Category Archives: Main Dishes

Easy Mediterranean Chicken Bake

Posted in Casserole, Poultry by

File 2-10-2015, 7 38 59 AM

This is a simple low carb meal and very good.  It comes from http://www.alldayidreamaboutfood.com.  It serves 6-8.  Total net carbs per serving:  7.79 g.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1 2.5-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
  • 1 15-ounce can low sugar tomato sauce
  • 2 cups shredded Italian cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering and hot.  Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add chicken thighs to pan and brown both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer thighs to a large 9×13 casserole dish and arrange in a single layer.  Sprinkle with artichoke hearts and black olives.
  4. Pour tomato sauce over top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Turn oven to broil and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, to lightly brown cheese on top.
  5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh basil.
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Sour Cream Beef Enchiladas

Posted in Beef/Pork, Main Dishes by

Great low carb recipe from http://mrscriddleskitchen.com.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs. of ground beef, browned
  • 1 can of rotel, drained
  • 2 packages of low carb tortillas
  • Taco seasoning to taste
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 or more cups of shredded cheddar cheese
  • Salsa

SAUCE:

  • 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup of chicken broth or water
  • 1 jalapeno seeded & cored
  • 1 handful of cilantro, cleaned
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Brown the ground beef.
  2. Add taco seasoning and a canned of drained rotel (diced tomatoes and green onions).
  3. Spray lightly a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. Take a tortilla, fill with beef and cheese, roll up.
  5. Continue the above step until pan is full.
  6. In a blender add cream cheese, sour cream, broth or water, jalapenos, cilantro, garlic & onion powder, salt.
  7. Blend well.
  8. Pour over rolled enchiladas.
  9. Cover with cheese.
  10. Top with onions.
  11. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese has melted and dish is heated through.

Enjoy.

Southern Fried Chicken

Posted in Main Dishes, Poultry by

A great low-carb recipe from buttoni.wordpress.com.  Nutritional info: 113.4 calories, 7.26 g fat, 1.72 g carbs, .53 g fiber, 1.19 g net carbs, 12.8 g protein.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3/4 cup plain whey protein
  • 1 c. crushed pork rinds
  • 1 tbsp oat fiber (optional)
  • 1 tsp spice blend (I used a cajun spice)
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 c. heavy cream
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 1/2-3/4″ deep hot oil in a large 13-14″ skillet
  • Chicken (I used 8 thighs, but you can use whatever chicken pieces you want)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Measure out and mix all dry ingredients in a paper bag by shaking well.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream and water together.  Toss in the pieces of cut up chicken into the egg wash and turn several times to well coat each piece. Pick each piece of meat out of the bowl and drop into the bag of seasoned “flour” and when you have 3 pieces in the bag, holding the top closed, shake the bag to coat the chicken.  Don’t put more than 3 together.
  2. Heat 3/4″ deep oil over high heat.  Place the pieces closely together.  Lower heat to medium-high so larger pieces don’t over-brown before done.  Repeat the coating process with the remaining pieces of chicken.  Brown the chicken well on one side disturbing as little as possible.  Turn pieces of chicken over carefully to brown the second side.  when brown and done (about 30-40 minutes) remove to paper towels to drain.  Finish cooking the remaining pieces if you were unable to get them all in your skillet.

Hamburger Cheesy “Mac” Casserole

Posted in Beef/Pork, Casserole, Main Dishes by

A tasty recipe I adapted from http://www.lowcarbzen.com.  Nutritional info:  Calories 616, Carbs 9.74, Fiber 3.376, Protein 39.73, Net carbs 6.4.  (Serving size: 1/6 of casserole.)

CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 16 oz. frozen cauliflower (1 bag)
  • 10 oz. box frozen spinach
  • 2 tsp. beef broth base (optional but adds a nice dimension to the flavor)
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp. minced, dried onions
  • 1 tbsp. liquid smoke (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Crushed pork rinds (about 1 cup)

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese (1 pkg)
  • 2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Havarti cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Gather your ingredients.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Cook up your hamburger.  Add in the broth base, the liquid smoke, garlic and onions to cook with the hamburger.
  4. Cook spinach in the microwave.  Drain well.
  5. Add spinach to browned hamburger.  Mix.
  6. Cook the cauliflower.  You can cook however you want, but I cooked it in the microwave.  Put on paper towels to dry.
  7. Put cauliflower in casserole dish.
  8. Melt cream cheese and 2/3 of the shredded cheeses with the 1/2 cup heavy cream over medium low heat.  Be careful not to burn, stirring regularly.
  9. Put hamburger mix in casserole dish with the cauliflower.  Mix well.
  10. Dump melted cheese mixture over the hamburger, spinach and cauliflower.  Mix well.
  11. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese.
  12. Bake about 10 minutes.  Add crushed pork rinds mixed with seasoning if using.
  13. Bake another 15 minutes for a total of about 25 minutes, until browned around the edges and bubbly.

Grilled Zucchini Lasagna

Posted in Pasta/Italian/Pizza, Poultry by

File 18-8-2015, 7 40 08 PM

This is not a quick and easy recipe to make after work, but a great recipe to make on the weekend (and worth the time).  We also had great leftovers.  This recipe comes from Carolyn Ketchum (one of my favorite cooks) at asweetlife.org.  This recipe uses thinly sliced zucchini in the place of noodles.  Nutritional info:  Calories from fat: 262, Carbs 10.72g, total dietary fiber 1.89 g, protein 30.72g.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 large zucchini, about 12 ounces each
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (I prefer to add 1/2 tsp.)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup full-fat ricotta
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I used flakes)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 12 ounces shredded mozzarella

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat grill to medium (temperature should only be about 300 to 350F).
  2. Cut each zucchini in half crosswise and then slice each half lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices
  3. Grill zucchini slices until they are tender and much of the moisture has been removed, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Remove from grill and set aside on layers of paper towels to continue drying out.  Alternatively, roast zucchini at 350 degrees in the oven on wire baking racks for about 20 minutes.
  4. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add ground beef and cook through, breaking up any clumps with the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and pepper flakes.  Turn heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes.
  5. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, ricotta, parmesan, basil, egg, garlic and salt.  Stir to combine well.
  6. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.  Lay 1/3 of the zucchini slices across the bottom in a single layer.  Spread with 1/3 of cream cheese/ricotta mixture, then 1/3 of meat sauce and 1/3 of the mozarella.  Repeat these layers 2 more times.
  7. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, until bubbling.  Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or so, until cheese on top is beginning to brown.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Almond Chicken Salad

Posted in Lunch, Main Dishes, Poultry, Salads and Soups by

This is a great, healthy low carb recipe based on the ingredients, but I do not have the carb count for this one.  This recipe is great just as a meal or with a green salad.  The recipe comes from alt.support.diet.low-carb, although I have made a few changes.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 cups cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken from Fry’s)
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 3/4 cup sliced green onion
  • 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp. prepared mustard (I used spicy Dijon)
  • 1 tsp. salt (or salt substitute)
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. onion pepper (I did not have so I used garlic pepper)
  • 1/4 tsp. celery salt
  • 1/8 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1/8 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 cup slivered almost, toasted (I forgot to toast, but it was still great)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large bowl combine chicken, celery, onions and eggs.
  2. In another bowl, combine the next 9 ingredients; stir until smooth.  Pour over chicken mixture and toss gently.
  3. Stir in almonds and serve immediately, or refrigerate and add almonds right before serving.

10-Minute Shrimp

Posted in Seafood by

A great, fast recipe for pre-cooked shrimp from http://www.cooks.com.  The carb count is unknown but, based on the ingredients, is very low.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb. medium shrimp, pre-cooked, frozen
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Frank’s Hot Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Do not thaw shrimp.  Place shrimp in a microwave-proof bowl (if using fresh garlic, add now) and microwave on high setting for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp are steaming hot.  Drain liquid.
  2. While shrimp are hot, add butter, hot sauce, (lemon and parsley), if using, and remaining seasonings.  Return to microwave for 10 seconds, or until butter has melted.

Chicken Pizza

Posted in Pasta/Italian/Pizza, Poultry by

This recipe from http://www.genaw.com has become one of our favorites. It is very easy to make and about 3 net carbs per serving (depending on toppings).

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 boneless chicken breast (about 5 1/2 ounce)
  • Dash Italian seasoning
  • Dash garlic powder
  • Dash salt

TOPPINGS:

  • 1 tablespoon pizza sauce
  • 1/2 ounce pepperoni (8 thin slices)
  • 1/2 large fresh mushroom, sliced thin (1/2 ounce)
  • 1 ounce Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 ounce mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons green pepper, minced (1/2 ounce)
  • 1 tablespoon red onion, minced (1/4 ounce)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Pound the chicken as thin as possible without tearing it.
  2. Season both sides of the chicken with the seasonings and place it on a foil-lined baking sheet.
  3. Spread the pizza sauce on the top of the chicken.
  4. Arrange the remaining topping ingredients in this order:  pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, cheese, peppers and then the onions.
  5. Lightly sprinkle with a little more Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
  6. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Do not overcook.

Makes 1 serving.

Avocado Stuffed Burger

Posted in Beef/Pork, Main Dishes by

We love burgers!  Here is another good one.  It comes from civilizedcavemancooking.com.  It makes approximate 4 burgers and I have not calculated the carb count for people counting carbs but as you can see by the ingredients below, it is very low.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 avocados, ripe
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped NO OIL (I only use 1/3 as I am not a huge fan of sun-dried tomatoes. Also, it can be difficult to find the tomatoes without oil so if they have oil, I will rinse them.)
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon (I cut this amount down some too because it makes the burgers a little to lemony if not)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt (I also cut this down in half)
  • Bacon fat (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat your grill (or skillet) to medium-medium high heat.
  2. Put your ground beef in a large mixing bowl and add black pepper, half of your sea salt and the zest of one lemon.
  3. Mix well and then using your hands form into thin patties all the same size (you need them thin because you will be using two of them to make one patty).
  4. In another mixing bowl combine avocados, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice and the other half of sea salt.
  5. Mash the avocado and mix ingredients well to get as smooth as you like.
  6. Place your avocado mixture on the bottom of half of the burgers, ensuring you leave room to seal the burgers without it leaking out.
  7. Put your other patty over the top of your mixture and pinch the edges of your burgers together to seal all the way around.
  8. Now grill to your liking.  It normally takes about 6 to 8 minutes per side.  Ensure you cook evenly on both sides of the burger or you will end up with an undercooked and an overcooked side.
  9. While grilling, you may want to drizzle your burger with a little bacon grease for flavor.  You may also want to add cheese slices before removing from grill or skillet.
  10.  When done grilling, allow your burgers to rest for 10 minutes and then serve.  You can use the rest of your avocado mixture, if any, to top your burgers with.

Low Carb Mexican Chicken Casserole

Posted in Casserole, Main Dishes, Poultry by

This recipe I have made numerous times so definitely “blog worthy,” at least in my opinion.  It comes from lowcarbzen.com.  The recipe (without changes) serves 6 and contains 2 net carbs per serving.  Below is my adapted version:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1-1/2 lbs. chicken breast
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock (or 1 tb chicken base with water) (I use around 1/4 cup chicken broth)
  • 10 ounce can tomatoes with green chilies (drained)
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup pepperjack cheese (shredded)
  • 1 cup monterey jack cheese (shredded)
  • Options to include:  sliced olives, jalapenos, cumin (remember to add before cheese)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Add chicken breasts, stock and garlic to skillet.
  2. Cook chicken in the stock over medium heat until cooked through and tender.
  3. Shred the chicken into the casserole dish (9×13), discarding any remaining stock.
  4. Mix in drained can of tomatoes and green chilies (and/or sliced olives, jalapeno, cumin)
  5. Dot the chicken/tomatoe mix with little bits of cream cheese.
  6. Cover with shredded pepperjack cheese.
  7. Cover with shredded monterey jack cheese.
  8. Cook in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes, until brown around the edges.

Serve.  (We look to top off with a little dollop of sour cream.)