300 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (26 page)

Measure in the ancho chili powder, standard chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, and cayenne. Stir it all up.

Once all the beef is in the slow cooker, dump the broth in the skillet along with the bouillon concentrate. Stir to deglaze the skillet and dissolve the bouillon concentrate. Pour this over the beef mixture and give it all one more stir. Slap the lid on, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream—and a paper napkin to blow your nose on!

Yield:
5 servings, each with: 494 calories, 38 g fat, 31 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 5 g usable carbs.

Free Venison Chili

This is
Free Venison Chili
because I got piles and piles of deer bones for free from a local deer processor this autumn. Most of it I fed to my dogs, but I got enough good meat off some of those bones to make this chili. If you don't have any free venison, I see no reason not to use beef chuck, round, or rump. (I have no clue what part of the deer I used.)

2 pounds (900 g) venison, cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

2 celery ribs

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces, or 410 g each) tomatoes with green chiles

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup (235 ml) light beer

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

2 tablespoons (16 g) chili powder

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons sugar-free pancake syrup

4 teaspoons (24 g) cocoa powder

2 teaspoons (3 g) Splenda or equivalent quantity of another sugar-free sweetener

This couldn't be more simple! Throw everything in your slow cooker and stir to combine well. Cover the pot, set on low, and let it cook all day—8 hours is good, and more won't hurt. Remove the bay leaves and serve with the usual shredded Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 244 calories, 5 g fat, 37 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs. (Analysis does not include the polyols in the sugar-free pancake syrup.)

Carne all'Ungherese

The original recipe, from which I adapted this, said it was an Italian version of a Hungarian stew. Whatever it is, it's good!

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, cut into strips

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup (235 ml) beef broth

1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste

1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika

1 tablespoon (28 ml) lemon juice

1/2 cup (115 g) plain yogurt

In a big, heavy skillet, heat a tablespoon or two (15 to 28 ml) of the oil over medium-high heat. Start browning the stew meat. It will take two or three batches; add more oil as you need it. Transfer each batch of browned meat to your slow cooker as it's done.

When all the meat is browned, put the last of the oil in the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the onion. Sauté the onion until it's just softening and add it to the slow cooker. Add the green pepper to the slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the garlic, broth, bouillon, marjoram, tomato paste, paprika, and lemon juice, stirring until the bouillon and tomato paste are dissolved. Pour the mixture over the meat and onions. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 7 hours.

When the time's up, stir in the yogurt.

Serve over
Fauxtatoes
(see recipe
page 343
).

Yield:
5 servings, each with: 382 calories, 22 g fat, 38 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs. (Analysis does not include
Fauxtatoes
.)

Swiss Steak

Here's a no-work version of this old-time favorite.

1 large onion, sliced

3 pounds (1.4 kg) beef round

1 tablespoon (18 g) beef bouillon concentrate

8 ounces (235 ml) vegetable juice (such as V8)

2 stalks celery, sliced

Guar or xanthan (optional)

Place the onion in your slow cooker. Place the beef on top.

In a bowl, stir the bouillon into the vegetable juice. Pour the mixture over the beef. Scatter the celery on top. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 10 hours.

When the time's up, thicken the juices with guar or xanthan if desired.

Serve over puréed cauliflower.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 360 calories, 22 g fat, 35 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 2 g usable carbs.

Oxtails Pontchartrain

This has a lot of New Orleans elements, including some serious heat, so I named it after Lake Pontchartrain. Oxtails are bony, but very flavorful, and they take very well to the slow cooker. If you haven't had oxtails, don't fear them; they're just muscle meat, like a steak or a roast. It's just that there's a high bone-to-meat ratio.

4 pounds (1.8 kg) beef oxtails

3 tablespoons (27 g) Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

3 large banana peppers, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1 medium carrot, shredded

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 cup (235 ml) dry red wine

1/4 cup (60 ml) brandy

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

3 bay leaves

1 can (14 1/2 ounces, or 410 g) diced tomatoes

2 chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce, chopped (You can use just one if you'd like to cut the heat a bit.)

Sprinkle the oxtails all over with the Cajun seasoning.

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

Add the peppers, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the skillet and sauté them until they're just softened. Add them to the slow cooker, too, and mix them in with the oxtails.

Pour the wine and brandy in the skillet and stir it around. Stir in the thyme and add the bay leaves, tomatoes, and chipotles. Stir this all up and pour it over the oxtails and veggies. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 hours.

Yield:
6 servings each with: 935 calories, 48 g fat, 96 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 10 g usable carbs.

Pepperoncini Beef

Pepperoncini are hot-but-not-scorching pickled Italian salad peppers. You'll find these in the same aisle as the olives and pickles. They make this beef very special.

2 to 3 pounds (0.9 to 1.4 kg) boneless chuck pot roast

1 cup (120 g) pepperoncini peppers, undrained

1/2 medium onion, chopped

Guar or xanthan

Place the beef in your slow cooker, pour the peppers on top, and strew the onion over that. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 hours.

When the time's up, remove the beef, put it on a platter, and use a slotted spoon to scoop out the peppers and pile them on top of the beef. Thicken the juices in the pot with the guar or xanthan. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve the sauce with the beef.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 325 calories, 24 g fat, 24 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs. (This analysis is for a 2-pound (900 g) roast.)

Beef in Beer

Here's a simple recipe from
500 Low-Carb Recipes
. The tea, the beer, and the long, slow cooking make this as tender as can be. I've changed this just a little. Originally, you dredged the beef in soy powder or low-carb bake mix, but I've decided that's inessential. And it's another step and a messy one at that.

2 to 3 tablespoons (28 to 45 ml) olive oil

2 pounds (900 g) boneless beef round roast

1 medium onion, sliced

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

12 ounces (355 ml) light beer