3 healthy recipes with meat to simmer

Slow cooker is not an option for today’s society, since most of us spend a lot of time busy, either with work or other types of activities that we have to do throughout the day. Therefore, not everyone has a lot of time to cook a meat dish in a short period of time.

Although cooking meat over low heat can be a disadvantage due to lack of time, it also has many benefits, such as bringing all the flavors together in a single dish, with a combination of fats, herbs and aromatic compounds.

Learn about 3 healthy recipes with meat to simmer .

3 healthy slow cooker meat recipes

1. Chicken cacciatore

This is a classic Italian-American meal. It’s an easy recipe that includes skinless chicken thighs, which provide healthy fats and 22 grams of protein per serving.

Remember to remove the skin from the chicken thighs, in this way the dish will not be very fat, making it healthier.

1.1 Ingredients

• 8 servings of thigh without skin.
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 slice, medium onion.
• 2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes.
• 1 medium green bell pepper and 1 medium red bell pepper.
• 2 raw Cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

1.2 Preparation

1. Season the chicken thighs with salt to your liking.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken.
3. Cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Don’t mash the chicken in the skillet; Brown in two batches if necessary.
4. Add the browned chicken to the slow cooker.
5. In the same skillet that you cooked the chicken, add the onions, lower the heat to medium, and sauté until the onions are soft, 5 to 8 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Season lightly with salt.
7. Add the onion and garlic to the slow cooker. Then add the tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes. Mix the ingredients well, so that the chicken is completely covered in tomatoes.
8. Cover and cook over high heat for 4 hours, or low heat for 8 hours.
9. For this recipe, if you leave the skin on the chicken thighs it tends to make the dish very greasy, therefore you have to remove it to make the dish healthier.

2. Chicken curry with coconut

This recipe uses a well-known flavor mixture worldwide, curry, a mixture of spices from India. It specifically has some spices such as turmeric, dried red chili peppers, coriander seeds, black pepper, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds, among many other species, without forgetting the special touch of coconut.

All these ingredients will give your food a touch of special flavor, in addition to helping you prevent cancer and protect you from Alzheimer’s. (Ringman et al., 2006).

2.1 Ingredients

• 8 raw chicken thighs, boneless and skinless.
• 1 and a half cups of uncooked rice.
• 1/2 cup green onion and 1 medium white onion.
• 1 and a half cups of coconut milk, canned.
• 2 tablespoons of curry powder, Jamaican style and 1 tablespoon of turmeric.
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar.
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of ground ginger and 1 tablespoon of bay leaf.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• 1/2 tablespoon of salt, iodized and 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper.

2.2 Preparation

1. Fillet the chicken thighs. Chop the green onion (after removing the stems); then chop the white onion and grate the ginger.
2. Place all the ingredients in a large freezer bag, mix and freeze until you are ready to start preparing food.
3. When you’re ready, take the bag out of the freezer overnight or soak it in warm water for 1 hour before adding it to the slow cooker.
4. Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and add 2 1/2 cups of water, coconut water, or chicken broth.
5. Cook over high heat for 4 to 5 hours.

3. Beef stew

Lean beef provides a large amount of protein, vitamin B12, and zinc. The vegetables that are added to the dish will add balance and a lot of flavor. Meanwhile, Worcester sauce and paprika give the stew a delicious sweet flavor.

Since many people don’t have the time, you can store the ingredients until they are ready to cook.

3.1 Ingredients

• 680 gram raw meat chuck.
• 3 medium raw carrots and 1 medium celery stalk.
• 3 sliced potatoes.
• 1/2 medium white onion.
• 1/3 cup of red wine.
• 1 tablespoon Worcester sauce.
• 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 of minced garlic, 1 of bay leaf and 1 of fresh thyme.
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 of iodized salt and 1/2 of black pepper.
• 1 and a half cups of beef broth.

3.2 Preparation

1. Prepare all vegetables and set aside; cut the carrots, chop the celery stalk and the potatoes into slices and cut the onion.
2. In a large freezer bag, add the meat and flour. Seal the bag and shake it until the flour covers all the meat.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients except the broth and freeze until ready to cook.
4. When ready, place the ingredients in a large bowl and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Pour the thawed contents into the slow cooker, add the broth, and cook over medium heat for at least 8 hours.

Conclution

These recipes made with meats are very easy and versatile, which you can make in less time than you have in mind. They are cooked over low heat, but they have a unique flavor and a level of nutrition that is right for you. You can make them in large quantities so you can eat them throughout the week.

References

• Ringman, J., Frautschy, A., Cole, G., Masterman, D. and Cummings, J. (2006). A Potential Role of the Curry Spice Curcumin in Alzheimer’s Disease. Curr Alzheimer Res. Doi: 1015974909
• Andie, H. Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes with Meat. For Livestrong [Reviewed March 2019].