Tag Archives: onions

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Light and Delicious Chicken and Broccoli Skillet Fry

Photo Chicken with Broccoli

So, meals these days are pretty much dictated by whatever ingredients you happen to have in the house. Lucky for me, I had scored a large package of chicken breasts in March (actually, the roomie did the scoring), and I have several packets frozen. I also had a pretty good run on vegetables from a market order last week. So this recipe jumped out at me, but I made a couple of small adjustments to what I had, and you can do that also.

If you don’t have fresh broccoli, use frozen. Or you can substitute in Brussels sprouts. I had celery on hand, but it is optional. If you don’t have fresh or frozen chicken but have a couple of cans of it, you can use that also. Just skip the cooking the chicken and go right to heating it up with the broccoli.

This is truly a delicious and simple meal to make. So I think you’re going to love it. Add your favorite rice substitute or zoodles, toss a salad, and you have a great dinner. As a side note, I served mine with riced parsnips, which have a bit of a peppery bite to them, but actually worked well.

clos up: Chicken with broccoli

Chicken Broccoli Skillet Fry

2 1/2 tablespoons Oil
1 cup Broccoli, chopped
Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 medium stalks Celery, cleaned and sliced 1/4″ thick
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 medium Onion, diced
1/2 Lemon, zested and juiced

Cook the broccoli in the microwave for about 3 minutes to partially cook it. Or put it in boiling water for three minutes. This will reduce the cooking time when it is added to the skillet. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil and add the garlic, celery, and onions. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring periodically, until the chicken is mostly cooked. Add the broccoli and stir in. Add the seasonings except for the lemon. Cook until the chicken is done, and the broccoli is tender (or to your preference.) Add the lemon zest and juice and stir it in.

Serve with riced cauliflower, or riced turnips, or with zoodles (zucchini noodles).

Makes 2 to 4 servings depending on your hunger and if you’re having a salad along with it.

Nutrition Informaiton

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Chicken Casserole with Biscuits #2

Very similar to chicken pot pie, but easy to put together for dinner. This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on whether you serve it with a salad or other side dish or not. I used the leftovers from my roast chicken, but you can pre-cook about 2 large chicken breasts or get pre-cooked chicken from the grocery. I substituted potatoes, peas, and carrots for low carb vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and kohlrabi. Celery is an optional ingredient. If I’d had some in the house, I would have used it. So it’s up to the cook.

I tried the biscuits included with the recipe, which are basic Bisquick biscuits with seasoning, but it either didn’t adapt well to Bakesquick or something was missing from the recipe. My gut feel was that the mix needed butter or shortening in it as my biscuits came out a tough. So, I am including  my tried-and-true low carb biscuits. If you have enough free carbs, you can use a can of biscuits instead (26 grams of carbs in one biscuit!).

Chicken Casserole with Biscuits

3 tablespoons Butter
1-1/2 teaspoons Garlic
1/3 cup Onions, chopped
1/3 cup Low Carb Flour or Thick It Up™
1-1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash™ Italian Seasoning Blend
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 cups Chicken, cooked light meat, chopped
1 cup Kohlrabi, cubed
1 cup Broccoli & Cauliflower Blend
1/2 cup Green Beans, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Celery, cleaned and diced
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

For Low Carb Biscuits
1-1/2 cups low carb Baking Mix or other Flour
3 tablespoons Butter or Shortening
1 tablespoon Cold Water + extra if needed
1 teaspoon Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a deep-sided skillet that can go into the oven, such as a copper or cast iron skillet, to save having to transfer the casserole to a baking dish. Otherwise, spray a 6×8-inch (medium) deep-dish casserole with cooking spray.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in the pan. Add the garlic, celery, and onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Mix in the flour, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Stir the flour in well, then add the broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Continue to stir for 1 minute, then reduce heat. Stir in broccoli and cauliflower blend, kohlrabi, and green beans. Simmer 5 minutes, then add the chicken and mix well.

Prepare the biscuits. 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. Add in seasoning or 1/2 cup shredded cheese if you wish. Separate the dough into six pieces and shape into balls, then press flat to a biscuit size.

If you’re using an oven-worthy skillet, place the biscuits on top in about the center of each serving. If you’re using a casserole dish, transfer the skillet mixture to the baking dish and put the biscuits on top.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10 more minutes or until the biscuits are browned. Spoon chicken mixture over the biscuits to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Image: Nutrition Information Chicken Casserole with Biscuits

 

Note: To see my original variation on this recipe, click here.  

You might also like my Chicken and Leek Pot Pie.

Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetarian

A Simply Delish Vegetable Pie

Photo: Cabbage and Celery Root Pie

Here’s recipe with a long list of ingredients, but it really goes together pretty quickly once the vegetables are cut up. The taste is perfect with the hint of celery and potato-like texture that comes from the celery root.  If you can’t find celery root, then substitute in kohlrabi or turnips, but the celery root is worth finding if a market near you carries it.

I used Carbquick for my biscuits, which is available from Netrition.com and Amazon. You can use any low carb flour to make them, although the almond flour and coconut flour will have a different taste and texture as well as being slightly higher in carbs.

If you’re not aiming for a meatless meal, this is a yummy side dish for any main meat, such as chicken, pork roast, or steaks.  Would go very well with salmon or any white fish.

Photo: Slice of Cabbage Pie

Cabbage, Celery Root, & Squash Pie

For the filling:
2 cups Cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup Celery Root, cubed
1/2 cup Butternut Squash, cubed
1/4 cup Zucchini, sliced
1/4 cup yellow onion
6 Baby Carrots, diced
1 tablespoons Butter
1/3 cup Cream
1 cup Vegetable Broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoons all-purpose Low Carb Flour
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Table Blend Seasoning

For the Biscuits:
1 cup low carb biscuit mix or low carb flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder (if not using a mix)
3 tablespoon Butter, cold
2 to 4 tablespoons cold Water
1/4 cup Egg Whites (if using coconut flour)

Preheat oven to 400 F.degrees. Have a small baking pan (6″x6″) or loaf pan ready.

In a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon Butter and the cabbage. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until the cabbage is limp and shiny. Put cabbage in a bowl.

In the same pan, add the olive oil and onions and cook until it is translucent, then add the celery root, butternut, carrots, and onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove to the same bowl as the cabbage.

In the pan, add the broth, thyme, oregano, and seasoning. Stir and cook until it is heated, then add the cream and mix it in. Add the flour to begin thickening it. You can also use a teaspoon of guar gum to help it thicken more. Mix the flour in well, then reduce heat to a high simmer. Cook and stir until it begins to thicken. Add the vegetables back to it and stir it well, reduce to a low simmer and cook until the sauce is about the thickness of heavy cream.

Remove from heat. Prepare the biscuit dough.

Biscuit dough
Use 1 cup low carb Biscuit flour mix, such as CarbQuick, Bakesquick, or a similar flour product. You can use a combination of 1/2 cup almond flour plus 1/2 cup coconut flour or soy flour. Mix 3 tablespoon butter into the flour until it resembles crumbles. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of cold water. If you use coconut flour, you will need to add a 1/2 teaspoon baking powder to it and 1/4 cup of egg whites to get it to rise. Add the egg whites after you’ve added the butter and mixed it in.

Divide the biscuit dough into four balls and shape each one into a circle and distribute evenly over the top of the vegetables. If it is easier to roll the dough out to the shape of your pan, then do that or shape it to fit.

Bake about 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest a few minutes, then serve. Makes 4 servings.

Photo: Nutrition Info for Cabbage PIe

Asian Recipes, Condiments and Sauces, Recipes, Vegetarian

Quick Vegetable Stir-fry

Photo: Vegetable Stir Fry

Ready for “Meatless Monday?” Here’s a quick to make rice-less fried rice. This replaces the starch with a variety of crumbled or riced vegetables to give you a deliciously satisfying Asian-flavored vegetable stir-fry. To make this even easier, you can start with a bag of Green Giant’s Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend, which is cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and onions. If you are on phase 1, you might want to make your own riced vegetables and omit the carrots.

If you can’t find the mix at your grocery, you can use your food processor or grater to process cauliflower, broccoli stems, carrots, and onions to make your own mix. You’ll need three cups for the recipe with about 2 cups of it being cauliflower with the rest split between the broccoli, carrots, and onions.

I added in mushrooms and my adapted recipe adds in fresh spinach, but I didn’t have any in the house. I’ve listed even more possible add-ins at the end of the recipe.  Even on Monday, you can add any seafood to the stir fry. Shrimp is a great option. Any other time you want to make this, you can add chicken, beef, or pork to it.

For my friend and others who are trying to keep sodium low, I’ve included a recipe for a substitute soy sauce. It doesn’t taste like soy sauce, but it brings flavor to the dish without a lot of sodium.

 

Vegetable Stir Fry

3 cups (1 package) California Crumbles Fried Rice Blend (GG)
2 Eggs, beaten
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Ginger paste
1 cup Spinach, fresh (optional)
2 stalks Green Onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Oil

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and ginger and stir for a minute or two. Add in the fried rice blend and mushrooms. Stir them in. Cook and stir for about 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are almost tender.

Stir in the beaten eggs and mix them into the vegetables, continuing to stir until the eggs are cooked. Add soy sauce or Non-Soy Sauce, which is much lower in sodium. Stir to mix. Top with chopped green onions if you wish.

Makes four servings.

Optional add-ins: peanuts, almonds, cashews, shrimp, any greens chopped, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, chopped celery or chopped peppers. Add Hawaiian flare on a non-meatless night by stirring in 1 cup of diced SPAM and 1/4 cup of chopped fresh pineapple. (The pineapple will boost those carbs a bit, but it really adds the island vibe.)

Just add in the carb counts for the additions.

Nutrition Information for Vegetable Fried Rice

Non-Soy Asian Sauce

For those with worries about low sodium or gluten or soy allergies, here’s a soy sauce substitute that adds flavor to the stir fry or anywhere else you might use soy sauce.

1 Beef Bone (sometimes butchers have these under soup bones)
3 cups of Water
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
A pinch of garlic powder, ground ginger, and white pepper
Or Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning

Put water in a small pot and add the beef or soup bone. Bring to a boil, then lower to a low simmer. Cook for about one hour for the bone to flavor the meat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Continue to simmer until the mixture is reduced to about two cups.

Let cool, then pour into a jar. If you have more than you can use within 10 days, pour the rest into an ice cube tray and freeze. When frozen remove the blocks to a plastic bag to store until you need them. Each cube will be about one tablespoon.

Makes 32 1-tablespoon servings.

Nutrition information for Non-Soy Asian Sauce

Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Warm Up with Bean and Ham Soup

Photo: White Bean & Ham Soup

As a child, I grew up eating beans a lot. My grandmother would make a huge pot of pinto beans. We’d get bolillo (oval long bread rolls) from Mexico, and I loved to hollow the bread out and fill it with beans cooked with hamburger. But since I am trying to stay low carb these days, beans aren’t something I eat very often. Nonetheless, I’ll share this recipe for white beans with ham soup. This isn’t as low as I like most of my recipes to be, but it is still within reason for most people to enjoy on a low carb plan. The real trick is to add more ingredients to the pot to spread out the beans, so you don’t eat as many in one sitting. With that in mind, I added onions, carrots, and turnips to the pot with the ham and bean.

Generally, I use a ham hock to flavor the pot and add seasonings to round out the flavor. I also use a little of Better Than Bullion Chicken in it to add more flavor. If you want a heartier dinner, then cook up a sausage or a chicken breast to eat alongside the soup. These won’t add extra carbs and will help to fill you up with the smaller serving of soup.

White Beans and Ham Soup

1-1/4 cup Small White Beans (dry)
1 cup, diced Ham
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 cup Carrots, sliced
3/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning
3/4 cup Red Ripe Tomatoes, chopped or sliced or peeled and canned tomatoes
1 cup Turnips, cubed
1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bullion Chicken

In a large pot, pre-cook beans as directed on the package. Rinse, then add fresh water, salt, and pepper. Cook the beans from 2-3 hours until they are done. I usually put a ham hock or bacon in them to add flavor as they cook. Once they are done, add about 2 cups of water to the pot, then add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the carrots and turnips are tender. Add water as needed to keep the soup consistency. When done, you should have about 3 to 4 cups of delicious soup.

Makes about eight 2/3 cup servings.

Nutrition Information