Tag Archives: onions

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Sandwiches, Seafood

Quick to Make & Delish Tuna Sandwich

Tuna, egg and cheese melt

It’s been a while since I last posted. A lot happened in my life in June, so it’s taken a while to get back in the rhythm. But I have a new and delicious recipe for you for a simple sandwich with enough enhancements to make it so delicious you’ll want more.

This is actually PK’s recipe, but it is outstanding. Loaded with tuna and eggs mixed into a salad, then topped with cheese and grilled. To finish it off, add fresh cut tomato and cucumber slices. These are optional, but they bring a whole new dimension to the grilled cheese sandwich.

The most difficult part may be getting the low carb bread. Luckily, many grocery stores are now stocking at least one option. OroWheat makes Keto bread that is 3 net carbs a slice, Franz Keto Bread is 1 carb per slice, Kiss My Keto makes 0 carbs a slice, and Timber Wolf Inked Bread makes a fantastic seed bread at 1 carb a slice. The latter is my preferred bread, and I find it at my local Sam’s Club for a reasonable price. You can buy any of these through Amazon, but it’s pricey with the shipping.  I found OroWheat Keto at Smith’s Food Stores (Kroger Foods) and sometimes at Wal-Mart. You can also find bread mixes on Amazon. Just search for Keto Bread. The picture uses the Timber Wolf Seed Bread.  The nutrition information is based on 1 carb per slice, so if you use OroWheat, add 4 more carbs for the bread.

Another bread alternative is to fold it up in a low carb tortilla. It will be about the same carb count.

Grilled Tuna Deluxe Sandwich

1 can white albacore Tuna, water-packed
2 hard boiled Eggs
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar-free Sweet Pickle Relish
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Mustard
2 to 3 tablespoons Red Onion, chopped (optional)
8 slices Tomato, sliced thinly (optional)
16 thin slices Cucumber (optional)
4 slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese
8 slices low carb Bread
Butter for grilling the sandwich (about 2 tablespoons per sandwich)

Mix the Filling:

Drain the tuna and put in a medium bowl. Cut the eggs into smaller pieces then use a fork to mash them and stir them into the tuna. Add pickle relish with juice, mayonnaise, and mustard and mix together. Stir in the onion if you are using it.

Assemble & Cook the Sandwich:

Put 1/4 of the mix on top of 1 slice of bread. Add a slice of cheddar cheese, then put the other slice of bread on top. Butter the outside of the top bread.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot enough for a drop of water to skittle across the surface, add one tablespoon butter and let it melt, then set the sandwich in the pan with the buttered side still on top. Cook a few minutes until the cheese begins to melt. Press down on the top with a spatula and flip the sandwich to the other side. The new top should be golden brown. Cook long enough for the side you just flipped to get lightly browned. Remove to a serving plate.

Lift the top and arrange two slices of tomato and four of the cucumber slices on top. Add extra mayo if you like. Put the top back on, cut in half, and serve.

If you don’t use the tomato and cucumber slices, you will save two grams of carbs. This will also apply if you don’t use the onion.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Nutrition Information

Seafood, Vegetables & Salads

Changing Web Hosts & a Recipe

Avocado and Tuna Salad

Greetings everyone and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I just changed web hosts and finally moved Skinny Girl Bistro to its own domain name instead of bumming off my basic one. So the new place to find Skinny Girl Bistro is www.skinnygirlbistro.online. Could that be easier? I don’t think so. Please change your bookmarks to this new address.

Since the temperature is beginning to climb in various parts of the world, I thought a tasty salad recipe would be welcome about now. This one uses avocado along with apples, onions, celery, nuts and a tuna to make a delicious combination. You can also use chopped or shredded chicken in place of the tuna.

Tuna Salad with Avocado

1 ripe Haas Avocado
2 (5 ounce) cans or packets of flaked Light Tuna
½ medium Red Apple, chopped
½ cup chopped Red Onion
½ cup chopped Celery
¼ cup chopped toasted Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar-free Sweet Pickle Juice
1 teaspoon dried Dill Weed (optional)
½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
¼ teaspoon ground Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut the avocado in half and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the avocado with the back of a fork.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the salt and pepper to your own taste. Put in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour to three hours. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will merge and increase the flavor.

Use a big scoop on top of lettuce for a tuna salad or put it on a low carb sandwich roll.

Makes about 6 servings.

Nutrition Information Avocado Tuna Salad

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Comfort Food Equals Casserole

Photo: Cauliflower and Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Occasionally, I get an urge for some great comfort food. Things like pasta or fried chicken with mashed potatoes. I’ve found ways to make most of them work with substitutes that are lower in carbohydrates. To be honest, nothing is quite like pasta although a few are on the market that are low and taste pretty good.

Still, for a pasta or potato substitute, I keep coming back to the good old cauliflower. When it’s fresh or even frozen, the flavor is mild and works well with sauces. If you let it sit too long in the ‘fridge, it gets a stronger and not as pleasing taste. The same is true with turnips and other related vegetables.

When I saw this recipe for Chicken with Bacon, Ranch Dressing, and Penne Pasta, I was tempted to make it with a lower carb pasta, but I didn’t have any. So, I used cauliflower, and it came out great. Put that one in the make-often file. This uses pre-cooked chicken, store-bought Alfredo sauce and ranch dressing, so it comes together quickly.  I used Great Value (Wal-Mart brand) Alfredo Sauce and Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb spices.

I used my smaller bread loaf/casserole pan to bake this, and it filled it up to the top. I suggest at least 1 quart, but if you add anything else to it, use a 1-1/2 quart baking dish.

Photo: Casserole Dish
I baked this in my small loaf pan. See the beautiful layers of goodness.

Cauliflower & Chicken with Bacon Casserole

10 oz. bag frozen Cauliflower
1 cup Chicken, cooked and cut into small cubes
3/4 cup Alfredo Sauce
3 tablespoons Ranch Dressing
3 slices cooked Thick-sliced Bacon, broken into pieces
1/4 cup Red Onion, chopped or sliced
2-3 Sweet Mini-Peppers
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1 teaspoon Garlic Herb Spices
2 tablespoon chopped Parsley (optional)

Pre-cook the cauliflower according to instructions on the bag. I usually steam mine in the microwave for about two minutes. They do not have to be done, just partially cooked.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare a 1-quart baking dish by buttering the inside or spray with baking spray.

Heat a small skillet, add a splash of olive oil, warm, and add the onions and chopped mini-peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes until onion is partly done.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cauliflower, chicken, bacon, onions, and peppers. Stir in the Alfredo Sauce, ranch dressing, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon into a baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley if you wish.

 

Makes 2 hungry hippo servings or 3 average servings.

Asian Recipes, Beef, Recipes

Easy and tasty Korean Beef Bowl

When you’re looking for something quick and easy to make, especially when it’s warm out and you don’t want to heat up the kitchen too much, try cooking a simple skillet dish.

For a taste of Korean-style food, this easy to make Korean Beef Bowl fits the bill. If you want to make it a little lower in carbohydrates, reduce the soy sauce to 1/4 cup. This reduces it 1 net carb per serving.

Korean Beef Bowl

1 pound lean ground beef
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup Low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Swerve Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 Green Onions, chopped, divided
2 stalks Celery, chopped
4 cups riced Cauliflower, cooked
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Using a large skillet, heat it over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles on it. Add ground beef and use the spatula to cut and crumble it into small pieces. Cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Drain any excess grease from the pan.

Stir in the garlic, ginger, and sesame oil and cook for about 2 minutes until you can smell the seasonings. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and crushed peppers to the pan and cook about another 7 to 8 minutes until some of the beef absorbs some of the sauce. Add 1/2 of the chopped green onions and stir.

Spoon the beef mixture over the cooked cauliflower rice in 4 dinner bowls. Sprinkle the rest of the chopped onions and sesame seeds over the beef and serve. A crisp cucumber salad – sliced cucumbers, sliced red onions, and a little shredded daikon radish in rice wine vinegar – makes a refreshing side dish.

Makes 4 delicious servings.

Tip: For variety, use a cauliflower-zucchini rice or a cauliflower-broccoli rice instead of plain cauliflower. Also, add a little beef bullion to the rice combination as it cooks. I’ve also used riced turnips as a rice substitute.

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Cool Down with Cucumber

Photo: Thai Cucumber Salad

Summer has arrived with hot days and somewhat cooler nights. But with daylight lasting until almost 9 pm, I am not too keen on cooking right now.

Seeking a cool side dish, I pulled up this recipe for a cucumber salad. It has just a bit of kick from the peppers in it. It originally called for jalapeno pepper, but I had an Anaheim in my ‘fridge so I switched it. Takes away the hot bite for a milder one. It also used cilantro, which I didn’t have on hand, so I used fresh mint from the garden. Changes the flavor profile a bit, but it’s very tasty.

The onions are also my addition. I love the cucumber and onion combination. But if you don’t like onion, leave it out. The peanuts are part of the original recipe, but I forgot to add them when I served. We didn’t miss them at all, so up to you to add or not.

Thai Cucumber Salad

1 large Cucumber, peeled
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
3 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 medium Onion, sliced and cut into pieces (optional)
1/4 Anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon Spear Mint, chopped or cut into pieces
2 tablespoon Peanuts, chopped (optional)
4 leaves of Romaine lettuce, rinsed and dried

Peel a large cucumber and cut it down the middle lengthwise. Slice into 1/4-inch half-rounds. Put slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Turn the mixture with a spoon or your clean hands to spread the salt around. Let sit over the sink for 20 minutes. Wash off in cool water.

In a medium bowl, add the sugar substitute and the rice wine vinegar. Mix together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the sliced onion and chopped pepper. Mix in the cucumber slices and toss the salad to coat everything in the sugar-vinegar dressing. Sprinkle chopped mint leaves over the top. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.

Serve on a Romaine lettuce leaf or shredded lettuce. Top with chopped peanuts if you desire.

Serves 4 side salads or 2 large ones.

Nutrition Image for Thai Cucumber Salad