All posts by Rene Averett

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Shrimp and Asparagus — Colorful and Delightful

This week, I decided to adapt an enticing recipe that was on Fine Cooking by Jennifer Armentrout. To be honest, not a lot of adjustment was needed to make it low carb, except for the one key item of “grits” with cheddar cheese. I am not a huge grits fan, so it doesn’t bother me to lose this, but the substitute should be something similar. In my mind, this was another job for my favorite combo, cauliflower and daikon radish riced to the texture of grits. It came out deliciously wonderful and as the roomie put, “that’s a keeper.” Try it for yourself.

Shrimp and Asparagus with Cauli-grits

1- 1/2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
1 clove Garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups homemade or sodium free Chicken Broth
2 cups riced Cauliflower
1 cup riced Daikon
freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce; more to taste

1/2 lb. medium-thick Asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 to 2 Scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced (optional)

Heat 1/2 Tbs. of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until you can just smell it, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the riced cauliflower and daikon and 1/4 tsp. salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and most of the liquid is absorbed or evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar and 1/4 tsp. of the hot sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in a warm spot.

Heat 1 Tbs. of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is opaque and the asparagus is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the shrimp and asparagus over the grits. Top with sprinkled scallions.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Info: Calories: 305.7 Fat: 18.4 g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 28.8 g

TIP: No asparagus at the market (or the cost is just too dear)? Try this dish with broccolini (baby broccoli). It will be colorful and the young spears are perfect.

Posted on 4/24/2013

Recipes, Soups and Stews

Creamy Cock-A-Leekie Soup Warms the Spirit

… and makes you smile a bit at the name. This is a variation on a Scottish soup that features chicken and, that Welsh favorite, leeks in a wonderful chicken broth with other vegetables. While this usually uses potatoes in it, my low carb version harkens back to pre-Columbus times in Europe when turnips were more popular.

With Thanksgiving approaching this coming week, it also occurred to me that it would be fabulous with left over turkey in it.

Creamy Cock-a-Leekie Soup

2 cups cooked Chicken or Turkey, cubed
2 large Leeks, cleaned and sliced (about three cups of sliced leeks)
1 medium Onion, sliced and chopped
3 stalks Celery, sliced thinly
2 medium Turnips, cleaned and cut into cubes
16 oz. frozen Cauliflower florets or 2 cups chopped fresh Cauliflower
1 cup loosely packed, torn Baby Spinach leaves
2 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Butter
1 teaspoon Garlic and Herb seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon dried Parsley flakes or a handful of fresh Parsley
Salt to taste

Clean and prepare the leaks, making sure to wash any dirt off. You put the slices in a colander and rinse them off to make sure no dirt is in the inside rings. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, melt the butter and sauté the leeks until they are limp and slightly tender. Add the onions and continue to cook until the onions are limp. Add chicken broth and garlic and herb seasoning and pepper. Stir well. Add the turnips, celery and cauliflower and stir the vegetables in.

Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Add a cup of water, cover and simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes. Add the  chicken or turkey, spinach leaves, parsley and cream and stir well. Check broth and add salt and water as needed.  Cook until the chicken is hot, usually about 10 minutes.  Serve with low carb bread or biscuits.

Makes about six 1 cup servings.
Nutrition Info: Calories 150 Net Carbs 9.6 g Protein 11.2 g

Posted on 11/19/2012

Recipes, Soups and Stews

Curry Spices Up Turkey Soup

The Thanksgiving turkey carcass always finds its way to the soup pot in my house. In most cases, there’s enough meat left on the bone to provide a hearty, filling soup for the cold nights that come at the end of November and beginning of December. This year I wanted to try something a little different from my usual cream turkey soup, so I added some different vegetables, chili powder and curry powder to the pot. The result is a yummy soup with a bit of bite. I use a scoop of leftover dressing warmed in the microwave (or oven) on top of the soup to add a bit more flavor and help soak up the delicious broth.

For the dressing, I used this great stuffing bread recipe.

Turkey Curry Soup

1 to 2 cups Turkey, chopped
10 cups Homemade Turkey Broth
1 Leeks, sliced
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1 cup Butternut Squash, cubed
1 cup Brussels sprouts, quartered
1 cup Cauliflower, riced
1 cup Cabbage, chopped
2 stalks Celery, chopped
1 cup fresh Spinach, torn
1 tablespoon Curry powder
1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced

Use turkey carcass, with any meat on it, to make the broth. Place in a 10 quart pot, add water to cover, add bay leaf and a clove of garlic and boil for about 1 hour until the meat slides off the bones easily. Measure the meat and add extra turkey to make desired amount for the soup. Remove bay leaf. Discard bones.

Add vegetables and seasonings to soup, along with the turkey and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Check seasonings and adjust to your preference.

Serve with low carb bread or a tablespoon of left over low carb dressing.

Nutrition Info (based on 6 servings made with one cup of turkey):
Calories: 98.7 Net Carbs: 8 g Protein: 10.5 g

(Based on 8 servings made with one cup of turkey)
Calories: 74.1 Net Carbs: 6 g Protein: 7.9 g

(One additional cup of turkey adds about 25 calories per serving)

Posted on 11/30/2012

Recipes, Soups and Stews

Veggie Cleanup – Put in All in Soup

Do you have a veggie bin full of veggies that are “on the verge”? Then it’s time for a Cove Soup – clean out veggies easily. Just round up the veggies, clean them up, chop them and throw them in a soup pot with some broth. It will make a great soup. Here’s the recipe I used for my latest version of this. I’ve listed many vegetable options under the ingredients and they will come out to about the same carb count.

Cove Soup

1 cup Bok Choy, Brussels sprouts or cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup Daikon Radish or Globe Radishes, peeled and diced
2 medium Turnips, Rutabagas or Parsnips, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Kohlrabi, Broccoli or Cauliflower , (including stalks) peeled and diced
1 lb. Ground Turkey or ground Beef or ground Pork
1 Egg
2 cups Turnip Greens, Mustard Greens, Kale, Spinach or any other greens
1 teaspoon Rosemary, dried and crushed
1/2 teaspoon Thyme, ground
1/2 teaspoon Oregano, ground
1/2 tablespoon Parsley, dried
3/4 cup Zucchini, Summer Squash, or any squash, sliced or cubed
1/3 cup Sweet Peppers (bell), chopped
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 cup Leeks or Green Onions
15 oz. can of chopped or whole Tomatoes (check the carb count for lowest)
1 carton (16 oz) Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine egg with meat, add a little salt and pepper if you wish, and roll into nut sized meatballs. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. (TIP: I used 4 pre-formed turkey patties that were still partially frozen, cut them into cubes and just put them in the soup without any cooking.)

In a large soup pot, add butter and onions and cook until onion is glazed. Add broth and canned tomatoes, herbs, then the vegetables, except the greens. Stir in six cups of water, then mix the ingredients well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the meatballs or meat cubes, salt and pepper, and stir. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Check the broth and add additional seasoning if it is needed. Add the greens, stir in and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with a parmesan cheese haystack* or just sprinkle a little cheese on top.

To make haystacks, use freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (not the canned type). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Spray the foil with cooking spray. Put about a tablespoon of cheese on the sheet and spread into a circle. Repeat until you’ve made 8 Parmesan stacks. Put in the oven and bake a few minutes, checking often, until they are melted and just lightly toasted. Remove and let cool for a few minutes, then peel off the foil.

Makes about 8 one cup servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 126.9 Fat: 4.2 g Net Carbs: 6.5 g Protein: 13.5 g

Posted on 1/14/2014

Recipes, Soups and Stews

Warmingly Delicious Creamy Asparagus Soup

It’s always a joy when, in the chill of winter, fresh asparagus shows up, at a decent price, at the supermarket. I wait for these little stalks of green delightful flavor to show up – and hope that the patch I started last spring will come back this year and continue to gain strength so that one day they will be nice fat spears. In the meantime, I wait for sales at the store and hope I can afford a couple of pounds. Last week was a good week for asparagus so I have pulled out recipes I have wanted to make. One of them is this wonderful soup with some favorite ingredients with asparagus to enhance the flavor – bacon and Irish cheddar cheese. Now, if you can’t get Irish cheese, then get a sharp cheddar for this, but the Irish cheese is a wonderful flavor and is recommended. I served this with an oven toasted slice of Irish soda bread with butter and Irish cheese melted on it. Lovely…

Creamy Asparagus Soup with Irish Cheese

10 spears Asparagus, fresh (5-1/4″ to 7″ long)
1/2 cup Onions, raw,
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Cornstarch or Thick-It-Up
4 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 teaspoon White Pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground Thyme
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
4 slices Bacon, broken into pieces
1/4 cup Irish White Cheddar Cheese, grated

Cut asparagus into pieces except for one stalk. Cut that one into small pieces to use for garnish.

Sauté onion and butter 3 minutes in a large sauce or soup pan. Add the asparagus (except for the reserved and cook for another 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, except for about 1/4 cup. Mix cornstarch with reserved chicken broth, then add it to the pot. Mix well and just bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover and simmer 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

Puree mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. You may have to do this in two batches. Return to soup pot, then add cream, salt and pepper to mixture and reheat. Add parsley.

Chop reserved asparagus spear and put 1/4 of the pieces in each bowl of soup, then top with a tablespoon of cheese and 1/4 of the bacon. If the soup isn’t thick enough, the garnishes won’t float, but it won’t affect the flavor.

Serves 4.

Nutrition Info per serving
Calories: 258 Fat: 23 g Net Carbs: 6.3 g Protein: 6.3 g

Posted on 1/28/2014