I’m all about soup.
First of all, it helps me get in lots of broth, which is key to being healthy (traditional cultures all over the world have consumed broth for health for thousands of years). I love the flavor the broth imparts to everything as well, so I make a batch weekly with leftover bone...
Why the term unconventional? Believe it or not, our Vitaclay product is especially adept at giving you these types of recipes that most other slow cookers can’t produce. The first “unconventional” use of VitaClay that we came up with is making yogurt. Yogurt made in clay is special. It has a dif...
Like pulled pork sandwiches or cooking out, sloppy joe's are a great, easy, delicious choice for a party food. And there just happens to be a day coming up in which you may or may not be throwing (or going to) a party. Sloppy Joe's are yummy, easy, and a crowd pleaser - especially when the crowd ...
Suitable for VitaClay Models VS7600, VF7700, VM7900 series.
Applesauce is a staple in many houses: especially those with young children. It’s great to have a quick, healthy snack on hand for when the kids need a little something sweet: something to stick in the diaper bag or in a lun...
Red beans and rice is a filling, nutritious meal that is great for those busy nights when you don’t have time to cook. If you’re like me, you may have one day of the week that is busier than the others, for whatever reason.
My busy day is Tuesday. I have meetings in the mo...
We've posted beef stew recipes here before, and with good reason: it’s kind of like our signature dish. Good Housekeeping magazine voted VitaClay the best cooker for beef stew a couple of years ago, and we can’t help but agree! (You may see the original review here)
Beef s...
Yesterday I came across an article about how amazing beets are. Apparently they’re a traditional “medicine” dating back a very long time. I had tried making beet kvass, a traditional probiotic beet drink, and had read that it does wonders for hormonal imbalances.
This article claims it is also a ...
Suitable for VitaClay Models: VS7600, VF7700, VM7900
Growing up, one of my favorite things was mushrooms (I still really like them). I would eat them raw, in salads, or just by the handful. Anything mushroom-flavored was awesome, so of course I loved cream of mushroom soup or any recipe that cont...
Suitable for VitaClay Models VF7700 & VM7900 series.
The thing I miss sometimes about never eating anything processed in a box or can is that everything has to be made from scratch. I don't always have time to whip something up from scratch every day, though. So I like to have some things p...
Suitable for all VitaClay Models! Portions will vary by model.
Another rare storm has blown in on us here in Northern California. We can’t complain about the rain: we need it so badly. The problem is that recently the storms blowing in have been rather violent with strong winds and torrential do...
I lived in China for a couple of years after college, and though I am Caucasian and grew up in America, I get a craving for something Asian-inspired pretty often.
Thankfully, Asian food is often really simple and easy to make. Add a few key ingredients to give it that Asian flavor. Ginger is one ...
Since I began the hard-core real food traditional lifestyle, I pretty much make everything from scratch. I just feel like pre-made prepared and ready-to-eat foods are too iffy for me to eat on a regular basis. I mostly stay away from restaurants and foods that are packaged.
Unfortunately, that me...
This recipe does not involve cooking, but the clay pot is great for the fermentation process, so any VitaClay pot is suitable.
Fresh salsa is possibly the best thing ever. Have you ever made your own salsa? Sure, it’s easy and affordable to just buy a jar of salsa at the store.
But seriously. Ha...
This dairy-free, vegan soup is white and very creamy and smooth. You’d never guess that it doesn’t contain cream or any dairy! The trick is that the cooked cauliflower and onions blend so smoothly that it truly looks, tastes and feels like creamy soup when you eat it!
So this recipe is great for ...
During the times of the year when the nasty cold and flu virus that is rapidly making its rounds in the schools, workplaces and homes across the country, it's not exactly the best time. So while it’s still chilly outside and there is still sickness in the house, we are still in need of chicken no...
Suitable for VitaClay Models VF7700 & VM7900 series ONLY.
I love cooking roasts in VitaClay. The meat is much cheaper than the steak cuts, it feeds us for days, and it’s really moist, juicy, tender and delicious. There really aren’t any drawbacks. Except that sometimes it gets old.
So when I...
Oh, sauces! Sauces are key to a lot of dishes. Especially exotic ones. If you have a favorite Thai, Indian, Chinese, or any other exotic dish, it’s probably the sauce that makes it special. Because think about it: the main part is just the same stuff we always eat: chicken, beef, rice, noodles, w...
I love sweet and sour anything: that flavor is just addicting, isn't it? Unfortunately, sweet and sour sauce is usually filled with all kinds of stuff I don’t want to eat. Colors, preservatives, artificial flavors, etc. So I set out to make my own sweet and sour sauce.
Now I have it on hand to ma...
Well, the snow has hit again on the East Coast. And while I’m sitting here, suffering through our treacherous weather in the low 70’s, battling the brightness of the sunshine; I just want to say I feel for all of you that are snowed in right now.
Seriously, though: this post is for you. Because w...
Since half of the country is in the middle of a snowstorm, hunkering down with off-school and closed-road snow days, we’re on a soup kick. Even though it’s sunny and warm here in California, we still love soup! (It gets pretty chilly here at night, so soup is always appreciated).
Besides that, it...
Have you tried beef short ribs? Those little, unassuming guys are totally packed with amazing flavor and the meat is really tender and moist. I don’t get them very often, but every time I do I’m struck with how great they are. I usually eat them out, at a Korean barbeque or some such ...
I love it when my old stand-by recipes get jazzed up with fruit. Fruit with meat adds an unexpected sweetness and usually some tartness too—similar to sweet and sour (which you know I love). So any new recipes that incorporate both fruit and meat are a must-try in my book.
And anything I can adap...
Macaroni and Cheese has become the quintessential comfort food. There’s just something about that rich, cheese, carby goodness that makes us feel so good (at least while we’re eating it). This is one of those foods that we really don’t dare eat too often, but when we do, we should really enjoy it...
Candied carrots are sweet and buttery—lots of vitamins and bright color to add to your main dish. And just different enough to keep everybody guessing. Candied carrots are a great addition to a potluck or just a quick, delicious side to pork chops. Best of all, carrots contain a lot of vitamins s...
Turmeric is amazing! It's an anti-inflammatory and it prevents cancer! Everywhere I look these days there is an article or a study or a blog post on the wonders of turmeric. It cures headaches, it’s refreshing in the summertime, it’ll give you energy, and so and so forth.
I asked myself: so is tu...
Rice recipes are suitable only for the rice setting on VitaClay Models VF7700 and VM7900 series.
The first time I tried coconut rice I was visiting Thailand during the summer. Wow I was in love. So I set out to make my own.
I was surprised how easy this is, and how amazing it tasted when I made...
This is a great recipe for any cold night that you may encounter. Check this out: I'm looking into the fridge and I see that I’ve got some leftover chicken. In the cupboard: a box of wild rice. Perfect! I’ll just add broth and a few veggies and I have my next nutrient-dense, warm, soothing, delic...
