Chicken Enchilada Sauce for Pasta

Enchilada Sauce and Pasta in the same meal?? What? No way! I was sitting here trying to plan dinner, but craving enchiladas, which is not the easiest meal to make low carb...and then it dawned on me... I have enchilada sauce, and I have low carb pasta! I bet I can make something out of that! Then I did a few searches online for enchilada pasta dishes, saw that I am not the only one out there with "interesting" tastes!


So, with ingredients I had on hand, here's what I came up with....


Chicken Enchilada Sauce (for Pasta)


Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Shallot (Onion would work, I only had shallots on hand)
• 1 tsp minced Garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp Garli Garni
• 1 19 ounce can of Enchilada Sauce 
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp Splenda (our sauce needed it, because the enchilada sauce was soooo bitter)
• 2 lbs of Shredded cooked chicken (I used Pollo Asado from Costco)
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheese

Directions:

1. Dice the shallot (onion).
2. Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add onions and garlic- cook until the shallots are translucent and the garlic is very fragrant. Mix in the oregano, cumin, and garli garni. 
3. Add enchilada sauce, heavy cream, lemon juice, and splenda (if you need it), stir to mix.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
5. Add chicken, and bring back to a boil, and then simmer for another 6-8 minutes.
6. Add shredded cheese, be sure not to boil it after you add the cheese. 
7. Serve over pasta with lettuce, tomato and avocado.

By my calculations this will serve 5-6 people. It has 54 net carbs total, that makes about 9-10 carbs per serving. 

Not as yummy looking as it tasted, trust me.... :)

Products for this meal:
Dreamfields Healthy Low Carb Angel Hair Pasta 13.25 oz. box
Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce, Medium, 19-Ounce Cans (Pack of 6)
Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce


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Italian Pork Tenderloin

I bought one of these double packs of pork tenderloins, you know the ones that you get at Sams Club and then think-- how will we ever eat it all?! But the freezer is my friend, and today I used up the rest of the pork tenderloin in a yummy "Italian" dish that all began when I read this recipe. But, since I didn't have some of the ingredients and wanted to add others-- this is what I came up with:

It's hard to photograph food... but trust me, it tasted great!

Italian Pork Tenderloin


Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup chopped Bacon, pre-cooked 
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried Sage
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning (herbs)
• 1 Tbs Sun Dried tomato paste
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 2 Tbs. Shallots, chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloins, cut into 1/2" strips
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, saute bacon, sage, herbs, tomatoes, tomato paste and shallots, until the shallots are tender.
2. Mix the pork strips into the skillet, and brown about 10 minutes, turning once.
3. Remove the pork strips from the skillet. 
4. Stir the broth, wine,  and heavy cream into the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Bring to a boil and reduce by about 1/3.
6. Add the pork back to the sauce.
7. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pork reaches a minimum temperature of 160 degrees F and sauce is thickened.

I served this with a green salad and over low carb linguine, it was very good!

nutrition for the recipe alone:

Calories 473.3   Total Fat 25.6 g       Saturated Fat 10.6 g       Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g       Monounsaturated Fat 7.5 g   Cholesterol 175.8 mg   Sodium 300.0 mg   Potassium 840.4 mg   Total Carbohydrate 3.7 g       Dietary Fiber 4.5 g       Sugars 0.8 g   Protein 51.4 




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Ricotta, Mozzarella and Asparagus Stuffed Chicken

Dinner tonight was an interesting experiment in using ingredients that were readily available in my refrigerator, pantry and freezer. I got my idea for this recipe here.

Ricotta, Mozzarella and Asparagus Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2-4 Tbs Garli Garni (use garlic powder, Italian herbs, and pinch of red pepper flakes if you don't have it) we like our food fairly spicy, so you have to add this to taste
• 8 spears of Asparagus, washed, trimmed
• 1/2 C. Red Wine
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Flatten the chicken breasts to about 1/4" thick
3. Rub chicken with garli garni (spices), and salt and pepper
4. Place half of the ricotta and mozzarella  cheese on each breast (keep it in the middle)
5. Place 4 Asparagus spears on each breast
6. Fold the chicken breast over the filling, secure with toothpick(s).
7. Place chicken in baking pan, seam side down.
8. Pour the red wine over the chicken
9. Bake for about 25- 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear, or instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees F).

 Served with a big salad. Yum. 

Total Carbohydrate 5.2 g       Dietary Fiber 1.3 g = 3.9 g net carbs 

Calories: 191.8   Total Fat 7.7 g       Saturated Fat 4.5 g       Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g       Monounsaturated Fat 2.1 g   Cholesterol 47.3 mg   Sodium 140.9 mg   Potassium 374.3 mg

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Pie

Is there a more perfect way to celebrate Pi day (3.14) then to eat pie? :) I think not!! But doing so and remaining true to the low carb way of eating can be challenging. I had some definite ups and downs working through this recipe. But I think I got it... :) I may have to do some more tweaking, and if I do-- I will come back and make some updates. I found the ideas for this pie here and here.

I am not a cake decorator... so don't judge! lol :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer pie


Ingredients:
-For Crust:

• 1 1/4 Cup of Almond Flour/Meal
• 1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 5 Tbs of Icy Water

For Chocolate Layer:

• 2 Tbs Butter
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Tbs. Cream
• 1/2 Cup of Splenda

For Peanut Butter Layer:

• 4 Tbs Cream Cheese, softened- room temperature
• 5 Tbs Peanut Butter (I used creamy All Natural Skippy)
• 1/3 C Splenda

Topping:

• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Tbs Splenda
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin

Directions:

1. Crust: Mix Almond flour, salt and coconut oil by cutting in the oil, then add 1 Tbs at a time of icey water, mixing as you go. It will be crumbly but will have the ability to hold together. Next, press the dough into a greased pie plate, spread over the bottom well, and then bake at 450 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Before I added the water

while the crust cooled... I will explain below why the edges were so dark...

• Allow pie crust to cool and then put it in the freezer, and allow to freeze before you make your next layer.(I only waited about 15 minutes)

2. Chocolate layer: Melt butter and chocolate in microwave approx. 2 minutes (stop about every 30 seconds to stir). Mix in cream and vanilla. Stir well. Mix in splenda. Pour over frozen pie crust and put back in freezer.

With the the chocolate layer spread on the crust... just barely enough!

3. Peanut Butter layer: Mix peanut butter, cream cheese and splenda with hand mixer. Spread over frozen pie. Put back into the freezer.

With the peanut butter layer spread on top...

4. Whip cream with vanilla, gelatin and splenda until stiff peaks will form. Spread over pie and refrigerate.

 There are about 53 net carbs in this pie, that makes 6.625 per slice (assuming 8 servings)

A "profile" picture... look at the yummy layers! (my crust was about 2x's too thick (explained below)...

So, this pie was a lot of work, but it was worth it! Even my carb-loving friends gave it their stamp of approval! :) 

Things I learned along the way: 

- if it doesn't work the first time, try, try again (see pics below)

- unflavored gelatin can be mixed into your whipped cream (no noticeable taste that I could tell), and it will prevent the whipped cream from "deflating" or "weeping". I actually used about another 1/2 tsp in the little bit of topping I saved to pipe the words with.... and it held up very nicely!

- you could definitely make the crust using butter
- ALWAYS read the reviews/comments before you try a new recipe!!!! :) (as evidenced by by experience noted below!)

My trials with making this crust:
The original recipe called for 1 1/4 cup of almond meal/flour and 2/3 cups coconut oil. I thought... hmmm, that seems like a lot, but I went for it. And it looked fine, I even patted it up the sides of the pie pan to make a "true" pie crust. Then about 5 minutes into the baking I took the following picture, and realized there might just be a problem:

See the problem? Startin' to "melt"

Apparently the amount of oil was too high, but I gave it another 5 minutes (just in case) and here was the result:

Kind of bubbly and soupy looking... :(

Check out this perspective... it was nearly bubblin' over... 

So, I mixed in more almond flour (about a cups worth) and was happier with the drier consistanacy and put it back in for another 15 minutes (thus the super dark edges-- but not burned, I do not burn things - I BROWN them!! LOL). Next time I am definitely going to cut back the oil to 1/4 cup (thinking that's about right since my crust was still a bit "soft" once it had come back to room temperature).


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Between 3 Sisters Mid-Month Motivation

Products in this post:
Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)
100% Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil 16 fl.oz
Skippy Peanut Butter, Natural Creamy, 15-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6)
Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, 1.2-Pound Bag
Unflavored Gelatin - 1 lb

Rutabaga Fries

Rutabaga, a root that I had never tried before.... and I have to say they are ok, as long as it's a fairly thin sliced and it has been fried, and dipped in ketchup or ranch dressing. I can't say that I will keep rutabagas on hand at all times, but for days when I really want "fries" with my burgers - they will be a good substitute. 

Ok, so I read that if you soak them in milk or cream for 1/2 hour before cooking them it helps remove the "bite" or the bitterness. Not sure if it did or not, but I did soak it after I had sliced it up.

Rutabaga Fries

Ingredients:

• 1 Rutabaga, peeled, sliced (the thinner the better)
• Onion salt (to taste)
• Garli Garni (or garlic powder) to taste
• Coconut oil/Olive Oil/ (any other frying oil)

Directions:

1. Wash, peel with pairing knife, and slice (fairly thinly) the rutabaga.

2. Submerge the sliced rutabaga in cream/water mix for about 30 minutes

3. After 30 minutes, rinse the rutabaga of the cream mixture.

4. Heat up the oil to 325 degrees F.

5. While oil is heating up, coat "fries" in spices.

6. Fry the "fries" until golden brown and done through (I didn't get them all cooked through, and we didn't care as much for the flavor of the "raw"ish ones).

7. Serve with ranch dressing, sugar free ketchup, or whatever you enjoy with your fries. 

Products used:

Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 15-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2)

Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

Cheesy Egg Custard

My friends served this at a get together at their home, and I had to have the recipe, and attempt to make it! :)  Since I was wide awake this morning hours earlier then necessary, I figured I could try it out! 


Cheesy Egg Custard
Ingredients:

 1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (Swiss is a good substitute)

1/4 cup chopped chives (I used dried)

 5 large eggs

3/4  cup whole milk ( I used about half heavy cream and half water)

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 tsp. onion salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish (2 inches deep).
2. Sprinkle Gruyère and chives evenly in dish.
3. Blend eggs, milk, and cream cheese  in a blender with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. (I used a hand blender)
4. Pour egg mixture over Gruyère and chives in dish and bake until puffed, set, and golden, 35 to 45 minutes. (It took about 50 minutes for mine to cook completely.)Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4. 303.5 calories, protein 17g,  Carbs 1.4g , fiber .2  = 1.2 net carbs

We enjoyed it, but I baked it in a Pyrex bowl, and next time I will bake it in something more shallow because it took longer to cook this way (I think). Anyhow, it tasted great and was a nice variation of "eggs" for breakfast! :)

Products mentioned in this recipe:

Chives, Freeze-Dried, Chopped - 0.13 oz,(Spicer Hunter)

Baked Meatballs

I have seen various versions of this recipe. The original came from the Atkins website, but I have tweaked it to make it "mine", and I have to say that they turned out mighty tasty! I had made the recipe to the "letter" from Atkins a long time ago, and remember that they weren't very flavorful, but with my "tweaks" they surely aren't short on flavor!

BAKED MEATBALLS
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground pork
1 Tbs.  dried chopped onion
2 Tbs. Garli Garni
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, (I used the kind in a can)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon onion salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (to taste, I probably used more)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. (and I lined my baking sheet with foil)

2. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl using your fingers. Mix until the meat no long feels slimy from the eggs.

3. Shape in golf ball size meatballs and place on a large baking sheet with sides. Bake at 375� for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are done all the way through. (and I turned on the broiler once they were cooked and broiled them until they browned up a bit-- about 5 minutes).

Ready to bake

Makes about 20-30 meatballs  (I got 24)
Can be frozen

Ok, so I have to warn you that mine flattened out on the bottom-- didn't bother us any, and sure didn't impact the flavor.... here's a pic, I am sorry-- I know it's not the best.


Bake meatballs, the cheese sort of leaks out of them... oh well, if you really care you could remove it, we didn't!


I served these with a Trader Joe's spaghetti sauce (4 net carbs), shirataki noodles (1 net carb) and a salad. Very Yummy! Look for my post on  shirataki noodles for more details.

Per meatball: 92 Calories; 7g Fat; 6g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs


Products mentioned in the post:
 Shirataki Noodles (Pack of 5)
 Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

 Kraft Grated Parmesan, Reduced Fat, 8-Ounce Canister (Pack of 3)