You know those days when soccer practice overlaps with a dentist’s appointment and there’s just no time to prepare a healthy family dinner?

Some of the best – wholesome – family dinners come from “make-ahead” recipes, prepared in advance for busy days. Slow cooking allows delicious flavours time to combine into a wonderful meal your family will love.

Try this hearty, slow-cooked recipe tonight.

Maple-Orange Chicken with Squash and Potatoes

Ingredients

1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2” pieces
2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
2 leeks, peeled and chopped
4 Maple Leaf Prime chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup orange marmalade
½ cup homemade chicken stock or sodium-reduced stock
½ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions

Place acorn squash, potatoes and leeks in slow cooker.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and layer on top of vegetables.

Sprinkle fresh rosemary on the chicken.

In a small bowl, mix together orange marmalade, chicken stock, orange juice and maple syrup. Pour over chicken and vegetables.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours for a healthy, hearty meal.

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Delicious, hearty stews can have health benefits too. They usually contain healthy ingredients from many food groups (just check out the pot roast recipe below).

Just remember this: avoid peeking under the lid during cooking, as each peek increases the cooking time. Wait until your stew is almost done, then remove the lid to allow the sauce to thicken up.

Pot Roast with Veggies

Ingredients

3 lb beef pot roast
salt and pepper
4 carrots, peeled and cut in 3” pieces
2 large white onions – either sliced into 1/4" round circles or diced fairly thick
4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained

Directions

Place carrots and onion in slow cooker, add bay leaves and fresh thyme.

Season the beef with salt and pepper, then place it in the slow cooker, and top with the tomatoes.

Cover, and cook on low heat for 8 hours.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Put your vegetables on a serving platter. Slice the meat and arrange around vegetables.

Pour sauce from the slow cooker, and drain off the fat. Pour over the roast and serve.

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Ever wonder how to serve barbecued meats with classic criss-cross grill marks? It's simple!

Take a look at your meat, and decide which side looks best. Place this "best" side on the heated grill. Now…leave it!

Don't make the common mistake of turning your meat too quickly, as this will cause it to stick and tear.

Instead, leave the food on the heated grill long enough for it to "release" itself. You'll know it's ready when the meat comes easily off the grill. Then you can create the criss-cross by rotating it 90 degrees prior to turning it over. Voila!

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Many stir-fry recipes combine flavours and ingredients from Asia to create a single delicious dish. Meats and veggies are cut in strips, shredded or diced, so cooking different ingredients of various sizes requires variable temperatures of heat.

A wok is ideal for stir-frying, as its deep, wide shape is conducive to many heat zones. The hottest spot is the bottom of the wok, with the sides offering varying degrees of lesser heat.

Cooking your ingredients in one pan not only results in a wonderful mélange of flavour - it also makes clean up a snap!

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Watching your weight? Try cooking methods that cut out added fat. Baking, roasting, slow cooking and poaching typically don't require extra fat, but can be just as flavourful as more indulgent techniques.

Try one of our most-requested recipes - a delicious slow cooked comfort meal. Serve this spicy pulled pork with low-fat sour cream and a healthy coleslaw. It's kid-tested, and your family will love it!

Spicy Pulled Pork

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, finely minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained
salt and pepper
2½ lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed

Optional:
grated cheddar cheese
low-fat sour cream
coleslaw

Directions

Combine onion, oregano, bay leaf, jalapeno peppers, crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes and pork in a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. The pork may have to be cut crosswise to fit.

Cover, and cook on high setting for 6-7 hours, until meat is tender and pulls apart.

Transfer the meat to a large bowl. Tear it apart - traditionally done with two forks. The pork should be tender, and shredded into small pieces.

Return the meat to the slow cooker and toss it well with the sauce. Remove the bay leaf.

Top dish with grated cheddar cheese and sour cream; serve with a side of coleslaw.

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Got leftover wine from dinner? Freeze it in an ice-cube tray, for use in your next recipe.

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