Tag Archives: asparagus

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Grilled Chicken with Asparagus

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I’m still working my way through the two pounds of asparagus my friends left for me while they ran off to France.  So many ways to prepare asparagus and I’ve stir-fried a little, mixed it with cabbage and turnips and made a quiche.  But this simple recipe for chicken and asparagus wrapped in bacon is one of the best.  It is quick to prepare and cook, so dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

A key to making sure the bacon is done is to pre-cook the bacon about halfway, so that it is still flexible, but not raw.  I used a George Foreman grill, but any tabletop grill, outdoor grill or broiler will work. It is so low in carbs that you can indulge with a salad and a few vegetable fries.  I used turnips and cauliflower fries with my dinner.

Grilled Chicken with Bacon and Asparagus

For a quick, elegant entrée, this goes together in four steps and cooks on the grill, in the broiler, or in something like a George Foreman grill in just a few minutes. It tastes wonderful! Chicken, asparagus, and bacon — how can you go wrong?

2 (8 oz) Chicken breast filets (about 1/2 inch thick), pounded to square if you wish
4 to 6 Asparagus Spears, trimmed – small or medium
2 slices thick Bacon
1/2 teaspoon Herb Seasoning of choice
Sprinkle of Lemon juice (optional)
Salt and Pepper to preference

Partially cook the bacon so that it is about half way done. This ensures that it will get done while grilling. Drain the bacon.

Partially cooked bacon is drained on paper towels.

Pound or press the chicken to tenderize and flatten to a square. (You can use the side a plate for this or the end of table knife.)

Put 2 to 3 asparagus spears in the middle of each chicken breast, season and sprinkle a little lemon juice on it. Roll up and wrap a slice of bacon around it. Use a toothpick to secure the bacon.

Chicken is wrapped with bacon and ready to grill.

Grill on each side until the chicken is done and juices run clear. If you’re using a Foreman or similar grill, it will grill both sides at one time, so just make sure the chicken is done.  The time to cook varies with the method used.

Let rest a couple of minutes, then serve.

Serves 2

Nutrition info per servings:
   Calories: 180.6 Fat: 6.1 g Net Carbs: 0.8 g Protein: 28.0 g

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Asparagus, Ricotta & Bacon Cheese Pie Is Versatile

Asparagus is figuring prominently in my recipes at the moment since a friend of mine just brought over about three pounds and left them with me.  So, I need to eat a lot of it over the next week or so!  I whipped up this yummy cheese pie featuring asparagus and bacon, two of my favorite things.   I often add ricotta cheese to my quiches and breakfast omelets, so it goes in great with this crustless pie.  It’s great for brunch, lunch or add a salad and make it dinner.

Incidently, if you missed it, I did a guest post earlier this week for The Chinese Quest with a great recipe for Asparagus Shrimp Stir Fry.  

Just want to mention that the print copy of my cookbook is on sale at Amazon for $5,85 versus $6.50.  Not sure how long this price will last, but it’s a good time to buy it if you haven’t already.  Many recipes in it are not on this website, so you won’t find them here, but you will find the color images of the photos in the book, which are black and white, beginning on this page with links to the rest of the pages.  The link to the book page at Amazon is on the right.

Asparagus Bacon Pie with salad topped with fried pork rinds.

Asparagus, Bacon & Ricotta Cheese Pie

A crustless pie made with ricotta cheese, bacon, asparagus and cheddar jack cheese. It’s garnished with more asparagus and tomatoes.

14 stalks Asparagus, 5″ trimmed
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Onions, diced
4 slices thick Bacon,
4 large grape tomatoes (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 oz. Heavy Cream
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Spray an 8″ pie dish with baking spray.

Hold back 6 asparagus spears, then slice the rest into 1 inch pieces and distribute evenly over the bottom of the pie pan.

Cook bacon until crisp and let drain and cool on paper towels while you cook the onions. Add a little bacon grease to a small pan and sauté the onions until they are just tender. Sprinkle the onions over the top of the asparagus. Break the bacon into pieces and distribute over the top of the asparagus, then sprinkle 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese over the top.

In a medium bowl, break the eggs and beat until blended, then add the ricotta cheese, heavy cream, and seasonings. Beat to mix the ingredients together. Pour over the asparagus and cheese in the pan, spreading as evenly as possible. It will settle in.

Trim the asparagus to the 4″ lengths and cut the extra trimmed off into two pieces. Position the asparagus spears on the top to form six divisions. Cut grape tomatoes and use to decorate the pie as shown.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out fairly clean, It will firm up more as it cools. Let sit about 10 minutes, then cut and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition info per serving:
Calories: 190.4 Fat: 14.3 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 12.9 g

Tip:  This can be made with zucchini or chopped broccoli (par-boil first).  Substitute in turkey bacon if you prefer or to make it vegetarian, use a soy bacon or other vegetarian bacon.  This will affect the carb count by about .5 net carbs more per serving.

Beef, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Celebrate Spring With Pasta & Sausage


While some of you may still be waiting for Spring to arrive or be preparing for Autumn, in my neck of the woods, it is definitely Spring. I admit to waiting for a freeze to come along soon since that is the weather at the foot of the Sierras. But spring vegetables have definitely arrived at the supermarket and among them is on sale and tender stalks of asparagus. This is one of my very favorite vegetables so I try to catch it every time it’s on sale.

Chorizo Pasta with Spring Vegetables

This pasta dish uses asparagus and Swiss chard along with sweet peppers and spicy chorizo sausage, the Basque type, to make a celebration of the season. If you don’t like chorizo, you can substitute in another firm sausage.

As you can clearly see in the photo, I used rotini pasta when I made this before it came out that Dreamfield pasta isn’t lower in carbs.  When I make this again using one of the vegetable options for pasta or making my own low carb pasta, then I will post a new photo on this page.

2 tsps Ginger-Garlic Paste
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/3 cup Sweet peppers, cut into strips
1 cup Swiss Chard, chopped
1 cup Asparagus, cut into pieces
2 links Chorizo, (Basque style)
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon, Chicken broth
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 cups thinly sliced or shredded Zucchini or Spaghetti Squash
1/4 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1 teaspoon thickener or Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Olive Oil or other oil

Cook the thin strips of zuchinni in boiling water until al dente, just about 5 minutes.  Drain.  If you’re using spaghetti squash, either cut it half and bake in face down on foil covered pan in a 400 degree (F) oven for about 30 minutes or put it face down on a microwavable plate and put it in the microwave for 5 to 8 minutes until the spaghetti strands are soft and separate easily.  Discard seeds and separate strands into a bowl.

While pasta is cooking, peel the casing from the sausage. Slice into 1/4 to 1/3 inch pieces.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Add garlic ginger paste and onions and sweat the onions. Add the peppers, asparagus and Swiss Chard along with a little water and continue to stir cook until the chard starts to wilt. Add the chorizo and 1/2 cup of water. Mix bouillon with another 1/2 cup of water and add to the skillet. Stir well and cook for a few minutes.

Mix thickener with enough water to make a paste and add to the skillet, stirring it in. Add the cream and seasoning salt. Stir it well, then add the drained squash and cook a few more minutes until sauce is thickened and to make sure everything is hot.

Serves 2 large portions or 4 half-sized portions (pictured).

With zucchini
Nutrition Info for 1/2 sized portion – double for full portion.
Calories: 212 Fat: 17.9 g Net Carbs: 7.0 g Protein: 9.5 g

With spaghetti squash
Nutrition Info for 1/2 sized portion – double for full portion.
Calories: 218.4 Fat: 18.1 g Net Carbs: 8.6 g Protein: 9.5 g

Posted on  3/27/2013

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Eggs with Asparagus for Sunday Brunch

Huevos Rancheros are a part of my Texas up-bringing and I’ve enjoyed them many times and in many ways over the years. This recipe is based on my version that I inherited from my grandma with a couple of new twists, like adding the asparagus and chipotle salsa to it. Low carb tortillas can be purchased at most grocery stores, just look for the lowest net carbohydrate count (La Tortilla Factory and Mama Lupe’s both have ones that are 3 net carbs.)

I call these “spring” ranch eggs because they are best made when asparagus is arriving in supermarkets (or your garden) in the spring. You definitely want to use fresh asparagus for it. At times that you can’t get asparagus or the price is just too high, try broccolini (baby broccoli) with it or skip it altogether.

I used what I call Mexican style chorizo, which is a beef or pork sausage packed with chili in a plastic casing. Remove the casing and it almost melts in the pan while it’s cooking. It’s a spicy, but not too hot sausage that also makes fabulous scrambled eggs with sausage burritos. You can also use ground beef or pork sausage to make this.

I am a light eater these days, so one egg is enough for me, but if you want more food, there is plenty of room for a second egg on the tortilla.

Heuvos Rancheros Primavera

2 low carb Tortillas
2 to 4 Eggs
1/2 link Mexican-style Chorizo or 1/2 cup ground Beef or Pork
Queso Blanco or Queso Fresca cheese
1/2 cup Enchilada Sauce (canned or homemade)
3 tablespoons Pico de Gallo (tomato, onion, jalapeno and cilantro)
2 tablespoons Chipotle Salsa or other Salsa
6 spears of Asparagus or Broccolini
2 tablespoons Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 365 degrees F.

Wash and trim the asparagus spears. Bring a pot of water to a boil and put the asparagus spears in for two minutes to blanch. Remove and drain the spears.

Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or a silicone mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking. Put enchilada sauce in a pie pan and dip each tortilla in it, making sure the whole tortilla is covered. Place on the baking sheet and put in the hot oven to cook for about 10 minutes.

Remove the chorizo from its casing and stir fry it in a small skillet until it is done. In another skillet, fry the eggs the way you like them. Or poach the eggs. Or you can scramble the eggs with the chorizo.

Mix the salsa with the pico de gallo in a small bowl.

Put a tortilla on the plate, arrange 3 asparagus spears in a trio with the tops meeting and the bottoms spread across the tortilla. Put the egg on top, then put the chorizo around the edge of the eggs. Put a little salsa on each side and across the tops of the spears. Crumble queso fresco or queso blanca over the entire tortilla, about 2 to 3 tablespoons, then put sour cream on top of the egg.

Add salt and pepper, if desired and serve immediately. Serves 2.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 263.7 Fat: 18.1 g Net Carbs: 8.4 g Protein: 14.4 g

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 5/14/2013 1:22 PM

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Shrimp and Asparagus — Colorful and Delightful

This week, I decided to adapt an enticing recipe that was on Fine Cooking by Jennifer Armentrout. To be honest, not a lot of adjustment was needed to make it low carb, except for the one key item of “grits” with cheddar cheese. I am not a huge grits fan, so it doesn’t bother me to lose this, but the substitute should be something similar. In my mind, this was another job for my favorite combo, cauliflower and daikon radish riced to the texture of grits. It came out deliciously wonderful and as the roomie put, “that’s a keeper.” Try it for yourself.

Shrimp and Asparagus with Cauli-grits

1- 1/2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
1 clove Garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups homemade or sodium free Chicken Broth
2 cups riced Cauliflower
1 cup riced Daikon
freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce; more to taste

1/2 lb. medium-thick Asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 to 2 Scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced (optional)

Heat 1/2 Tbs. of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until you can just smell it, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the riced cauliflower and daikon and 1/4 tsp. salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and most of the liquid is absorbed or evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar and 1/4 tsp. of the hot sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in a warm spot.

Heat 1 Tbs. of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is opaque and the asparagus is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the shrimp and asparagus over the grits. Top with sprinkled scallions.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Info: Calories: 305.7 Fat: 18.4 g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 28.8 g

TIP: No asparagus at the market (or the cost is just too dear)? Try this dish with broccolini (baby broccoli). It will be colorful and the young spears are perfect.

Posted on 4/24/2013