…but it’s getting close. I expect I will be refining this recipe over the next few months, but I’ll go ahead and share it now for anyone else who wants to try a low carb version. When I was a kid, I loved my grandmother’s tamale pie. It was completely encased in a cornmeal crust — tops, sides and bottom of the pan– that is absolutely impossible to recreate in a low carb version. I looked at several recipes that others have tried when I started to make mine. Using a few ideas from these, I came up with this recipe. It has a thin corn meal and almond meal crust that gives the tamale pie flavor without adding many carbs to the dish.
Rene’s Super Tamale Pie
I used Dynasty canned baby corn, which has a very low carb count. Corn is not on the weight loss phase of Atkins, but eaten rarely, it isn’t a real problem.
Crust:
1/3 cup Carbquick
1/3 cup Almond flour
2 tablespoon whole grain Corn Flour
1 tablespoon Shortening
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Tumeric
1 cup Cheddar/Jack Cheese mix
Filling:
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
1 1/2 pound Ground Beef, lean
1/2 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Red Chili Powder
1 (15.5) oz can Tomatoes with green chilies
2 tablespoons Black Olives, chopped
3 oz. Baby Corn, canned, drained and chopped (look for lowest carb count)
Preheat oven to 365 degrees F.
Prepare the filling first. In a large cast iron or oven proof skillet, sauté the onions and chopped peppers in a bit of olive oil until the onions are just translucent. Remove. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until it just turns brown. Then add the tomatoes, red chile powder, olives and chopped corn. Mix together well and cook until bubbly. Stir onions and peppers back in. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix Carbquick, almond flour, corn flour, and seasonings. Cut in shortening, then add egg. Add enough water to make a spreadable batter. Stir in 1/2 the cheese. Spread over the top of filling mixture, covering as much of the surface as possible. The layer will be thin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is almost done. Spread the remaining cheese over the top and return to oven for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream if desired.
Makes 8 servings:
Nutrition Info: Calories 363.6 Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 21.8 g
As the weather is beginning to turn colder, my thoughts turn to chile, soups and stews. These are so comforting and warming on cold, rainy or snowy evenings in late Fall and Winter.
I’ve used this Tex-Mex Chile recipe for at least three decades. When I first started making it, I used diced jalpeno chilies in the recipe. Now days, my stomach prefers not quite as much spice, so I’ve started using a medium hot green chile. You can also make it with mild green chilies. This is a meat only chili, so it is a satisfying meal and you can serve a nice salad and pinto beans on the side if you like. I tend to avoid beans due to the high number of carbohydrates in them, so a salad or my Tex-Mex Spanish Cauli-rice work as good side dishes.
2 lbs. Beef Stew Meat
1/2 cup Low Carb Flour
1 large Onion raw
1/2 cup Chopped Green Chiles
1 tablespoon red Chili Powder
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
2 cups Stewed Tomatoes (1 lb can)
2 teaspoons Seasoning Salt
1 cup Beef Stock
Additional Salt and Pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese for topping
Cut stew meat into bite sized pieces. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a cast iron or heavy stewing pot. Dredge meat in flour, then put into stewing pot and lightly brown. Excess flour will fall off the meat into the pot and that is ok. Remove the meat to a plate, then add more oil if needed. Add the garlic and the onions and cook until the onions are just tender. Add beef stock, seasonings and stewed tomatoes and chopped chiles. Mix well and add the beef back to the pot. Stir it up, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Let stew for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally until the meat is tender and the broth is thickened.
Serve in a bowl, top with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired, and warm tortillas. (There are several brands of low carb flour tortillas available at the market.)
Makes about 6 servings. Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 243 Net carbs 7.6 g, Protein: 36.3 g
Posted on 11/16/2012
Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates Mexican heritage and pride for those in the United States, and a day of victory over the French forces in the Battle of Puebla in the Mexican state of Puebla. In honor of the day, our household had Mexican themed food. I made tostadas using some of the leftover filling from my Enchiladas con Calabaza recipe and served a delicious, mildly spicy salad made with asparagus. The salad is a recipe that I got from a Wisconsin Cheese web site. To get the recipe, please visit this link.
Tostado Con Carne (with Meat)
To make the tostado, you need for each one:
1 or 2 Flax Corn Tortillas or 1 one low carb Flour Tortilla
2 or 3 tablespoons of the Filling
1/4 cup chopped or shredded Lettuce
1 tablespoon chopped Tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon chopped Olives
shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
1 tablespoon Guacamole (optional)
1 tablespoon Sour Cream (optional)
Heat enough oil in a skillet to cover the pan with a 1/4 inch layer. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium high and slide in a tortilla. Cook a couple of minutes, then use a pancake turner or heat resistant spatula to flip the tortilla over and cook a couple of minutes on that side. It should get lightly browned. I usually flip them a couple of times. Remove to a paper towel on a plate to drain any excess oil. Repeat for as many tostadas as you plan to make.
Heat the filling and spoon two to three tablespoons onto the tostado base. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives and jack cheese. Finish off with a tablespoon of guacamole and a tablespoon of sour cream if you wish.
The calories and carbs for this are dependent on which tortilla you use and what you top it with, but it should be about what the enchilada count is.
Calories: 155.7 Fat: 8 g Net Carbs: 8.25 g Protein: 10.7g
Mexican Style Asparagus Salad
This is a recipe too good not to pass on, which is why I’ve included the link to web site above. I made it pretty much as written except for a couple of slight changes. I added three tablespoons of chopped olives to it, which are mixed in when the tomato is added. I only used half a serrano pepper because I thought it might be too spicy. It could have probably used a whole one. I could not find queso blanco at my local grocery store so I used Greek feta cheese and it worked fine. However, it is probably a little saltier than the Mexican cheese. Next time, I am going to make my own queso blanco and I’ll let you know how that goes.
The other slight change is that I didn’t remove the crushed garlic from the dressing, but let it sit in the mix and continue to add flavor. But then I love garlic. If you prefer the milder taste, let it sit for maybe 30 minutes and then remove it.
So my variation on it:
1 pound fresh Asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally in 1 inch pieces 1/3 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped finely 1/3 cup diced Onion 3 tablespoons chopped Olives 1/2 Serrano Chile, chopped
Vinaigrette: 1 clove Garlic, peeled and crushed 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1/4 cup Olive Oil 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano leaves 2 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh Lime Juice
Assembly: 1 medium Tomato, seeded and chopped 1 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled Queso Blanco Cheese
For the asparagus salad:
Bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil and add a dash of salt, then add the asparagus. Let water return to a boil and cook for a minute and tests the asparagus with a fork. It should be slightly tender, but still crisp. If it isn’t, cook another minute and test again. You don’t want the asparagus to be overcooked. Rinse with cold water and drain. Place the asparagus in bowl, and add the cilantro, onion, olives and chile and mix together.
For the vinaigrette:
Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake well to mix. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then shake again and remove the garlic, if you wish.
Toss the asparagus mixture with the vinaigrette, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving, add the tomato and Queso Blanco Cheese, then stir it together.
While this is made with asparagus, which is now in season and is reasonably priced, I think it would work equally as well with broccoli or cauliflower or a mix of the two. It might work with Brussels sprouts as well, but I would cut them in half and steam them until tender. And don’t overlook zuchinni as a possible substitute. The flavors would be excellent.
Nutrition Info for the asparagus salad (1/4th recipe):
Calories: 199 Fat: 4.7 g Net Carbs: 6.4 g Protein: 3.9 g
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
Mexican food has been almost a staple in my life. I love it! It’s spicy, it’s tasty and it’s oh-so-loaded-with-carbs. What seems like a healthy choice when you look at all the filling ingredients in an enchilada turns out really high in carbs when you add the corn tortilla. What to do to make this work on a low carb diet? I had an inspiration. Crepes! They are mostly an omelette and only a little flour in them. Granted, they can be a bit of a challenge, but they are worth the effort. So I present my newest – and first – Mexican French dish, Enchilada Crepes – low carb, delicious and with added vegetables. While they don’t taste exactly like an enchilada with a corn tortilla or even one of the low carb wheat flour tortillas, the taste is very close.
If you’d prefer the vegetarian version, just add about 2 cups of squash, a whole onion and 2 bell peppers to replace the meat. I am thinking that a winter squash would also be excellent in this, so you might try 2 cups of butternut or acorn squash in it. Wait! Why am I telling you this now when I can make it that way next time and put it out as a new recipe?! Because it sounds great and I’d like you to try it. When I make a winter squash vegetarian version, I will add pictures and any additional instructions.
Red Enchilada Crepes
Crepes:
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Carbquick baking mix or other low carb flour mix
1 tablespoon wheat germ or flax meal
1/2 teaspoon red pepper powder (cayenne)
Salt, pinch
1 1/2 teaspoon oil
1/2 cup water
Filling:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup zucchini or other summer squash, chopped
1 small bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
1 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon bullion paste or granules
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
10 oz can red enchilada sauce (I used Las Palmas, but La Victoria or Old El Paso are about the same carb count per 1/4 cup. )
Prepare the crepes:
Mix all the crepe ingredients in a blender or food processor until they are well mixed. Heat a small crepe or omelette skillet on the stove burner on medium high heat. You want one that has about a 5 or 6 inch flat bottom. When a drop of water skittles on the pan, spray it with cooking spray then pour in a little less than 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle and tilt the skillet if necessary to spread it evenly around.
Cover and cook for 1 minute. Remove the cover and check to see if the crepe is completely set up. If not, let it cook a little longer. Carefully slip a flat, thin spatula under the crepe to make sure it is loose, then flip it over. Let it cook for another minute. Remove to a foil lined pan.
Repeat this process until all the crepes are made. If the heat is too high and the crepes are getting too dark, lower it a little. If they aren’t getting browned within a little over a minute, then raise the heat a little. Crepes are trial and error sometimes, do if one doesn’t come out well, make adjustments and try again. Stir your batter each time before pouring a crepe to ensure no ingredients have settled on the bottom.
Wrap crepes in foil until you are ready to assemble the enchiladas.
Makes 10 or 11 crepes (allowing for one that doesn’t come out in one piece.)
About 1 carb per crepe
Make the filling:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, then add the garlic and onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the squash and bell pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until the squash is fork tender. Remove squash from pan.
I used both crookneck and zucchini in my mix.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and break into small pieces with your spatula. Stir in the seasonings and beef bullion mix. No need to add any salt. Cook until the beef is browned, then add the zucchini mix back in and stir it together, cooking just a few minutes longer.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Assembly:
In a baking pan that will hold all10 enchiladas pretty closely to each other, put 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce and spread it around with a spoon. Warm the crepes in the microwave for a minute to soften. Put one crepe on a plate, put about 1 teaspoon of the sauce on it and spoon about 1/10 of the filling down the middle. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cheese on it, then roll and carefully slide into the baking pan. Repeat with the next one.
When all the rolled enchilada crepes are in the pan, spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the tops and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over them.
You might notice that a couple of my crepes broke through. It’s okay. Just roll them and slide into place. The cheese will conceal these problems.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Serve with shredded lettuce and sour cream.
Makes 5 servings of enchiladas, 2 per serving
Nutrition Info for serving of 2:
Calories: 544.4 Fat: 42.9 Net Carbs: 7.5 g Protein: 31.8 g
For 1 enchilada
Calories: 272.2 Fat: 21.5 Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 15.9 g
If you want to keep the calories and carbs a little lower, you can eat one enchilada and a big side salad with it. Using less hamburger will lower the calories, but not the carbs in this.
TIP: If you have leftover filling, put it in the fridge and use it as an omelette filling. Delicious.
