Tag Archives: cauliflower

Main Dish, Poultry

Yummy Chicken and biscuit Casserole

Moving into fall, it’s time for those delicious and comforting casserole dishes that make you feel warm all over. The original recipe for this dates back to my childhood, which was a long time ago in a galaxy no longer in existence. Well, maybe not that long, but you get the idea. Originally, it was made with Bisquick and creamed tuna, but for my low carb variation, I adapted it to use chicken and some other alternate ingredients.  Although the ingredient list is lengthy, it comes together easily and is well worth the effort.

Skillet Chicken Pie

1-1/2 cups cooked Chicken , cubed or chopped
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup Kohlrabi or Zucchini
1-1/3 cups Green Beans, chopped if you wish
1/4 cup Mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1 cup Cauliflower
1/2 medium-sized Bell Peppers
1 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Onions, chopped Onions
1 teaspoon Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground Thyme
1/2 tablespoon Cornstarch (optional)

For the biscuit topping:
1-1/2 cups low carb Baking Mix or other Flour
3 tablespoons Butter or Shortening
1 tablespoon Cold Water
1/2 cup Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.)

Cut the kohlrabi and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and either par boil them for about three minutes or cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Chop the bell pepper and set aside. If you use zucchini for the kohlrabi, you don’t have to precook it.

Use a stove-to-oven pan to make this. I used my deep copper skillet, but a cast iron skillet or other similar item would work. Otherwise, you’ll need to transfer the chicken base sauce to a baking dish once you’ve cooked it.

In the cooking pan, add 1 tablespoon butter and melt it over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and stir until the onion is tender. Add the bell peppers and sauté a minute or two. Next, add the chicken and stir, mixing it altogether. Add the cream, broth, and the seasonings and stir to mix well. Add kohlrabi cauliflower, and green beans and stir to mix. Heat until it is bubbly.

Add a little water to a cup and stir in the cornstarch if you’re using it, then stir it into the skillet. If you aren’t using it, continue to cook until the sauce thicken some. Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat and remove from the heat source.

In a bowl, mix the baking mix or low carb flour, a little salt, and garlic powder together. If your using a flour, add in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Cut in the butter or shortening or mix it in with your clean hand. Add the water, 1/2 at a time and mix it into the dough until you have a dough that pulls together into a ball easily, but isn’t too sticky. If it needs more water, add a little at a time. Then add the cheese and knead it into the dough. Separate the dough into six pieces and shape into balls, then press flat to a biscuit size.

If you need to transfer the chicken mixture to a baking dish, do it now. If your pan can go in the oven, proceed. Put the biscuits on top of the chicken mixture and spray the tops with a butter-flavored spray.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the biscuits are a golden or light brown. Remove and cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 403 Fat: 28.2 g Net Carbs: 10.7 g Protein: 25.5 g

Note: This is about .5 carbs lower per serving if you do not use cornstarch.

Don’t want to make biscuits? You can substitute in 2 basic magic muffins made in a cup, cut horizontally into thirds, then put on top of the chicken base. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and bake.

Book News, Book Nook, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Cookbook Update and a Quick Recipe

August has been a busy month with lots going on in my life, but I did get the new cookbook out and I just released, a few days ago, the compilation e-book with all three of the LC15 cookbooks in one edition. I had planned to sell it for a little less than it actually ended up at $1.99, which is 1/3 off the price of buying the three books. Amazon sets a minimum price based on the data size and the photos increased the size. I compressed it as much as I could.  The 3-in-one is only available at Amazon right now, but I will be getting it uploaded to other formats soon.

I am also working on a print release of the 3-in-one book that should be ready to release in about two weeks. It will include all the recipes in all three books plus a few extra notes. I’ll announce when it is released.

The Magic Muffins books is available at all these links:/
Book Launch page: 
Kindle USA: 
Amazon UK: 
Amazon Germany:
iBooks: 
Scribd:
Kobo: 
NOOK: 
Playster: 
24 Symbols:

Mashed Cauliflower Pancakes

To end August,  here’s a quick recipe.   If you like potato pancakes, you might love this dish. You can start with leftover mashed cauliflower or use a frozen mashed cauliflower. Be sure you cook and cool the frozen cauliflower. The rest is easy to put together and pan fry.

1-1/2 cups leftover Mashed Cauliflower
1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt, if you wish more
1 Egg
1/4 cup finely shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 tablespoon Minced Onions (optional)

If the cauliflower isn’t thick like normal mashed potatoes, drain the excess water by putting in a paper-towel-lined colander and press with the back of a wooden spoon. You want them as dry as possible.

In a bowl, combined the ingredients and mix well.

Put enough oil in a small skillet to bring to about 1/4 inch and heat until about 350 degrees (F.) Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the oil and spread into about a 1/4 inch thick pancake with a wooden spoon or spatula. Repeat if there is room for more patties. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain. Serve hot. Makes 6 pancakes.

Nutrition Information per pancake with onions:
Calories: 80 Fat: 5.4 g Net Carbs: 3.3 g Protein: 4.1 g

Nutrition Information per pancake without onions:
Calories: 78.7 Fat: 5.4 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 4.1 g

You can add in bacon bits if you like. Or add in 1/2 cup cooked shredded cabbage for an Irish touch.

Tip: If you don’t want the fats in the oil, you can also put these on a baking sheet, spread into circles and bake in a 365 degree oven until they are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Extras heat up easily in the microwave or you can put them in a skillet with a little butter for a couple of minutes on each side. Put two together and make a sandwich with ham, turkey, chicken or beef and mayonnaise, more cheese, and other add-ins of your choice.

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Delightful Summer Vegetable Salad

Summertime is a great time for all kinds of salads. Looking for a substitute for potato salad to take on a picnic? This one might do the trick.It’s light, low caloried, and low carb’d, and it tastes wonderful. Like most seasoned items, it tastes better the longer it sits in the ‘fridge to allow the flavors to really come through, so allow several hours to chill if you can.

Originally, I spotted this recipe on Foxes Love Lemons website and I thought it looked delicious, so I wanted to adapt it for low carb. It was a pepe pasta recipe and the pasta is too high in carbs, so I pulled out the versatile cauliflower to stand in for it. After tasting it, I added in sliced radishes to give it a little more crunch and flavor and I also added in a little cayenne pepper. You can add sweet peppers for more flavor and color burst. If you prefer your salad dressing a little on the sweet side, add a teaspoon or two of sugar substitute when you mix the dill dressing.

By the way, the dill dressing is lovely for dipping vegetables in for a party. I cut back the amount of buttermilk for this as it made quite a lot, so unless you like your salad completely doused with dressing, the amount below should be enough.

This dish is good for all phases of Atkins except for Induction.  For induction, you can substitute the buttermilk with heavy cream and add more seasonings or make a straight mayonnaise dressing.

Vegetable Summer Salad

2 cups riced Cauliflower
2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
1 Leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 bunch Asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Baby Corn, chopped
1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Radishes, sliced
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped (optional)

Dill Dressing

1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute (optional)
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried fill or 1 tablespoon fresh Dill
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

If using purchased pre-riced cauliflower, cook according to directions on the package. Many of these are in steam bags that can be microwaved or cooked in a pot.

If ricing fresh cauliflower, put in a food processor and pulse until you have rice-sized pearls. Put in a microwave safe bowl, add a tablespoon of water, and cover. Microwave for about 2 minutes to cook the cauliflower. Set aside.

Cut all the vegetables up before starting so they are ready to go.

In a large pot or deep skillet, melt the butter, then add the leeks and sauté until they are softened, then add the cut asparagus spears. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the asparagus are just slightly tender. If using red peppers, add them when you add the asparagus.

Stir in the baby corn pieces and cauliflower and mix it well. Remove from the heat. Add radishes and grape tomatoes.

Mix the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until they are well blended. Taste for seasonings. If you want any of the flavors stronger, add a little more.

Put the vegetable mixture in a large salad bowl and pour the dressing over it. Toss to mix the dressing into the salad. Chill in refrigerator for at least two hours. Can be prepared up to two days in advance of serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings, 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup.

Nutrition Information per serving (6 servings):
Calories: 114 Fat: 7.5 g Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 2.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving (8 servings):
Calories: 85.5 Fat: 5.6 g Net Carbs: 5.2 g Protein: 2.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving with sweet peppers (8 servings):
Calories: 86.7 Fat: 5.6 g Net Carbs: 5.5 g Protein: 2.1 g

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Make this delicious one skillet meal

Sometimes it’s nice to have a meal you can prepare in one skillet. No mess, no fuss, but a simply delicious dinner. This recipe that I adapted came from Green Giant and it fits the bill nicely.

Did you know that Green Giant is now making riced cauliflower? I didn’t until recently. You can buy it in a 7 oz. bag in produce or in two varieties of riced cauliflower with other ingredients in the freezer section. So far, I haven’t tried those freezer versions, but when I do, I’ll post a review. You can also buy riced cauliflower from other manufacturers. This is great news since it means that companies are noticing that more people are using cauliflower for rice, cous cous, pizza crust, and mashed potato substitutes, and they are beginning to make it easier for us. Not that popping partially cooked cauliflower in the food processor is a problem. But quick and easy is good, right?

So anyway, the cauliflower wasn’t what I adapted in this recipe, but I added in two ingredients – the kohlrabi or broccoli stems and sweet peppers. Kohlrabi stems are those long tendrils that come out of the top of the vegetable and remain a little crunchy even when cooked, but still bring a touch of broccoli flavor. If you can’t find kohlrabi, and sometimes it isn’t easy, then cut up some broccoli stems. It’s worth it for the added pop in the dish.

Simple Chicken, Vegetables, and Cauli-rice

2 tablespoons 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.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 236.4 Fat: 12.4 g Net Carbs: 4.0 g Protein: 25.1 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Italian Inspired Recipes, Pork, Poultry, Recipes

White Pizza for a change of pace

Every once in a while, a body wants a packed-with-goodness pizza. That’s not always easy to do when you’re watching your carbohydrates. But it’s not impossible. You can use a couple of substitutes for the pizza crust that are pretty good, like chicken, portobello mushrooms, sliced eggplant, low carb tortillas, and this one I used for this recipe, a cauliflower pizza. Now, if you don’t like cauliflower, then choose one of the other options and just follow the toppings part of the recipe.

I made a vegetable-packed white sauce pizza. In this case the white sauce is simply an Alfredo pasta sauce. I used Classico because it is pretty low in carbs, but there are others that are also good for it. Check the jar and if it is around 3 net carbs per 1/4 cup, you’re in the ballpark. The taste of this is really great and the vegetables can be pretty flexible to what you like on it. Want it completely vegetarian, leave off the chicken and bacon, but it will have cheese. I’ve listed the carb counts for the crust separate from the toppings and the total combined as well. The crust is good for any pizza you’d like to make.

White Sauce Vegetable and Chicken Pizza

For the Pizza Cauliflower Crust
2 1/2 cups Cauliflower, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon Ground Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil

For the Toppings:
1/2 cup Brussels sprouts, sliced or shredded
1/2 cup Mushrooms, pieces or slices
1/2 cup Kale, chopped or torn
1/2 cup Spinach, chopped or torn
3 tablespoons Bell Peppers, chopped
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 cup Alfredo sauce (Classico)
1 cup Chicken Breast, cooked and sliced or shredded
2 slices Thick Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Crust:

Put your raw cauliflower in the food processor and pulse until it resembles rice or couscous. Or you can grate it by hand with a food grater. Put the grated cauliflower on a clean towel (flour sack towers are great for this), fold the towel over the cauliflower and squeeze to get as much water as possible out of the vegetable.

Put the dried cauliflower in a bowl and add the parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, and dried basil. Mix in the egg, a dash of salt, and stir until completely blended. You can form it into ball at this point.

Put a sheet of parchment paper over a round stone or on a baking sheet. I used a baking pan lined with foil and it also works. Spray the foil with baking spray before you put the cauliflower in it. Shape the cauliflower dough into round pizza or a rectangle. Press it firmly together.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the crust is a golden brown. Pull it out and let it rest about five minutes, then add your toppings.

Vegetable Pizza

Prepare all the vegetables while the crust is cooking. Only the chicken and bacon are pre-cooked, although you can parboil the Brussels sprouts if you cut them in slices so that they aren’t too crunchy. Put them in a pan of boiling water for three minutes, then rinse in cold water and drain. OR put them in a bowl in the microwave for three minutes then drain.

Before the final cheese is spread and the pizza cooked.
Before the final cheese is spread and the pizza cooked.

Spread half of the Mozzarella cheese over the crust, then spread the Alfredo sauce over the top of that. Distribute the chicken and vegetables evenly over the crust and top with the bacon pieces. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella over the top and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Cut and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving (crust and toppings):
Calories: 418 Fat: 26.2 g Net Carbs: 9.7 g Protein: 36.4 g

Nutrition Information per serving (crust only):
Calories: 92.5 Fat: 5.1 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g Protein: 8.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving (toppings only):
Calories: 325.8 Fat: 21.1 g Net Carbs: 7.2 g Protein: 28.3 g