Book Review: The Healthy Slow Cooker

I love my slow cooker. I use it at least once a week and some weeks it is 3 or 4 times. So when I had the opportunity to review The Healthy Slow Cooker, 2nd edition. by Judith Finlayson I jumped as the chance. And this cookbook did not disappoint.

One key thing for me to enjoy in a cookbook is when they have extra information beyond recipes. This book does that. The cookbook starts out with a chapter on using your slow cooker. Even if you have cooked with one for years sometimes you can still pick up some new information. For instance, Ms. Finlayson recommends softening your vegetables before putting them in the slow cooker. She says it will improve the quality of the dish because the browning of the veggies begins the process of carmelization, which release flavor. And it extracts the fat soluble parts of the food which also contribute to the flavor. This was news to me and something I intend to start doing when I make a crockpot meal (unless I am in a huge hurry putting it together.)

Then throughout the 135 gluten free recipes there are interspersed many small articles on different foods. Some are called Natural Wonders and the topics include things like extra virgin olive oil, butter. sweet green peas, kale, apricots, etc. The others are Mindful Morsels and include instructions like how to soak beans to prevent gas problems,  the value of curry, value of coriander seed, and many other tips.

I have tried and enjoyed several recipes from this cookbook. One thing to note is that many of the recipes (but not all) include dried beans, which makes many of these recipes very economical. If you are not someone who enjoys beans then this might not be a real winner for you, but if you want to include more of these healthy and affordable ingredients in your recipes then this is a good choice.

Below I am sharing a recipe from the cookbook (with permission) for Mixed Vegetables in Spicy Peanut Sauce.

Shared at Wellness Wednesday,  Wildcrafting Wednesday.