Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals That Are Ready When You Are Reviews

• Robin Robertson Does It Again!

  
  By A1IJFB21RM2DZ8 on 2004-01-21
  Vegan Planet and The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook are two of my all time favorite cookbooks. I can always count on their easy to follow recipes to produce delicious results. Now, Robin Robertson does it again! I am enjoying my Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker cookbook very much. I just got it a week ago and I have already made Seitan Cacciatore, Spicy Black Bean Chili and Old Fashioned Vegetable Soup.
  I went out and bought a lovely Rival Oval Programmable Stainless Steel 5.5 Quart Crock Pot. You can exactly set the cook time in half hour intervals up to 20 hours and you can set the temperature to high, low or warm. The crock-pot automatically switches to warm mode after cooking is complete so you don't have to worry about burning. The digital countdown shows you how much time is left. The lid fits perfectly on the crock-pot and doesn't let air seep out like some cheaper models. I highly recommend this sturdy and easy to use crock-pot.
  Now back to the wonderful recipes! The Seitan Cacciatore was a very easy to make a hearty stew. We loved the subtle blend of flavors and the seitan was perfectly moist. I made the Spicy Black Bean Chili in less than ten minutes. The results were fabulous, dark rich spicy black bean chili with red peppers, sweet onion and diced green jalapenos, amazing for such a mind numbingly simple recipe. I am eating the Old Fashioned Vegetable Soup as I type. This soup is so wholesome and tender it simply melts in your mouth.
  I am a busy vegan who absolutely loves to cook and this cookbook is a lifesaver. No longer will I have to rush home to cook, stopping at a busy grocery store on the way. Instead, I figure out what I want to make in the evening, go to the grocery store after dinner when it is not crowded at all and assemble the ingredients at my leisure. I pop the crock in the fridge until bedtime. I don't want to leave the cooker on when I am not at home, so I just turn it on before bed and when I wake up transfer the wonderful results to the fridge. They have all day to sit and get delicious (most stews are better if given time to rest) and then I reheat when I get home in the evening. It has worked out very easily and the recipes are mouthwatering. Now I can relax while cooking on busy weeknights and I look forward to going to the store rather then rushing. I think crock-pot cooking is miraculous.
  This cookbook is a huge bargain with 200 recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts, soups, stews, vegetables and everything in between. All of the recipes have vegan alternatives for dairy products and most are naturally dairy free. You cannot get better results both in the minimal effort, easy ingredients and outstanding results then this. Every vegan and vegetarian should give Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson a try!
  
  

• If only the cooking times were right!

  
  By AL1ZTRVX7KN1X on 2006-03-10
  I'm not new to cooking by any means, but I am new to slow cooking. I was looking for a slow cooker cookbook that would contain vegetarian, Kosher and/or low-fat or low-salt recipes. The last thing I wanted was a dozen ways to make pork roast. This book fills the bill, in part, in that a lot of the recipes are healthy although no one seems to be watching their salt intake. I realize that this is not the purpose of this cookbook but it would be good if alternatives were available.
  
  The cooking times are way off. The book seems to have been written with much older or less powerful models in mind. The cooking time for dried black beans, for example, is 12 hours on high. This is anything but true -- at least with my model (Rival programmable) it took 4 hours on high. At 12 hours on high, I would have ruined the dish and possibly had a fire hazard.
  
  So the times have got to be updated post-haste. The recipes are interesting and somewhat creative. Personally, I don't want to do too much outside of the slow cooker. I want to throw things in the pot, set it and go to work, and a great number of the recipes have requirements of satellite or preliminary cooking, such as some sautéeing. I don't mind a little of this but not at the beginning of the cooking time. Who wants to fry onions right before work?
  
  A slow cooker is meant for people who are going off to work or elsewhere and want a meal ready when they come home. While some extra work is sometimes needed, it's needed with too many of these recipes. If the cooking times could be adjusted so as to better reflect reality, and the recipes adjusted so as to also better reflect users' needs, my rating would be higher.
  
  

• This is absolutely the best new cookbook I have found!

  
  By A3T9KVXIQB4TSL on 2004-02-10
  This book is without question the most versatile and innovative slow-cooker book to come along in recent memory and, best of all, it's filled with vegetarian recipes! Readers will be happy to know that there are no fewer than fifty wonderful soup, chowder, and stew recipes for everyday meals made with loads of veggies and beans, an entire chapter of bean recipes and one devoted to stuffed veggies, and on and on. There are even some interesting recipes for the more adventursome cooks among us. And some recipes that use seitan or tempeh although certainly anyone who doesn't use those ingredients, could substitute beans in those recipes. In other words, this groundbreaking book has something for everyone -- even those of us who might want to try a vegetarian haggis one night just for fun! I personally found the vegetarian haggis recipe to be a hoot. It is obviously a whimsical recipe, certainly not meant in all seriousness, although it actually IS a quite flavorful stuffing recipe made with oats, pecans, and beans. Like many vegetarians, I like to have fun with my food! I also enjoy savory appetizer cheesecakes as convenient and showy party appetizers. How nice to be able to make them in a slow cooker now instead of the oven. And the vegan dessert cheeesecakes made in my small springform pans are no less than astonishing.

  My only regret is that I'm limited to rating this book to only 5 stars. It deserves many more for creativity alone. But the delicious recipes are what cinch this book as a real winner."
  
  

• I am so glad I bought this book!

  
  By A3RH3PDJNZSOUE on 2004-10-03
  Ok, I LOVE this book!
  
  * Almost all of the recipes that use dairy products or cheese give alternate suggestions for a more vegan diet.
  
  * The recipes are soooo easy to make. Most prep is no more than 20 minutes.
  
  * The recipes actually taste awesome (I add more salt - shame on me) and I've never really been so healthy of an eater and am making changes in my diet.
  
  * Not all the recipes are soups or stews. Some really neat recipes are included like stuffed acorn squash, appetizers, and even breads - all made in a crock pot. Crazy... I never knew you could do all that.
  
  * There is even a small section on deserts that you can make in the crock pot and they are really good, too. I made the blue-berry cobbler and really liked it (blue berries are good for your brain and eyes)- the crust was more like cake though.
  
  * There is some really cool basics for beginners like me. Like how to soak/cook fresh beans, 101 advice on crock pot cooking, or hints and tips for better flavors.
  
  * New research (EAT TO LIVE, Dr. Mercola's Total Health, etc.) shows that a diet where you get most of your calories from fruits, vegatables, and beans is, by far, the most healthy. Ok, maybe this is common sense and doesn't take a book to figure out. lol At least this cook book makes that goal so much easier.
  
  I only wish I bought the hard cover edition because the soft cover is starting to warp and stay open because I use it so darn much. lol
  
  -- For those who get this book... I especially love the Sloppy Lentils except I added 2 garlic cloves. Even non-vegitarian friends ask me to make this. It is SO GOOD!
  
  

• Vegetarian Haggis??? Puhlease!!!!!!!!!!!

  
  By on 2004-02-07
  There are just too many strange and frankly unappetizing dishes in this book. It includes a recipe for vegetarian haggis! Haggis, you ask? In a vegetarian crockpot cookbook? No way. Way! Yes, Haggis, the foul Scottish dish made from sheep entrails encased in sheep gut- the bane of carnivores and vegetarians alike-- has been adapted here for the vegetarian crockpot! Yes, the vegetarian crockpot! I'm nauseated just thinking about vegetarian haggis or any haggis for that matter. Other bizarre recipes include "Chutney-Topped Tofu Appetizer Cheesecake" (in a crockpot? as an appetizer?? yuck). The book's ingredients lean heavily on seitan, vegetarian "sausage," and other faux meats, and a medley of uncommon ingredients. I really just wanted some basic, easy, meatless crockpot soups and stews that a busy person could throw together in the morning and forget -- not what I found here.
  
  
• Easy vegetarian recipes
  By on 2004-05-27
  I've made about a half a dozen of the recipes from this book now and I have to say they are quite yummy. I'm very fond of her other book "The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook", so was happy to see a new book out. I've also been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years and it's about time someone came out with a good veg slow cooker book! It's seems like (until now) all I ever made with my slow cooker was beans. It's nice to finally use it for other things.
  
  My only real complaint with the recipes so far is that I keep finding that they are done sooner than anticipated even when left on the low setting. I'm starting to suspect that there must be some variation among heat settings with crock pots though. I noticed another reviewer mentioned that their slow cooker took longer (for lentils, which cook quite fast in my experience.) I've also noticed I usually have to stir things a few times, even though the author says it's not a good idea. I made the french onion soup recently and if I hadn't of stirred it would have burned. So maybe my cooker's low setting runs kind of hot or something. I just mark in my book that I need to stir, so I know in the future not to make that recipe when I'm gone all day, but at home puttering about. Other than that, I've been quite pleased with the ease and tastiness of the recipes. It's true some of the recipes ask that you saut onions, etc., but I don't find that's a big deal. It doesn't take very long and it dramatically improves the flavor of a dish. Also I like that she uses normal ingrediants that are easy to find. Some of the recipes call for different size slow cookers, which could be fun if I ever decide to invest in a larger or smaller one. I think it would be usefull around the holidays, since it opens up oven space. Overall, I'm happy with this book.
  
  
• I've become a crockpot addict...
  By APCKJSP1JJTVV on 2005-12-30
  I got this book just about three months ago and have cooked probably 30-45 recipes from it already and I've found most of them to turn out quite pleasing. Most recipes are vegan or could easily be made vegan. Most of them take me about 30 minutes of prep time in the morning and I come home and it's generally done!. Today I will be cooking either stuffed zucchini or vegetarian hoppin' john. The vegetarian lasagna was very good, and my favorite recipe so far was the lentils bolognese over fettucine...Mmmmm! I highly recommend the Liquid Smoke flavoring if you can get it.
  
  I find a lot of the recipes will require some modifications in order to be better the next time, but I find this with any recipe really. Most of the recipes can be cooked right in the 6-QT crockpot so you dont have to go and buy 2 or 4 crockpots. I've only used the 6-QT for everything (except the fondue :) ). Only a few (maybe 5) of the recipes I've found did not work out at all and ended up either burnt or tasting like prison food (not that I'd know what that tastes like..).
  
  A couple tips: Cook rice separetly and then stir it in with the food before serving; rice cooked in the slow cooker turns out way too mushy & starchy, as she mentions in the book. Also sometimes she recommends sauteeing onions in the bottom of the crockpot first while its on the high setting... Don't do this. Saute the onions separately in a pan first, otherwise your whole dish could have a raw onion juice taste in it becase the crockpot doesn't do a very good job of that. Also your individual crockpot may be different than the ones she uses; she also mentions this in the book. I like this book because she offers a lot of advice, unlike other cookbooks I've had, on how to cook things and make sure they come out okay. It's thorough in that regard; she kind of holds your hand a little bit.
  
  
• No It Ain't
  By on 2004-03-11
  This is not "200 Recipes for ...One-Pot Meals" in fact NONE of the recipes is a one-pot meal, and by far the greater number aren't even for meals, just entrees, or main dishes, or side dishes. or vegetables, or desserts, or hot drinks, or breads, etc, etc..
  Look elsewhere for "Recipes for One-Pot Meals".
  
  
• great for vegans!
  By on 2004-07-03
  I was searching for a while for a slow cooker cookbook for vegans and finally found this one. The recipes are really good. There is a lot of seitan recipes, which is one of my favorite proteins.

  If you are in a hurry many could be cooked in a covered pot but the long times in the slow cooker means you could put them on in the morning and they will be ready at night.

  In some of the recipes I did find it a bit annoying that she wanted you to do so many things before adding the food ( grilling or browning or marinading etc) but I cant argue that the food tastes great.

  A word of caution. Many of the recipes call for a trivet for your slow cooker to sort of steam the food. Mine did not come with this and I have no idea where to get it!
  
  

• Excellent Slow-Cooker Recipes for Vegetarians!!
  By A3SRFSPGMJJZ1M on 2006-02-27
  I've tried many of the recipes in this cookbook and have yet had one fail to please myself and my husband. The flavors are wonderful, and the recipes are quite varied! Most involve no more prep time than chopping the veggies and giving some a brief sautee to bring out the flavor. Some recipes include making a home-made curry paste first, but this only added about 15 minutes of extra prep time. Others are quick to get going - great for prepping before work. Most recipes use canned or precooked beans to ensure that the beans are fully cooked by the end of the cooking time.
  
  I read a complaint in the first reviews about the peppers (in particular, the chipotle) being too hot after eight hours of cooking, but the recipe says to add the chipotle at the end of the cooking time, which makes it savory but not molten! The recipes were obviously pretty well-tested before publication!
  
  I am really enjoying this cookbook and it's collection of tasty, easy to prepare meals! This has joined my list of favorite vegetarian cookbooks!
  
  
• Very disappointing
  By A286IEYQU74B66 on 2005-05-25
  I've now made 4 recipes from this cookbook and been disappointed with all of them. I would have to agree with another reviewer in that it doesn't seem that any of these recipes had been previously tested before being published. The cooking times are completely off. Two of the recipes I made contained potatoes, and at the end of the recommended cooking time, the potatoes were still completely raw, while the other ingredients were nearing being overcooked. I also made an Indian coconut vegetable stew which sounded wonderful on paper, but turned out bland and an un-appetizing brown color despite the colorful ingredients and extensive spices. Tried two stuffed vegetable recipes, both of which turned out ok, but not spectacular, and ended up taking far more time in the kitchen than a non crock pot recipe. I thought slow cookers were supposed to be time saving. That being said, I'm going to give this book one more shot, as all of the recipes sound good on paper. Hopefully fifth time's the charm.
  
  
• Appealing concept, unappealing recipes
  By AZD61ZKE8QQIC on 2005-09-04
  Recipes for slow cookers tend to be heavy on the meat, so I was excited to find a slow cooker book for vegetarian meals. The idea of prepping my meal in the morning and then enjoying a mellower evening appealed to me, but so far, every recipe I have tried in this cookbook has dissappointed me. Because so many have praised the book, I keep thinking I might try one more recipe, but I fear wasting valuable time and food on another bad tasting/textured meal.
  
  
  
  
• Collection of diverse recipes!
  By AO0Y5G7CNS7GT on 2005-06-10
  I love using my slow cooker, and I was thrilled to find such a comprehensive vegetarian cookbook. This book is LOADED with recipes (no photos) that are multi-cultural and vary in level of difficulty, ingredient list, prep time required, expense, etc. etc. I have made the French Onion soup, which is quick to prepare and has a very short ingredient list, and I've also made the Enchilada Casserole which requires more ingredients and prep time. There are quite a few recipes that go above and beyond throwing everything into crock pot and walking away-- many have "toppings" that need to be assembled ahead of time and added within the last 30 minutes or so of cooking. For those in a hurry, this is not ideal, however, for those of us who like more complex dishes that are difficult to assemble in a crock pot, this book really steps up to the table. If you are vegan, this book provides the information you need to supplement the ingredient lists. I highly recommend this book to everyone, it will definately appeal to all cuisine preferences, including non-vegetarian!
  
  
• Doesn't deliver
  By A2V9T23XQ9NKGZ on 2007-10-03
  I received this book as a gift. At first glance the recipes looked good, but what I was really looking for was easy wholesome veggie recipes. Instead the recipes and take more work than I have time for and use a lot of fake meat (soy) which we do not eat in our house. The 5 or 6 recipes we did make were not even that tasty. I will get my vegetarian slow recipes from internet searches from now on. I will be giving this book away.
  
  
• maybe 4 1/2 stars - nice vegie recipes
  By AP8CR3MEYGUOW on 2004-05-05
  I was excited to find a vegetarian slow-cooker cookbook. I read all the reviews and was a little concerned about "weird stuff" when I read about the vegetarian haggis but I figure there's at least one recipe in every cookbook I own that makes me think "eewwww!" so I bought it.

  I've made 4 or 5 things so far and my husband and I have enjoyed all of the dishes. We both agreed that most of them could use a little more flavor so I plan on just adding a little more of everything when it comes to the herbs and spices, but the flavor that was there was good. The other thing I've done is reduce the oil in all of the recipes by at least half!

  The amount of oil or fat she uses plus the fact that there's no nutrition information for the recipes are the reasons I can't give this 5 stars. (And, as another reviewer mentioned: most of the recipes, as directed, are NOT One-Pot since she calls for sauteeing things like onions before adding to the cooker. She does list alternatives for this step but I agree with her that it's usually worth the time and dirty skillet.)
  
  

• Superb
  By A3IGHTES8ME05L on 2005-02-22
  I love my slow cooker so when I saw this cookbook come out I had to get it. The recipes are vegan, using non-dairy alternatives where needed. There's a delicious French onion soup recipe here that is terrific, a great Vietnamese Pho recipe, wonderful stews - some of which are asian/Indian inspired. There are also some terrific baked bean recipes. I've had success with everything I've made so far and am just really loving this cookbook. It's the first one I turn to when I want to try something new. There are also deserts listed in the back but I haven't tried them yet.
  
  
• Wow! The BEST Slow Cooker Cookbook Yet....
  By A1WSU7VHDE3QG2 on 2004-02-05
  I have been searching for months for a decent slow cooker cookbook....I'm not even a vegetarian (though at least 80% of my diet is vegetarian) and this book beats out ALL other slow cooker cookbooks, both veg and non-veg alike. The best part is the lack of bland recipes - Robin uses interesting herb and seasoning combinations in all the recipes that make for almost gourmet fare with, as others have stated, mostly common ingredients. I found that I already had most everything called for in her recipes sitting in my pantry - this is completely untrue of other slow-cooker cookbooks. Some of my favorites so far are the Black Bean and Two Mushroom Barley soups, Mac and Cheese Florentine, Cranberry-Walnut Stuffing, Layered Pesto Potatoes with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, the Brown Rice Pudding and the Pumpkin Butter recipes. There's a pleasant surprise at every turn of the page! Thank you Robin Robertson!
  
  
• Excellent recipes, but low on convenience
  By A3UDXB0D09T2VN on 2007-02-25
  As someone who loves to cook, I bought a slow cooker (and this book) in order to have meals that would be ready to eat on days when I got home from work and had no time to cook. My philosophy: if I wanted to spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen, I would just cook myself, and forego the slow cooker. While this book has wonderful, tasty, and interesting recipes, a large proportion of them require extra preparation outside the slow cooker. Sauteing onions or pureeing soup isn't a hardship, but many of the recipes ask for something to be added an hour before serving, or in the middle of the cooking time. Others must be removed from the cooker and baked or otherwise prepared after 8 hours of slow cooking. A polenta recipe, for instance, has you make the polenta in the cooker, chill it, bake it in the oven, make a mushroom sauce on the stove, and then bake the sauce with the polenta. The recipe looks delicious, but the slow cooker plays a guest role at most. Also, the recipes sometimes use exotic ingredients that aren't necessarily on hand, or even easy to find in a grocery store. I recommend this book for its tasty recipes, but not for its convenience or easy preparation.
  
  
• My New Favorite!
  By A101XKP9083ASP on 2004-05-14
  I absolutely love this cookbook. I've always liked to cook, but, as a college student, I have struggled to find the time. This cookbook is wonderful because it allows you to cook dinner when you have the time, whether that's between morning classes or the night before. You just sautee a few vegetables, throw them in the slow cooker with canned beans and tomatoes, and when you get home at the end of the day, you have a hearty meal waiting for you. The best part is that by the time you eat dinner, the dishes have been done for hours. I disagree with the earlier reviewer who complained about the "heat" of the recipes. I made the Spicy Black Bean Chili recipe yesterday, and I thought the four-ounce can of green chiles was perfect. Often, I find that I actually need to make the recipes a bit hotter---but that't just a personal preference. So far, I've made Spicy Black Bean Chili, Three-Bean Chili, Indian Cauliflower and Kidney Bean Stew with Coconut Milk, Moroccan-Inspired Vegetable and Chickpea Stew, Vindaloo Vegetables, Orange and Bourbon Baked Beans, Spanish Beans and Rice, Spicy Black Beans and Rice with Mangoes, Vegetable Curry, and Bell Peppers Stuffed with Salsa Rice and Beans. I loved many of the recipes, and liked all but the Baked Beans, which were interesting, rather than bad. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone who finds they are already hungry by the time they can start dinner. You'll eat better and feel better.
  
  
• Comprehensive Guide to Veg. Slow Cooking
  By AY619EO3D9PR5 on 2004-09-15
  I finally got my hands on this and I'm pleased. Keep in mind, I am not a vegetarian, but I am trying to expand my food horizons and health options. Having recently joined a CSA (local farm box subscription), I needed ideas for meals that don't take too much effort over a hot stove.
  This book offers that solution.
  It offers also carefully written sidenotes and advice. You can come away from this book far more educated about what to do with tempeh, seitan (even a recipe to make it!), pot pies, etoufee, bread puddings, desserts...The inspiration alone is worth it.
  I think it's a fine book for slow cooker veterans as well as newbies. It's got me excited about using my slow cooker on a more regular basis.
  Happy Cooking!
  
  
  
• Good for branching out
  By ASSYZSM1U4XLP on 2004-11-07
  I'm a lone artist working at home and am not into cooking. I gave away my microwave because it was so noisy and also because I couldn't get the hang of the short times, and had to check all the time, or else forgot about it when engrossed in a project.
  
  So most of my evening meals are cassarole type one dish things I do in a conventional oven. I eat little meat, because I can't keep it and don't like to shop more than once every week or two. I'm the type who figures out what to eat no more than an hour before it goes in the oven. I figured out how to do rice and pasta dishes in the oven as one shot, one dish operations, although they would probably dismay a "real cook". I use frozen soy meat subsitutes a lot because I don't have to worry about waste from spoilage.
  
  Some relatives gave me a little 1.5 qt slow cooker for Christmas, and I thought it might work out because I remembered the bean pot and soup pot my mother had going all the time when I was a child (we had a wood stove for both cooking and heat.)
  
  But when I read the book that came with the cooker and saw all the recipes need stove top preparations, I almost gave it away. But discovered two uses for it: baked potatoes and hot sandwiches. You wrap up a big potato in foil at breakfast time and its done for supper (top with plain yogurt and/or cream cheese); breakfast sandwiches are cream cheese and jam on brown bread wrapped in foil ready in an hour. Lunch sandwiches are brown bread and cheese with chopped stir fry veggies (snow peas, green beans, water chesnut, carrot etc. and wrapped in foil.
  
  I got this cookbook in hopes of extending my recipes, and I probably will be able to; it explains better about beans than the one that came with my cooker. But I virtually live on rice and pasta dishes, and those all seem to need extra stove top steps.
  
  As other reviews say, lots of slow cooker recipes are NOT one step "put all the ingredients in and plug it in" operations. This book repeats that old chesnut in the intro, but most of the recipes need stove top operations. That doesn't work for those going out to work, or else require foresight and preparation the night before. But some of the recipes I think I can work out for me in my lifestyle.
  
  But I will probably have to get another cooker, as my little baby one has only one temperature level (no controls, you plug it in, period), and doesn't have a removable liner, so all my cooking so far (mostly potatoes) has been in foil. The best thing about slow cooker cooking is that if you're absent minded (or ignore timers when they go off when you're engrossed in something), an extra hour or two doesn't result in a ruined meal; maybe not optimal, but still edible, and usually even still fine and tasty.
  
  
  
• If you're looking for quick and easy, this is not the book for you!
  By A1NZOXJDPRQLHI on 2006-11-11
  Just spent an hour prepping and cleaning up from my first recipe. Most of the recipes require cooking of ingredients before putting them in the cooker (read more time and more dishes to clean up).
  
  
• best yet
  By A1XJPMNSNKQTGO on 2005-03-03
  every recipe i've tried in this cookbook (and i've tried a lot of them) is wonderful. lots of variety, simple instructions, and great results time after time. a must have for the vegetarian kitchen.
  
  
• An excellent book.
  By A284FYMQWR3SU8 on 2005-11-16
  I have searched far and wide for a good vegetarian slow cooker cook book for many years. This is it! So many crock pot cook books only have a small chapter on meatless recipes. Most of the (very few) veggy crock pot cook books that I have found have been terribly disappointing. This book has so many tasty recipes that I have made over and over. I've made the chocolate cake recipe many times and brought it to potlucks - no one believes me when I tell them that I made it in a slow cooker. The cacciatore is a family favorite now. A great buy.
  
  
• It's about time - this book gives you more of it!
  By A1XL5S2I6INSSI on 2004-02-12
  Robin Robertson has done it again. Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker is brilliant. I work long hours and this cookbook is just what I need to be able to eat healthy meals at dinnertime and entertain my friends. And I love the use of faux meats. Not Your Mama's Pot Roast is fabulous, as is the Wine-Braised Seitan Braciole. Her recipes are not only fun and innovative, they are easy to put together. And the finished product is so impressive, you could fool your guests into thinking you were cooking all day. Robin Robertson's new cookbook lets you create fabulous vegetarian food, and that's what it is all about!
  
  
• Come home to a ready-made dinner!
  By APV5U3KADPAOE on 2004-01-18
  I have been looking for a vegetarian cookbook for my Crock-Pot for quite a while. Finally Robin Robertson has put out Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. The variety of recipes is amazing. And they are quick and easy to put together. It's very cool to have dinner ready when I walk in the door at night after a long day. This is a great cookbook for vegetarians and vegans, and also those non-vegetarians who are looking for delicious and healthy alternatives to eating meat.
  
  
• Great book!
  By A3QIMDL60HFU14 on 2004-03-09
  I bought this cookbook as soon as it came out... I love the idea of the crockpot (have dinner waiting for you at the end of the day), but have always had a hard time finding vegetarian slow cooker recipes.

  So far I've only tried two recipes: the Potato Soup with Pesto and the Winter Corn Chowder. We love them both, although the corn chowder is the universal household favorite! (I've made each one three times already!) I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in slow cooker cooking.
  
  

• Wonderful!!
  By A22QD9DWA1NRYM on 2005-02-07
  Just got this cookbook last week, and have already tried 3 recipes from it. They all turned out very well, and the preparation is very simple- easy to do in the morning before work.
  
  I've been looking for a vegetarian slow cooker cookbook for a while, and am so glad I decided to get this one. While looking through it, I've seen several more recipes that look tempting. It's nice to have found a slow cooker cookbook that is not half filled with pot roast and beef stew recipes!!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• My favorite cookbook of all time!!!
  By A2UF8108NVBM4E on 2007-12-05
  I've been vegan for 6 years now & vegetarian for well over 10. I LOVE cooking and baking, and am always looking for new cookbooks to add to my collection. However, the problem is that once I have my hands on a new cookbook, I skim over the recipes & then hardly ever touch it again! That might just be my style... I let the recipes inspire my cooking, but rarely follow the directions to the letter.
  
  Anyways, last year I purchased a crock pot to attempt try slow-cooking. After several unsuccessful tries I gave up. I just assumed that I could throw ingredients into the pot, wait 7 hours, and then *poof*, a yummy dinner would magically appear. Sadly that is NOT the case. So, I began shopping around for a good vegetarian/vegan slow-cooker book.
  
  Well, let me say that after ordering this cookbook (Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker), I've gone from using my slow-cooker once every 3-4 months to 3-4 times per week! All of the recipes I've tried are AMAZING! And, unlike some other reviewers, I've found the cooking times to be right on. (I have a 5-quart crock pot by Rival. If you order this book, I would recommend cooking with either a 5 or 6 quart crockpot, nothing smaller)
  
  There is a wonderful array of ethnic-inspired dishes included in this collection, (middle-eastern, italian, indian, etc) as well as dishes using meat substitutes, (seitan, tofu, tempeh) and legumes-a-plenty (the split pea & parsnip soup is killer!!!)
  
  Not to mention that the book includes everything from appetizers, entrees and soups to desserts and hot drinks! And the majority of it is nearly 100% vegan, and vegan substitutes are readily discussed throughout the book. Can it get any better than this? I think not!
  
  Finally, its such a wonderful feeling to know that when I get home from a long day of work & roller derby, a yummy, healthy, home-cooked and hot meal awaits me!
  
  It should be noted, however, that many of the recipes require around 10-15 minutes of prep work either at the very beginning (sauteeing onions, for example) or at the end of the cooking process (cooking & adding couscous to a dish). Additionally, many of the bean dishes require soaking the beans overnight. But, if you don't mind the time spent, its WELL worth it! In other words, would I sacrifice 15 minutes of my morning so that I could enjoy a slow-cooked soup in the evening? YES, without a doubt!
  
  By far, this is the most used cookbook in my collection, and, unlike my other cookbooks that sit on my shelf looking pretty, I actually enjoy following the recipes because I know that the finished product will be totally delicious!
  
  Highly, highly recommended book for all you vegan/vegetarian crock-pot lovers!!! Very recommended for all of you vegans on the go!!! And especially recommended for all of you veggies out there who - like me - have been resistant to cooking with recipes and/or cookbooks. This book will help you develop a true appreciation for cooking with recipes, while inspiring you to create your own vegan slow-cooked delights on your own! Its the best of both worlds!
  
  
  
  
• No splattered grease here!
  By A33DVH9DN6QAWE on 2004-02-14
  I love Robertson's Veggie Slow Cooker book. The main reason is that I am so busy but yet like hearty, full-bodied meals and these easy recipes provide just the kind of "stick-to-your-ribs" food that I enjoy. The second reason that Robertson's book appeals to me is that she has provided recipies for the slow cooker in every category from appetizers to components of the whole meal. The best part of all is that there is no splattered grease and the cleanup is quick and easy--perfect for today's busy person who loves good food.
  
  

• 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes
• Quick-Fix Vegetarian: Healthy Home-Cooked Meals in 30 Minutes or Less
• Fast Cooking in a Slow Cooker Every Day of the Year: A Slow Cooker Vegetarian Cookbook
• The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook
• The Simple Little Vegan Slow Cooker