Category Archives: Main Dish

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Liven Lunch Up with Pineapple Chicken Quesadillas

Photo - Quesadillas cut in half.

For a spring flavor, add fresh pineapple cubes to your chicken quesadilla. It gives it a refreshing touch of that sweet and spicy taste.

This flows right along with the Chicken Fajitas from last week. You can start with leftover chicken fajitas if you wish, then just go to the For the quesadilla part and follow the recipe from there.

For the chicken filling:
1 cup chopped or cubed cooked Chicken
1 teaspoon of Fajita Seasoning or Taco Seasoning
1/2 Bell Pepper, cut into strips or pieces
1/4 Onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon Oil

Put the chicken cubes in a bowl and add seasonings. Add salt and pepper if desired.

In a skillet, heat oil to a sizzle, then add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Stir and cook until the onions are almost tender. Add the chicken and cook three to four minutes to heat the chicken.

For the quesadilla:
2 six-inch Low-carb Flour or Whole Wheat Tortillas
1/2 cup Mozzarella or Queso Fresco Cheese
1/2 cup fresh Pineapple, cut into cubes.
1 tablespoon Butter

In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, add 1 tablespoon Butter and let it melt over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the pan and arrange the chicken mixture and pineapple on the top going almost to the edge. Sprinkle cheese over the top and to the edge of the tortilla. This will seal the edges so it can be turned easily.

Photo: Half-quesadilla with saladPlace the other tortilla on top and press it down. Use a pancake spatula to keep pressing the tortilla down while it cooks. Cook for two to three minutes until the cheese is melted. Slide the pancake turner under the quesadilla and turn it over to cook the other side. Cook for another two or three minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and cut in half. Put one half on another plate and serve with salsa if desired.

Makes two servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories:369 Fat: 20.4 g Net Carbs: 6.7 g Protein: 37.3 g

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry

Spicy and Yummy Chicken Fajitas

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Keeping with the Cinco de Mayo theme, I decided to make chicken fajitas with a blended seasoning. After searching several recipes, I settled on a combination that I think works really well. It has a great spicy flavor without being too much. If you don’t like the extra spice, then omit the cayenne pepper.

This uses two large chicken breasts that add up to about three-quarters of a pound.

  • My apologies. I failed to reduce the amount of spices from the larger recipe to one-time use recipe. This is the corrected version.

Southwest Chicken Fajitas

1/2 teaspoon Red Chile Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 tablespoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Lime Juice
12 ounces Chicken Breast, skinless
1 medium Onion
6 mini Sweet Peppers or 1 large Bell Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic

Go-withs:
4 low carb Tortillas
4 tablespoons Sour Cream
4 tablespoons Guacamole
4 tablespoons Salsa
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese

In a medium-sized bowl, big enough to hold the chicken, add the olive oil and lime juice and stir together. Add in the red chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper and mix well until all the spices are blended. Set aside.

Peel and cut the onion into slices and put in a bowl. Trim the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut into strips. Put into the bowl and set aside.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips about 1/3-inch thick. Add to the spice bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix the strips in until they are all coated with the seasonings. Set aside.

In a cast iron or heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and reduce to a medium high heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers and cook until they are just tender, about three to four minutes. Remove from the skillet.

Add the chicken and cook on high heat. If you have a smaller skillet, you may need to do this in two batches. When one side is done, about two minutes, turn the chicken to cook the other side. Add the peppers and onion back to the pan and cook 2 more minutes.

Heat the tortillas, then serve with 1 tablespoon each of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa – or whatever you prefer on your fajitas. Add 1/4 cup of cheese to the plate along with a salad and you have a delicious Mexican-style dinner.

Makes four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving (Chicken and spices only):
Calories:202.5 Fat:9.8 g Net Carbs: 6.0 g Protein: 20.6 g

Nutrition Information per serving (go-withs):
Calories:230.7 Fat:17 g Net Carbs: 6.0 g Protein: 11.96 g

Note: I used whole wheat low carb tortillas, small size, that are 3 net carbs each, the other 3 net carbs in the go-withs are distributed pretty evenly among the remaining ingredients.

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Pork, Recipes

Celebrate with a Chorizo Frittata

Photo of Chorizo Frittata by Rene Averett

With Cinco de Mayo–a really good day to celebrate all things Mexican–just around the corner, so to speak, I thought it would be a good time to try a couple of new Mexican food recipes. Although I’m not sure this frittata would be classified as Mexican, it does have all the flavors of the culture. In Spain or Portugal, this would be called a Chorizo Tortilla, but not so much in Mexico where the tortilla is a thin flatbread versus an egg frittata.

The base recipe for this came from Atkins, but I changed quite a bit about it and I think it’s safe to say it’s my adaptation. I added turnips into it although you can also use potatoes. To keep the carbs low, stick with turnips. If you have lots of carbs to play with, then go with potatoes. You could also substitute in thinly sliced zucchini, Mexican variety of course. (They’re a little more rounded than the normal type.)

Photo of frittata in pan.
Chorizo Frittata in cast iron pan before serving.

Chorizo and Chiles Frittata

1/2 lb. Chorizo sausage, Basque-style
1 medium Turnip, sliced thinly
4 large Eggs
1/4 medium Onion, chopped
4 oz. can Green Chiles, chopped
1 tablespoon Jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 small Tomato, diced or chopped
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mexican Cheese Combo mix
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon Butter

Peel and slice the turnip or potato into thin slices. Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook for about three to five minutes until the slices are fork tender. This may vary depending on how thick the slices are. OR put the slices into a bowl, cover with a plate and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. Drain off any water and set aside.

Break the eggs into a bowl, whisk until mixed and slightly frothy, add the seasonings, chiles, and tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup of cheese. Set aside.

In a medium-sized cast iron or other oven-safe, deep skillet, add a little oil and sauté the onions until they are just slightly cooked. Remove to a plate. Lower the heat to medium-high.

Add the chorizo broken into small pieces or thin slices and cook until all pieces are seared. Remove the chorizo from the pan. Add butter and let it melt, then add layer the turnip slices over the bottom of the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until they begin to brown, then turn them over. Cook another minute or so, then add the chorizo on top of the turnips.

Stir the egg mixture and pour over the top of the chorizo and turnips. Let cook for about four to six minutes, lifting the sides of the bottom with a spatula occasionally.

Turn on the broiler. Be sure to use a potholder when picking up the skillet. Place the skillet under the broiler and cook for three minutes. Pull the pan out carefully and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Return to the broiler for another two minutes to melt the cheese.

Remove to a heat safe surface and let the frittata set for about five minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream and/or guacamole if desired.

Makes four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 485.3 Fat: 39.6 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 26.5 g

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Enjoy Buttery Shrimp for St. Patrick’s Day

West of Ireland shrimp picture.

I call this West of Ireland shrimp because I’m a long way from Erin’s shore and I don’t have any Dublin Bay prawns where I live. The recipe is in the style of an Irish prawn recipe I have and I deem it suitable for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day for those who might want a change from corned beef and cabbage. Get big plump shrimp for this, about 20 to 24 per pound.

It’s terrific with my low carb Irish Soda Bread to soak up the delicious butter sauce. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all who celebrate. Incidentally, I made my soda bread in a muffin pan so it makes even-sized servings with a nice crust all around it.

1 lb. Large Shrimp in shells
1 stick Butter
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce or Chili Oil
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed Red Peppers
2 tablespoons Irish Whiskey
Pinch of crushed Celeriac

Peel and devein shrimp, rinse, and put in a sealable quart plastic bag. Add Olive oil, crushed red peppers, and garlic. Seal and turn the bag over several times to coat all the shrimp.

In a saucepan, add the Chili Oil or Olive Oil, Tabasco sauce and Irish Whiskey. Stir and cook until the liquid is reduced by about 1/4. Add butter and Celeriac and stir together until it looks creamy.

Lower heat to a simmer and add shrimp with the oil. Cook until you can see the pink on the bottom side, then turn them over and cook the other side. About two to three minutes.

Transfer shrimp to serving dishes. Add a bit of parsley to bring a touch of color if you wish. Serve with cauli-rice, zucchini pasta, or Irish Soda Bread. Makes about 3 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 446.3 Fat:32.3 g Net Carbs: 0.4 g Protein: 32.0 g

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Yummy Roasted Vegetables

Even in winter, we have a lovely selection of vegetables that are simply scrumptious when roasted. This recipe is based on one Yummly sent in my email, but I’ve made changes to only include low carb vegetables in the mix. No potatoes or carrots in it. I did go a little overboard when I prepared my vegetables and ended up with enough to feed ten to twelve people. Good thing I love these veggies. So, I scaled it down to half that size and this should make enough nice side servings for six.

Hearty Winter Roasted Vegetables

2 small Golden Beets
1 cup Kohlrabi
1 cup Turnips
1 cup Cauliflower flowerets
2 stalks Celery, medium-sized
1 medium Yellow Squash
1 large Zucchini
3 small Sweet Peppers
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut all vegetables into about 1-inch pieces. Try to keep them close to the same sized pieces for even cooking. Keep the softer vegetables (celery, squash, peppers) separate from the harder ones (beets, kohlrabi, turnips, cauliflower).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup.

Add water about two-thirds up a large pot and bring to a boil. Add hard vegetables and boil for about five minutes to partially cook them. Drain and run cold water over them.

In a large plastic bag, mix the olive oil, vinegar, paprika, garlic salt, garlic powder,and pepper. Stir or slosh it around in the bag until combined. Add the vegetables to the bag, seal and turn a few times to coat all of them.

Spread the vegetables out on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 125 Fat: 9.4 g Net Carbs: 6.5 g Protein: 2.3 g