The Healthy Slow Cooker
There are also tips on using your slow cooker, and chapters entitled:
- Bread & Breakfast
- Soups
- Poultry, Seafood & Fish
- Meat
- Pasta & Grains
- Just Veggies
- Desserts
About The Recipes In The Healthy Slow Cooker
One of the advantages of this book is the wealth of information included with each recipe.
To start with, there are labels above the title of each recipe for those that are compatible for vegetarian or vegan diets.
At the beginning of each recipe you’ll also find a short comment about that particular recipe from the author. It’s a nice touch that gives you a little more “feel” for the recipe and some information about it.
In a column to the left side of the recipe are even more tips about the recipe giving you variations on how to make it. An especially nice feature here is a box entitled “Make Ahead” with instructions on how to make the dish ahead of time and use it later.
Size Matters
The main section of each recipe page starts with information on what size slow cooker the recipe will work in. Smaller recipes need a smaller cooker or they’ll dry out, and of course, a larger recipe would overflow a smaller cooker. This is important information and sometimes left out of slow cooker cookbooks. It really isn’t a “one size fits all” situation. You need to have an idea what size cooker you should use for the recipe to turn out properly.
Of course, as in all cookbooks, there is an ingredient list. The steps for making the dishes are thorough and easily understood.
Even More Goodies Included With Every Recipe
At the end of each recipe there is even more information. There are four blocks included:
- Mindful Morsels: Usually has specifics about nutrients in the food, such as what vitamins there are and how they are helpful to your health.
- Nutrients Per Serving: Specific information on calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, sodium and cholesterol.
- Natural Wonders: Expands on one of the ingredients in the dish, with more information on its’ nutritional value.
- Good Sources: The last box gives a short overview on the nutrients available in the featured ingredient.
If needed, the diabetic food values for each recipe are also included at the end of the book. I’m not sure why they weren’t included on the same page with each recipe, but they are available. It’s just a minor inconvenience to have to check back at the end of the book to find them.
Recipes for Bread & Breakfast in The Healthy Slow Cooker
This section includes such recipes as:
- Apple Cranberry Bread
- Pumpkin Date Loaf
- Banana Walnut Oat Bread
- Creamy Morning Millet with Apples
- Breakfast Rice
- Multigrain Cereal with Fruit
- Apple Oatmeal with Wheat Berries
- Irish Oatmeal
Yes, the breads are made in the slow cooker. It works by putting a smaller pan inside a slow cooker and letting the bread cook.
The breakfast cereals are especially handy, since you can start them the night before and the food will be ready when you get up the next morning.
As an example of ingredients, the Pumpkin Date Loaf has flour, baking soda, dates, pecans, eggs, sugar, olive oil, pumpkin puree, and spices.
Soups Chapter
Soups are the mainstay of slow cookers, and a variety of recipes are included. There are over 20, including:
- Mushroom Lentil Soup
- Turkey and Black Bean Soup
- Two-Bean Soup with Pistou
- Thai-Style Pumpkin Soup
- Caldo Verde
- New World Leek and Potato Soup
- Cockaleekie
- Chestnut Soup
- Greek-Style Split Pea Soup
There is a wide variety of flavors, so that there should be soups included for about anyone’s taste.
As an example of ingredients, the Turkey and Black Bean Soup uses onions, carrots, celery, garlic, oregano, cracked black pepper, lime zest, tomato paste, cumin seeds, chicken stock, turkey, ancho chili powder, jalapeno or chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, and bell peppers.
Recipes For Poultry, Seafood & Fish
Main dishes using poultry, seafood or fish, do well in the slow cooker. There are 21 recipes in this chapter, with such offerings as:
- Caribbean Fish Stew
- Chicken Cassoulet
- Chicken Cacciatore with Broccoli
- Spicy Peanut Chicken
- Peppery Turkey Casserole
- Creamy Tuna Casserole
- Salmon Loaf
- Onion-Braised Shrimp
- Thai-Style Coconut Fish Curry
- Louisiana Seafood Stew with Chicken and Sausage
As with the soups, there is a wide variety in styles and tastes.
For an idea of the ingredients used, the Chicken Cacciatore with Broccoli is made with olive oil, onions, garlic, dried oregano leaves, salt, cracked black peppercorns, cremini mushrooms, wine or chicken stock, tomatoes (canned), chicken thighs, dried red chili peppers (optional), green bell peppers, and broccoli.
Meat Recipes In The Healthy Slow Cooker
Several different meats are found in the 16 recipes in this chapter, including veal, beef, lamb, and pork. A sampling of the recipes offered include:
- Veal Goulash
- Greek-Style Beef with Eggplant
- Lamb with Lentils and Chard
- Spanish-Style Pork and Beans
- Ribs with Hominy and Kale
- Buckwheat Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
- Indian Beef with Cauliflower and Peppers
Various cuisines are represented in the recipes. To give you an idea what kind of ingredients are used, in Spanish-Style Pork and Beans, you need olive oil, boneless pork shoulder, onions, garlic, oregano leaves, salt, cracked black pepper, white wine or chicken stock, sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar, tomatoes (canned), white kidney beans, paprika and kale.
Pasta & Grains Offerings
The pasta and grains chapter has recipes utilizing rice, barley corn meal, millet and more. It also includes some sauce recipes for use over top of pasta and grains.
Among the 15 recipes included are:
- Barley and Wild Rice Pilaf
- Creamy Polenta with Corn and Chiles
- Shrimp ‘n Grits
- Vegetable Cobbler with Millet Crust
- Tamale Pie with Chili Millet Crust
- Mushroom Tomato Sauce
There is also a recipe for Basic Polenta and a yummy sounding Caramelized Onion Sauce with Whole Wheat Pasta.
Ingredients example is for the Mushroom Tomato Sauce, which uses olive oil, onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, salt, black pepper, white wine or chicken or vegetable stock, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and optionally, red pepper flakes. The sauce is served over whole wheat pasta, polenta or grits, with an optional sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Just Veggies Chapter of The Healthy Slow Cooker
Slow Cookers can be used for side dishes too! And of course, sometimes veggies make a great meal all by themselves. There are another 15 recipes with such offerings as:
- Ratatouille
- Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
- New Age Succotash
- Vegetable Chili
- Vegetable Curry with lentils and Spinach
And many other yummy sounding ways of getting your vegetables!
Ratatouille provides our ingredients example, using eggplant, salt, olive oil, zucchini, garlic, onions, herbes de Provence, salt, black pepper, mushrooms, canned tomatoes, bell peppers, and parsley or basil leaves.
Last, But Not Least, Desserts For Any Meal!
Having a nice warm dessert ready in the slow cooker at the end of the meal is a great way to finish things up. Some of the recipes included are:
- Coconut Cranberry Rice Pudding
- Basmati Rice Pudding
- Cranberry Pear Brown Betty
- Apple Oatmeal Pudding
- The Ultimate Baked Apples
Another recipe for Pumpkin Rice Pudding uses brown rice, pumpkin purée, dried cranberries or dried cherries, evaporated skim milk, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and other options.
What People Are Saying About The Healthy Slow Cooker
Almost 2/3 of the people reviewing The Healthy Slow Cooker cookbook at Amazon gave it a 5-star rating, the highest available. Most comments were quite favorable.
Some of the comments include:
“I like the slow cook alternative, particular those delicious, quick to prepare recipes that I can throw in the cooker at the start of the day and have ready for supper. That these meals are actually nutritious is an added bonus.” – Actual User Comment on Amazon Canada
“This book has been a life saver for having healthy cooked meals, during the week, at a decent hour.”. – Actual User Comment on Amazon Canada
“. . .best slow cooking book! I own many, but this is easily my favourite.” – Actual User Comment on Chapters.Indigo
The only complaints seem to be that some of the dishes require a little prep work beyond just throwing raw ingredients into the slow cooker, such as this review comment:
“…. there’s a LOT of prep…including sautéing food before putting it in the crock pot. A good buy if you have time, but if you’re looking for … throw it all in and leave… this one may not be right for you.” – Actual User Comment on Amazon.com
Info Odds And Ends About The Healthy Slow Cooker
This is a paperback by Judith Finlayson and has 288 pages. The publisher is Robert Rose (December 2005). It includes several color illustrations of the food included.
If all this sounds like a cookbook you can use, it’s available at Amazon:
