Category Archives: Main Dish

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Vegetarian

Low Carb Spinach & Artichoke Cauli-Mac

A lot of yummy recipes are shared on Facebook, like this one recently posted from BuzzFeed for One-Pan Mac and Cheese. This is a delicious recipe with lots of cheese flavor and the subtle taste of the spinach and artichoke hearts just enhances it.

For me, I immediately start adapting it to a low carb version because I know that macaroni, or any pasta, is too high carb’d for my lifestyle unless I make the pasta myself from low carb flours. So far, I haven’t tried that although it’s on my to-do list.

But in this case, the easier change to the recipe is to replace the macaroni with cauliflower. If you like this vegetable, and I know some people who don’t, then it is an amazing replacement for many starches in your cooking. You can chop it and use it to replace smaller pastas. You can rice it or chop it finely in a food processor to use it as a fill-in for rice, couscous, and other small pastas. You can also use it for pizza crusts, bread sticks, and assorted other bread replacements.

As a replacement for macaroni, it is fantastic. It doesn’t have a strong flavor, particularly if you start with fresh cauliflower or use frozen that hasn’t defrosted and sat in the refrigerator for a couple of days. While this recipe is very close to the one posted, I never make anything exactly the way it’s written. In addition to the cauliflower for macaroni swap, I also added bacon, because I love bacon and this just called out for it. The artichoke hearts may be a little hard to find but you can get them either canned or frozen. If you can get frozen, those are better. Do not get marinated artichoke hearts unless they’re the only option you have. If you do, wash them thoroughly before using unless you want the taste of the marinade in your meal. While I didn’t add them this time, the next time I make this, I think adding chopped green onions would be awesome.

I also cut the recipe in half so two people don’t have too many leftovers, but you can easily double it if you want the larger dish. I used an 8″ cast iron skillet and it filled it to almost over-flowing so even the larger cast iron skillet might not be big enough for the full recipe. Also, if you are making this recipe with macaroni instead of cauliflower, use 1/2 the amount called for as macaroni expands as it cooks, so one cup dry equals two cups cooked.

Don’t like cauliflower? Try dicing turnips or kohlrabi into small cubes to fill in for the macaroni. After they are diced, cook them in boiling water or in a bowl in the microwave until a fork can easily pierce them. At this point, this resembles a scalloped potato recipe more than it does macaroni and cheese, but they are similar.

Skillet Spinach Artichoke Cauli-Mac

1 tablespoon Butter
1 clove Garlic minced
3 oz. Baby Spinach
1/2 cup Artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 pound Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces(optional)
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Water
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
2 cups Cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F.)

In an ovenproof 8″ skillet, such as a cast iron one, melt the butter, then add the garlic, spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook and stir until the spinach wilts. Add the cream, water, salt and pepper. Stir until the sauce is boiling. Add the bacon and cauliflower pieces and stir into the sauce. Cool until the sauce coats the cauliflower pieces. Add the cheddar and one cup of mozzarella to the pan and stir until it is completely melted.

Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top and bake for about seven minutes or until the cheese if bubbly and golden brown.

Makes 4 servings. nutrition_Cauli-mac-bacon-artichokes

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Simple Low Carb Cracked Pepper Pork with Mushrooms

This is my take on a very delicious and easy to make restaurant dish.  I started with two pork loin steaks that I cut into three pieces each so they cook a little quicker.  Add freshly ground pepper while cooking and make a delicious pepper sauce to put over the top or return the pork steaks to the pan and smother them in it.  Either way, they are simply delicious and have gone into my “do often” recipe file.

The only real low carb extra in this recipe is the use of a low carb flour for coating the pork and thickening the sauce.  You can omit it completely and just coat the pork with ground pepper, then cook it in butter until it browns and is almost done.  Cook the sauce longer to reduce the liquid until it is thickened.

Cracked Pepper Pork with Mushrooms

3 tablespoons Butter
2 Pork Tenderloin Steaks, cut into three pieces each
Pinch of Salt
2 tablespoons Freshly Ground Peppercorns
2 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
1/4 cup chopped Onion
1 teaspoon chopped Garlic
1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 oz. Burgundy Wine (optional)
2 tablespoons Heavy Cream

Put one tablespoon of low carb flour, 1 tablespoon of ground pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of seasoning salt in a plastic bag and shake it to mix it together. Add the pork pieces and shake to coat with the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 150 to 170 degrees (F). Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and just starting to bubble, add the pork and cook until golden crisp on each side. Remove the pork to a sheet of aluminum foil, wrap and put in the oven to keep warm. Add the rest of the butter to the pan, then add the garlic and chopped onion and sauté a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and continue to cook until they are lightly browned. Add the remaining flour and stir to a paste, then add the chicken broth, wine (if you are using it), remaining pepper and heavy cream. Blend together, then bring the heat up to high and continue to cook and stir until the sauce is thickened.

Arrange the pork on the serving plates and spoon the sauce over the top. Add a little more pepper if you wish. You can also put the pork back into the sauce to warm again before serving.

Makes two large servings or three smaller servings.

Nutrition information per large serving:
   Calories: 502.3 Fat: 35.2g Net Carbs: 6.8 g Protein: 37.9 g

 

Beef, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

A Bit of Luck with an Irish Benedict Brunch

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St. Patrick’s Day is past, but the Sunday after is always a good time for an Irish Benedict breakfast or brunch. Who am I kidding? Any time is a good time for Irish Eggs Benedict. It’s often on the menu at our favorite breakfast spots in Reno, along with Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. When you’re watching the carbs, the big drawback in ordering it is the English Muffin.

This make-at-home recipe uses the fabulous Muffin in a Minute recipe as the base muffin. Actually, I have a recipe that enhances that one, but is just as easy to make, but you can use either one. Did you know that when you can take the microwaved muffin, slice in half across the middle and pop it into the toaster and it tastes fabulous? It changes the taste and the texture so it is more like toast. It also has a lot of little holes in for butter melt into so it’s a little like an English muffin! Yep, it’s the perfect base for this Irish Benedict.

Irish Eggs Benedict

For the complete dish, you will need:

2 Super Minute Muffins or Muffin in a Minutes, toasted
2 tablespoons Butter
4 eggs, poached or over-easy
1 cup shredded or diced Corned Beef
4 slices tomato
1 cup fresh Spinach
Hollandaise sauce recipe(see below)

Prepare Muffins by using my recipe or by using Atkins recipe for Muffin in a Minute in a 3″ in diameter bowl or ramekin. Cook them, cut in half and set aside or now. TIP:  Leave out the sugar substitute and add a little seasoning salt.  You can also make them with almond flour in place of flax meal.

Prepare the corned beef by slicing and either chopping or shredding it into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 1 cup of meat. Slice the tomatoes and set aside for now.

Prepare the hollandaise Sauce. You can make your favorite one or use this recipe.

Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (1/2 stick)
Pinch cayenne or white pepper
Pinch salt

Put about two cups of water in a pan and put on the stove to boil. Separate eggs, putting the yolks into the top of a double boiler or other metal pan that can fit inside a pot without touching the water. Put the whites away to use in a different recipe. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl for about 20 to 30 seconds. Add lemon juice to the eggs. Reduce the heat on the boiling water to a simmer, then put the egg pan over the hot water and begin whisking. Make sure the water doesn’t boil or it will scramble the eggs instead of making them creamy. When they thicken, stir in the butter, salt and pepper. Remove from heat but keep in a warm place.

Assemble the dish:

Put the muffin halves into a toaster or toast in the boiler. Cook the eggs by either poaching or frying, two at a time. (This will also be tasty with scrambled eggs.) When the eggs and toast are done, then put the spinach into a pan and cook over low heat for about 30 seconds until they begin to wilt.

Assemble the dish: Put the muffin halves on a plate, then put a tomato slice on each half. Put the 1/4 of the wilted spinach leaves on top of the tomato, then add 1/4 cup of corned beef on top of each one and top each with a poached egg. Spoon 1/4 of the Hollandaise sauce over the top.

Serve or put in an oven on low to keep warm, then prepare the second plate the same way.

Makes 2 servings. For a lighter breakfast, you can serve 1/2 a serving along with Smashed Turnip Fritters or Zucchini Fritters or 1/2 cup of berries.

Nutrition Info per full serving:
Calories: 1061 Fat: 88.2 g Net Carbs: 6.1 g Protein: 55.0 g
Per 1/2 servings (one muffin with toppings)
Calories:530.5 Fat:44.1 g Net Carbs: 3.1 g Protein: 27.5 g

NOTE: These carb counts are for the full Irish Benedict, including the muffins and the Hollandaise.

Confession time,as you may conclude by the photos, I didn’t put the eggs on the Irish Benedict when I made it this morning. It was an oversight, or maybe subconciously I was thinking that I didn’t need any more eggs in my meal. However, it does great without it and I didn’t miss the eggs until I started working on this page. So feel free to make those poached or fried eggs optional.

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Cast Iron Skillet Enchiladas

Inspired by a recipe for vegetarian enchiladas that popped into my Facebook feed, I decided to try making my red sauce chicken enchiladas in a cast iron skillet.  It’s a one pot dish so that makes it simple.  It takes about 1 hour to prepare and bake this easy dish.  I found a very low carb enchilada sauce at my local Raley’s grocery store, so check your labels for the lowest net carbs for the sauce.  Mine came in at 1 net carb per 1/4 cup.  The cheese is also 0 net carbs.

Cast Iron Skillet Enchiladas

2 cups Roasting Chicken, chopped or diced
1/2 medium Onions, chopped
6 Mini Sweet Bell Peppers, sliced
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1-1/2 cup Raleys Enchilada Sauce
6 Low Carb Tortillas (3 nc each)
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Jack Cheese
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

In a large cast iron skillet (or any other skillet that can go from stove to oven) add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add minced garlic, onions and sweet peppers and sauté until just tender. Remove from skillet.

Pour 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the skillet. Heat the tortillas in a plastic bag in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften them. Put one tortilla on a plate, then spread 1/6 of the onion mixture down the middle, leaving about 1/2 inch at each end. Repeat with the chicken, then sprinkle cheese over the top. Roll the tortilla into a snug roll and tuck in the ends. Place in the skillet along the edge. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Four will fit along the outside curves of the skillet, then put the last two in the middle.

Spread the remainder of the sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake in the skillet for 30 to 35 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened. Let cool about 5 minutes, then serve with sour cream and chopped green onions if you like. Makes 6 enchiladas.

Nutrition information for 1 enchilada:
Calories: 215.5 Fat: 11.0 g Net Carbs: 6.5 g Protein: 21.7 g

Breads, Italian Inspired Recipes, Pork, Product Review

Product Review & Pizza Recipe

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LC-Pizza & Bagel Flour

I’ve been meaning to try LC Foods flour for making pizza, calzones, bagels, and English muffins for quite some time now. The only recipe actually included on the package is for pizza. I found a bagel recipe that sounded good and I tried that one before I tried to make a pizza. I can say that it works very well for the bagels. So this week, I mixed up the pizza dough and had a go of it.

First, this is a fine-textured flour that is excellent for baking these types of breads. LC Foods has severl milled flours in their online store that can be used for a variety of baking including pasta, cake, and bread, as well as the one for pizza. The flour is not as low priced as regular wheat flour, but it is a low carb flour and it’s worth the difference for a flour that is low in carbs and still produces a product that rises with yeast, tastes like bread, although not entirely like its wheat counterpart, but close enough that you can enjoy it. It’s also a sturdy pizza bread.

Note, this pizza flour is not gluten-free. It is made from a blend of wheat protein isolates, resistant wheat starches, flax seed meal and vital wheat gluten. You will need to add fast rising yeast, a bit of salt, a little sugar substitute, and olive oil to the mixture. The personal-sized pizza crust makes a 7 to 8 inch pizza round that will

For those who don’t want to make a pizza crust from scratch, LC Foods also sells a pre-made, partially cooked large pizza crust. You can add your favorite toppings and bake right at home and have a great pizza in no time.

So, on to the pizza dough and the toppings I used for this personal-sized pizza. For reference, each 1/4 cup of the flour is 2 net carbs and the whole small pizza used 3/4 cup of the flour. You can also shape the pizza dough into bread sticks, calzones, and strombolis. To make bagels or English muffins, you need to refer to a recipe for those breads as they have other ingredients and measurements. I will be putting up the basic bagel recipe next week.

I do have to say that of all the low carb flours I’ve used to try to make yeast breads, this flour has done the best job of rising, browning, and tasting very good. I give this flour my five cooking spoons of approval.

5-spoons

LC Pizza with Meatballs

This is made with LC Foods pizza and bagel flour. I bought pre-made poerk meatballs from Wal-Mart that are about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Use a low carb pasta sauce. I used Mario Batalli’s Vodka sauce, which is one of the lowest I have found.

3/4 cup LC Pizza and Bagel Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon rapid rise Yeast
1/2 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup warm Water
1 1/2 teaspoons Olive Oil

Toppings:
1/ cup Onions, chopped
3 mini Sweet Peppers
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
1/4 cup Pasta Sauce
6 medium-sized Pork Meatballs
1/2 cup Mozarella Cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan Romano Cheese

In a medium bowl, add pizza flour, salt, yeast and sugar substitute and mix together. Add the water and olive oil and stir it together until combined and it begins to form a ball. Use your hands to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Clean the bowl, dry and lightly oil. Put the dough in the bowl and put in a warm place to rise. Cover with a plate. Allow it rise 30 to 40 minutes until the dough doubles.

Lightly oil a pizza pan or pizza stone. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Pull and stretch the dough into a circle and shape with your fingers until you have about a 7 to 8 inch round. Put on the pizza pan and bake for 5 minutes to get a partial bake on it.

Meanwhile, put a teaspoon of oil into a skillet and sauté the onions and peppers until just tender, then add garlic to the mix. Remove to a bowl. Cut the meatballs in half and if not already cooked, brown them in the skillet until they are almost done.

Spread the pizza sauce on the crust, then spread the vegetables evenly. Put the meatball halves even around the pizza and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, then the Parmesan Romano cheese over the top of that.

Bake for 10 more minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes to set, then cut into pieces and serve.

Makes 2 to 4 servings, depending on how hungry you are.

Nutrition Information per one-half pizza:
Calories: 404 Fat: 21.3 g Net Carbs: 10.4 g Protein: 14.7 g