The crock pot is an essential cooking appliance for anyone who leads a busy lifestyle. Crock pot meals are simple to prepare before work and school, and cook while you are away. They provide hot, ready to eat meals when you return home at the end of the day. If you follow a low-sodium diet, numerous crock pot meals can provide nutrition without adding unnecessary salt.
Garbanzo and Eggplant Stew
Garbanzos, also known as chickpeas, provide protein and dietary fiber in this thick, hearty stew. Peel and cube a large eggplant and place the cubes in a crock pot. Pour in 3 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth and 2 cups of dried garbanzos. Add sliced baby portobello mushrooms, diced onion and sliced red bell peppers. Season with minced garlic, basil, black pepper and dried oregano. These herbs and spices provide flavor without adding sodium to this dish. Cook the stew on low heat for seven to eight hours.
Turkish Lamb Stew
Lean, boneless leg of lamb serves as the main ingredient of this stew, and provides nutrients such as protein, zinc and vitamin B-12. Cut lamb into 1-inch pieces, brown in a skillet with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and transfer to a crock pot. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil, four minced garlic cloves and 1 cup of sliced onion to the same skillet. Saute for two minutes and transfer to your crock pot. Add a 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes, 1 cup of sliced zucchini, 2 cups of cubed potatoes and 2 cups of peeled, cubed eggplant. Season with black pepper, four bay leaves and dried oregano, suggests Lynn Alley, author of "The Gourmet Slow Cooker." Cook on the high setting for four hours or until the lamb is tender. Remove the bay leaves and garnish with parsley.
Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
Black bean soup is a hearty choice, particularly on cold winter nights. Seasoning this soup with minced garlic, ground cayenne pepper, cumin and cilantro eliminates the need for added salt. Soak 2 cups of dried black beans in water at room temperature for 24 hours. Add to a crock pot with 4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth, diced red onion, cubed red and yellow bell peppers and fresh, diced tomato. Add spices, except for cilantro, and cook on the low setting for six hours or until the beans are tender. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro. If you prefer a spicier soup, add 3 tbsp. juice from a jar of pickled jalapeno peppers before cooking.
Corn Chowder
Add eight peeled, cubed red potatoes and 4 cups of frozen corn kernels to a crock pot. Stir in 4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth and add a diced green bell pepper, a 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes, 2 tbsp. of cornstarch, a diced red onion and four sliced stalks of fresh celery. Stir in ground cayenne, chili powder, white pepper and cumin to taste. Cook on low for six hours. Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.
References
- "Very Vegetarian"; Jannequin Bennett; 2001
- "The Gourmet Slow Cooker"; Lynn Alley; 2003
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