Monthly Archives: May 2017

Beef, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

A Twist on an old favorite comfort food

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This has been one of those months when too many things kept me from the kitchen to do anything more than reheat something or, for a few days when I had a stomach bug, just have soup. So not much posted for the month, but I did make this fabulous meatloaf yesterday and wanted to share the recipe with you.

You’ll also notice in the photo that I have a serving of cauli-rice and sweet potato on the side. I put a little of the pan juices from the meatloaf over the top for flavoring and moisture. The cauli-rice is a new product from Green Giant Foods, one of several cauliflower dishes they’ve put on the market. Look for a post in a few days with my product review on them. I can say that this was very tasty although I think a little extra seasoning kicks the flavor up a notch.

Most people don’t integrate the pasta sauce into the meatloaf, but put it over the top. I mixed mine in and it makes a delicious and moist meatloaf. Keeping it to low carb, I didn’t put any bread crumbs in it. This means it is more delicate than your regular meatloaf, but it will hold together.

Italian Style Meatloaf

1 pound lean Ground Beef (15% fat)
1 pound Ground Sausage
1 cup Pasta Sauce – (I used Pumpkin Pasta Sauce)
1 cup Onions, chopped
3 mini Sweet Peppers, chopped
2 Green Onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F.)

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef and the sausage together. Add the onions, peppers, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese and mix together. Add the pasta sauce and stir in completely.

Place meat mixture in an oven safe pan, skillet, or large glass pan. Shape the meat into a loaf about 4 inches in depth and 6 inches wide. It should not touch the sides of the pan so that it will cook and brown around all exposed sides.

Meatloaf just out of the oven. I love my copper-clad square pan for making this and stews. It easily goes from stove to oven.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the meat loaf is browned and the internal temperature is about 155 degrees. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes before cutting. The meatloaf will cook a little more while sitting and will set up.

Use a sturdy pancake turner to cut and serve the slices. Makes about 8 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 341 Fat: 22.8 g Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 28.7 g

Note: This meatloaf can be stored in a container and frozen for up to three months, so if you have leftovers, that’s an option. It also makes a delicious sandwich filling.

Main Dish, Pork

Apples, Onions and Pork equals delicious

Pork chops cook quickly when fried and combine wonderfully with other flavors. One of my favorite recipes when I was a child was pork chops with apples and corn. Well, corn is a tough one to do on low carb and even apples push it a bit, but this recipe combines apples with onions for a really fantastic flavor that is still under 7 net carbs per serving.  My secret ingredient? Irish Whiskey. It brings a subtle flavor to the meal.

Whiskey Pork Chops with Apples

2 Pork Chops, about 3/4 inch thick (4 oz. each)
Seasoning Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoons Unsalted Butter
1/3 large Onion, sliced
1 Scallion, sliced
3/4 Apple, cored and sliced
1/4 cup Irish Whiskey plus water to make 1/3 cup

Wash the pork chops and pat dry with a towel. Trim off any large pieces of fat. Sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper to your preference on each side. Heat a cast iron or copper clad pan over high heat, lower to medium high. Add the olive oil and swirl around the pan. Put in the pork chops and cook for about five minutes on one side so you get a good sear, then turn the chops over and cook another five minutes. Set aside on a warm plate. (Put the plate on the turned off burner next to where you’re cooking to get it warm or put it in a low temperature oven.)

Add butter to the pan to melt, then swirl it around the pan. Add the onions, scallions, and apples. Saute until the onions begin to caramelize, around eight minutes. Stir in the whiskey and water, then add the pork chops back to the pan.

Cook until the pork chops are tender, around another fifteen minutes. About half-way through, turn the chops over and pile the apple mixture on top. Cover with a lid and finish cooking until the pork chop is done.

Serve with mashed cauliflower and a salad to complete the meal.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 378 Fat: 15.8 g Net Carbs: 6.8 g Protein: 32.2 g

Italian Inspired Recipes, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

For Cinco de Mayo, Italian Enchiladas

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This is one of those holidays that’s like St. Patrick’s Day where it doesn’t matter what your heritage is, you celebrate the day because it’s fun. And in this case, the food is delicious and wonderful. Now for those of you who really Italian fun and maybe want to combine Italian with Mexican, I ran across this recipe for Italian Enchiladas. Why not? It combines two terrific food cultures and it tastes great. I adapted the recipe for my low carb lifestyle and I’m happy to share it. Viva la Enchilada!

Italian Enchiladas with Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

6 low carb Tortillas
3/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Chicken Breast baked or roasted and chopped
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup chopped Baby Spinach
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 cup Salsa
3/4 cup Pumpkin Chipotle Pasta Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, and spinach.

Add 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon chile powder to a small bowl and mix together. Sprinkle over the chopped chicken and mix together.

Heat tortillas in a package in the microwave for 1 minute or warm individually on the stove. Wrap in a towel or foil to keep warm.

Spoon 1/4 of the ricotta mixture down the middle of the tortilla, top with seasoned chicken and roll up.

Spread 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce on the bottom of the baking pan or a stove-to-oven skillet, such as a cast iron or copper clad one. Place the rolled tortilla into the pan, seam side down. Prepare the next one and place it into the pan until all are done. Pour the remaining pasta sauce over the enchiladas and top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned and it bubbles around the edges. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then serve garnished with chopped scallions and sour cream, if you wish.

Makes 4 servings: (one enchilada per serving)

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 178.2 Fat: 10.7 g Net Carbs: 4.0 g Protein: 14.4 g

Another view of the Italian Enchilada on a not-so-colorful plate.

For this recipe, I used a very tasty Pumpkin Pasta Sauce from Cucina Antica. It is lower carb’d than others that I looked at although I also like Raley’s Pumpkin Chipotle Pasta Sauce as well. You can use a regular pasta sauce if you prefer rather than going with the pumpkin one.

Are you going to give this recipe a try? Let me know what you think.

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Easy Chorizo and Eggs Brunch

Here’s my second Cinco de Mayo recipe suggestion. This is a great breakfast or brunch meal and it’s easy to make.

A simple dish, but delicious and satisfying. This used the Mexican-style chili sauce chorizo that is very moist and cooks into the egg well. If you buy the chorizo in a long tube, it is usually 12 oz. folded in half in the grocery. Use 1/4 of the tube for the recipe. The secret ingredient in this is ricotta cheese , which adds a little more substance to the scramble.

Pork Chorizo image
This is the pork chorizo type that I used in this recipe. You can also get it in beef or a combination.

Chorizo and Eggs Deluxe

2 Eggs
3 oz. Chorizo
2 tablespoon Ricotta Cheese
1 teaspoon dried Onion Flakes or 1 tablespoon chopped Green Onions
1/4 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 low carb Tortilla, cut in half

Heat a small skillet and add the chorizo to cook down over medium high heat, stir until it melts. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add dried onions to soften. (If you’re using green onions, do not add them at this time.)

Tear one half of the tortilla into small pieces and set aside. Cut the other half into two pieces, butter, and place under the broiler to lightly toast. This won’t take long, about a minute, so watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

When the chorizo is melted, add the eggs and ricotta cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon so the dish is blended as the eggs begin to cook. Add the cheese and seasonings and cook until the egg is cooked to your preference and the cheese is melted. (If you are using green onions, add with the cheese or use them as topping.)

Put the toasted tortilla on the plate and serve the eggs on top.

Makes two servings

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 306 Fat: 23.1 g Net Carbs: 3.5 g Protein: 20.4 g

Beef, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Cinco de Mayo Taco Casserole

Happy May Day! Happy Beltane!

And in just 5 days, happy Cinco de Mayo! No matter where you live, you’re likely to find people celebrating this Mexican holiday. It’s a great excuse to drink margaritas and eat your favorite Mexican food. So the challege here is what can I eat that isn’t going to explode the carb count? A few things on the menu at a restaurant are not too high in carbs, but avoid the chips, the tortillas, the beans, and the rice. That doesn’t leave much, does it?

Chile Verde is a good choice if you eat without any of the trimmings. A Chile Rellano isn’t too bad but the batter may have flour in it. Albondigas Soup is usually pretty low in carbs, although some places add rice to it. No matter what you eat out, you are likely to find hidden carbs. So what to do? Make a Mexican dish at home to celebrate with family and friends.

Here’s one that is easy to do and uses spaghetti squash as a stand-in for rice and tortillas. It’s a casserole that can be made in a stove-to-oven deep skillet or prepared in any skillet and transferred to a casserole dish. I’ll be posting two more recipes this week, so check back to see what else you can do for the day and check out the blog for many recipes already on it.

If that’s not enough, I have a Mexican Food booklet that has 15 recipes in it, most of which are not on this site. Check it out at Amazon.com or Smashwords (link in the sidebar.)

Spaghetti Squash Taco Casserole

3 cups cooked Spaghetti Squash (cooking instructions below)
1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
2 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 lb. Ground Beef
1/3 cup finely chopped Sweet Peppers
2 teaspoons Taco Seasoning
2 Green Onions, thinly sliced
1 can 15 oz. Tomatoes with Chile

To Cook the Squash:
About two hours before you want to make the casserole, roast the squash.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (f.)

With a heavy knife, like a Chef’s knife, cut the squash down the middle vertically from stem to bottom. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and any gummy strings. Rinse out and dry with a paper towel. Use about a teaspoon of Olive Oil and rub it into each side of the squash and sprinkle a little salt on it.

Spaghetti Squash face up waiting to be oiled. Turn them over to roast so the cut side is down.

Wrap a cookie tin or baking tin with aluminum foil and place the squash on top face down so the shell is on top.

Bake for 50 minutes. Remove and let cool about 15 to 20 minutes until you can handle the squash without burning your fingers. Use a fork to separate the strands of the squash into a bowl. Cover and set aside or refrigerate until you prepare the meat sauce.

Sauce and assembly:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (f.)

In a deep skillet-to-oven pan, such as a cast iron or copper skillet, brown the ground beef until it is lightly browned. Remove to a plate or bowl and wipe any excess oil from the pan. Put the cream cheese in the pan and add the taco seasoning, sweet peppers, and tomatoes. Cook and stir until it is blended and heat up. Add the ground beef, then stir in half the cheese and add the spaghetti squash and mix until the sauce is evenly distributed into the squash. Smooth with the back of a spoon until even.

If you don’t have a skillet that can go into the oven, then transfer the mixture into a large casserole dish and smooth it with the spoon.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and put in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and the dish is bubbly.

Cooked casserole in a skillet.

Let cool about 10 minutes, then serve with sour cream and guacamole if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Nutrition Information per serving (6 servings):
Calories: 292 Fat: 20.5 g Net Carbs: 7.9 g Protein:16.2 g

Nutrition Information per serving (8 servings):
Calories: 219 Fat: 15.4 g Net Carbs: 5.9 g Protein:12.1 g