Tag Archives: spicy

Main Dish, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

It’s just around the corner…

Hola! That’s right Cinco de Mayo is coming!

Usually, I wait until the last minute to post a  new recipe, but I decide to get a bit ahead this month.  Mexican food is so full of spice and flavor that it’s hard to narrow down a favorite choice for celebrating. I’ll add a few links for previously posted dishes that could tempt you, or you can try the one I’m posting today.

Also, I’d like to remind you I have a Low Carb 15 Mexican Food recipe eBook that is currently on sale for just about any reader. It will be just 99 cents until May 6th.  It has 15 (actually 16) recipes to celebrate Mexican Food any time you want. Just ’cause you’re on a Keto or low carb diet doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the wonderful flavors. In fact, with more and more products being developed for Keto, the choices are growing. I just picked up low carb tortillas from La Tortilla Factory that are zero carb! Don’t ask me how they do it; I am just thrilled to see it! And they taste pretty good.

Now on to the recipes. First up is a Chile Rellano Casserole. When you want something quick to make, this can come together in about 20 minutes with an addition 40 to 45 minute bake time. If you start with canned chiles, it’s really easy. And it is super low-carb. For the low carb flour, I used Dixie Carb Counters All Purpose Flour, but you can use Carbquik or even coconut flour (use 1/2 tablespoon).

Chile Rellano at the front.

Chile Rellano Casserole

2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chiles or 6 to 7 whole Poblano or Anaheim chiles
8 ounces Mexican mix Cheese
1 large egg
1/2 cup Almond Milk or 1/4 cup Heavy Cream and 1/4 cup Water
1 tablespoons All-purpose Low carb Flour
4 oz Tomato Sauce or chopped Tomatoes, blended
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 tablespoon Flaked Onions, dehydrated or 1 quarter cup chopped Onion.
1 cup Diced Chicken (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Herb and Garlic seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

If using chopped chiles:
In a large bowl, add eggs, milk, and flour and whisk together. Then add chiles, ricotta cheese, seasoning, and flaked onions. Whisk together until blended. Add chiles, chicken, and 1/2 of the cheese and stir to mix.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle cheese on top.

If using whole chiles:
If you’re using canned whole chiles, go to the next step. If you’re cleaning fresh chiles, place about six chiles under the broiler and cook until they are charred. Flip them over to get both sides. Place in cold water to loosen the charred skin. Use a paring knife to get the skin loosened and remove it. Cut the stems off, then slice open and remove the seeds and any membrane (ridges) inside unless you want them very spicy.

Lay half the chiles in the baking pan’s bottom, sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese over the top, then lay the other half on top and sprinkle with more cheese.

In a large bowl, add eggs, milk, and flour and whisk together. Then add ricotta cheese, seasonings, and flaked or chopped onions. Whisk together until blended. Add chiles, chicken and 1/4 of the cheese and stir to mix. Pour over the chiles.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until it is set. Pour tomato sauce evenly over the top; continue baking for 15 more minutes.

Turn broiler on. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Let cool about 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Casserole Nutrition Information

Since you save so many carbs with the main course, you have enough for a tasty side dish. This Spanish rice is made with riced Natural Heaven Hearts of Palm . You can also use the canned riced hearts of palm. Failing that, I do have a cauliflower rice version here.  This is a low carb variation on my grandmother’s recipe, so it’s more Tex-Mex than Mexico, but I love it.

I’ll just mention that Natural Heaven sells a pre-made Southwest Rice with beans and corn.  It’s okay, although a little higher in carbs.  I tried it and I think it has a vinegar taste to it, but if you’d like to try it, you can order it from Amazon.

Hearts of Palm Spanish Rice

Palm Spanish Rice

1 package Natural Heaven Hearts of Palm White Rice
OR 1 can Hearts of Palm Rice
1 8 oz. can Diced Tomatoes with Chile
1/4 cup Diced Onions
1 tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Spicy Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

In a skillet, add the butter. When melted, add the garlic then stir until it is sizzling. Add the chopped onion and stir for about three minutes until it is fragrant. Add the rice and stir it in for about three minutes.

Add the can of diced tomatoes and chiles and mix it into the skillet until the rice is coated. Add the seasonings and stir. Reduce the heat to a medium simmer and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings. The nutrition information is for 4 servings. Six servings are 5.1 net carbs each.

Palm rice Nutrition Information

Other Mexican food recipes you might enjoy are:

    

Carnitas    

Enchilladas with Chicken and Zucchini

Photo: Cod with Chorizo

Spicy Cod with Chorizo

Easy Flan

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

Copyright 2023 by Rene Averett
Asian Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Thai Basil Chicken is a Treat

My life seems jam-packed the past couple of months and time is fleeting. Here we are, well into Fall in the northern hemisphere, and the temperatures are dropping. We’re expecting freezing lows in the Reno, Nevada area tonight and tomorrow. I could use a little more fall.

I haven’t done too much cooking, especially of any new dishes, but the one I’m offering today is a really good one. I’ll also throw in a couple of links to some seasonal recipes from this site.

This is a simple recipe to turn chicken thighs into a delightful and spicy dish. I love many of Chef John’s recipes and this one is high on my list of make often. It is very low-carb’d and totally satisfying.

I only made a few little changes to the chef’s recipe to make it lower carb’d. I served it with Natural Heaven Hearts of Palm Brown Rice. If you haven’t tried Hearts of Palm rice or pasta, it is a very good low carb alternative to rice. They also make a delicious mashed potato substitute.

Recipe adapted from Chef John’s Thai Basil Chicken.

Thai Chicken

Thai Basil Chicken

1/3 cup Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon White Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Swerve Brown Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 pound skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs, coarsely chopped
¼ cup sliced Shallots or Green Onions
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced Thai Chilies, Serrano, or other hot pepper
1/2 cup very thinly sliced fresh Basil Leaves
2 cups hot cooked rice substitute (Cauliflower or Hearts of Palm)

In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar substitute, and brown sugar substitute until it is blended together.

Heat a large deep skillet over high heat or use a wok. Drizzle in oil and spread around. Add chicken and stir fry until it no longer looks raw, about 2 to 3 minutes. And shallots, garlic, and sliced chilies and stir and cook on high heat until you see the juices start to caramelize in the bottom of the pan, about 3 to 5 more minutes. Add a tablespoon of the sauce mixture to the skillet; cook and stir until sauce begins to caramelize, about 1 to 3 minutes.

Add the rest of the sauce. Cook and stir until sauce has deglazed the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until sauce glazes onto the meat, 1 or 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in basil. Stir until basil is wilted, about 20 seconds. Serve with cauliflower rice or riced Hearts of Palm.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information

I love pumpkin and don’t really need the excuse of Halloween or Thanksgiving to cook with it. Here’s a few recipes for you to try:

Pumpkin Pie

 

Pumpkin Pie

 

 

Pumpkin French Toast

 

Pumpkin French Toast

 

 

Pumpkin Pizza

 

Pumpkin and Pizza equal yummy!

Asian Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry

Delightful Thai Peanut Chicken with Broccoli

Image: Thai Peanut Chicken with Broccoli

I love cooking with a wok, but you don’t need one to cook Asian food. A heavy metal deep-sided skillet will work fine.  Prepare all your ingredients ahead of time and keep them close. Stir-fry is a quick cooking method using high heat, so you need to add the ingredients quickly.

This yummy recipe uses cayenne pepper and Asian Chili paste to add a spice to the dish. If you don’t like much spice, then you can omit them and still have a tasty, healthy main course. Pair this up with riced cauliflower, either cooked fresh or one of the frozen varieties to keep this a low carb meal.

Thai Peanut Chicken with Broccoli

3 tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
4 tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter
2 teaspoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 skinless, boneless Chicken Breast halves – cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons chopped Garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh Ginger Root
3/4 cup chopped Green Onions
2 /2 cups Broccoli Florets
1 tablespoon Asian Chile Paste
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted Peanuts

In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add chicken, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is golden on the outside, about 5 minutes.

Reduce to medium heat, then add green onions, broccoli, peanuts, Asian chile, and the peanut butter mixture. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until broccoli is tender, and chicken is cooked through.

Serve over riced cauliflower.

 

Beef, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Hot Chile for Cold Days

Photo: Rene's Beef and Chorizo Chile

With a snowstorm arriving in Reno last weekend, my thoughts turned to warm comfort food. Weather like this calls for at least stew, soup, or chile. I went with the latter. Usually, I make my Tex-Mex chile, the variety that uses all meat chunks and carries a ton of heat. But I decided to try something a little different, so here’s my take on a meat and bean chile done low carb.

First, I added medium-hot chorizo in for a zap of spice and a different flavor, then mixed in ground beef. I chose black beans because they are a bit lower in carbohydrates than either pinto or red beans. The result is fabulous, tasty, and warming. Like many stews, soups, and curries, the longer the pot sits, the more flavorful it becomes. So if you want to make it a day ahead, you can cover it and put it in the ‘fridge for a day or so. Nonetheless, it is delicious on the first day.

Rene’s Beef and Chorizo Chile

1 Onion, diced
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
2 pounds Ground Beef
1 pound Chorizo Sausage
1 can diced Green Peppers
1 packet Taco Seasoning or 2 tablespoons Spicy Seasoning
1 15-oz can Stewed Tomatoes, chopped
1 15-oz can Tomatoes with Chiles
1 can Black Beans, with juice
1 cup Pumpkin puree

In a 10 to 12 cup heavy pot, heat a teaspoon oil and add onions and garlic. Stir and cook for about five minutes until the onions are sweating. Add ground beef and chorizo, breaking it up as you stir it around. Cook until the meat is lightly browned.

Add green peppers, seasoning, and both cans of tomatoes. Add about a half-cup to each tomato can and swish them around to get the rest of the juice in the can, then add to the chile pot. Stir it together, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour.

Taste the sauce to check the seasoning and adjust it if you want it spicier. Add the black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir well and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes until the chile thickens.

Serve in bowls with cheddar jack or Mexican cheese and sour cream if you wish.

Makes 8 to 10 servings, about 1 cup each.

Tip: You can make an excellent chile cheese omelet with this chile. Just add 1 cup of warmed chile in the middle of the partially cooked omelet and top with cheese. Fold the omelet over or cook the top in a broiler until the cheese is melted.

Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes, Vegetarian

Fantastic Low Carb Veggie Chili

Photo: Low carb veggie chili

Ready for another meatless Monday? As the weather is turning cooler in my part of the world, I’m looking at a tricky beast to manage to make a low carb vegetables-only chili. While most of the root vegetables that give this dish some substance are lower in carbs than potatoes, the amount used to replace the meat option adds in quite a few carbohydrates into the overall dish.  So this offering checks in at a little under 11 net carbs per serving. If you only have 20 or 25 net carbs to spend, this could really push your limit. But if you plan for it, you can have a nearly 0 carb breakfast (omelet with cheese) and lunch (green salad with cucumber) to free up those carbs for the chili.

While this is a meatless option, it doesn’t lose any of the spicy and delicious chili flavor of the meat version. The vegetables are delicious with the butternut giving a hint of sweetness in the dish, and they are firm enough to satisfy.  If you want a short-cut on the seasonings, Mrs. Dash Chipotle Seasoning is very good and includes almost all of the spices listed. The Jalapeno seasoning is also good.

One other thing, this chili would work well as a filling for a meatless omelet and you would only need about 1/2 cup for it. Or make a burrito with a low carb tortilla and 1/2 cup of filling.

Low Carb Veggie Chile

1 3-1/2 oz. can Jalapeno chiles, chopped
1 15 oz. can Tomatoes with chile
1 cup Butternut Squash, cubed
1 cup Kohlrabi, cubed
1 cup Turnips, cubed
1 can Baby Corn, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
3 stalks Celery, chopped
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon Chili powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 tablespoon dried Parsley or Cilantro
1 tablespoon dried Oregano
2 tablespoon chopped Basil
1 teaspoon Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Chop your butternut squash, kohlrabi, and turnips to about the same-size cubes. The bigger they are, the longer they will take to cook. If you can’t find kohlrabi, you can substitute in zucchini or cauliflower.

In a large pot, add oil and heat, then add garlic and onions and cook until they are fragrant. Add the chopped celery, stir, and cook about two minutes. Then add all the other ingredients except the pumpkin puree. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables.

Stir everything in the pot and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low cook, just above a simmer. Cover and cook for an hour. Check on the vegetables to see if they are fork-tender, If not, add more water if needed, then cook another 20 minutes. Test again. Check your seasonings. If you need more spice, add it now. If the vegetables are fork-tender, then add the pumpkin puree, stir in, cover, and cook another 10 to twenty minutes. The pumpkin will help thicken the chile.

Serve in bowls with a little cheddar jack cheese and sour cream if you wish.

Makes eight 1-cup servings. If you want a little fewer carbs, a 3/4-cup serving will bring the carb count down to 8.5 nc per serving.

Photo: Nutrition Information

Give this a try and let me know how you like it and/or any other ways to serve it.