Slow and Easy

No, I'm not describing myself in 3 words or less.

I'm talking about slow cookers -- the clean eating, busy person's best friend.

Throw the ingredients in a pot, turn it on, and go on your merry way. When it's time to go home, you don't have to stop and think, "okay, now what the H*ll am I going to have for dinner?". Dinner will be ready and waiting for you -- no muss, no fuss -- SWEET!

Slow cooking also makes it easier to cut fat by allowing you to cook with lean cuts of meat. Because they lack the fat to make them tender, some cuts like london broil, pork tenderloin, or sirloin can turn into shoe leather if not cooked properly. The moist heat of a slow cooker will tenderize them. Since slow cooked foods are steam braised it's not necessary to add additional fat or oil to make them tender --another great way to reduce calories.

And if you'd like to use your slow cooker for casseroles or stroganoff, you can reduce calories by using fat free sour cream or fat free half and half instead of the full fat counter parts. They have thickeners that can take the heat and cooking.

There are so many different dishes you can try, and it's a great way to take a little stress out of your life --wouldn't it be nice to be able to answer that "what's for dinner?" question without hesitation?

So, if you don't have a one of these little babies, I suggest getting one.

Here's a slow cooker recipe that I found:

Get Shredded -- Shredded Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 tsp barbecue spices seasonings

1lb lean pork tenderloin

2tsp canola oil

1 small onion, halved and sliced

1/2 cup canned nonfat chicken broth, reduced sodium

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup barbeque sauce

Salt and pepper to season

6 whole grain rolls

Instructions:

Rub barbeque spice over meat.

Over medium-high heat, heat 1tsp oil in a fry pan. Brown meat on all sides for about 2 minutes per side and place in a slow cooker.

Pour grease off pan and add remaining oil. Add onions and saute' until soft, approximately 5 minutes, turning often. Add chicken broth to pan and using wooden spoon, scrape up bits from the bottom of the pan.

Pour broth over pork in the crock pot. Add tomatoes and barbecue sauce over pork. Cook for 8 hours on a low setting.

Remove pork from crock. Let cool for several minutes. Using two forks, begin pulling pork apart into shreds. Return shreds of meat to sauce, stir. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Cut rolls in half and fill with mixture.

Nutrients Per Serving:

Calories: 285, Total Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat:1g, Trans Fat, 0g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Total Carbs: 32g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 13g, Protein: 27g