Category Archives: Recipes

Recipes

Flavorful Pork with Apples and Butternut Squash One Pan Dinner

Image: Sheet Pan Dinner of apples, pork, and butternut squash

Oddly, I had several recipes for sheet pan dinners show up in my email feed this past week. They prompted me to create a delicious one pan dinner using pork. This one was originally written for chicken, but pork is frequently interchangeable with the bird.  The attraction with a single pan dinner is that it’s easy to get your dinner on the table at one time and the seasonings used enhance all the components. This one has a lovely sweet and lightly spiced sauce that works beautifully with the apples and squash. It uses pecans, but if you prefer, you can substitute walnuts or omit them.

Most of my recipes are 10 net carbs or below, but this ones comes in a little higher, depending on whether you want a large serving or a smaller one.  It will make four large servings or 6 smaller ones. You decide.

Apple and Butternut Pork Sheet Pan Dinner

Photo: Serving of pork with apples and butternut.

8 slices of Pork Roast or 6 boneless Pork Chops, about 1/2″ thick
2 Apples, cored and cubed
2 cups Butternut Squash, cubed
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Sugar-free Honey
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Thyme, dried
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees( F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to make clean up easier. Spray with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, add olive oil, sugar-free honey, Dijon mustard, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine.

Place pork slices or chops in the center of the baking sheet and season to your preference with salt and pepper.

If you’re cooking about 1″-sized cubes of butternut squash, precook them in the microwave for about five minutes. Smaller cubes will probably get done in the allotted cooking time, but the larger ones won’t. Alternately, you can cook them for about five minutes in boiling water, drain, then add them to the baking pan. Place them on one side of the pork.

Toss apple pieces and pecans together and arrange them on the other side of the pork. Brush or pour the seasoned honey and oil syrup over everything.

Place the baking sheet in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pork is done. Let rest about 5 minutes, then spoon the squash and apples on the place and top with a pork chop.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Image: Nutrition Information

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts

Photo: Stir-fry Brussels sprouts

A member of the cabbage family, Brussels sprouts have some of the same flavors, but still have a unique taste of their own. They pair well with most meats and fish and can be cooked in many different ways, from boiled to roasted to baked or fried. This recipe combines the sprouts with another of my favorite flavors, celery. Add in a little onion and stir fry the whole dish, and you have a delicious side dish. If you want to add a bit more, then cook a couple of slices of bacon and crumble them into the mixture. Yummy.

Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts

2 cups Brussels Sprouts, shredded or sliced thinly
1 large stalk Celery, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
1/2 medium Red Onion, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Clean and slice the Brussels sprouts thinly or shred or chop them in a food processor. Clean and slice the celery stalk. Cut the onion into thin slices.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, then add the onions and garlic. Cook for about two minutes. Add in the sprouts and celery slices and stir fry them about 8 to 10 minutes until the sprouts are cooked. Add seasonings and stir into the dish.

Makes 4 servings.

Image: Nutrition Info: Brussels sprouts

Main Dish, Seafood

Simple but delicious Cod with Lemon

Photo: Baked Lemon Cod

A long ways back, I helped put on a Scandinavian feast for an SCA group. One of the recipes I found came from an unlikely source – the Betty Crocker International Cookbook. This wonderful cod with lemon is simple to make and tastes delicious. When I served it for the feast, everyone raved about it. Since this is a fish recipe, it technically works for a meatless Monday offering, but it’s good anytime. Cod is one of my favorites although the recipe can work with halibut as well. The key is to have a nice thick piece of fish, at least one-half to one inch thick.

Enjoy this Norse fish course with riced cauliflower and a green vegetable. I made stir fried Brussels sprouts to provide a hearty serving of nutrition and flavor. It also pairs well with broccoli.

OVNSSTEKT TORSK MED SITRON
(Oven Baked Cod with Lemon)

Photo: Lemon Cod dinner with Brussels sprouts

1 lb. Cod Fillets, at least 1/2-inch thick
1⁄4 cup Butter, melted
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1⁄4 cup Low Carb Flour
1⁄2 teaspoon Salt
1⁄8 teaspoon White Pepper
Paprika
1 Lemon, sliced thinly

Preheat oven to 350 .

Cut cod into four serving pieces.

Mix butter and lemon juice and set aside. In a separate bowl mix flour, salt and white pepper together.

Dip one piece of cod in the butter and lemon mixture. Roll in the flour mixture to coat. Place into an 8×8-inch baking pan or an oven-safe skillet, such as a cast iron or copper one. Repeat the dip and dredge step with each piece of cod.

Pour any remaining butter mixture over the top. Sprinkle with paprika. Place a thin slice of lemon on top of each fillet.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes. The fish should flake easily with a fork.

Garnish with lemon slices and fresh chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Graphic: Nutrition Information Baked Cod with Lemon

Recipes, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian

Warming Broccoli with Irish Cheddar Soup

Photo Broccoli Cheese Soup

Switching on a dime, the temperatures in Reno went from spring-like mid-50s to snowing today. Perfect time for delicious and warming soup. I ran across a recipe for broccoli cheese soup and made a couple of small changes to make this scrumptiously rich-tasting version using sharp Irish cheddar cheese.

Broccoli Soup with Irish Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 tablespoon Butter, melted
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
3 tablespoons All Purpose Low Carb Flour
1 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Water
2 cups Chicken Stock
2 1/2 to 3 cups Broccoli, chopped
1 Carrot, peeled and chopped
2 Celery stalk, cleaned and diced
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Spicy Seasoning
7 oz. Kerry Gold Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt butter and sauté onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir to make a paste. Add the chicken stock and stir or whisk to blend the flour in, then add the cream and water. Stir together over medium heat.

Add the vegetables and stir together. Add the spicy seasoning and stir, then lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Add cheese, reserving about 1/4 cup for topping, then stir until it melts. Add the nutmeg, if desired.

Serve in one cup bowls and top with a pinch of reserved cheese.

Makes 4 to 6 servings depending on appetite.

Image: Nutrition Information Broccoli with Irish Cheddar Soup

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Easy Chicken with Riced Cauliflower Dish

Photo: Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

This is a quick-to-make one skillet dinner that tastes like comfort food, especially on chilly winter nights. Based on a Green Giant recipe, it is adapted for low carb and for low sodium.  The changes to the recipe for the low sodium are listed after the regular recipe. You add extra chicken to make six servings instead of four and also get a little less cauliflower to keep the sodium under 100 mg.

This is flexible if you want to add another 1/2 cup of vegetable to it. Mushrooms, carrots, or shredded cabbage would work well in it. Carrots will pop the carbs up a one or two, so use them in sparingly.

Easy Skillet Chicken & Riced Cauliflower

This yummy skillet dish is based on a Green Giant recipe. It’s easy, delicious, and a snap to make.

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 cups Riced Cauliflower
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Kohlrabi or Broccoli stems, chopped
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Oregano
Seasoning Salt to preference
Pepper

Put chicken pieces in a bowl and sprinkle seasoning salt, salt and pepper on it, then mix the seasonings into the chicken.

In a large non-stick, deep-sided skillet, heat oil over medium heat, then brown the chicken, stirring to make sure both sides are browned. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add onion, stir, and cook about 3 minutes until it is softened. Add cauliflower and garlic and continue to stir and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the peppers and kohlrabi or broccoli stems, then stir in broth.

Bring the pan to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cook about 5 more minutes until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is completely cooked. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and fresh oregano.

Makes 4 servings

For Low Sodium, substitute the following quantities:
1 1/2 pounds boneless Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth, or make your own
Mrs. Dash Seasoning of choice

Image: Nutrition Information for Chicken with Cauliflower Rice