Category Archives: Seafood

Crock Pot Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Seafood, Soups and Stews

Slow Cooker East Texas Jambalaya

Hey, y’all!  This here recipe is a variation of one PK’s mother, Toni Kelly, used to make and we’ve adapted it a little to make it low carb and add more meat to it. The changes are in the choices of vegetables and tomatoes that go into it.  Always, a southern recipe includes the “holy trinity” of Cajun-cooking, which is celery, bell peppers, and onions.  This is a delicious and slightly spicy dish that warms you up on a cold day and just bursts with flavor as you eat it.

And it is pretty easy to make.  If you want to put it on before you leave for work, then do the prep work, including lightly cooking the chicken and bell pepper, onions, and celery the night before and refrigerating until morning when you put it all in the slow cooker.  Then just add the rest of the ingredients, except the shrimp and mushrooms, put it on low to cook all day.  When you come home, check the seasoning mix, adjust, then add the shrimp and mushrooms and cook for another 30 minutes to cook the shrimp.

You want to look for the lowest net carbs for the tomatoes that you can find. Check the nutrition information on the back of the can, which is per serving, and find the carbohydrate count, then subtract the fiber. This is the net carb count of one serving. I used canned tomatoes that were 8 net carbs per cup for the calculation. You can add more chicken without increasing the carb count, but the calorie count will go up accordingly. If you are making chicken only, then use two whole breasts (4 of the half breasts).

1 whole Chicken Breast, skin removed
1 link Andouille Sausage
1 oz. can whole or diced, peeled Tomatoes
1 cup Butternut Squash, cubes (optional)
1 cup Green Bell Peppers cut into strips
1 cup Zucchini, (Green and Yellow), sliced
3 stalks Celery, trimmed and chopped
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/3 cup Mushrooms, sliced
6 oz. Shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1/2 cup Ham, diced
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon Garlic
1/2 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
1/2 cup Onions, Chopped
2 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree

Cut chicken into cubes or small bite-sized pieces. Cut the sausage into small pieces and dice the ham. In a large skillet, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and over medium heat, sauté the garlic, celery, and onion until the onion sweats and softens a little, then add to the slow cooker. Add green peppers to the skillet, then the chicken. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Cook for a couple of minutes to just get the chicken to start to firm up. This is mostly to add flavor to it before adding to the cooker. Put the chicken and peppers in the cooker.

Add the tomatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, chicken broth, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Turn the cooker on High and cook for 1 hour, then reduce it to low setting. Let cook for two hours. Check the seasonings in the sauce and adjust if needed, then add the ham and the pumpkin puree. The pumpkin will work to thicken the sauce and adds a little flavor. Cook another 30 minutes, then add the shrimp and the mushrooms. Cook another 30 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through, but not overcooked.

Serve with cauli-rice or stir-fried angel hair cabbage to keep the carbohydrates low. The butternut squash adds an interesting flavor to the Jambalaya, but can be omitted, which will also reduce the number of carbs per serving. Makes 8 servings, about 3/4 cup each.

Nutrition info with Butternut Squash per serving:
(doesn’t include the cauli-rice or cabbage)
Calories: 150 Fat: 5.1 g Net Carbs: 7.6 g Protein: 16.3 g

Nutrition info without Butternut Squash per serving:
(doesn’t include the cauli-rice or cabbage)
Calories: 140 Fat: 5.0 g Net Carbs: 5.6 g Protein: 16.1 g

Notes: Jambalaya is a flexible stew, but almost always includes chicken and the “holy trinity” of southern cooking, but the vegetable and meat choices vary with personal taste. You can add other vegetables such as okra, green beans, cauliflower, carrots or broccoli. The carbs will vary a little based on what you add, but it will be close.

Typical net carb (nc) values of the possible add-ins per half cup diced or chopped:
Okra – 1.6 g nc; Green Beans (fresh) – 2.0 g nc; Cauliflower – 1.3 g nc; Carrots – 4.3 g nc; Broccoli – 1.0 nc; Butternut Squash – 7.8 g nc; Turnip Greens – 1.1 g nc; Turnips – 3.0 g nc; Kohlrabi – 1.5 g nc; White Potato – 10 g nc

 

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Lawyer Up with Wonderful Lobster

T’is that time of the year again when I look at all my Irish-type recipes and try to figure out the St. Patrick’s Day dinner and dessert.  I have many Irish recipes in my house and quite a few Irish-American ones as well.  The corned beef we eat in America is not popular in Ireland and my Irish friends tell me that it doesn’t taste the same either.  But for those of us who’ve had it nearly every St. Patrick’s Day of their lives, it is the dish of the day.

But why not break out with something different?  This dish called “Dublin Lawyer” is a very good example of an Irish alternative.  This is an old Dublin dish with a colorful name that I haven’t been able to find the origin.  Possibly, given that it’s a lobster dish with whiskey in it, it was a favorite of the lawyers, who may have been the only ones who could afford it. It’s similar to Lobster Thermidor with whiskey substituting for the white wine or sherry in the latter.  I made very few changes to this recipe as it is just naturally low carb’d.

Dublin Lawyer

As prepared by Rene Averett

2 Lobster Tails (6 to 8 oz. each), cooked
2 tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup Irish Whiskey (Jameson’s or Paddy’s)
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup sliced Mushrooms (optional)
2 tablespoons Leeks, chopped (whites)
2 tablespoons Low Carb Bread Crumbs*
1 Egg Yolk
Salt
Cayenne pepper

Preheat broiler to 485 degrees (if you can control it) or heat a toaster oven set to Broil.

Remove the lobster meat from the tails.  Clean the shells and set aside.  Cut the lobster meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Trim the leeks and cut them finely, using a combination of white and a little of the green part near the white.  Heat the butter in a pan and sauté’ the leeks and mushrooms until the leeks are tender. Add the cream, salt and cayenne pepper and bring to a boil. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the whiskey. Return to the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes,

Pu the egg yolk in a cup and beat with a whisk.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of sauce into the egg and whisk together, then add another 2 tablespoons.  Add the egg and sauce mixture to the pan and whisk it in gently.  Heat on simmer for a few more minutes and it will begin to thicken.  Add the lobster to the sauce and let it simmer another 3 minutes.

When you have the rest of your dinner almost prepared, put the lobster into the cleaned shells or into individual serving dishes.   Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and spray lightly with butter spray or olive oil. Put the tails into a small baking dish or individual dishes.  Cook under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned.

Serve immediately.  Serves 2.

Nutrition Info per lobster tail
Calories: 316 Fat: 25 g Net Carbs: 1.8 g Protein: 4.2 g

* I always have low carb bread crumbs on hand.  They can be from any quick low carb bread, such as the Wheat Germ and Flax Bread Rounds or the Irish Soda Bread, linked below.  If you don’t have them, look for the lowest bread crumb at your grocery store and add that carb count to the amount above.

For more St. Patrick’s Day options, here are more recipes from Skinny Girl Bistro to round out your celebration.

Use up the leftover corned beef in one of these dishes:
Corned Beef Hash
Corned Beef Quesadillas

Make side dishes for your Irish meal:
Irish Style Celery and Kohlrabi
Irish Soda Bread
Smashed Turnips and Leeks

Top your dinner off with a sweet or a drink:
Slim Irish Cream Cheesecake
O’Kelly’s Slim Irish Cream
Irish Apple Cake

Recipes, Seafood

Savory Rolls of Sole with Bacon and Zucchini

SONY DSC

I nabbed some Dover Sole at my grocery store a few days ago, which is something I don’t see too often.  I was very excited to do a recipe using the sole and found many of them on the internet.  But I settled on an adaptation of Chief John’s Crab Stuffed Sole.  I didn’t have any crab and I wanted to do something a little different with it anyway, so I came up with this recipe using vegetables and bacon instead.

For the low carb bread crumbs, you can crumble any low carb bread – you only need a 1 tablespoon – or use the lowest carb commercial bread crumbs you can find.  I have leftover bread stuffing mix from my Christmas dinner.  Not the stuff made into the stuffing, but the seasoned, cut up squares from my recipe here.

The result is a delicious, a lightly-flavored roll of sole filled with tasty vegetables and bacon and topped with a toasted mayonnaise sauce. Try the original with crab or try this version.  Either way, you’ll love it.  And if you can’t find sole, try cod or another boneless white fish filet.

Bacon and Zucchini Stuffed Sole

1/2 cup chopped zucchini
2 strips of bacon, fried and chopped
1 tablespoon low carb bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced green onions
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and black pepper

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pinch paprika
8 2 oz. sole fillets (1 lb.)
Paprika to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly oil a baking dish or spray with cooking spray.

Finely chop vegetables and break bacon into small pieces.
Combine vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, bread crumbs, and black pepper together in a bowl.

In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Wash the sole fillets and pat dry. Place flat side up on your work surface or a silicone mat. Season fillets with a little salt and paprika. Divide stuffing mixture between the fillets, spreading it down the length of the filet. Roll each filet up around filling, rolling the full length of the filet so it makes a spiral roll with the filling in layers inside. Place rolled sole in the prepared baking dish.

Distribute filling the full length of the filet.
Distribute filling the full length of the filet.

Using a spoon or spatula, spread 1/2 the mayonnaise mixture over the sides and tops of each sole roll to coat. Place remaining mayonnaise mixture in a small plastic bag and cut the tip of a corner off to squeeze out the mayonnaise.  Pipe the mixture in a zigzag pattern over the top of each filet roll and sprinkle paprika over the top.

Roll the filets from the shorter side up to form roll.
Roll the filets from the shorter side up to form roll.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned on top and fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings (2 rolls each)

Nutrition Info per servings:
Calories: 336 Fat: 3.6 g Net Carbs: 2 g Protein: 28.7

Notes: As you can see from my photo, If you nip off too much of the bag tip, the flow will be too big for neat zigzags.  Also, try to get evenly sized fillets for this so that the rolls are consistent in size.

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Shrimp Kohlrabi Curry, A Bit of Bite


I love curries! Some folks aren’t too crazy about the spices, but I really relish them! While I use the powders, I really prefer the caked curry, like Golden Curry Sauce mix. You can use either one in this recipe. I think the caked curry gives a smoother, more blended taste. However you make it, this delicious curry will leave you wanting more, unless you don’t like curry, in which case you might as well go away now. This recipe is not for you.

Major ingredients for the curry, clockwise from bottom left: peeled and cleaned shrimp, tomatoes, onions, kohlrabi, curry sauce mix, chicken broth, and chopped beet greens.

Shrimp Kohlrabi Curry

3 cups Kohlrabi, diced (or a combination of kohlrabi, daikon and/or turnips)
2 tsps Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 medium Tomato, diced
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1 teaspoon Brown Sugar Substitute (0 cal, 0 carbs)
3/5 of package of Golden Curry sauce mix
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Water
1 lb. Shrimp, raw
1/2 cup Beet or kohlrabi greens, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed Red Chiles

Put kohlrabi and turnips in a microwave safe bowl and cook for about 5 minutes until they are just tender. Or put in boiling water and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain.

In a deep skillet, heat oil a few minutes over medium heat Add ginger-garlic paste and onions and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add vegetables and curry powder. Stir until vegetables are cooked, adding a little water if it gets too dry. Then add coconut milk, shrimp and greens. Stir together and cook until shrimp turn pink, about five minutes.

Serve over riced cauliflower or with a low carb tortilla in place of Nan. This is also good over shredded raw cabbage. You can also top with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts. If you like chutney with it, you can make a sugar free version. Try this recipe for a cranberry chutney.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Nutrition Info (4 servings):
Calories: 268 Net Carbs: 10.4 g Protein: 26 g
(6 servings)
Calories: 178 Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 17.4 g

Posted on 2/26/2013

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Easy Poached White Fish With Sauce

3 Comments


Last night I decided I wanted to poach the white fish that I had thawed out. It was unmarked, but I believe it was Pacific cod — it came in a pack individually frozen in pouches from Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club and I didn’t mark the bag with the type of fish. But that’s okay, it was about a half inch so it would poach easily. I admit, I have never poached fish before. I am not a big fish eater and usually I grill, fry or bake it. How hard could poaching be?

Well, several recipes with many steps later, I was revising my opinion when I ran across one that sounded pretty easy and that’s the one I adapted for my fish. It came out pretty fantastic, although I think I overcooked the fish a little, forgetting that the fish would continue to cook once it comes out of the oven. Yes, oven. This fish is poached both on the stove, then in the oven.

I added a steamed vegetable medley with a cheddar cheese sauce and a cooling cucumber and tomato salad with rice wine vinegar to complete the meal. It made a great summer dinner.

2 White Fish filets (any type), about 1/2″ thick
1/4 cup Onions, sliced
2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour for thickening
1 tablespoon Butter
Heavy Whipping Cream, .5 cup, whipped
White Wine, 2 fl oz
Lemon Juice, .5 fl oz

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a baking dish that can go from stove to oven. I use a 1 quart cast iron or cast aluminum pot with a lid. Layer the sliced onions on the bottom, then put the fish fillets on top and dot with butter. I also sprinkled about a tablespoon of dried chives on top. Cover the fish with the white wine and water. Bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid or heavy aluminum foil and cook in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the fish fillets to a place or tin and cover with foil to keep warm while you prepare the sauce. If the fish isn’t quite done, it will continue to cook while it rests.

Make the sauce in the pan you baked the fish in. Mix flour and butter together to make a paste, put in a little of the juice and mix until it is smooth, adding more liquid as needed until you can easily add it to the juices in the pan. Add cream, then cook and stir until the sauce thickens. (If it won’t thicken, use a little low carb thickener like Thick It Up, or guar powder or a teaspoon of cornstarch.)

Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve. Makes two servings (and a bite or two for the cat or dog).

Nutrition Info: Calories: 287 Fat: 18.3 g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 22.3 g

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 7/21/2013 3:06 PM