Category Archives: Poultry

Asian Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry

Go Far Exotic with Tasty Chicken Tikka Masala

Photo: Chicken Tikka Masala

I am a big fan of Indian food, but I haven’t delved into making it too much. Mostly, I’ve added a little garam masala to season chicken. When I spotted this recipe from skinnytaste.com, I decided to give it a try. First I adjusted a few things in it to make it lower in carbohydrates than the original. One thing I swapped out was to replace the yogurt with sour cream, which is lower in carbs. I used fewer tomatoes for the same reason, and I added in green beans to add a little more flavor and a pop of color.

This is very easy to make and tastes delicious, although, like many things with spices in them, the leftovers taste better than the original dish as they’ve had time to sit and for the flavors to fully develop in the sauce. So, the best bet is to make it the day before you want to serve it and reheat it that day. Or, just make the sauce and refrigerate it, then warm it up, add the chicken and beans, and you’re ready for a fresh meal with deep flavor.

I served mine over one-half cup of riced cauliflower, but you could also use riced kohlrabi or angel hair shredded cabbage as a base. The cauliflower and kohlrabi are available in frozen packages or you can make your own.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2 tsp Canola Oil or Butter
1 small Onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
1 cup canned Tomatoes, crushed or diced
1 cup frozen Green Beans
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Chicken Broth or Bullion
1 tablespoon ground Cumin
1 tablespoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 tablespoon Chili Powder
Salt to taste
24 ounces boneless chicken breasts (about three large)
4 tbsp fresh Cilantro or Parsley
3 cups Riced Cauliflower or Kohlrabi

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the onions and cook until softened and aromatic. Add the ginger paste and garlic and cook another two minutes. Add in the spices and mix well, cooking two minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, sour cream, and broth or bullion mix. Stir to mix well. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add chicken pieces and stir into the sauce and simmer another 10 minutes, then add the green beans. Cook five or ten minutes more until the chicken is completely cooked and the green beans are hot.

Serve over 1/2 cup of riced cauliflower or kohlrabi or over lightly cooked angel hair cabbage.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Information per serving: (without riced cauliflower)
Calories: 291.4 Fat: 17.0 g Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 27.0 g

Did you try making this dish? Let me know what you think!

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry, Recipes

Liven Lunch Up with Pineapple Chicken Quesadillas

Photo - Quesadillas cut in half.

For a spring flavor, add fresh pineapple cubes to your chicken quesadilla. It gives it a refreshing touch of that sweet and spicy taste.

This flows right along with the Chicken Fajitas from last week. You can start with leftover chicken fajitas if you wish, then just go to the For the quesadilla part and follow the recipe from there.

For the chicken filling:
1 cup chopped or cubed cooked Chicken
1 teaspoon of Fajita Seasoning or Taco Seasoning
1/2 Bell Pepper, cut into strips or pieces
1/4 Onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon Oil

Put the chicken cubes in a bowl and add seasonings. Add salt and pepper if desired.

In a skillet, heat oil to a sizzle, then add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Stir and cook until the onions are almost tender. Add the chicken and cook three to four minutes to heat the chicken.

For the quesadilla:
2 six-inch Low-carb Flour or Whole Wheat Tortillas
1/2 cup Mozzarella or Queso Fresco Cheese
1/2 cup fresh Pineapple, cut into cubes.
1 tablespoon Butter

In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, add 1 tablespoon Butter and let it melt over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the pan and arrange the chicken mixture and pineapple on the top going almost to the edge. Sprinkle cheese over the top and to the edge of the tortilla. This will seal the edges so it can be turned easily.

Photo: Half-quesadilla with saladPlace the other tortilla on top and press it down. Use a pancake spatula to keep pressing the tortilla down while it cooks. Cook for two to three minutes until the cheese is melted. Slide the pancake turner under the quesadilla and turn it over to cook the other side. Cook for another two or three minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and cut in half. Put one half on another plate and serve with salsa if desired.

Makes two servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories:369 Fat: 20.4 g Net Carbs: 6.7 g Protein: 37.3 g

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry

Spicy and Yummy Chicken Fajitas

1 Comment

Keeping with the Cinco de Mayo theme, I decided to make chicken fajitas with a blended seasoning. After searching several recipes, I settled on a combination that I think works really well. It has a great spicy flavor without being too much. If you don’t like the extra spice, then omit the cayenne pepper.

This uses two large chicken breasts that add up to about three-quarters of a pound.

  • My apologies. I failed to reduce the amount of spices from the larger recipe to one-time use recipe. This is the corrected version.

Southwest Chicken Fajitas

1/2 teaspoon Red Chile Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 tablespoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Lime Juice
12 ounces Chicken Breast, skinless
1 medium Onion
6 mini Sweet Peppers or 1 large Bell Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic

Go-withs:
4 low carb Tortillas
4 tablespoons Sour Cream
4 tablespoons Guacamole
4 tablespoons Salsa
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese

In a medium-sized bowl, big enough to hold the chicken, add the olive oil and lime juice and stir together. Add in the red chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper and mix well until all the spices are blended. Set aside.

Peel and cut the onion into slices and put in a bowl. Trim the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut into strips. Put into the bowl and set aside.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips about 1/3-inch thick. Add to the spice bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix the strips in until they are all coated with the seasonings. Set aside.

In a cast iron or heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and reduce to a medium high heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers and cook until they are just tender, about three to four minutes. Remove from the skillet.

Add the chicken and cook on high heat. If you have a smaller skillet, you may need to do this in two batches. When one side is done, about two minutes, turn the chicken to cook the other side. Add the peppers and onion back to the pan and cook 2 more minutes.

Heat the tortillas, then serve with 1 tablespoon each of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa – or whatever you prefer on your fajitas. Add 1/4 cup of cheese to the plate along with a salad and you have a delicious Mexican-style dinner.

Makes four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving (Chicken and spices only):
Calories:202.5 Fat:9.8 g Net Carbs: 6.0 g Protein: 20.6 g

Nutrition Information per serving (go-withs):
Calories:230.7 Fat:17 g Net Carbs: 6.0 g Protein: 11.96 g

Note: I used whole wheat low carb tortillas, small size, that are 3 net carbs each, the other 3 net carbs in the go-withs are distributed pretty evenly among the remaining ingredients.

Poultry, Recipes

Easy Chicken with Mushrooms dish

So easy you can make it on a busy night!

This simple dish is one of my throw-together combinations. Let’s see, I have chicken, mushrooms, and spinach. What can I do with that? Well, this is one delicious option. Simple, yet completely satisfying.

For a side dish, I added cut-up turnips and kohlrabi, cooked in the microwave until fork tender, then added butter and seasoning salt. Yummy. The fresher the turnip or kohlrabi, the sweeter the taste. If they sit too long in the ‘fridge, they will get tough and a bit bitter.

Creamy Chicken with Mushrooms & Spinach

2 large Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Cream
1 oz. Cream cheese
1 teaspoon Mustard
1 cup fresh Spinach
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
2 tablespoons Butter

Cut chicken breasts into several pieces about the same size for even cooking.

In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add the chicken and brown on both sides over medium heat. Chicken pieces should be cooked most of the way through. Remove chicken to a paper towel or plate.

Add mushrooms to the pan and sauté until brown, then add cream cheese, cream, mustard, and cumin and stir. Continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Tear and add spinach and stir in. Return chicken to the pan and add rest of the butter. Cook for another five minutes until chicken is done.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 329.5 Fat: 22.4 g Net Carbs: 1.4 g Protein: 28.4 g

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Easy Chicken Piccata Dish

Happy 2018. How’s it going for you? So far, it’s been busy and not perfect, but not too bad either. Currently, I’m editing two books, and although that’s time consuming, it’s also fun.

So not too much cooking going on in the year so far, but I did make this tasty chicken recipe yesterday. I found the recipe on a package of skinless, boneless chicken breasts and just made a couple of minor adaptations for low carb and my personal taste buds. It’s super low carb at only 1 net carb per chicken breast.

I love the light lemon taste of this sauce and the chicken is delicious. I am not a big fan of parsley as an edible garnish, so I added it to the pan at the end of the cooking and let it wilt and soak up the lovely flavor of the sauce. If you prefer the fresh taste of the parsley, then add it when you serve the dish or just omit if you don’t like it at all. No one will tell.

Chicken Piccata

4 boneless Chicken Breasts, no skin
2 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
6 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
3 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
2 tablespoons Green Onions, chopped
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground Sage or 2 tablespoons Fresh Sage
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Parsley, 1 or 2 sprigs

Dredge chicken in low carb flour and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil over medium heat. When the mixture starts to sizzle, put the chicken breast in the skillet and cook 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is lightly browned. Turn chicken over and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate to rest. Don’t use a paper towel or anything to drain on in the plate. You’ll put the drippings back into the pan.

Remove skillet from heat and add lemon juice, chicken stock, onions, sage and garlic to the pan. Return it to the heat and bring to a boil. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture, being sure to loosen any tasty bits from the pan. Add another 2 tablespoons of butter and melt it in as you stir.

Add the chicken, with any drippings on the plate,  back to the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the breasts are done all the way through, but still moist. Add salt and pepper.

At this point, I added fresh parsley to cook in the sauce for a minute or so, but if you prefer, simply garnish with the parsley once the chicken is on the plate. Remove breasts to serving plates and spoon sauce over the top.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 332.3 Fat: 27.5 g Net Carbs: 1.0 g Protein: 20.4 g