Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook (17 page)

This recipe is the perfect side dish for pulled pork or barbecue.

1. The night before you want to make the baked beans, place the dried beans in a 4-quart slow cooker and cover them with water. There should be at least 4″ of water above the level of the beans. Soak overnight.
   

2. The next morning, fry the bacon until crisp, and then drain the slices on paper towel-lined plates. Crumble the bacon.
   

3. Drain the beans and return them to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to distribute all ingredients. Cook on low for 8–10 hours. Stir before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 180 | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 580mg | Carbohydrates: 34g | Fiber: 10g | Protein: 9g

Crisp and fresh, this is the perfect summer side dish to show off the season's bounty.

1. Place the onions on the bottom of a 1½- to 2-quart slow cooker. Top with zucchini, dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 3½ hours.
   

2. Add the corn and butter and stir. Cook for an additional 30 minutes on high.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 70 | Fat: 1.5g | Sodium: 160mg | Carbohydrates: 14g | Fiber: 2g | Protein: 2g

Slow-cooked mashed potatoes are the perfect side for busy holiday cooks. Not only does this dish leave a burner free for other cooking, there is no need to boil the potatoes before mashing them.

1. Place the potatoes in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add garlic, stock, and rosemary. Stir. Cover and cook on high until potatoes are tender, about 3–4 hours.
   

2. Pour in milk, butter, and sour cream. Mash with a potato masher.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 130 | Fat: 2.5g | Sodium: 50mg | Carbohydrates: 23g | Fiber: 2g | Protein: 4g

You could also serve this as a hearty vegetarian main dish.

1. Heat the canola oil in a nonstick pan. Sauté the onions, garlic, and celery until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
   

2. Add the onion mixture, beans, tomatoes, chiles, and spices to a 1½- to 2-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–8 hours. Remove the contents to a large bowl and stir in the rice.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 120 | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 240mg | Carbohydrates: 23g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 5g

No one will guess the secret ingredient in these baked beans!

1. The night before you want to make the baked beans, place the dried beans into a 4-quart slow cooker and cover with water. There should be at least 4″ of water above the level of the beans. Soak overnight.
   

2. Drain the beans and return them to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to distribute all ingredients. Cook on low for 8–10 hours. Stir before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 150 | Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 330mg | Carbohydrates: 29g | Fiber: 10g | Protein: 9g

This recipe is a healthier version of the popular restaurant side dish.

1. Place the potatoes, garlic, onion, and bacon bits in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add water. Stir. Cover and cook on high until potatoes are tender, about 3–4 hours.
   

2. Add the milk, green onions, Parmesan, and sour cream. Mash with a potato masher.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 130 | Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 45mg | Carbohydrates: 29g | Fiber: 2g | Protein: 5g

Using Dairy in the Slow Cooker

While evaporated milk is fine for long cooking times, cream, milk, and sour cream will curdle. Add them during the last part of the cooking time. Despite some advice, sweetened condensed milk cannot be used interchangeably with evaporated milk, cream, milk, or sour cream. It is very sweet and should never be used in savory dishes.

Wild rice cooks up perfectly in the slow cooker. Try it as a high-fiber alternative to white rice or potatoes.

Place all ingredients into a 4-quart slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, check to see if the kernels are open and tender. If not, put the lid back on, and continue to cook for an additional 15–30 minutes. Stir before serving.

PER SERVING
Calories: 90 | Fat: 0g | Sodium: 15mg | Carbohydrates: 18g | Fiber: 2g | Protein: 3g

Wild, Wild Rice

Wild rice is a bit of misnomer. It is actually a grass that grows in shallow water in North America. While it is often sold in mixes with white rice, it is also tasty all by itself.

Although it is still a treat, this version of macaroni and cheese won't leave you feeling guilty. This method yields a very creamy dish that is easy to keep warm until everyone is ready for dinner.

1. Spray a 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. In a small saucepan, heat the mustard, cornstarch, pepper, and evaporated milk until warmed through, whisking occasionally. Stir in the cheese.
   

2. Pour the macaroni into the slow cooker. Top with the cheese mixture and stir. Cover and cook on low for 1–2 hours or on high for 30 minutes.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 230 | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 125mg | Carbohydrates: 26g | Fiber: <1g | Protein: 17g

Despite an abundance of salt, these potatoes are not salty at all, just perfectly cooked and tender.

1. Pour about ½″ of salt into the bottom of an oval 4-quart slow cooker. Place the potatoes in a single layer on top of the salt. Add more salt until the potatoes are completely covered. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
   

2. Crack the salt crust and remove the potatoes. Rub them with a towel to remove all of the salt before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 290 | Fat: 0g | Sodium: 25mg | Carbohydrates: 64g | Fiber: 7g | Protein: 8g

Picking Potatoes

Different potatoes are good in different recipes. Red skin potatoes are soft and creamy, perfect for potato salads or mashing with the skin left on. Russet potatoes are starchier and are well suited to baking or making French fries.

Traditionally served with rice, Cuban-style black beans are also great served alongside
Ropa Vieja
.

1. Place all ingredients into a 2-quart slow cooker. Stir to distribute all the ingredients evenly.
   

2. Cook on low for 6–8 hours. Stir before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 70 | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 530mg | Carbohydrates: 19g | Fiber: 6g | Protein: 4g

The carrots in this side dish keep a firm texture even when fully cooked.

1. Place all ingredients in a 2-quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low 1½–2 hours or until the carrots are fork tender.
   

2. Stir before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 35 | Fat: 0g | Sodium: 40mg | Carbohydrates: 8g | Fiber: 2g | Protein: 1g

Dill Details

Dill is a delicate plant that has many culinary uses. The seeds are used as a spice, and fresh and dried dill, called dill weed, are used as herbs. Dill is an essential ingredient in dill pickles and gravlax, a type of cured salmon.

In this recipe, the slow cooker acts like a steamer, resulting in tender, crisp green beans.

1. Place all ingredients into a 2-quart slow cooker. Stir to distribute the spices evenly.
   

2. Cook on low for 1½ hours or until the green beans are tender. Stir before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 40 | Fat: 0g | Sodium: 5mg | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 2g

This picnic favorite can be served hot or cold with equally delicious results.

1. Place the kidney beans, chickpeas, green beans, red onion, fennel, and water into a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on high 2 hours or 4 hours on low. Drain.
   

2. In a small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, basil, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, oil, garlic, and capers. Pour over the beans. Toss to coat.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 110 | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 350mg | Carbohydrates: 18g | Fiber: 5g | Protein: 5g

Capers Unmasked

Capers are the pickled bud of the caper plant. Capers are sold either in brine or packed in salt. If they are packed in salt, rinse them before using. Capers come in several sizes but only two are common in the United States: the larger capote caper and the smaller, more widely used nonpareil.

This Hungarian classic is the perfect spicy side dish to serve with a roast.