fluffy, and
it’s a luxury to wake up to a hot low-carb breakfast that’s ready to eat. You
can also bake in your slow cooker. What? Yes, you really can, and I have
several recipes here that show you how to do just that … including a silky
low-carb cheesecake.
So, are you ready? Let’s take your slow cooker for a
ketogenic spin around the kitchen!
Chapter 2: Masterful Main
Dishes
Proteins are center stage with main dishes, and your slow
cooker will turn them out tender and succulent. Remember that you should be
using cuts of meat with more fat when you’re eating ketogenic. So, don’t do too
much trimming! You can substitute meats in most of these recipes as well. If
you’re using game meat, which tends to be lean, make sure to add some bacon,
full-fat buttermilk, or coconut oil (loaded with MCTs) to compensate for the
lower fat content of the meat itself.
Most meat looks better if it’s browned in a pan before slow
cooking. This is an appearance matter in most cases, so if you want to save
time you can skip that step. Adjust the spices to suit yourself, and feel free
to add in or substitute low-carb ingredients as you please. If you’re just
starting out with keto and on very limited carbs, check the nutrition breakdown
carefully because some recipes are a little higher in carbs than others.
There’s something for every palate here, from coconut-curry
beef to a low-carb crock-pot version of pizza.
Coconut-Curry
Beef
This dish is loaded with Thai flavors, and it’s delicious
served over cauliflower for tons of ketogenic energy. Look in the Asian foods
area for the Thai curry paste and fish sauce. Experiment with adding your own
favorite veggies like carrots or pea pods, add some jalapeno, or substitute
basil for the cilantro. Remember that adding higher carb vegetables with raise
the overall carb count!
Ingredients: [serves 6-8]
1 T. coconut oil
3-1/2 to 4 lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into 6 pieces
sea salt
1 15-oz. can regular full-fat coconut milk
2 T. green Thai curry paste
juice and zest from 1 lime
2 T. Thai fish sauce
2 T. brown sugar (or your preferred substitute)
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1" pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 T. minced fresh ginger
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
4 large scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges
Preparation:
Generously salt the meat, and then brown it on all sides
(in the coconut oil) to get a nice crust.
Put your browned meat in the slow cooker along with the
coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice and zest, fish sauce, brown sugar,
cumin, and red pepper flakes. Stir to mix well.
Add in the onion, bell peppers, garlic, ginger, and black
pepper. Stir to cover the vegetables with the milk mixture.
Set your slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours or low for
8-10.
Remove the beef and shred using two forks; then add it
back into the crock-pot.
Garnish with scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Nutritional Info Per
Serving
Calories
686
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Protein
46.5 g
Total Carbs
9.8 g
Total Fat
50.4 g
Lemon-Herb
Poached Salmon
The slow cooker is very kind to fish, getting it cooked all
the way through but never drying it out. This salmon will be finished in about
an hour, but it can be held on the warm setting for several hours longer
without a problem. You heat your liquids first before adding in the salmon in
this recipe for true poaching. You can easily substitute other fish and adjust
the spices to create your own version of this one. Because this poached salmon
is low in carbs and fat, you can indulge a bit with your sides and dessert!
Ingredients: [serves 4-6]
2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
5 or 6 sprigs fresh herbs, such