Crockpot + Dash Diet: 100 Easy Recipes for Healthy Eating, Healthy Living & Weight Loss

By Modern Kitchen

A crockpot is an electrical device with variable temperature settings which contains a heatproof (usually ceramic) dish inside an outer metallic casing. This dish is covered by a transparent lid and can be removed whenever required.

 

And;

 

The DASH diet is an important strategy for anyone who wants to lower their blood pressure and improve their overall health without dealing with risky medications and their side effects. This simple diet focuses on low-fat, low-cholesterol foods and natural ingredients, making it inexpensive and easy to follow. And you'll be surprised by how delicious heart healthy foods can be! If you've been warned about the possible dangers of high blood pressure and a normal North American diet, it's time to make some changes.

The recipes contained in this book don't encompass the entire range of DASH diet options, but they will give you an idea of how you can change your favorite foods to fit the diet plan. In general, they focus on reducing the fat, cholesterol and refined carbohydrates in a dish without losing out on flavor. If you've experienced too many flavorless health foods, these recipes could be the solution that you've been hoping for.

 

So what are you waiting for? Scroll up and 'Add to Cart' TODAY.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ND Publishing
• Release date: Jan 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201218430

Book preview

Crockpot + Dash Diet

Box Set

100 Easy Recipes for Healthy Eating, Healthy Living & Weight Loss

Modern Kitchen

Copyright © 2017 Modern Kitchen

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher.

All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

CROCKPOT

Introduction to Crockpot

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Snacks

Sweets

DASH DIET

Introduction to Dash Diet

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Snacks/Finger Food

Sweets

CROCKPOT

50 Easy Recipes for Healthy Eating, Healthy Living & Weight Loss

Modern Kitchen

Introduction to Crockpot

A crockpot is an electrical device with variable temperature settings which contains a heatproof (usually ceramic) dish inside an outer metallic casing. This dish is covered by a transparent lid and can be removed whenever required.

How a crockpot works

Using the lowest setting, it cooks food at an extremely low temperature so that it simmers very gently. This naturally takes more time than other methods of cooking. The heat is transferred from the sides of the device, so the pot needs to be half to three quarters full. You can also use a slow cooker to keep prepared food warm until you serve it.

Why you should use a crockpot

This is a very convenient appliance because you can put all the ingredients in the pot and leave them to cook for several hours, even overnight. Since the heat is low, there is hardly any chance that the food will get overcooked, dry out or burn.

How to choose a crockpot

Look for a crockpot with a removable pot. This will help you to clean the pot easily. Also, the device should have heating elements on the sides, not only in the bottom.

Cooking and connective tissue

One of the most common culinary myths is that ‘browning meat seals in its juices’ – this is wrong! Meat is like a sponge – the more you cook it, the more its fibers contract to squeeze out the juice. This happens even if the meat is browned first. But browning meat does have its benefits: it releases flavors and juices which can be made into a sauce. The point of cooking meat is to bring out its natural flavors and to tenderize it so it is soft enough to eat.

Hence, the more connective tissue in the meat, the longer the temperature must be maintained at 55° C. Therefore it’s crucial to know the amount of connective tissue when you’re cooking meat.

All cuts have connective tissue. Worked parts of the animal, i.e. tail, shin or shoulder, will have high levels of connective tissue and will need to be slow cooked for much longer. Lean cuts such as chops, steaks and fillets have low levels of connective tissue and so will require less time in the slow cooker.

Collagen is the most important type of connective tissue. It has a triple helix structure – three strands woven together like a rope. When collagen is subjected to high temperatures – 75° C or above – for extended periods of time, it unwinds into weaker single strands. The process of heating collagen for an extended period of time is called gelatinization: the act of turning collagen into gelatin.

Well and good, but aside from collagen, meat contains other muscle proteins that only require a lower temperature to cook and soften. Muscle fibers begin irreversibly contracting and changing shape once the temperature hits 40° C. As the temperature continues to rise, the fibrous proteins contract further, squeezing out juices and causing the meat to harden. The result is dry, shrunken meat. Even with leaner cuts, this happens at around 60° C – far lower than required to soften the connective tissue.

What’s the solution?

Cooking at a low temperature – and for a long, long time! I also recommend first brining your meat in salt water (30% salt). This causes the muscle fibers to swell and allows the meat to hold on to more of the juices when cooking.

The most important accessories for a crockpot are thermometers – your oven thermometer will tell you the actual temperature of your oven (not just the temperature it is set to) and a meat probe will tell you if the meat is undercooked, cooked or overcooked. These tools will make your slow cooking experience much better.

A crockpot is useful for both the accomplished home chef and the beginning cook. It can cook many kinds of food, from simple soup to beefsteak to cake. All of the recipes that use a crockpot require only a little preparation before putting the ingredients into the pot. After that, you can leave it unattended. You can go to work, play with the kids, have fun with friends, whatever you like. Once mealtime arrives, you just need to open the crockpot and voilà... the food welcomes you with its delicious aroma.

Benefits of Crockpot Cooking

Besides the time efficiency, a crockpot also provides healthier food. The mainly fresh ingredients used, combined with the slow cooking method over low heat, results in high-quality food as the nutrition and natural juices from meat and vegetables are retained. This is really good for your body, and for your children!

Another secret benefit of having a crockpot is that you will save big money. It’s always cheaper to assemble dinner for a family at home rather than eating out or ordering delivery from a restaurant. The price of restaurant food is usually two or three times the cost of its ingredients, so just imagine how many dollars you’ll save when home cooking is so much easier!

Crockpots are dead simple to use, and this book provides you with many delicious recipes that you can try in your own kitchen. Scrumptious Oxtail Soup and Veggies, Tomato Chicken with Brown Rice, Chocolate Fudge Cake Delight, Chinese Caramel Pork... Sounds good? Then what are you waiting for? Fire up your slow cooker and try a new recipe today!

Summary

Crockpot recipes may sound mysterious at first, but they are much easier than they appear. After reading the many crockpot recipes in this book you’ll have a very good idea of how it all works and what the equipment does.

Don’t be afraid to try substituting various ingredients in each recipe. The outcome will be positive as long as you have some basic knowledge of each ingredient. For example, the cooking time is different for different foods. Pay attention to things like that and your meals will come out beautifully.

Also, you can experiment with the differences between crockpots and pressure cookers. They produce similar results, but each of them has specific taste and texture characteristics. For example, chicken