Tag Archives: low carb recipes

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Summery Squash Side Dish

It’s summer squash season, not that we can’t get a lot of these tasty vegetables year-round these days, but in summer the produce seems especially plentiful. I’ve done zucchini chips, sautes, stir-fries, and other ways to prepare the squash. Recently, I saw a recipe for corn souffle, using fresh corn. Why not squash? I asked myself. And immediately adapted the recipe to a mix of summer squash. This recipe makes four servings, a little over 1/2 cup per serving, but use a 1 cup souffle dish since it will rise and then collapse.

With just the two of us to eat them, I stored 2 cooked ones in the ‘fridge for a couple of days and the herbs seemed to settle into it better making it more flavorful, so don’t be shy about making it one day and eating it a day or two later. You can also prepare it ahead of time and cook it later in the day to save time. This is a great side dish with chicken, steak, pork chops or seafood.

Summer Squash Souffle

3 cups chopped Zucchini, Crookneck, or other Summer Squash
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
2 large Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 tablespoons Bacon Pieces (1 slice, optional)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Chopped Chives or Parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F.). Prepare the ramekins (souffle dishes) by spraying with cooking spray, going all the way up the sides.

Put all the ingredients except the bacon and the chives or parsley into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until mixed, then turn on long enough to make a smooth puree.

Divide evenly among the four ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the bacon bits and chives or parsley over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until they are puffed and golden. Take a photo immediately because they will fall as soon as they begin to cool. The sooner you serve them, the fluffier they look.

Makes four yummy servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories:166.5 Fat: 13.3 g Net Carbs: 3.7 g Protein: 8.4 g

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Variation on a theme: Artichoke & Bacon Chicken Alfredo

Last week, I posted a recipe for the pizza version of Artichoke and Bacon with Chicken. But this is also a great dish when made in a skillet without the pizza crust. It’s easy to make and can be made in one pan, or one skillet and a baking pan.  This one has gone into our make frequently file.  Trust me, it’s that good. My recipe.

Artichoke, Bacon & Spinach Chicken Alfredo

2 skinless Chicken Breasts (about 12 to 16 oz)
2 slices Thick Sliced Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces.
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts
1/4 cup fresh Spinach leaves
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese, whole milk
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, whole milk, shredded
1/2 cup  Vodka Pasta Sauce or other low carb Alfredo Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 365 degrees (F.).

Generously sprinkle the chicken breaks with seasoning salt and pepper. Cut the chicken breasts across the meat part way through without going all the way through to leave four pockets along the length. This is similar to Hasselback chicken.

Take one or two spinach leaves and add 1/2 tablespoon ricotta cheese in the middle, then fold and put into one of the cuts in the chicken. Repeat seven times, placing one spinach packet in each of your cuts. Divide the bacon into eight groups and stuff into each of the cuts.

The chicken before the sauce and cheese are added to the pan. You can just see the ricotta and spinach leaves peeking out from the slits.

In a skillet that can go into the oven, such as a cast iron one, add one tablespoon Olive oil and place each breast in the pan and brown slightly on the bottom, about three minutes. Distribute cut up artichoke hearts over the chicken and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Spoon the Alfredo sauce over the top, spreading it smoothly over the chicken, then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove, let cool about five minutes to allow the cheese to set, then serve.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per servings (2 servings):
Calories: 518 Fat: 30.2 g Net Carbs:5.0 g Protein: 55.3 g

Breads, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetarian

Creating a pizza like take and bake

All during the Olympics, I kept seeing an advertisement for a take and bake pizza with chicken, bacon, and artichoke hearts.  Man, did my taste buds scream for a piece of that.  Instead of giving in to the urge to buy a high carb pizza, I made a low carb one instead.  In fact, I made it two ways that are very similar, but both are filled with more meat and vegetables than the take and bake version.  Here’s how I made mine.

For the crust, I used LC Foods low carb pizza crust that you can purchase pre-made or buy the pizza flour mix and make your own.  You can also use a cauliflower pizza crust, a chicken pizza crust, or this flax meal flat bread crust.  I wouldn’t recommend the chicken crust since you’re putting chicken on top, but it would still work.

Pre-cook the crust as described in the previous links so it is partially cooked.

Made with zucchini and asparagus added.

Chicken, Bacon, Artichoke, Zucchini and Asparagus Pizza

For the toppings:
1 cup cooked Chicken Breast or Thighs, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of thick-sliced Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce, such as Barilla (look for lowest carb one)
1 Zucchini, thinkly sliced
4 spears Aspargus, medium spears, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Crushed Red Chile Peppers, dried (optional)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F.)

Put pizza crust on a pizza stone or pan, then spread with the Alfredo sauce, taking it as close to the edge as possible. Put the zucchini slices on top of the sauce, placing them evenly around the pizza. Distribute the chicken next, then the artichoke hearts, followed by the asparagus pieces. Sprinkle the crushed red peppers on, if you wish, then cover the top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese now or add it after the pizza comes out of the oven.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. I kind of like my cheese a little more crusty, so I cook it a little longer. Let cool for 5 minutes for the cheese to firm up, then cut and serve.

Makes eight slices or four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving (without crust):
Calories: 230 Fat: 15.2 g Net Carbs:4.2 g Protein: 16.5 g

Made with spinach added.

Chicken, Bacon, Artichoke and Spinach Pizza

Variation on the basic pizza:

1 cup cooked Chicken Breast or Thighs, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of thick-sliced Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce, such as Barilla (look for lowest carb one)
1 cup Baby Spinach
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Make the same way as above, but replace the zucchini layer with spinach leaves.

Makes eight slices or four servings.

Nutrition Information per serving(without crust):
Calories:222 Fat:5.2 Net Carbs: 2.7 g Protein: 16.1

Depending on the type of crust you use, the carb count will vary from about 1 net carb to 3 net carbs additional. The LC Foods pizza crust is 3 net carbs.

Want to go vegetarian? Leave off the bacon and the chicken and add more zucchini and asparagus or spinach to the pizza, along with a cup of the artichoke hearts.

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Southern Treat of Oven-fried Green Tomatoes

My first post for August and I’m sorry about that.  It’s been a busy couple of weeks with my mini-cookbook, Breakfast Choices for a Low Carb Lifestyle coming out at the end of July followed by an unexpected medical issue last week that left me with a bandaged face and poor vision.  Doing better now, so I want to get a recipe up that I hope you will enjoy.

If you’re from the southern United States, you’ve probably counted Fried Green Tomatoes as one of the best things about tomatoes in the spring and summer. They are picked before they begin changing colors and the larger, the better. Slice them about 1/4 inch thick and dip them in seasoned flour to create a special treat made the low carb way. I did try to fry these, but the flour and egg mixture didn’t want to stay on the tomato. It’s a problem I’ve encountered before with using low carb flours. But if you bake them in a hot oven, they get crispy and delicious.

Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes

1 Green Tomato, medium to large
1/4 cup Coconut Flour or other Low Carb Flour
1/3 cup Flax Meal
1 large Egg
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, grated
Pinch Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Spicy Red Chili seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Slice the tomato into four to six slices, about 1/3 inch thick.
Put the almond flour into a saucer. Break the egg into a bowl and beat with a little water. In another saucer, put the flax meal, Parmesan cheese and seasonings.

Dip each slice in the flour, then in the egg and then the flax mixture, pressing the flax into the tomato until it sticks.

Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each slice. If you don’t have enough flax mixture, add a little more plus more seasoning. This can vary with the size of the tomato slices.

Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until the slices are sizzling and golden brown.

Serve with a mayonnaise-based dressing or a low carb Ranch Dressing. Delicious as a side dish or as a snack.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 249 Fat: 18.3 g Net Carbs: 4.6 g Protein: 12.1 g

Note: You can fry these instead of baking them, but I had trouble with the batter staying on the slices when they are fried. If you wish to fry, use a small pan and add about 1/4 inch of oil to it.

Desserts, Recipes

Low Carb Fruit Mini-pies are possible

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Ever wished for a little mini-pie to satisfy your sweet tooth, then looked at the carb count on the package of one of those pre-made ones?  Yikes!  One of the them can run around 70 net carbs for an apple one.

But you can make a low carb one at home fairly easily.  How, you may ask? Using low carb flours and sugar substitute really brings the carb count down.  Apples are a high carb fruit, but you can make a low carb apple mini-pie (or turnover) for under 10 net carbs.  I definitely don’t recommend this for anyone who is still losing weight and on phases 1-3 of the Atkins plan.  But for those who are on maintenance or have a high daily net carb count, this recipe will give you a great little pie. Just don’t make a habit of it.

You can use the same recipe for other fruit pies, such as peach, cranberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry.  Of these options, raspberry is the lowest carb count, coming in around 4 net carbs per pie. I broke open the crust in the photo so you could see how flaky the crust is and how good the fruit looks.

Low Carb Fruit Mini-Pies

1 Gala or other semi-tart Apple or 1 cup of other fruit
2 tablespoons chopped Pecans or Walnuts
2 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Diet Cranberry Juice
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
2 tablespoon Brown Sugar Substitute

1/2 cup Low Carb Baking Mix
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
2 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
3 tablespoons Shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons Cold Water

Make the pie crust by mixing the flours together in a small and cutting in the shortening until it resembles crumbs. Add enough water to pull the flour mix together into a ball. Wrap in wax paper and put in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.

While the dough is chilling, make the filling. Peel the apple, if you wish, and cut into thin slices or chop it, whichever you prefer. Melt butter in a skillet and add the apples, nuts, cranberry juice, brown sugar and seasonings and stir together, continuing to cook and stir for about five minutes. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool until the dough is done.

Before you take the dough out, preheat the oven to 265 degrees (F.). Prepare four muffin wells by spraying with baking spray.

Separate dough into five balls. Dough should not be sticky. Place a piece of waxed paper on a bread board and put a little low carb flour on it. Press the dough into a small round, then put another sheet of waxed paper over the top and roll until you have about a three-inch in diameter crust. Press into a well of the muffin tin. Repeat with three more balls of dough. Use a fork to poke a few vents in the bottom of the crust.

Spoon 1/4 of the filling into each of the muffin wells and top with 1 teaspoon of butter. Now, take the fifth ball of dough and split it into four smaller balls. Roll each one into a round that is large enough for the top of the muffin tin. Place the top dough on each pie in the tin and seal the edges. Poke a couple of holes in the top with the fork or a knife.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown. Remove and let cool about 10 minutes. Serve with a scoop of low carb ice cream or a tablespoon of whipped cream topping.

Makes four mini-pies.

Nutrition Information per Apple pie:
Calories: 320.5 Fat:23.3 Net Carbs: 9.6 g Protein: 11.5 g

Nutrition Information per Peach pie:
Calories: 307.2 Fat:23.3 g Net Carbs: 6.6 g Protein: 11.6 g

Nutrition Information Raspberry pie:
Calories: 276.4 Fat:22.7 g Net Carbs: 4.0 g Protein: 11.9 g