Category Archives: Poultry

Main Dish, Poultry

Yummy Chicken and biscuit Casserole

Moving into fall, it’s time for those delicious and comforting casserole dishes that make you feel warm all over. The original recipe for this dates back to my childhood, which was a long time ago in a galaxy no longer in existence. Well, maybe not that long, but you get the idea. Originally, it was made with Bisquick and creamed tuna, but for my low carb variation, I adapted it to use chicken and some other alternate ingredients.  Although the ingredient list is lengthy, it comes together easily and is well worth the effort.

Skillet Chicken Pie

1-1/2 cups cooked Chicken , cubed or chopped
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup Kohlrabi or Zucchini
1-1/3 cups Green Beans, chopped if you wish
1/4 cup Mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1 cup Cauliflower
1/2 medium-sized Bell Peppers
1 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Onions, chopped Onions
1 teaspoon Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground Thyme
1/2 tablespoon Cornstarch (optional)

For the biscuit topping:
1-1/2 cups low carb Baking Mix or other Flour
3 tablespoons Butter or Shortening
1 tablespoon Cold Water
1/2 cup Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.)

Cut the kohlrabi and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and either par boil them for about three minutes or cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Chop the bell pepper and set aside. If you use zucchini for the kohlrabi, you don’t have to precook it.

Use a stove-to-oven pan to make this. I used my deep copper skillet, but a cast iron skillet or other similar item would work. Otherwise, you’ll need to transfer the chicken base sauce to a baking dish once you’ve cooked it.

In the cooking pan, add 1 tablespoon butter and melt it over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and stir until the onion is tender. Add the bell peppers and sauté a minute or two. Next, add the chicken and stir, mixing it altogether. Add the cream, broth, and the seasonings and stir to mix well. Add kohlrabi cauliflower, and green beans and stir to mix. Heat until it is bubbly.

Add a little water to a cup and stir in the cornstarch if you’re using it, then stir it into the skillet. If you aren’t using it, continue to cook until the sauce thicken some. Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat and remove from the heat source.

In a bowl, mix the baking mix or low carb flour, a little salt, and garlic powder together. If your using a flour, add in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Cut in the butter or shortening or mix it in with your clean hand. Add the water, 1/2 at a time and mix it into the dough until you have a dough that pulls together into a ball easily, but isn’t too sticky. If it needs more water, add a little at a time. Then add the cheese and knead it into the dough. Separate the dough into six pieces and shape into balls, then press flat to a biscuit size.

If you need to transfer the chicken mixture to a baking dish, do it now. If your pan can go in the oven, proceed. Put the biscuits on top of the chicken mixture and spray the tops with a butter-flavored spray.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the biscuits are a golden or light brown. Remove and cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 403 Fat: 28.2 g Net Carbs: 10.7 g Protein: 25.5 g

Note: This is about .5 carbs lower per serving if you do not use cornstarch.

Don’t want to make biscuits? You can substitute in 2 basic magic muffins made in a cup, cut horizontally into thirds, then put on top of the chicken base. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and bake.

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Poultry

A Twist on the Taco

I made tacos a few days ago and had quite a bit of leftover meat since I had planned to do tacos a second time. Instead, I decided to do something similar that I called a Taco Lasagna.  Easy to make and it tastes delicious. If you have leftover taco meat, it’s a great way to use it. If you want, you could add in a layer of red beans or pinto beans, but that adds a few more carbs to the count.

Taco Lasagna

6 oz. Salsa Taquera
3 Whole Wheat Low Carb Tortillas
10 oz. Ground beef, lean
6 oz Chorizo
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 cup Mexican Style Cheddar Jack, shredded
1 cup shredded Iceberg Lettuce
1 medium Red Ripe Tomato, chopped
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.).

In a skillet, cook the ground beef and chorizo until lightly browned. Drain off an excess oil, then add 1/4 cup water and the taco seasoning. Stir together and cook until the meat is almost done. Remove from heat.

In a pie pan or a cake pan, put two tablespoons of salsa on the bottom. Warm the tortillas, one at a time, over the stove in a pan with a little oil. Place one tortilla on top of the salsa, then spread two tablespoons of the ricotta cheese over the top. Spread 1/2 of the meat over the top of the ricotta, add two more tablespoon of salsa over the top and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Place the next tortilla on top and repeat with the ricotta, meat, salsa and cheese. Place the last tortilla on top and pour the rest of the salsa over it and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese is melted and getting browned. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes while you get the lettuce out and chop the tomatoes. Cut into quarters and serve one quarter with lettuce and tomatoes. Add optional sour cream and avocado if you wish.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 568.2 Fat: 43.5 g Net Carbs: 7.8 g Protein: 34.7 g

Atkins Diet Tips, Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Healthy Life, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Induction Eating Plan Day 13

Almost to the end of this crazy plan to record the two week induction menus and recipes. The plan is going great and I think I am losing weight. I haven’t weighed but my pants are fitting looser and I am feeling pretty good. So without further comment, let’s get to the menu plan for Day 13.

Food NC
breakfast Bacon Omelet with zucchini 2.9
3 Mini donuts 4.5
Tea 0
Lunch Sausage Chicken Pizza 2.9
snack 5 slices salami 1
Baby Bell cheese 0
dinner chicken cauli-mac 7.5
18.8

 

Breakfast is a yummy egg omelet. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t like eggs because they are a mainstay on a low carb diet. Luckily, there are many ways to prepare them. You can make an endless variety of omelets. This one is very good and easy to make.

Bacon Omelet with Zucchini

2 large Eggs
1 slice thick cut Bacon
1 Green Onion, chopped
1/4 cup of Zucchini, chopped
1/3 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tablespoon Butter

Cook the bacon either in a pan or by my preferred method which is on a paper towel on a bacon pan in the microwave. Get the bacon crisp but not overdone. Let it cool, then break it into pieces.

In a small bowl, break the two eggs and beat them with a teaspoon of water until they are mixed well.

In an omelet pan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the onion and zucchini to cook for two or three minutes until they are just softened. Remove from the skillet. Add the eggs and stir them around the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula, then let them set. As they cook around the edges, lift the edge up so that more of the liquid can run under the omelet to cook. Repeat this several time so it builds the omelet in layers. When the middle is almost done, spread the bacon and vegetables down the middle then add the cheese, reserving a little for the top. Fold the omelet over the filling, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, then cover with a lid for about one minute to melt the cheese.

Serve. Makes one serving.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 366.6 Fat: 28.9g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 23.3 g

Next up, I had a late morning snack of three mini-donuts. I got one of those mini-donut makers and just had to try it out. While I can’t say for certain that this is on induction, I can say the ingredients are low carb. Atkins doesn’t endorse specific brands and CarbQuick falls into an actual flour substitute item, so it might be pushing it to eat this on induction. But after you’re past the two weeks, feel free to try them.

Pumpkin Mini-Donuts

Based on and adapted from Baby Cakes mini doughnut recipe by me.

2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or other brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute (Erythiol or other sugar alcohol)
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup
1 Egg, large
1/2 cup Pumpkin puree
3/4 cup CarbQuick
1/4 cup Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Plug in the mini donut maker and let it warm while you mix. If you’re using a mini-donut pan, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.)

In a medium bowl, beat butter, brown sugar sub, and sugar substitute together. Beat in egg, pumpkin, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Hand beat or use a mixer to get it smooth. In another bowl, mix the flour, protein powder, baking powder, and baking soda together. Stir into the butter and egg mixture and blend well.

Use about 1 tablespoon per donut well and drop the dough into the well. Bake about 3 minutes until the steam no longer is visible from the donut maker. Use a toothpick to check; if the toothpick comes out clean, the donut is done. Lift the doughnut with a toothpick and slide onto the handle of a wooden spoon or dowel for transport to a wire rack.

Place donuts on the rack to cool and make the next batch. When cool, dip in the Maple Glaze icing.

Maple Glaze

1/2 cup Powdered sugar substitute (like Swerve)
1/2 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup

To make Icing:
Put powdered sugar in a small bowl, add sugar-free maple syrup, and cream. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. If it is too thick, add a little more water until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze, then put them back on the rack to dry.

Makes 24 donuts.

Nutrition information per donut:
Calories: 38.7 Fat: 2.5 g Net Carbs: 1.5 g Protein: 2.5 g

Then we come to dinner and the highlight of the day. I love macaroni and cheese, but it is difficult to find a low carb macaroni and certainly not one that will work on induction. This recipe uses cauliflower as a stand in for the macaroni. It works and it’s delicious unless you hate cauliflower. Give it a try for a great one dish meal.

Chicken, Cauli-mac and Cheese

1 clove Garlic, minced
12 oz Cauliflower
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 cup Classic Cheddar Jack Cheese
1/8 tsp Original Pepper Sauce
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped

12 oz raw Chicken Breast
2 Scallions
1 slice bacon, crumbled
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 375º F.  Spray a 1 quart baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a shallow pan, precook the chicken breast for about 40 minutes until it is done and any juices from them run clear. Let cool, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Cook the bacon until it is crispy, let cool, then break into pieces.

Bring a large sauce pot with 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Add to the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes then drain in a colander. Spread on paper towels to dry. Alternately, you can place the cauliflower in a microwavable bowl and cook for three minutes until the cauliflower is crisp tender. Then pour off an water from the pot and spread the cauliflower on paper towels. You want it as dry as possible.

Put a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-high heat and pour in the whipping cream.When the cream is almost to a boil, add the cream cheese and powdered mustard and whisk it into the cream until smooth. Add half of the shredded Cheddar cheese, garlic, half of the salt and pepper, and the Tabasco sauce. Whisk for about two minutes until he cheese melts and is blended.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cauliflower. Then stir in the chicken, bacon pieces, and vegetables. Pour into the baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories; 564.4 Fat: 36.1g Net Carbs: 7.5g Protein: 50.2g

One more day to go. See you with another recipe then.

 

 

 

Atkins Diet Tips, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Pork, Poultry, Recipes

Induction Eating Plan Day 12

At this point, there’s quite a few things that can be eaten from the refrigerator even with the small batches I make. So, breakfast starts with a make over of two prior dishes, then a simple roll up lunch, but the finale is the dinner… pizza! Yes, you can make a pizza that works while in the induction phase. You just need to be careful about the pasta sauce you use.

Here’s the menu for the day:

Food NC
breakfast 1/4 Flax waffle 0.3
Cauli-rice Chorizo 3
Tea 0
B12 Gummie 1
lunch Ham & Mozzarella Rollup 1
Tea 0
dinner Sausage Chicken Pizza 2.9
Lettuce & cabbage salad 4.5
Mini Cheesecake 1.6
14.3

 

First, for breakfast, I took the other half of the flax waffle from yesterday and buttered it. Then I took about 3/4 of a serving of the cauli-rice chorizo from a couple of days ago and put that on top, then sprinkled a little shredded cheddar cheese over the top. Then I microwaved it for one minute. This could vary with the power of your microwave, but it will be about that. If your egg starts to explode, turn the microwave off.

Hot ham and cheese served on a fashionable paper plate. Who wants to do dishes?

For lunch, I did a hot ham slice with mozzarella cheese inside. Simply put a large slice of ham in a skillet with a tablespoon of butter and cook until it sizzles and browns a little, then turn it over. Spread the cheese over the ham and continue to cook over medium heat until the cheese begins to melt.  A lid over the pan will help to hold the heat in and speed up the melting. Fold the ham over the cheese like a taco and hold it down with a spatula until it bonds with the cheese.

On the serving plate, put a large leaf of lettuce with mayonnaise. Use a spatula to remove the ham from the pan and put on top of the lettuce. Fold or roll the lettuce over the ham. 1 net carb

And this brings us to the pizza. This is one of my favorite low carb pizza options – a chicken crust pizza. Believe it or not, it is delicious and it doesn’t actually taste like chicken. When the pizza sets up, the crust is sturdy enough to pick up and eat. You just need to let it cool about 10 minutes. Many thanks to Your Lighter Side for turning me on to this crust.

Chicken Crust Sausage Pizza

2 large Chicken Breast s
1/4 teaspoon Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder

3/4 cup Spaghetti or Pasta Sauce
1/2 large Sweet pepper, sliced into strips
3 Green Onion stalks, chopped
8 oz. Hot Italian pork sausage
1/2 Garlic clove
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
3 1/2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F.). Put a sheet of foil in a baking pan and put the chicken breasts in it. Bake for about 40 minutes until the chicken is done. Test with a fork. If the liquids from it run clear, then it is done. Remove to a paper towel covered plate, pat excess liquid off and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Cut the chicken breasts into pieces and put in a food processor. Process until it is broken into little pieces, then measure 1 1/2 cups of chicken and put back into the food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, cover and run until the mixture resembled fine breadcrumbs. Add the oregano, seasoning salt, and garlic powder and pulse a few more times to mix the spices in.

If you have a 11 to 12 inch spring form cheesecake pan, then put a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom and lock the ring over it. Trim off the excess paper on the outside. Spray with a cooking spray for easy release. Press the chicken mixture into the bottom of the pan and push it as firmly as you can to make a dense, firm, and even crust. Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is lightly browned around the edges.

While the crust cooks, add a pat of butter to a skillet and add the garlic and chopped onions. Cook for about a minute, then add the sweet peppers and cook until slightly tender. Remove to a plate. Add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces and cook until it is just browned, then remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain off any excess grease.

When the crust is cooked, spread the pasta sauce over the top, then add the vegetables and meat on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top, then spread the mozzarella on it. Put in the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and is browning a bit. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan, cutting, and serving. I leave mine on the pan base until it is mostly gone.

Makes 8 servings and reheats well. If you are very hungry, this is low enough in carbs that you can easily eat two pieces.

Nutrition Information per 1/8 piece serving:
Calories: 314.3 Fat: 19.4 g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 29.7 g

Note: If you would like a thicker pizza crust, use 2 cups of chicken and an equal amount of mozzarella cheese.

Appetizers, Atkins Diet Tips, Breakfast & Brunch, Healthy Life, Poultry, Vegetables & Salads

Induction Eating Plan Day 8

First day of the second week and I am hanging in there. I feel some of the limitations of Induction, but it isn’t bad. It includes a repeat and lunch out. PK and I went to the movies, so we stopped by Skipilini’s after seeing “Wonder Woman” and had our favorite appetizer, bacon wrapped jalapenos, along with a salad.

Here’s the menu for the day:

Day 8
Food NC
breakfast Cloud muffin 2
Sugar–free Jam 2.5
Coffee with creamer 1
Lunch Caesar Salad 2.8
Chicken 0
2 1/2 Jalapeno Poppers 1.7
Iced tea 0
Dinner Tilapia 0
GG mashed cauliflower with bacon and cheddar 4
sauteed greens 2
dessert pumpkin mousse 3
19

 

Breakfast was the Atkins cloud muffin from Day 4, but I toasted it and put 1/2 tablespoon of Smuckers Sugar-free Apricot Jam on it. Bliss!  For lunch, we had the aforementioned salad with the poppers. I’m including the easy to make recipes for these for home use. I had iced tea with liquid sucralose so 0 carbs on that.

For dinner, I made seasoned tilapia and served 1/3 cup of Green Giant mashed cauliflower with bacon and cheddar cheese with it. I also sauteed some greens, namely spinach and beet leaves with 1/4 cup of grated daikon radish. Recipes follow.

Your alternate breakfast option is:

Bacon and Avocado Omelet

3 or 4 large Eggs
1/2 Haas Avocado, cut into slices
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese
4 tablespoons Southwest Style Salsa (optional)
4 slices thick Bacon, broken into pieces
Dash Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Water

Break eggs into a bowl, add water, seasoning salt and pepper. Beat until foamy. Heat a medium-size round bottom pan or omelet pan with 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.

Add eggs and let cook for a couple of minutes until the egg sets on the bottom, then begin lifting the edges with the spatula and tilting the pan so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. Repeat, working your way around the pan. Keep lifting and tilting until most of the liquid egg is gone. This builds a fluffier omelet.

Evenly distribute the bacon and most of the cheese down the one-half of the omelet. Use the spatula to lift and fold the omelet over the top. Reduce heat to low and put a lid over the pan. Let cook for about 3 minutes in order to melt the cheese.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheese over the top. Cut the omelet in half and serve each half with 2 tablespoons of salsa and half the avocado slices. If you wish, you can heat the salsa before serving.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Info per servings
Calories: 430 Fat: 35.3 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 23.5 g

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Peppers

These are Skipolini’s bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers, but the recipe is similar. They can also be grilled rather than broiled.

Jalapeno Peppers, 5 pepper (remove)
2 tablespoons Cream Cheese, softened.
5 slices of thin Bacon
1/4 teaspoon BBQ Seasoning of choice

Set broiler to 485 degrees (F.)

Cut the peppers open on one side and remove the seeds if you don’t want them too spicy.

In a small bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon of BBQ seasoning to the cream cheese and stir until it is completely mixed in.

Put the bacon on a paper towel on a plate and put in the microwave for one minute to partially cook. This will make it easier for it to get crisp without over-cooking the pepper.

Stuff each pepper with the cream cheese mixture, then wrap with the partially cooked bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Put on a sheet of aluminum foil under the broiler and cook for three to five minutes per side until the bacon is crisp.

Let cool a couple of minutes, then serve. Makes two servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 185 Fat: 16.5 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 6.5 g

Caesar Salad

One of the best spots for good recipes is AllRecipes.com, so I am going to give you the link to a good Caesar Salad recipe.  However, omit the croutons. They are not on the low carb diet at this point and quite possibly never again.

Broiled Tilapia Filet

The beet leaves are intent on dying everything pink.

PK and I weren’t all that hungry after our late lunch, so I split one filet down the middle for dinner, but feel free to make a full filet per person. They are carb free.

2 Tilapia Fish Filets or other white fish of choice
1 tablespoon of Butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Sprinkle of Salt
Dash of Pepper

Rinse and dry the fish, then use a spoon to pour butter and lemon juice on the top. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on the broiler pan then place the filets with the butter side face down. Spread the lemon butter over the side that is now exposed to the flames.

Broil for about 5 minutes, then turn and broil for another 5 minutes on the other side. Test for doneness with a fork. The fish should flake, but not be dry.

Use a pancake turner (spatula) to move to a warm serving plate. Add vegetables and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories:134.2 Fat:7.3 g Net Carbs:0.1 g Protein: 18.1 g