August 31, 2012 - Orange Pork Stir-fry

Oh my goodness, this recipe is definitely a keeper! Not only did the apartment smell good, the food was the best orange pork I have ever had! When the challenge ends, we are certainly going to make this again! And it is very filling as well! This is a must have in any recipe collection. For the non-low carb-ers, it would also taste good with rice.

ORANGE PORK WITH PEPPERS

2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, slivered, 2 1/2 ounces
2 medium carrots, julienned, 5 3/4 ounces
1 pound leftover roast pork, julienned (we just used cubed pork chops cooked on the stove before hand)
4 small bell peppers, julienned *
1 teaspoon xanthan gum ( we didn't have any so we just threw in a tablespoon of flour)
Sauce (see recipe below)

SAUCE:
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh orange juice, you'll need 2 small oranges
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses (we left this out too. )
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon Polaner minced jalapeños, optional

Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots; stir-fry just until the carrots start to lose a little of their crunch. Add the pork and peppers. Stir-fry until the pork is heated through and the peppers are tender-crisp. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the meat and vegetables; mix well. Pour in the sauce mixture and cook until thickened.

Makes 4 servings
Freezing not recommended

With Carrots:
With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 330 Calories; 14g Fat; 33g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 3.5g Dietary Fiber; 

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 30, 2012 - Crockpot Fajitas

Tonight was another great and super easy dinner, (are you sensing a theme here?) We LOVE super easy dinners. We had some visitors this time, which you have to understand is difficult for me in one sense. When I cook for someone, I always make something that I have done a 100 times so that I know it will be liked and make the night a success. So, to make something new and serve it without knowing how it is going to taste it a big step for me! Thankfully, it turned out awesome! Crockpot dinners are genius because you throw all the food in and it cooks it for you. Sweet. I guess it would be considered the "lazy man's" way of cooking, but hey, it works, and works great! 

This recipe was given to me by my good friend, Lacy! Thanks Lacy!!

Crockpot Fajitas

Ingredients

4 ounces of chicken tenders - per person 

sliced green, red, and yellow peppers - about one pepper per 2 people. 

1/4 cup of chopped onion

1 package of fajita or taco seasoning

1/4 cup of water

Directions:

1. Spray crockpot with nonstick spray

2. Add chicken and veggies

3. Mix water and seasoning and drizzle over chicken and veggies

4. Cook on low heat for 4 - 5 hours. 

(See, easy right?)

You can serve them on tortillas ( for the non low carb-ers) or on lettuce like last night's dinner. It's good either way. Our friends loved it, so it is a keeper! 

Carbs: 34 ( with tortilla) without tortilla - 9 carbs about. (Sorry,  I don't have exact counts on this on. ) 

It doesn't look appetizing in the picture but I promise it is good! 

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 29, 2012 - Red Enchilada Skillet Dinner

Ah, another dinner success! Tonight's dinner was perfect for us since we had some shopping to do and the dinner was quick and easy to make. It is similar to the spanish rice dinner, only no "rice". We put it over a salad of lettuce and finished it off with some sour cream. For the non-low-carb eaters, this tastes great in a tortilla! 

RED ENCHILADA SKILLET DINNER

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (2 1/2 ounces)
2/3 cup Red Enchilada Sauce
2 Roma tomatoes, diced (about 6 ounces)
8 green onions, chopped, one bunch
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
Chopped fresh cilantro, optional

In a large skillet or wok, brown the meat with the onion; drain the grease. Stir in the enchilada sauce, tomato and green onions. Bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt, if needed. Sprinkle with the cheese and cook over low heat until the cheese is melted. Add the cilantro, if using. Can be served over chopped lettuce and topped with sour cream (not included in the counts).

Makes 4-6 servings
Can be frozen

Per 1/4 Recipe: 455 Calories; 30g Fat; 36g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 28, 2012 - Mexi Bake Chicken

As you can tell, we are going for the Spanish theme this week. We have another one coming in a few days because we are just cool like that. Tonight's dinner is super easy and super good. Though, we ate a little later than expected.... we turned the oven on and put the chicken in... Somehow the oven got turned off so our chicken had a little... salsa soak spa before it was ready for cooking. So, after another hour we were finally able to eat, this time cooked chicken. 

Side dishes: Salad, grapes, and half an apple

This was given to us by our good friend, Ashley. Thanks dear cousin! 

Ingredients

2 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons taco seasoning ( I prefer homemade with no sugar added)

1/2 cup salsa, any degree ( I prefer Newman's Own; it's low in sugar)

1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese ( I prefer the Mexi-blend)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.Spray a shallow, small baking dish with non-stick spray.

3.Coat chicken lightly with taco seasoning, on both sides; spoon salsa over top of breast.

4.Bake, uncovered, about 45 minutes.

5.Sprinkle cheese on both breasts evenly; bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted through.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving: Calories 197.3 Total Fat 5.0g Saturated Fat 1.8g Cholesterol 78.5mg Sugars 2.2g Sodium 764.2mg Total Carbohydrate 5.0g

We were so excited to eat (at 8 pm) that we forgot to get a picture of our plates so here is a picture of the last chicken. 

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 27, 2012 - Spanish "Rice" and Hamburger

Another great day for another great recipe! Today's was easy as well. We worked together to get all the ingredients cut up or shredded. I never thought that Cauliflower could be a substitute for rice, but, surprisingly, it tasted just like rice! I also love it because it has 20 grams or protein, which is awesome for me! 

The funny thing is though, we got everything cooked and we even served it for ourselves before realizing that we had forgotten the tomato sauce! Oopps! So, we quickly threw it all back in the skillet and mixed in the sauce to let it heat up. Note to self: make sure you put everything in.... lol. It tasted like an upscale version of hamburger helper! It was great! Give it a try! We add a butter sandwich along with it. ( I love those too if you can't tell. :-) 

Once again, this is from Linda's Low Carb Menus and Recipes.

SPANISH "RICE" AND HAMBURGER

1 pound ground beef
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons onion, chopped, 1 3/4 ounces
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped, 1 1/4 ounces
1 pound fresh cauliflower, grated
8 ounce can tomato sauce  - Don't forget!!!!
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large skillet, brown the hamburger, bacon, onion and green pepper; drain the fat. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Mix well; cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the "rice". Cover the skillet and turn the stove to the lowest heat. Cook about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Makes 6 servings
Can be frozen

Per Serving: 263 Calories; 17g Fat; 20g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 26, 2012 - Josie's Pork Chops Alfredo

This was a great recipe! And it is super easy to make! All the recipes we have tried have been good so far, so hopefully we will keep it up this next week! This is our last recipe for this week. Next week's is already lined up so keep reading! 

To add to the dinner, we ate a helping of frozen (cooked of course :-) stir-fry veggies, a butter sandwich (with low-carb Sara-Lee bread) and half an apple (apple cutters are the greatest invention!) This is a must try! 

This recipe comes from Linda's Low Carb Menus and Recipes. (We like her recipes if you can't tell. ) 

JOSIE'S PORK CHOPS ALFREDO

6 pork chops (we used 4 so we didn't have a ton of leftovers, just enough for lunch tomorrow)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder, about
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced
16 ounce jar Alfredo sauce
2 ounces parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon thyme, optional

Heat the butter and oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chops with garlic powder, salt and pepper and brown well on both sides. Place in a 9x13" baking dish and keep the oil in the pan. Sauté the mushrooms in the hot skillet until almost tender; scatter over the pork chops. Pour the alfredo sauce into the the baking dish over the pork chops. Add the parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle with thyme, if desired. Cover and bake at 300º for 1 hour. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings 

Do not freeze

Per Serving: 499 Calories; 41g Fat; 25g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

I promise, the pork chops are in that mess of Alfredo sauce! 

This was a fun dinner! So good! 

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 25, 2012 - Quesadilla Quiche

This is also a great recipe for taste and time. We finished off the tuna muffins from yesterday and some broccoli along with it.( we ate so many leftovers this week for lunch, it was crazy!)  Spencer decided to add a little of his cotija cheese (which I feel smells like feet, but hey, to each his own.) Quesadilla Quiche comes from Linda's Low Carb Menus and Recipes. You got to try this one out! 

QUESADILLA QUICHE 

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded 

4 ounce can chopped green chiles 

1 medium Roma tomato, seeded and diced, about 4 ounces 

5 green onions, chopped 

6 eggs 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Put the cheese, chiles, tomatoes and green onions in a greased 9 1/2-10" pie plate. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and salt. Pour into the pie plate and mix everything just to combine. Bake at 350º 35 minutes or until the center is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings 

Can be frozen

Per 1/6 Recipe: 306 Calories; 25g Fat; 17g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; .5g Dietary Fiber

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 24, 2012 - Tuna Muffins

Today was a little tricky because we had to make something quick while watching two small kids. I guess that is good practice for us for when we do have kids. We ended up making these Tuna Muffins, along with some left over pork, and broccoli. The tuna muffins came out pretty good. It's not filling enough, so be sure to add a side or two of vegetables or fruit. 

TUNA OR SALMON MUFFINS
2 6-ounce cans tuna or salmon, drained well
2 eggs
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine, 1 ounce
2 tablespoons onion, chopped fine, 1/2 ounce
1/4 cup green pepper, minced, 1 ounce
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch Old Bay seasoning or (Celery salt, Paprika, and Black pepper)

Mix all of the ingredients and spoon into 6 well-greased muffin cups. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes until puffed, set and lightly browned around the edges.

Makes 6 servings
Can be frozen

Per Serving: 109 Calories; 8g Fat; 12g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 23, 2012 - Spicy Chicken And Spinach Casserole

Tonight, We both agree that this dish has been our favorite so far! It is really, REALLY, good. You have to give it a try. I, myself, have a huge aversion to spicy foods but this one is awesome! You hardly taste the jalapeños and flavor is great! I unfortunately suffered another cut from the stupid knife. I'm going to let Spencer take care of those things for awhile. Stupid onion.... Anyhoo, here is the recipe! Please give it a try! 

This also comes from Linda's Low carb Menus and Recipes. (Seriously, she is awesome!)

SPICY CHICKEN & SPINACH CASSEROLE
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup canned pickled jalapeños, roughly chopped, 1 ounce can
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
10 ounce can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained (tomatoes with green chilies)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix the chicken and spinach in a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole. Meanwhile, sauté the onion in butter until tender; add to the chicken. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake, uncovered, at 350º 40-50 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Makes 6-8 servings
Do not freeze

Per 1/6 recipe: 484 Calories; 36g Fat; 35g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

August 22, 2012 - Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

So tonight we tried our hand at more Italian cuisine. We made lasagna stuffed peppers, which are basically green bell peppers cut in half and stuffed with lasagna filling. This one came at a cost though. Brittany cut her finger while trying to seed one of the peppers. No worries, though. She is alive and doing well. The recipe was pretty good! See note below. 

*Note: It was a little bland tasting so you may want to season the meat with something yummy to add a little flavor or kick. 

LASAGNA STUFFED PEPPERS
4 large green peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 cup spaghetti sauce
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 egg
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Place the peppers in a large baking pan at least 9 x 13 inches; sprinkle the inside of the peppers with salt. Meanwhile brown the ground beef, garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper and half the garlic powder; drain the fat. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed. Combine the ricotta cheese, egg and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese in a small bowl; season with salt, pepper and the remaining garlic powder. Divide the ricotta mixture between the pepper halves. Top the ricotta mixture with the meat sauce; mound the mozzarella cheese over the top of each pepper. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup parmesan. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned.

Makes 8 servings

Per Serving: 327 Calories; 21g Fat; 24g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

August 21, 2012 - Pizza Toppings Cassarole - 5 carbs

Today, we tried something we have never really thought to do, but I believe it is genius! It has all the yummy pizza toppings that I love without the high carb crust. I think it tastes great! I think you should try it out sometime! You won't be disappointed! 

This comes from Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes.

PIZZA TOPPINGS CASSEROLE

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup pizza sauce (we used sugar free pasta sauce, Hunts)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and/or basil
3 1/2 ounces pepperoni, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped (2 ounces)
8 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup red onion, slivered (1 ounce) 

Crushed red pepper, optional

Note: Watch the oven time, ours came out quite brown in 45 minutes. 

Brown the sausage with the mushrooms; drain the grease. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, cream, pizza sauce and seasonings in a medium bowl. Grease a 7x9" deep baking dish (or 7x12" shallow baking dish) and put in the meats, mushrooms, peppers and the mozzarella cubes. Pour in the egg mixture and mix well. Top with the red onion. Sprinkle with a little more garlic powder, Italian seasoning and a little crushed red pepper flakes, if you like. Bake at 350º for 45-55 minutes until nicely browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Mine still had a bit of liquid in the center but it was done. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings

Per 1/6 Recipe: 582 Calories; 50g Fat; 27g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

HAPPY EATING!!!

August 20, 2012 - Italian Squash Pie -7 carbs

Our first cooking experiment started with a recipe that we found on

Linda's Low Carb Menus and Recipes

She has a huge selection of different recipes. I highly recommend that you take a look! She has fantastic recipes! And she always puts fun notes at the bottom about how she liked it or if she changed it to help you make it turn out the best it can be. 

We decided to tackle her Italian Squash Pie. 

Here is the recipe:

* Note: We only used the 3 medium/large squash because that is all we had. It still made a ton of food, filling a 9 x 13 glass pan. 

ITALIAN SQUASH PIE 

4 tablespoons butter 

1 1/2 pounds yellow summer squash, sliced thin, 7 medium * 

Small onion, sliced or chopped, 2.5 ounces 

1 clove garlic, minced 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 

8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded 

2 eggs 

1/4 cup heavy cream 

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Sauté the squash, onion and garlic in the butter in a large skillet until tender and slightly browned. Sprinkle in the seasonings while cooking the squash. Put the squash mixture in a greased 10-inch quiche pan; mix in the cheese and parsley. Whisk the eggs and cream in a small bowl; whisk in the mustard. Pour the egg mixture over the squash; mix in gently. Bake at 375º for 25 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before cutting.

Makes 6-8 servings 

Freezing not recommended

Per 1/6 Recipe: 297 Calories; 25g Fat; 13g Protein; 7g 

Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 

To go along with the pie, we had some honey dew and a butter sandwich. It was a very filling dinner!

Here is a close up.

As you can see, the servings are quite generous and only 7 carbs! 

Happy Eating!!

Our Cooking Scheme

Today, Spencer and I decided to start a little challenge. Because of my insulin resistance, we are always on the look out for new, low carb recipes. It's not an easy task. There are quite a few recipes out there that aren't... well..... the most delicious. We have been beating the few we have found to death lately. It seems like we just rotate through the same 20 or so recipes. 

So, this week we decided we would try new recipes all week. Then, as we were shopping, I guess I got a little excited and said we should try a new recipe every day for a month! I think it will be a fun challenge, that will help us find delicious food while spending quality time together in the kitchen. 

So, each day from August 20, 2012 to September 20th, 2012, we will be looking for new recipes that are under 30 carbs (since that is my limit for blood sugar reasons)

If you happen to stumble on any good recipes, feel free to share it with us! 30 carbs is the limit, so it makes for fun searching. We love to try new things! We will post each recipe with it's original source, so if you are feeling adventurous, you can try them too! 

Let the cooking begin!