Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes

I just checked out the My Healthy Dish cookbook from the library by My Nguyen and immediately wanted to make these sloppy joes when I saw the recipe. My 5 year old son has never liked ground beef but likes ground turkey, and he really liked this meal! Any meal that he will eat is a keeper around here. And the fact that my husband and I liked it too is a bonus! I made a few changes to the ingredients and amounts called for in the original recipe. In particular, I left out the dijon mustard thinking that my son probably wouldn't like it. The recipe called for chicken stock, but I had beef stock in the cabinet, so used that instead.

Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey

1/2 cup organic carrots, chopped

1 14.5oz can organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1/2 organic red bell pepper, chopped

1/3 medium sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup organic beef stock 

8 whole wheat buns (I got mine from the bakery at the grocery store)

1 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Cook ground turkey in pan over medium-high heat until cooked through. Place turkey and remaining ingredients (except buns and cheese) into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

2. Serve sloppy joe mixture on whole wheat buns, topped with cheddar cheese.

(Recipe adapted from My Health Dish by My Nguyen, "Turkey Sloppy Joes" recipe, p. 138)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Ground turkey is low in sodium and saturated fat, and is an excellent source of protein. Whole wheat buns are higher in fiber and bioavailable vitamins and minerals due to the flour being unrefined.

Crock Pot Chicken Paprikash

This is one of my favorite slow cooker dinners. I typically this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but this time made it using a whole chicken that we picked up from a local organic pasture-raised farm. Using the whole chicken takes a bit more effort, as it needs to be quartered, but is well worth it for the additional flavor and tenderness.  When I make this meal with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I lightly flour them before adding them to the slow cooker. But with the whole chicken, I skipped the flouring step, as it creates a "sliminess" (for lack of a better less-gross sounding word) on the chicken that is just not good. 

In the past I have served this meal over a bed of egg noodles, but this time I just tossed some extra green beans in the slow cooker and served the chicken on those. We didn't miss the noodles at all!

Crock Pot Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients

3-5 pound organic, free range whole chicken

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed

24 ounces canned organic tomato sauce

1 cup water

4 Tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup organic low fat sour cream

Directions

1. Coat slow cooker with canola oil. Quarter the chicken. Place green beans and onions in bottom of slow cooker and put chicken pieces on top. Add tomato sauce, water, 2 Tbsp of paprika, salt and pepper. Stir sauce to combine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 1/2 hours.

2. In small mixing bowl, combine sour cream with remaining 2 Tbsp paprika. Scoop 1 cup sauce from slow cooker and slowly whisk into sour cream mixture, then slowly stir into slow cooker.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Green beans are an excellent source of vitamin K and a very good source of fiber, manganese, folate, and vitamins C and B2. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C. Low fat sour cream is a good source of calcium, phosphorous and vitamins B2 and B12.

Slow Cooker Lemon Dill Chicken

This was definitely an easy slow-cooker keeper! Baking a whole chicken in the oven is pretty simple, but being able to toss the chicken in the slow cooker and leave the house is really nice. This chicken was so tender, it was falling apart when I went to take it out of the crock pot. This would be great at any time if the year, but the lemon and dill combination would make a really nice summer time dinner. For some healthy sides, I made brown rice and some steamed broccoli - a great, healthy, balanced meal!

Slow Cooker Lemon Dill Chicken

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
4-5 pound organic free-range whole broiler/fryer chicken
1/4 cup organic chicken stock
4 sprigs fresh organic parsley
4 sprigs fresh organic dill
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Place chopped onion in bottom of slow cooker. Combine butter and lemon peel in small bowl.

2. Tie legs together with cooking twine and rub whole chicken with butter/lemon peel mixture. Place fresh parsley and dill sprigs in cavity. Place chicken in slow cooker, breast side up, and tuck wings underneath. 

3. Drizzle chicken stock and lemon juice over chicken and sprinkle with remaining dried seasonings. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. 

4. Remove chicken from slow cooker and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

(Recipe adapted from April/May 2014 issue of Taste of Home magazine)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Brown rice is unrefined, so contains it's original abundance of iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and fiber. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium. 

Slow Cooker Bolognese

Having a nice pasta dinner with friends and family on Halloween before Trick or Treating is a tradition for us.  This year, I made a traditional bolognese, made with milk and parmesan cheese, as well as my go-to slow cooker dairy free meat sauce for Charlie.  Our Halloween meal was complete with a salad and fantastic wine, brought by Ted's parents, and some tasty garlic bread brought by our very good friends. Dessert was Halloween candy, of course! And Ted's mom brought rice crispy treats shaped like pumpkins, decorated with jack-o-lantern faces. To make them dairy free for Charlie, she used coconut oil instead of butter, and they were awesome!

Ted makes a fantastic stove-top bolognese that he cooks slowly for half the day, but this slow-cooker bolognese comes in at a close second.  For busy days when you want a fantastic sauce that is easy yet still company-worthy, this is a great one to make.  We typically eat whole wheat pasta, but for a special occasion, such as Halloween, we buy really good fresh noodles.  When making a great sauce, fresh pasta is a really nice treat.

Slow Cooker Bolognese

Makes ~ 6 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup organic carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef
1 cup organic whole milk
1 (28oz) can organic diced tomatoes
1 (6oz) can organic tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup organic whole milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat from pan and pour in 1 cup of milk. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer until milk is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

2. Place beef mixture in slow cooker. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Cook on low for 4 hours. Stir in 1/2 cup milk and parmesan cheese, and cook for 4 more hours on low.

(Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Compared with conventional beef, grass-fed beef is lower in total fat, higher in omega-3 fatty acids and higher in vitamins, particularly vitamin E. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese.

Crock Pot Chicken Vegetable & Wild Rice Soup

With the weather turning so cold this week, it has been a good time for soup in the crock pot. I looked at a couple of recipes to get some suggestions, but in the end made up my own concoction. A few of the recipes I came across suggested adding chicken bouillon cubes for additional flavor, but bouillon contains milk, as well as a ton of preservatives, so I decided to leave that out and get the flavor from herbs instead. The combination of the slow-cooked vegetables and herbs in the chicken stock provided plenty of flavor, while keeping this soup dairy free and really healthy.

I paired this soup with the Fall Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette that I posted last week, making it a complete dinner that was filling but not too heavy. I added an ounce of goat cheese to each of the salads when I made it this time, and it was a great addition!

This made quite a bit of soup, so I am planning to freeze what we had leftover. There will be an evening not too long from now, I am sure, when I don't have much time to make dinner and I will be really glad I tossed that extra soup in the freezer for an easy dinner!

Crock Pot Chicken Vegetable & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

1 pound organic free-range chicken breasts

2 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups organic celery, chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

8 cups organic chicken broth

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups organic carrots, chopped

1 (15oz) can organic sweet corn

1 cup organic wild rice

Directions

1. Place all ingredients, except wild rice, in slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours

2. Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker and shred, using two fork to pull apart.  Place chicken back in slow cooker. Add wild rice and cook on low for 4 more hours.

What are the nutritional benefits of this soup? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Corn provides some fiber and vitamin C, folate and thiamin, as well as minerals phosphorous and magnesium. Celery provides fiber as well as vitamin K and folate. Wild rice is a great source of protein and antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, C and E.

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

This was my first time ever cooking short ribs, and I will definitely make them again! They are so easy to make in the slow cooker and are really flavorful.  I unfortunately totally forgot to buy celery, so I just used more carrots in place of the celery.  I think the only thing that could have made this dinner better would have been the celery flavor.  I like this meal a lot because it is a one-pot dinner, with the meat, vegetables and potatoes all-in-one. 

To make the preparation even easier, you can always chop the vegetables up the night before so all you have to do is toss everything in the crock pot the next day.

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Serves 4

Ingredients 

2 pounds grass-fed beef short ribs
Salt, black pepper and garlic powder, for seasoning short ribs
6 cups organic chicken stock
8 large organic carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
4 organic yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp corn starch

Directions

1. Season short ribs with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Heat a skillet over high heat and brown short ribs on all sides.

2. Transfer short ribs to slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours.  Add potatoes, carrots and onions and cook for an additional 6 hours.

3. Before serving, remove one cup of liquid from slow cooker and whisk together with cornstarch. Add cornstarch mixture to slow cooker and stir until evenly combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Compared with conventional beef, grass-fed beef is lower in total fat, higher in omega-3 fatty acids and higher in vitamins, particularly vitamin E. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Yukon gold potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

I haven't pulled out my slow cooker much this fall, so today it made an appearance to make this great dinner! I had chicken tagine a few years ago in a Moroccan restaurant and wanted to try to duplicate it. This came pretty close, but I think having the pickled lemons would have made a big difference. I couldn't find them in my grocery store, but would really like to try to make it again when I find them.  It still tasted really good with just using fresh lemon zest and juice instead, and it was very good with the cous cous that I made to go along with it. I made a healthier version of this meal by using boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of whole chicken pieces with the skin on. 

Since this meal didn't need as long as a lot of other meals do in the slow cooker, I popped everything in the crock pot around noon, and it was ready to go 5 1/2 hours later at dinner time. When I made the couscous at dinner time,I used organic chicken stock and a little olive oil. It gives it a lot more flavor than just making it with water!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

Ingredients

3 pickled lemon halves (or fresh lemon zest of 1/2 lemons and juice of 1 lemon)

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 cup canned diced tomatoes

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup organic chicken stock

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 pounds organic yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch-thick slices

1 pound organic free range chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Oil slow cooker with olive oil or cooking spray. Rinse pickled lemons and pat dry (if using). Scoop out lemon pulp and finely chop. If not using pickled lemons, use zest and juice of 3 lemon halves.

2. Place lemon pulp in medium sized bowl with onion, garlic, tomatoes, paprika, cumin, chicken stock, and olive oil.

3. Place potatoes in slow cooker and add half of the lemon mixture; toss well.

4. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken on top of potatoes and sprinkle with remaining lemon mixture.

5. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

6. Transfer chicken and potatoes to platter with a slotted spoon. Keep warm. If there is excess liquid in slow cooker, pour it into a saucepan and simmer until reduced. Pour sauce over chicken and potatoes. Serve hot.

(Recipe adapted from The Mediterranean Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Canned tomatoes provide lots of vitamins C and have more bioavailable lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Yukon gold potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium.

Slow Cooker Red Curry Lentils

Ted has been asking me to make beans or lentils and rice for quite a while now, and today I finally made him some! This is a really easy slow cooker dinner and was absolutely delicious. I have recently discovered how much I love curry, and it gave a really nice flavor to the lentils. The coconut adds a great flavor as well. I made the brown rice in the morning, and then just heated it up at dinner time. This recipe makes a pretty big batch, so I put about half of it into a container to freeze - which I am sure I will be thankful for some day soon when I am busy and need something quick to heat up for dinner!

Slow Cooker Red Curry Lentils

Ingredients

4 cups brown lentils

2 medium yellow onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ground ginger

5 Tbsp organic red curry paste

1 Tbsp garam masala

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp sugar

2 (29oz) cans organic tomato puree

1 1/2 empty tomato puree cans filled with water

1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1/2 cup coconut milk

organic cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Rinse lentils and place in slow cooker. Add diced onions, garlic, ginger, curry paste, garam masala, turmeric, sugar. Stir until evenly combined.

2. Pour 2 cans of tomato puree over lentil mixture. Add water. 

3. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. 

4. When cooking is complete, season with salt to taste. Stir in coconut milk and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

5. Serve over organic brown rice and enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from pinchofyum.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Lentils contain lots of protein and soluble fiber (the kind that is helpful for lowering cholesterol levels) and are high in folate and magnesium.onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Canned tomato products, such as the tomato puree in this recipe, contain more bioavailable lycopene than fresh tomatoes! Coconut milk is abundant in vitamin C and E, as well as several B vitamins. 

Slow Cooker Meat Sauce

Before we discovered that our son has a dairy allergy, our go-to meat sauces were usually some type of bolognese. Ted is the master of the slow-cooked bolognese on the stove-top. When we found out about the allergy, I started making this meat sauce, and it has turned out to be a pretty delicious dairy-free replacement for the sauces we used to love. It also freezes really well, so I usually freeze whatever is left, which comes in handy for date nights when Charlie has a babysitter.

Slow Cooker Meat Sauce

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef
1 (29oz) can organic tomato sauce
1 (6oz) can organic tomato paste
1 (14.5oz) can organic basil & oregano-seasoned diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp sugar

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat and saute onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes

2. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink

3. Pour meat mixture through strainer to remove excess fat

4. Place meat mixture in slower cooker, and add remaining ingredients, except for the sugar

5. Stir ingredients until evenly mixed and cook sauce on low for 8 hours

6. Stir in sugar 15 minutes before serving

Serve over organic whole wheat pasta

(Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Compared with conventional beef, grass-fed beef is lower in total fat, higher in omega-3 fatty acids and higher in vitamins, particularly vitamin E. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C.

Slow Cooker Chicken Salad with Grapes & Pecans

We went to an outdoor children's classical music concert tonight with friends and took a picnic along for dinner. We had a great time and got to sit back and enjoy a delicious picnic and some wine while the kids ran around and played (we may have been told to quiet our kids down a couple of times..but they're 2...we still had a great evening though!) I made an organic chicken salad that Ted and I used to make a lot but haven't made in a while. I think the first time we ever made it was when we put together a picnic to take to the park when we first started dating :) It is really easy to make and tastes even better the next day.

Slow Cooker Chicken Salad with Grapes & Pecans

Ingredients

1 pound organic chicken breasts

2 cups organic chicken stock (or enough to just cover chicken)

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped celery

2 cup sliced organic red grapes 

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

(The store was out of organic grapes when I went yesterday so I unfortunately had to use conventional grapes. Grapes are one of the things I always try to buy organic due to being high in pesticides)

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts in slower cooker and sprinkle with thyme and oregano

2. Pour chicken stock into slow cooker

3. Cook chicken on low for 5 hours

4. Using two forks, shred chicken breasts and let cool. It should just fall apart due to being very tender. (I made the chicken the night before and just put the shredded chicken in the fridge for making the chicken salad the next morning)

5. Place chicken in medium mixing bowl

6. Fold in pecans, celery, grapes and mayonnaise to chicken until mixed evenly

Serve on multigrain rolls

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? chicken is a great source of protein; pecans are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids and phenolic antioxidants, vitamin E, B vitamins and minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium; the grapes are a good source of vitamins C, A and K.