Pasta with Meatballs and Sausage (Crock Pot)

As much as I love my Instant Pot, I still love my crock pot. I've only ever had one dish made in the crock pot that didn't come out absolutely delicious, and I suspect it was the ingredients more than anything else. But that's all part of cooking, trial and error!

Pasta with Meatballs and Sausage

One package vegan meatballs (I am partial to Gardein)

One package of vegan sausage - your choice - sliced into coins

One onion, chopped

2 cans (28 oz each) diced tomatoes

1 can of tomato paste (or use what was left over from the Biryani!)

1/4 c. dry white wine

Garlic, minced

2 t. brown sugar

1 t. rosemary

1 t. basil

1 t. marjoram

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

Cooked pasta of your choice

Saute the onion and sausage coins until the onion is softened and the sausage is slightly crisped. Add this and the remaining ingredients (except for the pasta) to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve over the pasta and enjoy!

Aloo Chana (Instant Pot)

 If you don't have an Instant Pot, I cannot stress enough how you need to get one! Like a crockpot, you can add the ingredients and walk away, except this is the pressure cooker version. No hovering over the stove making sure the little jiggler is jiggling at the proper speed. I absolutely love my Instant Pot!

Aloo Chana

1 t. cumin seeds

1 onion, diced

Garlic, minced

1 T. minced fresh ginger

1/2 t. cayenne

1/4 t. turmeric

1/8 t. black pepper

1 T. coriander

1/2 t. garam masala

2 tomatoes, chopped

3 c. water

2 potatoes, cubed

2 cans of chickpeas, drained

Saute the cumin seeds, onion, garlic, and ginger until onion starts to soften. Stir often to avoid burning (and getting a burn notice ;) ). Add the cayenne, turmeric, black pepper, coriander, and garam masala, and tomatoes to the pot and stir well. Add the water, potatoes, and chickpeas, and stir well again. Turn off saute mode, place the lid on the IP. Press Manual or Pressure Cook and set the timer for 20 minutes. Let release naturally for 15 minutes, then do a quick release. Serve. Enjoy!

Biryani

Occasionally my youngest and I get a hankerin' for Indian food. I don't like things too spicy, and he is just the opposite - the spicier the better! But we both agreed this was delicious.

Biryani

1 c. basmati rice

1 bay leaf

1 onion, diced

Garlic cloves, minced

1 t. freshly grated ginger

2 t. garam masala

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. coriander

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

1/4 t. turmeric

2 T. tomato paste

2 tomatoes, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 c. green peas

1/4 c. roasted cashews

1/4 c. dried blueberries

1/4 c. roasted pumpkin seeds

Cook the rice according to the package directions, adding the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Saute the onion in a neutral oil until almost soft. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices and cook until nicely mixed. Add the tomato paste and vegetables and 1/2 c. water. Cook until all if well mixed and slightly softened. Remove from heat and add the rice, cashews, blueberries, and pumpkin seeds. Serve. Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

This was so simple to make, and no, it doesn't look beautiful, but it did taste divine!

Pizza Casserole

1-2 packages of favorite vegan ground beef

One bag of noodles - your choice - cooked

One bag of shredded vegan mozzarella

One onion, chopped

28 oz. pizza sauce

Vegan pepperoni, cut in half

Cook the meat and onion in a skillet until onions are soft and meat is heated through. Layer all of the ingredients in a crock pot, meat, noodles, cheese, pizza sauce, pepperoni, repeat. Cook in a crockpot on low for 4-6 hours.

Snack Time!

Who doesn't like snacks? Whether it's Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, ball games, or heck, just a Friday night, having nibbles is always fun food.

Cajun Pecans

1# pecan halves

Melted butter

1 T. chili powder

1 t. basil

1 t. oregano

1 t. thyme

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a crockpot. Make sure you have enough melted butter to thoroughly coat the pecans. Cover and cook on high for about 15 minutes. Turn to low and stir occasionally until ready to serve. Transfer them to a serving dish and allow them to cool completely.

Whiskey Sausage

2 pkgs. vegan sausage (we used Field Roast), sliced into coins

2 c. brown sugar

2 c. ketchup

4 oz. whisky

Mix the sugar, ketchup, and whiskey. In a crockpot, layer sausage, sauce, sausage, sauce, etc. Cook overnight on low. Serve speared with pretzel sticks.

Pomegranate Guacamole

Seeds from one pomegranate

One avocado

One red onion, diced

One jalapeno, diced

One small bunch of cilantro, chopped

Juice of one lime

1/4 t. cumin

Mix everything together until well mixed and avocado is slightly chunky. Serve with chips.

Meatball Stew (Instant Pot)

I love when I'm looking for something to make, and already have all the ingredients on hand. It definitely makes my life a lot simpler!

Meatball Stew

One package Gardein meatballs

1 c, frozen green peas

2-3 carrots, chopped or sliced

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

2 c. vegetable broth

1/4 c. dry white wine

1 bay leaf

As with most recipes in the IP, add everything to the pot and give a good stir. Set the timer for 5 minutes. I always let mine naturally release for a few minutes before doing a quick release. It just means I don't have to rush back when it's done. Discard the bay leaf and serve this with a good thick bread. Enjoy!

Pasta with Spicy Garlic Sauce

I love pasta. I love finding new recipes to try out a different sauce, or a different pasta shape, or a new pasta salad. In fact, for Christmas I got a pasta machine, and I can't wait to try making my very own pasta noodles! But that's a future project.

Pasta with Spicy Garlic Sauce

One package of your preferred pasta, cooked following package instructions

2 cans of Italian style tomatoes

1 t. basil

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

1/4 t. black pepper

Olive oil

6 or more cloves of garlic, minced

In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, basil, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Set aside. In a pan, saute the garlic in oil over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is a light golden color. Add the tomato mixture to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the drained pasta. Serve. Enjoy!

Feel free to add more of the crushed red pepper to the mix if you like more heat.