As echoed by my WeightWatchers leader, Anne in response to my tamale pie, the benchmark of a good vegetarian (or in this case, vegan) dish is whether or not you would serve it to meat-eating guests. When I discovered The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester, I read it cover to cover, and there is not a dish I would hesitate to serve to a starving carnivore. Not only is Kathy a wonderful author, but she is very friendly too, and she has kindly offered to give readers of This American Bite the chance to own a copy of her first book and has accompanied this giveaway with a recipe too – without further ado, I hand the reigns over to Kathy who is sharing Chickpea Curry dish.

First I want to thank Yosef for inviting me to be a guest at This American Bite. I’m very flattered and excited that he’s giving away a copy of The Vegan Slow Cooker this week! (Enter to win following the recipe)

I’ve been meatless for almost 30 years and it was a natural transition for me to become dairy-less and egg-less too. It seems like health advocates and most people are pointing you to eat more veggies. So, even if you are not a vegan or vegetarian, adding a few plant strong dishes to your week is a great idea.

These books have also been reviewed by This American Bite:



See other posts in my Book Review category.

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My take on food is that if it’s tasty and filling you won’t feel deprived. I make veggie dishes that even meat eaters ask me to make for them again. In my book I have plant-based versions of familiar meaty dishes and new exciting flavors to try.

It’s even better if recipes can be made easily without so much hands-on time. We all live busy lives and the slow cooker can help you save a little of that time for yourself. You will still have to do a little work, but you can do other things (like sleep) while it’s cooking.

I divide most of my recipes into things to do the night before and what to do in the morning before you leave for work. It’s easy to do 15 to 25 minutes of prep while you’re cleaning up. Then all you have to do is throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a ready to eat meal!

Here’s a great recipe that is super-healthy and easy for you to try:

Slow Cooker Indian Spiced Chickpea Curry with Quinoa & Indian Spice

gluten-free, soy-free, serves 4 to 6

4 to 5 cups water

1 can diced tomatoes (or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup red lentils

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup peeled turnip, chopped

1 cup sweet potato, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped (about 1 stalk)

1 tablespoon not-chicken bouillon

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala

salt, to taste

The night before: Chop veggies and store in the fridge.

In the morning: Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low 6 to 9 hours. Taste, re-season if needed (you may not even need the salt if your bouillon is salty.)

This is a good recipe to make if you are going to be away from the house a little longer than usual. If your slow cooker runs hot or if it will be cooking longer than 9 hours, add an extra ½ cup of water.



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