Category Archives: Recipes

Breads, Desserts, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Thanksgiving is Upon Us

Amazingly, we have arrived at Thanksgiving in the USA. Canada celebrated a month ago. For everyone else, think of it as a prelude to the end of the current season. Here, in Reno, Nevada, our non-evergreen trees have dropped the last of their leaves signaling that Winter is coming. Snow is already on the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I can recall more than one snowy Thanksgiving here, so it could be a possibility.

Hope all of you are well. This has been a particularly tough year for everyone, but we are still surviving and are so thankful for it. For me and the friends I cherish, this is the one thing I am so grateful to say. Our hopes are to have a resolution to the pandemic soon, but until then, to continue to stay safe and healthy.

This message is a little late getting out, but if you are looking to keep your carbohydrates down over Thanksgiving, here are a few recipes I’ve published to help you do that:

 Happy Thanksgiving 2013 – Pumpkin Panna Cotta – has links to Smashed Turnips with Leeks, Irish Style Celery and Kohlrabi, and Butternut Turnip Mash.

 

Easy Low Carb Stuffing Bread

Use it in your favorite stuffing.

 

Traditional Pumpkin Pie 

Includes crust recipe.

 

 

 

 No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

 

 

 

Got leftovers?

Try this Turkey and Stuffing Pie

 

 

Use the search feature to find even more recipes for vegetables and desserts to compliment your feast.

I don’t have a new recipe for today because I’m scurrying to get everything prepped for Thanksgiving and doing NaNoWriMo (for those who don’t know, that is National Novel Writing Month, so I am writing as many words on a new novel as I can). I will have a recipe on Friday for low carb Pecan Pie. You won’t miss those carbs at all. Trust me.

Until then, have a very good Thanksgiving and stay safe.

Rene

Beef, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Hot Chile for Cold Days

Photo: Rene's Beef and Chorizo Chile

With a snowstorm arriving in Reno last weekend, my thoughts turned to warm comfort food. Weather like this calls for at least stew, soup, or chile. I went with the latter. Usually, I make my Tex-Mex chile, the variety that uses all meat chunks and carries a ton of heat. But I decided to try something a little different, so here’s my take on a meat and bean chile done low carb.

First, I added medium-hot chorizo in for a zap of spice and a different flavor, then mixed in ground beef. I chose black beans because they are a bit lower in carbohydrates than either pinto or red beans. The result is fabulous, tasty, and warming. Like many stews, soups, and curries, the longer the pot sits, the more flavorful it becomes. So if you want to make it a day ahead, you can cover it and put it in the ‘fridge for a day or so. Nonetheless, it is delicious on the first day.

Rene’s Beef and Chorizo Chile

1 Onion, diced
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
2 pounds Ground Beef
1 pound Chorizo Sausage
1 can diced Green Peppers
1 packet Taco Seasoning or 2 tablespoons Spicy Seasoning
1 15-oz can Stewed Tomatoes, chopped
1 15-oz can Tomatoes with Chiles
1 can Black Beans, with juice
1 cup Pumpkin puree

In a 10 to 12 cup heavy pot, heat a teaspoon oil and add onions and garlic. Stir and cook for about five minutes until the onions are sweating. Add ground beef and chorizo, breaking it up as you stir it around. Cook until the meat is lightly browned.

Add green peppers, seasoning, and both cans of tomatoes. Add about a half-cup to each tomato can and swish them around to get the rest of the juice in the can, then add to the chile pot. Stir it together, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour.

Taste the sauce to check the seasoning and adjust it if you want it spicier. Add the black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir well and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes until the chile thickens.

Serve in bowls with cheddar jack or Mexican cheese and sour cream if you wish.

Makes 8 to 10 servings, about 1 cup each.

Tip: You can make an excellent chile cheese omelet with this chile. Just add 1 cup of warmed chile in the middle of the partially cooked omelet and top with cheese. Fold the omelet over or cook the top in a broiler until the cheese is melted.

Recipes, Seafood

Put this spicy shrimp dish on the table quickly

Photo: Shrimp Creole

This is a simple to make and delicious version of Shrimp Creole. I started with frozen shrimp, thawed it in a colander under cool running water. Then popped it in the microwave for one minute to partially cook it. From there, the rest of the recipe is quick to put together. I served it over cooked riced cauliflower. You can start with fresh or use a prepackaged frozen one. Easy peasy.

Shrimp Creole

8 oz Shrimp, cleaned and peeled
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Bell Peppers, chopped
3/4 cup canned Tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
2 tablespoons Water

In a medium skillet, cook the riced cauliflower in 1/4 cup of water and a tablespoon of Butter for about 10 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and the cauliflower is done. Keep warm on the stove. Or microwave a prepacked riced cauliflower according to the direction on the package. Add a little butter before serving.

Boil 2 cups of water in a medium skillet and add the shrimp. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 2 minutes until the shrimp turns pink. Drain, place on a paper towel on a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat then add the onion, garlic, and chopped bell peppers. Cook for about 2 minutes until they are fragrant. Add 1 tablespoon of water, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the vegetables are just fork tender.

Add the remaining ingredients and the other tablespoon of water. Stir together and cook over medium heat until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Add the shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes.

Serve over one-half of the cauliflower. Makes two servings.

Nutrition information: Shrimp Creole

Asian Recipes, Breads, Recipes

Get a quick flatbread to the table in 15 minutes

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Photo: Naan flatbread

If you’re a fan of Indian cuisine, then you’re familiar with naan bread, that lovely flat bread that is served with sauce dishes. While it can be made with yeast so it rises more, I was delighted to find this simple recipe, which is made without yeast. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find I could make a low carb version using low carb flour in it and still get a very tasty bread to sop up my curry sauce.

I added the garlic and herb seasoning — I used Mrs. Dash, but any brand will work– and curry powder. Not everyone is as thrilled with curry as I am, so feel free to omit it. This recipe is flexible, so if you want to add onion powder or even chopped green onions to it, you can. Look for the lowest carb plain yogurt you can find. These vary quite a bit in the carb count, so try to get one around 7.5 g or less per serving.

Simple Naan Bread

1 cup Carb Counters All Purpose LC Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon Curry powder (optional)
3 tablespoons Butter
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash (R) Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and sugar substitute together. Add olive oil, yogurt, garlic and her seasoning, and curry powder, if using. Mix together until the dough pulls together and is elastic.

Separate the dough into 4 balls. Lightly powder a bread board with a little low carb flour, then pat one of the balls into an oval shape. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out in an oblong shape until it is about 1/4″ thick.

Heat a heavy skillet, such as a cast iron or copper skillet, over medium high heat. Spray the pan with baking spray (like PAM), then cook the flatbread for about 2 minutes or until the bottom begins to show a mottled brown pattern. Turn and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and spread melted butter over the cooked bread.

Repeat with the other three balls. Makes 4 servings.

Beef, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Perfect Time for Meatloaf

Photo: Italian-style meatloaf

Fall is here and the temperatures are beginning to drop a bit, so it’s time for another comfort food recipe. There’s nothing quite like meatloaf for a cozy and simple meal.

A few weeks ago, this delicious-sounding recipe made the rounds on Facebook. I decided I had to try it and, of course, make it low carb. With only a few changes to amounts and one real substitution, this meatloaf is delicious and lower in carbohydrates than the original. For the bread crumbs, I used one of my low carb sandwich rolls, but you can make a basic magic muffin, lightly toast it, then put it through a food processor to reduce it to crumbs. For the pasta sauce, I used Classico Vodka Sauce, which is about 8 carbs per half cup.

For a quick to make dinner with lots of Italian flavor, this meatloaf is perfect. It makes enough servings to leave a little extra for meatloaf sandwiches if you’d like.

Photo: Full shot of meatloaf

Italian-Style Meatloaf

1 pound Ground Beef
1/2 pound ground Mild Italian Sausage
1/2 cup Onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped Bell Pepper
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 Egg, beaten
3/4 Low Carb Bread Crumbs
1 T. Cream or Half and Half
1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup Pasta Sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F.)

Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and let it get hot. Add the onion and chopped peppers and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the ground beef and sausage along with the onions, peppers, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and cream. Mix together with your clean hands or a wooden spoon. Add 1/2 cup pasta sauce, Parmesan Cheese, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Mix well.

Put the mixed meatloaf into a loaf pan or a deep baking pan about 9″x6″ and form into an even loaf. I used my Copper Chef Loaf Pan with an inset that allows for the excess grease to drain below the bottom, so I can get a nice crust and less oils on the bottom. But it isn’t necessary.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce on the top and spread it around. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. Pull it out and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Put it back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Baking time may vary depending on how thick your loaf is. If you have a larger round but shorter than 3″ loaf, it may take less time, so check on it after about 25 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, it is done at 160 degrees.

Makes 6 servings.