Category Archives: Main Dish

Beef, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Cottage Pie is Comfort Food

When winter is howling at the windows and the temperatures are dropping into the red zone of the thermometer, it’s time to look for warming, hearty food dishes that make you feel secure. One of those is the Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie. The basic difference between the two is the meat used for the filling. Strictly speaking, if it’s lamb, you have a Shepherd’s Pie. Any other filling is a Cottage Pie.

This Cottage Pie is made with minced up beef or ground beef. I found a package of chopped carne asada, which is basically steak meat cut in tiny pieces, at my grocery store or you can it into small bites yourself. Instead of using potatoes, I used a combination of cauliflower, turnips, and kohlrabi to make the mashed vegetables to top off the stew-like filling. You can use all cauliflower or any combination of the vegetables that you prefer.

This dish tastes wonderful and it fills you up with a warming winter dish that won’t add unwanted pounds.

Cottage Pie

1 lb ground or minced Beef
2 slices of thick-sliced Bacon
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 large Carrot, diced
1 cup Green Beans, diced, cooked
1 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
1/2 cup diced Turnips
1 cup Cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup Kohlrabi, chopped
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
1 cup Beef Broth
2 tablespoons Butter
Seasoning Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder, optional
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees(F.)

Cook turnips, cauliflower and kohlrabi in a pan of water until tender. Drain well, then mash with a masher or in a food processor. Add cream, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Cook bacon in a heavy skillet, drain on a paper towel. Pour off most of the bacon fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon, then add the garlic and onion and lightly brown. Add the beef and stir fry until lightly browned. Stir in the mushrooms and cook a few minutes. Mix the low carb flour into the beef broth and add to the skillet and bring to a boil. Break the bacon into pieces and add to the pan along with the cooked carrots and green beans and cook until the mixture thickens.

Pour into an 8×8 baking pan. Smooth the turnip and cauliflower mixture over the top to form a top crust. Sprinkle optional cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Let cool about five minutes, then serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories:480 Fat:35.9 g Net Carbs:4.6 g Protein: 31 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Condiments and Sauces, Pork, Recipes

Brunch with Biscuits and Pumpkin Chorizo Sausage Gravy

Halloween is almost upon us and I am still celebrating pumpkin. If you’d like to make a special breakfast or brunch meal for Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas or traditionally for New Year’s Day, you can’t go wrong with biscuits and gravy. And yes, they can be made low carb.  In fact, this dish, using one biscuit, is less than 4 net carbs when made with CarbQuick.  It may be a little higher with other low carb flours.

Boy-oh-boy, this is a favorite dish of mine, so I have been working to get a really good recipe for them. I use CarbQuick for my low carb flour baking mix choice, but you can also use Bob’s Red Mill Baking Mix or Dixie Carb Counters or LC Foods. It might work okay with almond flour, but it’s best to try to mix another flour in with it. This recipe for biscuits is the tastiest one I’ve come up with so far. The gravy has a fall twist to it and also a bit of a spicy touch as I add pumpkin puree and chorizo sausage along with the regular sausage. It is a great flavor combination. Be bold. Give these a try.

Best Savory Biscuits

1 cup Low Carb Flour
2 tablespoons Shortening
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
Pinch Salt
Pinch ground Thyme
1 to 2 tablespoons Cold Water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, salt, thyme and sugar substitute and mix together. Add the shortening and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles crumbles. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix it into the dough. If it doesn’t pull together easily, add a little more water. You want the dough stiff but completely mixed.

Mix in the cheddar cheese until distributed. Divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a 3-inch round about 1/2-inch thick and place on the baking pan.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 biscuits.

Nutrition Info per biscuit:
   Calories: 152.5 Fat: 12.8 g Net Carbs: 2.3 g Protein: 6.4 g

Pumpkin Chorizo Sausage Gravy

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
4 oz. Pork Sausage
2 oz. Basque Style Chorizo Sausage
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Puree

In a medium skillet, brown the sausage and chorizo, breaking it into smaller pieces as you cook it. When lightly browned remove to a paper towel on a plate to drain. Stir the low carb flour into the grease in the pan to make a paste. If there isn’t enough, add a little oil to the pan.

Stir in the heavy whipping cream and 1 cup of water, the Worcestershire sauce and the cayenne pepper and mix well. Then stir in the pumpkin puree and the cooked sausage. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Split the biscuits in half and pour 1/4 of the sausage gravy over each biscuit.

Makes 4 servings or 2 hungry-man (or woman) servings.

Nutrition Information for both biscuit and gravy per serving:
   Calories: 327.4 Fat: 23.9 g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 12.4 g

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Autumn Harvest Stew with Ham, Cauliflower and Butternut

Autumn is such a great time of year.  The days are cooling down and the leaves are such beautiful shades of red, orange, and gold.  It’s really my favorite season of the year.  And the various winter squashes are coming into season along with other winter produce such as pomegranates, quince, and cactus pears.

This lovely stew actually happened a bit by accident, but it tastes so great that I intend to keep it in my frequent meal file.  It combines the delicious flavors of ham, cheddar cheese, cauliflower and butternut squash in a sauce thickened with pumpkin puree.  That’s it, I’ve opened another can of pumpkin so I’ll be doing several pumpkin recipes over the next few weeks.  I love pumpkin and it usually helps to thicken stews and sauces without adding flour or cornstarch.

Harvest Stew with Ham, Cauliflower, Butternut & Cheddar

2 cups Cauliflower, chopped
1/4 cup Pumpkin puree
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Water
2 tablespoons Butter
1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
2 cups lean Ham, diced
1cup Butternut Squash, cubed
1/4 cup Red Peppers, sliced
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.)

Chop cauliflower into small pieces and cut butternut squash into cubes. Cook in a microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or put in boiling water for about 4 minutes to partially cook.   Cut ham into cubes.

In a saucepan, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until the onion begins to get tender. Add whipping cream and water and stir together. Add pumpkin and ricotta cheese and stir in. Then add the cheddar cheese and stir until it melts.

In a large pot or baking dish, add the vegetables and ham, then mix the sauce into the pot. Sprinkle the cheddar jack cheese over the top and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve in bowls with a low carb biscuit or a side salad.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving: (6 servings)
Calories: 312.6 Fat: 22.9 g Net Carbs: 6.6 g Protein: 17.4 g

Nutrition Information per serving: (8 servings)
Calories: 234.4 Fat: 17.1 g Net Carbs: 4.9 g Protein: 13.1 g

 

Crock Pot Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Slow Cooking Coc au Vin

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I don’t know about your part of the world, but here in Reno, Nevada, the season just turned to the crisp, darn near freezing nights, of FALL!  At our house, we try to hold out until November 1 before turning on the heater, but I broke down this week when I woke up in the morning from sleeping with my robe wrapped around my head and surrounded by cats seeking warmth.  So mid-October and the heat is on.

But it’s also a great time for stew and soups.  One terrific way to make a delicious meal is your slow cooker.  With a little preparation, you can toss all the ingredients into the pot before you head off to work or whatever else you have planned and come home to a fully cooked meal.

This isn’t the recipe for that.  Yes, it’s a slow cooked meal and it is a delicious French version of a chicken stew with wine, but the preparation takes about thirty to forty minutes with the chopping and cooking.  But, if you do all the work the night before, then put it in the cooker in the morning, then it is simple.  Just prepare  the ingredients, do the skillet cooking, then bag the chicken and the vegetables separately and refrigerate overnight.  Layer them into the pot with the vegetables first, then the chicken, set the cooker on low, then get on with your day.

Slow Cooker Coc au Vin

8 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
4 slices Bacon , roughly chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted Butter or Olive Oil , divided
1 package white or Baby Bella Mushrooms , sliced
2 large Carrots , cleaned and sliced
2 stalks Celery, cleaned and sliced
1 medium Yellow Onion , chopped
2 cloves Garlic , chopped
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup Red Wine
2 large sprigs fresh Thyme

Begin by prepping the vegetables. Cut the carrots into about 1 inch slices. If they are thick, you can cut each slice in half so they cook quicker. Clean and slice the celery stalks into the same size pieces. Chop or slice the onion, depending on your preference. If the mushrooms need to be cut, do that also. Chop or mince the garlic into tiny pieces.

Put a piece of waxed paper on a baking sheet, then place the skinned and boned chicken on it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your preference, then sprinkle and pat low carb flour over the chicken. Turn the chicken over and repeat. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a large skillet or use my method and cook it between two pieces of paper towel on a plate in the microwave until it is crisp. Discard any bacon grease and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan and cook the chicken until browned on each side, then remove to a paper towel.

Add the rest of the butter along with the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown along the edges, then add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Add a little salt to your preference. Cook until the carrots begin to soften, then transfer all the vegetables to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add chicken broth. Layer the chicken over the top, then pour the wine over the top and add the thyme. I prefer to remove the leaves and just use those as to putting the whole sprig in.

Turn the slow cooker to the low setting. For those who have a warmer setting, medium and high on their cookers, this would be the medium setting. The stew will be cooked in about six hours. In a hurry, use the high setting for two hours, then lower it to low or medium.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 268.5 Fat: 12.3 g Net Carbs: 5.3 g Protein: 21.3 g

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Quick Chicken Quesadillas

Lots going on this month, the new cookbook on the way and some last minute baking for that for photographs and I’m running behind, then throw in a computer problem or two and my month is kaput.  So, let’s end this month with an easy to put together recipe.  Don’t forget “Sweets by the Season” will be out in October!

Got a little leftover chicken and some cheddar cheese? Add a tortilla and some salsa and you have a quick and simple lunch or dinner.

Chicken Quesadillas

2/3 cup Cooked Chicken, diced or cut into slices
1/2 cup Cheddar or Cheddar Jack Cheese
4 tablespoons Tomato Salsa (about 2 nc per serving)
2 Low Carb Tortillas
2 tablespoon Butter
4 or 6 slices of Haas Avocado (optional)
2 tablespoons Sour Cream (optional)

Warm the tortilla over a hot burner or for about 5 seconds in a microwave. Put the 1/2 the chicken down the middle, slightly to one side, top with half the cheese and salsa. Fold the tortilla over the filling to make a turnover shape.

Heat the butter over medium heat in a skillet until it is melted, then put the stuffed tortilla into the pan and cook it until it is browned on one side, about three to five minutes depending on how high the heat is. Use a spatula to turn the tortilla to the other side and brown it also. This should be enough to heat the chicken and melt the cheese.

Put on a plate and garnish with sour cream and 2 or 3 avocado slices.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 347.6 Fat: 23.9 g Net Carbs: 3.5 g Protein: 28.2 g

Nutrition Info per serving (with avocado and sour cream):
Calories: 445.5 Fat: 33 g Net Carbs: 4.7 g Protein: 29.5 g