This is another great authentic recipe that cooks all day in the crock pot – it turns out a fantastically tender and juicy meat that is easily shredded and tastes great with a bit of lime and avocado.

Easy Pork Carnitas

4 servings
208 calories per serving

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth
1 lime cut into wedges

Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub spice mix into the pork.. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and add the broth then put the pork on top. Cover and cook on low about 10 hours, turning half way through. Remove and let cool then use 2 forks to shred the meat. Use the left over liquid to moisten the meat. Plate and squirt each portion with a bit of lime just before serving. I like to serve this on a flour tortilla with some avocado slices (not included in calorie count above – add 210 calories for a flour tortilla and 2 -3 slices avocado)

This recipe was really interesting. Usually when you think of pulled pork, you expect a spicy Southwest flavor. But this one has an awesome Chinese sauce that is mellow and mild and is perfect with pulled pork.

Chinese Pulled Pork

8 servings
227 calories per serving

1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c hoisin sauce
3 T ketchup
3 T honey
2 t minced garlic
2 t grated fresh ginger
1 t dark sesame oil
1/2 t five-spice powder
2 lb. boneless pork roast, trimmed
1/2 c chicken broth

Mix soy, Hoisin, ketchup, honey, garlic, ginger, oil and five spice and place in a zip loc bag. Add roast and mush it around so the spice adheres to the roast. Place in refrigerator for 3 – 24 hours. When ready to cook, place in crock and cook on low 8 hours. Remove roast and cover to keep warm. Place broth in croc, re-cover and cook another 1./2 hour or until sauce thickens. Shred pork and serve with extra sauce.

If you do not have Chinese 5 spice, here’s a quick recipe so you can make it yourself:

Mix all of this in a spice grinder and then use the appropriate amount in your recipe:

1 T peppercorns
1 T cloves
1 t anise seed or 1 T star anise
1 T fennel seeds
1 T cinnamon

These are always a hit at parties and they take no time to prepare. Just keep them simmering in a crock all during the party and you’ll see that they disappear pretty quickly. I like to serve them for dinner sometimes – make a salad on the side and you don’t have to wait for a party to enjoy these little stars !

Cocktail Meatballs (Crock Pot)

6 servings
247 calories per serving (1 serving = 6 meatballs)

22 oz. frozen cocktail meatballs
2 cans fat free beef gravy (sometimes I use one that has onions in it)
salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder

Mix gravy and spices. Defrost meatballs in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. Place meatballs in the crock and pour over the gravy. Cover and cook on high until heated through (about one hour). Then move to the low heat setting and you can keep these going another 3 hours while people pick at them.

This is a great seafood stew full of flavor and body. If you have leftover bits of cooked fish. you only need to put them in the crock for 15 minutes or so to heat up. If you like it a bit spicier, add some hot sauce and you get a jambalaya tasting dish.

Seafood Stew (Crock Pot)

8 servings
215 calories per serving

2 c chopped onions
2 stalks celery finely chopped (about 1 c)
5 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
8 oz. clam juice
6 oz. tomato paste
½ c white wine or water
1 T red vinegar
1 T oil
½ t basil flakes
½ t parsley flakes
½ t onion powder
½ t garlic powder
½ t oregano flakes
¼ t sugar
¼ t red pepper flakes
1/2 t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 lb. firm white fish in 1 inch pieces
¾ lb shelled, cleaned shrimp, tailed removed
6.5 oz. can chopped clams and their juice
6 oz. can crabmeat (or fresh)
¼ c parsley, chopped

Combine onions, celery, garlic, tomatoes, clam juice, tomato paste, vinegar, spices, sugar, thyme, pepper flakes and bay leaf and mix well. Cover and cook on high 4 hours. Stir in fish, shrimp, clams and crab and reduce heat to low and cook 45- 1 hour minutes or until fish is done. Remove bay leaf before serving. Stir in parsley.

This is one of the most awesome chili recipes I have ever made ! The depth of flavor was amazing. This is a truly authentic, rich, aromatic and spicy chili that is just plain PERFECT. Don’t forget the squirt of lime just before serving – it actually makes a big difference in the total package.

Black Bean Chili (Crock Pot)

10 servings
280 calories per serving

1 lb. dried black beans, rinsed
1 T oil
1 T mustard seeds
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin seeds
1/2 t cardamom seeds (or ground cardamom)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
8 oz. jarred salsa verde (medium heat)
1/4 c water
4 c vegetable broth
6 oz. can tomato paste
½ t salt
2 T minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/4 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1/2 c low fat sour cream
1/2 c chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place beans in a bowl with 2 quarts of water and soak overnight. Mix oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom and place in a hot Dutch oven for 30 seconds to release more flavor then add in onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook 7 minutes then uncover and cook 15 minutes to lightly brown the veggies. Then add broth, tomato paste, salt and chipotles and mix. Place beans in a slow cooker and pour over the vegetable mix. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours. Place into bowls and garnish with sour cream and cilantro and squirt with lime.

The layer of pesto mixed with spinach and mushrooms adds an incredible layer of flavor and also bulks up the recipe with more nutrition. This is a FANTASTIC lasagna recipe – lots of cheese, lots of flavor and the perfect comfort food.

Pesto Lasagna (Crock Pot)

8 servings
395 calories per serving

4 c spinach, chopped coarsely
3 T water
2 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 c prepared low fat pesto
3/4 c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
3/4 c shredded provolone cheese
15 oz. fat free ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
25 oz. bottle marinara sauce
8 oz. tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
½ t garlic powder
Pam
9 oz. (12 noodles) no bake lasagna noodles
1/4 c packed basil leaves, chopped

Place spinach in a glass bowl with 3 T water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 3 minutes to wilt. Squeeze it dry in a colander then mix with mushrooms and pesto. Mix mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, ¼ c of parmesan and egg. Mix marinara sauce and tomato sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spray an oval crock pot with Pam. Place 1 c sauce in the bottom then place 3 noodles on top covering the bottom of the pan. Add 1 c of cheese and 1 c of spinach. Then start the layers again – - add sauce, noodles, then cheese and spinach. Finally end with a layer of noodles and spread the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with ½ c of parmesan and basil. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.

This tenderloin comes out juicy and tender after cooking all day. There is nothing quite as convenient as a crock pot ! The onion soup mix holds all the flavor you need to make this a family favorite.

Crock Pot Pork Loin

6 servings
291 calories per serving

2 lb. pork tenderloin
1 oz. envelope dry onion soup mix
1 c water
3/4 c red or white cooking wine
3 T garlic, minced
3 T soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Place meat in crock and sprinkle with the soup mix. Add water, wine and soy and turn the meat to coat it. Spread garlic on top of roast and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on high 4 hours or low 7-8 hours. If you like the top to be brown, broil for a few minutes before slicing.

I love being able to throw together a meal in the morning and not think about it again until it’s time to put it on the table. Chicken Marrakesh is a great dish with the subtle flavors of cuisine from Morocco.

Chicken Marrakesh (Crock Pot)

8 servings
290 calories per serving

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
15 oz. can chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground turmeric
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 t black pepper
2 t parsley flakes
Salt to taste
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

Place the onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, chick peas, and chicken into a slow cooker. Stir herbs into tomatoes then pour tomatoes over and stir well. Cover and cook on high 5 hours or low 8-9 hours.

Decadent tasting due to the creamy mushroom sauce, but low cal, low fat and a perfect weeknight dinner. This one gets filed with my ‘all time favs’ !

Porcupine Meatballs (Crock Pot)

5 servings
142 calories per serving

¾ lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 c skim milk
½ c raw long grain rice
1 onion, chopped
1 c breadcrumbs
¼ t pepper
½ pack of dry onion soup mix
1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup
½ c skim milk

Mix meat, 1 c milk, rice, onion, crumbs, soup mix, and pepper. Shape into meatballs and place in crock. Mix soup and ½ c milk and pour over the meatballs. Cover and cook on low 5 hours.

What a great goulash ! The caraway flavor is mild, yet it really steals the show and makes this a great tasting goulash.

Crock Pot Goulash

8 servings
181 calories per serving

2 lb. beef stew meat, trimmed and cubed
2 t caraway seeds
2 T paprika
1/4 t salt
Pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
14 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
14 oz. can beef broth
1 t Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 T cornstarch mixed with 3 T water
2 T chopped parsley
Pam

Place beef in the crock pot. Crush caraway seeds in an herb grinder or with the back of a heavy pot. Mix crushed seeds with paprika, salt and pepper and sprinkle on the meat pressing the spices into the meat so they stick. Add onion and pepper to a skillet sprayed with Pam and cook 5 minutes. Mix tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire and garlic and add to pan and bring to a simmer. Pour into the crock and then place the bay leaves on top of the meat. Cover and cook 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Discard the bay leaves and then add the cornstarch mix and cook on high 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with optional whole wheat egg noodles.