Category Archives: Main Dishes

Garlic Croutons

Posted in Lunch, Main Dishes, Salads and Soups by

This is another great recipe from djfoodie.com.  While D.J. used his own low-carb bread recipe, I cheated and used Chompie’s low-carb bread.  These came out great!  Servings total 12, and there are .96 grams of net carbs (using D.J.’s low-carb bread).  I think it would be very close to the same carb count using Chompie’s.  I added these little cubes of deliciousness on Chicken Caesar salad (another djfoodie.com recipe that I will be adding to my blog).

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
  • 4 each garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups low-carb bread, cut into cubes
  • salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in a saute pan.  While the butter is still melting, add the minced garlic.  
  2. Add the bread and saute, seasoning with a little salt and pepper.
  3. Saute until the bread is nice and golden brown.
  4. Once they are golden brown and cooked to the desired doneness, remove them from the heat and spread them on paper towels.  Spread them evenly, so they don’t steam one another.
  5. Let them cool completely, before using or packaging.  

Chicken Salad

Posted in Lunch, Main Dishes, Salads and Soups by

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I love chicken salad so I spent a lot of time looking for a great low-carb recipe.  This one is great and comes from djfoodie.com.  The serving size is 4 and it has 3.79 grams net carbs.  Please note that the highest carb count item is the almonds so if you want lower carbs, cut the amount of almonds.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 pounds of cooked chicken meat, diced
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1/2 cup real bacon bits
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon celery seed
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. MIX the stuff in a bowl!
  2. EAT!

We put this on toasted low-carb bread for lunch.  It would also be great on lettuce or just as is!!!

Ultimate Mock Mac and Cheese Casserole

Posted in Casserole, Main Dishes by

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This is another George Stella keeper. The first time I made it, I used chicken. Tonight I used turkey ham (yes, there is such a thing).  Both times were fabulous!  Net carbs: 3g.

  • 1 large head cauliflower, chopped (small)
  • 1 cup chopped broccoli
  • 1 cup cooked cubed chicken (or ham)
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, sliced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
  • 6 ounces cooked bacon, chopped
  1. PLACE the rack in the center position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9×9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.  (I don’t have a 9×9 so I use my 9×13.)  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. COOK the cauliflower and broccoli in the boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until crisp yet tender.  Drain well; pat between layers of paper towels to dry, and transfer to the prepared baking dish, along with the cooked chicken (or ham).
  3. BRING the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  4. STIR in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and whisk for just a minute until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and pour over the ingredients in the casserole dish.
  5. SPRINKLE the cooked bacon over all, top with the remaining 1/2 cup if Cheddar, and bake for 15 minutes, or until browned and bubbling.  Let cool for 5 minted before serving.

Enjoy♥

Foolproof Rib Roast

Posted in Beef/Pork, Main Dishes by

This is probably not a new recipe for some of you, but for me — an amateur cook — it is a new winner.  It is a rather expensive meal so not part of my weekly or even monthly menu routine, but will be great for holidays.  I took this one from Allrecipes.com.  Servings per recipe:  6; net carbs per serving 0.5 (woohoo)!!  For those of us who love horseradish, this is definitely a recipe for this condiment. Be aware:  Cook time is 5 hours.

  • (5 pound) standing beef rib roast
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

  1. ALLOW roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
  2. PREHEAT the oven to 375 degrees F.  Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small cup.  Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan so that the fatty side is up and the rib side is on the bottom.  Rub the seasoning onto the roast.
  3. ROAST for 1 hour in the preheated oven.  Turn the oven off and leave the roast inside.  Do not open the door!!!!  Leave it in there for 3 hours.  30 to 40 minutes before serving, turn the oven back on at 375 degrees to reheat the roast.  The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving into servings.

Ginny’s Taco Salad

Posted in Beef/Pork, Main Dishes, Salads and Soups by

While my family does get a little sick of salad, this recipe is great and everyone loves it.  One of the ingredients is “2 cups of Black Soy Bean Chili” (which is a recipe I had previously posted).  Another great (and easy) recipe from George Stella.  Please note this recipe only yields 2 servings.  They are large servings though!

  • 4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (or 50-50 mix)
  • 2 cups Black Soy Bean Chili (previously posted)
  • 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (you may substitute any cheese you prefer)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  • 1 Roma tomato, diced
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon sliced black olives
  • 1 tablespoon sliced green onion (scallion) tops (this one is option, in my opinion)
  1. DIVIDE the shredded lettuce between 2 bowls and pile it high.
  2. IF the chili isn’t hot already, warm it in the microwave.
  3. TOP each bowl of lettuce with 1 cup chili and 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
  4. TOP the salads with the tomato, sour cream, sliced olives and scallion tops.  Serve immediately, while the chili is hot and the salad is cold.

Black Soy Bean Chili

Posted in Beef/Pork, Main Dishes by

Another great recipe from George Stella.  Unfortunately, I could not find canned black soy beans at Fry’s, Wal-Mart, Sprouts, AJ’s, Trader Joe’s or Lee Lee’s Oriental Supermarket (yes, I was obsessed in my hunt to find them).  We got them from Whole Foods.  I also notice you can order them on Amazon, and I think you might be able to get them at Safeway, but I haven’t checked yet.  I love black soy beans!  Who would have thought?  They look like and taste like black beans, so I am going to have to stock up on these beans (since they are low in net carbs).  This recipe is great by itself with cheese or sour cream, but is also terrific in Ginny’s Taco Salad, a recipe which I am also adding.

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into large dice
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into large dice
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (you may use any cut of beef you like)
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 3 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • One 15-ounce can black soy beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
  1. HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the peppers and onion and cook until slightly tender.
  2. ADD the ground beef and spices and cook until the meat is thoroughly browned.  Drain off the excess fat using a spoon or turkey baster.
  3. Add the diced tomatoes and beans and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. To serve, garnish the chili with cilantro.

This recipe yields 8 servings and has 4 net carbs per serving.  Stella states the prep time is 15 minutes but he’s a professional chef; however, it takes me about 35 minutes to cut everything up.  🙂

Grain-Free Chicken Tenders

Posted in Main Dishes, Poultry by

This is a recipe I took from Allrecipes.com and is a definite keeper.  Ready in 40 minutes.

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or to taste
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

  1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. MIX almond flour, Parmesan cheese, basil, thyme, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
  3. DIP chicken strips in the melted butter; press strips into almond flour mixture until completely coated.  Transfer coated strips to the prepared baking sheet.
  4. BAKE in the preheated oven on the middle rack until strips are golden brown and no longer pink in the center, at least 20 minutes.

Total net carbs per serving: 6 g.  Servings per recipe: 6.  YUM!!

Marinara & Mozzarella Meatloaf

Posted in Beef/Pork, Main Dishes, Pasta/Italian/Pizza by

This is an amazing recipe from George Stella.

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided (make sure no added sugar or corn syrup)
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  1. PREHEAT oven to 350°, and ready a nonstick 9×5-inch loaf pan for baking.  (Or spray a regular loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.)
  2. IN a large bowl, mix the ground beef, 1 cup of the marinara sauce, diced red onion, eggs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper.  (This is easiest done with your hands.)
  3. EVENLY fill loaf pan with the meatloaf mixture, patting with your hands to form an even top.  Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
  4. REMOVE loaf from oven and spread with remaining 1/2 cup of marinara sauce, and then the mozzarella cheese over the top.  Return to oven and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 165°.  Drain fat from pan and let rest 10 minutes before cutting into 8 equal slices.

This recipe has 6.5 net carbs per serving.