Greek for a Week! ( Weekly menu plan & freezer cooking )

Greek Freezer Cooking - Bulgur Pilaf

Would you like to have a whole week of vegan, Greek meals in your freezer?

It's quick and easy to do!

And, if perchance you aren't Greek, and would rather space these meals out rather than eating Greek for the whole week, try incorporating them into a Vertical Meal Plan

If you don't usually eat vegan, this may well be one of the most frugal week of menus you've ever eaten! : )

Each Meal is served with Salad & Bread

Greek Freezer Cooking - Peas & Artichokes

with the exception of the Bulgur - where the veggies
are eaten on top of the pilaf.

Each of these meals may be made separately by using the Single Batch Yachni Recipe.
There's a shopping list at the bottom for your convenience.
Here's the Week's Menu:

Sunday:
Bulgur Pilaf ( Pourgouri )



Monday:
Greek Peas & Artichokes Yachni
Tuesday:
Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni )


Greek Freezer Cooking - Greek Bean Soup

Wednesday:
Greek Okra & Tomato Stew ( Bamies Yachni )
Thursday:
Greek Chickpea Stew ( Revythia )
Friday:
 Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes ) 
Saturday:
Greek Stuffed Veggies ( Gemista )


To Make the recipes for your freezer:
Cook Two Batches of Yachni Sauce 

Greek Freezer cooking - Greek Chickpea Stew

Then, Measure out ingredients for these menus directly into your freezer containers, and pop in the freezer. These are slow-cooker meals that will be ready to thaw & pop in the slow cooker on the day they will be eaten.
Monday:
Greek Peas & Artichokes Yachni
Tuesday:
Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni )
Wednesday:
Greek Okra & Tomato Stew ( Bamies Yachni )
Friday:
Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes )


Then, Measure out the sauce for this meal. It is another slow cooker meal that can be assembled directly into the slow cooker on Thursday Morning. Just combine your dry chickpeas, sauce, celery & water in the pot ( or in the evening, you can add some celery or spinach a couple hours before serving)
Thursday:
Greek Chickpea Stew ( Revythia )

That leaves Sunday's & Saturday's meals.
For Sunday's meal, it can be prepared ahead or on the day it is eaten - either way it takes about 20 minutes to make - once the sauce is ready, it takes about the same time as a boxed dinner!

 For Saturday's meal, the filling may be made ahead, by cooking the rice, toasting the almonds and assembling the filling for the freezer. On Saturday, you simply cut the tops out of the peppers and pull out the seeds, fill them with the thawed filling, and pop them in the Slow Cooker or Cooking pot to cook them : )

Shopping List for Greek Week

4 (#10) cans Chopped Tomatoes, or 28 (15 oz) cans

4 (12oz) Bags Frozen Onions (or 8 large fresh Onions)
8 Bay Leaves
2 (6oz) cans tomato Paste
1 Package Bulgur (2 cups)
3 oz Broken Spaghetti or Vermicelli
2 Pounds Frozen Green Peas
1 can ( or 1 12oz bag frozen) Artichoke Hearts
2 (12oz) bags Frozen Mirepoix Mix (or 1 cup each, Onion, Celery, Carrot)
3 Cans Great Northern Beans (or 4 1/2 cups home prepared with liquid)
3 (12oz) bags frozen Okra (whole, cut, or a combination)
1 Pound Dried Chickpeas
4 Ribs Celery
5 Cans Butter Beans
6 Bell Peppers
Slivered Almonds to Toast  (1/2 cup)


Greek Freezer cooking - Stuffed Veggies

Chopped Fresh Veggies to serve with Bulgur
 Salad Fixings for 6 days
Bread to serve with meals
Seasonal Fruit of your choice for Desserts

And, check your pantry for these staples:
Dried Parsley
Jar of Minced Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Cumin
Cinnamon

This is being shared on 
Menu Plan Mondays
http://frugallysustainable.com/
Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party
Healthy Vegan Friday
Serenity Saturday
No Ordinary Homestead
Rounding Up Favorite Meatless Meals
Food on Friday - Mediterranean





 









      
     

Vat O' Spaghetti Sauce

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce used in Manicotti (coming soon!)
Since I forgot to take a picture of the sauce all by itself.

This is a simple, vegan homemade Spaghetti or Italian Red Sauce that you can keep in the freezer for all your batch cooking or freezer cooking needs. If for some reason you don't have the time or desire to make this one, there's nothing wrong with substituting your favourite store-bought brand in a recipe. But, I find when using store bought spaghetti sauce, I either have to pay too much, or I have to season it when I get it home to make it "just right." This one, you can make exactly to your taste, and control the oil going in.

This recipe is adapted from my Sister, Nancy's, sauce recipe.

Vat O' Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
(optional: Oil may be added to taste. I make mine oil-free)

3 T garlic *

1 (12oz) bag frozen onions, thawed under running water, or 2 large chopped onions**
#10 can crushed tomatoes or 7 (15oz) cans***

1 1/2 Tablespoon basil

2 1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 1/2 teaspoon Salt &

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more to taste - I cook for a small child, so keep heat to a minimum)
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup water (more after cooking)
On high in crock pot 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring once or twice (it can scorch on high) OR simmer on stove top about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

*I use American grocery store pre-minced garlic from a jar. It is VERY mild. Homegrown, fresh garlic can be much stronger- adjust amount to your tastes.

**If you use fresh onions, you may have to simmer longer till they're tender, or pre-saute them before adding them.

***The Crushed tomatoes I buy are ultra-thick - almost like tomato paste, which gives me a concentrated sauce. (I have been buying the GFS brand lately). I like that, since it takes less freezer space. I dilute the sauce with water till it's the right consistency (easily pourable) at cooking time. If the Crushed Tomatoes you buy are thin/watery, you might choose to stir in a can or two (6oz cans) of tomato paste to thicken them.

This recipe fills my Slow Cooker almost to the top rim (which has been working okay for this recipe)! If it didn't, I might also add things like chopped mushrooms, bell pepper, capers, olives - what have you. If you have a bigger pot, don't hesitate to add your favourite extra sauce ingredients.

Saving Money on Groceries - Bean counting

Each Package contains the equivalent of 2 cans of
Beans - and is reusable : )

Canned beans seem the ultimate in convenience - and I have used them many times.

But, Canned Chickpeas Run around a Dollar a Can. Equivalent Beans from Dried Chickpeas (which is One and a Half Cups - if you're lucky- sometimes only One and a Quarter!) - less than TWENTY CENTS!


Canned Beans have several drawbacks:

1.  They're WAY more expensive, percentage-wise (I save about 70% of the cost when I make my own from dried!).
2. The extra packaging isn't so good, environmentally speaking - even if you recycle them, all that extra packaging isn't the best.
3. They sometimes have additives or preservatives.
4. And, they're heavy - so it's a lot more hassle to lug them home.

On the other hand, with dried beans, I've always had a few problems

1. They had to be soaked, which means I had to be all organized and everything.
2. They didn't taste as good to me as canned beans- they seemed to have a bitter taste.
3. They took a long time to cook, during which I had to stir them from time to time to prevent them sticking to the pot at the bottom and/or scorching. Meaning I had to stand in or around the kitchen all the time.

So, canned beans it was!

Beans Starting to cook in the Slow Cooker.

But, I recently found a good  blog post that explained how to make dried beans in the slow cooker.

AND

I found a great article that puts to rest fears about unsoaked beans being "gassy." 

This is what you do:

Finished - Cooked Beans from the Slow Cooker.

1. DO NOT SOAK! (YAY!) (the one exception to this is chickpeas - I prefer to soak them in the fridge with a teaspoon of baking soda from the night before, then rinse & drain before proceeding)
2. Measure into crock 3 cups of beans, and 6 cups of water (If chickpeas, use 8 cups of water).
3. Add generous salt (I use about a Tablespoon).
4. Cover and turn on high. No need to stir or hover : )
5. Three and a Half to Six hours later - you have cooked beans! (the post said Five to Six, but my first batches - Blackeye Peas and Great Northerns were very tender in Three and a Half hours. Chickpeas took Six.)

NOTE: DUE TO POSSIBLE TOXINS UNIQUE TO KIDNEY BEANS COOKED AT LOW TEMPERATURES - I DO NOT PREPARE KIDNEY BEANS BY THIS METHOD.

Notice, this method breaks TWO Rules

1.  The always soak rule and
2. The don't add salt till the end rule (which was ruining the flavour of the beans previously).

But, it works great. The beans taste great! (no more wishing for that canned taste!) They're cheap!

When the beans are done, the water level will be below the top of the beans (it doesn't hurt to stir once in the last hour). If you want soupier beans, add more water.

When they're done, I package them (with cooking liquid) in Reusable Three Cup containers - label them "2 Cans Great Northern Beans" or "2 Cans Chickpeas" and date them. And toss them in the freezer. Unless, of course I want to eat them right away : )

To use, I thaw overnight in the fridge, then rinse in a sieve under warm running water to get rid of the last bits of ice crystals. Of course, they may also be thawed in the microwave if you prefer.

This post is also being shared on http://www.gettingaheadblog.com/2013/01/frugal-tuesday-tip-week-102.html,
Mums Make Lists Empty Your Archive

Wheat berry Breakfast Bowl

Wheat berry Breakfast Bowl with Apples, Dates & Raisins.

In the Greek Orthodox Church, we have a Tradition of Memorial Services. After a loved one passes away, we don't offer only a Funeral Service, but also we continue to offer prayers in the days (at 40 days, for example), months (at Six Months, for example), and years that follow (at One Year, Five Years, etc). In a large Church, there are such short services at the end of Sunday Liturgy almost every week. After the Service, it is customary for the bereaved family to share a food called Kolyva with other Church Members. Each village in the Old Country - in fact each neighborhood - has its own recipe, but they all start out with Wheat berries or Shelled Wheat (my Internet research tells me that they're two names for the same thing).

The dish reminds us of the hope of the Resurrection in the Bible Verse "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." John 12:24, KJV.

When visitors come to Church and try this dish, they nearly always say the same thing, "This would make a GREAT breakfast food!" I agree! I don't serve it  in the same recipe that we do at Church, but I like it the following way.

This is what you do:

Wheat berries in the Slow Cooker

Prepare wheat berries - this can be done anytime, but since it takes 2 hours, you probably don't want to do it right before breakfast. Shelled Wheat is best prepared in the Slow Cooker. This makes the soaking step, and frequent stirring unnecessary. For each cup of wheat berries, put 2 cups of water into the Slow Cooker or Crock Pot. Cover and turn on high. Two hours later, test for doneness and drain. Voila! Cooked Wheat berries! (If you actually DO make Kolyva, you might also find this method easier than the traditional stove top method : ) Store the berries in the refrigerator to use as needed (I understand they also freeze well). This method makes a firm, plump, al-dente wheat berry. If you want a softer, well-done berry, of course you can cook longer with a little more water.

Wheat berry Breakfast Bowl

Put desired amount of cooked wheat berries in your bowl (If you're allergic to wheat, or have Celiac Sprue, Brown Rice makes a nice substitute). Wheat berries may be eaten cold or at room temperature, or if you desire, you can warm them in the microwave.
Top with your favorite seasonal fresh fruit and/or dried fruit.
Nuts, sugar or other sweetener, cinnamon, etc can also be added according to your preferences, but I usually don't. Unlike Oatmeal, Wheat berries have enough flavour and texture of their own, that sugar is not absolutely necessary.

That's it!

Since Wheat berries are a whole grain, they have more staying quality than many refined breakfast foods.

Wheat is getting a lot of bad press right now, but in the Christian Tradition, wheat holds a special place - with it we make our Prosphora (the bread for Holy Communion), our Artoklasia (a sweet bread for special services), and our Kolyva. So I see it as pretty special!

This is being shared at Simple Living Wednesday and Healthy Vegan Friday

Greek Chickpea Stew ( Revythia )

This is another Greek dish that traditionally done, takes hours. This is the traditional way: Use dried, whole chickpeas. Soak them overnight in water with a little baking soda. The next day, put them between two layers of kitchen towels, and roll them with a rolling pin till they split in half. Remove all the skins. Prepare Sauce, and simmer sauce with halved chickpeas on the stove top for about 3 hours, until tender. About halfway through cooking time, add sliced celery OR spinach.

It is my theory that the chickpeas were traditionally split to reduce cooking times and save very expensive fuel.

In modern times, pre-split and skinned chickpeas may be bought, but I have been unable to find any here in the US. (Indian Chana Dal is split, skinned chickpeas, but it is a much smaller chickpea than the European type).

I have hand-split chickpeas before, and, well, either I'm not good at it, or it is a VERY time consuming task for everyone. I decided they taste fine whole ; )

Here is my modern, American method:

Revythia
Soak in refrigerator: 2 cups Chickpeas in water with 1 or 2 teaspoons Baking Soda* added. 
The next day, drain and rinse Chickpeas
Place in Crock
2 Cups Dry, Soaked Chickpeas* (I buy them in the Indian Grocery as Kabuli Chana)
5 to 6 Cups water (depending how soupy you like it)
5 Cups Yachni

Cook in Slow Cooker or Crock Pot on High
for 9 or more hours (it is VERY hard to overcook Chickpeas!)

In the last hour of cooking time, add
4 stalks sliced Celery OR add a bag of Thawed Frozen Spinach (Personally, I much prefer the Spinach : )

Serve with Bread & Salad.

* Baking Soda really helps tenderize the beans, and helps compensate for cooking them in a Tomato-based sauce, which normally would toughen them.

This freezes well.

Slow Cooker Method 2
(not quite as tasty, but if it's what you have on hand, it's not too bad )
3 15 oz cans drained chickpeas
4 to 5 cups Yachni
3 stalks sliced celery
Cook on Low 6 hours.

Tip for dining with Omnivores: this dish is quite hearty and requires no added meat to be filling for anyone, but you can always add a grilled bit of pork or chicken on the side for someone who really wants meat at every meal.

Moujendra ( Mejadra ) in the Slow Cooker - or not!

Mounjendra is comfort food in our house. It was the first multi-ingredient dish I ever served my daughter when she was first eating solid foods - and it was what she wanted for her birthday dinner this year. (Her other declared favorite is Pizza : )

I really like making it in the slow cooker, since it requires no stirring or watching and the lentils don't become mushy from stirring.

Moujendra

Rinse & Sort & Place in Slow Cooker (or pot)

Onions should be toasty brown before adding to lentils.
If you like, you can make lots of these onions & freeze them for
adding to various dishes as needed.

1 # lentils (2 1/2  cups)

8 cups water
1  ¼ cups long grain brown rice (short grain rice is not good here - will make gluey dish. White rice may be used, but must be added about 1/2 way thru cooking time to avoid over cooking)
2 chopped, browned onions

Cover & cook on high till done – about 1 ½ hours if boiling water is used to start,

 or 2 ½ to 3 hours if starting with cold water.

If cooking in a pot on the stove top, simmer, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes.

This dish is done when lentils & rice are tender. If there seems to be a little too much liquid when lentils are tender, it will be absorbed if you let it stand for a bit after turning off the heat.

 

Salt generously (I use nearly a Tablespoon of salt) & Serve

 

We like to serve this dish with a large dish of chopped, raw veggies to serve over the top. Each bite of lentils is combined with a bite of veggies.

Tip for dining with Omnivores: This is a very filling, hearty dish all by itself. But, if you desire, you can serve a tray of summer sausage and cheese alongside for Omnivores.

 

 

A typical dish of veggies for topping Moujendra or Pilafs.

 

 

Peas and Artichokes Yachni ( Arakas kai Anginares Yachni, Mpizelia Kai Anginares Yachni )

Here's another delicious and super quick and simple dish to make with that Yachni Sauce!

Peas and Artichokes Yachni
Combine in pot or Slow Cooker
2# of Green Peas
1 bag or can (about 10oz) of Artichoke Heart quarters
6 or 7 cups Yachni Sauce

Cook in slow cooker on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on stove top, simmer till peas begin to loose their bright green color (about 30 minutes)

Serve with Crusty Bread, Dips, Olives, & Salad.

Tip for Dining with Omnivores: This, like the Green Beans & Okra Yachni dishes, is not only a great vegan entree, but also a nice side-dish to go with a meat and potatoes meal.

Notice how much brighter green the peas are before cooking.

Indian Chickpeas in Ginger Sauce over Rice

Several years ago I came across this great recipe - I think it was in Julie Sahni's Cookbook, but I'm not sure.

This recipe was inspired by that one, but is prepared quite differently.

Chickpeas in Ginger Sauce over Rice
Toss in Slow Cooker

3 cups Yachni Sauce
2 Tablespoons Fresh Minced Ginger
1 Tablespoon Fresh Minced Garlic
1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander Seed
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cardamom (generous)
Black pepper to taste
*Optional Heat of your choice - a little cayenne or a broken dried chili pepper
3 15 oz Cans drained Chickpeas (or equivalent home-cooked)

cook on High 3 to 4 hours (or on low 6-8 hours)

Serve over prepared Rice (preferably Basmati) or with Indian Flatbread (such as Naan  or Roti) if you prefer.

Serve with a Nice Salad & Sriracha or Hot Sauce of your choice.

Sweet & Sour Sweet Potatoes

Perhaps you're not a fan of Candied Yams with Marshmallows. Or, maybe you ARE a fan, but are trying to eat healthier. Either way, this is a nice, slightly non-traditional way to prepare the very traditional Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries. This was inspired by a recipe I found many years ago in Food for Life by Dr. Neal Barnard. I have made it many times since, and varied it a little each time.

Sweet & Sour Sweet Potatoes
4 sweet potatoes, ½ ” cubes
1 large apple, diced
1 c raw cranberries
½ c raisins
Apple Juice concentrate, as needed, about ½ cup*

You have your choice of three preparation methods (I've done all three!)

Cover and bake in oiled dish 350 degrees F, 1 hour 15 minutes, till potatoes are tender, OR

Microwave till done, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally OR

Cook in Slow Cooker or Crock Pot for 2 hours, till potatoes are tender.

Some Broken Walnuts make a nice garnish, if you like.

*If the dish finishes, and the sweetness and moisture level are insufficient, a little more juice concentrate may be added at that point.

I'm clumsy, and Sweet Potatoes are hard - and harder to peel than white potatoes.
To make it easier, I cut the potato in half to keep it steady on the cutting board.

Then, I hold the potato ABOVE the knife, and slice downward around
The outside of the skin.
BTW - learned the hard way, the garbage disposal does NOT like Sweet Potato skins : (

Rosemary (or Oregano) Roast Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Notice how the potatoes have yummy browned bits and a golden hue
when done.

This is one of my go-to side dishes year round, and it seems no matter how much I make I always wish I had made more. People seem to just love it. It's a perfect choice for a Thanksgiving dinner side if you want potatoes, but want to avoid the cream and butter often associated with mashed potatoes.

Besides being fit for a Thanksgiving meal, this is a good choice to turn on before Church to serve guests for Sunday Dinner.

Rosemary (or Oregano) Potatoes

Use 2 to 4 pounds* of Red or Gold Potatoes** - enough to fill your slow cooker 1/2 to 3/4 full
Wash potatoes
Cut them in 1" to 2" pieces and drop them in the crock (for tangerine sized potatoes, you'll want to quarter them)
Drizzle with 1 to 2 teaspoons Olive oil
Add
1 teaspoon fresh Garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary  (or Oregano)***
Toss with a large spoon to coat potatoes with seasonings
Turn on high and cook 3 to 4 hours (I prefer 4)

*Seasoning amounts listed are for 2 pounds of potatoes. On occasions when you're using more for a larger crowd, increase seasoning amounts appropriately. I often fill my slow cooker till potatoes are 1" from the top rim.

**Edited to add: Some time after making this post, I tried this recipe with Russet Potatoes (which tend to be much less expensive than Red or Gold). They turned out great! : )

*** A nice variation on this recipe can be made using Oregano in place of the Rosemary


                      

Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes )

This delicious dish is made from the same Yachni sauce that several of the other dishes have been made from, but the difference in texture & consistency, along with the addition of spices, makes it taste quite different from the other dishes using this sauce. And, with the prepared Yachni sauce, it is embarrassingly easy to make : )


The traditional preparation of this dish is an all day process (starting the night before). It is traditionally done like this: Dry beans are soaked overnight, and the next day they are simmered for hours till done. While the beans are simmering, the sauce is made from scratch. As the beans finish, the sauce, beans, vegetables & spices are combined and put in a covered baking dish in the oven, to cook for about three hours. During the cooking time, the dish is occasionally stirred and checked for moisture content and monitored till it is perfectly done.

This prepared dish can be purchased at the olive bar at our local grocery store for $7.99/pound. Prepared at home, you'll get A LOT of pounds for $7.99!

Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes )
Combine in Crock Pot or Slow Cooker

5 15oz cans Butter Beans, Drained
1 12oz bag frozen Mirepoix mix, rinsed under warm water to thaw *
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 to 4 cups Yachni Sauce (till it looks like the picture below)

Cook on high for 3 to 6 hours or low for 6 to 10 hours (this is a VERY forgiving recipe, as far as time goes!)
If it is too dry when you take it out, drizzle a little boiling water over the beans to add enough moisture - it soaks right in!

This is not a particularly good candidate for stove top cooking, as the low moisture content and long cooking time make it high maintenance.
But, it can be baked in a covered casserole for 1 1/2 hours or so, checking periodically for moisture content.

This one (like many of the others) freezes well, so is a great make-ahead or bulk cooking dish.

*If you prefer, use about 3/4 cup sliced carrots & 3/4 cup sliced celery.

 

Greek Okra & Tomato Stew ( Bamies Yachni )

Tonight, we enjoyed the fruits of Saturday's bulk-cooking labors. I pulled an entree out of the freezer & heated it, made a salad, and baked a loaf of foccacia to serve with tahini dip. Since I had made the entree on Saturday, I had free time this evening to make 8 pounds of bread dough, bake a loaf of bread, fix a salad, and relax with a cup of coffee while surfing the net. All in the time I would normally have spent preparing the entree.

This is what we had:

Bamies Yachni
Combine
6 cups Yachni sauce (1 batch)
3 12oz bags frozen okra - not thawed (You can use either whole or sliced okra - I prefer a combination)
1 scant teaspoon sugar
Cook in slow cooker on high 3 hours
Or, simmer in covered dutch oven/stock pot, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Frozen Okra for the recipe

Going into slow cooker - notice the brighter color before cooking

Finished Cooking, and ready for the freezer - notice the change in color when done

Tip for serving Omnivores: This is another dish that can make a main dish for a vegan, or a side dish for a meat and potatoes meal.

Stuffed Veggies makes Stuffed Veggies! ( Gemista )

Saturday was Batch Cooking day here. On Friday, I went to the grocery store and found in the discount bin 2 bags of 3 Bell Peppers each - for 99cents a bag! They're usually priced at 3 for $3.99, so I was pretty happy! And, they were perfect : )

 

 

 

So, on Saturday, I decided to make Greek-style Stuffed Veggies (Gemista), even though the dish wasn't on my scheduled menu for the week.

I started with the same Yachni sauce that has been used in several other entrees here. But, rather amazingly, these dishes don't come out all tasting the same! I made a big batch, because I was going to use it for more than one of my bulk-cooking meal plans. As the sauce finished, I prepared the dish this way:

 

Greek Stuffed Veggies (Gemista)

Stir together:

3 Cups Yachni Sauce

5 cups leftover rice (I used long grain white. Short grain rice also works well, and produces a more moist interior. I haven't tried brown yet, but it should work, too)

1/2 cup Almonds toasted in a skillet, stirring constantly

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cut off the top of 6 bell peppers, remove the seeds and membrane with your fingers, and fill them.



They may be cooked either in a Dutch Oven on the stove top, or in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot.

For a Dutch Oven, Nestle the Peppers in the bottom of the pot, squeezing in as many as will fit, so they hold each other in an upright position.

 

 

Pour 3/4 cup water into the bottom of the pot, and cover with a lid. Cook at just-simmering for 45 minutes, checking periodically. They are done when peppers are tender, and begin to lose their bright color.

 

 

If you choose to cook these in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot, use the same method, but cook them for

2 1/2 to 3 hours on high, and use 1/3 cup or so of water on the bottom of each Crock. My Slow Cookers are just average sized (4-6 quart) and so I can only fit 3 peppers in each pot - thank goodness I have two of them! If you have a larger pot, a little more water may be appropriate.

 

These can be served with Salad, Bread & Dips for a full meal.

 

Tip for dining with Omnivores: If desired, you can stir some loose-cooked ground beef or other meat into the filling for the Omnivores at your table before cooking the Peppers.

 

Coming soon: More Yachni Dishes, More Muffins, Lentil Soup, Pancake Mix, and MORE!

 

 



Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni )

Last night, we had a children's party to go to at Church, and we were all going to be getting in late. I didn't want to have to start cooking when we got home, and I also didn't have much time to prepare something before we left.

So, I put this in the Slow Cooker before we left, and when we came home four hours later - it was delicious!






Greek Bean Soup in the Slow Cooker (Fasolia Yachni)

1 12oz bag frozen mirepoix mix, thawed in a sieve under warm, running water*
4 cups "Yachni" sauce
3 15oz cans Great Northern Beans, WITH their liquid
Water (1 or 2 cups - to the right thick-soup consistency)

Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low 8 hours. (This could also be made on the stove top - cooking for 45 minutes to an hour)

That's it!

Serve with a nice, crusty bread and salad.

* If you prefer, you can use 1/2 cup sliced carrots, 1/2 cup sliced celery & 1/2 cup chopped onion

Tip for dining with omnivores: This is a hearty vegan dish - a meal in itself. But, many omnivores really want some non-vegan food on the table, no matter how hearty the meal. If  that is the case in your house, a nice addition to this meal would be a plate of cheese, crackers, and summer sausage slices.

Check out: Vat O' Yachni - so you won't have to make the sauce EVERY time you want to make a delicious Greek Dish!

This was shared at:
Soup Swap