I have a goal for 2009 and that is to lose some weight, but eating healthy and low-fat can be very difficult nowadays. We don’t have time to cook and don’t even have time to go to a good restaurant. The result of this is eating fast foods or snacks and putting on weight. The more unhealthy food we eat, the less good health we have and I have to watch my cholesterol as well these days. But it is possible to eat cook and eat healthy without spending lots of time by using low fat crock pot recipes in our Crock-pot Slow Cookers.
This year I am going to think about my health, and try cooking healthy and low-fat food with my crock pot.
A lot of crock pot recipes use canned food and other prepared mixes, but there are diet crock pot
recipes, that have low sodium and low fat ingredients that will make your food taste better with healthy choices. Use low fat crock pot recipes that have fresh ingredients where possible. Also, trim skin and fat from all the meats you use for cooking, and try using fresh, instead of canned vegetables (when in season) for a healthy recipe alternative.
A few examples of low fat crock pot recipes that you can try:
Pork Roast with Vegetables
This a slow cooking recipe, which takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare. Includes boneless pork roast, vegetable oil, peeled sweet potatoes, acorn squash, apple butter, horseradish, corn and spices. The dish is cooked in the crock pot for about 7 to 9 hours until the pork and vegetables are tender and it tastes delicious.
Beef Stew in Crock Pot
Another diet crock pot recipe that has only five ingredients and only 20 minutes of preparation time is this one and you have a great low-fat and healthy dish ready to cook. Includes beef, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and onions, spices and salt. Cook on low in the crock pot for about 7-8 hours. Thicken with a little flour if needed.
Tender Chicken with Apples
One more of the low fat crock pot recipes that is prepared in 20-25 minutes and cooked about 7 hours on low. Combine orange juice, garlic, onion, chicken breasts, sliced apples, spices.
I will be posting some more low fat crock pot recipes in more detail in the next few weeks. These healthy recipes will help you stay in shape, and cooking with the low fat and diet crock pot recipes will save you time in the kitchen without sacrificing a healthy dinner.
For great recipes RIGHT NOW then buy a great cookbook at Amazon by Judith Finlayson called The Healthy Slow Cooker.
I love the convenience the CROCK-POT gives me for having a home cooked meal on my dinner table during my working week. I made this little You Tube video and I thought I would share some Crock Pot Love with you. Its just a bit of fun with some funky music.
Just a note: I will be adding some more recipes for the holidays in the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy them and if you have any suggestions please let me know. I love this time of year especially leading up to Christmas so spread a little crock pot love yourself.
Let’s use our crock pots to make the holiday season a little easier and let’s spend less time in the kitchen and more time with our families and friends. I love cooking but I love to relax with great food without the work even better.
This pineapple upside down cake is one of my recipes that I have adapted for the CROCK-POT. I can let it cook while I’m out shopping or in the yard, gardening and I have a dessert cake for afternoon tea or for dinner. I used a 7 - 8 inch cake tin that fits into my crock pot but you don’t need to if yours has a removable liner. I just find it easier to turn the cake out onto a plate without it sticking.
Ingredients:
4 rings of sliced pineapple
2 oz (60 g) butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablspn dessicated coconut (optional)
6 red glace cherries
Cake Mix:
2 oz (60 g) soft butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1/4 teasp vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup milk
Pour the melted butter into the crock pot base and sprinkle over the brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple rings over the top with the glace cherries. If your crock pot base is oval cutting the pineapple will help to arrange it more evenly.
To make up the cake mix cream the butter and caster sugar until light and then beat in the egg and vanilla, mixing well. Sift the flour and fold into the batter alternatively with the milk. Pour into the CROCK-POT over the pineapple base. Cover with several paper towels and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours. Don’t open the lid until cooking nearly finished. Turn onto serving plate while still very warm so the topping doesn’t stick to the base of the pot.
Serve the pineapple upside down cake with a dab of cream or ice cream for a dessert or just warmed up with a cup of tea or coffee.
I have a great recipe for you to make this week. This chicken crock pot recipe is an adaption of one I usually cook but this time when I was defrosting the chicken I found that it actually was chicken mince and not pieces. Luckily I can adapt well to these challenges and I changed the method a bit and this is the result. It needs a bit more preparation but is not too difficult for a new cook. I hope you like it.
Crock Pot Curried Chicken Meatballs
Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs (700g) chicken mince
1 egg yolk
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 tab chutney
1/2 teasp cumin
Breadcrumbs
oil for frying
Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teasp fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 onions, finely chopped
3 tabs korma curry paste
3 cups chicken stock
2 tabs corn flour
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
2 teasp tomato paste
2 tabs fruit chutney
2 tabs fresh coriander, chopped roughly
cracked pepper and salt, to your taste
10 oz (300g) can chick peas, well drained (optional)
1 cup cauliflower, broken into small florets (optional)
Combine first 5 meatball ingredients and roll into small balls. You can add some breadcrumbs to help it bind together if the mixture is a bit soft. Roll them in breadcrumbs and brown them in a large skillet with a little oil. Remove and put the meatballs in the base of the crock pot.
Into the skillet add a little more oil if required or remove any excess, whatever applies. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes. Add curry paste and flour and cook for another few minutes. Add chicken stock and stir until it thickens slightly.Add the tomato paste, chutney, coriander, salt and pepper and stir well.
Pour sauce over meatballs and stir lightly to make sure all meatballs are coated. Put lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. If you are adding the cauliflower and chick peas do that after it has been cooking for 3 hours and stir lightly through. Try and do this quickly to avoid too much heat loss. Serve with boiled or steamed rice.
You have been asked to a Potluck Party and you can’t cook. What do you do? If you own a crock pot you have the problem solved. You need to prepare the dish in advance and be able to carry it to the party so the crock pot is perfect for this.
Traditional dishes like casseroles and chili are good choices. Dishes don’t have to be fancy and the recipe doesn’t need to be complicated. Mark your crock pot with your name so you can identify it afterwards. You might be surprised how many people will bring them and then you will know which one is yours when it has been cleaned.
A great easy recipe for a non cook and one that has very little preparation time is this chili one below:
Crockpot chili
16 oz can kidney beans, drained well
2 cans (14 oz) tomatoes
2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped finely
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
2 gloves garlic, crushed
3 tabs chilli power
1 teasp pepper
1 teasp cumin
salt to taste
Put all the ingredients in the crock pot in the order listed. Stir once, cover and cook on low for 10 hours or high for 5 hours. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, corn bread or corn chips.
Tip: Take copies of the recipe with you so others can check the ingredients if they have allergies. They will love this dish so much they will want a copy of it and it says to others ‘hey I really can cook’ (hehe).
Have fun at your potluck party and Im sure you will now be hooked on how easy it is to cook with the crock pot. No matter what level of cook you are there is a crock pot recipe for you.
Get all of the facts first before you buy your first crock pot. We like choice don’t we, and with crock pots there are plenty to choose from. Know what is the best crock pot for you and your family.
Take into account the following features when choosing your new crock pot:
Brand
The most popular brand is Rival and has the largest selection. Another popular brand is Hamilton Beach which also has a good selection but there are dozens of brand names out there all trying to convince you they are the best. Look around and check out the ranges and be familiar with the prices so you get the best crock pot at the best price.
Types
There are simple types of slow cookers that have 2 or 3 settings (high, low, off) and others are smart pot digital crock pots. With these digital ones you can set the time you want to start cooking, keep warm, or turn off.
There are crock pots in one piece with non removable bowls. You can also get two pieces with the bowl being able to be taken out to serve the food at the table, to clean, or store the cooked food in the refrigerator. Removable bowls have the advantage with large crock pots that they can be removed easier as they can be heavy.
Sizes
How big is your family and what do you want to cook in it? You may only need a small crock pot for two or are you cooking for six and need a larger size? The most popular sizes are 3-4 quarts for small families to a 6-7 quart for large families.
Shapes
Another thing to consider is the shape. There are two shapes being round and oval. Round is good for soups and stews and oval is good for cooking larger meats like whole chicken.
Lids
Lids should fit well and the domed ones are the best as they trap the heat and allow it to drip down back into the pot. You can also get a lid which clamps to seal so that it can’t spill when carrying.
Rival was the first crock pot and has the best selection and you probably cant go wrong with them. You can buy them at Department stores or easier still you can shop online at CROCK-POT.COM. Buying a new crock should be enjoyable so go have some fun.
This crock pot beef stew is very easy to put together and you should have all the ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry.
1 1/2 pounds (650g) of round steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
16 oz (400g) can tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine or beef broth
1 tblsp tomato paste
1 tblsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt & black pepper to taste
1 small carrot, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper thinly sliced
1 small grated onion
2 bay leaves (optional)
1/4 tsp thyme and oregano
1/4 pound (120g) fresh mushrooms, sliced
Turn on the crock pot to high and spray with some non stick spray . Put the steak into the pot, add everything else except the mushrooms and then stir gently. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to low and cook for 8 hours. Add the mushrooms in the last 1/2 hour of cooking. You can thicken with cornflour or potato flour about the same time. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Crock Pots or slow cookers are great for busy people. Ive had a crock pot since the 70s and I used all the time then. It was put away and got moved around the kitchen cupboards for many years but my lime green crock pot has made a revival for the following reasons:
My vintage crock pot
Crock pot cooking is simple, healthy and a time saver.
Crock pots are great for busy families and especially for new mothers, just add all the ingredients in the morning, turn it on, and leave the cooking to happen while you get on with your day.
There are many easy crock pot recipes including soups, stews and desserts.
Crock pots use a small amount of electricity so its a money saver too.
They come in several sizes from small crock pots that cook enough food for one or two people to medium sized crock pots are often best for families of four or five, and the largest crock pots can serve ten people or more.
Very little clean up required. Now that’s a bonus.
An electric crock pot or slow cooker usually consists of a removable porcelain bowl which sits inside an outer container that has electric heating elements and some control buttons and switches. My vintage one has only two settings, low and high, but the more modern have digital programming and automatic settings. My crock pot is round but they also come in oval which is good for cooking whole meats like chicken.
A crock pot is one of the most convenient appliances in a kitchen. If you don’t have one then you are spending too much time in the kitchen. Have a look at the great range atCrock-Pot Portable Slow Cooker – Free Shipping! They also have great accessories to go with your new crock pot. I am hoping I get a new oval crock pot for Christmas ( hint, hint, family).
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