But when I'm organised I like to make a veggie chilli (just don't tell the husband that it's got no meat in....).
It's a very easy recipe, I just chop & throw in the pot, I don't bother with the 'frying off' as that just creates more washing up and the whole point of a slow cooker, in my opinion, is the beauty of 'one pot/less washing up' cooking. Since receiving my Cryotex knives it has made the whole chopping process a lot quicker and easier.
Here's my recipe - you can adjust the intensity of the chilli by adding more chilli flakes or chilli powder or leaving it out completely if you like a mild chilli - the cayenne pepper adds enough spice for some.
Ingredients
1 Onion - chopped
2 Small Carrots - chopped
1 Courgette - chopped
1 Small Butternut squash (approx 450g) - chopped
2 Garlic Cloves - chopped or crushed
290g Can Chilli Beans (in the chilli sauce)
400g Can Chickpeas
400g Baked Beans
1/2 Pint boiling water
1 tsp Paprika
1tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Crushed Chilli Flakes
Throw in the slow cooked, give it a mix and turn onto high and leave for around 4 hours before turning down to low for a further 2 hours or until you are ready to eat it.
And as if it didn't have enough veg in already, I added a couple of scoops of Kidz 5 a day to give it a richer flavour.....and to ensure that we all get our 5 a day!
Serve with Baked Potato/Rice and Cheese, or in a bowl with some crusty bread....