Asian Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Ingredients:
6 lb beef short ribs
3 tbsp oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 c shredded carrot
1/2 c chopped onion
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
6 tsp Chinese black bean sauce
3 tsp chili garlic paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c soy sauce
1 c dry red wine
2 c beef broth
1 tsp 5-spice powder
1 tbsp Splenda (equivalent Sweetzfree: 3 drops)
Guar or xanthan

-In a big, heavy skillet, brown the ribs all over in the oil. Transfer the ribs to your slow cooker.

-Add the celery, carrot, and onion to the skillet and saute over medium high heat until they soften and start to brown. Stir in the ginger, black bean sauce, chili garlic paste, and garlic, and saute for another couple of minutes. Now stir in the soy sauce, wine, broth, five-spice powder, and Splenda. Pour mixture over the ribs. Cover slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6-7 hours.

-When time's up, transfer the ribs to a platter and scoop vegetables into a blender with a slotted spoon. Add 2 cups of the liquid and run the blender until the vegetables are pureed. Thicken the sauce to heavy cream consistency with guar or xanthan and serve the sauce with the ribs.

Yields 12 servings, each serving has:
948 calories
86g fat
35g protein
3g carbs
Trace fiber
3g NET carbs

Beef and Broccoli (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:
1 lb beef round, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 oz canned sliced mushrooms, drained (we don't like mushrooms, so we'll omit it and thereby lower the carb content, but I'm just reporting what the recipe says)
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1/2 c beef broth
1 tsp beef bouillon concentrate
1 tbsp Splenda (or 3 drops Sweetzfree)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 tbsp dry sherry
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 c frozen broccoli florets
Guar or xanthan

-Combine the beef, mushrooms, onion, beef bouillon, Splenda, ginger, sherry, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil in your slow cooker. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Cover, set to low, and cook for 8-10 hours.

-When time's up, add the broccoli to the slow cooker, re-cover, and let it cook another half hour. Thicken the juices with guar or xanthan.

Yield: 4 servings, each with:
314 calories
17g fat
29g protein
10g carbs
4g fiber
6 NET carbs (with the mushrooms and Splenda)