(Anita and I are switching posts again the week….because we can!)
I’m sad to announce that we’re in the middle of a Hanger epidemic. That’s right. I said hanger…as in hunger + anger = hanger. It’s a devastating condition that often affects the unsuspecting medical student after back-to-back 6-hour surgical cases. It comes on without warning, and there’s only one cure – food. If left untreated, the consequences of this affliction can be disastrous (I’ll admit I once threatened to stab my significant other in the eye with a fork after he ate half of my chipotle…and I was only kind of joking). Unfortunately, food (or at least good food) isn’t always easy to come by when you’re working 15+ hours a day…and let’s face it, there are only so many meals you can make out of the snacks you find in the “nutrition closets” at work (hate to say it but saltine crackers and graham crackers aren’t that “nutritious”). Well rest assured fearful readers. I am happy to announce that I have discovered the cure to Hanger – the crock pot. It provides the helpless (?) medical student with the opportunity to spend only 15 min preparing a meal, then voilá – by the time he or she is ready for a study break, there’s a home cooked meal waiting to be devoured!
(this particular meal can also be frozen and reheated for treatment of future bouts of hanger)
(Adapted from 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes)
What you need:
- 1 tbs ground cumin
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
- 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbs fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, including juice
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 8 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
- 9 oz spinach leaves
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
What you need to do:
- In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).
- Add the rice, ginger, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the diced tomates with juice and vegetable stock. Stir then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Place the mushrooms in the slower cooker and pour in the rice mixture. Stir to combine.
- Take a clean tea towel, fold it in half and lay it across the top of the slow cooker before covering with the lid (this will help absorb the extra moisture so the rice doesn’t overcook).
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours (check the rice every hour or so to see if the rice is cooked…it took me 1.5 hours).
- Once the rice is cooked, add the spinach and cheese, stir, and cook for an additional 20 minutes on low.
I should try using my slow cooker for actual meals. Right now, I make beans in it.. 😉 I like the tea towel tip, though. 🙂
Remind, do you actually want to do surgery for a living? 😛
There’s no doubt that my favorite thing to cook in the crock pot is still beans, but I’m trying to branch out. I’ll admit that aside from beans, rice and soup there aren’t many vegetarian friendly options for the crock pot :P.
As of right now surgery is at the top of my list, but I’m trying to keep an open mind as I make my way through 3rd year rotations.