Tag Archives: chicken

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.

Atkins Diet Tips, Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Healthy Life, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Induction Eating Plan Day 13

Almost to the end of this crazy plan to record the two week induction menus and recipes. The plan is going great and I think I am losing weight. I haven’t weighed but my pants are fitting looser and I am feeling pretty good. So without further comment, let’s get to the menu plan for Day 13.

Food NC
breakfast Bacon Omelet with zucchini 2.9
3 Mini donuts 4.5
Tea 0
Lunch Sausage Chicken Pizza 2.9
snack 5 slices salami 1
Baby Bell cheese 0
dinner chicken cauli-mac 7.5
18.8

 

Breakfast is a yummy egg omelet. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t like eggs because they are a mainstay on a low carb diet. Luckily, there are many ways to prepare them. You can make an endless variety of omelets. This one is very good and easy to make.

Bacon Omelet with Zucchini

2 large Eggs
1 slice thick cut Bacon
1 Green Onion, chopped
1/4 cup of Zucchini, chopped
1/3 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tablespoon Butter

Cook the bacon either in a pan or by my preferred method which is on a paper towel on a bacon pan in the microwave. Get the bacon crisp but not overdone. Let it cool, then break it into pieces.

In a small bowl, break the two eggs and beat them with a teaspoon of water until they are mixed well.

In an omelet pan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the onion and zucchini to cook for two or three minutes until they are just softened. Remove from the skillet. Add the eggs and stir them around the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula, then let them set. As they cook around the edges, lift the edge up so that more of the liquid can run under the omelet to cook. Repeat this several time so it builds the omelet in layers. When the middle is almost done, spread the bacon and vegetables down the middle then add the cheese, reserving a little for the top. Fold the omelet over the filling, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, then cover with a lid for about one minute to melt the cheese.

Serve. Makes one serving.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 366.6 Fat: 28.9g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 23.3 g

Next up, I had a late morning snack of three mini-donuts. I got one of those mini-donut makers and just had to try it out. While I can’t say for certain that this is on induction, I can say the ingredients are low carb. Atkins doesn’t endorse specific brands and CarbQuick falls into an actual flour substitute item, so it might be pushing it to eat this on induction. But after you’re past the two weeks, feel free to try them.

Pumpkin Mini-Donuts

Based on and adapted from Baby Cakes mini doughnut recipe by me.

2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or other brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute (Erythiol or other sugar alcohol)
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup
1 Egg, large
1/2 cup Pumpkin puree
3/4 cup CarbQuick
1/4 cup Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Plug in the mini donut maker and let it warm while you mix. If you’re using a mini-donut pan, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.)

In a medium bowl, beat butter, brown sugar sub, and sugar substitute together. Beat in egg, pumpkin, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Hand beat or use a mixer to get it smooth. In another bowl, mix the flour, protein powder, baking powder, and baking soda together. Stir into the butter and egg mixture and blend well.

Use about 1 tablespoon per donut well and drop the dough into the well. Bake about 3 minutes until the steam no longer is visible from the donut maker. Use a toothpick to check; if the toothpick comes out clean, the donut is done. Lift the doughnut with a toothpick and slide onto the handle of a wooden spoon or dowel for transport to a wire rack.

Place donuts on the rack to cool and make the next batch. When cool, dip in the Maple Glaze icing.

Maple Glaze

1/2 cup Powdered sugar substitute (like Swerve)
1/2 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup

To make Icing:
Put powdered sugar in a small bowl, add sugar-free maple syrup, and cream. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. If it is too thick, add a little more water until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze, then put them back on the rack to dry.

Makes 24 donuts.

Nutrition information per donut:
Calories: 38.7 Fat: 2.5 g Net Carbs: 1.5 g Protein: 2.5 g

Then we come to dinner and the highlight of the day. I love macaroni and cheese, but it is difficult to find a low carb macaroni and certainly not one that will work on induction. This recipe uses cauliflower as a stand in for the macaroni. It works and it’s delicious unless you hate cauliflower. Give it a try for a great one dish meal.

Chicken, Cauli-mac and Cheese

1 clove Garlic, minced
12 oz Cauliflower
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 cup Classic Cheddar Jack Cheese
1/8 tsp Original Pepper Sauce
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped

12 oz raw Chicken Breast
2 Scallions
1 slice bacon, crumbled
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 375º F.  Spray a 1 quart baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a shallow pan, precook the chicken breast for about 40 minutes until it is done and any juices from them run clear. Let cool, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Cook the bacon until it is crispy, let cool, then break into pieces.

Bring a large sauce pot with 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Add to the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes then drain in a colander. Spread on paper towels to dry. Alternately, you can place the cauliflower in a microwavable bowl and cook for three minutes until the cauliflower is crisp tender. Then pour off an water from the pot and spread the cauliflower on paper towels. You want it as dry as possible.

Put a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-high heat and pour in the whipping cream.When the cream is almost to a boil, add the cream cheese and powdered mustard and whisk it into the cream until smooth. Add half of the shredded Cheddar cheese, garlic, half of the salt and pepper, and the Tabasco sauce. Whisk for about two minutes until he cheese melts and is blended.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cauliflower. Then stir in the chicken, bacon pieces, and vegetables. Pour into the baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories; 564.4 Fat: 36.1g Net Carbs: 7.5g Protein: 50.2g

One more day to go. See you with another recipe then.

 

 

 

Appetizers, Atkins Diet Tips, Breakfast & Brunch, Healthy Life, Poultry, Vegetables & Salads

Induction Eating Plan Day 8

First day of the second week and I am hanging in there. I feel some of the limitations of Induction, but it isn’t bad. It includes a repeat and lunch out. PK and I went to the movies, so we stopped by Skipilini’s after seeing “Wonder Woman” and had our favorite appetizer, bacon wrapped jalapenos, along with a salad.

Here’s the menu for the day:

Day 8
Food NC
breakfast Cloud muffin 2
Sugar–free Jam 2.5
Coffee with creamer 1
Lunch Caesar Salad 2.8
Chicken 0
2 1/2 Jalapeno Poppers 1.7
Iced tea 0
Dinner Tilapia 0
GG mashed cauliflower with bacon and cheddar 4
sauteed greens 2
dessert pumpkin mousse 3
19

 

Breakfast was the Atkins cloud muffin from Day 4, but I toasted it and put 1/2 tablespoon of Smuckers Sugar-free Apricot Jam on it. Bliss!  For lunch, we had the aforementioned salad with the poppers. I’m including the easy to make recipes for these for home use. I had iced tea with liquid sucralose so 0 carbs on that.

For dinner, I made seasoned tilapia and served 1/3 cup of Green Giant mashed cauliflower with bacon and cheddar cheese with it. I also sauteed some greens, namely spinach and beet leaves with 1/4 cup of grated daikon radish. Recipes follow.

Your alternate breakfast option is:

Bacon and Avocado Omelet

3 or 4 large Eggs
1/2 Haas Avocado, cut into slices
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese
4 tablespoons Southwest Style Salsa (optional)
4 slices thick Bacon, broken into pieces
Dash Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Water

Break eggs into a bowl, add water, seasoning salt and pepper. Beat until foamy. Heat a medium-size round bottom pan or omelet pan with 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.

Add eggs and let cook for a couple of minutes until the egg sets on the bottom, then begin lifting the edges with the spatula and tilting the pan so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. Repeat, working your way around the pan. Keep lifting and tilting until most of the liquid egg is gone. This builds a fluffier omelet.

Evenly distribute the bacon and most of the cheese down the one-half of the omelet. Use the spatula to lift and fold the omelet over the top. Reduce heat to low and put a lid over the pan. Let cook for about 3 minutes in order to melt the cheese.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheese over the top. Cut the omelet in half and serve each half with 2 tablespoons of salsa and half the avocado slices. If you wish, you can heat the salsa before serving.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Info per servings
Calories: 430 Fat: 35.3 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 23.5 g

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Peppers

These are Skipolini’s bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers, but the recipe is similar. They can also be grilled rather than broiled.

Jalapeno Peppers, 5 pepper (remove)
2 tablespoons Cream Cheese, softened.
5 slices of thin Bacon
1/4 teaspoon BBQ Seasoning of choice

Set broiler to 485 degrees (F.)

Cut the peppers open on one side and remove the seeds if you don’t want them too spicy.

In a small bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon of BBQ seasoning to the cream cheese and stir until it is completely mixed in.

Put the bacon on a paper towel on a plate and put in the microwave for one minute to partially cook. This will make it easier for it to get crisp without over-cooking the pepper.

Stuff each pepper with the cream cheese mixture, then wrap with the partially cooked bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Put on a sheet of aluminum foil under the broiler and cook for three to five minutes per side until the bacon is crisp.

Let cool a couple of minutes, then serve. Makes two servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 185 Fat: 16.5 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 6.5 g

Caesar Salad

One of the best spots for good recipes is AllRecipes.com, so I am going to give you the link to a good Caesar Salad recipe.  However, omit the croutons. They are not on the low carb diet at this point and quite possibly never again.

Broiled Tilapia Filet

The beet leaves are intent on dying everything pink.

PK and I weren’t all that hungry after our late lunch, so I split one filet down the middle for dinner, but feel free to make a full filet per person. They are carb free.

2 Tilapia Fish Filets or other white fish of choice
1 tablespoon of Butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Sprinkle of Salt
Dash of Pepper

Rinse and dry the fish, then use a spoon to pour butter and lemon juice on the top. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on the broiler pan then place the filets with the butter side face down. Spread the lemon butter over the side that is now exposed to the flames.

Broil for about 5 minutes, then turn and broil for another 5 minutes on the other side. Test for doneness with a fork. The fish should flake, but not be dry.

Use a pancake turner (spatula) to move to a warm serving plate. Add vegetables and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories:134.2 Fat:7.3 g Net Carbs:0.1 g Protein: 18.1 g

 

 

 

Atkins Diet Tips, Healthy Life

Atkins Induction Eating Plan – Day 1

One of the questions that’s often come up on the Atkins support list on Facebook is what can I eat while I’m on Induction? People want menu ideas and recipes. Believe it or not, many delicious and satisfying meals come in at under 5 to 8 net carbs.

Recently, I decided to go back to Induction to try to get the weight loss kick started after gaining back about 25 lbs of my loss. Many factors contributed to this over the past year, such as eating out frequently, experimenting with new recipes, and some stress eating in the OMG, I have to try that! category. Now I have about 20 lbs more than I want on my body. So I’m going back to phase 1 to get back on track and I decided to document everything I eat for the next two weeks.

Even better, I am going to post my meals each day and give your the recipes or links to the recipes. I’ll even tell you which brands I use on some low carb items.

Day 1

To start this off, yesterday, June 6, 2017, this is what I had for each meal.

Breakfast:
Cream cheese pancakes, with butter and zero carb maple syrup (Mrs. Butterworth’s) and 2 strips of bacon. I also had a cup of coffee with 1 teaspoon creamer and liquid sweetener.
Total net carbs: 4

You can find the Cream Cheese Pancakes recipe here. I did make an adjustment or two to it, but I’ll post those changes in a couple of days when I make them again.

Lunch:

I had a quesadilla made with 1 slice of 1/4″ thick ham, 1 slice Swiss cheese, and a low carb whole wheat tortilla cooked in 1 tablespoon butter.
Total net carbs: 4 g

Super simple recipe and here’s how you do it. Sorry, I didn’t take a photo so next time, I’ll do that and post it here.

Ham and Cheese Quesadilla

1/2 slice 1/4″ thick Ham (5″ diameter slice)
1 slice Swiss Cheese
1 Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortilla (3 nc)
1 tablespoon Butter

In a heavy skillet, warm the tortilla so it is pliable, then remove and melt the 1/2 of the butter. Put the ham and cheese slice alongside the middle of the tortilla and fold it over to form a pocket, like a turnover. Cook in the butter for about three to four minutes until the cheese begins to melt and the tortilla is lightly browned. Turn the pocket over and add the rest of the butter, sliding the tortilla around in the skillet to get the butter on it. (Alternately, you can butter the tortilla top while it is cooking, then just flip it over.)

Cook another three to four minutes until the bottom side is browned. Remove to a serving plate.

Makes 1 serving

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 150 Fat: 9.0 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 15 g

Dinner:

I had Roasted Chicken Thigh with Spicy Seasoning, 1/2 cup Broccoli spears with butter, and 1 cup Green Salad with Romaine lettuce, spinach, chopped zucchini, chopped cucumber, and 1/4 of an avocado chopped and 2 tablespoons Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing (0 carbs). Total net carbs: 6.1 g

For a night time sweet, I had two pieces of Russell Stovers Miniatures Chocolate Candy – 0 net carbs.
Total for the day: 17.1 net carbs

That included the 1 nc for my chewable Vitamin B12. Must look for sugar free next time I buy.

Simple Roast Chicken

(Pictured at the top of the page)

2 large Chicken Thighs or Breasts, skin on
1/2 tablespoon Spicy Rub (0 net carbs) *
Butter-flavored Cooking Spray or 1 tablespoon Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 385 degrees (F.) Put a sheet of aluminum foil over a deep-sided pan, such as a jelly roll pan or a pie dish.

Wash the chicken pieces and dry with a paper towel. Place on the aluminum foil and spray the pieces on top or brush melted butter over them. If any of the skin is tucked under the chicken piece, pull it out and spread it on the sheet so that it will crisp. Pat the seasoning into each piece of chicken.

Put in oven and cook for 50 minutes. Check that the chicken is done and the skin is crisp. Remove from the oven and let sit about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (thigh):
Calories: 92.1 Fat: 7.1 g Net Carbs: 0.0 Protein: 6.8 g

Nutrition information per serving (breast):
Calories: 300.4 Fat: 19.2 g Net Carbs: 0.0 g Protein: 30.3 g

The chicken breast is actually 2 half breasts, which is how they are usually sold. If you find small chicken thighs rather than the bigger, plump ones, then count two thighs as one serving.

* I use Blazin’ Blends Zesty Seasoned Salt, 0 calories and 0 carbohydrates

Close up of the green salad.

Green Salad with Zucchini & Avocado

1 1/2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup chopped Spinach leaves
1/4 cup Zucchini, chopped
1/2 medium-sized Cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 Haas Avocado, peeled
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
2 to 4 tablespoons Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch Dressing

In a large bowl, preferably with a lid, combine the lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and zucchini. Cut the avocado into small pieces and place in a small bowl, then add the lemon juice. This will help to prevent it from going brown. Put the rest of the avocado in a plastic baggie with a little lemon juice.

Put the lid on the bowl and toss the salad to mix the vegetables in. Serve on the plate or in a salad bowl, then top with the avocado. Pour chipotle ranch dressing over the top.

Makes two 1 servings.

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 53.9 g Fat: 3.4 g Net Carbs: 1.6 g Protein: 1.5 g

Come back tomorrow for Day 2 on Induction.

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