Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Recently I hired a new trainer, who is wonderful and has tons of helpful ideas. One of the services my trainer offers is to come to my house and help me learn to cook in a more healthy way.  I thought I already knew most things about healthy cooking, but oh no I did not.

First, we washed about 8 sweet potatoes and put them in a slow cooker.  Easy enough! Those were done in a few hours and I let them cool in the fridge overnight so I could chop them up the next morning and divide them into 1/4 cup servings to go in the freezer for later use.  I think I was supposed to remove the skins, but I left them on.  I know, I'm such a rebel. They are great to throw in when I need a good complex carb source in a smoothie or with another protein and veggie like some hard-boiled eggs and cucumbers, for example. I have also browned the chopped sweet potatoes with onions and bell peppers in some coconut oil for a breakfast side dish.

Slow Cooker "Mongolian-Style" Beef

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 lbs of flank or top sirloin steak

- 1/2 tbsp minced (fresh) garlic

- 1 1/2 cups of soy sauce or coconut aminos

- 1 1/2 cups of sugar-free maple syrup (I like Cary’s brand the best.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut steak into thin strips.

2. Add soy sauce, sugar-free syrup, and garlic to the crockpot, and stir to mix.

3. Add flank steak to the crockpot and lightly toss to coat in the soy sauce mixture.

4. Cook on LOW heat for 4-5 hours.

Once finished, I saved the "sauce" from the crockpot to pour over the meat for storage, and also for later use.

This beef is REALLY good alone, but also awesome over rice with some of the sauce poured over as well.

Enjoy!

- Coach Megan

Jean Donaldson May So i used Megan's recipe. My steak was a little smaller than 3 lbs so i did one cup soy sauce and 1 cup syrup. I put the meat in on saute for just a few mins to brown it just a little, then put the sauce on and lid. I put it on 8 min Manual and 10 min NPR (wait until you release the pressure). When it was done I put in a bit of zantham gum to thicken the sauce. The meat was great! very tender.

Crock Pot Egg Brunch Casserole

Ingredients:
6-8 strips of bacon
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 red or green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 lb. bag of frozen hash browns
1 1/2 C shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Cook bacon till crisp, cool, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Salute onion, garlic and bell pepper for 5 minutes. Place 1/3 of the frozen hash browns in the bottom of the crock pot. Add 1/3 of the bacon, and 1/3 of the onion, garlic and pepper mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, dill, salt and pepper. Pour over ingredients in the crock pot, cover and turn on low. Cook for 8-10 hours.

When done, thermometer in center should read 160 degrees.
8-10 servings

Taco Seasoning Mix

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all spices in a bowl and use to season any meat you are cooking. 
Use approximately 1 T of this mixture per pound of meat.

Note: This mix has a small amount of “kick” to it. To make it more mild, leave out the cayenne
and add an extra 1/2 t of paprika.

Read more: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-taco-seasoning/#ixzz3xAk9RQDr 

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Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes (scrubbed and sliced)

1T extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t black pepper

Salt to taste

1/4 t cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine spices in a small bowl. Add potatoes, spices and police oil to a large mixing bowl and toss to coat all potato slices. Place potatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

Beef Stir-fry

Ingredients:

1/4-1/2 pound of top sirloin steak per serving

1-2 cups of cut-up veggies per serving

Cooked Rice

Soy Sauce

Coconut Aminos

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Cut the top sirloin into thin strips and stir-fry over medium heat with soy sauce, coconut aminos and salt and pepper until they are almost cooked through. Add the sliced veggies and stir-fry until tender. Serve over cooked rice. (Sometimes I add a few cashews with the veggies.)

Spicy Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

Ingredients:

2 t olive oil, divided

¼ t sea salt, divided

⅛ t thyme, dried

⅛ t black pepper, freshly ground

⅛ t red pepper, crushed

6 small red potatoes, quartered

2 T parmesan, grated

1 t minced garlic, divided

½ lb asparagus

Directions:

Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, thyme, peppers, and potatoes in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450º for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese and 1/2 teaspoon garlic.

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and asparagus. Add asparagus mixture to dish. Bake for 10 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.

Southwest Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

2 C Chicken or Vegetable Broth

144 g diced potato

1 C of mixed diced veggies (I use onion, bell pepper, garlic, zucchini and yellow squash.

110 g cooked chicken breast

Seasonings to taste: chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and celery powder.

Directions:

Pour the broth into a pan and bring it to a boil. 

Add the potatoes and veggies and cook until they are tender.

Add the chicken and seasonings and cook it until the chicken is heated through. 

South Beach Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 med zucchini
1 med yellow squash
1 med red bell pepper
1 med yellow bell pepper
1 pound asparagus
1 red onion
3 T Olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 450*F. Cut vegetables into bite size pieces. Place all vegetables in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss well to coat. Spread evenly in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

Serves 4

ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds yellow squash, sliced in chunks

1 pound zucchini, sliced in chunks

1 large red onion, cut into chunks

1 large head garlic, top cut off to 

expose the garlic for roasting

2 shallots, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil (approximate)

4 cups chicken stock or broth

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

2)Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Just a light mist.

3) Place your veggies on the sheets and spray their tops with another light mist of spray. Be 

sure to give that head of garlic a little extra oil so it can seep down into the head.

4)Bake for about 40 minutes or until all the vegetables are very soft and the garlic is a nice, 

light brown  with a few of the cloves popping out. 

5) Transfer all veggies to a large soup pot and add 4 cups of chicken stock/broth.

6) Using a hand blender, (or a Vitamix!) blend the veggies to the consistency you like best.

7) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Storage: This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze it for up to 6 months. It’s best to freeze it in individual servings instead of one big brick.

Read more: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-roasted-vegetable-soup/#ixzz3xBMpepCY

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained, save the juice

⅓ cup tahini

⅓ cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1 pinch salt

1 pinch red pepper

1 pinch black pepper

½ cup red peppers from a jar, drained

1 pinch basil

Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

If consistency is too thick to blend, add hot water as needed.

Variation: Substitute chickpeas with black beans for a zesty black bean dip.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts 

3 tablespoons good olive oil 

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.   Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and discard any yellow outer leaves. Mix the brussels sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately. 

Reverse Seared Steak

Jeffrey B. Rogers - The Culinary Fanatic

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Season steak on both sides on a wire rack. I like a simple seasoning of kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Before rubbing the Worcestershire on, I poke tiny holes in the steak with a fork. Insert wired probe thermometer into thickest part of steak. Put rack with steak in a skillet and place in the oven. For medium, cook steak to 130 degrees. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Quickly sear in a blazing hot grill pan on both sides. Serve immediately. No resting required. 

Ranch Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice potatoes thinly and spread out on a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with Ranch Dressing Mix and salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until as brown as you like them. 

Ranch Dressing or Dip

1 C 2% Cottage Cheese

2-3 T Water (adjust to desired consistency)

1 T Penzey’s Ranch Mix or Hidden Valley Ranch Mix

Blend until smooth and chill until ready to serve.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup of lentils

- half an onion

- one celery stalk

- one carrot

- three garlic cloves

- oil (any kind)

- salt and pepper

- fresh thyme (optional)

- one bay leaf

- one 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes

- one quart of vegetable broth

Directions: Rinse the lentils in a colander or strainer.

Finely chop all the vegetables.

Coat the bottom of a pot with oil (or cooking spray) and heat on a medium setting.

Add the vegetables and cook until they’re softened.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the thyme (if using), bay leaf, tomatoes and

their juices, lentils, and broth and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the lentils and vegetables are soft.

If a creamier texture is desired, divide the soup in half and puree in a food processor, then return it to the other half and stir.

Lemon Garlic Alaska Salmon

2 T olive oil

2 t garlic, minced

1 t lemon pepper

2 4-ounce Salmon fillets

2 lemon wedges

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic.

Season salmon fillets on both sides with lemon pepper. Place fillets in pan and cook for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Flip fillets halfway through cooking to brown on both sides.

Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Hamburger Cabbage Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or bison, turkey or chicken)

2-5 cloves garlic, minced 

16 ounce bag coleslaw mix (or 1 head of cabbage, shredded)

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

1/2 tsp ginger, optional 

1/2 tsp cayenne, optional 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 packet of stevia, optional 

1 bunch green onions, cut on the bias (about 8 onions or 3 ounces after trimming) 

Instructions: 

In a very large skillet or wok, brown the ground meat with the garlic and a little salt and pepper. Drain the fat. Add the cabbage and stir-fry until the cabbage is tender-crisp. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Makes 6 servings

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

4 C water

4 C chicken broth

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tomatoes, diced

1 white onion, diced

2 C salsa

1-2 avocados, diced

1 C cilantro, chopped

2-16 oz. cans black beans

1 t cumin

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sea salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Instructions: 

1) In a large stock pot, bring water and chicken broth to a boil. Once water is boiling, add chicken breasts and cook thoroughly.

2) Remove cooked chicken and cool.

3)Add tomatoes, onions, salsa, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper to boiling water.

4) Shred chicken and add to boiling water. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

5)Serve in a soup bowl, top with avocados and 1 tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese. 

Chicken in the Slow Cooker with Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce

1 bag of frozen chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)

1 bottle of Frank’s Hot Sauce

Turn the slow cooker on high.

Open the bag and pour the chicken in the slow cooker.

Pour the bottle of Frank’s over the chicken and put the lid on.

After an hour, turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for 

4-5 hours. Slow cookers are different, so adjust as needed. 

When the chicken is cooked, use some tongs to remove the 

pieces over to the bowl of the stand mixer. Turn on mixer for 

15 seconds or so, until the chicken is shredded as much as you 

like it.