If you read any of my book posts, you may have learned that after checking out the cookbook Skinnytaste Fast and Slow from the library and reading it (mostly out loud to my husband!) on the way to Green Bay, I decided to buy for myself and give it as Christmas gifts.

I love and follow the Skinnytaste blog, as well as covet some favorites from her site, such as this Zucchini Lasagna and for me, this Crockpot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili.

This post was inspired by Kat of Tenaciously Yours who asked if anyone got this cookbook yet. {She does a Friday Food Roundup!, which I love and have considered doing something similar myself.} Still, I didn’t have a quick and easy answer. We are still working our way around the Skinnytaste Fast and Slow cookbook; but I thought I’d post what I think thus far.

I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post! I hadn’t intended to write this post while I was cooking up…

What I like about this cookbook:

• I’ve learned that I’m attracted to books with blue covers. So there you have it.
• There are so many things that I’m dying to make! It’s one of the reasons I decided to purchase the cookbook. I was flagging so many pages in my borrowed library copy!
• The recipes are meant to get a meal on the table easily any night of the week be it fast (30 minutes or less) or slow (in a slow cooker).
• For many of the slow cooker recipes, she’ll give hints on how to accommodate it to the stove top. I forgot about this and needed the reminder!
• There is a whole section titled “One-Bowl Meals”. You know how I love my bowls!
• It’s a healthy cookbook – a lot of recipes are lightened up, but while using real food.

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What I’ve made so far:

• Slow Cooker Hamburger Stroganoff – My husband prefers ground beef stroganoff over chunks of beef. He liked this recipe more than I did. I think my MIL’s is better and would come to better pretty easily. I’ll have to get that recipe from her.
• Egg Roll Bowls – I gave these a shot since the recipe only made two servings – perfect for Rob and me! Surprisingly, they didn’t have much flavor. 😦 I used my leftover ingredients to make these soups.
• Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Paparadelle – My husband was hesitant on thins one because he is not a fan of flank steak; but it falls apart so tenderly in the slow cooker! That being said, the flank steak was surprisingly pricey, even at Aldi. He also seemed to enjoy this more than I did.
• Slow Cooker Lasgana Soup – Okay, so I didn’t really make this one. I came really close. But in the end, I already had a similar stovetop recipe I really like and made that one instead.
• Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup – This book is supposed to include what I would consider easy meals – either fast (under 30 minutes) or slow (in a slow cooker); but I found this recipe to be very labor intensive! I did a lot of prep and cooking before putting it into the slow cooker, then pureeing the contents afterward, then creating the creamy sauce on the stove to add to the soup. All that for a result that wasn’t very flavorful {despite the fresh basil!} nor satisfying. Not worth the hassle. We are still on our quest for that perfect-go-to make-at-home tomato soup. We have yet to find it. But I think I’ve perfected the grilled cheese in the meantime!

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What I’ve learned:

• I thought using the Crockpot would be a great thing to have going now that I have a commute 3 days a week. However, I’m gone from the house for 10 hours on those days. There are not many 10-hour + crockpot recipes. Instead, I found myself using the slow cooker on the days I work from home! Maybe it’s time for an Instant Pot. She’s got some recipes that’ll work for that, too! {I have two friends who each just got one. I’ll wait for their reviews and then put one on my wishlist!}

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Here are just a few more recipes from this cookbook that I want to make:

• Banana Almond Smoothie Bowl – I’ve done smoothies, but never a smoothie bowl. This one has all the right yums. I want it on a hot day this summer, after a run.
• Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls – Why didn’t I think of this one? Softboiled egg, quinoa, spinach, tomato, avocado? DONE.
• Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili – I’ve made this Mexican Chicken Stew before. Perhaps similar?  You really can’t go wrong with anything Mexican, nor anything chili, though…
• Kale Caesar and Grilled Chicken Bowls – This recipe serves 4. It’s hard to justify a 4-serving salad when Rob is allergic to chicken. I’ll just have to halve it or make it for the girls for our monthly dinner night in some time!
• Chicken and Couscous Bowls with Piri Piri – I don’t think I’ve made couscous since college, when I ate it ALL.THE.TIME. Couscous was my ramen. Plus it helped me get my veg in – I usually sauteed some mushrooms and zucchini and mixed them in. But what intrigues me most about this recipe is making my own Piri Piri sauce, which I haven’t had since we’ve been to Australia.
• Shrimp and Artichoke Quinoa Bowls – This dish is for me only since Rob can’t eat shrimp. But it makes 5 servings and I hate reheating shrimp. Maybe I’ll keep the leftover shrimp cold and just serve it on top after reheating. This might be another good one for the girls.
• Sunny-Side-Up Egg and Avocado Rice Bowls – Enough Said.
• Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls – I’ve been meaning to make some version of this for some time. I’ve got about 1001 recipes pinned.
• Some of the spiralized meals –  I’ve made zoodles {zucchini noodles} before, but with a julienne peeler, which can be a bit labor intensive. I would love to get a spiralizer, but don’t want to spend the money if it’s not going to be a good one. I want it to be soooo easy that I want to spiralize everything! I was just about to request recommendations, when I realized that there are recommendations for two durable ones in the cookbook {Inspiralizer or Paderno}! Thanks, blog post for forcing me to re-read! Anyone have a preference?
• Asiago-Crusted Chicken Breast – Why not?
• Santa Fe Turkey Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch Sauce – Is it weird that Santa Fe is on my travel bucket list? I have no idea if this type of food is truly indicative of the location, but it looks good anyway.
• Fork and Knife Cheeseburgers – You would never know unless you read the recipe that the burger in this beautiful photo is between two portobello mushroom caps. Why? She sprinkled the top “bun” with sesame seeds!
• Perfect Medium-Rare Roast Beef in the Slow Cooker – They say that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? Well, I think I’ve already got his heart. So maybe it’s just that I’ve never made anything like this before.
• Slow Cooker Pernil – I’ve just always been curious about this dish.
• Baked Fish and Chips – I think I should make this for the girls. We’ve all been known to order the fried version out on occasion!
• Grilled Vegetable Caprese Salad – Summer, here I come!
• Greek Panzanella Salad – Now I know how to make that soft, boring pita bread taste good – you grill it first!
• Zucchini “Meatballs” – I’m always curious of vegetarian spins on meat {I love a good black bean burger!} and this one sounds up my alley.
• Slow Cooker Loaded “Baked” Sweet Potatoes – This one is two-fold: 1) I’ve heard baked potatoes are great in the slow cooker, 2) I am not a huge fan of sweet potatoes; but I feel I could enjoy these with all the Latin toppings!
• Slow Cooker Chana Masala – I made chana masala on my own once, but didn’t get the method down. 😦 My favorite version is a single-serving frozen meal at Trader Joe’s. Still would like to make the real deal on my own.
• Burnt Broccoli – Yeah – I’ve been eating broccoli for almost two years now. CRAZY.
• Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Oil – Yes… a great side dish to get some veg in… I always forget how much I love SS until I eat it again!

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In sum, what I can tell you is that I still have a LOT of recipes I’d like to try out of this cookbook. But, of the ones I’ve made, I just haven’t found any I LOVE yet. Would you like me, to perhaps, give you another update in the future? Tell you when I do find a keeper?

What recipe from this list would you most like to try?

 

Cheers~
Carrie