The slow cooker doesn’t get much respect. Interestingly enough, it's really just an electric Dutch oven, and a lot of traditional gourmet recipes use a Dutch oven. Here are a couple of recipes using a slow cooker that are not only easy to make but good for you as well. One is a traditional French dish with only 200 calories per serving; the other, a more healthful version of a classic, beef Stroganoff.Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
With this recipe we save a lot on the calories and fat because chicken is pretty healthy for you to begin with, and the garlic is a special, healthy addition that gives it that extra burst of flavor. You can even enjoy the cloves of garlic spread on bread like butter (only a lot better for you!).
9 stalks celery
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
10 leaves fresh sage
3 sprigs fresh curly parsley
1 – 4 lb. roasting chicken
40 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1. Place three celery stalks in the bottom of a slow-cooker liner about 2" apart. Stack three stalks on top perpendicular and about 2" apart, and then place the last three stalks on top perpendicular and about 2" apart to form a grid of celery.
2. Rinse the chicken well and pat dry. Place the 40 cloves of garlic in the cavity and drizzle the oil over the garlic.
3. Place the chicken on top of the celery grid and pour the wine into the bottom of the pot. Add the thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley and cover.
4. Place the slow-cooker liner in the base. Set the temperature on low and cook for 6 – 8 hours.
Note: It needs to cook about 6 hours, but I have let it cook for as long as 8 without its getting dry.
Servings = 8
Serving size = 1 piece chicken
Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff is one of my favorites, and I developed this healthier version, which works really well in the slow cooker. What helps make this Stroganoff so much lower in calories and fat is the low-fat sour cream. This dish has only 390 calories and 10 grams of fat, whereas beef Stroganoff made from a traditional recipe has almost 500 calories and 24 grams of fat per serving. What’s even better, when it's cooked in the slow cooker, the meat is tender and rich and the sauce is savory.
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. canola oil
1.5 lbs. flank steak or top round (trim all fat and cube for stew)
2 medium onions, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. nonfat beef stock
1 lb. mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 c. low-fat sour cream
1/4 c. 2-percent milk
1 c. nonfat sour cream
6 quarts water
8 oz. fettuccine noodles
1. Combine flour, pepper and oil in a small bowl. Work the oil into the flour with a fork until it is a smooth, thick paste.
2. Place the cubed beef, sliced onions, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, dried basil and salt in a slow-cooker liner.
3. Add the beef stock to the oil-flour mixture, slowly whisking continuously to keep it smooth. Add this mixture to the liner and stir well until the beef and onions are blended together.
4. Place the sliced mushrooms on top of the stew, but do not stir. The liner can be covered at this point and refrigerated for as long as 24 hours.
5. When ready to cook, place the liner inside the base and set the temperature on high.
Note: The Stroganoff cooks in only about 90 minutes. I like to serve it over fettuccine noodles. To get the timing right, start cooking the noodles about 15 minutes before the Stroganoff should be finished. And make sure you cook the pasta in lots of water
6. After 1 hour and 15 minutes, place the water in a large stockpot over high heat. When it is boiling, add the fettuccine. Boil, stirring frequently, until the pasta is cooked (about 12 – 15 minutes, depending on the pasta).
7. While the pasta is cooking, place the two sour creams and the milk in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
8. Temper the mixture by adding about 1/4 cup of the hot sauce from the slow cooker and whisking. Repeat with another 1/4 cup of the sauce, whisking until smooth.
9. Add the sour cream mixture and stir well.
Note: When cooking in a slow cooker, you have to add milk and sour creams near the end of the cooking time because they’ll break down over longer cooking periods
Serve over noodles.
Servings = 8
Serving size = 1-1/5 cups
