When Anna Zulaica sent me her latest cookbook: The Low-GI Slow Cooker: Delicious & Easy Dishes Made Healthy WithThe Glycemic Index by herself, Dr. Mariza Snyder and Dr. Laruen Clum, I was very excited. I absolutely LOVE my crockpot and am always looking for tasty dishes that are heart-healthy, easy, and not a waistline breaker.

The recipes in this book are delicious! The meats come out juicy (not dried out like crockpots can sometimes do). The ingredients are items you have in your kitchen at most times. Very common ingredients. And the prep work for the recipes is FAST! I like it when you read the crockpot recipe and all you have to do is marinate a protein or cut up some veggies, throw everything into the slow cooker, and press start. Many of the recipes in The Low-GI Slow Cooker cookbook do not have you cooking extra things on the stove top. This is a PLUS for the working parents who don’t have a lot of time for extra prep-work and dishes!
Another fantastic bonus about the book is many of the recipes are lower in fat and sodium. For example, the authors provide tips throughout the book such as how to reduce sodium by rinsing canned beans or how to lower fat by trimming meats.

In addition, the book is written to promote low glycemic carbohydrates. The book offers a detailed explanation of what the low glycemix index means (less than 55 on the scale) and which foods get these scores such as carrots, beans, whole grains, potatoes, squash, and more. The cookbook advocates using many whole foods that fill you up, make you feel full, and are super healthy for you.

I made the following 5 recipes so far from the book and all were magnificent!

Balsamic Glazed Chicken

First dish: Mustard Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Butternut Squash. It was a hit! Low fat, fast, and flavorful.

 

 

 

 

 

Saag Paneer

We had an Indian fiesta last night! I made the Saag Paneer (Spinach with Cheese) and it was absolutely incredible! So flavorful and delicious! We were blown away.

 

 

 

 

 

Tandoori Chicken

We also had the Tandoori Chicken that was extremely moist. I marinated this for 4 hours prior to cooking it. It came out superb.  This dish is very low in fat & high in protein because you use Greek Yogurt for the marinade!

 

 

 

 

Meatball Soup

Albondigas Soup was fabulous. I used 93% fat free ground beef and added in some red chili flakes for extra spice!

 

 

 

 

 

Beef Short Ribs

Last of all, we tried the Braised Beef Short Ribs. I just had to try another meat dish to make sure the meat would come out juicy and delicious. It did. This dish only has 12 grams of fat! The meat FELL off the bone and was exquisite! We ate this with steamed green beans and a salad.

 

I highly recommend The Low-GI Slow Cooker: Delicious & Easy Dishes Made Healthy WithThe Glycemic Index by Dr. Mariza Snyder, Dr. Laruen Clum and Anna V. Zulaica. Perfect for the busy family. The book is complete with easy clean-up, quick prep, and tasty dishes.

What recipe are you going to try this week?

By Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN