Of all the fish in the sea, not counting the shellfish, but the ones with fins, I think salmon may be my favorite although Icelandic cod is swimming right behind. I also like spicy food, so this combination is a no-brainer. If you like salmon and hot spice, you’ll love this. I admit, I over-spiced a tad, so I cut the Cajun spice down a bit in the recipe. If you want it at a higher level of burn then add another teaspoon of Cajun spice.
Cajun-spiced Blackened Salmon
3/4 lb salmon filet
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice or 1 lemon juiced
2 tablespoons fresh Parsley or 1/2 teaspoon Dried Parsley
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F.). Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the salmon and the salt and pepper and mix well.
Place the salmon on the baking sheet and spread the oil mixture on both sides. Rub it into the fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 15 minutes until the fish is done. If there is skin on the bottom, the skin should separate easily from the flesh if it is done enough.
Makes two servings.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories:377.5 Fat:24.4 g Net Carbs:5.8 g Protein: 34.4 g
While looking for a different Mexican-style dessert to end up a tasty Cinco de Mayo meal, I ran across a recipe for dessert nachos. It sounded intriguing, but I had to add my own spin on it. First, I made the tortillas and added a little sweetener and cinnamon to the dough. Then I made a cocoa cream cheese filling to add an extra layer of goodness to it and added chocolate chips. Yum. Bottom line? By the time I finished, it was my recipe. Very little remains of the original.
For the record, I used Dixie Carb Counters All Purpose Flour, which has a slightly sweet taste. I don’t think this would work well with almond flour or coconut flour as they don’t hold together well enough to cook over a griddle. However, you could make almond flour pancakes and do pretty much the same thing. I’ll put the recipe after the Nacho recipe if you want to try it. I use Walden Farms Chocolate Syrup and Caramel Syrup, which are both 0 calories and 0 carbs. If you can find something else that comes close, then feel free to use it. You can also melt a sugar-free chocolate bar and sugar-free caramel candies to get the syrups. They will add about 1 net carb to the serving. (In fact, I found I was out of chocolate syrup and used chocolate chips melted in the microwave for my chocolate blobs of topping. I should have used a little coconut oil to thin them.)
Cocoa Cream Cheese Nachos
For the Tortillas:
1/2 cup Low Carb Flour
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1/2 tablespoon ground Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Shortening or Lard
1/2 tablespoon or more Water
For the Tortillas:
In a bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, and sugar together. Cut in the shortening and mix until crumbs form. Add the water and mix until all the flour is absorbed. If 1/2 tablespoon isn’t enough, add a little more until you have a pliable dough.
Separate the dough into two balls. Roll each into a circle about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle until hot. Brush with a little oil, then cook the tortillas, one at a time. The tortilla takes about two minutes for the first side and will lighten as the dough dries out. flip and cook about another minute until done. This time varies with the thickness of the tortilla.
Cinnamon tortillas on the left and almond flour pancakes on the right.
For the topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)
Mix the Cinnamon, 1/2 tablespoon sugar substitute, and allspice together.
Spread butter over the tortillas on both sides, then sprinkle half the seasonings onto each tortilla and cut them into quarters. Place on a baking sheet and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Let cool a few minutes.
While the tortillas are cooking, prepare the topping. Mix cream cheese, cocoa powder, sugar substitute, and heavy cream together until thoroughly mixed. Add the chocolate chips and spread evenly over each tortilla chip. Top with a little whipped cream and drizzle caramel and chocolate sauce over the tops.
Makes two servings.
Nutrition Information per serving: Calories:395 Fat:32.2 g Net Carbs:5.0 g Protein: 15.7 g
To make Cinnamon Almond Flour Pancakes:
1/4 cup Almond Flour
1 Egg
1 tablespoon Ricotta Cheese
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Oil
In a bowl, add the egg, oil, cinnamon and sugar and beat together. Stir in the ricotta cheese until blended. Add the baking powder and almond flour and sit until mixed. Add enough water to make a pourable batter.
Heat skillet or griddle until it is hot and a drop of water skitters across it. Reduce heat to medium high, then spoon in enough batter to make a 5 or 6 inch thin pancake–about half the batter. Cook the pancake until bubbles form and it begins to look dry, then flip and cook the other side. Set aside and cook the second pancake. Let them cool for a few minutes, then cut into quarters to make four wedges.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)
Mix the Cinnamon, 1/2 tablespoon sugar substitute, and allspice together.
Spread butter over the tortillas on both sides, then sprinkle half the seasonings onto each tortilla and cut them into quarters. Place on a baking sheet and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Let cool a few minutes.
While the tortillas are cooking, prepare the topping. Mix cream cheese, cocoa powder, sugar substitute, and heavy cream together until thoroughly mixed. Add the chocolate chips and spread evenly over each tortilla wedge. Top with a little whipped cream and drizzle caramel and chocolate sauce over the tops.
Makes two servings.
Nutrition Information per serving: Calories:395 Fat:32.2 g Net Carbs:5.0 g Protein: 15.7 g
For a spring flavor, add fresh pineapple cubes to your chicken quesadilla. It gives it a refreshing touch of that sweet and spicy taste.
This flows right along with the Chicken Fajitas from last week. You can start with leftover chicken fajitas if you wish, then just go to the For the quesadilla part and follow the recipe from there.
For the chicken filling:
1 cup chopped or cubed cooked Chicken
1 teaspoon of Fajita Seasoning or Taco Seasoning
1/2 Bell Pepper, cut into strips or pieces
1/4 Onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon Oil
Put the chicken cubes in a bowl and add seasonings. Add salt and pepper if desired.
In a skillet, heat oil to a sizzle, then add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Stir and cook until the onions are almost tender. Add the chicken and cook three to four minutes to heat the chicken.
For the quesadilla:
2 six-inch Low-carb Flour or Whole Wheat Tortillas
1/2 cup Mozzarella or Queso Fresco Cheese
1/2 cup fresh Pineapple, cut into cubes.
1 tablespoon Butter
In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, add 1 tablespoon Butter and let it melt over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the pan and arrange the chicken mixture and pineapple on the top going almost to the edge. Sprinkle cheese over the top and to the edge of the tortilla. This will seal the edges so it can be turned easily.
Place the other tortilla on top and press it down. Use a pancake spatula to keep pressing the tortilla down while it cooks. Cook for two to three minutes until the cheese is melted. Slide the pancake turner under the quesadilla and turn it over to cook the other side. Cook for another two or three minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and cut in half. Put one half on another plate and serve with salsa if desired.
Makes two servings.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories:369 Fat: 20.4 g Net Carbs: 6.7 g Protein: 37.3 g
Keeping with the Cinco de Mayo theme, I decided to make chicken fajitas with a blended seasoning. After searching several recipes, I settled on a combination that I think works really well. It has a great spicy flavor without being too much. If you don’t like the extra spice, then omit the cayenne pepper.
This uses two large chicken breasts that add up to about three-quarters of a pound.
My apologies. I failed to reduce the amount of spices from the larger recipe to one-time use recipe. This is the corrected version.
Southwest Chicken Fajitas
1/2 teaspoon Red Chile Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 tablespoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Lime Juice
12 ounces Chicken Breast, skinless
1 medium Onion
6 mini Sweet Peppers or 1 large Bell Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic
Go-withs:
4 low carb Tortillas
4 tablespoons Sour Cream
4 tablespoons Guacamole
4 tablespoons Salsa
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese
In a medium-sized bowl, big enough to hold the chicken, add the olive oil and lime juice and stir together. Add in the red chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper and mix well until all the spices are blended. Set aside.
Peel and cut the onion into slices and put in a bowl. Trim the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut into strips. Put into the bowl and set aside.
Cut the chicken breasts into strips about 1/3-inch thick. Add to the spice bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix the strips in until they are all coated with the seasonings. Set aside.
In a cast iron or heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and reduce to a medium high heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers and cook until they are just tender, about three to four minutes. Remove from the skillet.
Add the chicken and cook on high heat. If you have a smaller skillet, you may need to do this in two batches. When one side is done, about two minutes, turn the chicken to cook the other side. Add the peppers and onion back to the pan and cook 2 more minutes.
Heat the tortillas, then serve with 1 tablespoon each of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa – or whatever you prefer on your fajitas. Add 1/4 cup of cheese to the plate along with a salad and you have a delicious Mexican-style dinner.
Makes four servings.
Nutrition Information per serving (Chicken and spices only): Calories:202.5 Fat:9.8 g Net Carbs: 6.0 g Protein: 20.6 g
Nutrition Information per serving (go-withs): Calories:230.7 Fat:17 g Net Carbs: 6.0 g Protein: 11.96 g
Note: I used whole wheat low carb tortillas, small size, that are 3 net carbs each, the other 3 net carbs in the go-withs are distributed pretty evenly among the remaining ingredients.
With Cinco de Mayo–a really good day to celebrate all things Mexican–just around the corner, so to speak, I thought it would be a good time to try a couple of new Mexican food recipes. Although I’m not sure this frittata would be classified as Mexican, it does have all the flavors of the culture. In Spain or Portugal, this would be called a Chorizo Tortilla, but not so much in Mexico where the tortilla is a thin flatbread versus an egg frittata.
The base recipe for this came from Atkins, but I changed quite a bit about it and I think it’s safe to say it’s my adaptation. I added turnips into it although you can also use potatoes. To keep the carbs low, stick with turnips. If you have lots of carbs to play with, then go with potatoes. You could also substitute in thinly sliced zucchini, Mexican variety of course. (They’re a little more rounded than the normal type.)
Chorizo Frittata in cast iron pan before serving.
Chorizo and Chiles Frittata
1/2 lb. Chorizo sausage, Basque-style
1 medium Turnip, sliced thinly
4 large Eggs
1/4 medium Onion, chopped
4 oz. can Green Chiles, chopped
1 tablespoon Jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 small Tomato, diced or chopped
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mexican Cheese Combo mix
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon Butter
Peel and slice the turnip or potato into thin slices. Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook for about three to five minutes until the slices are fork tender. This may vary depending on how thick the slices are. OR put the slices into a bowl, cover with a plate and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. Drain off any water and set aside.
Break the eggs into a bowl, whisk until mixed and slightly frothy, add the seasonings, chiles, and tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup of cheese. Set aside.
In a medium-sized cast iron or other oven-safe, deep skillet, add a little oil and sauté the onions until they are just slightly cooked. Remove to a plate. Lower the heat to medium-high.
Add the chorizo broken into small pieces or thin slices and cook until all pieces are seared. Remove the chorizo from the pan. Add butter and let it melt, then add layer the turnip slices over the bottom of the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until they begin to brown, then turn them over. Cook another minute or so, then add the chorizo on top of the turnips.
Stir the egg mixture and pour over the top of the chorizo and turnips. Let cook for about four to six minutes, lifting the sides of the bottom with a spatula occasionally.
Turn on the broiler. Be sure to use a potholder when picking up the skillet. Place the skillet under the broiler and cook for three minutes. Pull the pan out carefully and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Return to the broiler for another two minutes to melt the cheese.
Remove to a heat safe surface and let the frittata set for about five minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream and/or guacamole if desired.
Makes four servings.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 485.3 Fat: 39.6 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 26.5 g
Place the other tortilla on top and press it down. Use a pancake spatula to keep pressing the tortilla down while it cooks. Cook for two to three minutes until the cheese is melted. Slide the pancake turner under the quesadilla and turn it over to cook the other side. Cook for another two or three minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and cut in half. Put one half on another plate and serve with salsa if desired.
