300 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (22 page)

1 can (4 ounces, or 115 g) sliced mushrooms, drained

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

1/2 cup (120 ml) beef broth

1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate

1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda

1 teaspoon grated ginger root

1 tablespoon (15 ml) dry sherry

2 tablespoons (28 ml) soy sauce

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon (8 g) sesame seeds

2 cups (312 g) frozen broccoli florets

Guar or xanthan

Combine the beef, mushrooms, onion, broth, bouillon, Splenda, ginger, sherry, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil in your slow cooker. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 10 hours.

When the time's up, add the broccoli to the slow cooker, re-cover the slow cooker, and let it cook for another 30 minutes. Thicken the juices a little with guar or xanthan.

Serve over
Cauli-Rice
(see recipe
page 343
) if desired.

Yield:
4 servings, each with: 314 calories, 17 g fat, 29 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs.

Beef Carbonnade

Très French!

2 pounds (900 g) beef round, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 medium carrots, cut 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick

2 turnips, cubed

12 ounces (355 ml) light beer

1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda

1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

1 cup (235 ml) beef broth

2 teaspoons beef bouillon concentrate

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 bay leaves

Guar or xanthan

In a big, heavy skillet, sear the beef all over in the oil. Place the beef in your slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, and turnips and stir everything around a bit.

In a bowl, mix together the beer, vinegar, Splenda, molasses, broth, bouillon, garlic, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Throw the bay leaves on top. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 hours.

When the time's up, remove the bay leaves and add guar or xanthan to thicken the sauce a bit.

You can serve this as is, or to be more traditional, serve it over
Fauxtatoes
(see recipe
page 343
).

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 411 calories, 24 g fat, 34 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.

Beef Stroganoff

This creamy gravy is fabulous!

2 pounds (900 g) beef round, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

1 large onion, chopped

1 can (8 ounces, or 225 g), sliced mushrooms, undrained

1 can (14 ounces, or 425 ml) beef broth

1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese (regular or light)

8 ounces (225 g) sour cream (regular or light)

Put the beef in your slow cooker. Put the onion on top and then dump in the mushrooms, liquid and all.

In a bowl, mix the beef broth with the bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 10 hours.

When the time's up, cut the cream cheese into cubes and stir it into the mixture in the slow cooker until melted. Stir in the sour cream.

Serve over
Fauxtatoes
(see recipe
page 343
) or
Cauli-Rice
(see recipe
page 343
), if desired. Actually, because noodles are traditional with
Beef Stroganoff
, this would be a good place to serve low-carb pasta, if you have a brand you like.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 413 calories, 31 g fat, 28 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

Beef with Asian Mushroom Sauce

Once you have the
Hoisin Sauce
on hand, this is very quick to put together. The
Hoisin Sauce
is a snap, and it keeps well in the fridge.

4 ounces (115 g) sliced mushrooms

4 pounds (1.8 kg) beef tip roast

1/4 cup (60 ml)
Hoisin Sauce
(see recipe
page 337
)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) beef broth

Guar or xanthan

6 tablespoons (36 g) sliced scallions

Put the mushrooms in your slow cooker and place the beef on top. Spread the
Hoisin Sauce
over the beef, scatter the garlic and salt over it, and pour in the broth around it. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 9 hours.

When the time's up, remove the beef from the slow cooker and put it on a platter. Add guar or xanthan to thicken up the sauce a bit and then pour the sauce into a sauce boat. Slice the beef and serve it with the sauce, topped with the scallions.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 658 calories, 43 g fat, 61 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Asian Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Look for black bean sauce in Asian markets or in the international aisle of a big grocery store. You'll only use a little at a time, but it keeps a long time in the fridge, and it adds authenticity to Asian dishes.

6 pounds (2.7 kg) beef short ribs

3 tablespoons (45 ml) oil

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 cup (37 g) shredded carrot

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onion

2 tablespoons (16 g) grated ginger root

6 teaspoons (30 g) Chinese black bean sauce

3 teaspoons (16 g) chili garlic paste

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce

1 cup (235 ml) dry red wine

2 cups (475 ml) beef broth

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda

Guar or xanthan

In a big, heavy skillet, brown the ribs all over in the oil. Transfer the ribs to your slow cooker.

Add the celery, carrot, and onion to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until they soften and start to brown. Stir in the ginger, black bean sauce, chili garlic paste, and garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes. Now stir in the soy sauce, wine, broth, five-spice powder, and Splenda. Pour the mixture over the ribs. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 7 hours.

When the time's up, transfer the ribs to a platter and scoop the vegetables into a blender with a slotted spoon. Add 2 cups (475 ml) of the liquid and run the blender till the vegetables are pureed. Thicken the sauce to a heavy cream consistency with guar or xanthan and serve the sauce with the ribs.

Yield:
12 servings, each with: 948 calories, 86 g fat, 35 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Good Low-Carb Slow Cooked Short Ribs

This was one of the first recipes I adapted from Peg Bracken's
I Hate To Cook Book
, aka The World's Funniest Cookbook (and also one of the most useful). It was higher carb, and it wasn't originally a slow cooker recipe, but it adapted well to both!

1 can (8 ounces, or 225 g) tomato sauce

3/4 cup (175 ml) water

2 tablespoons (28 ml) wine or cider vinegar

4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce

2 teaspoons Splenda

3 to 4 pounds (1.4 to 1.8 kg) beef short ribs

1 large onion, sliced

Guar or xanthan (optional)