Association - American Heart Association healthy slow cooker cookbook: 200 low-fuss, good-for-you recipes

The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 8th Edition American Heart Association Quick & Easy Cookbook, 2nd Edition American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, 4th Edition American Heart Association Complete Guide to Womens Heart Health American Heart Association Healthy Family Meals American Heart Association No-Fad Diet, 2nd Edition American Heart Association Quick & Easy Meals American Heart Association Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook, 4th Edition American Heart Association Low-Calorie Cookbook American Heart Association One-Dish Meals Copyright 2012 by the American Heart Association
Photographs 2012 by Ben Fink All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com CLARKSON N. POTTER is a trademark and Potter and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Your contributions to the American Heart Association support research that helps make publications like this possible. For more information, call 1800-AHA-USA1 (18002428721) or contact us online at www.heart.org. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
American Heart Association healthy slow cooker cookbook.
Includes index.
1. 2. 2.

Low-cholesterol dietRecipes. 3. Salt-free dietRecipes. 4. Electric cooking, Slow. I.

American Heart Association. II. Title: Healthy slow cooker cookbook. III. Title: Slow cooker cookbook.
RM237.7.A47 2012
641.56384dc23 2012004813
ISBN 978-0-307-88802-0
eISBN: 978-0-307-88803-7 Photographs by Ben Fink v3.1

American Heart Association Consumer Publications DIRECTOR: Linda S. Ball
MANAGING EDITOR: Deborah A.

Renza
SENIOR EDITOR: Janice Roth Moss
SCIENCE EDITOR/WRITER: Jacqueline Fornerod Haigney
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Roberta Westcott Sullivan Recipe Developers
Ellen Boeke
Janice Cole
Constance Hay
Nancy S. Hughes
Annie King
Jackie Mills, M.S., R.D.
Kathryn Moore
Julie Shapero, R.D., L.D.
Roxanne Wyss Nutrition Analyst
Tammi Hancock, R.D.

As part of our ongoing mission to build healthier lives through healthy diet and lifestyle, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to help you eat wisely and live well. For decades, we have published a variety of best-selling cookbooks that show you how to prepare delicious food that is good for you, too. This latest addition to our library, American Heart Association Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook , demonstrates how you can use your slow cooker to serve healthy, sophisticated dishes that go far beyond the dump-and-go stereotype without spending hours in the kitchen. We know it can be a challenge to create appealing and wholesome meals every night.

The busier life gets, the more tempting it is to turn to convenience foods or to call for take-out. Yet studies show that preparing home-cooked meals is the best way to be sure you and your family are getting the nutrients you need. Cooking at home puts you in control of the foods you eat, so you can avoid the extra calories, sodium, added sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol that come with a regular diet of highly processed foods. You can rely on the American Heart Association to take the guesswork out of your meal planning so you can follow a balanced heart-healthy diet. The recipes and dietary information youll find in this book are based on practical and scientifically sound recommendations that come from our leading experts on good nutrition. Were also excited to show you how recipes for an old favoritethe dependable slow cookercan be revitalized and renewed to provide exceptionally healthy and tasty results.

This cookbook offers updated takes on classic family favorites such as . So go ahead and browse through the wide range of recipes in this brand-new cookbook from the American Heart Association. Once youve seen all the intriguing possibilities you can enjoy, we know youll want to go right to the cupboard, get out that slow cooker, and begin cooking. Rose Marie Robertson, M.D. Chief Science Officer, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

Slow cookers have been standard equipment in many American kitchens since the original avocado green and harvest gold models were introduced in the 1970s. For decades, cooks turned to their trusty slow cookers when preparing chilis, stews, soups, and hot dips, and the recipes they used usually included the canned soups, fatty meats, and melted cheeses that were so typical of those dishes.

These same ingredients, however, are also chock full of harmful sodium, saturated fats, cholesterol, and calories. Today we are looking for a fresh, healthier approach to slow cookingone that offers new options to create a full range of creative, delicious, and nutritious dishes that make it easy to follow a healthy diet. In American Heart Association Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook, youll find modern, health-savvy ways to use this popular culinary device. The long, slow simmering of slow cooking is ideal for transforming the leanest meats into tender bites, and it allows the savory flavors in vegetable-rich stews to blend and mellow. Your slow cooker is also capable of gently cooking fish and seafood, steaming breads and desserts, and simmering complex sauces that can make a simple dish outstanding and heart healthy. We understand that there are times when it makes sense to dump everything in the crock and leave it alone for hoursand other times when its important to take time to attend to a few details.

Prepping ingredients, browning meats, layering foods appropriately, preparing pasta or rice separatelythese small steps may take a little extra time or effort, but they can make a big difference in your final product, yielding richer flavor and better texture. With this cookbooks wide assortment of recipes from appetizers to desserts and everything in between, youll discover just how much your slow cooker can do. In the pages that follow, Enjoying the Benefits of Slow Cooking discusses the advantages of using a slow cooker for your health, your budget, and your convenience. Understanding How Slow Cookers Work explains the technical aspects of slow cooking and how the differences in sizes and shapes can affect the process. Getting the Best from Your Slow Cooker covers the basics of effective slow cookery. These tricks of the trade will help you deliver the best results for your culinary efforts.

In this section, youll also find general slow cooker guidelines and information on flavor development and food safety. Making Healthy Choices outlines how to eat wisely and how a slow cooker can help. And, finally, the 200 recipes starting demonstrate the wide variety of dishes you can cook in a slow cooker. The best way to ensure that healthy, mouthwatering food comes out of your cooker is to pay attention to the ingredients you put in it. When you start with lean proteins, wholesome grains, and vegetables and fruitswithout adding a lot of sodium, unhealthy fats, or sugaryou will enjoy both the health benefits and good flavor of the foods you prepare.