Asian Meatball Lo-Mein

This quick lunch came about when I pulled some leftover Pork Patties and Dipping Sauce out of the freezer to have for lunch today.  But I instead decided to take them into a new direction and the result was quite tasty and most filling.  Needed to use up half a head of bok choy in the refrigerator, so this dish was born as my mind wandered.

Although this dish uses leftover meat patties cut up, you could also just make up a batch of the sauce and cook the base dish using thinly sliced, lean pork rather the cut-up leftover meatballs I used.  Your call there, bit I do think the seasonings in the meat mixture does considerably improve the overall flavor profile of the final dish.  This recipe is suitable for any phase of Atkins or other Keto plans.

Our latest volumes of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS cookbooks are calling you. What are you waiting for? Volume 8, 9 and 10 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes! Included some tasty new creations of my dear friends George Stella and Jennifer Eloff. Special complete set pricing going on right now. Hurry and place your order today for one or more of our cookbooks at https://amongfriends.us/sale.php or at Amazon. After your book(s) arrive, and you’ve had a chance to try a recipe, do stop by and leave a review at Amazon here.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lean ground pork

1 beaten egg

2 jalapenos, seeded, ribs removed and minced fine

2 tsp. coconut aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)

2 cloves, garlic, minced

4 T.  bacon grease (or oil of choice)

2 oz. onion, slivered in thin wedges

2 c. bok choy, coarsely chopped

12 oz. shiritaki noodles spaghetti shape

1/3 c. chicken broth (preferably homemade)

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. creamy natural peanut butter (omit if on Atkins Induction)

2 T. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. ginger root, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. Sambal Oelek chili sauce (or Sriracha sauce)

2-3 drops liquid stevia or sucralose

1 T. low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)

1 T. finely minced green onion

2 T. water

DIRECTIONS:  Mix sauce in small bowl and set aside.  Mix meat ingredients in medium bowl.  Form into very small meatball shapes and set aside.  Open and drain/wash off noodles in strainer under running cold water.  Set aside for now. Cut bok choy coarsely, separating white stem from green leaves (leaves cook faster).  Set that aside for now.  Have all these items by stove at the ready.

In large skillet, melt the bacon grease.  Add meatballs and brown all sides.  Add onion and allow to brown.  Add white stems of bok choy and stir-fry just until slightly soft.  Now pour the sauce over the ingredients.  Then add the chicken broth.  Add green leafy parts next and stir for just a minute to allow then to go limp.  Stir in the drained noodles and toss well.  Continue to simmer and stir 2-3 more minutes to properly heat the noodles, to blend flavors, as well as to dry out the mixture a bit.  Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 large adult servings, each contains:

367 cals, 30.5g fat, 8.02g carbs, 5.25g fiber, 2.77g NET CARBS, 12.32g protein, 232 mg sodium

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Montreal BBQ Sauce and Marinade

Montreal BBQ Sauce (shown on grilled pork ribs)

This is a wonderful BBQ sauce for grilled pork and I’m having my husband grill 1/2 pork loin for dinner tonight.  So I thought I’d re-share this tasty sauce and marinade.  It is equally good on fish, chicken and shrimp.  I use this buttery BBQ sauce regularly on grilled pork, but also for inside baked chicken!  It is simply delicious!  And so simple to make!  It is certainly Atkins Induction friendly.  You can also use this as a marinade for grilling or baking fish filets.  Marinate for an hour in a [plastic bag in the refrigerator and then grill the meat or seafood as you do usually.  I always reserve some of the mixture for basting during cooking and a bit for table basting.  The pork ribs in the photo above are shown with Linda Genaw’s Just Like Stuffed Baked Potatoes recipe, a delicious side for any meat!

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try.  Many of my recipes appear in these cookbooks, as well as Volumes 8, 9 and 10 being almost exclusively my recipe content.  Order your 10-volume set TODAY to get special discounted pricing! (books are of course, available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I choose not to get paid for my involvement with these cookbooks. I promote the books here because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS: 

2 tsp. “Montreal Steak” seasoning (recipe below)

1 stick butter, UNSALTED since the above spice has salt (but luckily no sugar!) (4 oz.)

1-2 tsp. red wine vinegar

1/8 – ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Melt butter, add Montreal Steak spice, vinegar and cayenne.   Simmer on lowest heat for 2 minutes.  Remove and use as grilling baste.  If marinating meat first in this, set a little aside for a final basting right before serving meat at table.

My Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning: 

• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, coarsely ground
  
• 1 tablespoon dill seeds

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes around 8 tablespoons sauce.  Should be enough to marinate and baste 10 pieces (1 whole chicken cut up), a full rack of pork ribs, 8-10 fish filets, 4# shrimp or a 5-6 lb. pork roast.  Each tablespoon of this sauce contains:

103 cals, 11.5g fat, 0.26g carbs, 0.1 g fiber, 0.16g NET CARBS, 0.12g protein, 48 mg sodium

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Shrimp and Sausage Bisque

I made the most scrumptious seafood bisque last night for dinner.  It was ready in just 1 hour, start to finish!  I wanted to make seafood gumbo, but I didn’t have okra in the freezer and gumbo just isn’t gumbo to me without a little okra in it.  So I pulled out my trusty gumbo recipe of many years and basically made that, less the okra.  I subbed in cream for all the canned tomatoes in my gumbo recipe to make it more like a bisque.  WOW!  We loved it!  This one is a keeper for sure!  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, provided those still on Induction omit the white wine and those on Paleo use coconut milk instead of cream.

Many more simple, tasty low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own copy of our cookbooks  LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS.  Volume 8 and 9 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes with some new George Stella and Jennifer Eloff creations.  Volume 10, again with mostly my recipes, is now available as well.  Order any of our books from Amazon  or here: amongfriends.us/order.php. Don’t miss out on this bargain!  And please, if you’ve already bought Volume 8, I sure would appreciate your taking a moment to stop by this page and leave your personal review:

INGREDIENTS:

3 oz. bacon, coarsely chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

3/4 c. green bell pepper, chopped

3 oz. onion, chopped

½ c. parsley, chopped

6 oz. pork breakfast sausage

1 medium leaf kale, (about 3/4 c.), stemmed & chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp. Cajun Seafood Spice Blend

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

¼ tsp. black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

22 large shrimp, (shell removed), cut in halves (12 oz tail-on pkg)

2 c. chicken broth (preferably homemade, or seafood stock)

1 c. heavy cream

¼ c. white wine

Tiny dusting of xanthan gum or your favorite thickener

11 San Marzano mini tomatoes cut into 4 pieces (or 22 cherry tomatoes left whole)

VARIATION:   Add 1 c. shelled/cleaned fresh crab meat + 1 c. extra chicken/seafood broth.  Mmmm.

DIRECTIONS:  In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, brown the bacon.  Add the Louisiana “Holy Trinity” (celery, bell pepper and onion) to the pot and saute until they begin to soften.  Add sausage and saute, crumbling as you do so.  Add kale, garlic and the four spices.  Lower heat to medium.  Add shrimp and saute until opaque.  Add chicken (or seafood) stock, white wine, and cream.   When returns to a simmer, lower heat to lowest setting.  Add tomatoes and simmer about 10 minutes.  Some like this stage of thickening from the cream.  But if you like your cream soups a bit thicker, add the light sprinkle of xanthan gum.  Alternately, if you like more broth in your soup, or ned to stretch this out for more servings (it was a bit thick with “solids”) you can always add 1-2 more cups of chicken stock to the pot.  If you do add more broth, you will definitely want to use a thickener.  Simmer a few minutes longer for the thickener to go to work.  Pour into a soup tureen and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 6 servings (as written), each containing:

382 cals, 31g fat, 7.01g carbs, 1.53g fiber, 5.48g NET CARBS, 16.3g protein, 410mg sodium

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Cheesy Sausage-Bacon Croquettes

These delicious dinner croquettes were quite a surprise, considering I just started throwing stuff from the fridge into the skillet, having forgot to defrost any major meat for dinner.  Today, I had chosen working in my garden over cooking/planning and then I collapsed from fatigue.  My husband loved these and ate three!  We both agreed this one’s a keeper for a simple, quick meal.  There’s just enough cheese in these to pull all the flavor layers together and to facilitate browning but you can use less if you need to pull the sodium down a bit.  These have a hint of Cajun seasoning, but you could use another favorite seasoning blend if you prefer.  These tasty patties are suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint followers.  With the cheese, they are not acceptable for Paleo.

Our latest volumes of LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS cookbooks are calling you. What are you waiting for? Volume 8 and Volume 9 are almost exclusively comprised of my recipes! Included in both editions are also some tasty new creations of my dear friends George Stella and Jennifer Eloff.   Volume 10 is now available as well!  Special set pricing is going on right now. Hurry and place your order today for one or more of our cookbooks at https://amongfriends.us/sale.php or at Amazon. After your book(s) arrive, and you’ve had a chance to try a recipe or two, please stop by and leave a brief review at Amazon here.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. cooked spaghetti squash threads (half medium squash)

6 oz. smoked sausage (I use Burton’s)

2 slices thick-slice bacon

1 tsp. bacon grease  (if bacon too lean)

1 oz. each red and green bell pepper

1½ oz. yellow onion

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash black pepper

3/4 tsp. my Cajun Seafood Spice Blend (or your preferred blend)

2T. + 1 tsp. golden flax meal

1 large egg, beaten

1½ c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mozzarella)

VARIATION:  Use different cheese of choice; use diced shrimp.

DIRECTIONS:  Cook the squash with your preferred method.  You will only be using half the squash for this recipe, so reserve the rest in the fridge for another use.  I cut the stem end off my squash, cut the squash in half lengthwise and microwave face down in a dab of water for about 13 minutes.  With a towel, hold the cooked squash in one hand and fork out the threads onto a cutting board.  Chop, place into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

On a cutting board chop the onion, red pepper & green pepper fairly small.  Next chop the sausage & bacon into 1/4″ dice.  Over medium-high heat, cook the bacon & sausage in a skillet until nearly done.  Add chopped veggies to the pan and cook all until thoroughly cooked and veggies are softened.  I had to add 1 tsp. bacon grease to the pan (included in the fat number below) as my bacon was so lean.  You can leave that out if your bacon is fatty enough to fry the mixture properly.   Remove from heat and spoon over the squash threads in your bowl.  Add garlic, pepper and Cajun Seafood Spice Blend and stir to mix.  Add the cheese shreds and beaten egg and again stir to blend well.  Let mixture rest a few minutes for the egg and flax to properly set up.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle to medium-high.  Using a serving spoon, spoon out 8 fairly equal portions of the mixture on the hot griddle.  Slightly press the mixture piles flatter.  DO NOT move these around as they are quite fragile until they are browned on one side.  When the first side is browned upon peeking, quickly flip them to the other side and brown as shown in the photo.  You don’t want to under-brown these as it is the browning of the mixture at pan contact that helps them taste their best.  I served these with a bowl of buttered broccoli, but they would be nice with any green vegetable or a lovely salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 croquettes, each contains:

191 cals, 14g fat, 5.75g carbs, 2.11g fiber, 3.64g NET CARBS, 11.7g protein, 484 mg sodium

 

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Indian Chicken Tikka Masala or Curry

This particular curry recipe, similar to Chicken Tikka Masala, is the one I keep coming back to again and again.  Typically one uses tomato paste in the creamy sauce, rather than whole tomatoes, but I prefer the fresh tomatoes in my curry. This is easy to make and incredibly DELICIOUS!  This recipe is also great made with a firm-fleshed fish or shrimp.  When doing it with fish, cut de-boned fish into large pieces and prepare sauce first.  Add fish the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so it won’t overcook and fall apart.  Red fish is an excellent choice for simmered dishes, if you can get it, as it is as firm as chicken or beef and won’t disintegrate in the sauce!  This dish is OK for Induction and is also suitable for Primal diners.  Paleo followers need to use coconut milk instead of cream.  For variety, sometimes I add a little tomato paste to this sauce, which changes it up a bit.  🙂

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and other wonderful cooks to bring you a wealth of recipes you will love! Some of my low-carb creations appear in each of the 10 volumes! Special discounted set pricing going on right now!  Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. whole cumin seed

2 T. olive oil

3 T. butter

3 oz. sliced onion

2 deboned 7-8 oz. chicken breasts, cut into 1-1½” chunks

¼ tsp. salt

¼-½  tsp. cayenne pepper  (use ½ tsp. only if you like it HOT)

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ T. minced fresh ginger

½ tsp. ground turmeric

1 T. my homemade Garam Masala 

4 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 c. chicken broth

1   whole tomato (3″) , cut into 1″ cubes (use 1 Tbsp. tomato paste for a redder Tikka Masala gravy or that Butter Chicken appearance)

¼ c. heavy cream (Paleo-Primal should use coconut milk)

DIRECTIONS:  In a dry non-stick skillet or wok, dry roast the whole cumin seed, stirring, just until they become fragrant but not burned (about 1-2 minutes).  Add olive oil, butter and onions & saute a few minutes.  Add chicken and continue to saute until chicken is opaque.  Add all remaining ingredients except heavy cream. Simmer covered on lowest heat about 30 minutes until tomatoes are tender but not falling totally apart.  Add heavy cream and continue to simmer 5-10 minutes longer.  If desired, slightly thicken with a few successive, light dustings of xanthan gum or glucomannan powder, whisking or stirring vigorously between additions.  Serve over steamed cauliflower or basmati rice for non-low-carb guests.  Sometimes I add my cauliflower right into the curry the last 15 minutes of cooking for a change of pace.  Like the tomatoes, do not cook the cauliflower too long.  Adjust info below if you add cauliflower or other vegetables to the dish.

VARIATION:  Sprinkle in a few frozen green peas as shown above.  But just a few!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 3, each serving containing:

527 cals., 34.6g fat, 7.83g carbs, 2.03g fiber, 5.80g NET CARBS, 44.3g protein, 194 mg. sodium

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Ground Pork Fried “Rice”

My husband was down in Austin today and said he would stop by a BBQ place on his way home to bring some sliced brisket for our supper tonight.  Then at 5:30, he called and announced they were closed!  Luckily I had thawed some ground pork for tomorrow night and got to work creating something quick for dinner.  This dish was quite tasty and we will definitely fix it again.  I had my doubts about using ground pork rather than sliced pork, my preference for stir fires, but it was pretty good in this!  I’d sure do it with the ground pork “in a pinch” again.  🙂

This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins.  Those still on Induction or who are doing Paleo should leave out the sherry.  It is OK for Keto diets and Primal diets as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground pork

3/4 c. carrot, peeled, sliced or diced

1 stalk celery, sliced thinly

1½ c. cabbage, sliced thinly

½ c. green onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. ginger root, minced

½ tsp. Sambal Oelek chili sauce

1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper

Dash salt

1 T. sherry (optional, omit for Induction or Paleo)

1 T. low-sodium soy sauce

1 pkg (14 oz)  Zeroodles shirataki rice-shape noodles with oat fiber, drained, rinsed

DIRECTIONS:  Drain and rinse noodles in sieve and set aside.  Heat wok or large non-stick skillet.  Add oil and then ground pork.  Brown over high heat.  Do drain off some of the fat if excessive (but not all of it), but I did not have to, as my meat was pretty lean.   Add carrots and celery and continue stir-frying until carrots nearly tender.  Add cabbage and green onion next, stir-frying until cabbage is getting limp.  Add all remaining ingredients, including “rice” noodles and lower heat to medium.  Allow to simmer, stirring frequently, for five minutes longer, allowing flavors to blend and mellow. Serve at once with Sambal Oelek chili sauce and soy sauce at table for those that like more of these.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 4 servings, each contains:

412 cals, 31 g fat, 9.55g carbs, 5.82g fiber, 3.73g NET CARBS, 22.2g protein, 288 mg sodium

 

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Chicken Artichoke Casserole

I have had a can of artichoke hearts in my pantry that have been there for months.  Since I was making chicken tonight, I decided to get creative.  I threw this simple dish together in 10 minutes, baked it 1 hour while we watched the evening news.  It is ever so delicious!  Even my picky husband, who is not too fond of artichokes, liked this dish!!  When he was finished dinner, he volunteered “Be sure to post this on your blog.”  That’s the best compliment I can get.  It truly was delicious and the key ingredient, the Shawarma Spice Blend in the mayo, adds so much flavor to this dish, so I do hope you’ll try it if you have not already.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Keto diets.  With all this dairy, it would not be suitable for Primal-Paleo, however.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included).  Chef George Stella also shares his wealth of delicious recipes in our books.  Order yours TODAY! from Amazon  or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php. Special set pricing going on right now!  

NOTE:  I just discovered the reheated leftovers are even tastier than this was on first baking!! So this dish, if serving to company, might be better made a day ahead, only partially cooking/browning the chicken for 35 minutes and removing from oven. Refrigerate overnight and allow it to finish cooking/browning the next day as it is warming up. 🙂 

INGREDIENTS:

3 large chicken thighs

3 large chicken drumsticks

5 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ c. sour cream

¼ c. + 2 T. my Shawarma Mayonnaise

½ c. parsley, chopped

2 oz. yellow onion, chopped fine

1 can (15 oz) artichoke hearts, drained or 1 c. marinated salad artichokes, cut in halves, rinsed well

Dash sea salt

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

3 T. melted butter for basting

DIRECTIONS:  Remove the chicken from the bones, leaving the skin on as it adds so much flavor.   You can boil the bones for some great stock for future use.  I cut each piece of the meat into two smaller pieces.  Set meat aside for now.  Preheat oven to 350º and lightly oil a ceramic 9×13 baking dish.

Soften the cream cheese by your preferred method.  I nuke mine in a glass mixing bowl on DEFROST for 2-3 seconds.  Stir in sour cream and mayo and blend well with a rubber spatula. Add chopped parsley, onion, salt and pepper and stir again.  Fold the chopped artichoke hearts gently into the creamy mixture.  Spoon the artichoke mixture into the oiled baking dish and spread evenly.  Place the pieces of chicken, skin side up, on top of the mixture.  Mine were slightly touching in my dish, but they shrink during cooking.  Using a brush, baste meat with a bit of the melted butter.  Sprinkle with another dash of salt and black pepper.  Pop into 350º oven and bake for 1 hour.  Baste again with melted butter at the 20 minute mare and again at 40 minutes cook time.  Remove from oven at the 1 hour mark when chicken should be golden brown.  Serve with your favorite green salad or green veggie side dish.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes  5 servings, each contains

529 cals, 50g fat (reduce dairy to lower), 6.68g carbs, 2g fiber, 4.68g NET CARBS, 22 g protein, 468 mg sodium

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