The Nourishing Gourmet

Nourishing. Satisfying. Gourmet.

Main Dish

Slow Cooker Pot Roast With Winter Vegetables

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Melt-in-your-mouth tender pot roast, lightly seasoned, simmering in its own juices with the most delicious winter vegetables. This one pot meal takes minutes to put together, and your Crockpot does the rest!

By April Swiger, Contributing Writer

Melt-in-your-mouth tender pot roast, lightly seasoned, simmering in its own juices with the most delicious winter vegetables. This one pot meal takes minutes to put together and lasts our family of three at least three hearty meals. You definitely don’t want to skip the gravy for this one either! It’s the perfect topping for this hearty meal.

Our family has been slowly easing into a grain-free diet since the new year, and this recipe was the perfect addition to our weekly menu. I’ve always been a little intimidated to make pot roast on a regular basis for fear of it ending up dry or tasteless. It would be painful to waste such a big cut of meat! I decided to try a new recipe on Christmas Eve and it came out amazing. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was!

This was actually my first time experimenting with celeriac (or celery root). I saw it in our local market and remembered reading about it while researching the GAPS diet (something we’re slowly experimenting with as well). It has the flavor of celery, but a similar consistency to potatoes. It’s really tasty and would make a great mashed potato substitute as well. It was a lovely addition to my winter vegetable mix in this recipe.

I think what makes this roast so tender is that it cooks almost fully submerged in broth. It may seem like a lot of liquid (my #affilatelink 6 quart slow cooker is full to the top), but it truly makes the roast fall apart at the end. In addition, you have plenty of tasty meat/vegetable broth to use as your gravy base. Yum!

You could use any flour you like for the gravy, or arrowroot powder if you’re avoiding gluten. I typically used two cups of broth in a small saucepan, and whisked continuously as I add the flour to thicken. Season it with some salt and pepper, and you have a simple gravy that takes only minutes to prepare.

This recipe will likely make its way into my kitchen a few times a month. The leftover meat is delicious on a salad, sandwich, or topped with a big scoop of gravy.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast With Winter Vegetables
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
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This melt-in-your-mouth pot roast, topped with delicious gravy, makes a hearty and nourishing meal any day of the week! You will have plenty of leftovers for roast beef sandwiches and salads.
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Lb Chuck Roast
  • 1 Onion, sliced thick
  • 4 Garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3-4 Small to medium potatoes, cut into large chunks
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1 Celeriac root, cut into large chunks (you could also use parsnips, turnips, or celery)
  • 4 Cups beef broth (or a mixture of broth and water), enough to almost cover the roast
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • Flour, (or arrowroot powder to make it gluten free), to thicken the broth for gravy if desired
  • Salt and pepper to season the gravy to taste
Instructions
  1. Place the roast in the crockpot and prepare the vegetables. After everything is chopped, place them in the crockpot surrounding your roast.
  2. Measure out two cups of the broth (or broth and water mixture) and add all of the seasoning to it, stirring well. Pour the seasoned broth, and additional broth to almost cover the roast, into the crockpot.
  3. Set your crockpot on low for 8-10 hours, or 6-8 on high. When the roast is falling apart when poked with a fork, it’s done.
  4. To make the gravy, ladle out two cups of broth from the crockpot and place it in a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer and add flour or arrowroot powder, one heaping tablespoon at a time, until it’s thickened to your liking. Whisk it continuously to get all the lumps out.

 

Beef and Butternut Squash Chili

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Beef and Butternut Squash Chili

By April Swiger, Contributing writer

Comfort food at its finest – this unique chili recipe is satisfying, nourishing, and quick to put together for any night of the week. Vitamin A, C, and beta-carotene-rich butternut squash serves as a delicious base for this recipe, making it hearty enough to prepare without any additional grains (something our family has experimented with eliminating recently). This winter gourd is my favorite for cold-weather recipes, and a staple in my kitchen until spring starts to make its appearance.

Chili is my go-to recipe for crowds, and I typically make it 3-4 times a month for my family. It’s a relatively simple meal, especially for busy moms who desire to cook nourishing food for their families. Put everything in a pot, let it simmer, and serve it with a variety of yummy toppings. To be honest though, my typical recipe was beginning to bore me. I served chili with rice, roasted potatoes, tortillas, organic corn chips, you name it I probably tried it! It was time for a change.

Butternut squash is jam-packed with vitamins and nutrients essential to help combat cold and flu season. A mere one cup serving will give your immune system a very nice boost. On top of that, who can resist that gorgeous tangerine color? I use a strong vegetable peeler to easily take the skin off, and then quickly chop it into small pieces for this recipe.

This recipe makes a very large pot and serves our family of three a hearty dinner, as well as a filling lunch the next day. The leftovers are equally as delicious, and it freezes great as well!

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Beef and Butternut Squash Chili
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
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This simple chili recipe has a unique twist with the addition of butternut squash! It proves to be filling, nourishing, and perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 small - medium butternut squash (2-3lbs), chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 cup cooked pinto beans
  • 1½ cups crushed tomatoes (I love the BPA free Pomi cartons during the winter when fresh tomatoes aren’t as accessible)
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 3 cups broth
  • OPTIONAL: Cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, chopped green onions, etc.
Instructions
  1. Place the chopped onion, beef, and butter in a large pot. Cook on medium high heat until the meat is browned and completely cooked through.
  2. Meanwhile, peel and chop the squash, garlic, and gather the rest of your ingredients.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients (garlic, squash, beans, tomatoes, spices, broth) to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45-60 minutes until the squash is soft.
  4. Top with your favorite chili toppings. I love avocado and cheddar cheese!

 

Easy Crock-pot Chicken Teriyaki (For Delicious Rice Bowls!)

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Crock-pot Chicken Teriyaki Blowls- The Nourishing Gourmet

By Katie Mae Stanley, Contributing Writer

Chicken is gently flavored with an easy and simple homemade teriyaki sauce and then cooked in a crock-pot. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables and you have a lovely meal for a busy night!

In our busy lives, it is very tempting to get food out or settle for processed foods to save on time. Those may be fine for the occasional treat, but our bodies need nourishing foods on a regular basis to thrive. Few things weaken the body more than poor food choices. But I understand those busy days where it’s hard to get food on the table. Believe me, I’ve had many of those days myself.

I want to share with you the two appliances that have been instrumental in getting nourishing food on the table in the busy seasons of life. My crock-pot (affiliate links, Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker is a great brand to use) and rice cooker (I love my Vitaclay Rice Cooker) are two of my best friends. Okay, maybe not my friends, but as far as appliances go they are right up there with my Blendtec and grain mill! Crock-pots and rice cookers allow you to prepare nourishing meals that you can fix and forget. Many of these appliances are now programmable to keep food hot for up to 12 hours after the food has finished cooking.

The options are endless when you are cooking in a crock-pot, but this teriyaki recipe is one of my favorites. Teriyaki is bursting with flavor with the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Kimi shared a tip for the easiest marinade ever, soy sauce (or tamari) and unrefined sugar of choice (such as coconut sugar). It can’t get any easier than that, right? For this dish, I followed that basic idea and added a bit of ginger since I love the pop of flavor it adds. If you don’t feel like adding ginger, it is totally optional.

Have you ever gotten teriyaki rice bowls? I remember loving them in high school, and they were so tasty! I haven’t had one in years but decided that is was time to have one again in the convenience of my home. My trusty crock-pot and rice cooker made this a very easy meal to throw together with almost no work. I chose to steam some broccoli for about 10 minutes to go with my rice bowl but you could use any vegetable you have one hand.

Here are a few more teriyaki dishes:

Crock-pot Teriyaki Bowls
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Serves: 4-6 servings
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Ingredients
  • 2 pounds chicken breast or thighs, boneless and skinless
  • ¾ cup soy sauce or tamari (use tamari for gluten free option)
  • ⅓ cup sucanat or coconut sugar (palm sugar)
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • 4 green onions, chopped (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix the soy sauce or tamari, sugar of choice, water and grated ginger in a cup or small bowl.
  2. Place the chicken in a crock-pot. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken.
  3. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
  4. Slice the chicken once it is done cooking.
  5. Serve with white rice and steamed broccoli.
  6. If desired garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

 

 

Honey Garlic Drumsticks (a simple summer crockpot meal)

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Honey Garlic Drumsticks (a simple summer crockpot meal)

By April Swiger, Contributing Writer

Sweet, tangy, and a little bit of red-pepper-kick, these honey garlic drumsticks are the perfect meal for a hot summer night. I love the flavorful dark meat that chicken legs have to offer. Not only are they an incredibly frugal cut of meat, but the seasoning possibilities are near endless. Add in the simplicity of a slow cooker/Crockpot, and you have a nourishing meal for the whole family, or a crowd, without much effort.

When the weather is beautiful and warm, it’s much more difficult to give up time outside for prepping meals. We don’t have central air in our home, so turning on the oven during the summer can be a little uncomfortable. It’s easy to forget that crockpots aren’t just for hearty wintertime soups, stews, and chillies! I’ve learned that it’s a great option to beat the summer heat, and a convenient way to enjoy a delicious meal after a fun day outside.

This recipe can be easily prepared in the slow cooker crock itself, minimizing the amount of dishes needed to be washed. It’s also easy to adapt based on how much “kick” you desire. You can thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch or arrowroot powder after the chicken is cooked. Pour it over the meat, or into a bowl for dipping. You definitely don’t want to skip this part as the sauce is absolutely delectable!

More time in the sun with family and friends, and less time in your kitchen – a win all around in my book! Keep it simple and serve these drumsticks with a side salad, carrot and celery sticks, rice or quinoa, or some sautéed veggies with butter or coconut oil.

Kimi uses this (affliate links)  slow cooker, and uses this clay cooker for making quinoa or rice on hot days.

Time at the stove: 10 minutes if you choose to sauté or steam some vegetables. 20 minutes if you make rice or quinoa. Or none if you serve it with cold vegetables or a salad.

Time at the oven: 5 minutes if you choose to broil the legs for a crispy skin.

Other drumstick/wing recipes:

Other crockpot recipes:

Honey Garlic Drumsticks (a simple summer crockpot meal)
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish
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These drumsticks are a perfect mixture of sweet and tangy, with a bit of kick! They are effortless to prepare and make a great summertime meal for your family, or a crowd.
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs chicken legs
  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 Tbls coconut oil, melted
  • 3 Tbls apple cider vinegar
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced (garlic lovers use 5!)
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated, or about ¼ tsp dried
  • ⅛-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbls arrowroot powder or cornstarch (used at the end to thicken the sauce)
Instructions
  1. In the crock of your slow cooker whisk together the honey, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper.
  2. Add the drumsticks to the crock, and toss them until they are fully coated with the sauce.
  3. Cook the drumsticks on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 2-4 hours.
  4. When the chicken legs are fully cooked, remove them from the crock, leaving the sauce inside.
  5. OPTIONAL - If desired, you can place the legs under the broiler at this point to crisp up the skin. About 5 minutes at 400 F should be sufficient.
  6. Ladle out ½ cup of the sauce into a small bowl, and whisk in the arrowroot powder or cornstarch (this step may not be necessary, but I find it's easier to get the lumps out in a smaller amount of sauce).
  7. Pour the sauce and arrowroot/cornstarch mixture back into the crock with the rest of the sauce. Whisk it in and allow it to thicken for a few minutes with the crock on 'high.'
  8. Serve the drumsticks with the sauce poured on top, or in a small bowl for dipping!