This is a delicious, Italian style casserole that makes an easy, flavorful week night dish or make it on the weekend and have it later in the week. It reheats well. I’ve based this recipe on one that Mom Kelly, PK’s mama, came up with one day. I’ve swapped the jack cheese out for mozzarella cheese and added bell pepper into the mix. This is a half recipe, but can be doubled easily to serve up to 10 people. You can swap the sausage for ground beef or ground turkey or even diced chicken.
Sausage Zucchini Bake
3 cups Zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch (about 3 medium-sized)
1/2 lb Pork Sausage
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano Cheese, grated
1 clove minced Garlic
1/4 cup chopped Sweet Peppers
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
2 cups Pasta Sauce
Wash and slice zucchini into 1/4-inch pieces. Place in pan with enough water to cover. Add chopped garlic and salt. Cook until tender but do not overcook. When done, drain in colander and gently mash to remove as much water as possible. Meanwhile, in a frying pan brown sausage, drain well.
Mix zucchini, sausage and shredded mozarella cheese together, reserving some of the cheese. Put into ovenproof dish leaving room for the juices. Top with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan over top. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25 to 40 minutes or until well browned on top.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Info per serving (4 servings):
Calories: 396 Fat: 31.6 g Net Carbs: 8.3 g Protein: 22.9 g
OK for all phases of Atkins & likely for South Beach also. I don’t have a SB food list for phase 1.
Here’s another way I like to use the leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. This also works great with chicken or shredded pork. It goes together quickly using canned green enchilada sauce and pre-made salsa.
Green Chile Turkey Enchilada Casserole
2 cups Turkey, diced
1 1/2 cup Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
4 low carb 7-inch Tortillas (should be 3 net carbs each)
4 tablespoons Green Chile Salsa
1 tablespoon Cilantro
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Mexican Cheese, queso fresco or other (optional)
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/4 cup Tomatoes, 0.25 chopped
1/2 cup Daikon radish, diced
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil or spray with cooking spray a round baking dish about 8 inches in diameter.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil on medium heat and add the daikon. Cook for about five minutes, then add the onions and tomatoes. Stir and cook until the vegetables start to get soft. Add the cilantro and salsa, stir well and turn off. Stir in the turkey and sour cream.
Pour 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce in the baking dish and use a wooden spoon to spread evenly on the bottom. Put a tortilla on top, then put 1/3 of the turkey and vegetable mix on top and spread evenly. Pour 1/4 cup of sauce on top and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheddar cheese on top. Repeat the layer beginning with another tortilla two more times, so you have three layers of tortilla, turkey, sauce and cheese. Put the last tortilla on top, cover with remaining sauce and cheddar cheese. Crumble Mexican cheese on top.
Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. Let sit for a few minutes to set, then cut into six wedges and serve.
Makes 6 servings
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 262 Fat: 13 g Net Carbs: 8.3 g Protein: 23.3 g
This is one of several ways that I love to eat left over turkey and dressing from Thanksgiving. In fact, most of the meal ends up in this great pie. With only two people eating on it, it can make 3 to 4 additional meals. It’s easy to make and so tasty.
Turkey & Dressing Pie
1 1/2 cups of leftover Dressing
2 cups Turkey, chopped or diced
1 1/2 cups leftover Smashed Turnips with Leeks (or potatoes, if you used those)
1 cup Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic
1/2 cup Celery, trimmed and chopped (include the leaves)
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1 cup Broccoli, parboiled and chopped
1/2 cup Turkey Gravy or Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep dish pie plate or an 8″ square casserole pan with cooking spray.
Line the pan with the dressing. Go up the sides if you have enough, otherwise, just spread it on the bottom of the pan. Put in the oven for about 10 minutes to set. Pull out and set aside.
In a deep sided pan, melt the butter and add the onions and celery and saute until just tender. Add the turkey gravy or chicken stock and the heavy cream. Stir to mix. Add the cornstarch to a cup with about 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Add to the cream mixture to begin to thicken it. Mix in the broccoli, green beans and the turkey. Let cook on low for about 10 minutes, then pour or spoon the mixture into the dressing lined pan. Top with the mashed turnips and cauliflower and spread it smoothly across the top. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top.
The pie before the cheese is added.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and slightly browned. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and serve with cranberry sauce on the side. Delicious!
The carb count for this will vary with the type of low carb bread dressing you use as well as if you use potatoes or Smashed Turnips or a straight cauliflower smash. It should come out to about 8 to 9 net carbs per serving with 1/6 of the pie and a little less for 1/8.
As cold weather begins creeping back in, my thoughts turn to stews and soups. The time change means it’s dark earlier and it automatically seems colder, even if it isn’t. Well, actually, it is where I am. There is nothing like a nice warming stew for dinner on cold nights, except maybe a hearty soup. Sometimes the two are almost the same in our house since we like nice thick sauces.
This recipe is a little higher in carbs than I like, but still comes in under 8 net carbs per serving. It’s really loaded with meat and vegetables so that’s a hearty serving. You might opt for a little less to lower the carbs. It’s very thick and uses canned pumpkin to help achieve that thick sauce.
Beef Stew with Root Vegetables
3 1/2 lbs. Beef, round steak, cut into bite sized pieces *
1 medium Onions, chopped
4 medium stalks Celery, trimmed and chopped
1 15-oz can Tomatoes
2 tablespoons Garlic
1/4 cup Carbquick or other low carb flour
1 cup celery root, peeled and cubed**
1 cup Kohlrabi, peeled and cubed **
1 tablespoon Seasoning Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 tablespoon oil or bacon grease
1 cup pumpkin puree
* You can purchase stewing meat already cut up but you may have to cut smaller.
** You can substitute turnips or cauliflower florets for either vegetable.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
Peel and cube the celery root and the kohlrabi (or turnips).
Mix the Carbquick or other low carb flour with the seasonings in a shallow dish. Dredge as much of the meat as you have flour in the dish. You won’t have enough for all of the meat, but it will be enough to give a sauce base to the stew.
In a large, ovenproof pot, heat the oil, add the garlic and onions and sauté for about three minutes. Remove the onions to a bowl. Add the floured pieces of meat to the pot and brown on one side, then turn over. Add the rest of the meat and stir it into the meat in the pot. Add the onions, chopped celery, celery root, kohlrabi and the canned tomatoes, Fill the tomato can with water and add that to the pot. Stir it well to mix the ingredients in. Cover the pot and put in the oven.
Cook for one hour, then stir the pot to make sure it isn’t sticking. Cook another hour, then add more water if needed, then add the pumpkin puree and stir it in. Cook 30 minutes, add more water if needed, then stir it again and cook another 30 minutes.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Nutrition Info per serving – 8 servings
Calories: 315.3 Fat: 9 g Net Carbs: 7 g Protein: 47.4 g
Mexican food has been almost a staple in my life. I love it! It’s spicy, it’s tasty and it’s oh-so-loaded-with-carbs. What seems like a healthy choice when you look at all the filling ingredients in an enchilada turns out really high in carbs when you add the corn tortilla. What to do to make this work on a low carb diet? I had an inspiration. Crepes! They are mostly an omelette and only a little flour in them. Granted, they can be a bit of a challenge, but they are worth the effort. So I present my newest – and first – Mexican French dish, Enchilada Crepes – low carb, delicious and with added vegetables. While they don’t taste exactly like an enchilada with a corn tortilla or even one of the low carb wheat flour tortillas, the taste is very close.
If you’d prefer the vegetarian version, just add about 2 cups of squash, a whole onion and 2 bell peppers to replace the meat. I am thinking that a winter squash would also be excellent in this, so you might try 2 cups of butternut or acorn squash in it. Wait! Why am I telling you this now when I can make it that way next time and put it out as a new recipe?! Because it sounds great and I’d like you to try it. When I make a winter squash vegetarian version, I will add pictures and any additional instructions.
Red Enchilada Crepes
Crepes:
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Carbquick baking mix or other low carb flour mix
1 tablespoon wheat germ or flax meal
1/2 teaspoon red pepper powder (cayenne)
Salt, pinch
1 1/2 teaspoon oil
1/2 cup water
Filling:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup zucchini or other summer squash, chopped
1 small bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
1 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon bullion paste or granules
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
10 oz can red enchilada sauce (I used Las Palmas, but La Victoria or Old El Paso are about the same carb count per 1/4 cup. )
Prepare the crepes:
Mix all the crepe ingredients in a blender or food processor until they are well mixed. Heat a small crepe or omelette skillet on the stove burner on medium high heat. You want one that has about a 5 or 6 inch flat bottom. When a drop of water skittles on the pan, spray it with cooking spray then pour in a little less than 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle and tilt the skillet if necessary to spread it evenly around.
Cover and cook for 1 minute. Remove the cover and check to see if the crepe is completely set up. If not, let it cook a little longer. Carefully slip a flat, thin spatula under the crepe to make sure it is loose, then flip it over. Let it cook for another minute. Remove to a foil lined pan.
Repeat this process until all the crepes are made. If the heat is too high and the crepes are getting too dark, lower it a little. If they aren’t getting browned within a little over a minute, then raise the heat a little. Crepes are trial and error sometimes, do if one doesn’t come out well, make adjustments and try again. Stir your batter each time before pouring a crepe to ensure no ingredients have settled on the bottom.
Wrap crepes in foil until you are ready to assemble the enchiladas.
Makes 10 or 11 crepes (allowing for one that doesn’t come out in one piece.)
About 1 carb per crepe
Make the filling:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, then add the garlic and onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the squash and bell pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until the squash is fork tender. Remove squash from pan.
I used both crookneck and zucchini in my mix.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and break into small pieces with your spatula. Stir in the seasonings and beef bullion mix. No need to add any salt. Cook until the beef is browned, then add the zucchini mix back in and stir it together, cooking just a few minutes longer.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Assembly:
In a baking pan that will hold all10 enchiladas pretty closely to each other, put 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce and spread it around with a spoon. Warm the crepes in the microwave for a minute to soften. Put one crepe on a plate, put about 1 teaspoon of the sauce on it and spoon about 1/10 of the filling down the middle. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cheese on it, then roll and carefully slide into the baking pan. Repeat with the next one.
When all the rolled enchilada crepes are in the pan, spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the tops and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over them.
You might notice that a couple of my crepes broke through. It’s okay. Just roll them and slide into place. The cheese will conceal these problems.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Serve with shredded lettuce and sour cream.
Makes 5 servings of enchiladas, 2 per serving
Nutrition Info for serving of 2:
Calories: 544.4 Fat: 42.9 Net Carbs: 7.5 g Protein: 31.8 g
For 1 enchilada
Calories: 272.2 Fat: 21.5 Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 15.9 g
If you want to keep the calories and carbs a little lower, you can eat one enchilada and a big side salad with it. Using less hamburger will lower the calories, but not the carbs in this.
TIP: If you have leftover filling, put it in the fridge and use it as an omelette filling. Delicious.
