Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Crockpot Cuban Black Beans

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Learn how to make this easy, healthy delicious Cuban Black Bean recipe in a crockpot or slow cooker! In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step by step how easy it is to make this healthy crockpot bean recipe! If you are looking for new vegetarian or vegan crockpot or slow cooker recipes you will love how easy and delicious this recipe is!

Cooking black beans is very easy in a crockpot or slow cooker. These Cuban Black Beans are the best over rice, couscous or quinoa. If you have been looking for healthy black bean recipes I think this will be your favorite recipe. If you like black bean soup, I expect you will also love this Cuban Black Bean Recipe! Watch this video and try this easy, healthy, delicious Cuban Black Bean recipe today!

Yield: 6 servings

Crockpot Cuban Black Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 pound black beans, dried
  • Water
  • 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium
  • 2 - 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 - 3 teaspoons cumin, ground
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons salt, Kosher
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, minced (optional)

Instructions

  1. Sort beans and remove stones and debris. Rinse them in a colander.
  2. Place beans in the crockpot. Cover with 8 cups cold water and soak overnight (at least 8 hours).
  3. Drain water and rinse beans in a colander.
  4. Put beans back in crockpot with about 3 1/2 cups of clean water.
  5. Stir in the onion, onion powder, soy sauce, minced garlic, cumin, and garlic powder.
  6. Cook on high for about 4 - 5 hours or low for about 12 - 14 hours or until the beans are as soft as you would like them.
  7. When the beans are soft, stir in the salt and lemon juice.
  8. Taste the beans and if needed, add more salt and spices to your taste. Let the beans cook for 5 - 10 minutes longer.
  9. Serve the Cuban Black Beans over rice, couscous, or quinoa. Top with minced cilantro if desired.

Notes

For an average cooker cook on high 4 hours or low, 12-12 1/2 hours. If your cooker is faster or slower adjust the times.

You can substitute Bragg's Liquid Aminos for the soy sauce.

© Karen Breyer

 

No Roll Pie Crust

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Learn how to make this super easy No Roll Pie Crust with only 4 ingredients! In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step by step how to make this easy pie crust. This is a very easy, healthy pie crust recipe that you do not need to roll out!

If you are looking for new healthy dessert recipes this easy pie crust recipe is perfect for your favorite pie filling! I make this simple whole wheat pie crust with my favorite Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe. You can find that recipe at Cookinglessonsfordad.com.

If you want to make a homemade pie crust without the trouble of rolling out the pie dough, this easy No Roll Pie Crust is the pie crust recipe for you! This is perfect recipe for beginners who have never made a pie crust before. Try this easy, delicious, healthy No Roll Pie Crust recipe today!

 

Yield: 1 9-inch pie crust

No Roll Pie Crust

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, Kosher
  • 1/4 cup oil, vegetable
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine flour and salt in a pie pan.
  3. Add 1/4 cup oil to measuring cup. Add 2 tablespoons of water and whisk together with a fork until the oil is emulsified.
  4. Pour the liquid mixture over the flour. Stir the liquid into the flour with a fork. Mix well.
  5. Press the dough into the pie pan with your fingers. Cover the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
  6. Prick the dough on the bottom of the pan a few times with a fork.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pie crust just starts to brown.

Notes

If you do not have Kosher salt, you can use another kind.

You can add a little more water if the dough is too dry.

See a cooking demonstration of this No Roll Pie Crust recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

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Looking for a healthy pumpkin pie? Check out this Vegan Pumpkin Pie cooking video!  This pie is easy to make and super delicious! In this video Karen Breyer will show you how to make this easy, healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe. I think it is the best pumpkin pie recipe ever! Watch this video and try this easy, healthy, delicious Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe today!

Yield: 8 servings

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 - 15 ounce can pumpkin
  • 1 - 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup dates, pitted
  • 1/3 cup honey or agave
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
  3. Pour the mixture in an unbaked pie crust.
  4. Bake pie for 50 - 60 minutes until the crust is golden.
  5. Set the pie on the counter until it is completely cool (a couple hours).
  6. Next chill the pie in the refrigerator for about 6 hours until it is firm and cold.
  7. Serve!

Notes

This vegan pumpkin pie is delicious topped with whipped cream!

You can use a blender or food processor to blend the pumpkin pie mixture.

If you find that the crust gets brown too early, before baking you can cover the edge of the pie crust with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue to cook for 20 - 30 more minutes.

You can also take the pie out a few minutes early if the crust is starting to brown too much.

When the pie is finished cooking it may be a little jiggly. This is fine as it will firm up in the refrigerator.

It is normal for this pie to have a few cracks on the top after baking.

You may want to set the pie on a baking sheet in the oven in case it spills over while cooking.

See a cooking demonstration of this Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Crockpot Pine-Applesauce

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Try this easy, healthy apple and pineapple recipe in your crockpot! Karen Breyer’s cooking video shows you how to make this delicious Crockpot Pine-Apple sauce. Is it a applesauce recipe or a pineapple sauce recipe? It is both! This is a delicious combination of baked apples with a pineapple accent. Watch this cooking video to see how easy this recipe is to make in your crockpot or slow cooker!

Yield: 8 servings

Crockpot Pine-Applesauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried pineapple, chopped
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 cups apples, sliced and cored
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add the pineapple and water to a blender. Before blending, let set for 30 minutes to soften the pineapple.
  2. Core and slice the apples.
  3. After the pineapple has soaked, blend it until it is smooth.
  4. Add the apples and pineapple mixture to the crockpot and stir so the apples are coated. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg if you would like.
  5. Cook the apples until they are soft. On low for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. On high for about 2 1/4 to 3 1/2 hours.
  6. When the apples are soft, mash them with a potato masher until they are as chunky or smooth as you would like them.
  7. Stir in the vanilla if desired. Serve warm, chilled or room temperature.

Notes

Honeycrisp, Fuji, McIntosh, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, and Rome apples are good choices for applesauce. Fuji and Honeycrisp apples are pretty sweet and very good choices. You can mix different types of apples.

You can peel the apples if you want to. If you don’t make sure to wash the apples well.

You can slice or chop the apples. They do not need to be neat since you are going to mash them later.

Softer apples with cook faster than firm apples. Small pieces will cook faster than firm apples.

Instead of a using a potato masher, you can blend the cooked apples with an immersion blender or blend them in a high-speed blender.

You can substitute 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for the pineapple and water. These additions are to keep the apples from browning.

You can store this applesauce in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks and in the freezer for about 2 months.

See a cooking demonstration of this Crockpot Pine-Apple Sauce recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

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