Category Archives: Italian Inspired Recipes

Beef, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Recipes

Delicious Spaghetti Loaf

My grandmother served this often on Sundays and it was a favorite. Use spaghetti squash to keep the carbs low.  Or if you want the true taste of pasta, use a combination of 1 cup spaghetti and 2 cups spaghetti squash, which will raise the net carbs per serving to about 11.5 g.   For comparison, if you make this recipe with just 2 cups spaghetti pasta, the net carbs will be about 14.4 g.  Using just spaghetti squash comes in at 7.1 g.

I made this using Dreamfield’s pasta, but as of 04-14, it has been proven that this pasta is not low-carb nor is it ok for diabetics to use. My photo still shows pasta, but when making this use spaghetti squash instead to stay low carb.

Grandmother’s Spaghetti Loaf

2 lbs. Ground Beef
2 cups Canned Tomatoes, diced
1 cup Onions, diced or chopped
1 tablespoon Italian Seasonings
1 teaspoon ground oregano
2 large Eggs
1/2 cup Sweet peppers, chopped
3 cups cooked spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

Cook the spaghetti squash* until done (al dente). Put in a large bowl. Turn on the oven to preheat to 350 degrees (F.)

Add the rest of the ingredients. Wash your hands and mix with your hands until the ingredients are mixed well together. Pour into a baking dish and form into a loaf. Sprinkle the top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes until the meat is done and the top is browned and slightly crispy.

Makes 8 servings

Nutrition Info:
With spaghetti squash: 1/8th of recipe
Calories: 240.4 Fat: 4.1 g Net Carbs: 7.1 g Protein: 28.1 g

For comparison, if you make this recipe with 2 cups spaghetti pasta, the net carbs will be about 14.4 g.

Tip:  You can cook the spaghetti squash in the oven by cutting it in half, putting both sides face up on a cookie sheet and putting it in a 385 degree (F) oven and roasting it for about 40 minutes. Or, you can poke slits in the squash with a knife, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the mircowave for about 5 minutes on high. The squash is done when the outside skin is soft. Let cool, them cut it open and remove the seeds from the strands of squash, then pull the strands out and separate them.

Posted on  2/5/2014

Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Zucchini and Sausage Bake

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.

Original post on 1/3/2014

Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Adapting Chicken Parmesan to Low Carb


Moved from my Live Journal blog where is was published July 26, 2012.

I love food, almost any food, but Italian is a real favorite. How can you go wrong with cheese and pasta? Oops, pasta. That’s the problem with Italian and a low carb lifestyle.

(Note from 05/06/14 – I have been using Dreamfields, which claimed to have a 5 nc pasta, however, those claims are apparently incorrect and the pasta is not low carb.  All I can say is that I have been using it and it appeared to not impact my weight loss.  Other people have had issues with it.  So, use an alternative to pasta for this dish.)  

My recipe this week is for Chicken Parmesan with pasta. But you don’t need to serve it over pasta. You can make zucchini noodles by slicing the zucchini into long, thin strips and dropping them in boiling water for three to five minutes before draining and putting them on the bottom of your casserole dish. You can also substitute in spaghetti squash, which has a slightly nutty flavor and is also a delicious pasta substitute.

Chicken Parmesan Over Pasta

Ingredients:

3 large skinless Chicken Breast halves, butterflied and pounded
1 large Eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon Water
1 tablespoon Oil
1/2 cup Pork Rinds, crunched up to the consistency of flour
1/2 cup finely grated grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1 to 1 1/2 cups Pasta Sauce, to taste (I use a tomato basil sauce with around 3 net carbs per 1/2 cup)
Salt and Pepper to preference
1/2 teaspoon Italian Herbs
2 cups cooked Zucchini strips or 2 cups Spaghetti Squash
Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Cook whichever squash you are using for your pasta and keep it warm until ready to serve.

Combine eggs, water, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and set aside. Combine crushed pork rinds and finely grated Parmesan cheese .

Heat oil in a heavy skillet.

Dip chicken breasts in egg mixture, then into pork rind crumbs, then cook in the skillet for 6 to 8 minutes per side until lightly browned.

Drain pasta and pour over the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking pan, arrange chicken breasts over the top, then spoon pasta sauce evenly over the breasts and pasta. Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Makes 3 to 6 servings depending on how hungry you are.

Per 1/6 of recipe: Carbs: 4 – Calories: 345

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/16/2012 12:39 AM

Condiments and Sauces, Italian Inspired Recipes, Recipes

Celebrate spring with a Spring Time Pasta

Spring has arrived… at least in my part of the world. It’s a lovely spring day with trees budding out, some almost in full leaf and the temperatures are sweater weather. Other places… well, some of you are still digging out of snow. Down under, folks are getting ready for fall, so it might well be pretty warm. So some of these vegetables in this gorgeous spring pasta may not be available, so make it with whatever you can muster up. It will still be delicious.

The idea with a Pasta Primavera (Spring Pasta) is to use vegetables that you can get fresh at the market so that it’s bursting with goodness and flavor. For the pasta part, I used Dreamfield pasta, which claims to have 5 effective net carbs per serving.  Generally, I eat about half a serving because it’s quite a lot of pasta. Recently I have heard that this claim is not true and the pasta is no lower carb’d than any other one.  I have also heard some people say that Dreamfield does affect their glycemic count, so if that is an issue, you can substitute in spaghetti squash or even shredded or thinly sliced zucchini or omit it altogether.  All I can say is that I have used it and it didn’t seem to slow my weight loss but this kind of thing will vary from person to person, so to be safe, use one of the other alternatives.  My recipe is based on one from Chef John at AllRecipes.com, but with a few modifications.

This recipe does use a pesto sauce. You can use a purchased one or make your own fresh. I’ve included the pesto recipe I created for this dish.

Spring Time Pasta
aka Pasta Primavera

2 cups Zucchini, sliced
1 cup Broccoli, fresh chopped or diced
6 spears fresh Asparagus, sliced
1 cup Leeks, sliced both white and green
3 tablespoons Green Onions, finely sliced
2 cups Brussels sprouts, shredded or sliced
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced and cut into pieces
1 cup Chicken Broth or bullion
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Prepare all vegetables. Cut asparagus on the diagonal to expose more surface.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add garlic, onions and leeks and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add mushrooms, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Cook and stir for about five minutes. Add chicken broth and the rest of the vegetables. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Prepare enough Dreamfield pasta (I used angel hair spaghetti) to serve however many are eating at the meal. Measurement and cooking instructions are on the spaghetti box.

Per serving, mix 1 cup pasta and 1 cup vegetables together and add 1 tablespoon pesto sauce. (Recipe below.) Toss together and let sit about five minutes, then toss again before serving.

Nutrition Info: (for vegetable mix only – pasta is not included):
Calories:46 Fat: 0.2 Net Carbs: 6.6 g Protein: 2.9 g

Spinach Asparagus Pesto

This pesto can be made with basil instead of spinach, which is the usual for pesto, but I had spinach on hand and lots of fresh asparagus, so I thought, why not? It is very yummy and worth the little bit of effort to make, especially if you have a food processor. You can put any extra in a jar in the refrigerator to be used later. Just try to use it within a week or two. In addition to being a great sauce for the vegetable dish above, it is also wonderful on fish, chicken or pork.

2 cups Baby Spinach, fresh,, packed
1/2 cup Parsley
4 spears Asparagus, fresh – parboiled
1/3 to 1/2 cup Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic,
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1 teaspoon ground Oregano
1 teaspoon fresh or ground Basil
Salt, dash
Black Pepper

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 325 degrees. Spray a pie tin or something similar with cooking spray. Spread the pine nuts over them to toast. Toast about four minutes, then stir or shake them around and cook another two or three minutes.

Par-boil 4 spears of asparagus – bring water to a boil and put the asparagus in for about two minutes. Cut into pieces and put in your food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Process until all the ingredients are finely chopped and blended. You will probably have to use a spatula to mix some down into the lower area where the blade is and process again. If the pesto seems a bit dry, add another tablespoon of olive oil.

Makes about 10 one tablespoon servings

Nutrition Info per tablespoon:
Calories: 92.3 Fat: 9.6 g Net Carbs: 1 g Protein: 1 g

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 3/20/2014

Desserts, Italian Inspired Recipes, Recipes

Elegant LC Tiramisu

With an Italian dinner planned for family and friends next week, I wanted to come up with a low carb version of Tiramisu, that delightfully rich, but light tasting, Italian dessert that caps off a heavy pasta dinner. Traditionally made with ladyfingers, I needed to create a sponge cake similar to them. I found several recipes on line and eventually created one that I thought would be fairly simple to make and still be true to the original. This one uses a sponge cake made from a recipe that evolved from the Oopsie Roll from Your Lighter Side. Mine has additional ingredients, including coconut flour and granulated sugar alcohol, as well as almond extract for a light almond flavor. The filling simply uses coconut milk instead of regular milk and a few drops of liquid Sucralose in the whipped cream. My recipe called for rum, but if you want more of a coffee flavor, use a sugar free Amaretto syrup instead.

I think that Sponge Cake recipe will be very useful for other desserts, like a strawberry cake with fresh whipped cream and possibly a Boston creme pie, so I am going to repeat it on its own page to make it easier to find.

Sponge Cake:
4 Eggs, large
4 oz. Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon Splenda
3 tablespoon sugar alcohol substitute (I use Ideal)

Filling:
3 Egg Yolks
1/3 cup Almond Breeze Coconut Milk, unsweetened
1 tablespoon liquid sucralose or Splenda
8 oz. Mascarpone Cheese

Topping:
2/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Other:
1 cup strong Coffee
1 1/2 tablespoons rum
1 1/2 tablespoons Cocoa powder, unsweetened

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 300 F. Spray an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter flavored cooking spray. Be sure to go up the sides.

Separate the eggs and put whites into a grease free glass or metal bowl. Put the yolks in a separate bowl and set aside. Beat the egg whites until they are foamy, then add cream of tartar and continue to beat until they form stiff peaks.

To the egg yolks, add cream cheese and mix together. Add coconut flour, whey powder, sugar substitutes and almond extract. Mix well until smooth.

Fold the egg yolk mixture, one third at a time, into the whites, being careful to not break down the air in the whites. With a soft (rubber or silicone) spatula, fold just until blended, then spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the top of the cake.

 

 

 

Before and after cooking.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a golden brown. Cool, then turn out onto a bread board. Cut the cake in half through the middle to form two layers. Use a long serrated knife or a thread the width of the cake that you can just pull carefully through the middle. Try to get these are even as possible so the cake layers are equal. Set aside.

For the zabaglione:
Separate three eggs. Put the whites away to use for something else. (Meringue cookies are a good option.) Put the egg yolks in a sauce pan. Add the coconut milk (you can also use regular milk or almond milk. Regular milk will raise the carbs a little.) Add a tablespoon sweetener. Mix together and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle boil and cook for one minute. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Get out the mascarpone cheese to soften while the yolk mixture chills. Make a strong coffee by using just two cups (or less) of water to your normal grounds or making Espresso. Turn off to come to room temperature.

When yolk mixture is chilled, add the mascarpone and mix until smooth.

Topping and Assembly:
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract until the cream forms stiff peaks.

Mix rum with 1 cup of coffee. Place the bottom sponge cake in an 8x8x2″ inch dish and generously sprinkle with half the cookie mixture. It will absorb it. Spread one half the zabaglione mixture over the cake and smooth, then spread one half the whipped cream on top of that and smooth. Place the top sponge cake on top and repeat the procedure using the rest of the coffee mixture, filling and whipped cream. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top, cover with plastic wrap (keeping it off the whipped cream) and chill for at least two hours before serving.

…as incredibly delicious as it looks.

Makes 8 generous servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 280  Net Carbs: 2.7g   Protein: 8.6g