Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor
Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor
During this time of year, many people want to begin moving towards a healthier lifestyle. However, the new year also marks the beginning of a new term. As a result, finding the time to cook healthy meals for yourself can seem almost impossible. Luckily, using a slow cooker can make this task far more simple than it seems.
With most slow cooker recipes taking hours to complete, all you have to do is get it started, go about your day and finish whatever you need to do. Then, when you get back, you’ll have a meal prepared that’s ready to go for you, and it required about as much work as going out to eat. It’s also cheaper. So go find yourself a slow cooker and get started on these meals.
Vegan Black Bean Soup
Recipe from emelieeats.com
Drain and rinse six cups of black beans. In the slow cooker bowl, place the beans, 4 cups of vegetable broth, 1 finely chopped yellow onion, 1 finely chopped red bell pepper, 2 chopped jalapenos, 1 cup of salsa or tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, and ½ teaspoon of paprika. Cook on high for six hours, or until the beans are tender. Serve warm and top with avocado and cilantro. Feel free to omit or add any spices or ingredients that you would like.
Stuffed Peppers
Based on a recipe from delish.com
In a bowl, combine one pound of ground turkey with one can of drained black beans, 1 diced tomato, ½ cup of shredded cheese, 1 cup of cooked brown rice, 1 cup of corn, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ½ teaspoon of oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff 4 bell peppers with mixture, and place them in the slow cooker open side up. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Can be topped with avocado, cilantro, and sour cream.
Zucchini Lasagna
Recipe from primeverakitchen.com
In a bowl, mix 15 ounces of part-skim ricotta cheese, 1 egg, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, and one cup of chopped spinach. Coat the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Ladle one cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker. Layer 5 slices of zucchini on the bottom. Place some of the ricotta mixture on this, and top with a small amount of mozzarella cheese. Repeat this process until you’ve used all the slices from 4 medium zucchinis. Top with mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and cook on high for three and a half hours. Turn off the slow cooker and let sit for one hour unopened. Serve warm.
Contact the author at chealy16@mail.wou.edu
