Category Archives: Main Dish

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Shrimp and Asparagus — Colorful and Delightful

This week, I decided to adapt an enticing recipe that was on Fine Cooking by Jennifer Armentrout. To be honest, not a lot of adjustment was needed to make it low carb, except for the one key item of “grits” with cheddar cheese. I am not a huge grits fan, so it doesn’t bother me to lose this, but the substitute should be something similar. In my mind, this was another job for my favorite combo, cauliflower and daikon radish riced to the texture of grits. It came out deliciously wonderful and as the roomie put, “that’s a keeper.” Try it for yourself.

Shrimp and Asparagus with Cauli-grits

1- 1/2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
1 clove Garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups homemade or sodium free Chicken Broth
2 cups riced Cauliflower
1 cup riced Daikon
freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce; more to taste

1/2 lb. medium-thick Asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 to 2 Scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced (optional)

Heat 1/2 Tbs. of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until you can just smell it, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the riced cauliflower and daikon and 1/4 tsp. salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and most of the liquid is absorbed or evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar and 1/4 tsp. of the hot sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in a warm spot.

Heat 1 Tbs. of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is opaque and the asparagus is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the shrimp and asparagus over the grits. Top with sprinkled scallions.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Info: Calories: 305.7 Fat: 18.4 g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 28.8 g

TIP: No asparagus at the market (or the cost is just too dear)? Try this dish with broccolini (baby broccoli). It will be colorful and the young spears are perfect.

Posted on 4/24/2013

Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Chicken with Tomatoes and Zucchini

My challenge this week was to use up the tomatoes my friends left behind when they headed off to France on holiday and to work on their house there. These were vine-ripened tomatoes and the skins were already starting to shrivel, so I wanted to do something to remove the skins and cook them into a tomato-based dish.  I had chicken thighs on hand, so it was a logical step to make a chicken with tomatoes dish. This takes a little time to cook, but the actual process is pretty easy.

While a base of pasta would be lovely, it’s simply too high carb’d so I would suggest you use spaghetti squash or shredded cabbage, lightly steamed or raw, as the base to put this on. I just ate it as is with a side salad.

1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves Garlic
4 large Chicken Thighs, bone and skin removed
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 cup Zucchini, sliced
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers,sliced
1 1/2 cups Red Ripe Tomatoes  or 1 1/2 cup canned stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/4 cup chicken stock or cooking wine

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the tomatoes. Let them boil for about 5 minutes, then run cold water over them and drain. Let them cool until easy to hold, then use a sharp knife to cut the skin around the stem end and peel the skin off. It should slide off easily. Cut the tomatoes into pieces over a bowl so you can any juice that runs out as you cut them.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and brown the chicken thighs on both sides. Remove to paper towel on a plate. Add garlic, additional butter, peppers and onions to the skillet and sauté until the onion is tender. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini and seasonings to the pan and stir together over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of cooking wine if you would like or add 1/4 cup chicken stock for extra flavor. Stir the mixture together well, then arrange the chicken pieces in the pan. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, checking a couple of times to be sure there is liquid in the pan. Then stir the mixture around, add any liquid if it is getting low and turn the chicken pieces over, covering them with the tomato sauce. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 163 Fat: 8.7 g Net Carbs: 5.1 g Protein: 14.8 g

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Fresh Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad

Inspired by two or three different recipes (and delicious-looking photographs), I set out to make my own version of this cool summer dinner salad. Taking a cue from a recipe at AllRecipes.com, I decided to go with a ginger lime dressing that tastes fabulous. Of course, this is low carb and uses some of my favorite salad ingredients.

I served this for a quick light dinner as several of us were working on the decorations for Angelina’s wedding next month. It was a hit and is so cool and easy to serve.

Strawberry Spinach Chicken Salad with Lime Dressing

Salad:
2 half Chicken Breasts
1 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups Baby Spinach, fresh
3 cups Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Daikon Radish, shredded
1/4 cup Almonds, slivered
1/4 cup Golden Beets, cooked & diced
1/2 cup Red Onion, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese or other soft white cheese
12 Strawberries, fresh, halved

Dressing:
6 tbsp Mayonnaise, regular
4 tbsp Lime Juice
2 tsp Ginger paste
1 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 tbsp water
2 teaspoon sugar substitute or sugar free honey

Sprinkle garlic powder on the chicken and rub in. Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is done and juices run clear. I put mine in a foil lined pan and cover with foil, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking. You can also grill or broil the chicken to your preference.

Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, ginger, cream, water and sugar substitute. Mix until completely blended together, then pour into a small jar, shake a few times and put in the refrigerator.

Roast the almonds in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

Cut up the lettuce, shred, julienne or dice the daikon radish (you can substitute regular radishes, but the flavor is a little sharper), and dice 1/4 of a cooked golden beet to make about 1/4 cup. Toss all the salad ingredients, except the chicken and strawberries, in a large bowl to mix it well.

To serve , place the salad on the plate, top with strips of chicken and pieces of strawberries. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cheese over the salad, then spoon or pour dressing over the top. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Nutrition Info: (per serving)
Calories: 316 Fat: 3.6 g Net Carbs: 8 g Protein: 17.1 g

Posted on  6/12/2013 4:57 PM

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Mexican Style Asparagus Salad Sides with Tostado

Skinny Girl Bistro (R. Averett)

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates Mexican heritage and pride for those in the United States, and a day of victory over the French forces in the Battle of Puebla in the Mexican state of Puebla. In honor of the day, our household had Mexican themed food. I made tostadas using some of the leftover filling from my Enchiladas con Calabaza recipe and served a delicious, mildly spicy salad made with asparagus. The salad is a recipe that I got from a Wisconsin Cheese web site. To get the recipe, please visit this link.

Tostado Con Carne (with Meat)

To make the tostado, you need for each one:

1 or 2 Flax Corn Tortillas or 1 one low carb Flour Tortilla
2 or 3 tablespoons of the Filling
1/4 cup chopped or shredded Lettuce
1 tablespoon chopped Tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon chopped Olives
shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
1 tablespoon Guacamole (optional)
1 tablespoon Sour Cream (optional)

Heat enough oil in a skillet to cover the pan with a 1/4 inch layer. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium high and slide in a tortilla. Cook a couple of minutes, then use a pancake turner or heat resistant spatula to flip the tortilla over and cook a couple of minutes on that side. It should get lightly browned. I usually flip them a couple of times. Remove to a paper towel on a plate to drain any excess oil. Repeat for as many tostadas as you plan to make.

Heat the filling and spoon two to three tablespoons onto the tostado base. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives and jack cheese. Finish off with a tablespoon of guacamole and a tablespoon of sour cream if you wish.

The calories and carbs for this are dependent on which tortilla you use and what you top it with, but it should be about what the enchilada count is.

Calories: 155.7 Fat: 8 g Net Carbs: 8.25 g Protein: 10.7g

Mexican Style Asparagus Salad

This is a recipe too good not to pass on, which is why I’ve included the link to web site above. I made it pretty much as written except for a couple of slight changes. I added three tablespoons of chopped olives to it, which are mixed in when the tomato is added. I only used half a serrano pepper because I thought it might be too spicy. It could have probably used a whole one. I could not find queso blanco at my local grocery store so I used Greek feta cheese and it worked fine. However, it is probably a little saltier than the Mexican cheese. Next time, I am going to make my own queso blanco and I’ll let you know how that goes.

The other slight change is that I didn’t remove the crushed garlic from the dressing, but let it sit in the mix and continue to add flavor. But then I love garlic. If you prefer the milder taste, let it sit for maybe 30 minutes and then remove it.

So my variation on it:

1 pound fresh Asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally in 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped finely
1/3 cup diced Onion
3 tablespoons chopped Olives
1/2 Serrano Chile, chopped

Vinaigrette:
1 clove Garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano leaves
2 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh Lime Juice

Assembly:
1 medium Tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled Queso Blanco Cheese

For the asparagus salad:
Bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil and add a dash of salt, then add the asparagus. Let water return to a boil and cook for a minute and tests the asparagus with a fork. It should be slightly tender, but still crisp. If it isn’t, cook another minute and test again. You don’t want the asparagus to be overcooked. Rinse with cold water and drain. Place the asparagus in bowl, and add the cilantro, onion, olives and chile and mix together.

For the vinaigrette:
Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake well to mix. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then shake again and remove the garlic, if you wish.

Toss the asparagus mixture with the vinaigrette, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving, add the tomato and Queso Blanco Cheese, then stir it together.

While this is made with asparagus, which is now in season and is reasonably priced, I think it would work equally as well with broccoli or cauliflower or a mix of the two. It might work with Brussels sprouts as well, but I would cut them in half and steam them until tender. And don’t overlook zuchinni as a possible substitute. The flavors would be excellent.

Nutrition Info for the asparagus salad (1/4th recipe):
Calories: 199 Fat: 4.7 g Net Carbs: 6.4 g Protein: 3.9 g

Posted on 5/6/2013

Beef, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Pizza On the Menu – Yes!

When you’re eating low carb, you automatically assume that there are some foods you just can’t eat… like pizza. Wrong! You just can’t eat pizza from Papa Murphy’s or Papa John’s or Pizza Hut or … you get the picture. The real culprit is the bread crust. You can either order a pizza with lots of meat and vegetables on it and just eat the toppings, or you can make your own at home with several options for a low carb crust.

Over at Your Lighter Side, there is a really good chicken crust. Yep, odd as that sounds, ground up cooked chicken mixed with mozzarella cheese and Italian seasonings fills in remarkably well for bread. In fact, it almost tastes like bread. I really can’t improve on the recipe there, except to say that I add in the seasonings when I am processing the chicken and cheese in the food processor.

If you like, or at least don’t mind, cauliflower, it can also be processed to a rice-like consistency with mozzarella cheese and pressed into a pan to become a very good crust. I like it and it is sturdy enough to stand up to the pizza toppings. Again, the recipe is on Your Lighter Side for cauliflower pizza crust.

I also use a flax meal crust, which is more of a bread made from flax meal and almond flour. This version is mine and is on this blog, so find it here.

Now for the toppings — here’s where you can get creative! I recently found a product called Montana Redneck Cottage Bacon that is a smoked bacon from the shoulder butt and it is delicious. It is similar to the bacon you find in England and Ireland, which is more like Canadian bacon, only it’s in strips. So I used this to create my great bacon pizza. If you can’t find it at your stores, use thick sliced bacon instead. I used Classico Alfredo Sauce for the base sauce to make a delicious white pizza. There are other low carb Alfredo sauces, so just check for the lowest carb one you can find.

Bacon with Alfredo Sauce Pizza

1 8″ pizza crust (chicken, cauliflower or flax)

2 slices of Montana Pork Shoulder Bacon or thick sliced bacon
2 oz Italian pork sausage
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped black olives
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 cup fresh Spinach leaves, torn
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons Parmesan or Reggiano cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup Classico Alfredo Sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Prepare your favorite low carb pizza crust and partially cook it as stated in the recipe for that crust. Let crust cool a bit while preparing the toppings. I use a cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom to spread the crust on and it makes a nice size for 4 slices.

In a skillet, melt butter and add onions. Cook and stir until they are tender. Add the mushrooms and cook a couple of minutes longer. Remove to a paper towel. Add the bacon to the skillet and cook it. If you’re using pre-cooked bacon, you can skip this step. Crumble the sausage into small pieces and brown in the skillet. Break the bacon into smaller pieces.

Spread the Alfredo sauce over the pizza base evenly and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of Italian seasonings. Sprinkle the onions and mushrooms over the sauce, then add the sausage, followed by the bacon pieces, then the bacon bits and olives. Spread the spinach leaves over the top, then cover them with the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and pepper flakes, if you are using them, on last.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the cheese is lightly toasted. Let sit for about 5 minutes to set, then cut into 4 slices and serve.

Nutrition Info 1 slice (toppings only)
Calories: 270.8 Fat: 14.7 g Net Carbs: 4.3 g Protein: 14.3 g

Posted on 4/1/2014 2:09 PM