Category Archives: Main Dish

Beef, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes

Enjoy the spicy taste of tacos

Photo: Zucchini Taco Boat

As May draws to a close and warmer weather is coming to many places, here’s another Mexican-style dish that is quick and easy to prepare. This brings the spicy flavor of a taco to a low carb option of a zucchini base rather than using tortillas. Add fresh fruit or a green salad for a delightful, guilt-free meal.

I found the original recipe by Lauren Miyashiro on Delish.com and adapted it a little more to make it easier and lower carb’d.

Zucchini Taco Boat

2 Zucchini, 6 to 8″ long
2 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/3 cup Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
2/3 pound Ground Beef
1 teaspoon Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup Pico de Gallo
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
Freshly chopped Cilantro for garnish
1 Haas Avocado, sliced

Preheat oven to 350° (F).

Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a sharp paring knife to cut around the edge, leaving about 1/4 of an inch. Score across the inside piece to almost the bottom, then remove the insides. Chop into small cubes and set aside for later.

Place hollowed out zucchini halves, cut side up, into the bottom of a baking dish large enough to accommodate all four. Drizzle or brush 1 tablespoon oil over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes to soften the zucchini. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a  skillet over medium-high heat and add onion and reserved zucchini. Stir and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add ground beef, breaking up the meat with a spatula or wooden spoon. Cook until beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain off excess liquid.

Stir in taco seasoning and salt and pepper. Add Pico de Gallo and mix well. If you don’t have any, use equal amounts of chopped onions and tomatoes, one chopped green chile, and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini bottoms and sprinkle cheese over the top of each.

Photo: Zucchini Boats in the pan from the oven.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes until the zucchini is tender and cheese is melted. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced avocado on the side. Serve with sour cream and/or salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information for Zucchini Taco Boats

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes, Seafood, Vegetables & Salads

Try fish for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

Photo: Mexican-style Tilapia

For a long time, I haven’t included fish in my Mexican or Tex-Mex eating. Truth is, I am not a big fish fan, although shellfish is a whole different story. But I do like white fish, such as tilapia, cod, and halibut along with salmon. I never considered using them in Mexican food, but I decided it was time to try it out. I started with this delicious dish.

Mostly, I’m relying on seasoning to bring the flavor to the fish. I used Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning, but you can use your own favorite. This dish easy to make. Add about 1/4 cup of black beans or frijole beans as a side dish along with the riced turnips with chile I posted a few days ago or with the amazingly good riced golden beets I’m adding the recipe for below. I usually use them as a couscous substitute, but they work well with this fish.

Mexican-style White Fish

2 tilapia fish fillets (4 oz. each) or other white fish
1 cloves garlic minced
1/2 lime juiced
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

In a shallow pan or bowl, add garlic, seasoning, salt, and lime juice and mix. Rub the mixture over the fish fillets, making sure to cover them on both sides.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, place the fillets in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn and cook the reverse side the same amount of time. Turn off heat, flip the fish back over, and let it sit another minute.

Serve with a salad, beans, riced beets, or cauliflower rice along with guacamole, sour cream, sliced onions, and tomato as preferred.

Makes two servings.

Photo: Riced golden beets

Riced Golden Beets

1 medium golden beet, peeled
1/4 cup Hot Water
1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bullion Chicken
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Diced Onions (optional)
Salt to taste

Cut beet into cubes and use a food processor to chop until the pieces are rice-sized.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add butter. Add onions and sauté for two minutes.

Add one cup of the riced beets and stir into the butter and onions for a couple of minutes. Heat water to boiling, then add chicken bullion. When melted add to the skillet, add salt, and stir in. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Check a couple of times to make sure the rice doesn’t dry out. Add water as needed. Check to be sure beets are tender.

Makes two 1/2 cup servings.

Image: Nutrition Info Mexican whitefishImage: Nutrition Info - Riced Golden Beets

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Delicious Stuffed Mexican-style Chicken Breasts

Photo: Stuffed Mexican Chicken breast and riced turnips with chile

As May starts, we’re only a few days away from Cinco de Mayo, which is a great time to celebrate Mexico and anything Mexican. The cuisine is spicy, bursting with flavor, and a favorite around the world. Just because you can’t go out to your favorite restaurant right now doesn’t mean you can’t have a great celebration at home. Even better, you can make low carb versions so you don’t have to worry about gaining back any hard-lost pounds.

I’m tossing out a shameless plug for my little cookbook that features over fifteen adapted Mexican food recipes. I tried  out and adapted every one of the dishes in the booklet to be under 10 net carbs. It includes my grandmother’s TexMex Spanish rice that I grew up with but adjusted to use cauliflower in place of the rice.  Delicious and flavorful, yet different from the Mexican restaurant version.

You can purchase a copy for only 99-cents from your favorite e-book seller by going to this one link:

https://books2read.com/u/mqzMyO

New Recipes

Now, on to the new recipes. I wanted to make a stuffed chicken breast that would celebrate the flavors of Mexico, so I came up with this delicious filling that gives enough spice to taste it, but not overwhelm the chicken. It’s easy to make and cooks in about thirty minutes, so less than an hour to prepare and have dinner on the table.

To compliment the dish, you can serve cauliflower rice or try the amazingly tasty recipe that follows the chicken dish  for riced turnips with green chiles. It’s so good, you won’t believe you’re eating turnips. They absorb the flavors of the dish and are a great substitute for rice.

Image: Stuffed Mexican Chicken breast

Stuffed Mexican Chicken Breast

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Taco Seasoning
1 tablespoons Chopped Green Chiles
1/2 tablespoon Dried Minced Onion
1/3 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle
2 tablespoons Southwest Style Salsa

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, taco seasoning, chiles, and dried onions until blended and smooth. Add the cheddar jack cheese and mix it well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F.)

Cut the chicken breasts in the thickest part almost the full length and close to the opposite side to make a pocket. Stuff one-half of the cream cheese mixture into each pocket. Use tooth picks to hold the pockets closed.

Put the chicken in an oven-proof skillet or in a baking dish. Sprinkle the southwest chipotle seasoning on top and rub it in. If you’d like it spicier, add additional. Spray the top with a bit of oil or cooking spray.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is done. If you poke the thickest part with a fork and the liquid coming out is clear, the chicken is done.

Add a tablespoon of salsa over the top of each breast and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Photo: Riced Turnips with chile

Riced Turnips with Chile

1 large Turnip, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Green Chiles, diced
1/4 cup hot Water
1/2 teaspoon Better than Chicken Bullion
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Chipotle Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Boil water, pour into a 1/4 cup measure and add the bullion, stirring to dissolve.

Put turnip cubes into a food processor and pulse until it is chopped to the size of rice. In a medium-sized skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter, then add the riced turnips and onions. Sauté for about five minutes, then add the bullion water and stir it in. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add chiles, salt and seasoning, stir and cook for another 10 minutes until the turnips are tender.

If the water cooks out, add more water. It should be about the same texture as cooked rice. Fluff up the turnips before serving.

Makes two 1/2-cup servings.

Image: Nutrition Stuffed Mexican Chicken Breast

 

Image: Nutrition Riced Turnips with Chile

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Light and Delicious Chicken and Broccoli Skillet Fry

Photo Chicken with Broccoli

So, meals these days are pretty much dictated by whatever ingredients you happen to have in the house. Lucky for me, I had scored a large package of chicken breasts in March (actually, the roomie did the scoring), and I have several packets frozen. I also had a pretty good run on vegetables from a market order last week. So this recipe jumped out at me, but I made a couple of small adjustments to what I had, and you can do that also.

If you don’t have fresh broccoli, use frozen. Or you can substitute in Brussels sprouts. I had celery on hand, but it is optional. If you don’t have fresh or frozen chicken but have a couple of cans of it, you can use that also. Just skip the cooking the chicken and go right to heating it up with the broccoli.

This is truly a delicious and simple meal to make. So I think you’re going to love it. Add your favorite rice substitute or zoodles, toss a salad, and you have a great dinner. As a side note, I served mine with riced parsnips, which have a bit of a peppery bite to them, but actually worked well.

clos up: Chicken with broccoli

Chicken Broccoli Skillet Fry

2 1/2 tablespoons Oil
1 cup Broccoli, chopped
Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 medium stalks Celery, cleaned and sliced 1/4″ thick
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 medium Onion, diced
1/2 Lemon, zested and juiced

Cook the broccoli in the microwave for about 3 minutes to partially cook it. Or put it in boiling water for three minutes. This will reduce the cooking time when it is added to the skillet. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil and add the garlic, celery, and onions. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring periodically, until the chicken is mostly cooked. Add the broccoli and stir in. Add the seasonings except for the lemon. Cook until the chicken is done, and the broccoli is tender (or to your preference.) Add the lemon zest and juice and stir it in.

Serve with riced cauliflower, or riced turnips, or with zoodles (zucchini noodles).

Makes 2 to 4 servings depending on your hunger and if you’re having a salad along with it.

Nutrition Informaiton

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Chicken Casserole with Biscuits #2

Very similar to chicken pot pie, but easy to put together for dinner. This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on whether you serve it with a salad or other side dish or not. I used the leftovers from my roast chicken, but you can pre-cook about 2 large chicken breasts or get pre-cooked chicken from the grocery. I substituted potatoes, peas, and carrots for low carb vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and kohlrabi. Celery is an optional ingredient. If I’d had some in the house, I would have used it. So it’s up to the cook.

I tried the biscuits included with the recipe, which are basic Bisquick biscuits with seasoning, but it either didn’t adapt well to Bakesquick or something was missing from the recipe. My gut feel was that the mix needed butter or shortening in it as my biscuits came out a tough. So, I am including  my tried-and-true low carb biscuits. If you have enough free carbs, you can use a can of biscuits instead (26 grams of carbs in one biscuit!).

Chicken Casserole with Biscuits

3 tablespoons Butter
1-1/2 teaspoons Garlic
1/3 cup Onions, chopped
1/3 cup Low Carb Flour or Thick It Up™
1-1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash™ Italian Seasoning Blend
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 cups Chicken, cooked light meat, chopped
1 cup Kohlrabi, cubed
1 cup Broccoli & Cauliflower Blend
1/2 cup Green Beans, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Celery, cleaned and diced
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

For Low Carb Biscuits
1-1/2 cups low carb Baking Mix or other Flour
3 tablespoons Butter or Shortening
1 tablespoon Cold Water + extra if needed
1 teaspoon Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a deep-sided skillet that can go into the oven, such as a copper or cast iron skillet, to save having to transfer the casserole to a baking dish. Otherwise, spray a 6×8-inch (medium) deep-dish casserole with cooking spray.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in the pan. Add the garlic, celery, and onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Mix in the flour, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Stir the flour in well, then add the broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Continue to stir for 1 minute, then reduce heat. Stir in broccoli and cauliflower blend, kohlrabi, and green beans. Simmer 5 minutes, then add the chicken and mix well.

Prepare the biscuits. In a bowl, mix the baking mix or low carb flour, a little salt, and garlic powder together. If your using a flour, add in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

Cut in the butter or shortening or mix it in with your clean hand. Add the water, 1/2 at a time and mix it into the dough until you have a dough that pulls together into a ball easily, but isn’t too sticky. If it needs more water, add a little at a time. Add in seasoning or 1/2 cup shredded cheese if you wish. Separate the dough into six pieces and shape into balls, then press flat to a biscuit size.

If you’re using an oven-worthy skillet, place the biscuits on top in about the center of each serving. If you’re using a casserole dish, transfer the skillet mixture to the baking dish and put the biscuits on top.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10 more minutes or until the biscuits are browned. Spoon chicken mixture over the biscuits to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Image: Nutrition Information Chicken Casserole with Biscuits

 

Note: To see my original variation on this recipe, click here.  

You might also like my Chicken and Leek Pot Pie.