Crockpot Meal - Vegetarian Italian Sausage Stew

I adapted this recipe from one of those 5-ingredient crock pot booklets you find at the register that I can never seem to pass up.

Really simple...
- 1 lb "Fake sausage" (as my family calls it) browned
- 1 32 oz. box of vegetable stock
- 1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz. can of cannellini beans
- some garlic & basil (to your taste, I like a lot of garlic)
- a sprinkling of flax seed (which I'm adding to everything I can nowadays)
- 1 16 oz. bag dried tortellinis (the recipe called for fresh but my budget called for dried)

Brown the "sausage" and throw everything in the crock pot on low for 4-5 hours. Before serving, cook the tortellinis and add. See - easy, and tasty.

Great Vegetarian Recipes to try!

Rachel Ray's Veg-Head Three Bean Chili which I'll be making tonight. It was a hit in the past so hopefully they still like it tonight.



Also - Check the International isle in your local grocery store and look for falafel mix. There's one in my store (have to check the brand) that all you do is add water, make it into patties or balls, and fry it (use Olive Oil to be healthier, it's also cheaper in the international isle). We make it into patties and serve it on pita with avocado spread (just mashed avacados and lime juice).

Tip - Go Vegetarian

Most of the time the most expensive part of a meal is the meat.

Try adding a couple vegetarian meals to your repetoire to cut costs.

Beans provide a healthy protein alternative.

I got some grumbling at first, mostly from my husband, but my family as gotten used to, and get this, actually LIKE the vegetarian meals we tried. My husband has just requested we don't it more than once or twice a week:)

Even my pickiest, and I mean gag at food he doesn't like and takes and hour to eat ten bites picky eater, like the vege meals and occasionally will eat more than his required portion.