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If you can think of 12 things you’d rather do then cook tonight, but would prefer a healthy meal to take-out food, there’s a solution for that: dust off your crockpot and let your slow cooker do all of the hard work for you. By putting in a bit of prep work and pressing a button you can sit down a few hours later to a delicious, nutritious meal without spending time by the stove or a hot oven.
These six healthy anti-inflammatory crockpot recipes are perfect for days when you don’t want to cook. They provide anti-inflammatory ingredients that curb inflammation in the body and can prevent sickness and disease. They’re also just really delicious and won’t take up much of your precious time.
Quinoa Bowl With Turmeric-Tahini Sauce
Bowls are excellent meals because they allow you to add plenty of anti-inflammatory spices (like turmeric in this case) and vegetables to a base of quinoa, brown rice, barley, or farro. This bowl is dressed with a bittersweet turmeric tahini sauce and is chockful of vitamins and minerals.
You'll need:
Radishes
Beets
Red onions
Kale leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Quinoa
Garbanzo beans
Tahini
Lemon juice
Garlic cloves
Turmeric
Slow Cooker Deep Dish Cheese Pizza With Cauliflower Crust
Not only can you make pizza in your crockpot, but you can make deep dish pizza with an anti-inflammatory cauliflower crust. The best part about this yummy meal? It takes just 15 minutes to prep.
You'll need:
Cauliflower
Eggs
Shredded Italian cheese
Dried Italian seasoning
Salt
Alfredo sauce
Dried rosemary
Sometimes classic comfort meals are the best meals. This slow cooker lentil soup has tons of fiber and plant-based protein, veggies like carrots and celery, and just enough spice to give it a kick--and boost your metabolism in the process!
You'll need:
Green lentils
Vegetable broth
Diced tomatoes
Yellow onion
Carrot
Celery
Olive oil
Garlic
Kosher salt
Tomato paste
Bay leaf
Cumin
Coriander
Paprika
Red wine vinegar
Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids and can lower bad cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation. And asparagus is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat, with folate, fiber, and vitamins C, A, K, and E.
This recipe provides an easy guide on how to poach salmon in your crockpot. Simply add asparagus during the last few minutes to keep it from getting too mushy.
Vegan Slow Cooker Chana Masala
Meatless Mondays or everyday vegetarian days are anything but boring when you add interesting spices to your pot. This vegan slow cooker chana masala requires little more than a side of rice and maybe a piece of warm, toasty naan bread to transform it into a satisfying meal. The ingredient list is a little extensive, but this meal is well worth the trip to the grocery store!
You'll need:
Olive oil
Grated ginger
Onion
Garlic cloves
Salt
Black pepper
Thai chilis
Turmeric
Chana masala seasoning
Tomato paste
Chickpeas
Vegetable broth
Cilantro
Basmati rice
Naan bread
Butternut Squash Macaroni And Cheese
Substituting heavier cheeses with butternut squash turns ordinary mac and cheese from the comfort food everyone loves to the healthy comfort food no one will actually know is healthy.
You'll need:
Butternut squash
Fresh sage
Fresh thyme leaves
Onion
Garlic
Vegetable stock
Dry elbow macaroni
Salt
Shredded cheddar
Cream cheese
