Fast Healthy Recipes for a busy family...?

Question

My husband and I are newly weds, and I used to cook everynight. I currenly took on a good job, but it keeps me really busy. Along with my other commitment such as the gym 3 nights a week. Ordering out became a habit, but weight gain quickly followed for both my husband and I. I would love to get back into cooking nightly, but with work and the gym it has been very hard. Mon, Wed, and Fri I am home by 7pm, and Tues, Thurs I am home by 5pm... So for the nights I am home at 7, I need some fast healthy recipes! (Something I could put in the slow cooker all day would be nice, so we could eat as soon as I got home) FYI - My husband isn't a salad person, otherwise this would be easy!! lol...

Answer 1

Slow Cooker Pork Roast and Vegetables
INGREDIENTS:
3 lb. boneless pork sirloin roast
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 acorn squash
4 sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup apple butter
3 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. pepper
PREPARATION:
Heat oil in a heavy skillet and cook pork roast until browned on all sides, turning occasionally. This should take about 10 minutes. While that's cooking, cut each acorn squash into 8 wedges and remove seeds. Do not peel. Cut sweet potatoes into chunks. Place squash and sweet potatoes in 4-6 quart slow cooker. Top with browned pork roast.
In a small bowl, mix together apple butter, horseradish, cornstarch, allspice, and pepper. Pour into slow cooker.

Cover crockpot and cook on low for 7-9 hours until pork and vegetables are tender. 8 servings

ROB'S
VEGGIE CHILI
Olive oil
1-2 large yellow onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced fairly large
1 green pepper, diced fairly large
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 T. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne (or to your taste)
1 package frozen corn
2 cans black beans (or any other kind of beans you like - chickpeas work well too)
1-1.5 C. picante sauce (Shotgun Willie's green sauce -- very hot -- works well)
Salt to taste
Grated cheddar, if desired
Cashew nuts, if desired

Saute onions in the olive oil. Add garlic a bit later. After onion and garlic are have turned golden brown, add cumin, cayenne, and whatever other spices you might like. Fry for a couple of minutes.

Next, add the peppers, saute them for a few minutes. Put the crushed tomatoes, corn, beans and picante sauce into the crockpot, and add the onion mixture. Cook on low about 10 hours.

Serve with grated cheddar and cashew nuts, if desired.

CROCK
POT BARBEQUE CHICKEN
1 frying chicken , cut up (organic or free range if possible)
1 can tomato soup, condensed
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sweet basil
1/4 tsp. thyme

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

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CROCK POT CABBAGE ROLLS
12 large cabbage leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. leaf thyme
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Wash cabbage leaves. Boil 4 cups water. Turn off heat. Soak leaves in water for 5 minutes. Remove, drain and cool. Combine ground meat; rice, salt, pepper, thyme, nutmeg and cinnamon. Place 2 tablespoons meat mixture on each leaf and roll firmly. Stack in electric slow cooker. Combine tomato paste and water; pour over stuffed cabbage. Cover. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.

Southwest Steak and Beans

Cooking flank steak in your crockpot makes most tender, juicy, and flavorful meat. Make sure that you cut the meat against the grain for best results.
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lbs. flank steak
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. jar chunky salsa
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 cups hot cooked rice
PREPARATION:
Trim excess fat from steak. Place onions and garlic in bottom of 3-4 quart slow cooker and top with steak. Mix salsa, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper in small bowl and pour over meat. Top with drained black beans. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat from slow cooker and slice into thin strips against the grain. Turn heat to high and return beef to slow cooker along with sliced peppers. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, until peppers are tender. Serve with rice. 6 servings

Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Veggies Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
4 lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 lbs. small red potatoes, cut in half
16 oz. pkg. baby carrots
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
1 cup light sour cream
3 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
PREPARATION:
In 3-4 quart slow cooker, place potatoes, carrots and onion. Top with chicken. Pour chicken broth over all. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender. In small bowl, stir together light sour cream, flour, pepper, and thyme until well blended. Stir into mixture in crockpot and turn heat to high. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. 6 servings

Crockpot Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipes


This updated version of Italian sausage and peppers cooks in the crockpot.
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs. sweet or hot Italian turkey sausage
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into 2" pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2" pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2" pieces
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine or water
1 Tbsp. dried parsley leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
PREPARATION:
Cook turkey sausage in heavy skillet over medium heat until browned, turning occasionally. Layer half of the onions on bottom of 3-4 quart crockpot, then add half of the peppers. Add all of the browned turkey sausage, then the rest of the onions and peppers. Add bay leaves and garlic.
Combine diced undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, and red wine in small bowl and mix well to blend. Pour over mixture in crockpot. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.
One hour before mixture is done, mix together parsley, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. Add to crockpot and stir well. Cover and cook one more hour until sausage is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender. Serves 8

Three Bean Cassoulet.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dried lima beans
1 cup dried great Northern beans
1 cup dried garbanzo beans
4-1/2 cups water
16 oz. bag baby carrots
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1 bay leaf
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
PREPARATION:
Cover beans with cold water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain beans. Combine drained beans, 4-1/2 cups water, carrots, onion, garlic and seasonings except salt, tomatoes, and tomato paste in 3-1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker.
Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 8-9 hours or until beans and vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt, cover, and cook 1 hour longer on low. Remove bay leaf before serving. 4 servings.

ALSO CHECK OUT THIS WEB SITE.....I have never seen so many crock pot recipes!!!!

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Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Since you have so many crock pot suggestions let me suggest an alternative. Ground beef. It cooks quickly and can be added to anything. Choose a pasta and add the ground beef. To that you can add a veggie and pkg brown gravy ( use 3-4 so you won't have dry pasta). You can also buy Ragu brand double cheddar cheese (comes in bottle). You can add that instead of the gravy for a cheesy dish. All of these are like casseroles and only take a few minutes. Inside 20-30 minutes you can have a wholesome meal. Just add bread or salad. You already know about spaghetti ... You can cook ground beef and put it into a casserole dish and then layer on top of it instant mashed potatoes for shepherd's pie. Stick with ground beef it's the quickest. Keep mashed potatoes and rice on hand as it goes with everything. You don't have to be a gourmet to prepare wholesome satisfying meals.

Answer 4

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 5

For your busy life, throw pieces of beef/lamb/chicken into the slow cooker in the morning, add in carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and season with Lea & Perrin, pepper, salt and a little cornflour mixed with water to thicken the gravy. Serve with good old crusty bread.

You can alter the taste by using button mushrooms, capsicums and other vegetables. Sometimes, just frying the meat pieces or potatoes and browing them makes it a little tastier. As food in a slow cooker will sort of look the same, experimenting with different ingredients will at least give you and your husband something to look forward to after a long day at work! Good luck!

Answer 6

I agree the crock pit is the answer to everyone who works and still wants a healthy meal.Why not spend sunday doing a variety of meals and labeling them and put in fridge?Like lasgna veggie lasgna ...chili etc?
I would cook a roast on sunday and make veggie soup with it and then make carrots potatos one night and then use the rest for beef barbq one night. with baked potatos and green beans.
We are big on soups so i tend to make a bunch ..
heres some healthy recipes from crockpot.com
http://www.crockpot.com/recipescat.aspx?catid=6

Answer 7

Chicken BBQ's
Cook chicken in slow cooker 2/3 hours or low all day while you are gone.
Get a bottle of your Fav BBQ sauce
Shred the chicken put it in a pan with the BBQ sauce
Put it on a bun ..Yummy.
Fix some fries or tator tots on th side.

Answer 8

check out foodnetwork.com for racheal ray's 30 minute meals and quick fix meals and semi-homemade and you can always cook your meat and rice the nite before and use those those glad steaming bags in the microwave for your veggies

Answer 9

Eating healthily requires committment and some basic tools. First of all, think about taking one day a week to make some things you can put in the freezer to pull out during the week. Secondly, have on hand fresh veges and fruits to round out your meals. Third, invest in a good crock pot and some lean cuts of meat and poultry. Fourth, enjoy wild caught fish! It cooks up quickly and has plenty of the vitamins and minerals you need. Fifth, take time to enjoy your meals when you finally can sit down with them.....helps you relax and shift gears. Here are some ideas:

1. Crockpot Pork Roast: 1 3 lb. pork roast, 1 large jar saurkraut, 1 granny smith apple (chopped), 1/2 yellow onion (peeled and sliced into rings), 3 T brown sugar. Saute onion and apple in a little olive oil until translucent and tender. Mix in saurkraut and brown sugar. Salt and pepper porkroast and place in crockpot. Top with saurkraut mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots with ginger.
2. Fish florentine: Take your favorite fish, such as snapper or sole and rinse well. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice. In skillet, place 2 tsp olive or vegetable oil and heat. Add 2 cloves garlic (minced) and sautee. Add one package pre-washed baby spinach and cook until wilted and tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and add fish. Brown on both sides and then add a dash of wine to "poach". Place fish on top of spinach and serve. This is good with wild rice pilaf.
3. Lasagne: 12 lasagne noodles, cooked according to package directions, 2 lbs. lean, hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed, 1/2 yellow onion, diced, 1 28 oz can tomato sauce, 1 15 oz can diced tomatos, 1 tsp fresh ground pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil. 1 package reduced fat Italian blend cheese, 1 16 oz container low fat Velveeta cheese, 3 T dried Italian herbs. Saute sausage and onion until cooked thru and crumbly. Drain. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatos, pepper, olive oil and spices. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cut Velveeta into 1/4 inch pieces. Layer noodles, sauce, velveeta, shredded cheese and repeat until you end with sauce and cheese. Cover and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with a packaged green salad with tomatoes and green onions. This freezes and defrosts well for a late night supper. Cut serving size pieces of the pasta and freeze in containers.

Answer 10

Rachel Rays 30 minute meals online or on t.v.

Answer 11

pork chop green beans squash meat pattie new potatotae green peas chile