Tag Archives: spaghetti squash

Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Pork, Poultry, Recipes

Easy and Quick Skillet Casserole for a Hot Night

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skillet casserole

In my part of the world, it is hotter than normal this summer and we’re getting enough thunder storms to add humidity. Typically, in dry climates, evaporative coolers work really well, but with humidity, they tend to not cool as effectively. So, when I went into the kitchen to fix dinner, I wanted something that didn’t need much cooking, could use the stove, and was ready fast.

This throw-it-together recipe ticks all those boxes. Often we buy roasted chicken from the grocery store, eat one meal off it, then strip the rest of the meat and freeze it in one-cup packets. I had a jar of Classico Alfredo sauce in the pantry, so I thought perfect match. Instead of pasta, I chose to use a spaghetti squash I’d purchased a couple of months ago. Eight minutes in the microwave, wrapped in plastic, and it was ready to go. I always have a bag of bacon pieces in my refrigerator ’cause I use them for lots of dishes. The real kicker was we had a small bag of spinach from a salad we didn’t eat and it had about 1 tablespoon of craisins in it. Granted, these weren’t the sugar-reduced, bur when I calculated the recipe for this post, I used the stats for the lower sugar ones.

This quick skillet-casserole dish turned out to be super-tasty and took less than 20 minutes to make once all the ingredients were prepped. For a side dish, I added Brussels sprouts, but any green vegetable would compliment it. I also added a small tomato spiced tortilla with butter to help get the sauce off the plate. I used 0 carb mini-tortillas that are available from Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Win-Co and several other grocery stores. Perfect for snacks! (Sometimes I sprinkle cheese on one, pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds, then fold over to make a mini-quesadilla snack.)

Serving of chicken and spaghetti dish

Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Skillet Casserole

1 cup Chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup Alfredo Sauce
1 to 2 cups raw Spinach
1/4 cup Bacon pieces, cooked
2 cups Spaghetti Squash, cooked
1 tablespoon Craisins (optional)
1/4 cup Italian 4 Cheese mix

Prepare your ingredients before you start. Shred the cooked chicken, tears the spinach into smaller pieces, cook and crumbled the bacon (unless you use premade ones) and cook, cool, and separate your spaghetti squash, removing the seeds.

In a large skillet, add Alfredo sauce and chicken. Stir together and heat until sauce is slightly bubbly.

Add the spinach and bacon and stir the mixture again. When the spinach wilts, add the spaghetti squash and craisins (if using) and heat over low heat a few minutes.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve with a vegetable, side salad, and/ or low carb slice of bread or tortilla.

Makes four servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 233 , Total Fat 11g , Cholesterol 83mg, Sodium 974mg, Potassium 340mg, Carbohydrates 11g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugars 4.2g, Protein 22g, Net Carbs 9g

Without the craisins, the calories are 224, and the net carbs are 7.2g

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

Condiments and Sauces, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Pork, Recipes

Cinco de Mayo Tastes Great with Chipotle Chorizo Skillet Dish

photo: chipotle chorizo skillet

Are you ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? The 5th of May is a time to celebrate Mexico and the culture of these passionate people. I grew up on the border in El Paso, Texas, so I was inundated with the flavors of Mexican food early.

While at the grocery store, I picked up a jar of Chipotle Salsa Crema. Chipotles were not such a frequently mentioned word when I was growing up, but lately it and chorizo have become the new flavors of this century. Anyway, I went to the Herdez company’s recipes to see what sounded good with the salsa and found this combination sounded wonderful.

I’ve adapted it to work with a low carb lifestyle and managed to keep it below 10 net carbs. This does involve slightly smaller portions, so if you have carbs to spare, go ahead and make your portions a little larger. Otherwise, use a low carb side dish to help fill out the meal. You can use cauliflower rice, a salad, or asparagus for this purpose.

I made my dish with the Great Low Carb Bread Company’s rotini pasta, which is 7 net carbs per serving. Four servings are in an 8 ounce package, so I am using only two servings for this dish. I plan to make it again for this month’s celebration using 2 cups of spaghetti squash as a substitute. I believe the squash will be a great replacement and I’ll update this post after I try it. It saves about 1 1/2 carbs per serving to use spaghetti squash, and it is a good substitute if you can’t find low carb pasta.

Be sure to use the right chorizo. You want the sausage-style Mexican chorizo, not the one in a tube with a chile sauce with it that works great with scrambled eggs, and not the Spanish hard chorizo. Sometimes you can find the sausage in a bulk package but you can also use a tubed sausage. such as Don Juan brand. You want a ground meat you can break down in the skillet.

This is the first time I have tried toasting the pasta before cooking it. I wasn’t sure how well it would cook once it was toasted, but it works fine. It does take the pasta a little longer to cook. If you make this with spaghetti squash, skip the toasting step.  Instead, you will cook the spaghetti squash in the oven or microwave and use a fork to separate the strands, then just stir it in after you add the chorizo back to the pan.

I reduced the amount of Cotijo cheese used in the original recipe as I found the dish to be very salty and it seemed a lot of it came from the Cotijo. The sauce is also salty. If you can’t find Herdez Chipotle Salsa Cremosa, you can substitute any other brand you might find, or you can make your own from the recipe below the main dish.

If you’re looking for other Mexican food recipes, just type Mexican in the search on the top left. You’ll find many options. You’ll also find 16 other recipes in my booklet, Mexican Food for a Low Carb Lifestyle.

Chiptole Chorizo Skillet with Pasta

1 Tablespoons Olive oil
4 ounces Ziti, Rigatoni, Rotini, or medium Shells Low Carb Pasta, uncooked
1⁄2 cup White Onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons of Garlic, minced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
Salt to taste
dash Black Pepper
1 /2 (16-ounce) jar Herdez® Chipotle Salsa Cremosa (433.7 grams)
2 cups Chicken Broth
8 ounces Mexican Chorizo, cooked
1/2 cup Mexican Crema
4 ounces Oaxaca or Chihuahua Cheese, crumbled or Mozzarella Cheese
2 ounces Cotija Cheese, finely crumbled
2 tablespoons Cilantro or Parsley, finely chopped (optional)

In a large skillet, break up the chorizo into pieces and cook until almost done. Use the spatula to continue to break the pieces down while you’re cooking. Set aside. If you are using the same skillet for the next step, then wipe it out with a paper towel.

In a large, deep oven-safe skillet (such as cast iron or copper), add oil and heat to medium.  Add uncooked pasta. Toast and fry the pasta, stirring often, for about 6 minutes.

Add onions, garlic, bell pepper, and black pepper to the toasted pasta and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes until the onions are softened.

Stir in the chipotle salsa cremosa and chicken broth.  Cover, reduce heat slightly, and continue cooking for 15-25minues or until pasta or spaghetti squash, if you are using it, is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed or reduced.

Turn the oven to the broiler setting.  Mix in the chorizo, Mexican crema and Oaxaca cheese. Reserve other cheese for garnish. Cook on low just until cheese melts.

Place skillet under the broiler on high. Broil until Cheese starts to bubble and brown lightly. Remove from oven. If your deep skillet doesn’t fit under the broiler, put it in the oven on 500 degrees (F) and cook for about 5 minutes.

Garnish with Cotija cheese and cilantro. Makes 6 servings.

To make Chipotle Salsa Crema if you can’t find it bottled, use this recipe from Laylita.

Chipotle Salsa Cremosa Recipe

1 cup Mexican Crema or Crème Fraiche
1-2 small Chipotles in Adobo, seeds removed
1 clove of Garlic
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a blender or mini-blender, like a Bullet or drink mixer. Pulse until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the spice level.

Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce will be thin, refrigerate to thicken it.

TIP: I found the flavors melded together more and the sauce was thicker after it had a chance to sit overnight. So, this is perfect to make the day before you want to serve it, then just reheat.

Nutrition Information_Chipotle Chrorizo

 

Asian Recipes, Recipes, Seafood, Vegetarian

A quick stir fry made easier

Image: Shrimp Pad Thai

Happy Saint David’s Day! I should have included a leek in today’s recipe in honor of the patron saint of Wales. But I didn’t.  I’ll post a Welsh recipe later in the week, then it will be on to the Irish recipes for St. Patrick’s Day.  But for today, I was thinking Asian when I made this for dinner last night.

I like to experiment with the products I find in the produce department. A couple of days ago, I found Taylor Farms Pad Thai Kit. While it is not too high in carbohydrates, it is a little higher when made with the included sauce than I can use in my daily intake. So, I tossed the enclosed pack of sauce and made my own. This was about 6 or 7 carbs lower a serving than using theirs. If you can enjoy around 30 or more net carbs in the day, then this might work well for you.

I turned to making my own Pad Thai sauce with what I had on hand in the house. You can use fish sauce in it if you wish. I found the vegetables were pretty well chopped or sliced, but not as evenly as I’d like and some pieces required cutting. The carrots are thin slices where I would prefer thin rounds or sticks that cook faster, but they worked out okay. I made mine with 2/3 pounds of medium-sized shrimp, about 27 of them. You can also add in tofu or mushrooms as an alternate protein in the dish. This makes it a good candidate for meatless Monday.

If you can’t find the Taylor Farms mix, you can make your own. The vegetable selection for this includes about 1/3 cup each of Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, green cabbage, snap peas, bok choy, and carrots. Most are chopped or sliced thinly.

Shrimp Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash 

6 ounces Shrimp, cleaned
1 package Taylor Farms Pad Thai Kit (vegetables only)
1-1/2 cups Spaghetti Squash (about 1-1/2-pound squash)
1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
1/4 cup Chicken Broth or Bullion
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Thai Chili Sauce
1/8 teaspoon Ground White Pepper
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar Substitute (Swerve or LC Brown)
1 tablespoon Canola Oil

Cook the spaghetti squash by roasting it or cooking it in the microwave until tender. It’s easier to remove the seeds if you cut the squash in half and use a spoon to scoop them out before cooking it. Use a fork to shred the squash into strings.

Clean shrimp, removing shells and veins. Cool until ready to use.

Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, add the rice vinegar, chicken broth, soy sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar substitute, and pepper. Stir together to combine completely. Set aside.

Heat a bowl-sided skillet or wok on medium high heat. Add oil and swirl to distribute. Add the shrimp and cook until pink on both sides, about a minute and a half on each side for medium-sized shrimp. Larger shrimp will take a little longer. Remove the shrimp to a platter and cover to keep warm.

Add the vegetables from the Pad Thai kit into the pan and stir them around. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, continuing to stir frequently. Lower the temperature to medium and add the prepared sauce. Stir it in and cook the vegetables a few more minutes, then add the shrimp back to the pan. Heat for two more minutes.

Put 1/2 cup of spaghetti squash in each serving bowl, then spoon the vegetables and shrimp on top. Sprinkle with chili flakes if you’d like a little more spice.

Makes 3 servings.

Nutrition Information

Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetarian

Italian Vegetable Sauce pairs with spaghetti squash

Image: Italian Veggie Sauce

Looking for a little comfort food on these cold winter nights? Want to keep on your Meatless Monday plan? Look no further!

This yummy meatless sauce with Italian seasonings and zucchini pairs well with spaghetti squash to give you a delicious and low carb alternative to pasta. While it comes in a little higher in carbs than I usually aim for with my recipes, it is still only 13.5 net carbs per serving.

If you’re just not into a meatless sauce, then feel free to add ground beef and/or Italian sausage to the dish. It works great either way.

Italian Vegetable Sauce with Spaghetti Squash

1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
3 Sweet Mini-Peppers
1 teaspoon Garlic
1 15-ounce can Diced Italian Style Tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning Blend
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 ounces Red Wine
3 cups Spaghetti Squash
1 cup Zucchini, diced
1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Spinach, fresh

Preheat oven to 385 degrees (F.)

Cut the spaghetti squash in half, remove the seeds, rub with a little olive oil, and place face down on a foil-covered baking pan. Bake for about 40 minutes until a fork inserted into the squash goes through easily. Remove and set aside to cool.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil, then add onions and garlic. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes until the onion sweats. Add tomatoes, seasonings, and wines. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then lower the heat to simmer and cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should be thickening. Add zucchini and cook about 10 minutes until it is almost tender. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook another few minutes.

Use a fork to separate the spaghetti strands of the squash and warm in the oven or a microwave for about three minutes.

Add the spinach to the sauce and stir it in until it is limp.

Put 3/4 cup of spaghetti squash on a plate, and top with 1/4 of the vegetable sauce. Grate Italian cheese over the top. Serve with a salad.

Makes 4 servings.

Image: Nutrition Info

 

Beef, Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Cinco de Mayo Taco Casserole

Happy May Day! Happy Beltane!

And in just 5 days, happy Cinco de Mayo! No matter where you live, you’re likely to find people celebrating this Mexican holiday. It’s a great excuse to drink margaritas and eat your favorite Mexican food. So the challege here is what can I eat that isn’t going to explode the carb count? A few things on the menu at a restaurant are not too high in carbs, but avoid the chips, the tortillas, the beans, and the rice. That doesn’t leave much, does it?

Chile Verde is a good choice if you eat without any of the trimmings. A Chile Rellano isn’t too bad but the batter may have flour in it. Albondigas Soup is usually pretty low in carbs, although some places add rice to it. No matter what you eat out, you are likely to find hidden carbs. So what to do? Make a Mexican dish at home to celebrate with family and friends.

Here’s one that is easy to do and uses spaghetti squash as a stand-in for rice and tortillas. It’s a casserole that can be made in a stove-to-oven deep skillet or prepared in any skillet and transferred to a casserole dish. I’ll be posting two more recipes this week, so check back to see what else you can do for the day and check out the blog for many recipes already on it.

If that’s not enough, I have a Mexican Food booklet that has 15 recipes in it, most of which are not on this site. Check it out at Amazon.com or Smashwords (link in the sidebar.)

Spaghetti Squash Taco Casserole

3 cups cooked Spaghetti Squash (cooking instructions below)
1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
2 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 lb. Ground Beef
1/3 cup finely chopped Sweet Peppers
2 teaspoons Taco Seasoning
2 Green Onions, thinly sliced
1 can 15 oz. Tomatoes with Chile

To Cook the Squash:
About two hours before you want to make the casserole, roast the squash.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (f.)

With a heavy knife, like a Chef’s knife, cut the squash down the middle vertically from stem to bottom. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and any gummy strings. Rinse out and dry with a paper towel. Use about a teaspoon of Olive Oil and rub it into each side of the squash and sprinkle a little salt on it.

Spaghetti Squash face up waiting to be oiled. Turn them over to roast so the cut side is down.

Wrap a cookie tin or baking tin with aluminum foil and place the squash on top face down so the shell is on top.

Bake for 50 minutes. Remove and let cool about 15 to 20 minutes until you can handle the squash without burning your fingers. Use a fork to separate the strands of the squash into a bowl. Cover and set aside or refrigerate until you prepare the meat sauce.

Sauce and assembly:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (f.)

In a deep skillet-to-oven pan, such as a cast iron or copper skillet, brown the ground beef until it is lightly browned. Remove to a plate or bowl and wipe any excess oil from the pan. Put the cream cheese in the pan and add the taco seasoning, sweet peppers, and tomatoes. Cook and stir until it is blended and heat up. Add the ground beef, then stir in half the cheese and add the spaghetti squash and mix until the sauce is evenly distributed into the squash. Smooth with the back of a spoon until even.

If you don’t have a skillet that can go into the oven, then transfer the mixture into a large casserole dish and smooth it with the spoon.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and put in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and the dish is bubbly.

Cooked casserole in a skillet.

Let cool about 10 minutes, then serve with sour cream and guacamole if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Nutrition Information per serving (6 servings):
Calories: 292 Fat: 20.5 g Net Carbs: 7.9 g Protein:16.2 g

Nutrition Information per serving (8 servings):
Calories: 219 Fat: 15.4 g Net Carbs: 5.9 g Protein:12.1 g