Frozen meals ready to go into a slow cooker

So, I've found some recipes on Pinterest that I'm trying. Today I hit the grocery store and then prepared a bunch (ok - five) bags of meals to go in the freezer. When I am ready, we'll just pull them out of the freezer, leave them in the fridge overnight, and then slow cook them while I'm at work the next day.  Chop the veggies and put them in a freezer bag, then add the meat and the sauce ingredients. Seal, pushing the air out, and freeze flat.  Here's what I prepped:

1 bag of Teriyaki Chicken:

1/2 bag baby carrots
1 red onion, cut into large chunks
1 20-oz can of pineapple, undrained
2 garlic cloves
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

The directions say to add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to the mixture on the day that you cook, then cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

2 bags of Healthy BBQ Chicken:

2 green peppers, cut into slices and split between the two bags
1 red pepper, cut into slices and split between the two bags
1 zucchini chopped and split between the two bags
3 onions chopped and split between the two bags
4 garlic cloves chopped and split between the two bags (or about 1 Tbsp of minced from a jar in each bag)
4 chicken breasts split between the two bags
1/2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca per bag
1 15-oz can of tomato sauce split between bags
1 Tbsp of splenda per bag
1 Tbsp worcestershire per bag
1 Tbsp mustard per bag
1/4 tsp salt per bag.

Cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours.

2 bags of Beef Stew:

1 green pepper chopped and split between the two bags
2 onions chopped and split between the two bags
2 carrots chopped and split between the two bags
2 chopped garlic cloves per bag
3 pounds of beef stew meat split between the bags
1 6-oz can tomato paste per bag
2 tsp paprika per bag
1/4 tsp black pepper per bag

Cook on high 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  If you want to make this into goulash, add 1/2 cup sour cream to the slow cooker about 10 minutes prior to serving.

I'll let you know how they turn out - or you tell me!

Stuffed Peppers

This is one of several stuffed pepper recipes we've tried. Honestly, it's not the best of them, although that might be my fault. I will type the recipe below as it was in the book, but I substituted ground turkey for ground beef and turkey bacon for bacon.  The peppers were a little dry (the traditional tomato sauce contains a lot of sugar, believe it or not and so isn't included in this recipe), but Robert thinks the dryness could be attributed to the ground turkey (to make matters worse, I used ground turkey breast instead of regular ground turkey, which is only about 1% fat, and therefore innately dry.  I also microwaved the peppers to partially cook them first instead of boiling them (as the recipe states).

The meat also seemed to get more flavor from the green peppers than the red, but I'm not sure if that is typical or not.

Anyhow, here's the recipe from Idiot's Guide, but with my adaptations noted...

Stuffed Green Peppers


4 green or red bell peppers or a combination
2 slices (turkey) bacon, diced
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey or ground turkey breast)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried basil

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut a slice from the top of each pepper and remove seeds and membrane.  Put peppers in a microwave safe casserole with some water in the bottom. Microwave for 5 minutes on high.

3.  In a heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon and add butter, onion, and celery and saute until tender.  Remove mixture and set aside. Brown and drain ground beef (or ground turkey). Add vegetable mixture and bacon back into the skillet and set off heat. Stir in eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil.

4. Fill pepper shells with meat mixture, and place in a greased baking dish. Pour hot water to a depth of 1/4 inch around the peppers. Bake 30 minutes.

The past couple of days

I have been negligent about posting recipes/menus for the past couple of days.  Wednesday evening, I was out for a meeting, so Robert and the kids did an easy meal - chili cheese dogs, tater tots, and salad.  Before you say "That doesn't sound like it's on your new diet,"let me say that tater tots, when eaten in the right proportion, can be a reasonable number of carbs. The key is serving size - 9 tots is a serving. That is about 20 grams of carbs, which is reasonable.  We also use whole wheat hot dog buns (also about 20 grams of carbs per bun), and we eat either turkey dogs or Hebrew National 97% fat free beef dogs. So, while not our healthiest meal option we have found a way to keep chili cheese dogs on the menu. :-)

Thursday evening we had another easy meal - we had blackened salmon, roasted asparagus, and tossed salad.  Well, that was the plan. And then as I was getting dinner on the table, I realized our carb count was actually going to be *too* low for dinner (we try very hard to keep the carb level the same at every meal, and this is necessary for Robert's meds).  So, I quickly made some couscous to go with the meal. (Boil some water with a tsp of olive oil, put in the couscous, cover and remove from the heat - let stand for covered for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and serve. Easy.)  The blackened salmon is frozen and just needs to be thawed, baked for 15-20 minutes, and served. I love that. Also, good and healthy protein and very low in carbs.

The asparagus is a standby for us:

Oven-roasted asparagus


A bunch of asparagus
olive oil
salt
pepper
(other spices as desired - garlic or garlic powder is a good option here)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Break off tough ends of asparagus as far down as stalks snap easily.  Wash asparagus and spread in single layer on foil-lined pan.

2. Drizzle with 1-2 tsp olive oil and salt and pepper (and other herbs if desired).  Toss to coat evenly.

3. Roast 10-15 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.

4. If desired, sprinkle with parmesan cheese or sliced almonds to serve

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Friday we had one of our favorite meals - Asian steak salad.  The recipe that we found calls for bottled salad dressing, but I make my own - then I can control the sugar (we use Splenda) and salt in the dressing (and the rest of the dish).  The great thing about this meal is that it's quick and easy and only one bowl.  We also buy bagged lettuce and shredded carrots - this cuts back on the time for chopping and makes this meal even quicker.

Asian Steak Salad


1 lb beef strips for stirfry
1 package Oriental-flavor ramen noodle mix
1/2 cup Asian marinade and dressing (see recipe below)
1 bag (10 oz) romaine and leaf lettuce mix
4 oz fresh snow pea pods (I chop these into thin strips)
1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots

1. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; sprinkle with 1 tsp seasoning mix from soup mix (discard the remaining mix). Cook beef 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown.  Stir in 1 Tbsp of the dressing.

2.  Break block of noodles from soup mix into small pieces. In large bowl, mix noodles, lettuce, pea pods, carrots (and other veggies if you are so inclined - cucumbers, radishes, bell pepper). Add dressing to taste - toss until well coated.

3. Divide mixture among individual serving plates. Top with beef strips.

Asian dressing

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
up to 2 Tbsp Splenda (or sugar) - the recipe calls for 2 Tbsp, but I find 1 Tbsp sufficient
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients and mix well.

Slow cooker pot roast

How do we manage to cook healthy meals? Once or twice per week we use the slow cooker. I love doing this one weekend day - that way if we are out doing something fun, there is still a great meal waiting for us when we get back. And if we don't go anywhere, then it lets us have a lazy relaxed day.  Our Sunday meal this week was pot roast, baked zucchini, and salad.  The pot roast is actually a great weekday meal, because it only takes about 5 minutes to get things prepped and into the slow cooker.

Both recipes from DH.

Slow-cooker Mediterranean Pot Roast


3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2.5 lb boneless top round steak or boneless chuck roast, all visible fat discarded
28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1. Sprinkle the garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes over both sides of the meat.

2. Pour 1 cup crushed tomatoes into the slow cooker. Place the meat on the sauce. Pour another 1/2 cup of sauce over the meat. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is fork tender. Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.  To serve, thinly slice the meat against the grain and top with some sauce.

(Serving suggestion - we don't do pasta, but this sauce would be great over whole wheat pasta.)

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Mediterranean  Zucchini


2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
1/2 tsp driend oregano, crumbled
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Place the zucchini with the cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1/2 tsp of oil over each half.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the Parmesan. Sprinkle over the zucchini.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or just until tender. Remove from oven.

5. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

YUMMY!!!!!!