Archive for the ‘MAIN DISHES’ Category
Indian Cashew Chicken Curry
Posted on: June 1, 2020
This curry recipe is quite unique in flavor from any others I’ve made. The fenugreek is what makes the difference. If you’re a curry fan, you will want to give this delicious recipe a try. I have had my jar of fenugreek for some time. I bought it for Iranian cuisine, which uses fenugreek often. I had this notion to try it in an Indian curry and WOW! Great decision! An added note: despite the pepper(s) in this, the final dish is NOT too spicy. As always, I don’t like food too spicy and you won’t find many on my blog that are. Something about cooking Indian recipes seems to tone down jalapeno and cayenne in the final dish. Not sure why, it just does. This recipe is suitable for Phase 2 of Atkins and beyond, and Keto diets as well. Omit cashews or use almonds for Atkins Induction folks.
INGREDIENTS:
2 T. coconut oil (or butter)
16 oz. chicken breast, boned, skin removed, cut into big chunks
4 oz. onion, sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and slivered (will not be hot in the final dish)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper (a key flavor in this recipe yet too too hot)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (final dish was NOT hot)
1 tsp. fenugreek seed, ground
Dash salt
¼ tsp. my Garam Masala
Dash turmeric (1-2 shakes from a shaker)
3/4 c. heavy cream
½ c. chicken broth
2 oz. cashew nuts (raw or roasted is OK)
3 Roma tomatoes, cut in chunks
1/8 tsp. xanthan gum (optional, if you want it thicker)
Garnish with a sprig of cilantro if you like
DIRECTIONS: Melt coconut oil over high heat in a non-stick wok or skillet. Add chicken and saute to brown on all sides. Add onion and saute until it, too, begins to brown. Add slivered jalapeno and garlic. Add all spices, cream and chicken broth, nuts and tomatoes. Lower heat to LOW and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until flavors have had a chance to meld. Serve alone or over steamed cauliflower rice. For those not low-carbing at your table, I would offer a bowl of steamed basmati rice.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings, each contains: (does not include cauli-rice or basmati rice)
353 cals, 19g fat, 9.40g carbs, 1.48g fiber, 8.92g NET CARBS, 34.4g protein, 457 mg sodium
- In: MAIN DISHES | Pork | PRIMAL-PALEO | SIDE DISHES | Vegetables
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This is essentially a creamed spinach dish, but with a very special cream indeed. I decided to not stir it altogether as that does not photograph so prettily. The flavor of this creamy spinach dish will blow you away. It’s sinfully rich and ever so good! So good, in fact, I lick every bit of the sauce off the spoon and food processor bowl. Seriously good eats.
Of course, you can always stir the sauce right into the spinach. It certainly ends up mixed on my plate while eating it. 🙂 To be quite honest, ANY meat, seared chicken breast strips, beef or pork meatballs or smoked sausage would be good alongside (or on top as shown) this extremely nutritious dish.
This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly, as well as being suitable for Keto diets, Primal and Paleo followers as well.
VARIATION: This makes a great side dish without meat. In fact, that is the first way I ate it when I created this creamy sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
5 oz. lean pork bulk sausage (I use homemade sausage but any low-carb sausage will do)
6 T. my Shawarma Homemade Mayonnaise
1 avocado
16 oz. bag of frozen, chopped spinach
Water to cover spinach
DIRECTIONS: Place spinach in large saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil and cook per package directions, about 5 minutes. When done, drain spinach in strainer pressing out excess water as best you can. Set aside while you make the rest of the dish.
While spinach is boiling, roll sausage into 6 small meatballs and brown in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, turning and rolling them frequently to brown all sides. Cook until fully done (about 10-15 minutes, turn off heat remove and drain meatballs on paper towels.
In a bowl of a food processor (or blender), process the avocado with the 6 T. homemade mayo until fairly smooth. You can also just mash it well with a fork, as it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth. Add a few drops of lemon juice (to prevent darkening) and pulse.
Spoon the spinach into your serving dish, Add the thick, creamy mayonado sauce to the top as shown (or stir into the spinach if you prefer) and top with your cooked meatballs. ENJOY!
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:
468 cals, 48g fat, 12.03g carbs, 8.66g fiber, 3.37g NET CARBS, 15.2g protein, 453 mg sodium
Eggplant-Beef Lasagna
Posted on: March 22, 2020
- In: Beef | MAIN DISHES
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I’m defrosting spaghetti sauce for tonight, but since I have an eggplant I’m going to lose if I don’t use it ASAP, I think I’ll make us some lasagna tonight. This dish is real tasty if you’re an eggplant fan. It is Atkins Induction-friendly if you can fit the carbs into your day’s limits. 🙂 With all the cheese here, I do not recommend adding any salt to this dish. This is not a particularly large recipe, so if you want extra for leftovers, double the recipe. This recipe is not suitable until Atkins Phase 2 OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss). It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo due to the cheese.
INGREDIENTS:
10 oz. eggplant
1 T. olive oil
1 c. low-carb spaghetti sauce with meat (I use this recipe: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/peggys-spaghetti-sauce/)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
4 T. Parmesan cheese
1/3 c. ricotta cheese
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or ¼ tsp. dried)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400º. Stem the eggplant and slice into ¼” slices. Oil sheet pan with olive oil and place each slice on sheet, coating both sides of them with oil as you go. Bake until eggplant is nearly done, turning once (takes about 8-10 minutes on a side. Remove from oven and lower heat to 350º. Layer half the eggplant slices on the bottom of a well oiled baking dish. Spoon half the spaghetti sauce over the top. Evenly spread all the ricotta cheese on next. Now sprinkle on half the mozzarella followed by 2 T. of the Parmesan. Spread the chopped basil on next. Now place the remaining slices of eggplant on top, reserving out one nice slice to decorate the top of the dish. Add the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella and then the Parmesan cheese. Place the last slice of eggplant center dish and pop into 350º oven for around 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Garnish with colorful fresh basil leaves if desired.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
294.3 calories, 19.7 g fat, 11.13 g carbs, 3.65 g fiber, 7.48 g. NET CARBS, 19.2 g protein, 250 mg sodium
This delicious casserole came about from several little bits of this and that I had in the refrigerator. Despite that cobbled together fact, this was an amazingly good dinner! It’s also very nutritious with the kale added, which was actually an after thought. Thinking it might not be so photogenic, I decided to make my Savory Casserole Topping for it, which turned out to be a GOOD decision. It added another flavor layer to the dish. This recipe is suitable once you get to phase 2 of Atkins. Omit the topping and you Induction folks can enjoy this as well. This recipe is not suited for Primal or Paleo followers due to the dairy in it.
INGREDIENTS:
½ medium head cauliflower, stemmed and chopped to 3/4-1″ pieces (about 2½ cups)
2 T. coconut oil
3 oz. onion, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced or chopped
1 c. my low-carb Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
2 T. cream cheese
3/4 c. heavy (whipping) cream
2 c. cooked turkey (or chicken), chopped
3 oz. Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
Dash black pepper
1 leaf raw kale, stemmed, chopped fine (about 3/4 c. loose-pack)
½ recipe of my Savory Casserole Topping
DIRECTIONS: Make the casserole topping per that recipe’s instructions (click blue link above). Set aside. Preheat oven to 350º.
In a medium saucepan, cover cauliflower with water and boil only until half tender. While it is cooking, heat oil over high heat in non-stick large skillet (I use a non-stick wok), add onion, carrot and saute until half-tender also. Lower heat to medium, add cream cheese and heat until melted. Lower heat to lowest setting and add the soup, cream, half the shredded Gouda, the pepper and turkey meat. Stir lightly to mix well. Drain water off cauliflower when half tender and add to the skillet mixture. Stir again. Add the raw, chopped kale and stir one last time. Sprinkle remaining Gouda over the top and then add half the recipe of crumble topping evenly over the top. Reserve remaining topping for future use. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350ºfor 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 servings, each contains:
390 cals, 31g fat, 8.73g carbs, 2.55g fiber, 6.18 g NET CARBS, 17g protein, 539 mg sodium
Indonesian Beef Soto
Posted on: March 12, 2020
- In: Beef | PRIMAL-PALEO | Soups & Stews
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Our best friends of some of 30+ years are wonderful cooks and often introduce us to interesting Indonesian foods and spices. Though he is as American as apple pie, she is American-born Indonesian and often cooks Indonesian foods. This dish came about from my exposure eating dinner with them and my reading of a number of Beef Soto recipes in cookbooks. I combined a mixture of spices traditional to the dish, and then added some veggies I thought would also be good in it. The result of this experiment was delightful, and quite simple since the grass-fed beef brisket I used in this was already cooked. This dish would also be good made with cooked lamb or venison. What a hearty, rib-sticking meal this was! You can prepare this from scratch with raw beef, but it will naturally take much longer than my version made with leftover meat, as the meat will have to be first browned in oil and then simmered in the broth/water for at least an hour to get tender before adding veggies to the pot. This dish could also be served as a dinner entree if you made it with less broth, thickened it with your favorite thickener or mashed veggie puree and served it over basmati rice (for the non-lowcarbers, of course). This dish is suitable for Atkins Induction and passes Paleo-Primal muster as well. 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
2 T. palm oil (or coconut oil)
3 oz. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped fine
10 oz. lean, cooked beef (or lamb), cubed large
8 oz. summer squash, cut up large (calaba, zucchini, or yellow)
12 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. dried red guajillo chiles (these are mild), seeded and chopped coarsely
Guajillo Chiles
½ tsp. ground cinnamon (or 1″ stick if you prefer)
1 tsp. Thai red curry paste
Dash of chipotle chile powder (or ½ canned chipotle chile, seeded and mashed)
1 thin slice ginger, minced
½ tsp. each galangal powder (optional)
½ tsp. turmeric
around 2 c. beef stock (or water) (enough to cover meat)
DIRECTIONS: In a large soup pot, heat the palm oil. Brown the onion until it begins to caramelize. Add shallot and continue to saute until shallot begins to “toast” a bit. Add garlic and cubed meat and saute a few minutes longer. Lower heat, add liquid and the cinnamon, guajillo chiles, ginger, turmeric and galangal powder, along with the Thai curry paste. Simmer for 15 minutes if meat was already cooked, simmer for 30 minutes or longer if meat was raw when you started. This will allow the spices to mingle with meat and the meat to get tender. Add cubed squash and continue to simmer until squash is done. Add tomatoes and cook just until tomatoes have softened up a bit, but have not fallen apart. Thickening is optional, but you can if so desired. I had a dab of leftover sweet potato puree in the freezer and added 3-4 tablespoons of that for thickening my soup a bit.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 large servings, each contains:
309 calories
19.8 g fat
9.23 g carbs, 2.23 g fiber, 7 g NET CARBS
24.2 g protein
627 mg potassium
193 mg sodium
Montreal Baked Chicken
Posted on: March 1, 2020
This Atkins Induction friendly recipe is super easy…..super good! It has been one of the most popular posts on my blog. Since I’m making it for dinner tonight, I thought I post it again for those who may have somehow missed this flavor delight. The secret to the crisp skin is to bake at high heat to start, then lower. This recipe is Induction friendly and I’m proud to say it also appears in Jennifer Eloff’s Low Carbing Among Friends, Volume 2. Order any of these cookbooks (set pricing available) from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php
VARIATION: A pinch of garlic powder and 1-2 T. Parmesan added to this is very good!
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken cut up (I pull out the back, neck and fat to make chicken stock)
1 recipe my Montreal BBQ Sauce
DIRECTIONS: Cut up the chicken (I cut breasts in half, remove back, making 10 pieces) and place pieces in a zipper plastic gallon bag. Mix up the marinade and add to bag. Manipulate well with your hands and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. When ready to cook Preheat oven to 475º. Place pieces of chicken on metal baking pan large enough the pieces don’t overlap, for best browning. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and baste with juices in the pan. Lower heat to 350º and continue baking for 20-30 minutes longer. Time will vary due to size of chicken pieces and of course, ovens will vary.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 meaty pieces or 5 servings. It would be impossible for me to calculate the exact figures for a serving because that depends upon the pieces of chicken eaten. But to give you a rough idea, each 2-piece serving will have somewhere in the neighborhood of 393 calories, 28 g fat, .26 g carbs, .1 g fiber, .16 g net carbs, 33.12 g protein, 642 mg sodium. Basically, take the nutritional info for the particular piece of chicken and add in the nutritional info for 1T. of the sauce (.16 net carbs) shown on that recipe.
Asian Pork Riblets
Posted on: February 28, 2020
- In: MAIN DISHES | Others Snacks | Pork | SNACKS
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If you love those ribs on a classic Chinese Pu-Pu Platter you will want to give these a try. They are not too sweet but have that sweet edge and Asian spices to make them a nice addition to your next stir-fry dinner! Or have them as snacks or appetizers. These are suitable once you get past the first 2 week Induction Phase of Atkins and are OK for most Keto diets if the will fit into your daily macro limits.
INGREDIENTS:
1½ lb. pork spareribs (I used the point end of a rack with little bone)
10 drops liquid smoke
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger root, peeled & minced
2 T. low sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 T. molasses
1 T. my homemade Hoisin Sauce
¼-½ tsp. Sriracha sauce
1 T. dry sherry (or dry white wine which helps tenderize meat)
2 T. tap water
DIRECTIONS: Cut ribs along bones. If using the point end of a rack of ribs, that is almost totally boneless, cut any wider strips of boneless meat into strips about 3/4″ wide, or roughly the size of the bon-in ribs. Set them aside for a few minutes. In a large mixing bowl, measures out all other ingredients. Stir to blend well. Add meat and toss well to coat. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with foil and place marinated meat strips onto pan making sure they are not touching. With a brush baste lightly with marinade. When oven is hot, place in oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Turn and baste the other side of the meat pieces and cook another 15-20 minutes. When browned nicely on both sides, remove meat to a platter and serve with whatever other Asian fare you like or enjoy these as an appetizer. Be forewarned this is finger food and they are a little sticky & messy to eat, so have plenty of napkins on hand. 🙂
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
515 cals, 40g fat, 6.17g carbs, 0.27g fiber, 5.9g NET CARBS, 29.7g protein, 428mg sodium
