Name: Sourdough Crackers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 48
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup (113g) flour or gluten-free flour; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1 cup (248g) sourdough starter, unfed (discard); 1/4 cup (57g) coconut oil (or butter), room temperature; 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning; oil, for brushing (optional); coarse salt for sprinkling on top

Sourdough Crackers

January 22, 2020 By Kristi

Sourdough crackers are an answer to a serious need in my house. I make a lot of sourdough stuff, but sometimes I have SO MUCH STARTER that I need to make something with my sourdough starter discard that lasts a bit longer.

Crackers for the win! Not to mention, uh, they're delicious. And, as it turns out, they didn't last long at all because they were so delicious! But hey, they could've lasted longer than bread if we'd needed them to last. 😉

Everyone in the family loved these. What's in the photo was all that was left by the time I went to snap a photo. I was a little intimidated by crackers, but these were crazy easy to make.

Give it a try, it's not nearly as tough as it seems. These sourdough crackers can be made into vegan sourdough crackers or gluten-free sourdough crackers. I've tried it both ways (and together) and it works great!

We love to have these crackers with a bit of brie and pepper jelly for me and mixed berry jam for the kiddos. Mr. Meaty loves a bit of salami with his crackers. If I'm feeling lazy, I just have regular sliced cheese and spicy mustard.

Any way you have them, these crackers are absolutely fabulous and crispy and simple.

Sourdough Crackers

Ingredients

1 cup (110g) flour or gluten-free flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup (250g) sourdough starter discard

1/4 cup (60g) coconut oil (or butter), room temperature

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

oil, for brushing (optional)

coarse salt for sprinkling on top

Method

Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough starter, butter, and Italian seasoning to make a smooth dough.

Halve the dough and shape each half into a small rectangle.

Cover with bee's wrap or a floured tea towel, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a couple of hours, until the dough is firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly flour a silpat, your rolling pin, and the top of the dough.

Roll each dough rectangle to about 1/16" thick.

Transfer the dough and silpat onto a baking sheet.

Lightly brush with oil and then sprinkle the salt over the top of the crackers.

Cut the dough into squares about 1-inch across with a pizza wheel.

Prick each square with a fork.

Bake the crackers for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they start to brown around the edges. Reverse and turn around your baking sheets halfway through bake time.

Remove the crackers from the oven.

Transfer to a cooling rack.

Store airtight for up to a week; freeze for up to 6 months.

Yield: 48

Sourdough Crackers

Sourdough crackers are an answer to a serious need in my house. I make a lot of sourdough stuff, but sometimes I need to make something that lasts a while.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup (113g) flour or gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup (248g) sourdough starter, unfed (discard)
1/4 cup (57g) coconut oil (or butter), room temperature
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
oil, for brushing (optional)
coarse salt for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough starter, butter, and Italian seasoning to make a smooth dough.
Halve the dough and shape each half into a small rectangle.
Cover with bee's wrap or a floured tea towel, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a couple of hours, until the dough is firm.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly flour a silpat, your rolling pin, and the top of the dough.
Roll each dough rectangle to about 1/16" thick.
Transfer the dough and silpat onto a baking sheet.
Lightly brush with oil and then sprinkle the salt over the top of the crackers.
Cut the dough into squares about 1-inch across with a pizza wheel.
Prick each square with a fork.
Bake the crackers for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they start to brown around the edges. Reverse and turn around your baking sheets halfway through bake time.
Remove the crackers from the oven.
Transfer to a cooling rack. Store airtight at room temperature for up to a week; freeze for up to 6 months.

30 Meatless Instant Pot Freezer Meals

January 9, 2020 By Kristi

Check out these 30 meatless instant pot freezer meals to start the year out right, especially if you just got a new instant pot for the holidays!

They're all vegetarian, and if they're not already vegan, I've included vegan options. Most of the recipes are gluten-free so your family can enjoy these meals with multiple restrictions. I'll also let you know a few of my tips and tricks for using your instant pot if you haven't used one before or you just want to learn a bit more about this mystery machine.

Can I still use my slow cooker?

Yes! All of the recipes include the OG slow cooker method or, in some cases, even stove-top cooking method. Oh my! As a rule of thumb, if you want to convert your own slow cooker recipes, here's how I roll:

8 hours on low, slow cooker: 30 minutes on high pressure, instant pot
4 hours on low, slow cooker: 15 minutes on high pressure, instant pot

Generally, that works out pretty well, and I allow the pressure to naturally release on those times.

How do I freeze and reheat these recipes?

For freezing, I highly recommend using these super cool reusable silicone freezer bags and making sure they lie flat when you first freeze them to save space so you can stack them up in your freezer.

But you can also use freezer-friendly canning jars and these reusable lids. The handy thing about the jar method is that this way freezes the meals into cylinders, which means once you defrost it enough to slide it out of the jar, you can just plop that dinner popsicle right into your instant pot to reheat! Win!

So, reheating. You can reheat however you like, really. Stove top, oven, toaster oven. I don't own a microwave, so I don't use that. But, if you want to use your instant pot, here's what to do in most cases.

Leave your freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Use your SAUTE MODE to warm the meal through. It usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes. If necessary, complete the dairy portion of the meal. This will be necessary if there was dairy involved and you froze the meal prior to the dairy step. I really recommend this because adding the dairy isn't a big step and you have to warm up the meal anyway, so Win-Win.

In case you're wondering why you don't pressurize the dairy, it splits under pressure and sorta curdles, it's super gross looking. Ask me how I know! I totally thought a little cream would be fine. I worked it out and reheated it and made it less gross, but still, don't do it!

TL;DR

So, to sum up, cook the pressurized portion of the instant pot meal, freeze (pro tip: write the dairy instructions on a card taped to the bag). Thaw it in the fridge overnight. Reheat and add your dairy on the saute function of your instant pot. Make rice or pasta if necessary to serve.

Why is this thing so scary?

I know, right? It's like, pressurized and you can't peek at your food and internet horror stories and such. I'll admit it, when I first got it, I made Mr. Meaty run it for me for a while. I was scared of it. I let it own me.

But you know, I got over it. Just like I eventually got over the same fear of my pressure canner. I did this, you can do this. I am a naturally (VERY) clumsy person. I am not dead. So, it will not kill you either. You should totally not do dumb things like open it while it's running or let little kids open it and such. Use sound judgement. And check out these safety tips.

But, it works and it's safe and it's totally worth it. It's amazing at beans and rice and boiled eggs for one thing. Seriously amazing. For those three staples alone all vegetarians should consider owning one. I now own two after taking literally years to be talked into one because I genuinely thought they were primarily for cooking meat.

So, don't be stubborn like I was, embrace this puppy and be happy cooking your dry beans in an hour. It's awesome.

30 Meatless Instant Pot Freezer Meals

SOUPS, STEWS & CHOWDERS

Vegetable Chowder — **VEGETABLE CHOWDER**
Vegetable chowder is one of our all-time favorite meals. And now we're doing it Paleo-style, so it's gluten-free and grain-free Paleo vegetable chowder. I've given you vegan alternatives if you need them as well as freezer instructions.

CURRIES & SAUCES

DESSERTS

**HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE**
Homemade applesauce is stupid easy. I mean, seriously. I know, I know. You hear that a lot on the internet. But this is easy for real!

GET RECIPE

Cranberry Sauce IP — **CRANBERRY SAUCE**
Canned cranberry sauce is chock full of high fructose corn syrup and other nasty stuff. So make your own delicious homemade sauce in your instant pot!

GET RECIPE

Love it? Pin it!

7 New Year good luck recipes

December 31, 2019 By Kristi

Minestrone

Ring in the new year in style with these 7 New Year good luck recipes that will bring you abundance. And, they'll be tasty, too! While the southern tradition is to have black-eyed peas and collard greens, New Year's traditions from around the world vary from 12 grapes at midnight (Spain) to tasty tamales (Mexico), so expand your New Year's day menu to include a few of these tasty treats.

Check out these 7 New Year good luck recipes

1. Black-Eyed Pea Minestrone

Trade out some of the beans for black-eyed peas in this masterpiece, which can be made with all sorts of leftovers. It's a great crisper-cleaner-outer in my experience. So use it for all of your new year's needs, throw those collards in, too! Why not!

Tamales

2. Tamales

Hello! I love these corn and black bean tamales and they'd be a great way to celebrate the Mexican New Year tradition. And, if you wanted to get super into it, you could combine two traditions and replace part of the black beans with black-eyed peas! Bonus.

Black Bean Soup

3. Black-Eyed Black Bean Soup

Swap out about one-fourth of your black beans for black-eyed peas in this delicious black bean soup for a black-eyed pea dish that, you know, still tastes delicious. Win.

Vegan Chili

4. Vegan Chili with Black-Eyed Peas

Third verse same as the first. Just mix in some black-eyed peas instead of using all black beans in this delicious vegan slow cooker chili and you'll be all set for the new year. I've chosen my top three favorite black bean recipes, but you can really pick any black bean recipe to swap in black-eyed peas! I think it'd be great in a 7-layer dip, too.

Dal Makhani | @VeggieConverter #slowcooker

5. Dal Makhani

OK, this might be a stretch. But, Italians celebrate with a lentil stew called cotechino con lenticchie, and well, Dal Makhani is one of my favorite lentil dishes. So good and it's kind of a stew. I skip the sausage that the Italians serve alongside the lentil stew, but you do you. The lentils represent money and good fortune. You can also find a yummy red lentil soup in my Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook. It's a delicious, light Mediterranean-inspired soup.

Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe | @VeggieConverter

6. Chicken Soba Noodle Soup

Sub in some buckwheat soba noodles for the rice noodles and have yourself a merry little new year with this delicious chicken noodle soup (use chickpeas for a vegan version). The Japanese tradition of eating soba noodles at midnight on New Year's Eve dates back to the 17th century, and the long noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity.

7. Hoppin John Sliders

My traditional favorite meal is a burger that incorporates slow cooker hoppin' john, made of creamy black-eyed peas, with collard greens mixed in. You mix them with gluten-free breadcrumbs and mold the hoppin' john into sliders or nuggets for a tasty, easy-to-eat good luck meal.

Note: Soak and Cook Dry Beans

If you're starting out with dry black-eyed peas, here's how to cook them in your slow cooker.

And don't forget to follow the Spanish tradition on New Year's Eve and eat your 12 grapes at midnight! Enjoy!

VeggieConverter recommends: holiday gift guide

December 16, 2019 By Kristi

Holiday Gift Guide

It's time for the holiday gift guide. This year for the holidays, check out these neat gifts you can get for your loved ones (or yourself). Or if you feel like making your own gifts, try this last-minute holiday gift guide to DIY your gifts!

Cookbooks

Check out some of my favorite cookbooks for the holiday season. It's a great way to start off the new year on the right foot by gifting a new cookbook for the holidays! If your loved one loves to cook or wants to start cooking more at home, check out a few of my favorites this season.

The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook

I might be biased here, but if you want to add more meatless meals to your menu planning repertoire, check out The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook, by ahem, Kristi Arnold. 🙂

You can cook a whole variety of appetizers, mains, sides, and yes, desserts, right in your slow cooker.

Fill slow cooker with delicious vegetarian ingredients. Walk away. That simple.

Whether you are a dedicated vegan, a moderate vegetarian, or just a weekend herbivore, The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook is your simple source for recipes that fit into your busy life. With 118 delicious, hands-off recipes, it proves you can spend minutes in the kitchen and still have a delicious end result.

Instant Pot Fast & Easy

This cookbook is an excellent starter guide to instant potting. Urvashi Pitre lays out a great guidebook to the appliance and gives us lots of great (not all vegetarian) recipes to cook in it.

Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre is already one of the top-selling cookbooks in its category. Now Pitre turns her sights to all kinds of boldly flavored and internationally-themed recipes—Mexican, Thai, Moroccan, and more—with Instant Pot Fast & Easy, fully authorized by Instant Pot. Just like fans have come to expect, Pitre's incredibly well-tested recipes will work perfectly every time, and of course taste great too. And because these are Instant Pot recipes, dishes like Japanese Chicken Curry, Chinese Steamed Ribs, and Mexican Pulled Pork are ready in a fraction of the time they would take using traditional cooking methods. As with all of Pitre's recipes, the focus is on whole foods instead of artificial convenience ingredients, so the recipes are delicious, easy, and healthful too.

Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer

Kathy Hester's vegan air fryer cookbook will make you want to make room on your counter for this appliance.

Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer provides plant-based dishes with all the decadence of fried food without the added calories. Using little to no oil, these recipes result in wholesome and delicious meals with less mess, but the perfect texture, every time.

You will be amazed at how fast you can have dinner on the table using your air fryer. With recipes like Black Bean Avocado Chimichangas, Cheesy Hot Sauce Collard Chips, Cajun French Fry Po’Boy with Vegan Mushroom Gravy and Banana Spring Rolls, plus techniques that yield crispy tofu to rival any restaurant, Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer makes healthy eating easy, fast and tasty.

Indian Instant Pot

Urvashi's Indian Instant Pot cookbook is the one that got me started in the instant pot. It's a couple years old, but if you (or your loved one) don't have it, you really do have to get it. It's not all vegetarian, but there are quite a few. And, you can always replace the protein in Indian dishes with paneer or chickpeas. So, even if you are a strict vegetarian, don't avoid this book! The sauces are so worth it.

Discover how simple and delicious traditional Indian cuisine can be. The Indian Instant Pot Cookbook offers fast and easy takes on classic Indian dishes―all designed to be cooked in your electric pressure cooker.

Whether you’re new to Indian food or looking to experiment at home, The Indian Instant Pot Cookbook keeps things simple with limited-ingredient, quick-fix recipes for everything from Basmati Pulao to Chicken Tikka Masala. Learn how to properly use your Instant Pot, stock up essential spices, substitute ingredients, and more.

Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking in Your Instant Pot

Hello! Vegan AND gluten-free, thank you, again cookbook goddess, Kathy Hester for this book! I love this, and it's so simple in the instant pot.

Kathy Hester, bestselling author of The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot®, brings her signature simple style to this exciting new vegan recipe collection. From Chickpeas and Dumplings to The Easiest Vegan Mac and Cheese to Onion and Molasses Baked Beans and even Almond Berry Cake, each delectable recipe is made from whole foods and is not only plant-based and gluten-free but also soy-free, refined sugar-free and has low or no salt. This cookbook makes it easy to prepare amazing meals that are truly good for you!

Universal Yums

OK, so I JUST got this box and it is SO cool. It's a box that comes with snacks from a different country. You can order different sizes of boxes, but each box has a variety of snacks from the selected country. For the December box, you get a variety of holiday treats from all over the world. I love this idea. We also get trivia and a little activity booklet in our box. Very neat. Check out Universal Yums.

Misfits Market

If you follow my instagram account, you've seen my Misfits Market box photos. I LOVE this produce box. The schtick is that it's sometimes ugly produce. Sometimes it's totally fine, sometimes it's a little dirty and sometimes it's super weird and banged up. It's always delicious and it's usually pretty normal stuff that's easy to use in recipes, which I LOVE. I've had CSA (community supported agriculture) boxes before that have included such odd produce that it's really diffciult to use in family-friendly meals. So this one has been super refreshing. I highly recommend it and if you use my Misfits Market link, you'll get a discount on your first box. Win!

Kitchen Appliances & Gear

Instant Pot

I'm a fan of the 6-quart instant pot for all of my instant potting needs. It took me a long while to be convinced to get this gadget. After all, I already had a clay cooker, slow cookers, and several other handy dandy kitchen appliances. Plus, wasn't it mostly for meat? My friend Jill finally talked me into it with tales of boiled eggs, perfect rice and the beauty of the yogurt function. And I've never looked back. It's. So. Beautiful. Now I have two. I got myself the smaller, 3-quart, not long ago so that I could also cook rice at the same time that I could a main dish in the big boy.

Slow Cooker

If you don't have a slow cooker, you NEED one to live. Yes, there is a slow cooker function on the instant pot. But honestly, it's not the same. First of all, the high function is more like low on the slow cooker, so you won't be able to do the high function at all. And also, the ceramic is great for slow, even heating.

Food Processor

Food processors, sure, they aren't necessary...but man are they awesome! I have this one (though in silver, but for some reason, the red one is so much cheaper, lol, so you know, I'd get that one right now, but you do you!)

Measuring Cups

A good set of measuring cups and spoons. It's so little but really important. This would be great as part of a gift set with some kitchen towels or an oven glove!

Silicone Bags

Reusable bags are crucial for me! I don't like using single-use plastic. But I need to freeze and store stuff. So, these suckers are amazing.

Box Grater

So important! You don't want to rely on your food processor all of the time. You need to be able to quickly shred little things like 1/2 cup of cheese and one small zucchini and such. Get yourself a quality box grater.

High-Speed Blender

Especially if you want to make sauces or smoothies, you need a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec. It's especially handy for making tikka masala sauce!

Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup

December 11, 2019 By Kristi

Cream of mushroom soup is one of those cans that's in every slow cooker recipe known to man. OK, I exaggerate...a tad. But, you don't have to use the canned stuff to enjoy the slow cooker recipes you've come to know and love! You can make preservative-free versions of your favorite cream of whatever soups at home right in your instant pot in no time!

Don't have an instant pot? No worries. Use the slow cooker method.

And the best part? If you want to make it vegan or gluten-free or keto or whatever dietary concerns you have, you can adjust the recipe accordingly. To change the cream of mushroom to cream of chickpea (chicken) or celery or broccoli, just swap in an equal amount of that ingredient.

Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

24 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup butter (or coconut oil if vegan)

1 tablespoon

1/4 cup gluten-free flour

5 cups vegetable broth

2 teaspoons thyme

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup heavy cream (or coconut cream if vegan)

Instant Pot Method

Use the instant pot saute mode on high to melt butter.

Add mushrooms and stir to coat.

Cook for 5 minutes.

Add vinegar.

Cook for 5 more minutes.

Reserve about a cup of mushrooms, set aside.

Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add flour and coat mushrooms and onions.

Add broth, thyme, and garlic.

Stir and switch to high pressure for 5 minutes.

Quick-release when finished.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup.

Add reserved mushrooms back in and stir well.

Serve or use in recipes as directed.

Slow Cooker Method

On your stovetop, saute mushrooms in butter and stir to coat.

Cook for 5 minutes.

Add vinegar.

Cook for 5 more minutes.

Reserve about a cup of mushrooms, set aside.

Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add flour and coat mushrooms and onions.

Add broth, thyme, and garlic.

Stir and place all but reserved mushrooms in a 4-quart slow cooker.

Cook on low for 4 hours

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup.

Add reserved mushrooms back in and stir well.

Serve or use in recipes as directed.

Use your homemade cream of mushroom soup in...

Green Bean Casserole

Chickpea Broccoli Rice Casserole

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Yield: 12

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Instant pot cream of mushroom soup: You can make preservative-free versions of your favorite cream of whatever soups at home in no time!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

24 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup gluten-free flour
5 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Use the saute mode on high to melt butter.

Add mushrooms and stir to coat.

Cook for 5 minutes.

Add vinegar.

Cook for 5 more minutes.

Reserve about a cup of mushrooms, set aside.

Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add flour and coat mushrooms and onions.

Add broth, thyme, and garlic.

Stir and switch to high pressure for 5 minutes.

Quick-release when finished.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup.

Add reserved mushrooms back in and stir well.

Serve or use in recipes as directed.

Tikka Masala Mash Pie

November 30, 2019 By Kristi

Tikka Masala Mash Pie is a dream creation of sorts. I was having a conversation with Mr. Meaty on our way to Costco and I dreamed up a dish...Tikka Masala Pot Pie or Shepherd's Pie. My first thought was to put it all inside a samosa shell. But I decided that, while delicious, was a little much on the carbtastic side for a weeknight for me. Maybe for Sunday dinner later.

So, I went with Shepherd's pie style instead.

I'm offering this baby in several versions. My personal favorite is paneer tikka with Bombay potato mash. But if you're keto, you'll want to try the chicken tikka a la Two Sleevers with cauliflower mash. It's fantastic, too, but, of course, not vegetarian. 🙂 Whatever meal plan you follow, enjoy, and eat heartily!

You can also use the fabulous butter chickpeas recipe from my new cookbook. Or, if you have leftover turkey from thanksgiving, use it up instead of chicken by making Turkey Tikka Masala with Urvashi's Tikka Masala recipe.

If you have leftover mashed potatoes, use those, too. It's a great way to use leftovers without getting tired of the same old flavors. And if you're looking for more uses for leftovers, check out this Thanksgiving leftovers post!

So, the end result of my dream is a Tikka Masala Mash Pie, which is a Shepherd's pie style pie, a tikka topped with Bombay potato mash. It has turkey, chicken, paneer and chickpea options.

Check Out My New Cookbook...

You can find more recipes like Butter Chickpeas in my new cookbook. Whether you are a dedicated vegan, a moderate vegetarian, or just a weekend herbivore, The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook is your simple source for recipes that fit into your busy life. With 115 delicious, hands-off recipes, it proves you can spend minutes in the kitchen and still have a delicious end result.

The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook is filled with simple dishes that involve no pre-cooking and that rarely exceed 10 minutes of prep time. Simply load your slow cooker (or Instant Pot) with raw ingredients, go about your day, and return to a ready-to-serve meal.

Tikka Masala Mash Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

Tikka

Chicken Tikka Masala OR

Butter Chickpeas OR

*Turkey Tikka Masala use turkey in place of chicken OR

Paneer Tikka use 6 ounces Paneer in place of chicken in the Tikka Masala

Bombay Mash

4 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed OR 1 Cauliflower

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon garam masala

1/2 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon dried fenugreek

1/2 tablespoon ginger paste

1/4 teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder, optional)

1/4 teaspoon chaat masala (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 small carrots, diced small

1/2 green pepper, diced small

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup heavy cream

Fresh cilantro and naan for serving.

Sunday samosa pot pie option

2 cups maida flour (or gluten-free flour)

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Method

Bake potato or cauliflower for 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit with remaining ingredients except for carrots, pepper, peas, and cream.

Mash.

Add cream.

Parboil carrots and bell pepper for 5 minutes.

Stir carrots, bell pepper, and peas into the mash.

Layer tikka in serving dish.

Top with mash.

Broil on high in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve with naan.

For Sunday pot pie, mix flour with oil until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add water and knead into a firm dough. Add a bit more water if needed. Roll out dough to the size of your pot or pie dish.

For bubbly samosa crust, fry in hot oil until golden brown and bubbly. Then place the fried crust on top of your pie. Alternatively, you can place the raw dough on top and bake the whole pie at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes. It won't be bubbly, but there is less risk of breakage.

Instant Pot Method

Cook Indian butter chickpeas or tikka masala or paneer via instant pot method.

Add your potatoes and the spices and lemon juice to your instant pot along with 1/2 cup of water.

Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.

Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.

Add cream and switch to saute mode.

Mash and add peas, peppers and carrots.

Place tikka in a cast iron or other oven-safe dish. Top with bombay potatoes. Broil for about 5 minutes until potatoes are golden brown.

*For leftover turkey and mashed potatoes method. Prepare masala sauce in blender. Mix turkey with masala sauce in your dish (I use a cast iron pot), skip marinade and add about 1/2 to a cup of cream or yogurt to the sauce instead.

Add the previously cooked mash on top with the carrots and all. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for 5 minutes to brown the top of the potatoes.

Serve.

The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook

Want more vegetarian and vegan recipes you'll love? Check out my first cookbook! I'm so excited about it and I hope you'll love it. You can find more information about it right HERE.

Indian Butter Chickpeas, an option in this Tikka Mash Pie, is updated and featured as just one of 115+ yummy vegetarian recipes in the cookbook!

Recipe card

Yield: 8

Tikka Masala Mash Pie

Tikka Masala Mash Pie is a dream creation of Shepherd's pie style tikka topped with bombay potato mash. It has turkey, chicken, paneer & chickpea options!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

TIKKA:
Chicken Tikka Masala OR
Butter Chickpeas recipe from Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker (recipe card below) OR
*Turkey Tikka Masala use turkey in place of chicken OR
Paneer Tikka use 6 ounces Paneer in place of chicken in the Tikka Masala
BOMBAY MASH:
4 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed OR 1 Cauliflower
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon dried fenugreek
1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
1/4 teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder, optional)
1/4 teaspoon chaat masala (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 small carrots, diced small
1/2 green pepper, diced small
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh cilantro and naan for serving.
SUNDAY SAMOSA PIE CRUST (OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS)
2 cups maida flour (or gluten-free flour)
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

Cook Indian butter chickpeas or tikka masala or paneer via instant pot method.

Add your potatoes and the spices and lemon juice to your instant pot along with 1/2 cup of water.

Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.

Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.

Add cream and switch to saute mode.

Mash and add peas, peppers and carrots.

Place tikka in a cast iron or other oven-safe dish. Top with bombay potatoes. Broil for about 5 minutes until potatoes are golden brown.

20+ Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu Recipes

November 14, 2019 By Kristi

It's time for my vegetarian Thanksgiving menu. Wow. Seriously? It's almost Thanksgiving? How on Earth did that happen? It was just Halloween. OK, OK, I can do this. I have green beans and mushrooms. I. Can. Do. This.

Wait...you need some help, too? Oh good, I'm not the only one. Here's a quick vegetarian Thanksgiving menu for you to use this year if you're like me and it snuck up on you.

Also, check out my tips on not going completely insane in the kitchen this Thanksgiving. Since we've got two weeks, you could stretch it out and have a rest day in between each prep day. We can do this.

I have to pre-explain one of my main dishes. And the one I'll for sure make this year. It's lasagna. Yes, I know it's probably not the one you'll make. You'll make the stuffed acorn squash maybe? It's cool, I understand. I might make that, too.

We'll have 10 people. We're even making a real turkey this year for the meatatarians. Gasp. But, growing up, we always had cheese lasagna. So, I'm nostalgic and I make it for most years. Sometimes with lentils or some sort of beefy stand-in, sometimes just good ole cheese.

It's odd. But to me, the first holiday lasagna of the year rings in the holiday season as nothing else will.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu

Main Dish

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Check out this great holiday centerpiece recipe, Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash. It's filled with delicious quinoa, lentils and yummy spices for a true celebration of flavor.

Maple Glazed Turkey Roast

Maple and Dijon mustard pair up in a delicious holiday glaze that is absolutely fabulous on this vegetarian "turkey" roast.

Lasagna

Stay with me. This is our family tradition, I know, it's a little different. We do lasagna for Thanksgiving and Christmas because my sister and I became vegetarians in an era when it wasn't really a thing to have faux turkey in the grocery. So, my mom made delicious lasagna for us and we love it and now it's nostalgic and we still make it alongside the cool acorn squash fancy adult dishes.

Side Dishes

Butternut Squash Quinoa Stuffing

A vegan, gluten-free Thanksgiving side that can hold its own as a main, Butternut Squash Quinoa Stuffing is filled with butternut squash, cranberries, and walnuts.

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Hello! It's full of deliciousness and none of the junk. Homemade cream of mushroom soup, fresh green beans, and crunchy French fried onions. Bring on the big plates.

Best Cranberry Sauce Ever

Canned cranberry sauce is chock full of high fructose corn syrup and other nasty stuff. So make your own delicious homemade sauce!

Creamy Herb Mashed Potatoes

I use red potatoes along with cream cheese and herbs, but this recipe works great with creamers or goldens, too.

Sweet Potato Crisp

Sweet potato crisp is a little creation of delicious sweet potato slices topped with a crumble of oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and butter.

Pea Salad

Just leave out the bacon or replace it with black forest bacon in this delicious blend of fresh peas, cheddar, red onion, and dressing.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

This caramelized Brussels sprouts recipe made me an addict! And my daughter loves them, too. Yum! She calls them "Candy Cabbages." Cutie. 🙂

Vegan Sausage Balls

I'll be honest, I've never actually had real sausage balls and I didn't know they were a holiday treat until I started noticing the post was popular around Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, I asked around, and apparently it's a popular appetizer for holiday gatherings. I learned something from you guys visiting my site! 🙂 These tasty little vegetarian or vegan sausage balls are easy to whip up with Bisquick, (dairy-free) cheese and meatless crumbles. Give it a try.

Desserts

Pumpkin Custard

Maybe you don't know this, but I LOVE pumpkin. My husband's not a huge fan. When he first tasted Paleo pumpkin custard, he went for seconds! Of pumpkin! HUGE hit!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

Here is a tasty Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie recipe for your family's dessert table that requires no can of evaporated milk. Win! If you have fresh pumpkin, you can make this pie with no can at all.

Paleo Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

This Paleo sweet potato pecan pie recipe is custardy, sweet, tasty, and has a cookie crumb/pecan crust that is absolutely perfect. Perfect for dessert or a snack!

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

This is one of our all-time faves. Vegan Pumpkin Walnut Bread made moist through the inclusion of a can of coconut milk and you can make it either with or without the walnuts. Yum. I have the oven-baking and bread machine instructions for you.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Oh my gosh. This is one of those recipes that I originally made way back in the early days of blogging and I sorta (gasp) forgot about it. I made them again recently for a scouts Halloween party and they are fabulous. We make them gluten-free, but you can make them with all-purpose flour if you like. And pumpkin cream cheese muffins are such an amazing surprise. I love bringing these to parties and seeing the joy on friends' faces. Plus, they're delicious!

Caribou-Poached Pears Recipe

Caribou-poached pears are a delicious mixture of cranberry juice and fall spices. It's a dessert worthy of holiday dinners, but simple enough for every day.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

This syrup is fantastic, you guys. It's wonderful in lattes, cheesecake, ice cream. You need to make it for all the things. You definitely won't miss the store-bought kind once you make this syrup.

Leftover Meals

Thanksgiving Salad

Thanksgiving salad is the perfect way to enjoy leftovers. After a day of culinary debauchery, we take a break and have our leftovers mixed into a green leafy salad.

'Turkey' Mac

Vegetarian Turkey Mac and Cheese is a simple dish using leftover Turk'y Roast, carrots and roasted onions, with cheese and pumpkin puree for the sauce.

'Turkey' Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Delicious turkey sweet potato quesadillas with sweet potatoes, onion and garlic. Serve them up with cranberry sauce as a dip for your post-holiday leftovers.

Stone Fruit Empanadas (made with cranberry sauce)

These are a real treat. Slide a pat of cream cheese in for an extra layer of fantastic flavor.

Check out 40 Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers for more ideas!

You can use these ideas with vegetarian or meaty leftovers. Go for it!

Stuffed Squash

Btrnut Quinoa Stuffing

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce

Mashed Potatoes

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook

Want more vegetarian and vegan recipes you'll love? Check out my first cookbook! I'm so excited about it and I hope you'll love it. You can find more information about it right HERE. Or you can buy it through the Amazon link below.
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Cozy fall flavor recipes

October 31, 2019 By Kristi

Fall flavors are one of the best parts of the season. Who loves fall? I do and I love fall flavors. Fall is definitely my favorite season and its flavors are probably my favorite. Pumpkin, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, apples and broccoli are in season.

Yum! If you love fall flavors as I do, you may enjoy a few of these fall recipes. You can also enjoy seasonal tomatoes and beets this season just to name a few of the fall's bountiful delicious fall fruits and veggies.

Whether savory or sweet, these tasty fall treats are sure to be a hit in your house this season and, since the ingredients are readily available, it'll be great for your wallet, too.

Here are a few of my FALL favorites...

Turnips and Carrots

Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew

Carrots

Carrot Cake

Carrot Pancakes

Carrot Spice Muffins

Guinness Beef Stew with Carrots

Carrot Fries (20 Veggie Fries Recipes)

Cauliflower

Curry Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower

Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa

Sneaky Veggie-Filled Mac and Cheese

Vegan Aloo Gobi

Fathead Pizza

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Brussels Sprouts

Candy Brussels Sprouts

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Spice Syrup (for making Pumpkin Spice Lattes)

Pumpkin Alfredo

Pumpkin Custard

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Quinoa

Chewy Vegan Pumpkin Cranberry Granola Bars

Pumpkin Baking Portions

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin Pie Push Pops

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Biscuits

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Sweet Potatoes

Pumpkin Sweet Potato Cupcakes

"Turkey" Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Squash & Sweet Potato Lasagna

Vegan Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Thanksgiving Salad

Vegan Fried Sweet Potato Skins

Sweet Potato Crisp

Sweet Potato Chips

Apples

Homemade Applesauce

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Apple Chips

Broccoli

Paleo Broccoli Beef

Chickpea Broccoli Rice Casserole

Thai-Style Broccoli Salad

What are your favorite fall flavor recipes? Please share your family's recipes in the comments.

Halloween Party Snacks

October 29, 2019 By Kristi

We love Halloween. We often host a kids' party on Halloween weekend complete with fun snacks and games. This year is no different. As I'm planning my Halloween party snacks, I thought to myself, I should share these with you guys.

Spiderweb Seven-Layer Dip

Seven-layer dip is one of my go-to party foods. It's pretty simple, really. Refried (or just mashed) beans mixed with taco seasoning, guacamole, sour cream or yogurt, cheese, olives, salsa, and green onions. In this version, you'll want to put the sour cream on top in rings and then drag a knife through it every inch or so to make it into a spider web. You can make spiders out of black olives. Or, buy some little spiders from a party shop if you like.

Bloody Hot Dog Fingers

Make these with either veggie dogs or hot dogs. Cut the dogs in half and slice out fingernails and knuckle lines. Then add a bit of ketchup for bloodiness. Delish. Don't do dogs? Do the same technique with baby carrots!

Clementine Jack-O-Lanterns

Those cute little clementines (tiny oranges as my kids call them) that the kids like? Take a sharpie and draw jack-o-lantern faces on them and pile them up on a platter or in a bowl for the kids to peel and eat at the party.

Deviled Eyeballs

Just make deviled eggs mostly as usual, but add a bit of guacamole to the mixture. Then use either thinly sliced pimento or paprika and a bit of mayo to make bloodshot squiggles. Slice olives and place them atop the center of the eggs to complete the eyeball look.

Apple Cider

Once all the snacks are ready I just throw some apple juice with sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks in the slow cooker so the kids stay nice and warm. Once the kids go home, Mr. Meaty and I add vodka to our mugs and call it a night!

Halloween Lunch Boxes

Don't forget to keep it spooky in your kiddos lunch boxes on Halloween (or if you're feeling frisky the whole week). I like to do ghostly cheese sticks and guacamole (I used blueberries for the eyes and mouth) and carrot stick witches fingers. I've seen some great lunchboxes on Instagram with bat and mummy wrapping sandwiches. Have fun with it.

Try a few of these ideas from other bloggers, too.

Baby Carrot Jack-o-Lantern

Tombstone Taco Dip

Veggie Skeleton

Witch Brooms

Chickpea Root Vegetable Stew

October 17, 2019 By Kristi

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.

Yield: 8

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.

Sourdough Crackers

Ingredients

Method

Ingredients

Instructions

Can I still use my slow cooker?

How do I freeze and reheat these recipes?

TL;DR

Why is this thing so scary?

30 Meatless Instant Pot Freezer Meals

Recipe Index

SOUPS, STEWS & CHOWDERS

CURRIES & SAUCES

DESSERTS

SOUPS, STEWS & CHOWDERS

CURRIES & SAUCES

DESSERTS

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Check out these 7 New Year good luck recipes

1. Black-Eyed Pea Minestrone

2. Tamales

3. Black-Eyed Black Bean Soup

4. Vegan Chili with Black-Eyed Peas

5. Dal Makhani

6. Chicken Soba Noodle Soup

7. Hoppin John Sliders

Note: Soak and Cook Dry Beans

Cookbooks

The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook

Instant Pot Fast & Easy

Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer

Indian Instant Pot

Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking in Your Instant Pot

Universal Yums

Misfits Market

Kitchen Appliances & Gear

Instant Pot

Slow Cooker

Food Processor

Measuring Cups

Silicone Bags

Box Grater

High-Speed Blender

Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

Instant Pot Method

Slow Cooker Method

Use your homemade cream of mushroom soup in...

Ingredients

Instructions

Check Out My New Cookbook...

Tikka Masala Mash Pie

Ingredients

Tikka

Bombay Mash

Sunday samosa pot pie option

Method

Instant Pot Method

The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook

Recipe card

Ingredients

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu

Main Dish

Side Dishes

Desserts

Leftover Meals

Stone Fruit Empanadas (made with cranberry sauce)

Check out 40 Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers for more ideas!

The Super Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook

Turnips and Carrots

Carrots

Cauliflower

Brussels Sprouts

Pumpkin

Sweet Potatoes

Apples

Broccoli

Spiderweb Seven-Layer Dip