Category Archives: Main Dish

Crock Pot Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Slow Cooker Honey Chicken is easy

Looking for something simple to put together and put in a slow cooker while you’re busy with other things, like work or playing golf or swimming? You can come home to a delicious meal with only a little effort to get it going in the morning. This recipe for Honey Cooked Chicken came in my news feed and I thought it sounded great and only needs a couple of adjustments to make it a low carb delight.

I use sugar-free Honey that I order from Netrition.com because I can’t find a brand in my local stores, but you may find one at your market or a health food store. Let your fingers do the walking and check via phone or an online web site before running around town. In a pinch, I think sugar-free Pancake syrup can substitute, but it will give it a slight maple flavor rather than honey. You can also order a honey substitute from Amazon.com.

Honey Chicken and Vegetables

8 skinless large Chicken Thighs or Breasts
1 pound Cauliflower flowerets
1 pound Broccoli flowerets
1/2 lb Baby Carrots
1 pound Green Beans

Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar-free Honey,
1/2 cup Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce,
4 cloves Garlic (minced),
1 teaspoon Basil,
1 teaspoon Oregano,
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper

Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl.

In a regular-sized slow cooker, put four chicken thighs to make the bottom layer. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the chicken.

On top of this add the cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Top with the other four chicken thighs. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Put on the lid and cook on low for 8 hours or cook on high for 4 hours.

Add the green beans for the last 30 minutes of cooking, put the lid back on and continue to cook on high.

To add a little crispiness to the chicken, you can remove it from the pot and broil for about 3 minutes on each side.  Serve with the vegetables from the cooker.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 154 Fat: 3 g Net Carbs: 8.8 g Protein: 18.2 g

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Quick & Cool Sausages and Turnip with Greens Skillet

One of the joys of Spring is all the fresh greens available at the market. Most of these edible leaves have about the same carb and calorie count so they can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Sometimes you will find bags of mixed greens and other times, you have to buy them separately. This is a very Southern dish, but delicious and easy to make.

My recipe makes a large pan of greens that can make a filling meal for two people or serve four with additional side dishes, like fruit or squash, and a slice of low carb bread.

Sausage and Turnips with Greens

3 cups fresh greens (Spinach, Chard, Turnips Greens, or Bok Choy)
1 medium Turnip, peeled & diced *
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
2 cups shredded Cabbage
2 Louisiana Hot Link Sausages  (can be beef, chicken, or pork)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt to taste
White Wine Vinegar to taste

*May also use 1 cup of kohlrabi or celery root

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the diced turnips and cook for about five minutes. Drain.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until it starts to sizzle, then reduce heat to medium and add the garlic.

Stir in the turnips and cook for a few minutes, then add the sausages and cook for about five minutes until the sausages begin to brown.

Add the greens and cabbage, salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the greens are limp. Sprinkle wine vinegar over the top and serve.

Makes two large servings.

Turnips
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 174 Fat: 16.7 g Net Carbs: 8.7 g Protein: 12.9 g

Kohlrabi
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 188 Fat: 9.7 g Net Carbs: 9.5 g Protein: 8.1 g

Celery Root
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 191 Fat:10.0g Net Carbs: 13.4 g Protein: 7.3 g

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

One Pot Chicken with Broccoli and Cauliflower Dish

I’ve always been fond of casseroles and one pot dishes.  They’re easy, delicious, and quick to make.  The combinations of foods and seasonings adds up to a comfort food meal that satisfies the hunger.  A low carb lifestyle can easily include several of these types of dishes as it’s a great way to get your necessary vegetables along with your protein.

This easy one pot meal combines chicken with cauliflower and broccoli in a tasty cheese sauce. If you wish to add a little pasta, it only ups the carbs a little so long as you don’t over-do it, but it’s entirely optional.  The dish does fine without it.

One Pot Chicken with Cauliflower and Broccoli

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 to 3  large Chicken Breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Bell Pepper or 4 small Sweet Peppers
1/4 cup Spiral Pasta (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup diced Onion (about half an onion)
2 cloves Garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 1/2 cups Cauliflower florets
2 cups Broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 tsp Cayenne Powder
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

In a large pot, heat olive oil in a large pot. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides, then add the onions, peppers, and garlic and cook a few minutes. Add chicken broth and pasta, if you are using it and stir. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.

Bring a pan of water to a boil, then add the cauliflower and broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes, then drain. Add to the pot with the chicken and stir in. If there is still a lot of liquid, cook until it is reduced. If the pot is almost dry, add a little water. Stir while the broccoli is cooking. Add ricotta cheese, cream, and cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg and stir in.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information with pasta per serving:
Calories: 502.3 Fat:30.8 g Net Carbs: 9.2 g Protein: 43.2 g

Nutrition Information with pasta per serving:
Calories: 486.5 Fat:30.9 g Net Carbs: 6.1 g Protein: 42.6 g

For variety, the leftovers can be put in a pan and reheated in the oven to bake it.  Cook on 375 degrees (F.) for about 30 minutes, then top with 1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese and bake another 5 minutes.  OR you can do what I did, which is make a pot pie from it.  To do that, put 1 cup of the cooked chicken mixture in each of 2 ramekins and microwave for about 1 minute each to take the chill off.  In a small bowl mix these ingredients:

1/4 cup Low Carb Flour (such as CarbQuick or Almond Meal)
1 tablespoon Cream
1 tablespoon Water
Pinch Salt
1/4 teaspoons Ground Pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg

Put 1/2 the batter on top of chicken mixture in the ramekins and bake at 375 degrees (F) for 25 minutes. Pull out and sprinkle a little cheddar cheese on top and bake another 5 minutes to melt and lightly brown the cheese.  Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.

 

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

Delicious Chorizo Egg Muffins for Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo! No better way to celebrate this festive holiday than with a spicy Mexican style dish and that’s just what this little egg muffin is.  It’s a little late for breakfast today, but the party goes on all week.  Heck, we went to the Star Trek Experience at the Grand Sierra Hotel last Sunday (fabulous, by the way) and the parking lot was packed with people going to the Cinco de Mayo street fair set up in the side parking lot.  No doubt in my mind that it’s running through this weekend.  Besides you don’t need a holiday to spice up your breakfast and these egg muffins make a great lunch also.

Chorizo Egg Muffins

Slightly spicy, with vegetables in it. The kohlrabi is like adding potatoes to the mix and spinach and onion add to the taste and nutrition. The golden flax meal brings a bit of a taste of cornmeal with no carbs and extra fiber for a great breakfast start.

6 Eggs
1/4 cup Kohlrabi, cubed
1/4 cup Spinach, fresh, chopped
2 medium Scallions, sliced
4 oz. Texas Chorizo or Mexican Chorizo
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
3 tablespoons Golden Flax Meal

Heat oven to 365 degrees (F.) Spray 6 to 8 muffin wells or individual muffin cups with baking spray.

Cook kohlrabi in the microwave for a minute or in boiling water for two to three minutes until tender. Cool. Slice the cubes into smaller pieces.

In a bowl, break the eggs and beat with a whisk, then add the ricotta cheese and cream and whisk until mixed in. Add vegetables, chorizo, flax meal and seasoning and mix well. You may have to separate the chorizo into small pieces before adding if it is the more solid variety. If you use the Mexican chorizo, it has a chili sauce mixed into it and the egg muffins will have a redder color from it.

Use a 1/4 or 1/3 cup measure to scoop and pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups. They should be almost full. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out cleanly.

Let cool for a few minutes before serving. May be refrigerated or frozen.

Makes 7 or 8 egg muffins

Nutrition Info per muffin
Calories: 212.8 Fat: 16.6 Net Carbs: 1.4 g Protein: 13.2

 

 

 

 

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Simple Cranberry Mustard Marinade Spices Pork

Pork roasts are a snap to cook and they are so good. They’re a lean piece of meat and very tender and they take well to marinades, rubs, and fruit coatings.  This marinade is a simple to put together spicy blend that adds a tang of chile with cranberry mustard to the flavor.    You can make it with Dijon mustard instead of cranberry mustard, but it loses that fruity tang.

Sometimes cranberry mustard is difficult to find at the grocery store.  I use Beaver brand and I order it online when I can’t find it locally.  It’s great on sandwiches, particularly ham or chicken ones.

Cranberry Mustard Marinated Pork Loin

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons Cranberry mustard
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
2 pounds pork tenderloin

In a bowl, add all ingredients except the pork and whisk together. Use a cooking fork or a sharp knife to pierce the pork roast in several places, which will allow the marinade to go into the meat better. Using a large resealable plastic bag, put in the pork and pour the marinade in. Seal the bag and massage the marinade to work the marinade into it. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for two to three hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.).

Place the pork in a foil-lined baking dish and pour the marinade over the top. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted to the middle of the roast reads 145 degrees.

Remove the roast and cover with foil to keep warm. It will continue to cook. Pour the pan juices into a small skillet or pot and cook over medium heat to reduce to a thicker gravy.

Serve with a tablespoon or two of gravy over the top.

Makes 6 servings.