Category Archives: Condiments and Sauces

Condiments and Sauces, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Pork, Recipes

Cinco de Mayo Tastes Great with Chipotle Chorizo Skillet Dish

photo: chipotle chorizo skillet

Are you ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? The 5th of May is a time to celebrate Mexico and the culture of these passionate people. I grew up on the border in El Paso, Texas, so I was inundated with the flavors of Mexican food early.

While at the grocery store, I picked up a jar of Chipotle Salsa Crema. Chipotles were not such a frequently mentioned word when I was growing up, but lately it and chorizo have become the new flavors of this century. Anyway, I went to the Herdez company’s recipes to see what sounded good with the salsa and found this combination sounded wonderful.

I’ve adapted it to work with a low carb lifestyle and managed to keep it below 10 net carbs. This does involve slightly smaller portions, so if you have carbs to spare, go ahead and make your portions a little larger. Otherwise, use a low carb side dish to help fill out the meal. You can use cauliflower rice, a salad, or asparagus for this purpose.

I made my dish with the Great Low Carb Bread Company’s rotini pasta, which is 7 net carbs per serving. Four servings are in an 8 ounce package, so I am using only two servings for this dish. I plan to make it again for this month’s celebration using 2 cups of spaghetti squash as a substitute. I believe the squash will be a great replacement and I’ll update this post after I try it. It saves about 1 1/2 carbs per serving to use spaghetti squash, and it is a good substitute if you can’t find low carb pasta.

Be sure to use the right chorizo. You want the sausage-style Mexican chorizo, not the one in a tube with a chile sauce with it that works great with scrambled eggs, and not the Spanish hard chorizo. Sometimes you can find the sausage in a bulk package but you can also use a tubed sausage. such as Don Juan brand. You want a ground meat you can break down in the skillet.

This is the first time I have tried toasting the pasta before cooking it. I wasn’t sure how well it would cook once it was toasted, but it works fine. It does take the pasta a little longer to cook. If you make this with spaghetti squash, skip the toasting step.  Instead, you will cook the spaghetti squash in the oven or microwave and use a fork to separate the strands, then just stir it in after you add the chorizo back to the pan.

I reduced the amount of Cotijo cheese used in the original recipe as I found the dish to be very salty and it seemed a lot of it came from the Cotijo. The sauce is also salty. If you can’t find Herdez Chipotle Salsa Cremosa, you can substitute any other brand you might find, or you can make your own from the recipe below the main dish.

If you’re looking for other Mexican food recipes, just type Mexican in the search on the top left. You’ll find many options. You’ll also find 16 other recipes in my booklet, Mexican Food for a Low Carb Lifestyle.

Chiptole Chorizo Skillet with Pasta

1 Tablespoons Olive oil
4 ounces Ziti, Rigatoni, Rotini, or medium Shells Low Carb Pasta, uncooked
1⁄2 cup White Onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons of Garlic, minced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
Salt to taste
dash Black Pepper
1 /2 (16-ounce) jar Herdez® Chipotle Salsa Cremosa (433.7 grams)
2 cups Chicken Broth
8 ounces Mexican Chorizo, cooked
1/2 cup Mexican Crema
4 ounces Oaxaca or Chihuahua Cheese, crumbled or Mozzarella Cheese
2 ounces Cotija Cheese, finely crumbled
2 tablespoons Cilantro or Parsley, finely chopped (optional)

In a large skillet, break up the chorizo into pieces and cook until almost done. Use the spatula to continue to break the pieces down while you’re cooking. Set aside. If you are using the same skillet for the next step, then wipe it out with a paper towel.

In a large, deep oven-safe skillet (such as cast iron or copper), add oil and heat to medium.  Add uncooked pasta. Toast and fry the pasta, stirring often, for about 6 minutes.

Add onions, garlic, bell pepper, and black pepper to the toasted pasta and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes until the onions are softened.

Stir in the chipotle salsa cremosa and chicken broth.  Cover, reduce heat slightly, and continue cooking for 15-25minues or until pasta or spaghetti squash, if you are using it, is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed or reduced.

Turn the oven to the broiler setting.  Mix in the chorizo, Mexican crema and Oaxaca cheese. Reserve other cheese for garnish. Cook on low just until cheese melts.

Place skillet under the broiler on high. Broil until Cheese starts to bubble and brown lightly. Remove from oven. If your deep skillet doesn’t fit under the broiler, put it in the oven on 500 degrees (F) and cook for about 5 minutes.

Garnish with Cotija cheese and cilantro. Makes 6 servings.

To make Chipotle Salsa Crema if you can’t find it bottled, use this recipe from Laylita.

Chipotle Salsa Cremosa Recipe

1 cup Mexican Crema or Crème Fraiche
1-2 small Chipotles in Adobo, seeds removed
1 clove of Garlic
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a blender or mini-blender, like a Bullet or drink mixer. Pulse until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the spice level.

Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce will be thin, refrigerate to thicken it.

TIP: I found the flavors melded together more and the sauce was thicker after it had a chance to sit overnight. So, this is perfect to make the day before you want to serve it, then just reheat.

Nutrition Information_Chipotle Chrorizo

 

Asian Recipes, Condiments and Sauces, Recipes, Vegetarian

Quick Vegetable Stir-fry

Photo: Vegetable Stir Fry

Ready for “Meatless Monday?” Here’s a quick to make rice-less fried rice. This replaces the starch with a variety of crumbled or riced vegetables to give you a deliciously satisfying Asian-flavored vegetable stir-fry. To make this even easier, you can start with a bag of Green Giant’s Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend, which is cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and onions. If you are on phase 1, you might want to make your own riced vegetables and omit the carrots.

If you can’t find the mix at your grocery, you can use your food processor or grater to process cauliflower, broccoli stems, carrots, and onions to make your own mix. You’ll need three cups for the recipe with about 2 cups of it being cauliflower with the rest split between the broccoli, carrots, and onions.

I added in mushrooms and my adapted recipe adds in fresh spinach, but I didn’t have any in the house. I’ve listed even more possible add-ins at the end of the recipe.  Even on Monday, you can add any seafood to the stir fry. Shrimp is a great option. Any other time you want to make this, you can add chicken, beef, or pork to it.

For my friend and others who are trying to keep sodium low, I’ve included a recipe for a substitute soy sauce. It doesn’t taste like soy sauce, but it brings flavor to the dish without a lot of sodium.

 

Vegetable Stir Fry

3 cups (1 package) California Crumbles Fried Rice Blend (GG)
2 Eggs, beaten
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Ginger paste
1 cup Spinach, fresh (optional)
2 stalks Green Onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Oil

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and ginger and stir for a minute or two. Add in the fried rice blend and mushrooms. Stir them in. Cook and stir for about 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are almost tender.

Stir in the beaten eggs and mix them into the vegetables, continuing to stir until the eggs are cooked. Add soy sauce or Non-Soy Sauce, which is much lower in sodium. Stir to mix. Top with chopped green onions if you wish.

Makes four servings.

Optional add-ins: peanuts, almonds, cashews, shrimp, any greens chopped, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, chopped celery or chopped peppers. Add Hawaiian flare on a non-meatless night by stirring in 1 cup of diced SPAM and 1/4 cup of chopped fresh pineapple. (The pineapple will boost those carbs a bit, but it really adds the island vibe.)

Just add in the carb counts for the additions.

Nutrition Information for Vegetable Fried Rice

Non-Soy Asian Sauce

For those with worries about low sodium or gluten or soy allergies, here’s a soy sauce substitute that adds flavor to the stir fry or anywhere else you might use soy sauce.

1 Beef Bone (sometimes butchers have these under soup bones)
3 cups of Water
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
A pinch of garlic powder, ground ginger, and white pepper
Or Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning

Put water in a small pot and add the beef or soup bone. Bring to a boil, then lower to a low simmer. Cook for about one hour for the bone to flavor the meat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Continue to simmer until the mixture is reduced to about two cups.

Let cool, then pour into a jar. If you have more than you can use within 10 days, pour the rest into an ice cube tray and freeze. When frozen remove the blocks to a plastic bag to store until you need them. Each cube will be about one tablespoon.

Makes 32 1-tablespoon servings.

Nutrition information for Non-Soy Asian Sauce

Appetizers, Condiments and Sauces, Recipes

Cranberry and Peppers Salsa Perks Up a Party

Here’s a simple and delicious salsa made with cranberries and Serrano peppers. I’ve adapted a recipe my roomie found on the web to a low carb version. We’ve increased the number of peppers and it still doesn’t have a really spicy kick to it. I think if it sits on the shelf for a month or so, it might get stronger, but when it’s fresh, it’s only a smoky hint of fire. If you want more kick in it, then add some of the seeds from the peppers, but be cautious. If you can’t find sugar-free honey, then omit it.

This is a great treat to take to a Holiday party along with crackers and softened cream cheese to spread it on.  Pictured above with Flackers crackers.  For my review of these, go here.

Cranberry and Peppers Salsa

Low Carb Ingredients:

6 cups Cranberries (two 12-oz bags), chopped
3 cups Red Onions, chopped
1 Apple, peeled and chopped
6 large Serrano Peppers, chopped
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Cider Vinegar
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Water
3 tablespoons Sugar-Free Honey
2/3 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 tablespoon Canning Salt

Canning Recipe

In a deep, large pot, put four one-pint canning jars and lids and seals, placed independently of the jars, in with water to cover the tops and bring to a boil.

Chop cranberries, onions, apple and peppers. A food processor really speeds this process up. Be sure to use gloves unless you like pepper juice in your skin.

In a large pot, mix all ingredients except the cranberries and bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce the heat to a high simmer, add the cranberries and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

About 10 minutes before done, remove the jars and drain.

Spoon or use a funnel to fill jars to about 1 to 1/2″ from the top. Take lid and sealing ring from hot water and seal each jar. Places jars back in the hot water, making sure the water covers the top. Boil for 25 minutes.

Remove the jars and wait for the lids to pop, which indicates they are sealed. This can take several hours. The lid will appear dented down a little when they are properly sealed. Once sealed, this can store for up to one year on the shelf.

If you are going to eat within two weeks, you can skip the hot water seal and just store in the closed jars in the refrigerator.

Makes 4 jars with about 15 tablespoons in each jar.

Nutrition Information per tablespoon:
Calories:10.2 g Fat:0.1 g Net Carbs:1.9 g Protein: 0.2 g

Closer view of the cranberry pepper salsa.

Regular Ingredients

6 cups Cranberries (two 12-oz bags), chopped
3 cups Red Onions, chopped
1 Apple, peeled and chopped
6 large Serrano Peppers, chopped
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Cider Vinegar
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Water
3 tablespoons Honey
2/3 cup Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Canning Salt

Cooking instructions are identical to the low carb ones.

Makes 4 jars with about 15 tablespoons in each jar.

Nutrition Information per tablespoon:
Calories:21.8 g Fat:0.1 g Net Carbs: 5.0 g Protein: 0.2 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Condiments and Sauces, Pork, Recipes

Brunch with Biscuits and Pumpkin Chorizo Sausage Gravy

Halloween is almost upon us and I am still celebrating pumpkin. If you’d like to make a special breakfast or brunch meal for Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas or traditionally for New Year’s Day, you can’t go wrong with biscuits and gravy. And yes, they can be made low carb.  In fact, this dish, using one biscuit, is less than 4 net carbs when made with CarbQuick.  It may be a little higher with other low carb flours.

Boy-oh-boy, this is a favorite dish of mine, so I have been working to get a really good recipe for them. I use CarbQuick for my low carb flour baking mix choice, but you can also use Bob’s Red Mill Baking Mix or Dixie Carb Counters or LC Foods. It might work okay with almond flour, but it’s best to try to mix another flour in with it. This recipe for biscuits is the tastiest one I’ve come up with so far. The gravy has a fall twist to it and also a bit of a spicy touch as I add pumpkin puree and chorizo sausage along with the regular sausage. It is a great flavor combination. Be bold. Give these a try.

Best Savory Biscuits

1 cup Low Carb Flour
2 tablespoons Shortening
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
Pinch Salt
Pinch ground Thyme
1 to 2 tablespoons Cold Water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, salt, thyme and sugar substitute and mix together. Add the shortening and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles crumbles. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix it into the dough. If it doesn’t pull together easily, add a little more water. You want the dough stiff but completely mixed.

Mix in the cheddar cheese until distributed. Divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a 3-inch round about 1/2-inch thick and place on the baking pan.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 biscuits.

Nutrition Info per biscuit:
   Calories: 152.5 Fat: 12.8 g Net Carbs: 2.3 g Protein: 6.4 g

Pumpkin Chorizo Sausage Gravy

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
4 oz. Pork Sausage
2 oz. Basque Style Chorizo Sausage
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Puree

In a medium skillet, brown the sausage and chorizo, breaking it into smaller pieces as you cook it. When lightly browned remove to a paper towel on a plate to drain. Stir the low carb flour into the grease in the pan to make a paste. If there isn’t enough, add a little oil to the pan.

Stir in the heavy whipping cream and 1 cup of water, the Worcestershire sauce and the cayenne pepper and mix well. Then stir in the pumpkin puree and the cooked sausage. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Split the biscuits in half and pour 1/4 of the sausage gravy over each biscuit.

Makes 4 servings or 2 hungry-man (or woman) servings.

Nutrition Information for both biscuit and gravy per serving:
   Calories: 327.4 Fat: 23.9 g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 12.4 g

Appetizers, Condiments and Sauces, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Guilt-Free Chicken Tenders

For everyone who loves chicken tenders, like me, but can’t have all the carbs in traditional breading, this is an alternate version I came up with based on the Betty Crocker recipe. It’s easy, not fried and uses low carb almond flour for the breading.  They taste wonderful, although not like a breaded one or an over-breaded one, in some cases.  The chicken is juicy and the flavor comes through beautifully.  This recipe makes 2 large servings or 3 to 4 smaller ones.  I found two of the tenders with the vegetables to be a very filling meal, but a  bigger appetite would probably want at least three of these.

Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

2 tablespoons low carb Flour (any fine mill type)*
1 Egg
1 tablespoon Water
1/2 cup Almond Flour or Ground Almonds
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb Chicken Breast Tenders

Favorite dipping sauce, if desired

* Carbolose, CarbQuick, coconut flour, Bob’s Red Mill Baking Mix, LC Foods or any others.  You could possibly even use almond flour for the initial dredge as well as the final one. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil sprayed with baking spray.

Rinse the chicken tenders and dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl or saucer, put the low carb flour. In a small bowl, add the egg and water and beat until frothy. In another shallow bowl, add the almond flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and a garlic powder.

Lightly dredge a chicken tender through the plain flour, then dip in the egg mixture, then coat it on both sides in the almond flour. Put on the prepared baking pan. Repeat with the remaining chicken tenders. You should have about eight of them. Spray the top with butter-flavored cooking spray.

Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown and no cloudy juices run out. Let sit a few minutes, then serve. Wonderful side dishes with it are roasted golden beets and butternut squash, as pictured, or celery root or kohlrabi fries or creamed cauliflower. A salad is a colorful additional also.

You can serve with a low carb ranch dressing or chipotle dressing or the honey mustard dressing below.

Makes 4 servings or 2 large servings.

Nutrition Info for 1 servings (based on 2)
Calories: 257 Fat: 11.7 g  Net Carbs: 2.3 g Protein: 35.3 g

Honey Mustard Dressing

1 teaspoon sugar-free Honey
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
3 tablespoons Mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until completely blended. No carbs in this recipe!

Tip: If you can’t find sugar free honey – it can be ordered online at Netrition.com- then regular honey can be used. It will add 2.9 g of carbs to each serving.

If you try this recipe, please let me know how you like it or post any questions or suggestions you might have.