Atkins and Paleo Challenge Box Set (10 in 1): Over 400 Atkins and Paleo Recipes With Pressure, Slow Cooker and Cast Iron for Busy People (Atkins Diet & Paleo Recipes) (58 page)

From time to time, I like to treat myself to a great dish with extra special ingredients. At the same time even if the ingredients are great, I want to have as much free time as I can have instead of staying in the kitchen for long periods of times. Clam chowder is good but changing the main ingredient from clams to lobster can make it even better.

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb lobster meat, cooked
  
• 3 cups potatoes cubed
  
• 1 cup onion chopped
  
• 1 ½ cup lobster stock
  
• 3 ½ cup half and half
  
• Salt, pepper and preferred spices to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients, except the lobster into the slow cooker pot
   
2. Stir until well combined
   
3. Cover and cook for 9 hours on low
   
4. Cut cooked lobster meat into bite sized pieces
   
5. Remove cover of slow cooker and add lobster meat
   
6. Stir until well combined
   
7. Cover and cook again for another 1 hour
   
8. Serve
   

I wanted to challenge myself and cook risotto. I have tried something similar at a popular restaurant downtown. The original dish had several vegetables with it— spinach, artichokes, and other greens. I want to keep my risotto simple since it was a challenging dish to prepare in the first place. So for my first try of recreating the dish, I started simply with the bare minimum to make risotto. Onions and garlic to counter the fishy taste of the shrimp and the cheese to make the quinoa creamy. Add more veggies as desired if you want to make the complete version of this risotto.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp
  
• 1 cup mixture of garlic and onion, chopped
  
• 9 oz artichoke hearts
  
• 1 cup quinoa
  
• 2 oz parmesan cheese, grated
  
• 3 cups water
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Cook onions in non-stick skillet for 5 minutes
   
2. Add garlic and cook for another minute
   
3. Put onions and garlic in slow cooker pot
   
4. Cut artichoke hearts into quarters
   
5. Add to slow cooker pot
   
6. Pour quinoa
   
7. Cover and cook for 3 hours
   
8. Remove cover and add shrimp and cheese
   
9. Cover and cook again for another 10 minutes
   
10. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
    
11. Serve
    

There are several options for fish that I can choose from, but when I saw the halibut, I decided to be adventurous and give it a try. This fish is supposed to be rich in vitamins and proteins plus as an added bonus; it is also low in saturated fat and sodium. This makes it the perfect fish for any diet that allows seafood. Since it was my first time to cook it, I was not sure if I can balance out the fishy taste of the halibut, so I added lemons in the recipe to make it even more balanced.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 4 halibut fillets
  
• ½ cup chicken broth
  
• 2 lemons
  
• 1 tsp minced garlic
  
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Cut one lemon into thin rings and arrange in bottom of slow cooker pot
   
2. Add fillets on top of the lemons
   
3. Pour broth into the pot
   
4. Add salt and pepper to taste
   
5. Cover and cook for 3 hours on low
   
6. Melt butter in saucepan
   
7. Remove fish and put in plate
   
8. Drizzle with butter
   
9. Cut remaining lemon in wedges
   
10. Top fish with wedges
    
11. Serve
    

In this chapter, you will learn the recipes for:

• Braised cabbage
  
• Veggie spaghetti
  
• Caramel onions
  
• Veggie gumbo
  
• Veggie chowder
  
• Garlic pasta
  
• Roasted vegetables
  
• Tomato soup
  
• Broccoli soup
  
• Sweet potato chili
  

I have always liked braised cabbage, but it takes just too long to cook in the oven. The preparation also takes time and with the effort of checking on it over and over again; it sometimes is not worth it. I was with a neighbor once, and she served braised cabbage. I commended her on her patience because I knew how time-consuming it is for the dish to be prepared. She said it was quite easy because she was able to do it with just her crock pot. I asked her how she did and with few minor tweaks on my end, I found my own braised cabbage recipe using my slow cooker.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cabbage head
  
• 4 cloves garlic
  
• 1 onion
  
• ½ cup bone broth
  
• ¼ cup bacon fat
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Melt the bacon fat and pour on slow cooker pot
   
2. Dice the onions and add to pot
   
3. Put slow cooker on high to melt bacon fat and cook onions
   
4. Take cabbage head and divide into 12 equal wedges
   
5. Keep the wedges attached to the core, this makes it easy to remove the cabbage wedges when done cooking
   
6. Arrange the wedges in the pot
   
7. Pour ½ of the broth into the pot
   
8. Add salt and pepper
   
9. Cover and cook for 1 hour on high
   
10. Open the cover and stir occasionally
    
11. Add remaining broth and cook for another 4 hours
    
12. Remove from slow cooker
    
13. Put in serving bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper
    
14. Serve
    

For strict gluten-free followers, pasta and spaghetti may be a thing of the past. A good friend of mine, who was on a strict non-gluten diet, served a pasta dish with me during lunch at her home. I was about to say that most pasta has gluten in it, but before I had to chance to she told me that the spaghetti was not really pasta at all. It was then that I was introduced to one of the best alternatives to pasta, spaghetti squash. The possibilities are endless with this pasta. For my first try at the wonder pasta, I went all out using a coconut recipe.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs of spaghetti squash
  
• 6 cloves garlic
  
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
  
• 1 can of coconut milk
  
• ¼ cup water
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Use a knife to cut the spaghetti squash in half
   
2. Remove seeds, you can save the seeds later to make roasted squash seeds
   
3. Use a fork to make 4 holes at different points of each half of the squash, set aside
   
4. Pour the milk into the slow cooker
   
5. Add curry paste and garlic
   
6. Mix directly in the slow cooker pot until well combined
   
7. Take the squash halves and place open side up on the pot
   
8. Cover and cook for 5 hours on low
   
9. Remove the squash from pot
   
10. Use a fork to shred the squash meat into pasta
    
11. Pour preferred quantity of the curry in the bowl with the pasta
    
12. Serve
    

On a recent trip to the country, I joined my relatives to a farmer’s fair. I was pleasantly surprised at how affordable all the produce was in the market. Aside from being affordable, the produce was very fresh, and it was very tempting to buy as many as I can. My top choices were the broccoli and the cauliflower, but when I saw the onions, I think I bought more than I needed. I ended up with several pounds of onions, and I was running out of recipes that have onions as an ingredient. I was worried that I will run out of time, and the onions will be spoiled. My solution is to cook as many as I can so I can store, then reuse as needed.

Servings: 1 jar

Ingredients:

• 4 onions
  
• ¼ coconut aminos
  
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Cut onions into thin slices
   
2. Arrange in bottom of slow cooker pot
   
3. Pour coconut aminos and oil
   
4. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low
   
5. Remove and allow to cool for few minutes
   
6. Scoop into jar and store
   
7. Serve as a topping for pulled beef, chicken, and other dishes
   

I had a strict vegetarian guest for dinner, and I wanted to prepare something special for him. I had the entire day to prepare, but at the same time, I did not want to use up all that free time cooking in the kitchen. It was time for my slow cooker to come to the rescue. My idea was to come up with a spicy New Orleans dish, the classic gumbo but with a vegetarian twist. When I served this dish, I saw that my guest was anxious when he realized it was gumbo. I put at him at ease when I told him that this was my veggie gumbo. When he tasted it, he really enjoyed it so much that he asked for the recipe.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 12 cup okra, cut
  
• 30 oz black beans, drained
  
• 16 oz stir fry vegetables
  
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
  
• 28 oz diced roasted tomatoes, diced
  

Instructions:

1. Put in a slow cooker stir fry vegetables, tomatoes, beans, okra and Cajun
   
2. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low
   
3. Serve
   

Clam chowder is one of my favorites, and I take every opportunity to either order it out or to prepare it in my own kitchen. I remember being on a vegetarian phase of my diet and craved chowder at the same time. My solution to this dilemma was to tweak my recipe into a vegetarian version. The secret is to have the consistency and texture that is similar to clam chowder without the actual clams. With the slow cooker making a veggie chowder is possible.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 11 oz corn kernels, drained
  
• 4 oz green chilis, diced
  
• 28 oz cream style corn
  
• 3 red potatoes, diced
  
• 14 oz water with roasted garlic
  
• ¼ tsp pepper
  

Instructions:

1. Put in a slow cooker, potatoes, roasted garlic water, corn, kernels, chilis and pepper
   
2. Cover and cook for 8 hours on high
   
3. Pour chowder in bowl
   
4. Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper
   
5. Serve
   

I was on a strict gluten free diet and when I found a pack of gluten free pasta; boy, was I thrilled. While roaming through the aisles of the grocery, I was already thinking of a recipe that can make the best use of the pasta that I had on my cart. I had several options in my mind, and I finally settled on a combination of artichoke and garlic pasta. With the gluten free options available, like spaghetti or fettuccine, I am sure I can tweak this recipe even more.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 12 oz preferred gluten free pasta
  
• 3 14 oz can of tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and basil
  
• 28 oz artichoke hearts
  
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
  
• ¼ cup olives, pitted
  

Instructions:

1. Drain 2 of the 3 cans of tomato mixture, pour contents into the slow cooker pot
   
2. Drain the remaining can with all its contents into the slow cooker
   
3. Add artichoke hearts and garlic
   
4. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low
   
5. Cook pasta according to package instructions
   
6. Put paste in plate
   
7. Spread artichoke sauce over pasta
   
8. Top with preferred number of olives
   
9. Serve
   

While taste is my priority every time I cook, I always want to make sure that my dishes have a great presentation. Vegetables offer the most color to every dish, reds, greens, and yellows can be sourced from a variety of vegetables. Plus, veggie recipes can be tweaked to your preferences or your favorite veggie without changing the overall cooking process too much.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
  
• 3 zucchini
  
• 2 bell peppers
  
• ½ cup cloves garlic
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Peel the potato and cut into cubes
   
2. Slice zucchini into thick slices
   
3. Slice bell peppers into large slices
   
4. Peel and press cloves
   
5. Put all veggies into crockpot
   
6. Drizzle olive oil
   
7. Sprinkle with salt
   
8. Cover and cook for 3 hours on high
   
9. Remove cover and stir once every hour
   
10. Remove veggies
    
11. Serve