Category Archives: Main Dish

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Spicy Chicken with Cauli-rice Casserole

Spanish rice was a staple when I was growing up and no one made it as wonderfully as my grandmother.  It wasn’t like the pale, barely a taste of tomato Spanish rice you find at Mexican restaurants.  Grandmother’s featured whole tomatoes, onions and peppers in the dish. This made it easy for it to become a casserole dish with a little meat or chicken added.

This is my low carb adaptation of the Chicken with Spanish Rice dish made with low carb cauliflower rice (cauli-rice) instead of the high starch grain.  I also use riced Daikon radish it which rounds out the flavor a little more.

Spanish Chicken with Cauli-Rice

2 cups Cauliflower pieces
1 cup Daikon Radish, riced (Optional)
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon Better than Bullion chicken
1/2 cup Sweet Peppers, riced
2 cups Chicken, cooked and cubed
1 cup canned Tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne or Red Pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried Cilantro
1/4 cup chopped Baby Corn
1 cup cheddar cheese

If you’re not using Daikon radish, then use an extra cup of cauliflower rice.

Rice cauliflower and daikon in a food processor or use a grater or ricer. In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until they glisten, then add the riced cauliflower. Stir. Mix 1 teaspoon bullion with 1/2 cup hot water and stir to melt. Add to the pan and mix in. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Check the liquid level every few minutes and add water if needed.

Add the tomatoes, peppers, seasonings, chicken and baby corn. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 360 degrees (F.) Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon or pour the contents of the skillet into the casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Serves 6.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories:172 Fat: 7.3 Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 20.9 g

With 1 cup of riced Daikon Radish
Calories: 158 Fat: 7.2 g Net Carbs:4.6 g Protein: 31.3

Note:  I’ve noticed that with many spiced dishes, they gain more flavor when they’ve been refrigerated for a day or two, so this recipe will store well and get more flavorful on the second serving.

Is this anything like a dish your mother or grandmother prepared?  I think this is more Tex-Mex than traditional Mexican.

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Recipes

Bacon & Ricotta Cheese Pie for Brunch

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Great for a brunch or breakfast or even a light dinner, this pie goes together quickly and takes about 30 minutes to bake.

The base recipe for this came from the Tova Foods website, who got it from Linda’s Low Carb Recipes. I made a few adjustments, but the recipe is basically the same for any quick pie based on Bisquick’s Impossible Pies. I find that the pie crust doesn’t separate to the bottom as consistently as it does with Bisquick, so it may end up on top, rather than on the bottom.

I used 1/2 cup CarbQuick and 1/4 cup Almond Flour for my crust, but most any baking mix or low carb flour will work with this recipe.  I would not recommend coconut flour for it.

Easy Bacon & Ricotta Cheese Pie

1 egg
3/4 cup Low Carb Baking Mix
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 cup Heavy Cream mixed
2 tablespoon Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup Baby Spinach, fresh (optional)
1/2 cup Water
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 slices Bacon, fried
4 slices tomato

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F.) Prepare a pie tin with cooking spray.

Break the bacon into pieces or use 1/4 cup Bacon Pieces.

Put the cream into a large cup, add the water and mix together. Put baking mix, egg, salt, pepper and 1/2 the cream mixture into a small bowl and mix together with a whisk. Add the rest of the milk and ricotta cheese and beat well.  There may still be a few little lumps of the baking mix.

Tear the spinach (if using) into pieces and add to the batter, then stir in half the cheese and pour into the prepared pie pan. Make sure the cheese is evenly distributed.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of cheese on the top, distribute the tomato slices in each quarter. and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories; 364.2 g Fat; 31.2 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 16.2 g

Asian Recipes, Pork, Recipes

Taste of the Orient in Broccoli Pork Stir Fry

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Chinese food, Thai food, Indian food– I love it all.  The flavors are just so satisfying.  I had just seen a post for Broccoli Beef on the Chinese Quest website the day before I made this and I thought, “Why not use the pork I had on hand instead of beef?”  So, I did,  This recipe isn’t exactly like the one at Chinese Quest, so be sure to check out that recipe as well.

I served this over Cauli-rice, which is a simple to make and very tasty alternative to rice.  It makes a great and satisfying meal.

Broccoli Pork Stir Fry

12 oz. Pork Ribs, country style
2 cups Broccoli, frozen or fresh
1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoons Ginger Paste
1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced.
1/4 cup Onions, sliced or chopped
1/2 large Sweet peppers, sliced
1/4 cup Baby Corn, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon Chicken bullion or 1/2cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sherry, dry
1 teaspoon Vinegar
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Oil

Cut pork into bite-sized cubes. Mix together soy sauce, sherry, and 1 teaspoon vinegar with one tablespoon oil Add the pork and mix it around. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the ‘fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

In a wok or slope-sided deep skillet, heat the oil, then add the minced garlic and onions and stir until they begin to brown. Remove from pan or slide it to one side and add the marinated pork. Brown the pork, then add the onions and garlic back in along with the ginger paste, broccoli, and sweet peppers.

Cook and stir until the broccoli is hot and still a little raw. Add the mushrooms and baby corn and stir them in. Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix the chicken bullion with 1/4 cup hot water. Add the bullion and mix into the wok. Stir and cook the vegetables about three more minutes, then add the cornstarch mixture. This will thicken the sauce a little. Cook until the broccoli is just fork tender, then serve over cauli-rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving (without cauli-rice):
Calories: 308 Fat: 18.7 g Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 23.9 g

Be sure to ask any questions you might have about this recipe or share your thoughts on it or if you’ve made other changes.

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Easy to Make Baked Chicken with Zucchini

This is similar to a recipe that I made before for Salsa Chicken that is cooked in a skillet, but this recipe takes it a step or two further and you use your oven or toaster oven to finish cooking it, plus I’ve added zucchini and cheese to make a more complete meal.  Serve it over a bed of cauliflower rice and all you need to add is a small dinner salad to make a great meal.  If you love Mexican or spicy foods, this is a meal that pleases the taste buds.

I used a salsa from my neighborhood grocery store Raley’s that included corn in it.  It is 2 net carbs per 2 tablespoons.  La Victoria Medium Salsa is 1 net carb per 2 tablespoons, so you can save a carb per serving by using a lower carb’d salsa.   Check the nutrition information on the bottle to look for the lower carb’d ones.

Baked Spanish Chicken with Zucchini 

4 Chicken Tenders (about 2 breasts)
1/2 cup Zucchini, sliced
6 tablespoons Tomato Salsa
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1teaspoon Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Cauliflower, riced
1 tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon Chicken bullion
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 365 degrees (F.) Spray a baking pan to fit the chicken with cooking spray.

Sprinkle salt and pepper (or any other seasoning you wish) over the chicken pieces. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat then add the minced garlic. Cook until it begins to brown, then add the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides. Put 4 tablespoons of salsa over the chicken and stir it in, then add the zucchini to lightly cook.

Cook and stir for about five minutes, then transfer to the prepared baking pan. Spread the remaining two tablespoons of salsa over the top, then sprinkle the cheddar cheese over it.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the chicken is completely done.

While the chicken bakes, prepare the cauliflower rice. Put 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet to melt over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and stir well to coat with butter and lightly toast. Add 1/2 cup of water with the bullion and stir into the cauliflower. Lower the temperature to a simmer and let cook for about 15 minutes. Check the water in it and stir a couple of times while it cooks. If you need to add more water, then add about 2 tablespoons.

The cauliflower will be done about the same time as the chicken. Put 3/4 cup of cauli-rice on the plate and serve half the chicken over it, getting half the zucchini and sauce in the serving.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 419 Fat: 19.7 g Net Carbs: 8.6 g Protein: 47.7 g

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Simple BBQ Chicken with Bacon

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This easy recipe for a delicious chicken dish popped up in my email from All Recipes.   You can see a video of the preparation at AllRecipes.com.

Since it combines chicken and bacon, I had to try it! But I also had to add a little more, so I added the seasonings and the slice of cheddar cheese on top because it all goes better with cheese, right? The next time I make this, and it will be soon, I plan to add a thin slice of sweet red onion underneath the bacon strips, so it’s tucked in next to the chicken.  Yum…

Have this for dinner with a nice dinner salad and you’ll be sitting pretty with low carb. I baked the chicken, but you can also do it on the grill if you’d prefer. It’s easy to double or triple if you are cooking for more than two people.

Baked BBQ Chicken with Bacon and Cheese

2 half Chicken Breasts
4 slices of bacon
2 slices of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese or similar
1/4 cup low carb BBQ Sauce
1 teaspoon of Seasoning Salt or BBQ Seasoning
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees(F.). Prepare a baking pan to fit the chicken by spraying with cooking spray.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with the seasoning salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside for a few minutes.

Cook the bacon until almost done, but still flexible. Don’t crisp it. (I put my slices between two paper towels and microwaved them for 2 1/2 minutes, which kept them flat while cooking and absorbed the fat.)

Wrap 2 slices over each chicken breast, making an X across the front of the chicken and tuck ends in the back and place back side down in the baking pan. Use a pastry or kitchen brush or the back of a spoon to spread 1 tablespoons of the BBQ sauce on each of the breasts.

Bake for 30 minutes until the chicken is nearly done and juices run clear. Add cheese slices on top of each breast, then brush each with the rest of the BBQ sauce and bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
   Calories:401  Fat: 9.2 g  Net Carbs: 0.0g  Protein: 48.0

Note:  Yes, that is the correct net carb if you use 0 carb BBQ Sauce and 0 carb cheese. I used Walden Farms Hickory Smoked BBQ Sauce, which is 0 calories and 0 carbs. The cheese is also 0.   If you use one of the higher ones, then you will likely add a carb or two to the total.

Try this recipe and I think you’ll love it.  Let me know what you think!