Category Archives: Poultry

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Enchilada Casserole Turkey Transformation

Here’s another way I like to use the leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. This also works great with chicken or shredded pork. It goes together quickly using canned green enchilada sauce and pre-made salsa.

Green Chile Turkey Enchilada Casserole

2 cups Turkey, diced
1 1/2 cup Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
4 low carb 7-inch Tortillas (should be 3 net carbs each)
4 tablespoons Green Chile Salsa
1 tablespoon Cilantro
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Mexican Cheese, queso fresco or other (optional)
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/4 cup Tomatoes, 0.25 chopped
1/2 cup Daikon radish, diced
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil or spray with cooking spray a round baking dish about 8 inches in diameter.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil on medium heat and add the daikon. Cook for about five minutes, then add the onions and tomatoes. Stir and cook until the vegetables start to get soft. Add the cilantro and salsa, stir well and turn off. Stir in the turkey and sour cream.

Pour 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce in the baking dish and use a wooden spoon to spread evenly on the bottom. Put a tortilla on top, then put 1/3 of the turkey and vegetable mix on top and spread evenly. Pour 1/4 cup of sauce on top and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheddar cheese on top. Repeat the layer beginning with another tortilla two more times, so you have three layers of tortilla, turkey, sauce and cheese. Put the last tortilla on top, cover with remaining sauce and cheddar cheese. Crumble Mexican cheese on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. Let sit for a few minutes to set, then cut into six wedges and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 262 Fat: 13 g Net Carbs: 8.3 g Protein: 23.3 g

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 12/7/2013 11:24 PM

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Turkey Leftovers Transformed Into a Pie

This is one of several ways that I love to eat left over turkey and dressing from Thanksgiving.  In fact, most of the meal ends up in this great pie. With only two people eating on it, it can make 3 to 4 additional meals. It’s easy to make and so tasty.

Turkey & Dressing Pie

1 1/2 cups of leftover Dressing
2 cups Turkey, chopped or diced
1 1/2 cups leftover Smashed Turnips with Leeks (or potatoes, if you used those)
1 cup Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic
1/2 cup Celery, trimmed and chopped (include the leaves)
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1 cup Broccoli, parboiled and chopped
1/2 cup Turkey Gravy or Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a deep dish pie plate or an 8″ square casserole pan with cooking spray.

Line the pan with the dressing. Go up the sides if you have enough, otherwise, just spread it on the bottom of the pan. Put in the oven for about 10 minutes to set. Pull out and set aside.

In a deep sided pan, melt the butter and add the onions and celery and saute until just tender. Add the turkey gravy or chicken stock and the heavy cream. Stir to mix. Add the cornstarch to a cup with about 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Add to the cream mixture to begin to thicken it. Mix in the broccoli, green beans and the turkey. Let cook on low for about 10 minutes, then pour or spoon the mixture into the dressing lined pan. Top with the mashed turnips and cauliflower and spread it smoothly across the top. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top.

The pie before the cheese is added.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and slightly browned. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and serve with cranberry sauce on the side. Delicious!

The carb count for this will vary with the type of low carb bread dressing you use as well as if you use potatoes or Smashed Turnips or a straight cauliflower smash.  It should come out to about 8 to 9 net carbs per serving with 1/6 of the pie and a little less for 1/8.

Original Post on 12/3/2013 2:47 PM

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Oven BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Turnips

Originally posted on May 31, 2012 on my LiveJournal blog. Transferring it here.

Nothing like a week of vacation to totally ruin a good diet, is there? Actually, I was doing fine in New York and managed to keep on a low-carb regime the four days I was there. It was when I went to Vermont to cheer a friend on in the New England marathon that things went downhill. I admit that booking the Doubletree was putting temptation in the immediate pathway as I was handed a warm, chocolate chip cookie upon check-in. Did that say 38 carbs or 58? Either way, a lot of carbs in that cookie, but it was delicious. Still,it was difficult to avoid the carbs although I continued to try. The last day, the one when I had to fly back home, proved the most difficult. I had to take a bus in the wee hours of the morning to the Manchester, NH airport where I arrived at 6:00 am. No restaurants were open, only the bagel bar that sold yogurt, with berries and granola, so there was another herd of carbs. Still waiting for my flight at the airport at lunch time, I found a vendor that sold a lobster roll and, sorry to say, I ate the bread part as well.

So back home now, I am going back to a very strict low-carb diet until I lose the pounds that I know I gained on this trek. I am not even going to weight for about a month, but just assume that it will take me about that long to get back to pre-NY weight.

With this in mind, I made a delicious low-carb dinner that was an oven BBQ flavored crisp chicken breast. For the coating, I used crushed chicharonnes (fried pork skins), which can be found in most grocery stores. Served with roasted turnips, pan fried zuchinni and a simple salad of cucumber slices and pico de gallo, this made a wonderful and filling meal.

Oven BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Turnips

Makes 2 servings

1 large Chicken Breast, skinned and cut into four strips (about ½ inch thick)
½ cup of crushed BBQ flavored Chicharonnes
¼ teaspoon BBQ Rub – I used a mesquite, applewood flavored rub
2 medium sized Turnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces.

Preheat oven to 365 degrees.

Wash the chicken and pat dry. In a plastic bag, crush the chicharonnes with a rolling pin or the heel of your hand until bread crumb sized. Add the BBQ rub and mix well. Pour the crumbs into a shallow pan and roll the chicken into the crumbs until they are evenly covered.

Spray a shallow baking pan with olive oil cooking spray and place the chicken on the pan. (I like to use a silicon baking mat to prevent sticking.) Spray the top of the chicken with spray olive oil.

Pour about a teaspoon of oil into a plastic bag, add seasoning, then add the turnips to coat with mixture. Arrange the turnips on the pan around the chicken.

Bake for about 20 minutes, turn the turnips and chicken and bake an additional 20 minutes. Check the chicken to make sure it is done through but still juicy and the turnips are tender.

Net carbs in the chicken are <1, turnips about 5.6

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/10/2012 12:10 AM

Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Adapting Chicken Parmesan to Low Carb


Moved from my Live Journal blog where is was published July 26, 2012.

I love food, almost any food, but Italian is a real favorite. How can you go wrong with cheese and pasta? Oops, pasta. That’s the problem with Italian and a low carb lifestyle.

(Note from 05/06/14 – I have been using Dreamfields, which claimed to have a 5 nc pasta, however, those claims are apparently incorrect and the pasta is not low carb.  All I can say is that I have been using it and it appeared to not impact my weight loss.  Other people have had issues with it.  So, use an alternative to pasta for this dish.)  

My recipe this week is for Chicken Parmesan with pasta. But you don’t need to serve it over pasta. You can make zucchini noodles by slicing the zucchini into long, thin strips and dropping them in boiling water for three to five minutes before draining and putting them on the bottom of your casserole dish. You can also substitute in spaghetti squash, which has a slightly nutty flavor and is also a delicious pasta substitute.

Chicken Parmesan Over Pasta

Ingredients:

3 large skinless Chicken Breast halves, butterflied and pounded
1 large Eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon Water
1 tablespoon Oil
1/2 cup Pork Rinds, crunched up to the consistency of flour
1/2 cup finely grated grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1 to 1 1/2 cups Pasta Sauce, to taste (I use a tomato basil sauce with around 3 net carbs per 1/2 cup)
Salt and Pepper to preference
1/2 teaspoon Italian Herbs
2 cups cooked Zucchini strips or 2 cups Spaghetti Squash
Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Cook whichever squash you are using for your pasta and keep it warm until ready to serve.

Combine eggs, water, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and set aside. Combine crushed pork rinds and finely grated Parmesan cheese .

Heat oil in a heavy skillet.

Dip chicken breasts in egg mixture, then into pork rind crumbs, then cook in the skillet for 6 to 8 minutes per side until lightly browned.

Drain pasta and pour over the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking pan, arrange chicken breasts over the top, then spoon pasta sauce evenly over the breasts and pasta. Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Makes 3 to 6 servings depending on how hungry you are.

Per 1/6 of recipe: Carbs: 4 – Calories: 345

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/16/2012 12:39 AM