you like. My girls and I used this batch to make Blueberry Banana Green (But Really Kinda Purple) Smoothies (recipe to come)!

Blueberry-Smoothie

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How to Make Creamy Homemade Yogurt in a Clay Pot (Just 30 minutes active time!) | @VeggieConverter

Creamy Homemade Yogurt in a Clay Pot? Yes, Please!

Creamy Homemade Yogurt in a Clay Pot? Yes, Please!

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup yogurt (from the store or a previous batch) or 1 packet yogurt culture

Instructions

  1. Place your milk (really, you can use any milk that has "sugars" in it for the yogurt culture to feed on, but we use whole milk or raw milk) in your VitaClay.
  2. Press the Rice Cooking button until you reach the "Reheat" setting. Reheat for 12 minutes or until your milk reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 Celsius) and is frothy, but not yet boiling.
  3. Take the clay pot out of the cooker, remove the lid and let the milk cool down to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius). This took about 20-30 minutes for mine, but this will depend a lot on the temperature of your house. If you don't want to wait that long, you can pour the milk into another bowl and set it in an ice bath to cool it faster.
  4. Once your milk is cool, mix your yogurt starter into the milk. Place the clay pot back in the VitaClay. Add the lid, close up the VitaClay and Press the Slow Cooking button until you reach the yogurt setting. Press the Hour button until you reach 8 hours (6 if you prefer less potent yogurt, 10 if you like it sour).
  5. I try to time this last bit so I do it either right before bed, so I can wake up to yogurt, or early in the morning so we have yogurt around dinner.
  6. Open up your VitaClay and you'll have creamy yogurt inside! You can pour the whey (the liquid on top) into a container for use in lacto-fermentation recipes. Or, you can just mix it in and have more liquidy yogurt. My girls like smoothies, so I alternate between saving the whey and mixing it in, depending on what our intended use is.
  7. IMPORTANT! Save 1/2 cup of your yogurt in a baggie or container to start the next batch. DO NOT believe that your children (or you, let's be honest) can hold themselves back from the LAST 1/2 cup of yogurt in the container so you can use it in the next batch. Remove it and store it elsewhere. The freezer is a good place.
  8. Now just pour your fancy schmancy homemade yogurt into a container and use it however you like. My girls and I used this batch to make Blueberry Banana Green (But Really Kinda Purple) Smoothies (recipe to come)!
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com

 

Paleo Pumpkin Custard

By

Paleo Pumpkin Custard | @VeggieConverter

I'm making paleo pumpkin custard today because pumpkin season never has to end, am I right? Maybe you don't know this, but I LOVE pumpkin. My husband's not a huge fan.

But when he tasted this, he went in for seconds! Of pumpkin! WHAT? So, I knew it was a hit. This Paleo Pumpkin Custard just really hits the spot and made the whole family happy.

And, in spite of pumpkin season being long over, we've made it twice since. Love, love, love it.

And all the kids love it, too (ours and a friend's boys). It's so simple you won't believe it and it is incredibly delicious. Plus, since it's pretty much pumpkin pie without the crust and processed sugar, it's pretty healthy, too!

Enjoy!

Paleo Pumpkin Custard

Serves 12

Ingredients

30 ounces pumpkin puree
4 eggs
15 ounces full-fat coconut milk (or evaporated milk)
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 cup crushed pecans or walnuts (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Put everything up to sea salt in your stand mixer and mix away!

Pour into ramekins (about 12, 6-ounce). Top with remaining ingredients.  Bake at 350 Fahrenheit about 30-40 minutes or until set and bruleed a bit on the top.

You can check with a knife if it comes out clean your custard is set.

The Results

This was an absolutely HUGE hit with guests, adults, and kids. I've made it twice more (once messing it up because I tried to thicken thin milk...sigh) and we just love it.

What's your favorite dessert? Now that I can't have gluten and Goose can't have dairy, this fantastic pumpkin custard might just be mine!

If you love the recipe, Pin it, please!

Pumpkin Custard | @VeggieConverter


Yield: 12

Paleo Pumpkin Custard

Paleo Pumpkin Custard

I'm making paleo pumpkin custard today because pumpkin season never has to end, am I right? Maybe you don't know this, but I LOVE pumpkin.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 30 ounces pumpkin puree
  • 4 eggs
  • 15 ounces full-fat coconut milk (or evaporated milk)
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sucanat
  • 1/2 cup crushed pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Put everything up to sea salt in your stand mixer and mix away!
  3. Pour into ramekins (about 12, 6-ounce). Top with remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit about 30-40 minutes or until set and bruleed a bit on the top.
  4. You can check with a knife if it comes out clean your custard is set.
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert

 

Paleo Popcorn Chicken Nuggets for Kids!

By

Popcorn Chicken

This is my first meat post on the blog and I hope it doesn't offend anyone. There is a vegetarian alternative listed. So please use that if you like. It just isn't feasible for me to run a spin-off flexitarian blog at the moment.

So, consider this a recipe for your meat-eating husband and/or kids if you like. Or ignore it altogether if you don't. I hope you'll understand our journey to a flexitarian Paleo diet is for health reasons and I'd never want to offend anyone with my choices.

All that being said. This recipe was a HUGE hit. I think it'd also be awesome with chickpeas. The girls wanted "popcorn and chicken" for lunch. So we made popcorn chicken. 🙂

It turned out great and we've made it a second time since! Enjoy!

Popcorn Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken breast (cut into bite-sized chunks)
1/2 cup raw milk or coconut milk
1 cup almond flour or 1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika

Vegetarian alternative: Use cooked chickpeas instead of chicken. Try these chickpea nuggets!

Method

Soak chicken in milk and honey for up to an hour. Drain chicken. Toss all dry ingredients in a bag and shake. Toss chicken into bag, shake to coat.

Deep fry in coconut oil or bake for 10 minutes per side in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven.

By the way, if you deep fry in coconut oil, you'll want to save every last drop for more frying. We absolutely LOVE this grease keeper that comes with a great strain to get all the fried bits out and save that precious oil!

We also use another by the stove to save bacon grease. Yum!

Love it? Pin it, please!

Popcorn Chicken Nuggets | @VeggieConverter paleo glutenfree kidfriendly

 

Yield: 4

Paleo Popcorn Chicken Nuggets for Kids!

Paleo Popcorn Chicken Nuggets for Kids!

Pocorn chicken nuggets, paleo and kid-friendly, made with coconut flour

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken breast (cut into bite-sized chunks)
  • 1/2 cup raw milk or coconut milk
  • 1 cup almond flour or 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • Vegetarian alternative: Use cooked chickpeas instead of chicken. Try these chickpea nuggets!

Instructions

  1. Soak chicken in milk and honey for up to an hour. Drain chicken. Toss all dry ingredients in a bag and shake. Toss chicken into bag, shake to coat.
  2. Deep fry in coconut oil or bake for 10 minutes per side in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven.
  3. By the way, if you deep fry in coconut oil, you'll want to save every last drop for more frying. We absolutely LOVE this grease keeper that comes with a great strain to get all the fried bits out and save that precious oil! We also use another by the stove to save bacon grease. Yum!
© Kristi Arnold @VeggieConverter.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Lunch

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