Vegan MoFo Day One - Slow Cooker

Welcome October - and only our third day of fall weather, a full week after the autumnal equinox. 

We'll take it!

Since I was walking with friends in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this morning, 

helping set up for my community's National Night Out event this afternoon, 

going to basketball practice with my senior league team, the Stray Cats,

then attending a dinner/movie event at Houston's only vegan authentic Mexican restaurant, Radical Eats, to kickoff our Texas Vegging Out week celebration (very full day), 

my slow cooker was pressed into duty for MoFo Day One.

Something simple, yet, of course, simply the best,

so appropriate music track, 

The Best by the best, 

Ms. Tina Turner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra12L1Bl0Z4&feature=related

A Recipe from 

The Simple Vegan Slow Cooker

To use up the last of the new potatoes from co-op order, I made the book's

Shepherds Pie.

The recipe called for canned mushroom gravy.

I decided to spice it up a bit with my 

Recipe for mushroom sauce

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

I cup mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tsp dried thyme

1 cup red wine

2 TBS whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup vegetable broth, divided

Saute onion and garlic in 1/4 cup vegetable broth in non-stick pan over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in mushrooms and cook until mushroom release their juices, 4-5 minutes.

Stir in thyme, then deglaze pan with red wine.

Add flour to thicken.

Then slowly add remaining vegetable broth, bring to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes to incorporate flavors.

Makes about 2 cups. 

Mashing Potatoes for the topping

Lightly oil the slow cooker before packing in ingredients.

8 hours later, 

Slow Cooker Shepherd's Pie.