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Here's a great crock pot recipe. It's full of nutrients, low on calories and can be ready when you get home from work. It's also nice and warming on a cold, winter evening. My family enjoys it, especially with sticky rice. I'm thinking it will be good one day after the holiday parties are over to rejuvenate my body.

Chinese Hot Pot

by Robin Robertson, "The Vegetarian Slow Cooker"

Hot in temperature and flavor, this vegetarian version of the classic Chinese soup is fragrant and delicious. I like to add some cooked rice at serving time for a substantial one-dish meal.

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on a diagonal

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced on a diagonal

6-oz can water chestnuts, drained

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

5 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 Tbsp tamari or other soy sauce

8 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and diced

4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps thinly sliced

1 oz snow peas, strings trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 scallions, chopped

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil or Chinese hot oil

-In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, carrot, celery, water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Add the stock and tamari. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

-About 20 minutes before serving, add the tofu, mushrooms, snow peas and scallions. Drizzle on the sesame oil. Cover and cook until the mushrooms and snow peas are tender. Serve immediately.