Meatless Fridays

This week is a super frugal meal that takes just a bit of fore thought and planning.  If you can remember to start the dough several hours in advance, you can have a delicious meal with little effort and for pennies a serving!  This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

PIZZA 

(dough)

 We make pizza quite often around here and use the "no knead" method for our crust.  It does take a bit of fore thought because this dough needs to ferment anywhere from 8-18 hours.  You can do it in less time, but the result is a thicker, denser crust.   

For the dough you will need:

6 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp. active dry yeast

2 tsp. fine sea salt

3 cups of water

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.  Add the water and mix ingredients.  This should be a very wet dough and you can add up to another 1/2 cup of water if needed.  Cover bowl with damp towel and place in a warm area of your kitchen.  18 hours is ideal BUT I have made this dough in as little as 6-8 hours and it comes out fine.  

Your dough should be bubbly like the picture above 

and smell very "yeasty".

Take two large sheets of parchment paper (about the size of your baking sheet) and coat with a nice layer of olive oil.  With oiled hands, divide the dough onto the parchments.  Gently spread and stretch the dough to your desired shape.  Allow the dough to rest 15-20 min.  Top with your favorite toppings and bake at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

For our meatless Friday, I used a bottled alfredo sauce fortified with some roasted garlic as well as a can of chopped artichoke hearts and spinach from the garden. 

The picture above speaks for itself!  

The kids devoured this pizza...

vegetables and ALL!

Meatless Fridays

I make this meal quite a bit during the year, especially when canned salmon goes on sale! For our family of seven, I double this recipe. This week's Meatless Friday meal is: 

Salmon Patties

2 6oz cans wild salmon

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

2 eggs

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3/4 cup panko

1 small green pepper, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

 light olive oil for frying

In a large bowl, gently combine all ingredients until mixed well. Form into 6-8 small patties. Heat a non stick pan over medium heat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil in pan and spread around. Gently place each patty into hot pan and cook on first side for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until second side is browned. Once cooked, set aside and sprinkle coarse salt over salmon cakes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

 

Meatless Fridays

I am adapting a meal we had earlier in the week for this week's Meatless Friday post.  Yesterday we had crockpot lasagna made with meat sauce, but you can easily leave the meat out or fortify this recipe with chopped spinach.  

Had we not already had this meal this week, I would have made the meatless version today. But we have baseball games into the late evening, which means that we'll probably be having ball park nachos for dinner instead!

Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 box of lasagna noodles, uncooked

2 jars of marinara, or homemade sauce.

1 large container of cottage cheese

2 eggs

2 cups mozzarella cheese

 ground beef or italian sausage cooked and drained, 

OR frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained.

Italian herbs and spices to your taste

Ladle (meat) sauce in the bottom of your crockpot and place the uncooked noodles on top.  Combine eggs and cottage cheese (and spinach if going meatless), season to taste, and spread 1/3 of mixture over the noodles.  Top with 1/3 of the cheese and repeat the layers.

Cook on low for 4 hours 

and enjoy with some good garlic bread and a salad!  

So easy and really good!

Meatless Fridays

Last Friday we had a family fish fry, and it was really good!

The kids huddled around the deep fryer and were snapping up french fries and hush puppies as quick as Doug could cook them.  

I think we'll do these more often, not just during Lent.

  

This week's Meatless Friday post is all about  

FRIED CATFISH

You'll need:
4 pounds fillet catfish, cut into 2" pieces 

1 1/2 cups cornmeal 

1 cup flour 

2-3 tablespoons Cajun spice 

Peanut oil for deep frying 

You can soak the catfish in beer or buttermilk 
for 30-60 minutes before cooking, but it's not necessary.
 Preheat oil in deep fryer or skillet. 
In large plastic bag, combine cornmeal, flour, 
and Cajun spice, mixing well. 
Add fish and toss until fish is well coated. 
When oil has reached the proper temperature (375 degrees), 
add 6-8 pieces of fish at a time. 
Cook for 3-4 minutes until a deep golden brown.

Meatless Fridays

I'm posting our menu from last Friday for this week's 
Meatless Fridays.

 For breakfast we had pumpkin pie baked oatmeal.

Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

15 ounces of pure pumpkin puree (about 2 cups) 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

2 large eggs 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

3/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1 1/2 cups milk 

1/2 cup vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt (optional) 

2 1/2 cups dry old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth. Then whisk in the milk and yogurt. Stir the dry oats into the pumpkin mixture. Coat an 8×8 (or similar sized) baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour the pumpkin oat mixture into the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, removing the foil after the first 30 minutes. Serve warm or refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with milk, maple syrup, raisins, or whipped cream.

For lunch, we had simple grilled cheese sandwiches 

kicked up a notch with candied jalapenos!

These jalapenos are great on EVERYTHING!

Candied Jalapenos

Empty the liquid from a jar and pour jalapenos into a bowl. Add sugar (about 3/4 to 1 cup per 16 oz. jar) and stir to combine. Spoon jalapeno and sugar back into jar. Put the lid on tight and place them on your counter. The sugar will dissolve and turn to liquid. You will want to turn the jar upside down once or twice and shake it up every now and then to make sure it all dissolves. That’s it! You’ll find you love these so much you want to make a larger jar! {Costco sells 1 gallon jars!} Just keep the same sugar ratio- but a little more/less works fine!

For dinner we had these :

Black Bean Sliders

3 1/2 c. black beans, cooked, rinsed, drained

 (canned black beans work perfectly fine here) 

1 c. red onion, diced 

1 c. zucchini, grated 

2 tbsp. garlic, ground 

2 large eggs 

1 c. bread crumbs or Panko 

1 tbsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. cumin, ground 

1 tbsp. Sirracha (optional) 

olive oil 

slider buns 

 Preheat oven to 375°. Place the beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in the garlic, eggs, bread crumbs, black pepper, cumin and Sirracha. Once you have a homogenous mixture, fold in the red onion and zucchini. Again using your hands, form slider-sized patties and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 8 sliders to a sheet. Drizzle the patties lightly with olive oil and bake for approximately 24 minutes, flipping the sliders halfway through. Remove cooked sliders, assemble with buns and toppings.

Meatless Fridays

I thought it would be fun to bring 'Meatless Fridays' back to the blog for these 40 days of Lent. I haven't done these in a while so if you'd like to check out additional recipes, click the 'Meatless Fridays' tab in the cloud to the left. 

 Let's get started!

 We started off our morning with banana bread. 

 This is my simple go-to recipe that my kids love. You can substitute 1/3 cup wheat flour instead of white or add ground flax seed and wheat germ to boost nutrition. 

 Breakfast Banana Bread: 

 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed 

1/3 cup melted butter 

1 cup sugar  

1 egg, beaten 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

Pinch of salt 

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans-optional)  

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Add nuts if desired. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan or muffin tin. Bake for 50 minutes for the loaf, or 22-25 minutes for the muffins. Cool on a rack. 

 For lunch, the kids made their own mac and cheese. 

 This version is so much better (and easier) than the stuff from the blue box. 

 Mac and Cheese in a Mug: 

 In a mug or small bowl, mix together 

1/3 cup pasta and 3/4 cup water. 

Microwave for 3 minutes, stir, cook 3 more min. 

Stir in 1/3 cup shredded cheese add splash or two of milk and stir. You may need to cook an additional 30 seconds to thoroughly melt the cheese.  

For dinner we had ooey, gooey Spinach Enchiladas

 Spinach Enchiladas: 

 10-12 tortillas 

 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well 

 6 green onions, chopped, divided 

 1 cup ricotta cheese 

 1/2 cup sour cream 

 Salt and pepper, to taste 

 8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided 

 10 ounce can green enchilada sauce 

 In a medium bowl, mix the spinach, 3 green onions, ricotta and sour cream. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in half of the Monterey jack; blend well. Divide the filling mixture among the tortillas. Spread the filling down slightly off center of each one, then roll up. Place seam-side down in a greased 9x13" baking dish. Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 375º 20 minutes, or until hot, bubbly and slightly browned. Sprinkle the remaining green onions over the top.

Meatless Fridays

This week's meatless meal is totally adaptable to your taste and is a great way to clean out the fridge or pantry. Why spend alot of money at Chipoltle or Bullritos when you can make it yourself for pennies!
This week's meatless meal is:

Stuffed Burritos with Cilantro-Lime Rice

(this recipe is substituted with quinoa since I can't eat rice!)

To make rice:
Cook rice according to package directions but substitute chicken stock for water and add one clove of chopped garlic. When rice is finished cooking, add the zest and juice of one lime and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro. Salt to taste.
To substitute quinoa, follow the same directions!

To make burritos, fill whole wheat tortillas with:
Black beans
Corn
Avocado
Pico de Gallo
Refried Beans
Cheese
Or whatever suits your taste buds!

It's so easy and kids just love it ~ especially when they get to make their own!

Meatless Friday

This week's meal isn't really a whole meal. It's the basis to let your imagination roam free. You can stuff or top this naan with anything! If you're unfamiliar with naan, it is basically just an Indian style flat bread. Okay, maybe it's not "just" flat bread. This stuff is AMAZING. It is soft, pillowy, full of lovely bubbles and so extremely versatile. You can eat this along side of a meal to sop up gravies and juices, you can make flat bread sandwiches with it, top it with tomato sauce and cheese for a quick personal pizza, use it in place of tortillas for quesadillas... the possibilities are endless!!
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Quick and Easy Naan Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
Up to four cups flour, plus a few tbsp for workspace

Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Add salt and three cups of flour. Mix thoroughly and add up to another cup of flour to get a nice, soft, pliable dough. Knead dough on a floured workspace about 20 times and form into a tight ball. Put dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel.
Put in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes. Dough won't rise much, but it doesn't need to. Turn dough out onto a floured workspace. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll out with a rolling pin to about 1/8" thick.
Grill naan pieces on a grill or electric griddle. In a pinch, a frying pan sprayed with some nonstick cooking spray will work. Grill for 1-2 minutes on each side.

You can add fresh garlic, cilantro, green onion, etc... to the dough for added flavor, or just eat plain!

Meatless Friday

I'm combining two previously posted Meatless Friday meals AND building up my freezer stash....two birds with one stone, fabulous!
I'm going to make a huge batch of the super easy

Crock Pot Marinara Sauce

and put it into quart sized ziplock bags for the freezer. I should get anywhere from 4 to 6 quarts of the sauce to make quick meals after the baby comes.

Then I'm going to make a double batch of

Spinach Stuffed Shells

I'm going to freeze just the stuffed shells without the sauce so I can store them easily in gallon sized ziplocks. When ready to serve, I'll just take out what we need, place them in a casserole dish, ladle defrosted sauce over the top, and pop into the oven!

Growing baby,
growing freezer stash for when baby arrives.
I feel like I'm making my way into the home stretch with just eight more weeks of preparations to go!

Meatless Friday

This week's meal is very versatile! You can substitute any vegetable, add more eggs, more spice, etc... it is very forgiving! It's also a good way to clean out the fridge of leftovers. Although I am a lover of quiche, I do not like the crust (or the carb load!) so this fits the bill perfectly!
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Frittata

1 1/2 cups red potato, cubed
1 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, chopped and steamed
1/2 cup Jarlsberg cheese (or whatever you have on hand)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
a pinch of red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Saute the potato and onion over medium heat in an oven-safe skillet with a little olive oil for about 10 min or until potato is tender. Stir frequently. Add broccoli florets and top with cheese.

Mix eggs, milk, salt, and paprika. Pour into skillet over broccoli/potato/onion mixture. Shake the pan a bit to distribute the ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 min or until the bottom starts to set up while the top is till a bit liquid.

Move skillet to oven and cook for another 15-20 min or until the frittata has set up. A toothpick inserted about an inch from the center should come out clean.

Meatless Fridays

I don't really have a meatless meal this Friday due to my work schedule. But this week I DID discover an incredible accompaniment to any meal. This quick bread is so good and you can add just about anything to this basic mix like jalapenos, bacon, or ham. These can be served with a bowl of soup, chili, or a big garden salad. They must be served right out of the oven and they are truly addictive!

Cheddar Cheese Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 stick melted salted butter


Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine.
Bake in greased muffin tins at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Makes 12.

Meatless Fridays

Any kind of summer cooking where you don't have to turn on the oven is great by me! Grilling these burgers outside gives them a wonderful smoky flavor, and canned salmon is always great for the budget! JP and Dan call these "crabby patties"...I call them DELISH!
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Salmon Burgers

1 (16 ounce) can salmon, drained and flaked
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs or Panko
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pinch dried basil


In a medium bowl, mix together the salmon, eggs, parsley, onion, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of basil, and red pepper flakes. Form into 6 firmly packed patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
Grill patties or cook on stove top in a small amount of oil until golden brown on both sides.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of basil. Use as a sauce for your patties.

Meatless Fridays

My summer garden is pretty much done except for eggplants and peppers. We'll be harvesting those until well into October! This is a great way to use up that eggplant and it doesn't have all that breading like a traditional eggplant Parmesan.
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Eggplant Gratin

Olive oil for frying
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 extra large eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese



Preheat oven to 425 F. Heat 1/8 inch of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Do not use extra virgin olive oil, the smoke temperature is too low.
When the olive oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook them. Flip them once they get light brown. Both sides should be cooked through in 5 minutes. Transfer cooked eggplant to paper towels to drain. Do this until all eggplant slices are cooked.
In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, eggs, half-and-half, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. In a shallow baking dish, place a layer of eggplant then sprinkle with more pepper and Parmesan cheese. Spoon on half of the marinara and half of the ricotta mixture. Place the second layer of eggplant on top of the mixtures, top that with the rest of the marinara, and ricotta mixture.
Spread the mozzarella on top and bake for 10 minutes.
Lower the heat to 375 F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Meatless Fridays

Here is a fabulous high protein / low carb meal. Leftovers can even be eaten cold! It's a great way to sneak veggies into the kid's diet and is very filling!
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Spaghetti Squash Quinoa Bake

4 cups of cooked spaghetti squash (1 large)
16oz cottage cheese
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup egg whites
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheese
2 teaspoon dry dill

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Pre-oil a deep baking dish.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the pepper and onion. Saute, stirring often, until caramelized (about 10-15 minutes).
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to the pre-oiled dish and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the bake is set and the top is golden. If you would like to reduce the cooking time to an hour, use two deep pie dishes instead of the large baking dish (you can always freeze one for another meal!).

Meatless Fridays

Finding low carb AND meatless meals has been an adventure! I really love this idea since it comes together so quickly and requires NO cooking. I take these to work in my little bento boxes for a quick snack, they are so filling.
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Avocado Salad Lettuce Wraps

2 avocados cubed and slightly mashed
3 small tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
fresh corn cut from 1 cob
juice of one lime
romaine lettuce leaves

Optional: You can add grilled, flaked fish or black beans for added protein.

Combine all ingredients and fill lettuce leaves.
See, I told 'ya it was quick and easy~

Meatless Fridays

Back to Meatless Fridays again!
This is a great recipe for a fresh sauce that comes together in minutes. I have tons of cherry tomatoes and will be making this quite often. And since cherry tomatoes are in season, you can get them at a great price at the store or Farmer's Market. The family will enjoy theirs over spaghetti...I'll be having mine over zucchini ribbons for a practically carbless meal. This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Spaghetti Pomodoro

1 lb. spaghetti
3 pints fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, (cut lengthwise)
3 cloves of garlic (sliced in half, lengthwise)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
6 basil leaves (more to garnish)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil


Put the water on for the pasta. Put olive oil in warm pan, add garlic & pepper flakes. Brown the garlic, be careful not to burn it, but do get it nice & golden. Add the tomatoes. Be careful, it will spatter due to the moisture of the tomatoes. Add the basil leaves, salt & pepper. Cook the sauce on medium high until the tomatoes start to break down. At this point I like to get the back of a fork or even a potato masher & crush the tomatoes slightly.

While the sauce is simmering , cook the pasta according to directions. Drain the pasta & put it in the pan with the sauce. Mix until all the noodles are covered. Transfer to a serving platter & garnish with fresh chopped basil.

Meatless Fridays

I've really been craving fresh greens lately and this week's meal fits the bill! Very fresh, light, and satisfying. Do not omit the anchovy, it gives a wonderful depth of flavor to the dressing (trust me, you'll like it!).
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Classic Caesar Salad

10 ounces Hearts of Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Croutons - either store bought or homemade
Toss with dressing as follows:

2 small garlic cloves mashed to a paste or minced
2 anchovy fillets, minced, or ½ tsp. of anchovy paste
1 egg cracked into a small bowl (Tip: Because it has a raw egg in it, this dressing must be refrigerated and used the same day it’s made. If you are wary of serving a dressing with raw egg, substitute 1 tbsp. mayonnaise.)
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, anchovies, egg, lemon juice, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the oil in a stream, whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meatless Fridays

If you are on a carb controlled diet like me, you'll take any substitute for bread that you can! I'm growing lots of eggplant again this year and was looking for new ways to use it when I came across this simple idea. The recipe can be adapted a hundred different ways to suit your family's taste and is a great way to get your kids to try something new!
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Eggplant Pizza

2 large eggplant
Your favorite marinara or pesto.
Your choice of toppings:
a variety of cheeses, grilled onions, tomato, mushrooms, olives, and herbs.

Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds and either lightly roast, grill, or fry to cook through. Slather eggplant with your favorite sauce and top with cheese and veggies. Place finished pizzas under a broiler (or grill) to melt cheese and serve with a fresh salad.
Leftovers are great on sandwiches the next day!

Meatless Fridays

Not to sure how this one is going to go over in the Creamer household. Normally Doug only likes tuna on sandwiches, and I'm pretty sure he hates warm tuna. But the recipe sounded really good to me and I think I'd like to add some salty kalamata olives or capers to this recipe. Anyhoo, try it out and tell me what you think!
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Rigatoni with Tuna and Sun Dried Tomatoes

adapted from Pampered Chef's '29 minutes to Dinner'

8 oz uncooked rigatoni pasta
2 oz Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pouch chunk light tuna or canned albacore

Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, grate cheese. Pat tomatoes dry using paper towels. Chop tomatoes and parsley. Cut lemon into wedges; set aside.
Heat oil, pressed garlic and pepper flakes in skillet over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes or until garlic turns golden (do not allow to burn). Immediately stir in tuna and tomatoes; cook 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Add pasta, half of the parsley and half of the cheese to Skillet; toss gently.
To serve, divide pasta among serving plates. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and Parmesan. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Meatless Fridays

This week's meal could not be simpler! Put all the ingredients in a crockpot and forget about it. The longer you cook this sauce on low heat the thicker and richer it will be! If desired you can double (or triple!) the recipe, this sauce freezes very well! I also puree mine at the end for a smoother texture. Keep a couple of ziplock bags of this goodie in the freezer for meals in a pinch.
This week's Meatless Friday meal is:

Crockpot Marinara Sauce

1 (28 ounce) can whole Italian-style tomatoes (cut up and undrained)
2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (can use more)
1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 -3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 -3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (rubbed between fingers to release the flavors)
2 -4 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes
1 large bay leaf
salt and black pepper

Place ALL ingredients in a minimum 4-quart crock pot, mix well cover and cook on low heat for about 8-10 hours. Uncover and cook on high heat for the last 1-1/2 hours. Season with additional salt, pepper, and fresh herbs to taste.

(If using fresh herbs, always make sure to add them at the end of cooking. Otherwise they turn brown and sometimes bitter!)