Slow Cooker Archives - Page 3 of 8

Slow Cooker Italian Beef & Swiss Chard Ragu {Plus, Bonus Soup Recipe}

It’s no surprise that I’m a huge proponent of the Whole30 program. Many of you have joined me for The Whole30 Challenge and know firsthand how a whole food lifestyle can completely transform your health and wellness.

That’s why I couldn’t be more thrilled to share some awesome news … The team at Whole30 is excited about the recipes and resources I’ve been sharing with y’all, so they’ve asked me to be a guest contributor to their website and share a four-part Slow Cooker Series. Woot!

So each week for the next four weeks, I’ll be sharing a savory new slow cooker meal that’s as easy to prepare as it is delicious! (And let me assure you, these recipes are family-friendly, whole food meals that the whole family will love – whether they’re GF or not!)

First up, is this incredibly simple, yet flavorful Italian Beef and Swiss Chard Ragu. The combination of tender, slow-cooked beef and peppery chard paired with slightly sweet, fire-roasted tomatoes and carrots creates an absolutely delectable meal. [Get the recipe here...]

Transform Leftovers into a Delicious Soup!

And because this recipe makes a lot of delicious ragu, I’ve got a tasty way to repurpose the leftovers to create a quick and savory soup perfect for lunch, or pair it with a salad for a satisfying dinner.

It’s super easy … Simply combine a half cup of bone broth for every one cup of leftover ragu. Warm it, and enjoy! Is that easy or what?

Of course, the best thing about this tasty recipe {and each delicious recipe in this series} is that your slow cooker does most of the work. It doesn’t get any easier than that to prepare a healthy & delicious meal the whole family will love! Enjoy!

P.S. If this slow cooker series tickles your fancy, I’d love for you to share this series via social media. Thank you in advance for partnering with me to help to spread the word that a simple whole food lifestyle is a delicious way to transform our health and wellness!

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Soy-Free Teriyaki Chicken {Slow Cooker Recipe}

By Kelly · 27 Comments

Living a real food lifestyle often means having to say no to the convenience of packaged foods, since the vast majority contain less than “real” ingredients. Of course, it gets even more challenging, when you’re living a grain-free real food lifestyle.

Thankfully, there’s nothing that gets me more jazzed about cooking than a good challenge. And that’s how this easy and delicious recipe for Soy-Free Teriyaki Chicken came about – my love for taking favorite comfort foods and transforming them into healthy grain-free versions that everyone can enjoy whether they’re GF or not.

The secret to creating a delicious soy-free teriyaki sauce is using coconut aminos, which taste remarkably similar to soy sauce. The coconut aminos combined with all-natural sweeteners and a flavorful array of seasonings results in a thick, slightly sweet and tangy sauce perfect for topping slow-cooked chicken and veggies.

And since this is a slow cooker recipe, it really couldn’t be an easier! There’s just one extra small step after the chicken and veggies are done cooking, and that’s thickening the teriyaki sauce on the stovetop by whisking in just a touch of arrowroot powder. Then, generously spoon your delicious homemade teriyaki sauce over the chicken and veggies for a classic meal your whole family will enjoy down to the last bite.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken (Soy-Free)

Yield: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

Chicken

2.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use ButcherBox)
3-4 green onions, plus more for topping

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup all-fruit apricot preserves
1/3 cup coconut aminos (I use this in place of soy sauce)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp arrowroot powder (used to thicken sauce)

Veggies

4 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups julienne carrots
2 cups snap peas

Instructions

Arrange the 3-4 stalks of green onion (a.k.a. scallions) along the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken on top of the green onions.
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the teriyaki sauce ingredients EXCEPT the arrowroot powder, until well combined. Carefully spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low 6-7 hours. During the last 1.5 to 2 hours of cook time, add the veggies. Cover and continue cooking until veggies are al dente (cook time for the veggies may vary, especially if you're cooking on the low setting).
Use a slotted spoon to remove the veggies and chicken; transfer to a serving platter. Discard the green onion stalks.
To make the Teriyaki Sauce: Pour the remaining liquid in the slow cooker through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl. Place 1 1/4 cups of the liquid into a small saucepan, discard the remainder.
In a small prep bowl, add the 2 teaspoons of arrowroot powder and 2 tablespoons of water, mixing to create a slurry. Add the arrowroot mixture to the saucepan and whisk well to combine.
Heat the teriyaki sauce over medium heat, whisking frequently until sauce thickens. Re-season to taste with additional sea salt and ginger, if necessary. Transfer teriyaki sauce to a serving bowl.
Spoon the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and veggies. Then, top with a sprinkling of sliced fresh green onions, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

This teriyaki chicken and veggies dish is delicious all on it's own, or serve it over a bowl of grain-free Herb-Seasoned Cauliflower Rice, if desired.

https://thenourishinghome.com/2015/02/soy-free-teriyaki-chicken-slow-cooker-recipe/

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Disclosure: Some of the links in this post include affiliate links, providing The Nourishing Home a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make a purchase, but if you do, it helps to support this site and ministry. Thank you!

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Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili (Bean-Free!)

By Kelly · 28 Comments

Whether you’re taking The Whole30 Challenge or not, this bean-free slow cooker sweet potato chili is certain to become a new family favorite. The combination of a spicy, meaty tomato sauce paired with the subtle sweetness of creamy sweet potatoes and an assortment of veggies creates an absolutely incredible chili. Talk about a bowl full of healthy flavor!

To create this classic wintertime comfort food in a bowl, I started with with my original Turkey-Veggie Chili and tweaked it to omit “the magical fruit” without changing its rich hearty flavor. In fact, we find this new new bean-free version to be even more flavorful!

Of course, the best thing about this tasty recipe is that your slow cooker does most of the work. Just brown the meat and toss in the rest of the ingredients and go about your busy day knowing dinner will be ready without a lot of fuss. In fact, if you meal plan, you can schedule time to brown the meat ahead of time and then refrigerate or freeze it so it’s ready when you are – a definite time saver!

Oh, and one more bonus – this recipe makes a lot of chili! I always love it when I can get two meals from one cooking session. Simply store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days and reheat to enjoy.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili (Bean-Free!)

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup diced yellow onion (about half a large onion)
1.25 lbs ground grassfed beef (or ground turkey)
1 tsp sea salt
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 medium carrots, sliced (about 1 cup)
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 5 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
28-oz organic diced tomatoes (include liquid)
28-oz organic tomato sauce
1 cup homemade chicken stock
2-3 tbsp chili powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 tbsp of all-purpose herb seasoning
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp sea salt
Optional: 2 small zucchini, cubed (about 2 cups)

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in one tablespoon of olive oil for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Then add the ground beef (or turkey) and sprinkle with one teaspoon sea salt. Continue to cook until meat is cooked through.
Add the meat mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Then add all of the remaining ingredients, except the zucchini. Stir well to combine.
Cover and cook on High for 5-6 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Be sure to add the cubed zucchini during the last hour of cook time, if using.
When ready, remove bay leaf and re-season to taste with additional chili powder and salt. Top with diced avocado and sliced green onions. (P.S. If you're not doing Whole30, I recommend a side of warm grain-free “corn”bread muffins. YUM!)

Notes

Time-Saving Tip: Sauteeing the onion and ground meat together prior to slow cooking increases the chili's depth of flavor. To make it quicker to put this recipe together, you can do this step ahead of time and keep the meat in the fridge (up to 3 days) or freezer (up to a month) until you're ready to make this recipe.

https://thenourishinghome.com/2015/02/bean-free-slow-cooker-sweet-potato-chili/

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