Category Archives: Main Dish

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Recipes

Asian Fusion Dirty “Rice”


One of my favorite meals at the best Asian Bistro in town, before it became a sushi bar, was “Dirty Rice”, which is a combination of meat, vegetables and lots of flavor in a fried rice. It was a meal in itself, although you could add a refreshing cucumber, onion, radish salad with a bit of chilled rice vinegar dressing to add a bit of extra taste. For a dinner, add an appetizer, like a chicken, beef or pork satay.

This version comes close and replaces the rice with cauliflower and daikon riced and cooked to the same texture. Try it before you pooh-pooh it – you’ll be surprised at how well the cauliflower substitutes. No, it doesn’t taste exactly like rice, but it is close enough and I actually like it better. You can toss in a tablespoon of rice to add some of the rice flavor if you want. But it will add carbs.

Asian Fusion “Dirty” Rice

1/4 cup finely chopped Onions
1 tablespoons Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1 drops Soy Sauce
1 drops Sesame Oil
2 ounces cooked lean boneless Pork, finely chopped
2 ounces Chicken, chopped
1/2 cup small, cooked Shrimp
1/4 cup Baby Corn, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 cup frozen Green Beans, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh Cauliflower, riced
1/2 cup Daikon, riced
2 Green Onions, chopped
3/4 cups Bean Sprouts
1 tablespoons Soy Sauce

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in wok or rounded side skillet; add chopped onions and stir-fry until onions turn a nice golden color, about 5-7 minutes; remove from wok.

Allow wok to cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, mix egg with a drop of soy and a drop of oil.

Add 1 teaspoon oil to wok, swirling to coat surfaces; add egg mixture. Immediately swirl egg until egg sets, like an omelet. When egg puffs, flip egg and cook other side briefly; remove from wok, and chop into small pieces.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in wok; add meats to wok, along with beans, chopped baby corn and cooked onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add cauliflower, daikon, green onions, bean sprouts and chicken broth. Stir to mix well and continue to stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the liquid is almost gone. Add shrimp and cook another 2 minutes until shrimp are hot. Add soy sauce and stir in. Serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 310 Total Fat: 14.2 g Net Carbs: 7.4 g Protein: 33.5 g
With 1 tablespoon cooked rice added
Calories: 318.8 Total Fat: 14.2 g Net Carbs: 9.3 g Protein: 33.6 g

Originally POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 6/9/2013 3:21 PM

Asian Recipes, Main Dish, Recipes

Recipes to Celebrate Chinese New Year

I can think of no better reason to explore Chinese food made low carb than to celebrate the Chinese New Year, the year of the Horse, coming up on January 31st. Of course, Chinese food isn’t that hard to make low carb because it’s loaded with veggies and protein, but the only really worries are the sauces. And those can be adapted. So here are some adapted recipes to make your feast low carb delicious. And while you’re at it, check out these recipes on this site:
Basic Cauli-rice – a great alternative to the steamed rice that is really delicious.
Asian Fusion Dirty Cauli-rice – a meal in iteself with shrimp and other goodies
Fish and Veggies Tampura Style – make this favorite

Rather than putting these all on one long page, I’m going to give each recipe a separate page, so follow these links to more great Chinese recipes made low carb delicious!
Egg Foo Yung
Orange Chicken with Bean Sprouts (also works for shrimp)
Chinese Almond Cookies

Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli

One of my favorite stir fry dishes is this wonderful, colorful Beef and Broccoli dish. The key with almost all quick cook meals is to prep the food before you begin cooking. There is about 1 1/4 hour of prep time from the time you start on the meat. Part of that is waiting for the marinade to get into the meat to help tenderize and flavor it. If you are serving Cauli-rice with it, be sure to get it on about 15 minutes before you start cooking this dish.

Beef Marinade
1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/8 tsp Sugar Substitute
8 oz. Steak, sirloin, strip or round

Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Cornstarch or Thick-It-Up
1/2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Scotch or Sherry
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Beef Broth or water with 1 tablespoon Beef Bouillon in it

Vegetables
1/2 pound Broccoli, fresh
1/2 cup, medium Onions (about 1/2)
2 stalks Celery, raw,medium (7-1/2″ – 8″ long)
1 clove Garlic,
1 1/2 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Ginger Root
1 or 2 dried red Chinese peppers, crushed

Prepare the marinade ingredients. Cut the steak into thin strips and place in a bowl. Cover with marinade and mix it around. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for an hour.

While the beef marinates, prepare the vegetables. Chop or finely slice onions, depending on how big you want the pieces in your meal. Peel the strings on the celery, then slice into 1/4 inch pieces on a diagonal up the stalks. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, then bring a pan of water to a boil and par boil for 2 minutes. This brings out a bright color and cooks the broccoli just a little before stir-frying it.

Prepare the sauce by dissolving the cornstarch in the beef broth, then add soy sauce, whiskey (or sherry). And sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat a wok or deep skillet over high heat until it is hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and heat until it begins to sizzle. Add the beef and cook for a minute or two until it is lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium high, then add additional oil. Add the ginger garlic and chili and stir fry until you can smell the garlic and ginger. Add the onion and celery and stir fry for a minute or so, then add the broccoli and stir fry 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup beef broth and continue to cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, then add the sauce/cornstarch mix and the beef, and stir in until the sauce thickens and the meat it thoroughly heated.

Serve with cauli-rice immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Atkins All Phases – For phase 1, omit the cornstarch and cook the sauce down until it thickens more.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 187.5 Fat: 7.5 g Net Carbs: 6.8 g Protein: 23.8 g

Originally POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 1/24/2014 9:35 PM

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Recipes

Leftover Corned Beef Ideas

Along with St. Patrick’s Day comes corned beef… and I love corned beef! Yes, I know American corned beef isn’t like true Irish corned beef, but it’s what I was raised with and what I expect at St. Patrick’s Day. And I also love the various ways you can use it for other foods. The trick, of course, is to keep it low carb’d. So, over the next week, I am going to post a few ways to use your left over corned beef that are delicious and easy on the waistline.

First, I hope you have a good recipe for cooking the corned beef, but I make mine pretty simply. Buy a good cut of lean corned beef, remove it from the package. Put about a tablespoon of oil in a stove to oven pot, like a cast iron one or in an electric skillet. Heat the oil, then brown the corned beef on each side. Add one bottle of Guinness stout and one cup of water or beef broth, bay leaf and about a teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil and either reduce the heat on the electric skillet to a simmer or cover the pot and put it in a 350 degree oven. Continue to cook for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking a few times to be sure there is enough liquid in the pot. When the corned beef is fork tender, it’s ready. I find it best to cook the cabbage and other veggies in seasoned broth or water separately if you want to keep the bright colors. Otherwise, add the veggies to the pot for the last 30 to 40 minutes of cooking.

Now to the recipes for the left overs. And don’t miss this one that’s already on the site for Corned Beef Cottage Pie.

On this page: Recipes for Corned Beef Hash, Corned Beef Buns and Eggs with Corned Beef.

 Corned Beef Hash

Several of my recipes start with Corned Beef Hash. Here’s the quick way to make a really tasty hash starting with the corned beef.

2 cups Corned beef, brisket, chopped or shredded
1 cup Cabbage, fresh
1/2 stalk Celery, chopped
1/2 cup Celery root or turnips, diced
1/2 cup Leeks, thinly sliced
1 cup Brussels sprouts, shredded
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup broth from corned beef or beef broth

In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter and let it melt. Then add the leeks and chopped celery. Saute’ until they are bright green and just tender. Add the brussel sprouts and diced celery root or turnips. Add 1/2 cup of the broth from the corned beef or 1/2 cup beef broth and stir in. Lower the heat to medium low and cook until the celery root is just fork tender, about 10 minutes. Add the corned beef and the cabbage and cook until heated and the cabbage is wilted.

This is great for a quick dinner with a slice of Irish Soda Bread. Or you use it in other recipes.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 340 Fat: 24.6 g Net Carbs: 5.3 g Protein: 22.1 g

Corned Beef Egg Buns

I came up with this recipe idea when I was trying to think of a way to replace the Corned Beef Rolls we used to make. This uses my version of the Oopsie Roll, which I call and egg bun, to replace the flour roll. The filling is the corned beef hash above. The low carb flour in it is actually optional. The bun will work without it, but it is sturdier with it.

For the rolls:
3 eggs, separated
3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup low carb flour (CarbQuick, Bob’s Red Mill, etc.)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tarter
3 slices of Swiss Cheese, cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 315 degrees.

Prepare one or two cupcake pans or 3″ cake pans or 3″ inch ring molds by spraying them with baking spray. Place on cookie sheets. This will make 10 to 12 cupcake buns or 6 3 inch buns.

Separate the eggs, one at a time, putting the whites in a clean bowl and the yolks in a separate bowl. Add the cream cheese, cut into smaller pieces, to the egg yolk bowl. Add the cream of tarter to the egg whites and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

Beat the cream cheese and the egg yolks together, then add the flour, a tablespoon at a time and mix well. Add the seasoning mix.

Using a spatula, carefully fold the egg mixture into the whites until it is mixed through. Don’t stir, but just lift and fold so that it doesn’t break down the whites.

Put one tablespoon of batter into each cupcake well. Put in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place 1/4 slice of cheese in each well, then add about 2 tablespoons of the corned beef mixture. It should fill the cupcake mold about 3/4 of the way. Spoon another tablespoon of the egg mixture on top of the corned beef. Put back int the oven for another 15 minutes until the top is lightly browned.

Let cool about 5 minutes, then remove from the molds and serve or they may be stored in a plastic baggie in the refrigerator to eat later.

Nutrition Info: (Serving is 2 cupcake sized buns or 1 3″ roll)
Calories: 413 Fat: 33.6 g Net Carbs: 6g Protein: 20.3 g

Corned Beef with Eggs

This recipe also uses the corned beef hash above. It makes one serving, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

4 tablespoons Corned Beef Hash
1 or 2 Eggs
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
1/2 oz. Dubliner Irish Cheese, grated or use sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tablespoon Butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare 1 cup ramekins by melting 1/2 teaspoon of butter in the bottom, either in the oven or in a microwave. Roll butter around to coat the bottom and sides.

Put two tablespoons of the corned beef hash mixture into the bottom of each ramekin and clear the center to form a well. Add one or two eggs to the middle of the ramekin. Sprinkle with a bit of pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 oz of grated cheese on top of the eggs in each ramekin, then add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Or you can use any leftover Welsh rarebit sauce, which is what I did.

Bake for about 15 minutes until the egg is done to your liking. I like mine firm in the middle, so 14 to 15 minutes usually does it. If you want it runny, try 12 to 13 minutes.

Let cool a few minutes, then serve with sliced and buttered Irish Soda Bread or Flax Bread.

Nutrition Info: 1 egg serving
Calories: 387 Fat: 31.4 Net Carbs: 3.5 g Protein: 21.2 g
Originally POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 3/10/2014 5:48 PM

Desserts, Main Dish, Recipes

Gearing up for Cinco de Mayo

Right about now, everyone is looking at their Mexican food recipes in anticipation of the coming celebration of Cinco de Mayo (5th of May for those who don’t know).  Originally a celebration of the Mexican-Americans in the west to celebrate freedom and democracy during the Civil War, the Mexican state of Puebla now celebrates the same day commemorating the Battle of Puebla.  However, there are other parts of the world where it is also celebrated because all you need is a small excuse to have a great party, right?

And really, you need no excuse in order to enjoy the great flavors of Mexican and Spanish food.  So here are my offerings for Cinco de Mayo, but feel free to enjoy them any time you have a craving for something with a bit of bite or a sweet that’s a little out of the ordinary.

If these don’t appeal, here are some more great recipes on my site:
Pollo Pequitos – Game Day Tostados – Cornmeal Pancakes and Eggs – Spicy Breakfast Eggs – Eggs with Asparagus – Green Chile Turkey Enchilada Casserole – Spaghetti Squash Tamale Pie – Mexican Style Asparagus Salad – Enchiladas with Chicken and Butternet Squash – Chicken Chile Rellano Casserole – Tasty Pork Carnitas – Tex-Mex Cauli-Rice – Orange Almond Cake

Red Chile Beef Enchiladas

1 pound Ground Beef
10 oz. Enchilada sauce (about 3 net carbs per 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
4 taco size Low Carb FlourTortillas (3 Net carbs each)
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 cup canned Green Chili Peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon Red Chile Powder
1  cup Zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick

In a skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat.  Add garlic and onions and cook until onion is just tender.  Remove to a bowl.  Add ground beef and cook, breaking into small pieces, until it is lightly browned.  Drain any liquid off.  Add 1/8 cup enchilada sauce and stir to mix.  Add onions back to the pan and add green chiles.

To make as a casserole:

Assemble the layers in a deep 9 inch round casserole dish beginning with 1/8 cup of enchilada sauce.  Place a tortilla on top, then spread another 1/4 cup of sauce on top, then 1/3 of the meat mixture over the top of that.  Arrange zucchini slices in a circle then top with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.   Place another tortilla on top of that, then top with 1/4 cup sauce,  then meat mixture, remaining zucchini slices distributed evenly around the outer circle and top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.  Place another tortilla on top and repeat with 1/4 cup sauce, the remaining meat and 1/2 cup cheese.  Top with tortilla, spread remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle cheese over it.

To make as individual enchiladas, as pictured:

Warm a low carb flour tortilla and place on a plate.  Spread two tablespoons of red enchilada sauce over the tortilla.  Spread 1/4 of the meat mixture on top, 1/4 of the zuchinni slices on top of that and sprinkle a tablespoon of cheddar cheese on top.  Roll the tortilla into a flute and placed into a lightly sprayed baking pan, seam side down.  Repeat with the remaining three tortillas.  Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with the rest of the cheese.

Enchilada loaded and ready to roll up.

Bake in 350 degree (F) oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.  Cut into six slices.  Top each serving with a fried egg if you would like.  Serve with Mexican Style Cauli-Rice as a side dish or a nice green salad.

Nutrition Info: Per enchilada – 4 servings
Calories: 516 Fat: 39.8 g Net Carbs: 8 g Protein: 31.3

When made in a casserole, this can make 6 servings with each servings being:
Calories: 333 Fat: 20.5 g Net Carbs: 7 g Protein: 20.8 g

 

Light and Refreshing Orange Flan 

Flan is a light custard dessert that is very popular in Mexican restaurants.  It is also very easy to make.  The trickiest part in converting this to low carb is the caramel sauce that is made from burnt sugar.  Sugar substitutes don’t really melt the same way and I hesitated to get them too brown.  But with the light sugary sauce, this is a delicious orange flan (Flan de Naranjas).  It was inspired by a recipe that used orange zest in the custard and I thought the best orange flavor is in the pulp, so this one uses the orange pulp in it.

1/3 cup sugar substitute
1 teaspoon butter

3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar substitute
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F.)

If using Splenda or Equal, these sugar substitutes don’t melt well, so add 1 tablespoon water to a small sauce pan or skillet with the 1/3 cup of Splenda or Equal. Sugar alcohol will melt without water added. It gets gummy, then melts. Be sure to do this over low heat. Bring the melted sugar sauce to a light golden brown rather than a dark caramel. Remove from heat and stir butter into the sauce.

Divide into five1/2 cup ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish large enough to allow 1 inch of water up the sides.  You can also make this as a large flan in a 2 1/2 cup flan dish or casserole dish.

Separate the orange segments in 1/4 of a large orange, remove any membrane and chop the orange into small pieces or process in a food processor to get a nicely chopped pulp.  Should make about 1/4 cup of orange bits.

Stir cream, coconut milk, water, eggs, sugar substitute, orange extract and chopped oranges together and measure 1/2 cup into each ramekin.  Or pour all of it into a flan mold.  If you use a mold, stir to make sure the orange pieces are distributed in the dish.

Sugar sauce in the ramekins. I used one two serving ramekin so just doubled the sauce and the custard mix in that one.

Carefully, to avoid getting water in the dishes, add warm water to the pan to come up to 1 inch.

Bake for about 1 hour until a thin knife (I use a citrus knife) inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the ramekins or mold from the pan and cover the top with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to touch the surface of the flan. Chill 3 1/2 to 4 hours before serving.

To un-mold, loosen the edges with a thin bladed knife and lift up the bottom a little. Put the serving plate on top of the ramekin or mold and flip.  The flan should drop right out.  If  it doesn’t, put hot water in a bowl and set the ramekin or mold in it for about 10 seconds and try again to un-mold it.

Deliciously topped with Cool Whip and orange pieces.

Spoon any melted caramel over the top of the flan. Serve with dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip on top, if you wish, and top with an orange segment or pieces of orange.

Makes 5 servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 196.6 Fat: 10 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g. Protein: 5.6 g

 

 

Breads, Main Dish, Recipes

Rene’s Sausage, Pepperoni and Bacon Pizza


I am away from home this week — house sitting for my friends in Las Vegas, so this presents a bit of a challenge in my cooking plans. First test of the month – I’m facing another one later as I jet off to Arizona for a week with my bro and sis-in-law. “What challenge?” you might ask. “Finding some of those special ingredients that I order at home,” I reply with blinking eyes.

And here I am on a Wednesday craving pizza and I’m without either CarbQuick or Atkins flour, let alone any other low carb baking mix. But the Wal-Mart does carry Bob’s Red Mill Flax seed meal and almond flour. I like Bob’s almond flour because it’s a nice, smooth mill and is lighter, although higher in net carbs than Now’s almond flour. So, the thing to do here is to substitute the Carbquick in my recipe with the Flax meal and use the almond flour for Flax meal in the original recipe. The crust is an adaptation of two other recipes, but with my own twist on it. The bonus with this is that it’s also gluten free. The toppings are a mix of meat and veggies that blend well and really make a great meal. I must add that this is delicious! No, it doesn’t taste like a yeast wheat flour pizza crust, but it’s pretty darn good anyway.

If you’re counting calories, it’s pretty high at 559 a serving, so plan for it.

 

Flax-Almond Pizza Crust

3/4 cup Flax Meal
1/4 cup Almond Flour
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Egg
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tblsp Olive Oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup Water

Topping

1 or 2 slices of Thick-cut Bacon, fried crisp
2 links Bratwurst Sausage or Italian Sausage
1/2 cup Broccoli pieces, fresh or frozen and cooked
1/4 cup Red Onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup Mushroom slices
2 small Sweet Peppers or 1/2 cup Bell Peppers, sliced
Pepperoni slices
1 tablespoon minced Garlic (optional)
1 cup Mozzarella or pizza cheese mix
1 cup Pasta Sauce (homemade or bottled)
Check for the lowest carb available. I have found a couple with the net carb of 5 g for 1/2 cup

Start with the pizza crust. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix flours and Parmesan cheese together with the baking powder, Italian seasoning and salt. Make a well in the middle and add olive oil and egg. Add 1/4 cup water and mix well. Add additional water as needed to make dough moist and pliable, but not runny. Let sit for about 5 minutes for meal to absorb the liquid.

Prepare pan by spraying or oiling a 12″ pizza round or a 9 x 11 inch rectangular pan or 10″ square pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the pan, press on top of the oil, then spray or oil the top of the parchment. If you use a silicone mat, just put it in the pan and spray it with cooking spray.


Parchment paper sticks to the pan if it has been oiled or sprayed with cooking spray.

If you use a stone, oil the stone, but you don’t need a mat or parchment although it makes it easier to get the pizza off. Use a spoon to put large spoonfuls of the dough on the pan in evenly spaced mounds. Wet your hands and pat the dough to as even a crust as you can get that fills the pan. It should be a little less than 1/4 inch thick.

Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven.

While the pizza crust is baking, prepare your topping. Remove sausages from casing and fry in a pan until browned, but not cooked all the way through. Remove to paper towel to drain. Stir fry the vegetables until just tender.

When the crust comes out of the oven, assemble the pizza. Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce over the crust, spreading it all the way to the edges. Spread the sausage and crumbled bacon, distributing as evenly as possible. Top the meat mixture with slices of pepperoni, about twelve to sixteen slices depending on the cut. Spread vegetables over the top of that and top with mozzarella cheese. Put back in the oven for about 10 minutes to finish cooking the sausage and melt the cheese. Check on the pizza at 5 minutes, then again at 10 minutes to see that it’s done the way you prefer and not overdone.

Cut into four slices and serve with a salad.


The recipe is flexible… don’t like mushrooms? Leave them off! Broccoli doesn’t thrill? Substitute something else or just omit. That’s the fun of pizza — it can be personalized easily.

Crust only information: Carbs for 1 slice of original crust: 1.9 g calories 178.6, protein 11.3 g
Carbs for Flax-Almond crust (gluten free) – 1.5 g calories 212.4 protein 11.6

Pizza with toppings above:
Original Crust: Total Carbs for 1 slice of pizza: 8.6 g, calories 525 protein 28.9
Flax-Almond Crust: 8.2 g, calories 559, protein 29.2

Originally POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 10/11/2012 1:10 AM