Today, March 4 of 2014 is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday and marks the feast day that starts Lent. Traditionally, it is a day of feasting before the fast, but in New Orleans, Louisiana, it’s time to party while you feast. Around our house, we don’t wait for this time of year to dine on Cajun-style food.

I had a recipe that I got from our local grocery store for a Cajun Style Ham casserole dish. With a few tweaks, it easily became a low carb version of the recipe. Give it a try if you want to bring some spicy, Cajun style flavor into your dinner.

Cajun Ham and Greens Skillet

This recipe from Raleys grocery store originally called for black eyed peas, which are not very low in carbohydrates. I substituted in kohlrabi, plus added different greens and fresh asparagus to the recipe and used canned tomatoes in place of fresh. You could also use turnips or celery root in place of the kohlrabi.

1 1/2 cups Ham or Turkey Ham, diced
1 tablespoon Olive Oil,
3/4 cup Celery, chopped
1/3 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 cup Leeks
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers chopped
1/2 cup Stewed Tomatoes
1/2 cup cup Kohlrabi, cubed & parboiled for 5 minutes to pre-cook
2 to 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 cup Turnip Greens, Collard Greens or Spinach, chopped
3/4 cup Cabbage, fresh, chopped (optional)
1 cup Asparagus, cut into pieces

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet and add onions, leeks and celery and saute until tender. Stir in the sweet peppers, kohlrabi and tomatoes. Add the Cajun seasoning and stir well. Stir in the ham, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to make sure it isn’t burning and that there is still enough liquid. If not add about 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth to the pan. Check the kohlrabi to see if it is fork tender. If so, then add the asparagus and cabbage and cook another 5 minutes, then add the greens and cook and stir until they are wilted.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Nutrition Info: 6 servings
Calories: 112.8 Fat: 6.1 g Net Carbs: 5.8 g Protein: 7.4 g
4 servings
Calories: 169 Fat: 9.1 g Net Carbs: 8.6 g Protein: 11.2 g

Posted on 3/4/2014