Fast Life? Slow Cook!

In the spirit of the new year- I want to focus on helping you all (including myself!) make improvements in our daily lives. Eat better, sleep more, exercise often and live mindfully, with passion!

I strongly believe that baby steps guarantee permanent lifestyle changes. Whether you are trying to lose weight, quit sugar or exercise more- you will have a better chance of achieving a goal as long as you adopt reasonable steps that are easy to digest and incorporate into your daily grind. 


For those of you with fast-paced busy lives- like myself, cooking more and eating out less is a sure-fire way to eat cleaner and healthier.  Although going out to eat instead of cooking up dinner at 6pm after a long day is always tempting and habitual for most, I have two magic words for you to try: Slow Cooking.

Before the holidays, a good friend urged me to buy a slow cooker. Surprisingly I didn't already have one- so I bought one one...and boy it made my holiday in Utah quite delicious! 


In the morning, I would toss all my veggies, legumes, beans, quinoa, spices, broths into the slow cooker. Set it and leave for most of the day. When we would all return from a day on the slopes- invigorated and cold- it was such a nice surprise to be able to dig into the most delicious, healthy stews and soups! My slow cooker officially has re-defined the concept of 'apres-ski'!

This year I plan to make great use of my slow cooker from hereon out- using my newest cookbook, The Italian Slow Cooker, and just experimenting with recipes and getting creative. Really, it's hard to mess up a slow cooker meal so its perfect for beginner or reluctant chefs. And the big bonus is being able to walk into the house after a long, tiring day and have a healthy, clean meal that is hot and ready to eat- is such a nourishing blessing to our bodies and souls.

Without further ado- here is a great simple recipe that is rich in protein, fiber and taste. Feel free to experiment with this recipe by adding in different spices such as curry and even a little cinnamon (helps regulate blood sugar) too!

Mushroom and Barley Stew
Ingredients: 
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 can of tomato paste

• 2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms
• 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, torn into pieces
• 3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 3/4 cup dry lentils
• 1/2 cup golden onion, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• sea salt to taste
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. Put all ingredients into the slow cooker
• 2. Cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on High or 10 to 12 hours on Low. 
• Remove bay leaves before serving.

Enjoy!!

XO ginny