300 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (18 page)

About 30 minutes before serving, drain the thawed spinach well—I pick mine up with clean hands and squeeze it dry. Stir it into the pot, re-cover, and let the whole thing cook for another half an hour; then serve in bowls, with soup spoons.

Yield:
5 servings, each with: 352 calories, 21 g fat, 32 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs.

Cranberry-Peach Turkey Roast

This fruity sauce really wakes up the turkey roast!

3 pounds (1.4 kg) turkey roast

2 tablespoons (28 ml) oil

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onion

1 cup (120 g) cranberries

1/4 cup (6 g) Splenda

3 tablespoons (33 g) spicy mustard

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 peach, peeled and chopped

If your turkey roast is a Butterball like mine, it will be a boneless affair of light and dark meat rolled into an oval roast, enclosed in a net sack. Leave it in the net for cooking so it doesn't fall apart.

In a big heavy skillet, heat the oil and brown the turkey on all sides. Transfer the turkey to the slow cooker.

In a blender or food processor with the
S
-blade in place, combine the onion, cranberries, Splenda, mustard, red pepper, and peach. Run it until you have a coarse puree. Pour the mixture over the turkey. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 7 hours.

Remove the turkey to a platter, stir up the sauce, and ladle it into a sauce boat to serve with the turkey. You can remove the net from the turkey before serving, if you like, but I find it easier just to use a good sharp knife to slice clear through the netting and let diners remove their own.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 255 calories, 8 g fat, 31 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Turkey with Mushroom Sauce

3 pounds (1.4 kg) boneless, skinless turkey breast (in one big hunk, not thin cutlets)

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon concentrate

Guar or xanthan (optional)

In a big, heavy skillet, sauté the turkey in the butter until it's golden all over. Transfer the turkey to your slow cooker.

Sprinkle the parsley, tarragon, salt or Vege-Sal, and pepper over the turkey. Place the mushrooms on top.

In a bowl, mix the wine and bouillon together until the bouillon dissolves. Pour it over the turkey. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 7 to 8 hours.

When the time's up, remove the turkey and put it on a platter. Transfer about half of the mushrooms to a blender and add the liquid from the slow cooker. Blend until the mushrooms are pureed. Scoop the rest of the mushrooms into the dish you plan to use to serve the sauce, add the liquid, and thicken further with guar or xanthan, if needed.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 281 calories, 14 g fat, 34 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 1 g usable carbs.

Braised Turkey Wings with Mushrooms

Turkey wings are my favorite cut of turkey for the slow cooker. They fit in easily, they come in good individual serving sizes, and oh yeah, they taste great.

3 1/4 pounds (1.5 kg) turkey wings

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken broth

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon concentrate

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste

1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1/2 cup (115 g) sour cream

In a big, heavy skillet, brown the turkey all over in the oil over medium-high heat. Transfer the turkey to your slow cooker.

In a bowl, stir together the broth, bouillon, poultry seasoning, and tomato paste. Pour the mixture over the turkey. Add the mushrooms and onion. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 7 hours.

When the time's up, remove the turkey from the slow cooker with tongs. Whisk the sour cream into the sauce and serve the sauce over the turkey.

Yield:
3 servings, each with: 555 calories, 40 g fat, 41 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 5 g usable carbs.

Ranch-E-Cue Wings

This is so simple!

2 pounds (900 g) turkey wings

3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil

1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken broth

3 teaspoons (15 g) ranch-style dressing mix

1/2 cup (120 g)
Dana's “Kansas City” Barbecue Sauce
(see recipe
page 335
) or purchased low-carb barbecue sauce

Cut the turkey wings at the joints, discarding the pointy wing tips.

In a big, heavy skillet, heat the oil and brown the turkey all over. Transfer the turkey to your slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the broth, dressing mix, and barbecue sauce. Pour the mixture over the wings. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 7 hours.

Yield:
4 servings, each with: 246 calories, 17 g fat, 18 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 0 g dietary fiber, 5 g usable carbs.

Turkey Loaf with Thai Flavors

Ground turkey is cheap, low-carb, and low-calorie—and by itself just plain boring. So jazz it up by adding some Thai flavors.

2 pounds (900 g) ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (4 1/2 ounces, or 130 g) mushroom slices, drained

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lemon juice

4 tablespoon (60 ml) lime juice, divided

4 teaspoons (20 g) chili paste

3 tablespoons (24 g) grated ginger root

1 1/2 tablespoons (23 ml) fish sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons (23 ml) soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

1/2 cup (60 g) pork rind crumbs (Run some pork rinds through your food processor.)

1/2 cup (8 g) chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup (115 g) mayonnaise

Place the turkey in a big mixing bowl.

Place the onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until everything is chopped medium-fine. Add it to the turkey.

Add the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of the lime juice, the chili paste, ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper, pork rind crumbs, and cilantro to the bowl. Mix it around with clean hands until it is well blended.

Spray a rack or a collapsible-basket-type steamer with nonstick cooking spray and place it in your slow cooker. Add a cup (235 ml) of water under the rack. If the holes in the rack are pretty large, cover it with a sheet of foil and pierce it all over with a fork. Take two 18-inch (45 cm) squares of foil, fold them into strips about 2 iches (5 cm) wide, and criss-cross them across the rack or steamer, running the ends up the sides of the slow cooker. (You're making a sling to help lift the meat loaf out of the slow cooker.) Place the meat mixture on the rack or steamer and form it into an evenly-domed loaf. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 hours.

When the time's up, use the strips of foil to gently lift the loaf out of the slow cooker and place it on a platter.

In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and the remaining 2 tablespoons (28 ml) lime juice. Cut the loaf into wedges and serve it with the lime mayonnaise.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 327 calories, 24 g fat, 25 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

Mediterranean Turkey Loaf

Ground turkey is nutritious and often inexpensive, but it can be a little bland. Here's a way to liven it up a bit. This recipe serves a crowd, too. Make a big salad with vinaigrette, and there's supper.

2 pounds (900 g) ground turkey

1 cup (120 g) pork rind crumbs

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons salt or Vege-Sal

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 egg

1/2 cup (75 g) crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons (12 g) Italian seasoning

1 cup (245 g) no-sugar-added spaghetti sauce, optional