Using a crockery slow cooker is one of our favorite ways to prepare dinner on busy days when we're at work or running errands away from home, yet need to have a wholesome meal ready in minutes upon our return. This is when we put our Crockpots® to work as cooking on low is literally a 'start and forget' way of cooking. Since our slow cookers have a removable crockery insert, we can assemble the dish the night before, refrigerate it overnight, then slip the closed insert into the electric element the next morning, either turning it on to the low setting then or using a household electric timer to start the slow cooker during our absence.
Our first meal centers around a family favorite when the weather's cold and blustery--a dinner based on sauerkraut and low fat turkey kielbasa. Do buy the sauerkraut from your meat deli section. Sure it's a little more expensive than the canned variety, but the flavor difference is worth the expense. With the sauerkraut dish, we're serving a winter mixture of greens and ruby red grapefruit which are now at their peak. For dessert, it's a layered parfait of sugar-free chocolate pudding and bananas. Since the dinner cooks itself, the rest of the meal will take you less than 30 minutes to make.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
Swiss steak is a favorite of many families, and our recipe is sure to please. Cooked in the slow cooker, the steak comes out fork-tender. All you need to complete the meal is to steam some fresh green beans (takes about 5 minutes) and bake some wedges of sweet potatoes (about 30 minutes). Dessert is a yummy applesauce that's easily made in a crockery slow cooker. Since we both have 3 1/2-quart and a 5-quart cookers, we put both to use for all-day slow cooking. If you only have one slow cooker, you'll need to make the applesauce the day before. It easily heats in the microwave. Serve the applesauce with a tiny scoop of fat-free, sugar-free frozen vanilla yogurt on top to melt into the warm applesauce.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
Slow cooking makes chicken a savory meal, and the melange of seasoning makes the whole house sing. We like to make more of this recipe so that we can have leftovers. Since red ruby grapefruits are at their sweetest (and many of us received a box of these lovelies for Christmas), the salad again uses grapefruit, this time with baby leaves of fresh spinach and a smidgen of low fat feta cheese. Another time, serve the salad with a bit of chicken for a wonderful lunch entree--it's that good! Dessert is simple: frozen yogurt, flavored with mint.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
Beef cooked in wine, herbs and spices in a classic French way makes a meal fit for a king. The good thing about his dish is that it is even better the next day. Served cold with sliced tomatoes, dill pickles, a bit of Dijon mustard, and a small piece of baguette, and you'll think you're eating in a Paris bistro.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
