You can find lots of variations on this red kidney bean curry online at Indian cooking sites, etc. This is the only recipe I can vouch for. Mixing up just the right balance for a curry I'm finding is very difficult. Also, for some reason I am just much more in love with the flavors of the Mediterranean. Here's another recipe I make in the crockpot. It is a soup, but pretty thick. Black Bean Soup with Red Paprika Sauce 1 lb. dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained. 8 cups water or broth (I always use mild veggie broth) 2 chopped med. onions 2 ribs celery 2 cups chopped tomatoes 2 TBLSP paprika 2 tsp. ground cumin 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup cilantro 1 cup corn Simmer beans and veggies until beans are soft. Then add tomatoes and spices and cook a couple hours more. Add the red paprika "sofrito" after the soup is done, just before serving. Do not add peppers to the dish while it's slow cooking, because peppers get bitter made in a slow cooker. I basically throw in everything except the tomato into the crockpot, add the tomatoes towards the end, and then when it's finished I stir in the Red Paprika Sauce. Yummo! Part of the charm of this soup comes from having good paprika on hand. If you miss a smokey taste in your black bean soup you can throw in some chorizo or ham or something. Being vegetarian, I sometimes add a tiny dash of fake bacon bits. Or fake sausage. But this soup I like plain. Red Paprika Sauce 2 TBLSP olive oil 1 large red pepper, diced 3 scallions, minced 2 tsp. paprika, or less, to taste 2 tsp. salt 2 TBLSP lime juice Sautee the peppers and onions in the olive oil and add the paprika, salt and lime juice at the end. Stir into the black bean soup. That's what gives this soup its yumminess, the addition of this fresh herb sofrito at the end. Here's another one that is easy and hearty, but I don't make it because it takes me so long to eat it up. Bean Cornbread Crockpot Casserole from vegetarian.about.com Serves 6 1 med. onion, chopped 1 med. green pepper, chopped (add at the end to the crockpot) 2 cloves garlic or 1/4 tsp. minced garlic powder 1 16 oz. can of kidney beans 1 16 oz. can of pinto beans (I'm not a pinto bean fan so I probably would use black beans) 1 16 oz. can chopped tomatoes 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard 1/8 tsp. hot sauce or chopped jalepeno to taste Cornbread topping to be added at the last 1.5 hours of cooking. 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup all purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 TBLSP sugar 1 1/2 cups milk 2 eggs 3 TBLSP veg. oil 1 can cream style corn (8 oz. can) Lightly grease crockpot. Add bean chili ingredients except peppers. Cook 8 hours on low. Add peppers and cornbread topping for the last 1.5 hours. Cook on high for the last 1.5 hours. (Directons sound kind of confusing but I think this is one of those "throw it in the crockpot and go to work and have dinner ready when you get home" recipes. So basically cook the bean chili all day on low in the crockpot, and when you get home make the cornbread topping and add the peppers. I'd sautee the peppers.) But I don't cook at all on the weekdays, so I made this on the weekend and adjusted the times accordingly. I cook the chili for 5-6 hours on low, then add the cornbread crust and the sauteed peppers, finish it off, and have it for Sunday dinner. And Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday. Which is why I don't make this often!

I use my crockpot all the time and what I make in it certainly doesn't come out tasteless. You can adapt any recipe but, as with any appliance there are guideline for cooking in a slow cooker. Always put the vegetables on the bottom. Use half the amount of liquid because it does not boil away. Use only whole spices or add the ground spices to the last hour of cooking. If a recipe says 15-30 min. cook on low for 4-6 hrs---on high 1 1/2-2 hrs. 35-40 min. cook on low 6-10 hrs---on high 3-4 hrs. 50 mins. cook on low 8-9 hrs, on high 4-6 hours. I most often use broth, canned gravy, tomato sauce or undiluted mushroom soup for my liquid. If my recipe calls for cooked pasta or rice or beans I cook it ahead just as I would to put it in the oven. Crockpots are great to bring a hot dish to a pot luck supper.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup 1 or 2 boneless chicken breasts (can be frozen), cut into thirds 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I like del monte) 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 bay leaf 1 (10 oz) package frozen corn 2 Tbsps chopped cilantro 7 corn tortillas Vegetable oil Place all ingredients (except cilantro, tortillas and vegetable oil) in crockpot. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks; stir in cilantro a few minutes before serving. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips; place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, spread tortilla strips over soup. Makes 8 servings Adapted from allrecipes by several different sources My note: I added a little sugar toward the end (after testing) and bought canned whole chilies so I could remove seeds. Also made sure I bought Mild enchilada sauce! This is really delicious (and I like that I could throw in frozen chicken :) Ann

"The temperature danger zone is the temperature at which bacteria multiply rapidly. The temperature is from 40 degree Fahrenheit to 140 degree Fahrenheit. Foods should not be allowed to stay in this temperature zone for more than 2 hours " I'm sure cooled enough that it was in the danger zone, for more than two hours, so I wouldn't eat it. Here is a link that might be useful: food temperature danger zone