300 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (49 page)

Broccoli with Bacon and Pine Nuts

This is quite special. Don't cook your broccoli any longer than 2 hours!

1 pound (455 g) frozen broccoli, unthawed

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1 tablespoon (28 g) butter

1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil

2 tablespoons (18 g) pine nuts (pignolia), toasted

Place the broccoli in your slow cooker. Stir in the garlic and crumble in the bacon. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 2 hours.

Before serving, stir in the butter and oil and top with the pine nuts.

Yield:
3 servings, each with: 184 calories, 15 g fat, 8 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Fluffy, Savory Pumpkin

What a fantastic side dish this is! Serve this in place of the potatoes, and everyone will rave, even the carbivores.

1 large onion, chopped

4 tablespoons (55 g) butter

1 can (29 ounces, or 810 g) pumpkin purée

2 eggs

3/4 cup (195 g) ricotta cheese

3/4 cup (175 ml) heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Slowly sauté your chopped onion in the butter until it's soft and turning golden brown. Transfer to a big mixing bowl.

Add everything else and whisk it up until everything is well-mixed.

Coat your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the pumpkin mixture into it and level the top. Cover, set the slow cooker to low, and cook for 4 to 5 hours.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 225 calories, 18 g fat, 6 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.

Fauxtatoes
is the now nearly-universal name for cauliflower puree, used by low-carbers everywhere as a substitute for mashed potatoes. To make plain Fauxtatoes as a side dish to serve with a slow-cooked main dish, see recipe
page 343
. These are slow cooked
Fauxtatoes
with truly tasty additions.

Cheddar-Barbecue Fauxtatoes

My husband was crazy about these!

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

1/2 cup (58 g) shredded cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons
Classic Rub
(see recipe
page 338
) or purchased barbecue rub

2 tablespoons (10 g) Ketatoes mix

Put the cauliflower in your slow cooker, including the stem. Add the water. Cover the slow cooker, set it to high, and let it cook for 3 hours. (Or cook it on low for 5 to 6 hours.)

When the time's up, use a slotted spoon to scoop the cauliflower out of the slow cooker into your blender or your food processor (have the
S
-blade in place) and purée it there, or you can drain off the water and use a hand-held blender to purée the cauliflower right in the pot. Either way, drain the cauliflower and purée it!

Stir in everything else until the cheese has melted.

Yield:
3 servings, each with: 120 calories, 7 g fat, 8 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Chipotle Fauxtatoes

This is killer with a grilled steak or barbecued brisket.

1/2 head cauliflower

1 chipotle chili canned in adobo

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

2 tablespoons (28 ml) half and half

6 garlic cloves

2 ounces (55 g) cream cheese

Whack your cauliflower into smallish chunks and throw it in the slow cooker.

Chop up your chipotle. Mix it, plus a couple of teaspoons of the adobo sauce from the can, with the olive oil, half and half, and garlic. Pour this over the cauliflower and toss to coat. Plunk the block of cream cheese on top.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low.

When the time's up, uncover the slow cooker and use your stick blender to purée the cauliflower and mix in the cream cheese; then serve.

Yield:
5 servings, each with: 115 calories, 10 g fat, 3 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Italian Garlic and Herb Fauxtatoes

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken broth

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 ounce (28 g) cream cheese

Guar or xanthan

Place the cauliflower in your slow cooker. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours. (Or cook it on high for 3 hours.)

When the time's up, either remove the cauliflower with a slotted spoon and put it in your blender or food processor (with the
S
-blade in place) and purée it or drain the broth out of the slow cooker and use a hand-held blender to purée your cauliflower in the pot. Add the cream cheese and stir till melted.

The mixture will still be a little watery. Stir with a whisk as you use guar or xanthan to thicken it up a bit.

Yield:
3 servings, each with: 46 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g usable carbs.

Ranch and Green Onion Fauxtatoes

This is great with anything with a barbecue flavor.

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 cup (235 ml) water

1 cup (100 g) Ketatoes mix

6 teaspoons (18 g) ranch-style dressing mix

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Place the cauliflower in your slow cooker with the water. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 hours. (Or cook it on high for 3 hours.)

When the time's up, the easiest thing to do is use a hand blender to purée the cauliflower right in the slow cooker. Don't bother to drain the water first. Whisk in the Ketatoes, ranch dressing mix, and scallions.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 170 calories, 3 g fat, 14 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 11 g dietary fiber, 12 g usable carbs.

Garlic-Onion Fauxtatoes

Our tester Maria said her kids were particularly impressed by this!

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2/3 cup (150 ml) water

2/3 cup (67 g) Ketatoes mix

3 tablespoons (45 g) butter

Place the cauliflower in your slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, and water. Cover the slow cooker, set it to high, and let it cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Or cook it on low for 5 to 6 hours.)

When the time's up, use a hand-held blender to purée the cauliflower, onion, and garlic right there in the slow cooker. Alternatively, scoop it all into a food processor to purée, but you'll want the water in the pot, so if you transfer the vegetables, put the purée back in the pot with the water when you're done. Now stir in the Ketatoes, butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 162 calories, 8 g fat, 9 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.

Easy (But Really Slow) Rutabagas