Tag Archives: mushrooms

Asian Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Meatless Asian Stir-Fry is Yummy

Photo: Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry

An Asian stir-fry is a great way to make a vegetable dish that is full of flavor and satisfying. Since meatless Monday allows seafood, you could add shrimp or white fish to this easy stir-fry, but I made it strictly vegetarian.

The biggest part of making a stir-fry dish is prepping all the food before hand. With this many vegetables, you need to get them all cut and ready to go. I split mine into groups — the onions, garlic, and ginger first, then the bell peppers. The next group has the vegetables that take longer to cook, broccoli, carrots, and Daikon. The last group is zucchini. Then add the liquid and thickener and cook before adding the mushrooms to cook a bit before adding the bean sprouts.

I used an Asian Chile paste for a spicy bite, but it is optional. Omit if you prefer a milder dish. You can serve this over riced cauliflower or lightly sauteed angel hair cabbage if you wish.

If you want a non-meatless version, add chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp to the recipe. Cook the meats either before cooking the vegetables or mid-way through the cooking, before adding the zucchini, by shoving the vegetables to the edges of the pan, adding a little more oil and putting the meat into to middle to quickly sear. Stir them in and continue the recipe. If adding shrimp, wait until you add the mushrooms as the shrimp will cook in about five minutes.

Broccoli and Mushroom Stir-Fry

Photo: Stir-fry in the pan

1 cup fresh Broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Bell Peppers, sliced into strips
1 cup Bean sprouts
1/2 cup Daikon Radish, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup Zucchini, sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Asian Chile Paste (optional)
1/2 tablespoon Corn Starch
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 tablespoon Ginger, shredded or use paste
2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
1 cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
1/4 cup Carrots, sliced into strips

Cut all vegetables as indicated and have them ready to go. Stir-fry comes together quickly.

In a wok or a deep skillet, add 1 tablespoon to heat, then add the minced garlic and onions. Stir and cook until they are fragrant, then add the sliced bell peppers and ginger, and cook a couple of minutes longer.

Add broccoli, carrots, and Daikon and stir to mix well. Cook and stir for about five minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for a few minutes. Add the vegetable broth and soy sauce and stir into the vegetables. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the vegetables until almost tender.

Meanwhile, add about 1/4 cup boiling water to the corn starch and stir to dissolve. Add to the skillet and stir it around then add the mushrooms. Cook a few more minutes, then add the bean sprouts last along with the chile paste (if you are using). Cook about two more minutes.

Serve with riced cauliflower if you wish. Makes four servings.

Photo: Nutrition Information

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

E-Z Cauliflower and Chicken Sausage Risotto

Photo: Cauliflower Rice Risotto with Chicken Sausage

Last night, I made a quick dinner using Green Giant’s frozen Riced Cauliflower Risotto Medley with Aidell’s Chicken with Gruyere Sausage in it. While I had a busy day yesterday, the deciding factor in making this meal was that the freezer tossed the risotto package back out on the floor when I put it in, and I didn’t notice. So, when I found it, I had a bag of thawed, but still cold, risotto. It’s not a big production to make, but it’s a good example of how you can manage a delicious quick meal on a low carb diet.

Now, if you want to start from scratch with the riced cauliflower, you can make it by running the cauliflower through the food processor, then chopping about a quarter cup of mushrooms and about three stalks of asparagus up finely. You will need to cook this a little longer than you would the frozen one that is already cooked.

For this version here’s the recipe:

Cauliflower Risotto with Chicken Sausage

1 package Green Giant Riced Veggies Cauliflower Risotto Medley, thawed
2 links Aidells Chicken Sausage – Roasted Garlic & Gruyere Cheese
2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend
1 teaspoon Olive Oil

In a large skillet, add the oil, then add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant. Add the cauliflower medley. Stir for about three minutes, then add the chicken, cream, and about a quarter cup of water. Heat the mixture to a boil, then lower the temperature to a medium simmer. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

Serve with a salad or other side dish. I used a broccoli salad from the grocery store.

Makes 3 servings.

Do you have a recipe that you would like for me to try to adapt to low carb? If so, let me know in the comments and I’ll tell you where to email it.

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Simple Low Carb Cracked Pepper Pork with Mushrooms

This is my take on a very delicious and easy to make restaurant dish.  I started with two pork loin steaks that I cut into three pieces each so they cook a little quicker.  Add freshly ground pepper while cooking and make a delicious pepper sauce to put over the top or return the pork steaks to the pan and smother them in it.  Either way, they are simply delicious and have gone into my “do often” recipe file.

The only real low carb extra in this recipe is the use of a low carb flour for coating the pork and thickening the sauce.  You can omit it completely and just coat the pork with ground pepper, then cook it in butter until it browns and is almost done.  Cook the sauce longer to reduce the liquid until it is thickened.

Cracked Pepper Pork with Mushrooms

3 tablespoons Butter
2 Pork Tenderloin Steaks, cut into three pieces each
Pinch of Salt
2 tablespoons Freshly Ground Peppercorns
2 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
1/4 cup chopped Onion
1 teaspoon chopped Garlic
1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 oz. Burgundy Wine (optional)
2 tablespoons Heavy Cream

Put one tablespoon of low carb flour, 1 tablespoon of ground pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of seasoning salt in a plastic bag and shake it to mix it together. Add the pork pieces and shake to coat with the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 150 to 170 degrees (F). Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and just starting to bubble, add the pork and cook until golden crisp on each side. Remove the pork to a sheet of aluminum foil, wrap and put in the oven to keep warm. Add the rest of the butter to the pan, then add the garlic and chopped onion and sauté a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and continue to cook until they are lightly browned. Add the remaining flour and stir to a paste, then add the chicken broth, wine (if you are using it), remaining pepper and heavy cream. Blend together, then bring the heat up to high and continue to cook and stir until the sauce is thickened.

Arrange the pork on the serving plates and spoon the sauce over the top. Add a little more pepper if you wish. You can also put the pork back into the sauce to warm again before serving.

Makes two large servings or three smaller servings.

Nutrition information per large serving:
   Calories: 502.3 Fat: 35.2g Net Carbs: 6.8 g Protein: 37.9 g

 

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Creamed Salmon with Asparagus and Greens

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Although I’m not a huge fish fan, I do get a craving every now and then and last week, I decided I wanted cream salmon.  I had some asparagus in the house and a mix of turnip greens, spinach, and Swiss Chard, so it seemed like that would be a really good and low carb combination.  It turned out great!  The flavor is delicious and the sauce is light and creamy.  I served over low carb bagels the first time and over Dixie Carb Counters Skinni Spaghetti the next time.

This makes an easy, elegant dinner and if you love salmon, you’ll love this dish.  It can also be made with broccoli instead of asparagus if you wish.  This could be a wonderful dinner for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day.

Need to top the dinner off with a sweet treat?  Try this wonderful Strawberry Cream Torte.

Creamed Salmon with Asparagus and Greens

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons low carb flour
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Asparagus or Broccoli, chopped
2 mini Sweet Peppers, chopped
1 Salmon filet, poached and sliced (8 oz.)
1 cup Mixed Greens (Spinach)
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

In a skillet, put enough water to cover the salmon filet, bring to a boil, then put in the salmon and poach for about 5 minutes until the fish flakes. It doesn’t need to be completely cooked as it will cook more in the sauce.

Remove the salmon and cut or tear into pieces.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter, add the mushroom and saute until lightly browned. Remove mushrooms, then add low carb flour and stir to make a paste. Add the cream and water and stir in until the paste is mixed in. Add seasonings and stir.

In a cup, beat the egg until creamy yellow, then add a tablespoon of the hot cream sauce to it and stir in. Repeat until you’ve added about four tablespoons of the cream, then stir the egg mixture into the cream sauce and continue to stir until mixed. You don’t want the egg to cook, but to blend into the sauce.

Add the mushrooms back into the sauce, then add the sweet peppers and asparagus (or broccoli) and stir together. Cook for about five minutes, then add the salmon and the mixed greens. Cook for another 5 minutes until heated through. Serve over low carb toast, cauli-rice, spaghetti squash or low carb pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition info per serving: (only the recipe)
Calories: 280.5 Fat: 23.8 g Net Carbs: 2.8 g Protein: 13.5 g