Category Archives: Main Dish

Beef, Main Dish, Recipes

Marvelous Moussaka

Photo - MoussakaFinishing off my Greek festival cooking, I made moussaka, a delicious eggplant, meat, tomato, and cream dish which is like a Greek version of lasagna. Traditionally made with ground lamb, you can also make it with beef or a combination. I used beef in mine. The casserole is topped with a creamy white sauce, a béchamel, and is baked with feta cheese.

I adapted the recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook to be a half-sized and lower carb’d casserole. Serve it with a low carb bread or low carb flatbread, like this one.

Here’s a couple of substitutions. If you don’t like feta cheese, use Parmesan or Romano. Not crazy about eggplant? User several large zucchini instead.

This photo shows the layers a little better. This is when it’s cold, but once it is heated, it tends to run together more.

Moussaka

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices
salt
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 tablespoon Butter
1 pound lean Ground Beef or Ground Lamb
Salt to taste
ground Black Pepper to taste
1 onions, chopped
1/2 clove Garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg
½ teaspoon Italian Herbs
2 tablespoons dried Parsley
1 (8 ounce) can Tomato sauce
½ cup Red Wine
1 Egg, beaten
1-1/2 cups Cream & 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose low carb flour
salt to taste
ground White Pepper, to taste
1 cups freshly crumbled Feta Cheese
¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg

Preheat over to 350 degrees (F.)

Place the slices of eggplant on paper towels and sprinkle each lightly with salt. Let them rest 30 minutes to draw out moisture. Wipe each slice off with a paper towel.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high head. Fry the eggplant until lightly browned. Remove a paper-toweled covered plate to drain.

Using the same skillet, clean it of any remaining oil with a paper towel, then set it to medium high, melt the butter and add the ground beef or lamb, onions, and garlic. Add salt and pepper to your taste preference. When the meat is browned, sprinkle in cinnamon, nutmeg, Italian herbs, and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Let cool for about 20 minutes then stir in beaten egg.

In an 8×8-inch baking dish, arrange a layer of eggplant, using half of the eggplant. Cover the eggplant with all of the meat mixture, spreading it evenly, then crumble 1/3 cup of Feta cheese over the meat. Place the remaining eggplant slices over the top, and crumble another 1/3 cup of cheese on top. Let sit while you prepare the béchamel sauce.

Scald the cream and water in a saucepan and remove before it boils. Clean out the meat skillet and melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in low carb flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the hot milk, stirring constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Crumble the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Makes 4 to 6 servings

nutrition information

Italian Inspired Recipes, Pork, Poultry, Recipes

Italian Flavors in this Chicken & Sausage Dish

Photo of Chicken & Sausage Italiano dish

I wanted to use up a little pasta sauce I’d opened for a pizza a few nights earlier, so I came up with this variation on Chicken Parmesan. I use the extra Italian sausage in it along with two cheeses. Simple to make and delicious. You can use a premade pasta sauce or your own recipe.

I had a bear of a time getting the nutrition information for this. The website with the calculator I’ve been using shut down and the others I’ve found aren’t as robust. I finally located one that calculated about what I estimated the carbs to be, but it didn’t include the fiber, cholesterol, or potassium counts in it, so I had to hunt those down individually. I believe the final result is accurate, depending on which pasta sauce you use. I used Prego’s plain sauce. If you use a dry red wine in it, the count may be about 1 net carb higher.

Chicken & Sausage Italiano

2 chicken breasts
1/2 pound Italian Sausage
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/3 cup sliced Mushrooms
1 cup Pasta Sauce
1/4 cup Water or Red Wine
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese

In a medium skillet over medium-high burner, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then add to the skillet. Brown chicken on both sides. Set aside on a plate. Add sausage to the pan and use a spatula to separate the meat. Cook and stir for about three to five minutes until the sausage is browned. Push to one side.

Add mushrooms and cook about two minutes. Add pasta sauce and water or wine and stir sausage and mushrooms until mixed. Return chicken to the pan and spoon sauce over the top. Cover pan and reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 20 minutes until chicken is tender. Sprinkle Parmesan over the chicken and sauce, then cover with mozzarella cheese. Cover the pan again for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Makes two servings.

Image: Nutrition Information

Short Non-Cooking Message:

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Asian Recipes, Beef, Pork, Poultry, Recipes

A Taste of Asia with an Eggroll Filling

Photo: Eggroll in a Bowl

I haven’t been posting much this month. It’s a writing month for me, so I have been working on two books needing their final chapters, plus editing a book for Amazon’s new episodic format called Vella and another book’s final edit. Then it seems like a dozen other things happen that need your attention immediately.   And now the Olympics have started and I’m trying to watch while writing this. Consequently, I haven’t been cooking much this month either. But this recipe is a winner! It comes together quickly and tastes great.

An eggroll filling makes or breaks the eggroll, but often there’s just not enough in the wrapper. But for those who don’t need a wrapper, here’s a great low carb filling that you can eat without the rice or add a serving of cauliflower rice.

Eggroll in a Bowl

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound lean ground turkey, sausage, or beef
1 1/2 cups sweet onion finely diced
1 cup carrots shredded
1 15-oz can Asian Baby Corn, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste or minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, crushed or 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
1/4 cup chicken broth
5 cups shredded cabbage
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Toasted sesame seeds, optional
Green onions, optional

First, begin by cooking your meat. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.

Cook the turkey or beef until nearly cooked through (about 5-6 minutes).

Push the meat to one side of the pan and add the onions and another tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Then, add the carrots, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 2 minutes and stir the veggies and meat together.

Then, add the chicken broth to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan.

Add in the cabbage, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Combine and cover, reducing the heat to medium-low. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the cabbage is cooked to your desired tenderness.

Add the toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onions before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Tip: I wrapped about a cup of this mixture into a warmed low-carb spinach tortilla and it makes a great fusion wrap.

Poultry, Recipes

Quick to Make Malibu Chicken

Photo: Malibu Chicken
Better than a restaurant’s version!

I recently ordered Malibu Chicken at a restaurant that was noted for it. To be frank, it disappointed me. The skinny chicken piece tasted bland and dry, even the breading brought little flavor to the meal. I figured it wasn’t that hard to make and I could substitute a low carb breading pretty easily.

I found this recipe at Low Carb Maven’s website and made a couple of changes to it. She used crushed pork rinds for the breading, which is okay, but my experience with them in the past was that they came out soggy. I substituted with an almond flour topping. It also tends to get a little too moist from the chicken, but I think it tastes better than the pork rinds. You can use whichever works best for you or eliminate the breading altogether. It makes a delicious chicken dish without it.

I buy large chicken breasts, usually about a half pound each, so one breast easily makes two servings. If you use smaller breasts, figure on one breast per person. I also use a thicker slice of ham on it than the original recipe stated. I like to taste my ham. I didn’t have Swiss cheese, so I substituted slices of Edam cheese. I think any similar cheese will work in the flavor profile.

Malibu Chicken

2 chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each)
salt and pepper
4 pieces deli ham (1/4-inch slices)
4 slices of Swiss cheese

Malibu Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard (or Dijon or a combo)
1/2 tablespoon sugar substitute or Sugar-Free Honey

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup Almond Flour or finely chopped almonds
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoons Granulated Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Onion Flakes
pinch salt
pinch Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) degrees and place rack in the middle of the oven.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the breasts in half so you have four about equal-sized pieces.

In a bowl, mix almond flour, parmesan, garlic, onion flakes, and salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 of the crumb mixture in the baking dish about where each breast will be placed.

In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, and sweetener and stir until blended. Reserve about 1/2 of the sauce for dipping.

Use a pastry brush to spread the sauce over each chicken breast on one side. Place the coated side of the chicken on top of the crumbs. Now, brush the top of the chicken with the mayonnaise sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture over the top of the chicken breasts.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Poke the chicken with a fork to make sure any juices are clear or test with an instant-read thermometer to see it reads 165 degrees F (75 C.) Remove the chicken from the oven and add a slice of ham and cheese on top of each piece. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Makes 4 servings.

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Delicious Enchiladas with Zucchini and Chicken

I grew up with Mexican food in El Paso, Texas, so it’s one of my favorite things to eat. Often, I find my homemade is more like the food I ate as a child and certainly, it’s like the meals my mother and grandmother made at home. Unless you’re starting completely from scratch with making the chile sauces and tortillas, it’s also easy to put together.

Luckily, several companies have started making low carb flour tortillas and wraps. that make it easier to make great tasting meals like these lovely enchiladas. The sauces have been around for decades and you have a wide selection to chose from made by various companies.

For my mild chicken and zucchini enchiladas, I chose a mild green sauce and instead of green chiles, I used a frozen combination of bell peppers and onions. You can start with fresh if you prefer. Confession here, I used the frozen because I didn’t have fresh in the house. My technique is a little different than many recipes since I prefer to mix part of my sauce with the chicken filling. This recipe also uses a bit Mexican crema to make a creamier filling.

You can make these vegetarian easily by increasing the zucchini and/or adding other vegetables like butternut squash, crookneck squash, cauliflower, or kohlrabi to replace the chicken. Hatch Green Chile Enchilada sauce is vegetarian and vegan, but check other brands to be sure they don’t have a chicken broth in them.

If you’re not crazy about spicy food, you might enjoy these as they are light and tasty without the burn.

Chicken and Zucchini Enchiladas

1 cup Zucchini, sliced and quartered
2 cups cooked Chicken, shredded
1 cup Bell Peppers and Onions mixed (frozen)
1 tablespoon Oil
1 15-oz can Green Enchilada Sauce
1/4 cup Mexican Crema
1 teaspoon or more Garlic Herb Seasoning
1/2 cup crumbled Queso Fresca
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Jack Cheese or 4 Cheese Mexican
8 Low Carb Flour Tortillas (6 inch)

In a large skillet, heat the oil, then add the thawed and drained peppers and onions. Cook for about two minutes, then add the chicken and zucchini. Cook for a few minutes, then add one cup enchilada sauce, crema and garlic herb seasoning. Mix well and cook until bubbly hot. Add in the Queso Fresca.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Spray a 14″x9″ baking pan with cooking spray. If you have an oven proof skillet, you can mix the chicken mixture above it, then transfer it to a large bowl and use the skillet to bake the enchiladas.

To assemble the enchiladas, take one tortilla and fill it with 1/8 of the meat mixture. Sprinkle a little cheddar cheese down the middle and fold one side over the other to make a roll. Place in the pan or skillet. Continue to roll each tortilla in the same way until all eight are filled. If using a skillet, you can get up to six across the middle with one at the top and bottom of the pan. In a baking pan, you should have enough room to put them side-by-side. Spoon additional enchilada sauce over the top of each roll, then sprinkle cheese over the entire top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve one enchilada per person along with a salad for a low carb meal. If you’re really hungry, two won’t blow your carb count.

Makes 8 enchiladas.