Atkins and Paleo Challenge Box Set (10 in 1): Over 400 Atkins and Paleo Recipes With Pressure, Slow Cooker and Cast Iron for Busy People (Atkins Diet & Paleo Recipes) (59 page)

Every time I read a menu, the first one that I will look for is if they have tomato soup. I love the flavor and the combination of spices with the sweetness of the actual tomato. I tried several times to make one in my own kitchen, but for one reason or another, I still cannot get it right. Finally, I discovered what I was doing wrong; I lost the flavors because it evaporates in the uncovered saucepan. When I tried to cook the soup in my slow cooker, it was a success.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 28 oz tomatoes, crushed
  
• 4 cups vegetable broth
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 1 tsp oregano
  
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Put into slow cooker pot, tomatoes, broth, and oregano, mix until well combined
   
2. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low
   
3. Pour soup into strain and pour again into slow cooker
   
4. Add butter and cream
   
5. Stir again
   
6. Serve
   

I found a sneaky way to introduce broccoli to the dishes that I prepare. The creaminess of the cheese can hide the familiar taste of broccoli. I got this idea when I was sharing a lunch table with some of my friends who had kids of their own. I tried the soup, and true enough the cheese is enough to cover the taste of the vegetable, but since I knew it was there, I could still taste hints of it.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 20 oz broccoli
  
• 12 oz evaporated milk
  
• 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
  
• 32 oz vegetable broth
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 1 cup water
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Put onion in skillet and cook for 5 minutes until clear
   
2. Put into slow cooker
   
3. Add broccoli, broth, salt, pepper and water
   
4. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low
   
5. Remove cover and add cheese and milk
   
6. Mix until well combined
   
7. Cover and cook again for 30 more minutes
   
8. Serve
   

This is another favorite comfort food that I prepare for lazy weekends. Whenever I want something filling, but still healthy, this is my go-to dish. I served this one during a block party, and my neighbors asked for the recipe. They were surprised at how simple it was, and they were even more encouraged to try it when I told that I only used a slow cooker to make it.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes
  
• 15 oz black beans, drained
  
• 2 cups vegetable stock
  
• 1 onion
  
• 16 oz salsa
  
• 2 cups water
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Clean the potatoes by scrubbing in running water
   
2. Chop into bite sized pieces and add to slow cooker pot
   
3. Dice potatoes and add to pot
   
4. Pour beans, salsa, and stock
   
5. Stir until well combined
   
6. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low
   
7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
   
8. Serve
   

In this chapter, you will learn the recipes for:

• Mashed potatoes
  
• Quinoa
  
• Apple oatmeal
  
• Breakfast pie
  
• Applesauce
  
• Acorn squash
  
• Baby potatoes
  
• Fruit compote
  
• Artichoke dip
  
• Plum butter
  

This recipe is one of the most versatile in my repertoire. I have tried preparing mashed potato dishes in several ways and by far the slow cooker produced the best results. Slow cooker results are said to be the best in keeping much of the flavor intact, and it works even for mashed potatoes. I always use this recipe for special occasions, like Thanksgiving as it is the perfect pair to main courses.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs potatoes
  
• ¼ cup cream cheese
  
• ¼ cup chives
  
• ¼ cup chicken broth, gluten free
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks
   
2. Put in slow cooker pot
   
3. Pour water until potatoes are covered
   
4. Cover and cook for 4 hours on high
   
5. Drain potatoes and put again into the pot
   
6. Pour the broth, cheese and sprinkle with salt and pepper
   
7. Use a mixer and pulse until mashed potato achieves preferred texture
   
8. Garnish with chives
   
9. Serve
   

This wonder ingredient is becoming more popular than ever, and it is the perfect addition to any breakfast. The challenge is that quinoa takes the time to prepare. Slow cookers are my best solution to avoid the effort it takes to prepare quinoa but still enjoy it. The secret is to use quinoa with other ingredients. I tried quinoa as the sole ingredient on my slow cooker, and the result was terrible. When I added oats, it came out great in the morning and right in time for breakfast.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• ½ cup quinoa
  
• 1 ½ cup steel cut oats
  
• 4 and ½ cup water
  
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
  
• 1 and ½ tsp vanilla extract
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  

Instructions:

1. Spray the pot with non-stick cooking spray
   
2. Prepare quinoa by rinsing with a strainer
   
3. Put together in oats, quinoa, maple syrup, water and vanilla extract
   
4. Pour water and mix until well combined
   
5. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low
   
6. Pour quinoa into bowls
   
7. Add preferred fruits on side
   
8. Serve
   

Fruits will always have a place in my breakfast meals, and this recipe will give you a wide range of choices based on your preferred fruit. Apples are used in this recipe, but you can change it to any fruit that you like. It has become my habit to prepare my breakfast for the next day before I sleep. This way, I do not have to resort to skipping breakfast because of not having enough time to prepare. The slow cooker is the best match for this habit because I can set is so that as soon as I wake up, the breakfast is waiting for me.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 apples
  
• 1 cups steel cut oats, gluten free
  
• 4 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  
• 1 tsp coconut oil
  

2 tbsp honey

Instructions:

1. Core and chop apples and put in slow cooker
   
2. Add oats, honey, and coconut oil
   
3. Pour milk and mix until well combined
   
4. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low
   
5. To reheat, add almond milk and put in microwave
   
6. Serve
   

I keep this recipe in serve for nights when I know that the next day will be a very long one. It is a complete meal, filling, hearty, and comforting. Plus, if you are in a hurry, you can easily pack it and have it to go. I call this a breakfast pie even if it does not have the crust that most pies have. Instead, the result of this recipe looks like the filling of your usual breakfast pie. It has everything you are looking for in breakfast, sausage, eggs and spices.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sausage, shredded
  
• 8 eggs
  
• 1 sweet potato, shredded
  
• 1 onion
  
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Grease the pot with coconut oil or spray with cooking spray
   
2. Peel potato and shred, use a shredder or a grater as needed, add to crock pot
   
3. Shred the sausage and add into crock pot
   
4. Whisk eggs and pour into crock pot
   
5. Dice onion and add to crock pot
   
6. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste
   
7. Use a spoon and mix until well combined
   
8. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low
   
9. Remove from pot and put in flat surface
   
10. Slice into preferred number of slices
    
11. Serve
    

I recently had a bad case of indigestion, and it was so bad that I had to go to the doctor for a check-up. My doctor said that while my digestive system tries to recover itself, I needed to keep my nutrient levels up through food that is easy to digest. Applesauce was the first that came to my mind when I heard the words easy to digest. Since I was working too, applesauce was also perfect because I can put it in a bag or a jar and have it ready to go to work. As an added bonus, every time I cook this recipe my entire home and the pantry when I am at work is filled with this comforting aroma.

Servings: 1 jar

Ingredients:

• 10 apples
  
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• ¼ cup apple juice
  

Instructions:

1. Peel, core and cut the apples into large pieces
   
2. Arrange the apple pieces into the bottom of the slow cooker pot
   
3. Pour apple juice and lemon juice
   
4. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low
   
5. Remove the cover and stir
   
6. Cover and cook for another 2 hours for a total of 8 hours
   
7. Remove the contents and pour into blender
   
8. Pulse until preferred consistency is achieved
   
9. Store in jar
   
10. Serve warm or cold
    

Acorn squash is one of the less popular kinds of squashes, but for some reason, it is my most favorite, maybe it has something to do with the sweetness of its flavor. Because of this preference, I make it the squash of choice every time I have a recipe that needs squash. For example, during Thanksgiving, I used acorn squash as my main ingredient, and everybody really liked it because it was neither their usual butternut nor pumpkin. From that time on, I have been using acorn squash every time I get the opportunity.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 acorn squash
  
• ½ tbsp honey
  
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• 4 tsp cinnamon
  

Instructions:

1. Put corn in microwave and heat for half a minute, this makes the skin softer and easier to cut
   
2. Cut acorn squash into 4 quarters
   
3. Put in a bowl, honey, butter, and cinnamon, mix until well combined
   
4. Scoop honey mixture and spread evenly into all acorn squash slices
   
5. Arrange slices into slow cooker pot
   
6. Cover and cook for 3 hours on low
   
7. Serve
   

If there is one side dish that is best made using the slow cooker, then it is baby potatoes. Since they are so small, it takes great care in keeping the flavors intact. I remember the first time I cooked baby potatoes. I used a stovetop and a non-stick skillet. When I saw that the skin was getting burnt, I removed it from the heat and thought that it was cooked already. When I bit into it, I was surprised by a hard and uncooked core. It was hit and miss after that, sometimes I cook it just right, but most of the time, it was always undercooked. My solution is, of course, the slow cooker, the baby potato skin will not get burned, but will still be cooked enough so that the core will be soft and edible.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb dutch potatoes
  
• 1 tsp dill
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 tsp dried parsley
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Clean the potatoes with running water and dry with a paper towel
   
2. Put potatoes in a bowl and add dill, oil and salt and pepper
   
3. Toss until well combined
   
4. Put potatoes in slow cooker
   
5. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low
   
6. Sprinkle with parsley
   
7. Serve