Butter chicken

In the crock pot, put 2 pounds cubed chicken thighs, 1 can coconut milk, salt, chilli powder (not too much actually, this dish should not be mega spicy). In a pan, fry generous minced garlic, some minced ginger, a couple of whole cloves, green cardamom pods, a couple of Indian cinnamon sticks and about 6oz of tomato paste. Put all that into the crock pot as well. Crock pot on high for at least 4 hours, longer is also fine.

Crock pot squash

Did you know you can put a whole squash in the crock pot? No cutting, no piercing, just put it in there! Wash a squash of your choice, put it in the crock pot overnight on low. In the morning, it will be super soft and perfect. Cut a slice, top with coconut cream, cinnamon, salt and pepper. We love eating it skin on (so wash skin well). Payel loves the seeds too, kind of like seedy bread. It has a nice bite to it. Wonderful easy breakfast.

Benji's breakfast casserole

Shred two sweet potatoes. Cut an onion. Grate some cheese. Stack those things together in a bowl 3 times, while adding salt, pepper, and chili powder between each layer. Then mix 8 eggs with some brown mustard and garlic and pour it over the whole thing. Make some holes so that the eggs can run into the whole casserole. Crockpot on low for 8 hours. Put it on high for a couple of those hours if you want more of a crust. Comes together really nicely, like a quiche. Payel loves it with tangy hot sauce.

Crock pot mole lentils

The slightly sweet taste of lentils cooked for ages goes really well with mole :) In crock pot, put washed lentils (toor daal in the picture below, but any lentil would be great). In blender, blend 1 red onion, a couple of small tomatoes, salt, black peppercorns, lots of cumin, a couple of big chunks of cacao paste (2-3 tbsp ish), dried chilles, few cloves garlic, epazote if you've got it, 1/4 cup of water. Pour over lentils, add about another cup of water. Crock pot on low for 8 hours. Great in lettuce wraps! Can top with diced unripe mango, cilantro, sour cream, fresh diced green chilles etc.

Thai-spiced chicken and lentils

One of the easiest crock pots yet! Throw together whatever lentils you have in the house (toor daal, chana daal, skinned urad daal, mung daal etc). Wash lentils. Put in some broccoli or whatever veggies you please. Add a generous dollop of thai red curry paste. Fill with water until water is about 1/2 inch above lentils. Add some chicken pieces on top (can go right from freezer). Crock pot on low 8 hours, or high 4 hours. When done, take out the chicken pieces and shred into bite sized pieces on a plate. Mix the lentils around (should become like a thick paste with veggie chunks). Put chicken pieces on top. Top with dollop of coconut butter, tamarind concentrate, cilantro and fresh green chilles. 5 min prep, delicious!

Crock pot chilli

Soak kidney beans overnight. Next day, boil for 10 min on the stove, then put into crock pot. Throw in lots of cumin and chille powder, oregano, a little basil, garlic, onions, tomatoes, salt. That is the basic chilli. Can optionally add in meat (we usually do lean ground turkey or chicken). Cook 8 hours on high. Can top with dollop of sour cream, cilantro, avocado, sliced fresh green chilles, bit of shredded cheese etc. Lots of good options. Such an easy and tasty dish. Prep stuff while beans are boiling, and prep time is about 10 min.

Refried beans

Soak pinto beans overnight. Discard soak water, add new water, just enough to cover the beans. Throw in lots of garlic, chopped red onion, salt, tons of cumin, tons of chille powder. Crock pot on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. When done, stick an immersion blender in there and mix until creamy. Can top with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro. My favorite part of Mexican cuisine!
Pro tip: if you have a big crock pot, you can stick a pyrex bowl directly in there and cook in that, and then serve in it as well. Only one dish to wash, and it's way easier to wash than the huge and heavy crock pot.

Basic crock pot stew

This is the general formula. Put in a bunch of veggies (broccoli, celery, carrots, mushrooms and onions and tomatoes are great, anything), a little meat if you wish (chicken is great), bunch of spices/flavorings (worchestire sauce, chilles, sage, thyme, oregano, a couple of bay leaves, salt, pepper, anything you please). Can put in a little barley or lentils. Cover everything with water until it just about covers everything, veggies will release a lot of fluid, so you don't need much. Crock pot on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Pictured below is chicken stew.

Pro tip: If you slow cook chicken by itself you'll have some stock left over. Save it for stew! Really makes it extra flavorful.

Basic beans/beans and chicken

Beans are one of our favorite things to crock pot. We do black and pinto the most. But sometimes kidney, or others.
Wash and soak beans overnight in water. Next day, discard water, put in new water to cover beans by about 1/2 inch. Throw in any seasonings you want (garlic, TONS of cumin, TONS of chilles, turmeric and salt is a pretty standard combo in our cafe. But oregano, onions, veggies, epazote etc. often make an appearance). Great accompaniments include pickled red onion, pickled chilli peppers, sour cream, cilantro.
You can put in some chicken if you like, cooking time is the same. Can put in chicken right from the freezer, so easy. Chicken on the bone is our favorite (left pic). The bones get so tender, you can eat most of it, and the marrow is delicious. You can also take out the chicken after cooking and serve it on the side (right pic).
Crock pot on low 8 hours or high about 4 hours. Pictured below are pinto beans with chicken for both pictures, served differently.

Cock pot chicken mole

In a food processor, put a chopped red onion, a couple of chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp unsweetened dark coco powder, cumin, salt, freshly ground black pepper, dry red chilles, few cloves garlic, 1/4 cup water. Optionally, if you want it a bit sweet, put in a few raisins or a couple of small oranges. Blend. Pour over chicken (our favorite is an intact half chicken, skin on, but any kind of chicken pieces will work). Cook 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high.

Note: if you're using lean chicken, add some fat into the mole instead. Add in 1/4 cup walnuts, or use cacao paste instead of coco powder, which has the coco butter still in it. If using fatty chicken, the juices from the chicken are enough to make the mole rich and flavorful. 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, diced green chilles, diced unripe mango, whatever you fancy. Goes really well with oven roasted poblanos.

Roasting poblanos: wash peppers and broil on high heat about 5 min per side. Then turn off the broiler and leave them in there for about half an hour. Then peel off the blistered outer skin, put on a little coarse salt and serve. 

Crock pot chile chicken verde

In crock pot put a bunch of quartered tomatillos (husks removed), 1 large sliced poblano pepper, 1/2 sliced red onion, several minced garlic cloves, 1 large sliced jalapeno, 2-3 fatty chiken pieces (skin on, we like drumsticks the best), lots of ground cumin, salt, pepepr. Cook on high 6 hours in crock pot. No liquid needed, the tomatillos release a lot of liquid. When done, gently pull apart the chicken, it will be very tender, falls off the bone. squeeze in half a lime. Top with cilantro.