Tag Archives: zucchini

Main Dish, Poultry

Yummy Chicken and biscuit Casserole

Moving into fall, it’s time for those delicious and comforting casserole dishes that make you feel warm all over. The original recipe for this dates back to my childhood, which was a long time ago in a galaxy no longer in existence. Well, maybe not that long, but you get the idea. Originally, it was made with Bisquick and creamed tuna, but for my low carb variation, I adapted it to use chicken and some other alternate ingredients.  Although the ingredient list is lengthy, it comes together easily and is well worth the effort.

Skillet Chicken Pie

1-1/2 cups cooked Chicken , cubed or chopped
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup Kohlrabi or Zucchini
1-1/3 cups Green Beans, chopped if you wish
1/4 cup Mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1 cup Cauliflower
1/2 medium-sized Bell Peppers
1 tablespoon Butter
1/4 cup Onions, chopped Onions
1 teaspoon Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground Thyme
1/2 tablespoon Cornstarch (optional)

For the biscuit topping:
1-1/2 cups low carb Baking Mix or other Flour
3 tablespoons Butter or Shortening
1 tablespoon Cold Water
1/2 cup Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.)

Cut the kohlrabi and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and either par boil them for about three minutes or cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Chop the bell pepper and set aside. If you use zucchini for the kohlrabi, you don’t have to precook it.

Use a stove-to-oven pan to make this. I used my deep copper skillet, but a cast iron skillet or other similar item would work. Otherwise, you’ll need to transfer the chicken base sauce to a baking dish once you’ve cooked it.

In the cooking pan, add 1 tablespoon butter and melt it over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and stir until the onion is tender. Add the bell peppers and sauté a minute or two. Next, add the chicken and stir, mixing it altogether. Add the cream, broth, and the seasonings and stir to mix well. Add kohlrabi cauliflower, and green beans and stir to mix. Heat until it is bubbly.

Add a little water to a cup and stir in the cornstarch if you’re using it, then stir it into the skillet. If you aren’t using it, continue to cook until the sauce thicken some. Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat and remove from the heat source.

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. Then add the cheese and knead it into the dough. Separate the dough into six pieces and shape into balls, then press flat to a biscuit size.

If you need to transfer the chicken mixture to a baking dish, do it now. If your pan can go in the oven, proceed. Put the biscuits on top of the chicken mixture and spray the tops with a butter-flavored spray.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the biscuits are a golden or light brown. Remove and cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 403 Fat: 28.2 g Net Carbs: 10.7 g Protein: 25.5 g

Note: This is about .5 carbs lower per serving if you do not use cornstarch.

Don’t want to make biscuits? You can substitute in 2 basic magic muffins made in a cup, cut horizontally into thirds, then put on top of the chicken base. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and bake.

Appetizers, Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Make these Low Carb Zucchini Mounds

To be frank, I haven’t created too much new this past month or so. Late September and early October were so chilly that I turned to a favorite of mine, a simple stew, just like this recipe. Other than that, I have easy to make Zucchini Mounds, which I adapted from a recipe I saw on line from Mel’s Kitchen. It’s low carb and very tasty, and it’s very similar to zucchini fritters, except it is baked instead of fried. You can also add in bacon bits and/or minced onion for more flavor. I think this would work well with shredded or chopped cauliflower as well. The key to getting a good result is to get the vegetables as dry as possible before mixing them with the other ingredients.

This recipe will make from 12 to 18 mounds, depending on how big you make the mound. I’ve given you the nutrition information for both 12 and 18 as well as made with and without the almond flour. In this recipe, the almond flour is optional and is replacing bread crumbs in the recipe. I don’t believe it is necessary to make a very tasty bite.

Baked Zucchini Mounds

1 1/2 cups packed shredded Zucchini (About 2 large zukes)
1 large Egg
1/4 – 1/2 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese or Cheddar Jack Cheese or other cheese or choice (harder cheeses work better)
1/4 cup Almond Flour (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried Basil
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F.). Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray with a light coat of baking spray.

In a small bowl, beat the egg lightly to mix the white and the yolk.

Shred the zucchini, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze the excess water out to get it as dry as possible. Twist and wring the towel until the zucchini is very dry.

Put the zucchini in a medium bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until combined together.

Drop tablespoon-sized mounds onto the baking sheet and press down with the back of the spoon to flatten and shape a little.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until they are lightly browned. Let cool a few minutes, then enjoy.

Makes between 12 and 18 mounds.

Nutrition Information per 12 (without almond flour)
Calories: 28.2 Fat: 1.9 g NC: 0.8 g Protein: 1.7 g

Nutrition Information per 18 (without almond flour)
Calories:19 Fat: 1.3 g  NC 0.6 g : Protein: 1.1 g

Nutrition Information per 12 (with almond flour)
Calories: 41.5 Fat: 3.1 g NC. 1.0 g: Protein: 2.1 g

Nutrition Information per 18 (with almond flour)
Calories. 27.7: Fat: 2.1 g NC: 0.7 g Protein: 1.5 g

Atkins Diet Tips, Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Healthy Life, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Induction Eating Plan Day 13

Almost to the end of this crazy plan to record the two week induction menus and recipes. The plan is going great and I think I am losing weight. I haven’t weighed but my pants are fitting looser and I am feeling pretty good. So without further comment, let’s get to the menu plan for Day 13.

Food NC
breakfast Bacon Omelet with zucchini 2.9
3 Mini donuts 4.5
Tea 0
Lunch Sausage Chicken Pizza 2.9
snack 5 slices salami 1
Baby Bell cheese 0
dinner chicken cauli-mac 7.5
18.8

 

Breakfast is a yummy egg omelet. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t like eggs because they are a mainstay on a low carb diet. Luckily, there are many ways to prepare them. You can make an endless variety of omelets. This one is very good and easy to make.

Bacon Omelet with Zucchini

2 large Eggs
1 slice thick cut Bacon
1 Green Onion, chopped
1/4 cup of Zucchini, chopped
1/3 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tablespoon Butter

Cook the bacon either in a pan or by my preferred method which is on a paper towel on a bacon pan in the microwave. Get the bacon crisp but not overdone. Let it cool, then break it into pieces.

In a small bowl, break the two eggs and beat them with a teaspoon of water until they are mixed well.

In an omelet pan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the onion and zucchini to cook for two or three minutes until they are just softened. Remove from the skillet. Add the eggs and stir them around the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula, then let them set. As they cook around the edges, lift the edge up so that more of the liquid can run under the omelet to cook. Repeat this several time so it builds the omelet in layers. When the middle is almost done, spread the bacon and vegetables down the middle then add the cheese, reserving a little for the top. Fold the omelet over the filling, sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, then cover with a lid for about one minute to melt the cheese.

Serve. Makes one serving.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 366.6 Fat: 28.9g Net Carbs: 2.9 g Protein: 23.3 g

Next up, I had a late morning snack of three mini-donuts. I got one of those mini-donut makers and just had to try it out. While I can’t say for certain that this is on induction, I can say the ingredients are low carb. Atkins doesn’t endorse specific brands and CarbQuick falls into an actual flour substitute item, so it might be pushing it to eat this on induction. But after you’re past the two weeks, feel free to try them.

Pumpkin Mini-Donuts

Based on and adapted from Baby Cakes mini doughnut recipe by me.

2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or other brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute (Erythiol or other sugar alcohol)
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup
1 Egg, large
1/2 cup Pumpkin puree
3/4 cup CarbQuick
1/4 cup Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Plug in the mini donut maker and let it warm while you mix. If you’re using a mini-donut pan, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.)

In a medium bowl, beat butter, brown sugar sub, and sugar substitute together. Beat in egg, pumpkin, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Hand beat or use a mixer to get it smooth. In another bowl, mix the flour, protein powder, baking powder, and baking soda together. Stir into the butter and egg mixture and blend well.

Use about 1 tablespoon per donut well and drop the dough into the well. Bake about 3 minutes until the steam no longer is visible from the donut maker. Use a toothpick to check; if the toothpick comes out clean, the donut is done. Lift the doughnut with a toothpick and slide onto the handle of a wooden spoon or dowel for transport to a wire rack.

Place donuts on the rack to cool and make the next batch. When cool, dip in the Maple Glaze icing.

Maple Glaze

1/2 cup Powdered sugar substitute (like Swerve)
1/2 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup

To make Icing:
Put powdered sugar in a small bowl, add sugar-free maple syrup, and cream. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. If it is too thick, add a little more water until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze, then put them back on the rack to dry.

Makes 24 donuts.

Nutrition information per donut:
Calories: 38.7 Fat: 2.5 g Net Carbs: 1.5 g Protein: 2.5 g

Then we come to dinner and the highlight of the day. I love macaroni and cheese, but it is difficult to find a low carb macaroni and certainly not one that will work on induction. This recipe uses cauliflower as a stand in for the macaroni. It works and it’s delicious unless you hate cauliflower. Give it a try for a great one dish meal.

Chicken, Cauli-mac and Cheese

1 clove Garlic, minced
12 oz Cauliflower
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 cup Classic Cheddar Jack Cheese
1/8 tsp Original Pepper Sauce
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped

12 oz raw Chicken Breast
2 Scallions
1 slice bacon, crumbled
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 375º F.  Spray a 1 quart baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a shallow pan, precook the chicken breast for about 40 minutes until it is done and any juices from them run clear. Let cool, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Cook the bacon until it is crispy, let cool, then break into pieces.

Bring a large sauce pot with 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Add to the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes then drain in a colander. Spread on paper towels to dry. Alternately, you can place the cauliflower in a microwavable bowl and cook for three minutes until the cauliflower is crisp tender. Then pour off an water from the pot and spread the cauliflower on paper towels. You want it as dry as possible.

Put a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-high heat and pour in the whipping cream.When the cream is almost to a boil, add the cream cheese and powdered mustard and whisk it into the cream until smooth. Add half of the shredded Cheddar cheese, garlic, half of the salt and pepper, and the Tabasco sauce. Whisk for about two minutes until he cheese melts and is blended.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cauliflower. Then stir in the chicken, bacon pieces, and vegetables. Pour into the baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories; 564.4 Fat: 36.1g Net Carbs: 7.5g Protein: 50.2g

One more day to go. See you with another recipe then.

 

 

 

Beef, Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Healthy Life, Main Dish, Vegetables & Salads

Induction Eating Plan Day 9

Today was a slow start day, so I took a short cut or two.  First, I skipped breakfast and just opted for an Atkins Lemon Bar. It’s 3 nc and I think it is safe for Induction. I couldn’t find any information on the box saying differently.  Then lunch was a leftover from earlier in the week as I finished off my fajita salad. It was less than what I had eaten at the restaurant, so I reduced the carbs accordingly, Therefore, the only new entrees were in the dinner and dessert.

Here’s the menu for the day:

Food NC
breakfast Atkins Lemon Bar 3
Coffee 1/2 tsp creamer 0.5
B12 Gummie 1
Lunch Fajita Salad leftover 6
Tea 0
dinner Steak 0
1.3 cup GG mashed cauli/bacon 3
sauteed zucchini 2.6
mini-cheesecake 1.6
Raspberry sauce 0.5
18.2

 

For an alternate breakfast option, try these Egg Puffs, little cupcake sized baked eggs. For induction, omit the tortilla pieces in it. They make great snacks as well.

 

A nice brunch alternative is this tasty Skillet Italian Frittata that has more sticking powder to it. It uses either turnips or kohlrabi or Daikon radish as a substitute for potatoes.

 

Now for the dinner options.  The main course is really simple as I used a bacon wrapped filet for the meat. You can purchase these ready to go at the grocery. Season with a 0 carb rubbing mix and toss them on the grill to cook or put them under the broiler. The problem I often have with bacon-wrapped items is getting the bacon done without over-cooking the meat. This is a particular problem when someone likes very rare meat. I cooked this on my broiled at 485 degrees (F) to try to slow the cooking a little and give the bacon a chance to crisp.

I paired this with Green Giant Mashed Cauliflower with bacon and cheese. This is a fairly new product from the Jolly GG and it is very good. The package contains about 4 servings, but I usually get 6 out of it by serving 1/3 cup of the potato substitute instead of 1/2 cup. The flavor and texture of the cauliflower mash is excellent.

The other side dish is a quick and easy saute of zucchini and tomatoes.

Zucchini with Tomatoes

1/2 cup Zucchini, sliced
6 Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoons Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the sliced zucchini and stir fry it until it is lightly browned on both sides. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute.

Serves 2

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 58 Fat: 4.6 g Net Carbs: 2.6 g Protein: 0.8 g

Finally, for dessert, I went back to one of my favorites, cheesecake! Unlike the one I made earlier in this induction experiment, this cheesecake is baked so it is rich and creamy. I made it into 6 cupcakes for small, easy servings. At only 1.6 net carbs per cake, have two if you have the available carbs for the day.

Mini Creamy Cheesecakes

6 oz. Cream Cheese
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoons Sour Cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Xylitol or liquid sucralose

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F.)

Place softened cream cheese and egg in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until they are blended and creamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat until blended and smooth.

Put cupcake papers in a 6-well cupcake pan and spray with baking spray. Put two tablespoons of batter into each well, then distribute the remainder evenly over the wells.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cakes are fully set.

While they are baking, prepare the topping. Put three tablespoons of sour cream in a bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons sugar substitute. Mix well. When the cupcakes are set, spoon onto the top of each cake, then bake for another 10 minutes to cook the topping.

Chill for at least two hours in the refrigerator before serving. Serve as is or top with a teaspoon of sugar-free jam or jelly and/or a teaspoon of Cool Whip.

Makes 6 mini-cheesecakes.

Nutrition information without jam or whip cream per serving:
Calories: 124 Fat: 11.9 g Net Carbs: 1.6 g Protein: 3.3 g

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads, Vegetarian

Summery Squash Side Dish

It’s summer squash season, not that we can’t get a lot of these tasty vegetables year-round these days, but in summer the produce seems especially plentiful. I’ve done zucchini chips, sautes, stir-fries, and other ways to prepare the squash. Recently, I saw a recipe for corn souffle, using fresh corn. Why not squash? I asked myself. And immediately adapted the recipe to a mix of summer squash. This recipe makes four servings, a little over 1/2 cup per serving, but use a 1 cup souffle dish since it will rise and then collapse.

With just the two of us to eat them, I stored 2 cooked ones in the ‘fridge for a couple of days and the herbs seemed to settle into it better making it more flavorful, so don’t be shy about making it one day and eating it a day or two later. You can also prepare it ahead of time and cook it later in the day to save time. This is a great side dish with chicken, steak, pork chops or seafood.

Summer Squash Souffle

3 cups chopped Zucchini, Crookneck, or other Summer Squash
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
2 large Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 tablespoons Bacon Pieces (1 slice, optional)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Chopped Chives or Parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F.). Prepare the ramekins (souffle dishes) by spraying with cooking spray, going all the way up the sides.

Put all the ingredients except the bacon and the chives or parsley into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until mixed, then turn on long enough to make a smooth puree.

Divide evenly among the four ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the bacon bits and chives or parsley over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until they are puffed and golden. Take a photo immediately because they will fall as soon as they begin to cool. The sooner you serve them, the fluffier they look.

Makes four yummy servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories:166.5 Fat: 13.3 g Net Carbs: 3.7 g Protein: 8.4 g