Category Archives: Main Dish

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Turnips and Cauliflower Gratin Side Dish

I’m sure no one really misses potatoes with their meals, right?  Of course not, but, oh, the flavor of a potato with cheese casserole.  Yeah, sometimes it would sure be nice to have that with a steak or roasted chicken, wouldn’t it?

Well, this isn’t quite that potato recipe, but it is a very good substitute.  The truth is that after four years, I have only eaten potatoes twice, and they were baked both times, and I haven’t  missed them that much.  I have found that I honestly like the taste of turnips and the combination of turnips with cauliflower is deliciously good.

Not everyone agrees with that and  they absolutely hate turnips, but I say, at least give them a chance.  You could use kohlrabi  or celery root for the turnips or the cauliflower in this recipe or swap them around however you want.  Any combination equals a side dish that is very tasty and much lower in carbohydrates than using potatoes in the dish.

Turnips and Cauliflower Gratin

Turnips and Cauliflower Gratin

1 1/4 cups Turnips, (about 2 medium), sliced thinly
1 cup Cauliflower,sliced thinly
1/2 Onions, sliced thinly
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream,
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Thyme, ground or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cloves Garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon Fresh Chives or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese or Parmesan Cheese, shredded
3 tablespoon Butter

Put the cream and seasonings, except chives, into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and taste to check the seasonings. Adjust, if needed. Let the mixture sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Lightly spray a 9×9″ baking dish with cooking spray or butter the bottom and sides.

Peel turnips and boil them for 20 minutes. Cut into thin slices as evenly as possible. If you use a mandolin to cut, then cut the slices before cooking and only cook about 5 minutes to soften them. Drain. Cut 1/4 head of cauliflower into slices, put in a bowl and microwave for 4 minutes to partially cook. Cut a small onion into thin slices. You should have about 1/2 cup.

Layer 1/2 of the turnips on the bottom of the pan and dot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Remove the garlic from the sauce and spoon about 1/3 of the sauce over the turnips. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Layer the cauliflower and onions on top of the first layer, dot with butter and spoon 1/3 of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.. Layer the rest of the turnips over the top layer, dot with the remaining butter, pour the rest of the sauce over the top, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Sprinkle a little paprika over the top if you would like.

Cook at 375 degrees (F) for 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 195 Fat: 17.4 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 5.1 g

As this stands, this is a nice vegetarian dish.  Want to make a main dish out of this?  Add about 6 to 8 slices of bacon torn into pieces or 1 1/2 cups of ham cut into cubes.  Just add them to the middle layer, then put on the top layer of turnips.

Asian Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Cauliflower and Snow Peas Curry

Cauliflower Curry with Snow Peas

One of my favorite vegetable dishes at Indian or Thai restaurants is a cauliflower curry.   The flavors just blend so well and it is a spicy sauce without overwhelming the other vegetables.   This version is
my own adaptation using S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix, the one that comes with 5 little cubes in the package.  If you prefer to mix your own curry or work with curry powder, then feel free to substitute.  I like the mix because it seems to get the right balance for me.

Cauliflower and Snow Peas Curry

1 1/2 cup Cauliflower, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Snow Peas, fresh, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup Onions, chopped (remove)
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers (Bell or small peppers)
1/5 pkg Curry-S&B Golden Curry Sauce, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons Water
3/4 cup Coconut Milk unsweetened
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
2 tablespoons Thai Basil, fresh
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Heat a small pot of water to a boil and cook cauliflower for about three minutes, until just fork tender. Drain. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add the onions and sit until softened. Add the garlic and peppers, then cook about a minute longer. Next, add the curry pieces and stir until it melts and coats the onions. Add the coconut milk, and 2 tablespoons water and bring to a simmer. Add the cauliflower and snow peas and stir. Reduce heat to medium low and cover pan or skillet and simmer, stirring a couple of times, for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil leaves. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition Info per serving: Calories: 44 Fat: 1.7 g Net Carbs: 3.3 g Protein: 1.9 g

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Pork, Poultry, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Summer Fresh Mixed Vegetable with Sausage Dinner

Or lunch!  I used to go to a restaurant here in Reno that served a wonderful mixed vegetable dish with a cheese sauce for brunch and I just loved it.  Add bacon and it was all you could want for breakfast or lunch.    Following a visit to the local Farmer’s Market, I came home with fresh zucchini and scalloped summer squash and I kept thinking about that great steamed vegetable dish.  So I decided to try a low carb version of it and add sausage to it.

A bratwurst, either pork or chicken, would work well with this recipe.  Just be sure to check the carb count on the links to try to get around 1 net carb for a link.   We are talking the 4 or 5 links to a pound variety, not the little breakfast sausages.  Some of the fancier sausages are wonderful and have great additions to them but run the carbs up to 4 or 5 nc per sausage and unless you have a lot to spend on this meal, it could be more than you want.  An alternative is to buy bulk sausage with no added ingredients and make mini-sausage balls to add to the dish or fry up some bacon and add that.

For a nice vegetarian dish, simply omit the sausages.

Mixed Vegetables with Sausage Au Gratin

1 cup Broccoli, fresh
1 cup Cauliflower, fresh
1 cup Summer Squash
1 cup Zucchini, sliced
6 Brussels sprouts, fresh, cut in half
1 cup kohlrabi, diced
3/4 cup Turnips, about 1 medium
2 tablespoons Carbquick or other low carb flour
3/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream or Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons Butter
1 /2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 oz. Dubliner Irish Cheese
1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
2 links Chicken or Pork Sausages, sliced (look for 0 or 1 carb per serving)

Trim and cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Steam kohlrabi and turnips in a steamer until almost fork tender or in the microwave, covered, for about 5 minutes. Steam the rest of the vegetables for about four minutes, then combine with the kohlrabi and turnips and steam (microwave) another three minutes. Test that they are fork tender. If not, steam a little longer.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the low carb flour, stirring to make a paste. Add the cream and seasonings and cook while stirring until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cheese and continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted. If the mixture gets to thick, add a little water to thin. Remove from heat.

In a small skillet, sauté the sausages until they are completely warmed and browned s bit.

Spoon a 1/4 of the vegetable mix into a bowl or on a plate, add 1/4 of the sausages and top with about 1/2 cup of cheese sauce. Sprinkle with a little pepper and serve.

Nutrition Info: 1 serving made with cream
Calories: 490 Fat: 39.6 g Net Carbs: 9.5 g Protein: 22.8 g

Nutrition Info: 1 serving made with Unsweetened Almond Milk
Calories: 348 Fat: 23.8 g Net Carbs: 8.7 g Protein: 22.5 g

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Quick Beef Enchilada Casserole

Enchiladas are spicy and very tasty and are a part of my childhood onward.  I love the many varieties, but sometimes I don’t have time or the patience to make the rolled ones.  The easiest way to make enchiladas is into a casserole rather than rolling each one individually. It doesn’t come out as pretty, but it tastes as good. This low carb version uses low carb flour tortillas (3 nc each) that are not pre-fried briefly in oil, although you could do that if you would like to add a fried bread flavor to the dish.

1 lb Ground Beef
3/4 cup Onion, chopped
4 Low Carb Tortillas (6″)
4 oz. can Green Chiles, chopped
10 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce
2 teaspoons Taco Seasoning
1 teaspoon red Chile Powder
1 cups shredded Cheddar Jack or 4 Cheese Mexican Cheese
1 tablespoon Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Prepare a casserole dish by spraying with cooking spray or rubbing oil on the bottom and sides.

In a large skillet, lightly brown the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces. Drain any fat off. Add the Taco Seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water and mix into the ground meat until it is blended. Remove the meat to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and sauté the onions until they are tender. Mix the meat into the onions. (If you wish, you can sauté the onions first, then add the ground beef and cook it all together, then stir in the seasoning mix.)

Put the enchilada sauce in a small pan and add the Chile Powder to it to give it a little more flavor and cook for a few minutes.

Pour about 2 oz. of sauce on the bottom of the casserole pan, then place a tortilla on top. Spread another 2 oz. of sauce on top of the tortilla, then put 1/3rd of the ground beef mixture on top, then put 1/4 of the cheese on top of that. Add the next tortilla and repeat with sauce, beef and cheese, then add the third tortilla and repeat again. For the top level, put the last tortilla on, top with remaining sauce and cheese.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cheese it melted and just toasted on top.  Serve with sour cream and a green salad or Spanish Cauli-rice or Roasted Cauliflower topped with turmeric.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Info: (per serving)
Calories: 396 Fat:25 g Net Carbs: 7.2 g Protein: 34.4 g

Beef, Main Dish, Recipes

Tender Short Ribs with Root Vegetables

Oddly, in my many years of cooking, I had never made short ribs until recently.  Why?  I don’t know, because these are so simple to make and so wonderful to eat.  It only took a little bit to adapt them to low carb.  They take about 2 1/2 hours to make with the cook time, but they are so worth it.  My recipe is adapted for two people, but you can easily double it to serve four.  For my root vegetables, I used golden beets and turnips.  You could also use kohlrabi or celery root in this.  The vegetables pick up the flavor from the braising liquid and I am not sure that a potato used in this would taste much different.

Short Ribs with Vegetables

4 Beef Short Ribs (with bones) – about 1 1/2 lbs
1 Golden Beet, medium
1 Red Onion, medium
1 Turnip, medium
1/2 cup Beef Bullion
1/2 cup Red Wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
1/2 cup CarbQuick or Coconut Flour
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, ground

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F)

Peel the beet and turnip and cut into cubes. Peel the onion and slice it.

In a pie pan, mix the CarbQuick or coconut flour with the seasoning salt and garlic powder. Dredge the short ribs in the flour.

In a dutch oven or heavy oven-ready deep pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until hot. Add the onions and vegetables and cook until just browned. Remove to a plate. Add the remaining oil, then add the short ribs and brown on all sides, about three minutes a side. When browned, add the beef bullion and wine and stir in the pot. Then add the vegetables back in.

Cover the pot with an oven-proof lid or heavy foil and put in the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours. Short ribs will be tender and delicious.

Serves 2.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 448  Fat: 24.4 g Net Carbs: 8.6 g  Protein: 35.7 g