Crowdsourcing: Cooking Healthy but Inexpensively for a Crowd

A topic among debate coaches recently has been how to prepare food for a large group of people that is both inexpensive but healthy. This morning a Facebook discussion inspired me to collect some of my favorite recipes from around the Web along the lines of this topic.

Please add links to this discussion and add to the collection of healthy low-cost recipes for a crowd!

Slow-Cooker Recipes:

I am going to start by re-sharing my own version of a classic stew. This peanut, yam and kidney bean stew is inexpensive but filling. If you have peanut allergies, you could easily sub in sunflower seed butter.

Averie Cooks has a fabulous vegan gluten-free recipe for Bourbon Maple Slow Cooked Beans. This is a great protein option that both omnivores and herbivores can enjoy!

Pinch of Yum has a sweet potato lentil recipe that is also vegan and gluten-free. I would use a light coconut milk to reduce the calories. Lentils and sweet potatoes are inexpensive and full of nutritious goodness.

I love the idea of having a sandwich bar for people to customize their own sandwiches. Avoid just having boring cold cuts while giving your herbivore friends a warm protein option with Healthful Pursuit's Stampede BBQ Lentil Sandwich filling!

Stovetop Recipes:

I am in love with my own Ratatouille recipe. I have lightened up my own recipe by taking out the wine and subbing in 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar mixed with a half cup of water. I also use cooking spray now instead of the olive oil. I make a big batch of this on the stove top but it could easily be left in a slow cooker on warm at an event.

This Chana Masala recipe from Orangette is awesome because it can be made the night before and the flavors improve the next day! You can save money, especially if you are increasing the amount you are preparing, by starting with dry beans.

Prep in Advance - Serve Hot or Cold:

Roasted vegetables are an awesome dish you can prepare for a large group. You can utilize whatever is in season. Eating Well has three easy tips on how to roast up some vegetables. Once roasted you can serve warm or cold, as a platter of vegetables or mixed with a grain like quinoa to make a salad.

Quiche are an excellent dish to serve up as an event because while they are awesome warm, they are also good without reheating. And removing the crust drastically reduces calories. Cooking Light has three great crustless quiche recipes including Garden Vegetable, Smoked Turkey Spinach, as well as Broccoli & Cheese.

Spicy Slow Cooker Almond Tempeh

Spicy Slow Cooker Almond Tempeh

It's been a fast-paced start to the school year and this has meant a lot of quick and easy meals. It has also meant a lot of dining out. However, a friend of mine mentioned she was making a tempeh dish in peanut sauce this weekend and it got me dreaming of a dish I made last year and never got to blog! 

I am participating in Eating Rules October Unprocessed challenge and so I am trying to make meals that don't require a lot of kitchen prep. Taking the ideas of the dish that was never blogged, amending it to be peanut-free so I could take it to work (I teach at a peanut-free campus), and modifying it to include veggies I could buy pre-prepped... and you get something fabulous!

Spicy Slow Cooker Almond Tempeh

Serves 8

Ingredients

3/4 cup Almond Butter

2 8-oz packages of 3-grain tempeh (or your favorite tempeh)

10-oz shredded carrots

8-oz sliced crimini mushrooms

10-oz peeled, cubed butternut squash

2 red bell peppers chopped into medium pieces

Pacific Natural Foods Vegetarian Pho Soup Starter

2 tbsp diced ginger

1 tsp cayenne pepper powder (more if you want really spicy, less if you can't handle heat)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp seasoning salt

1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Mix everything together in the slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours. The dish will go from liquidy to more liquidy, and will then start to thicken.

Serve over quinoa or rice.

Nutritional Information

Each serving is approximately one cup however it will vary on how long you let the liquid cook down. This is a large portion when paired with a grain, so I am also including nutritional information for a half the serving as well.

1/8 recipe -- 330 calories, 29 carbs, 18 fat, 17 protein, 9 fiber

1/16 recipe -- 165 calories, 14.5 carbs, 9 fat, 8.5 protein, 4.5 fiber

Peanut Butter, Kidney Bean, and Yam Stew

Peanut Butter, Kidney Bean, and Yam Stew - Do you know how hard it is to photograph late at night?!?

I love a good stew and I love peanut butter, so this summer when I had an opportunity to try some peanut butter stew, I was in LOVE! The stew was made by one of the administrators at the residential debate camp I was teaching at and she made it in a slow cooker. I kept meaning to ask for the recipe and I am sure at one point she even told me where she got her inspiration... but as the summer wound down and school picked up, I forgot to ask. However, I never forgot that stew.

This weekend while in Alaska, I was reading Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The 30-Day Vegan Challenge, I found a stew that sounds like it had a similar flavor profile as the stew I enjoyed this summer although slightly different. So I took the recipe from this book, along with what I remembered from the summer stew, and modified it for my slow cooker. The resulting stew was creamy, sweet, spicy, salty. A mouthful of flavor and texture that tasted even better the second day!

While you can probably sub in sweet potatoes (and in some parts of the country yams are more difficult to find), I am a fan of the drier and more starchy yam. According to the Library of Congress, here are the differences!

The stew in a different lighting attempt!

Peanut Butter, Kidney Bean, and Yam Stew
Makes 10 1-cup serving

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
2 red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped
3 yams, cubed (I keep the skin on and scrub them well before cutting them)
5 cups of water
2 cubes of vegan vegetable bouillon cubes (you can replace these and the water with 5 cups of vegetable broth)
1 can (15-ounce) of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15-ounce) of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

Mix all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 8-11 hours (I say 11 because that's when I got home and enjoyed it!).

When I calculated the WW pointsplus points for the items that have points (yams, bouillon, kidney beans, peanut butter, brown sugar) I got 5 points per serving.

Slow-Cooked Adzuki Beans with Butternut Squash

I will be the first to admit I had no idea how to spell Azuki (Adzuki?) and I have only ever had these beans in sweet Asian desserts. So when I tasted a stew over Spring Break that incorporated these small red beans, I knew I had to play with them at home. I bought some dry beans from the bulk section of Whole Foods and decided to play around with a couple of preparations. This stew is easy to make and lets the real flavors of the ingredient shine however some people may find it too tame or bland if you are used to heavily spiced foods. You can play around with the seasonings as desired and maybe even switch up the squash with another varietal or vegetable!

Adzuki Beans with Squash and Wakame
1 cup dry beans
1 or 2 four-inch pieces of dried wakame seaweed
1 lb cubed butternut squash
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp soy sauce

Soak beans and wakame overnight in slow-cooker vessel. Drain liquid. Pour fresh water until it is barely covering the beans and seaweed. Cook on low for 4 hours. Add squash and seasonings and continue cooking on low for 4 more hours. Enjoy!

One-fourth of the mixture is approximately 150 calories, 0 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein

Cleaning out the fridge: Slow Cooker Slop!

There will be no pictures, the creation was in no way photogenic. But trust me when I say it is delicious. And if you are like me and have produce left at the end of the week, you should try this out.

I love fresh produce. I love it so much that in addition to my CSA, I get additional produce during the week.

I also sometimes veer off course of my planned menu. Which means I sometimes have produce that would go to waste if I didn't create something else.

My favorite use for produce near the end of it's life is to toss it all in the slow cooker (aka crock pot) with some broth and seasonings, and let it simmer on low all day.

You can blend up the resulting soup to get a creamier soup, or just enjoy it chunky.

It's easy to make and filling to eat!

My latest Slow Cooker Slop included onions, carrots, broccoli, garlic, and cauliflower. I used low sodium organic chicken broth and Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning. For those of you counting points, a cup of this would be zero. A giant bowl might be one.

Black Eye Peas and Ham

I made a very large slow cooker pot of this New Year's meal. The amount of ham and the type of ham you use will affect your points! I weighed the ham on the bone before cooking, and the bones after to figure out how much meat was in the pot. I used Hillshire Farms spiral cut ham with bone that my company had for employees. It had a sugary type glaze on it that probably upped the calories.

I freeze and reheat smaller portions for the next month. It is a hearty meal and one that is sure to please!

44 oz ham on bone
2 cans of low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 lb dry black eye peas
1 medium yellow onion, diced
italian seasoning, to taste (a couple of tbsp I think)
garlic salt, to taste (a couple tsp?)
pepper, to taste (a couple tsp?)

Soak beans in water overnight to soften and reduce gas.

Put ham on bone in slow cooker. Add a layer of beans, layer onions and seasonings, add remaining beans. Pour broth over the beans. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Makes 22 half cup servings at 2 points each. NI for the ham, broth and beans: 144/5/5

Crockpot Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

6 oz Gimme Lean Vegetarian Ground "Beef"
1/2 cup Uncooked Couscous
1 Zucchini
4 Tomatoes, the size of golf balls
4 Bell Peppers
Garlic Salt
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herbs Seasonings
Chili Powder
Pepper
3 Small Heads of Garlic (optional)
Cooking Spray

1. Spray the inside of your crock pot.

2. Prepare the couscous with water according to package instructions. Add to mixing bowl wtih vegetarian protein.

3. Dice the Zucchini and Tomatoes, add to bowl with vegetarian protein and couscous. Add ingredients Garlic Salt through Pepper to taste. Blend all of the ingredients. I choose to do thise by hand tho insure full blending.

4. Slice the caps off the Bell Peppers to make bowls. Clean insides of peppers from ribs and seeds. Place bell peppers into slow cooker and make sure they are standing. I used foil on the sides to help support them since my crock pot has a larger base.

5. Divide mix into four parts and stuff into pepper bowls. You can replace the tops of the bowls if you choose for added flavor infusion.

6. Slice the tops off the garlic heads. Place on top of foil, or alongside peppers on an elevated place inside the slow cooker. This will allow the garlic to infuse the peppers while essentially roasting the garlic as well for future use.

7. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. These can be frozen and reheated for future meals.

Garbanzo Nuts

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 TBSP lemon juice

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp seasoning salt

Cooking spray

Spray the inside of your crockpot. Toss the remaining ingredients together and spread over the bottom of the crockpot. Use a bamboo skewer to prop open the top of the crockpot to prevent condensation at the top of the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until crunchy but not black.

1/2 cup servings

Easy Crockpot Chicken

1 whole chicken (I skin mine first, but you can leave the skin on)

Seasoning Salt

Potatoes (depending on size, enough to cover the bottom of the crockpot)

Cooking Spray

Foil

Wash potatoes and wrap them in foil. Place in the bottom of your crockpot. Spray potatoes and inside of your crockpot. Wash chicken and sprinkle liberally with seasoning salt (you could try with Mrs. Dash if you are anti-salt... I haven't yet but I am sure it will work). Place breast side down on top of the potatoes and cook on high for 4-6 hours.

My serving is for a 2pt potato and 3oz of chicken breast. The amount of points is basically how much you put on your plate!

Red Pork and Winter Squash

1.5 lbs of pork loin cubed
3 cups cubed acorn squash
2 sticks of cinnamon
1/3 cup grated fresh ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
6 scallions
1.5 cups chicken broth
6 tbsp ketchup
6 tbsp soy sauce

Put everything through scallions in the crockpot. Whisk last three ingredients together and pour over rest of ingredients. Mix together. High 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours. 6 servings (1 and 1/4 cup).

I love to pour this over brown rice (add points).

Carol's Crockpot Chili

Carol's Crockpot Chili ... Add a lil spice in your life!

1 pound 75% lean/25% fat raw ground beef
2 small onion(s)
2 small jalapeño pepper(s)
1 item bell pepper(s)
1 medium zucchini
30 oz Red Kidney Beans
15 oz fat-free chicken broth

Brown onions and peppers. Add beef and brown.
Toss chopped zucchini and beans into crock pot. Add your favorite seasonings (I used Mrs. Dash Southwest). Pour pepper/onion/beef mixture over the top. Add broth and cook on low for 8 hours.

Makes 12 1/2 cup servings. You can clearly lower the points by using a lighter ground meat, I just happen to be trying to use things in my freezer.

Apple-Beet Sauce

This is perfect to mix into steel cut oats or yogurt!

6 small apples, cored and quartered
3 small beets, scrubbed and chopped
Ancho Chili Powder, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste (usually 3x the chili powder)

Mix beets and apples together. I do a very light dusting of chili powder and a heavier dusting of cinnamon over the top.

Cook on low for 5-8 hours, stir every 3-5 hours. Length of time will determine a chunkier or saucier consistency.

1/6 of the recipe is only 1 Point!

Rubarb-Apple-Strawberry Sauce

3 Rhubarb Stalks, washed and sliced
4 Braeburn Apples, washed and sliced into chips
Cinnamon Stick
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 baskets of Strawberries, rinsed and quartered

Cover bottom of slow cooker with rhubarb and place cinnamon stick in center. Sprinkle sugar over rhubarb. Layer apple slices over rhubarb, covering the rhubarb entirely. Drizzle water over apple layer. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Mix in strawberries and cook on low for another hour.

This sauce is perfect over slow churn vanilla bean ice cream. It would also be great in oatmeal, yogurt, and who knows what else!

Serving size will vary but 1/12th of the pot is 1 Point.