Customer Reviews

The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook: Over 120 Delicious Low-Carb Recipes That Cook Themselves

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

So you're on a low carb diet, looking good and feeling great, but your family is definitely on a high carb diet and getting tired of the plain meat dishes you've been serving up lately. Or maybe you are the one who's tired of them. You would like to be able to expand your low carb recipe list, but you don't have a lot of time to spend on the fancy schmancy rigamarole that some low carb cookbooks require. If only you could have your fine palate and your waistline both satisfied...

Say no more my meat-eatin' bretheren! The Everyday Low Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook was literally the answer to my prayers some months ago. As a mom of two small boys and wife to a very picky man I was having a hard time keeping everybody happy at the dinner table while I watched my weight; the "two-entrée meal" was becoming the norm and it took way too much time. In my high carb days I had used my blessed time saver, the crock pot, regularly but recently it was gathering dust on the top shelf. Thank the Lord I can put it to work again and regain my time/sanity.

Now I have to try a minimum of six recipes before I feel that I can review a cookbook with fairness. The recipes that I have completed from TELCSCC are:

Seafood Crustless Quiche (I didn't miss the crust and neither did they - Fabulous!)
Orange Pork
Sausage and White Bean Soup (my dh literally told me it was the best soup ever, bar none)
Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes (rich and hearty, a complete meal)
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (yes, really!)
Pesto Beef with Grape Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

I think the genius of this cookbook is that the authors recognize that low carb dieters are not only just as busy as everybody else, but also come in a variety of skill levels in the kitchen. Accordingly, there is a special section at the beginning just for the quick'n'easy crowd that features fewer ingredients and timesavers like canned food and packaged mixes to add to your fresh meats and veggies. Believe it or not, the Pesto Beef recipe was one of these! Not that the more "complicated" recipes are that much longer or harder, believe me: the authors make it clear that since slow cookery is all about convenience, their mission is to keep it as simple as possible without sacrificing taste. It would appear that their mission was successful.

In many cases these recipes are so loaded with veggies and hearty broth that you won't need to make a salad or a side dish and nobody will even notice. There are so many more that I haven't gotten to yet, but I'm dying to try the desserts next; Peanut Butter Fudge Cake with Peanut Butter Fudge Drizzle, Coconut Custard, and Pumpkin Pudding, which is promised to be like the pie without the crust. Judging by my success with the quiche, the slow cooker is a natural with those eggy custards and puddings (averaging about 3-4 hours on low).

I would compare this cookbook to Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery (the high-carb "bible" for slow cookers) in terms of quality & variety of recipes and simplicity of use. My family has had no complaints since I've started using it, in fact they like TELCSCC dishes better than many of my higher carb dishes. I believe that this is truly the answer for the lifestyles and tastes of a modern health-conscious Americans.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

Well, I have to say that I've tried the majority of recipes in this book and they have all been bland and mediocre at best. I really WANTED to like it... so I kept trying different recipes. The bottom line: I've learned to make some amazing, flavorful slow cooker dishes from cookbooks, but I can't recommend a SINGLE recipe in this one.

I've been on the diet for several years now, so I do use low carb cookbook recipes a LOT and am very careful to follow the instructions. I use my slow cooker weekly and have found better recipes for free on the net and from Dana Carpenter's books (though I haven't seen Dana's new slow cooker book yet).

A few points:

-- the thai-flavored dishes don't taste anything like thai food.

-- only partial carb/nutritional listings are given.

-- spent money getting special ingredients like canned cheese soup, tapioca, red and green thai curries, etc., only for the dishes to be subpar.

-- too many carbs in many dishes.

-- not enough use of herbs/spices to liven up flavors.

FYI - A few other reviewers have said this, but slow cooker temps really do vary by maker and model these days and the cooking times were way off for my newer expensive Rival 5 qt. with the removable crock (recommended by the authors). Everything burns if you don't watch it - which is a common complaint about the new machines when compared to the classics. Times were more accurate after I went out and bought a much cheaper second crockpot (West Bend, I think). Still, the results were just so-so.

I have been following a low-carb diet for over a year and I am always looking for new ways to do low-carb. This book is outstanding. This book has great recipes with easy to follow directions. Every recipe has nutritional facts so I can stay within my net carb limit. Portion sizes are more than generous. So far, the butter roasted almonds and the rosemary garlic chicken are my favorites, but I am looking forward to trying more recipes this weekend. Slow Cooking my low carb meals has taken the stress out of my meal planning.

I LOVE this book! I bought it because I'd never used my slow-cooker. OMG! I have just loved everything I've made so far! The cheeseburger soup looks disgusting, but it is awesome! Give it a try! I think people who are trying the low-carb scene should pick up this book & dust off the slow-cooker. I use mine almost every day now!

But this book really simplifies things because you can prepare everything in the morning (or in some cases the night before!) and throw it in the cooker as you walk out the door. Coming home to those awesome smells is satisfying, especially when you've been overdoing the salad and chicken breast dinners...

I just got this book a week ago but have already tried a handful of recipes. The kicked up French Onion soup is spectacular - rivals any restaurant's version - even includes a crouton on top and still low carb. Being able to roast flavorful chickens and turkey breast without heating up the house (or having to tend to a grill) will be great in the summertime - and it makes great leftovers for the next day's lunch.

The helpful introduction tells you all you need to know about slow cooking and each recipe is written with practicality in mind - no scouring the special foods isles at the store - they have really made it easy. After all, isn't that why you want to use a crock pot in the first place??? My slow cooker is now on my countertop instead of hiding in the back of my cabinet somewhere.

I ordered this book to facilitate my New Years resolution to lose weight. So far, so good! I have lost almost 20 pounds and I am a guy who likes good food and who likes to eat! I am following my own low carb routine and have had good success with the recipes in this book. Plus, when I come home from work the house smells really good and my wife likes having a night off from cooking. The garlic and rosemary chicken thighs - delicious. The vegetable soup is now a staple in our house and a cornerstome of my diet. My wife and I especially like the double duty chapter and the chapter that gives non slow cooker recipes. We love the green beans with butter and hot sauce and the faux potato salad is just fun. If you are an open minded low carb person who likes good food this book is for you.

I have done the low-carb thing off and on over the past 5 years, but started up again about 6 months ago. I was eating a lot more fresh vegetables and meat, but was getting tired of all the cooking. Then I came accross something about slow cookers and how they're the next best thing for low-carbers. I did some research, and decided to buy one. I also bought this cookbook along with it, based on the reviews here. I work long hours and have a daughter under 2. My husband is just as busy, and neithe us us want to cook when we get home. First of all, for those of you who want a great meal when you get home, but don't want to cook at that time, get a slow cooker. And for those of you who use a slow cooker and don't want potatoes coming out of your ears...get this book! I have to say, it's the only cookbook that I've ever used this much. I think it's partially because it's for the crockpot, partially because of low-carb. I have had this book for less than a month, and I have made over 20 of the recipes. Some I like better than others, but they're all good. I now want more slow cooker recipes, but can't get myself to buy any others, because I like to low-carb spin. Like all the other reviewers say, the language in the book is simple, the ingredients are easy to find, and the dishes are tasty. Even my husband hasn't missed the potatoes. He said we haven't eaten this gourmet in years! It's great to prepare the ingredients in the am and have it done that night. We serve some of the dishes over low-carb pasta and some with the sides in the book.

I always wondered why reviews here were so long...there's just so much to say! Just like everyone else, I would highly recommend this book, even if you are not on a low-carb diet, but want some great new slow cooker recipes. And for low-carbers, it's a must have!

The problem with this cookbook is that they don't give you the total carbs or fiber content; they only tell you net carbs. That might be all well and good if you are on Atkins or other low carb diets, but if you are diabetic, these numbers don't necessarily apply.

The recipes do look tasty, and they do appear to be made with low-carb ingredients, but we'll have to let my blood glucose numbers tell the true story!

I am so impressed with this cookbook! The introductory chapters alone make it a great book, and the recipes are fabulous too! I highly recommend this cookbook for anyone looking to simplify their low-carb life.

The authors begin with a few concise chapters about slow cookers and their care, low-carb ingredients, and conversion of traditional recipes to slow cooker recipes. One chapter contains contact information on all the big low-carb food manufacturers, which I found very helpful!

And the recipes....Wow! Easy, low carb, and yummy! You've gotta love a scrumptious meal that only requires 5 minutes of prep time, and is ready the minute you get home from work. There are recipe chapters on breakfast and brunch, beef, poultry, seafood, soups, desserts, and more. Approximate nutritional content is given for each recipe. I really like the organization of the book: each recipe is on a separate page, and the directions are easy to interpret (for cooking dunces like me!). Maybe best of all is the fact that each recipe requires only a few ingredients (less than 10 usually), which is encouraging to those of us who aren't gourmet chefs!

It's about time for us low-carbers to enjoy some easy food preparation. Hooray!

This book is certainly a lowered carb cookbook, but many of the single servings approach my carb limit for the entire day. Also, before you buy this book you should be aware that most of the recipes call for some carb-questionable ingredients such as white flour, molasses, orange juice, tapioca, canned soups, chickpeas, kidney beans, white beans, lentils, quinoa, canned creamed corn, grape jelly and the like. I was disappointed. I was looking for truly low carb foods, but there are few recipes in this book that I would use, and the ones I have tried were unexciting and bland.