Restaurant Recipe Reviews

Are you committed to a low-glycemic diet this year? Have you had just about all you can take of salads and celery sticks and munching on a handful of nuts? Even a couple weeks of a restricted diet can seem like an eternity, especially when you are a die-hard crock pot fanatic.

That was my dilemma this year when I made my New Year’s resolution. Okay, I’m on my diet, but do I have to give up my crock pot? No siree! Here are a few recipes that I’ve tried out on my family with great results, and with my diet intact!

Ginger Beef and Snow Peas

You’ll need about a 2 1/2 lb. boneless Round Steak, cut into 4 pieces. Place the pieces in your crock pot. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of soy sauce, about 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced, and 2 tablespoons canola oil. Pour your mixture over the steak and put on the crock pot cover. Cook this on low for about 6 hours. Give the meat the fork-test to see if it’s nice and tender. If not, let it go a bit longer. Then serve alongside hot, cooked snow peas tossed with sauted mushrooms for a perfectly delicious Asian inspired meal.

Simple Split Pea Soup

For a simple soup, throw a 1 lb. bag of split peas into your crock pot along with 2 lbs. of boiled ham, diced up, 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated, 1 medium onion, diced pretty small, 3 ribs celery, finely diced, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 7 cups fresh cold water, and 5 chicken bouillion cubes. Set your crock pot to low and let cook for 6 to 7 hours. You may want to BRIEFLY lift the lid on this to give it a stir 2 or 3 times during the cooking time as the split peas will tend to settle.

3 Bean n’ Beef Chili

You’ll need 2 lbs. of lean ground beef, browned and drained of any excess fat. As the meat browns, dice 2 medium onions, 1 green pepper, 2 ribs of celery, and mince or grate 3 cloves of garlic and add it all to the crock pot. Add 2 (16 ounce size) cans of diced tomatoes to crock pot. Then, drain and add 2 cans of garbanzo beans, 1 can of butter beans, and 1 can of black beans. Next, add a 15 ounce can of chicken broth, 3 teaspoons chili powder (you can always add more if you’d like), 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the browned ground beef and stir into mixture gently. Cover and let cook on LOW for about 6 hours. Top each serving with a drop of low fat yogurt mixed with fresh chives. Garnish with other diet-friendly foods if you’d like.

Diet-friendly recipes and crock pots can get along. Even though it may be difficult at first to come up with recipes for your crock pot that are suitable for your low-glycemic diet, it is not impossible. With just a couple recipes that are tried and true, you will not only be able to stick to your diet, but the whole family will eat healthy, and hearty, too! You and your family no longer have to eat separate meals while you’re dieting. Start off with these simple recipes and see if your family won’t ask for more! Keep up the good work!

When you are following a low glycemic meal plan, your crockpot can actually be one of your best alleys. It makes preparing meals both you and your family can enjoy easy and it doesn’t take much time at all to pull together a few extra side dishes for your loved ones. Everyone’s happy and you didn’t spend hours slaving over different meals to please everyone. Pull out your crockpot and stick to your diet.

Start saving time and money today with crockpot cooking. Grab a stack of Crock Pot Recipes and let’s begin!