Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook (9 page)

PER SERVING
Calories: 140 | Fat: 4.5g | Sodium: 350mg | Carbohydrates: 19g | Fiber: 1g | Protein: 7g

Cheese Toast

Place 4 thin slices of Italian bread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each with a teaspoon of shredded reduced-fat Italian mixed cheese or Swiss cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 350ºF.

Orange cauliflower is an excellent variety to use in this recipe. It has 25 percent more vitamin A than white cauliflower and lends an attractive color to the soup.

1. Place all ingredients into a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 8 hours.
   

2. Use an immersion blender or blend the soup in batches in a standard blender until smooth.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 60 | Fat: 0g | Sodium: 40mg | Carbohydrates: 11g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 4g

Curry Powder Power

Curry powder is a mixture of spices commonly used in South Asian cooking. While it does not correlate directly to any particular kind of curry, it is popular in Europe and North America to add an Indian flare to dishes. It can contain any number of spices, but nearly always includes turmeric, which gives it its distinctive yellow color.

For the hot and spicy lover! Serve with
Corn Bread
.

1. Quickly sauté the ground chicken in a nonstick skillet until just cooked through. Drain all fat.
   

2. Place all ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 8–10 hours.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 210 | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 550mg | Carbohydrates: 30g | Fiber: 11g | Protein: 17g |

What Is Liquid Smoke?

Liquid smoke is made by condensing smoke in water to form a fluid. It is found in a variety of flavors including hickory and mesquite and can be used to add the flavor of being slow cooked over a flame without actually having to grill.

Chipotle peppers add a smoky, spicy flavor to this chili.

1. Quickly sauté the pork in a nonstick skillet until just cooked through. Drain off any fat.
   

2. Place all ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 8–10 hours.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 270 | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 580mg | Carbohydrates: 25g | Fiber: 9g | Protein: 17g |

What Are Chipotle Chiles in Adobo?

Chipotle peppers are smoke-dried jalape-ños. They are then canned in a spiced onion, garlic, and tomato sauce. You can find them in the Mexican or ethnic foods section of most grocery stores.

The mango melts into the chili and adds a fruity depth of flavor.

1. Quickly sauté the beef in a nonstick skillet until no longer pink. Drain off all fat and discard it.
   

2. Place the beef and all the remaining ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 8–10 hours.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 200 | Fat: 3.5g | Sodium: 450mg | Carbohydrates: 25g | Fiber: 9g | Protein: 19g |

Why Use Canned Beans?

Canned beans are ready to eat directly out of the package, making them an excellent time saver. Dried beans need to be soaked or cooked before using. Properly cooked dried beans can be substituted for an equal amount of canned, but resist the temptation to use uncooked dried beans unless explicitly directed to in the recipe. They may not rehydrate properly.

Acorn squash keeps its shape in this chili, giving it a chunky texture.

1. Place all of the ingredients except the corn in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low.
   

2. Add the corn and stir. Cover and continue to cook on low for ½ hour. Stir before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 170 | Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 390mg | Carbohydrates: 35g | Fiber: 10g | Protein: 7g |

Cayenne versus Chili Powder

Contrary to popular belief, ground cayenne pepper and chili powder are not inter-changeable. Ground cayenne is made from a dried cayenne pepper. Chili powder is mixture of several different varieties of chiles.

This meatless chili is quite hearty; even the most dedicated meat lover will love it!

1. Place all of the ingredients except the corn into a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low.
   

2. Add the corn and stir. Cover and continue to cook on low for ½ hour. Stir before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 180 | Fat: 1.5g | Sodium: 630mg | Carbohydrates: 39g | Fiber: 11g | Protein: 9g |

Chili Pairings

Try chili topped with low-fat sour cream, diced avocado, diced onions, sharp Cheddar, or diced green onions. Serve over rice or crumbled tortilla chips. Stir leftovers into cooked whole-wheat pasta and sprinkle with cheese for an easy chili mac-n-cheese.

Green chili gets its name from tomatillos and lots of green chiles.

Place all of the ingredients except the chicken in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Stir in the chicken, put the lid back on, and cook for an additional hour on low. Stir before serving.

PER SERVING
Calories: 190 | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 320mg | Carbohydrates: 25g | Fiber: 7g | Protein: 17g |

Time-Saving Tip

Cube leftover cooked chicken or turkey breast and freeze in clearly marked 1- or 2-cup packages. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using. Cooked poultry should be added to a recipe during the last hour of cooking.

This is a great way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!

Place all ingredients except the turkey in a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir to mix the ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours, and then stir in the turkey. Cook for an additional 30–60 minutes on high.

PER SERVING
Calories: 170 | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 390mg | Carbohydrates: 22g | Fiber: 9g | Protein: 17g |

Tomatillo Tidbits

Tomatillos, like tomatoes, are a part of the nightshade family of vegetables. They look like small tomatoes covered in a papery husk. The husk should be removed before eating. Look for tomatillos that are unblemished, slightly heavy for their size, and solid to the touch. They are most commonly green but can also be purple or yellow.

This unusual regional favorite has a spicy sweet flavor that is wonderfully addictive! Serve over cooked spaghetti with any combination of the following toppings: kidney beans, diced raw onion, and shredded cheddar.

1. In a nonstick skillet, quickly sauté the beef until it is no longer pink. Drain all fat and discard it.
   

2. Place all ingredients — including the beef — in a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 8–10 hours.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 110 | Fat: 3.5g | Sodium: 210mg | Carbohydrates: 7g | Fiber: 2g | Protein: 14g |

Sauté the Meat When Making Chili

Even though it is not aesthetically necessary to brown the meat when making chili, sautéing meats before adding it to the slow cooker allows you to drain off any extra fat. Not only is it healthier to cook with less fat, your chili will be unappetizingly greasy if there is too much fat present in the meat during cooking.

You can use hot or mild reduced-fat bulk sausage in this recipe.

1. Brown the sausage in a nonstick skillet. Drain off all fat.
   

2. Add the sausage and remaining ingredients to a 4-quart slow cooker and stir to combine and break up the hominy as needed. Cook on low for 8–10 hours.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 270 | Fat: 15g | Sodium: 1,240mg | Carbohydrates: 18g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 14g

Meaty Portobello mushrooms make this vegan chili very satisfying.

Place all ingredients into a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 8 hours.

PER SERVING
Calories: 120 | Fat: 1.5g | Sodium: 740mg | Carbohydrates: 29g | Fiber: 9g | Protein: 8g

This chili was inspired by Gilroy, California, a town that is world-renowned for its garlic crop and annual garlic festival.

1. Place all of the ingredients except the chicken in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
   

2. Stir in the chicken, cover the cooker again, and cook for an additional hour on low. Stir before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 200 | Fat: 2.5g | Sodium: 570mg | Carbohydrates: 25g | Fiber: 5g | Protein: 18g

For a variation, try this with lean beef sirloin instead of pork.