Crack Slaw (Low Carb) ***

I made a few alterations on this one, but the overall principle is good.  First off, I used a lot more soy sauce.  It was extremely bland.  Second, the 2 tsp of red pepper flakes is just too much for me.  I knew that when I put them in, and I definitely regretted it afterwards.  The rest of the family loved the heat.  Me, not so much.  Finally, one of the many times that I was adding more soy sauce, I accidentally grabbed the Worcestershire.  Oddly enough, it added a whole new dimension to the flavor, and we loved it!  I want to try more recipes likes this before I decide on our final winner, but this one most definitely has possibilities.

CRACK SLAW (LOW CARB)
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MandyJo.com)

2 lbs. ground beef or turkey (your choice on meat)
2 bags classic cole slaw mix
4 green onions, chopped
3 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tsp ground ginger
*Optional add a single serve packet of Splenda.

Ground hamburger in pan as you normally would. Drain excess fat after cooking and set hamburger aside.
In separate pan, put sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped up green onion and chopped up garlic together and stir fry until tender.
Add cole slaw mix, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger and cook until mostly tender.
Add browned hamburger to the pan with the rest of the ingredients and stir. Can add more soy sauce to taste.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: Use the Splenda.  Add way more soy sauce.  Add a touch of Worcester.

Slow Cooker Pork Gyros with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce ***

We tried our very first gyros this past January on a trip to a school competition in another city.  We all absolutely fell in love.  Since then, we've tried a couple of other places, but we've never found one that we loved as much as that first place.  So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest, I knew that I had to see if it would work for us.  While this one didn't blow our minds like that first place did, it definitely came in pretty high on the list.  The 11-year-old wanted to have it again the next night. 😂 I didn't go for that one, but I do see us having this again soon.  It's fairly simple, in comparison to other recipes out there, and I was at least able to throw together everything on my lunch break, which is one of my big requirements for most of our meals, lol.  I'm not much of a fan of cucumbers, but even this tzatziki sauce was pretty good.  I think I want to shred the cucumber for it next time, though.  Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing!

SLOW COOKER PORK GYROS WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ 365DaysOfCrockpot)

FOR PORK
3 pounds pork sirloin tip roast
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 large lemon, juiced
Lettuce, sliced cucumbers, sliced grape tomatoes, for serving

FOR TZATZIKI SAUCE
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup diced cucumber, seeded and diced into tiny pieces
1 tablespoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

FOR PORK
Place pork, onion, garlic, oil, oregano, allspice, lemon pepper and lemon juice into slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (if it’s frozen it will be like 8-10 hours)
Remove lid. Using tongs remove the pork and place on a cutting board. Shred or slice the pork and place back into the slow cooker.
Serve the pork and onions on the top of pita bread with Tzatziki sauce, lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes.

FOR TZATZIKI SAUCE
Combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt and garlic in medium bowl. Stir until creamy and combined.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with gyros.

Crockpot Pizza Quinoa ****

You guys.  Seriously.  I am just speechless.  This was that good.  And I did it all by myself!  As I've mentioned, we're trying to eat healthier.  Mainly, just trying to squeeze in more veggies and less pasta.  That's the biggest part of it.  So I've been trying out stuff with quinoa.  Well, this week I've been really craving Crockpot Pizza.  I love that stuff.  Since pasta is a no-no more than a couple times a week, I just knew that quinoa would be the perfect sub.  I searched high and low on the internet, but I couldn't find a single recipe that combined pizza with quinoa.  So I winged it.  And it.was.fabulous.  It got 2 thumbs up from every single person.  That's huge.  My 10-year-old just came in here and said, "That might be one of the best things I ever ate!"  I sprinkled a little cheese on top of each serving, just to make it prettier, but it's really not necessary.  The cheese inside is plenty.  I am actually sitting here fighting myself to keep from going back for seconds!

CROCKPOT PIZZA QUINOA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1-1/2 lbs ground turkey, browned
5 oz baby spinach
16 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed
8 oz frozen chopped green peppers and onions (fajita blend will also work)
3 (14 oz) jars pizza sauce
4 oz sliced black olives
1-3/4 cups water (I put mine in the pizza sauce jars and slosh them around to get the extra sauce out)
1-1/2 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 package mini pepperoni

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and stir well to combine.  I like to save a little cheese and pepperoni to put on top, but it's not necessary.
Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-7 hours.
That's it!  It's that simple!
Serves 6-8

Salmon-Lentil Patties ***

This was much better than I anticipated it would be.  The entire family loved it.  The only thing keeping me from making it a 4-star meal is the lengthy process involved.  I was afraid this one would be a little too "out there" for my meat-and-potatoes hubby, but he was just as in love with this thing as I was.  Even the kids went on and on about how amazing it was.  The only change I made was that I used chili powder in place of the cayenne, just because I couldn't seem to locate my cayenne in the spice cabinet.  I'd definitely go that route again, though, because the chili powder really added to the flavor, in my opinion.

SALMON-LENTIL PATTIES
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ SkinnyMS)

1 (8 ounce) Wild Alaskan Salmon fillet, or 1 (14 ounce) can salmon, well drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cooked lentils, drained well
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 finely diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup whole wheat Panko, or whole wheat bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher or sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat oven to broil.
If using salmon fillet, line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil, place salmon on cookie sheet, spread olive oil on both sides. Broil on both sides 5-6 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 131 degrees. Allow to cool then remove skin.
Place salmon in a medium mixing bowl and flake using a fork. Add egg, lentils, onion, bell pepper, Panko and spices to salmon, mash either by hand or use a potato masher. Shape salmon into 4 patties. Or, use a large circular cookie cutter, pack and press salmon mixture to form patties.
Add canola oil to a large skillet, turn to medium heat and cook patties on each side for about 5 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned.
Serve salmon patties as a main dish or as a burger style sandwich with your favorite condiments.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used chili powder in place of the cayenne pepper. Yum!

Broiled Grapefruit with Honey and Cinnamon ***

As a rule, I really don't care for grapefruit.  I want to, since it's so healthy, but I just can't make myself.  My youngest, the 9-year-old, just adores it, for some insane reason.  So once I heard that broiling it can give it a completely different flavor, I figured it was worth a shot.  We actually enjoyed it.  Even hubby and the 11-year-old liked it, which really surprised me.  I just did honey and cinnamon, but I think the bananas or strawberries would be a good addition.  I'm thinking I might try slicing it into rounds (instead of just in half) and putting honey on each slice.  My only complaint was that the parts closest to the bottom tasted like plain old grapefruit (blech).  I only broiled it on the low setting this time, so I also think I'll give it a shot with broiling the halves on high.  The extra carmelization might help with distributing the flavor a bit more.  No matter what, I definitely know I'll make it again, because it makes for a great dessert that I don't have to feel guilty about.

BROILED GRAPEFRUIT WITH HONEY AND CINNAMON
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ SheWearsManyHats)

grapefruit
honey
ground ginger (ground cinnamon is a good substitute or addition)
optional: banana slices (strawberries would be nice too)

Prepare oven for broiling. Position oven rack on top.
Cut grapefruit(s) in half. Using a small serrated knife or grapefruit knife, loosen the grapefruit sections from the membrane. Place the grapefruit halves on a baking sheet or shallow baking pan.
Drizzle grapefruit halves with honey. Place banana slices on top and flip once to coat both sides with honey. Dust with ground ginger (and/or cinnamon).
Place under broiler until bubbling and slightly browned in spots, about 4 to 6 minutes. Keep an eye on during broiling to avoid burning.
Serve warm.

Slow Cooker Lentil Rice Casserole (Clean) ***

I have this listed as clean, but you obviously need to leave out the cheese for a cleaner dish.  Honestly, while the cheese is always a welcome addition to any dish (in my world, anyway), it's really not all that necessary in here.  I'll keep using it, just because I love me some cheese, but I think it would be just as good without it.

The flavors in this are amaze-balls.  I used a pack of three pepper and onion blend (I'm all about those things right now!), added spinach, and went with the taco seasoning.  I would definitely recommend that route.  It gives it a flavor that's really different from other lentil recipes.  Because I wanted to make sure we had leftovers, I did 1.5 times the original recipe.  In retrospect, I really think that the recipe as written is definitely closer to 6 servings than 4, so I wouldn't bother doing that again.

The only problem I ran into was that even after cooking 10 hours, my lentils were still pretty hard.  After doing a little research online, it looks like our hard water and old beans were probably the culprit.  Next time, I'll use bottled water to soak them and make sure I get fresher beans.  I definitely want to give this another go, though.  If nothing else, I can always just convert it to a rice-only dish, and it would still be yummy.

SLOW COOKER LENTIL RICE CASSEROLE (CLEAN)

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheHumbledHomemaker)

3/4 c. dry green lentils

1/2 c. brown rice

1 c. water

2 1/2 c. chicken stock

1 c. tomato sauce (8 oz. can) or 1 6-oz. can tomato paste + an extra 1/2 c. stock

3/4 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped green or red pepper

1 grated or finely chopped carrot

2 c. cooked, shredded chicken

optional: other vegetables like spinach, broccoli

3 tsp. Italian seasoning or taco seasoning

2 cloves crushed garlic or 1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Dash pepper

1 c. grated cheese (I prefer sharp cheddar, but try a Mexican blend with the taco seasoning or mozzarella with the Italian)

optional: salsa or spaghetti sauce to serve

Combine rice, lentils and water in crock pot. Soak overnight. (Do NOT turn crock pot on!)

In the morning, drain the water and mix in all remaining ingredients except cheese.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Add cheese in 30 minutes before done.

Serves 4-6.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used a 3-pepper and onion blend, added spinach, and chose the taco seasoning.  I want to make sure to use bottled water and fresh lentils next time.

Slow Cooker Baked Sliced Apples (Semi-Clean) ****

I am nearly speechless at how wonderful this was.  My monkeys were licking their plates.  They loved it.  It's not truly a "clean" recipe, since it has the margarine, but you could make it one by subbing olive oil.  It wouldn't be as good, lol, but it would still have great flavor.  I chose to go with organic butter, and it worked fine for me.  Since my crock is a 6-qt, I was afraid that it would burn easily.  I went ahead and used 6 medium Fuji apples (absolute perfection in this recipe) and doubled everything else.  I'm trying to get away from Splenda, so I went with Stevia instead.  I couldn't find unsweetened apple juice, so I used some that had the least amount of sugar I could find and was all-natural.  I don't have butter-flavored cooking spray, so I just used my olive oil spray.  Oh, and I used Craisins in place of the raisins, just because I really can't stand raisins in stuff.  I think that's about all of my changes, lol.  Seriously, though, this was some dynamite stuff.  It would be spectacular with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!  

SLOW COOKER BAKED SLICED APPLES (SEMI-CLEAN)

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ GetCrocked)

3-1/2 cups apples, (cored, peeled, and thickly sliced)

1/4 cups raisins (seedless)

1/4 cups Splenda granular

1-1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice

2 tablespoons apple juice, unsweetened

1 tablespoon margarine

Spray a slow cooker container with butter-flavored cooking spray.

Combine apples and raisins in crock.

Add Splenda, apple pie spice, and apple juice.

Mix well.

Dot top with margarine.

Cover. Cook on Low for 4-6 hours.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used 6 medium Fuji apples and doubled everything else.  I also subbed Stevia for the Splenda and Craisins for the raisins.  

Slow Cooker Clean-Eating Jambalaya ****

I could have kept eating this all night.  Seriously.  I made a few minor alterations, but nothing that would greatly change the outcome.  My shrimp and chicken were frozen, so I just chucked them both in at the beginning of the cook time.  I cooked it for 6 hours on low and 1 hour on high.  I used a package of frozen peppers and onions (the fajita blend packs), just because I already had some in the freezer.  Similarly, I used Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning in place of the Cajun seasoning, because that's what I had on hand.  I accidentally picked up a tomato paste that had salt and basil and oregano, so I cut the salt from the recipe.  So basically, I used the recipe, but I just improvised a bit, lol.  Oh, I did cut the Creole seasoning to 2 tablespoons instead of 3, so that it wouldn't be too spicy for the kids.  It was absolutely perfect.  Just enough heat without being too hot for them.  Now I can't wait to have it again!  :-)

SLOW COOKER CLEAN-EATING JAMBALAYA

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ GetCrocked)

2 lbs. chicken breast, boneless, skinless

1/2 c. green bell pepper, diced

2 c. celery, finely diced

1 c. yellow onions

2 c. tomatoes, fresh, diced

2 c. chicken broth, Organic, Free Range

6 oz. tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 T. cajun seasoning

1 tsp. sea salt

1 lb shrimp, uncooked wild-caught; peeled, and de-veined

2 c. cooked brown rice

Combine chicken breasts, bell pepper, celery, onion, tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, garlic, seasoning and salt into large, 6-quart slow cooker.

Cover. Cook on Low for 6 hours, or High for 3 hours.

Stir occasionally, if needed.

Add shrimp to slow cooker, stirring to combine.

Cover. Cook on Low for an additional 2 hours or on High for 1 hour.

Cook brown rice according to the directions on the package, stirring in the last 15-20 minutes before your meal is done.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I subbed 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning for the Cajun seasoning.  I also put frozen shrimp and chicken in at the beginning of the cook time and cooked for 6 hours on low and 1 hour on high.

Crockpot Cajun Roast (Clean) ****

This was really good.  Absolutely phenomenal.  I tried to pull the pork out of the crock to slice it for the kids, but it was so tender that it just fell apart.  I ended up just shredding it in the pot and adding 6 cups of cooked brown rice in with it.  I also just used a package of frozen sliced onion/peppers blend.  We all loved it.  It made a LOT, though.  I was able to put some up for hubby's lunch and still have enough for a weekend lunch for all of us.  Yay!  Definitely making this again.  The only change I might make is to add in more corn.  The kids and hubby all said they would have liked to have more corn in each bite.

CROCKPOT CAJUN ROAST (CLEAN)

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ StacyMakesCents)

1 roast of your choice (2 to 2-1/2 pounds)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups corn

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 tomato diced

Rice to serve

Combine spices.

Put roast in greased crock pot. Pour half of your spices over the roast. Rub in. Flip roast and coat with remaining spices, rubbing in well.

Pour veggies (excluding corn) over the roast.

Layer the corn over the top.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until temp reads 160+ degrees.

Serve over a bed of rice.

*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I shredded the pork and stirred in 6 cups of cooked brown rice before serving.   I also just used a package of frozen sliced onion/peppers blend.  Next time, I will add more corn.