The Ol' Switcheroo!

Wow. I love lasagna as much as Garfield, but I try not to eat a lot of pasta. I'd always heard you could substitute zucchini slices for lasagna noodles, but was a bit skeptical. Not anymore! I may never make "normal" lasagna again! This is awesome. Feel free to use any lasagna recipe you like, and just substitute the pasta with zucchini.

Zucchini Lasagna

2 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 3 medium)
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 small tomatoes, cut up

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook zucchini until tender, drain and set aside. Fry meat and onions until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain fat. Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 10 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups. In small bowl slightly beat egg. Add cottage cheese, and half of shredded cheese. In (2-qt.) baking pan arrange half of the meat mixture. Top with half of the zucchini and all the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining meat and zucchini. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com

Warm up with some Chilies

It has been unbelievably cold this week, with wind chills creeping to 35 below! I thought I'd spice some things up with some Sante Fe Style Chicken roll-ups. These are great re-heated for lunch also.



Sante Fe Roll-Ups

1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon onion (minced) 1 garlic clove (minced)
2 anaheim chilies (cut into strips & chopped)
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
4 chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies (chopped)

Melt butter or oil in a skillet over med heat, add onions, garlic and anaheim chilies, saute until onion is soft, set aside. Pound chicken between sheets of plastic wrap until flattened, spread 1/4 of vegetables over each chicken breast & place 1 tablespoon cheese mix in the middle of each chicken piece. Roll tightly to enclose cheese completely, secure with wooden tooth picks. Chill covered for 8-24 hours, then place in a baking pan and bake 350 degrees fro 30 minute or until cooked through. Remove to a serving platter, scrape baking pan drippings into a saucepan, add sour cream and green chilies, cook over med. heat until heated through, pour over chicken.

Source: www.recipezaar.com

Low-Carb Deep Dish Pizza

This recipe had some rave reviews, so I thought I'd try it out. It is a similar concept to another recipe I've posted, The Low-Carb Taco Bake. This wasn't bad by any means, but I'm not a huge egg person, so if I made this again, I'd most likely cut back the eggs to 3 instead of 6, and do a thinner crust. It is a great way to satisfy that pizza craving with out over doing the carbs though.

Low-Carb Pizza Bake

6 eggs
6 oz cream cheese (3/4 package) at room temperature
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1½ teaspoon oregano or other Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
pinches of black and/or cayenne pepper
1 cup (or a little more) shredded Italian cheeses, at least half of which is a hard cheese (Parmesan, Assagio)

Heat the oven to 350° F.
Be sure the cream cheese is at about room temperature. Using a regular blender, food processor, or stick blender, mix the egg and cream cheese until well blended. Add the salt and spices and blend again.

Spread cheese in bottom of well-buttered 9X13 pan. (use an Italian blend such as Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio) Pour egg mixture over the cheese, and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top is browning.

Remove from oven, add pizza toppings, and bake until done - about another 10-15 minutes.

I topped the pizza with 6 oz. of tomato sauce, fresh mushrooms, pancetta, and the remaining cheese.

Source: www.lowcarbdiets.about.com

You-Won't-Even-Miss-the-Carbs Casserole

In my quest to cut back on carbs, I'm trying out some new dishes. This one caught my eye because I'm a big fan of cauliflower, so this sounded yummy to me. Scott the carb eater even loved it!

Low Carb Sausage, Mushroom and Chicken Casserole

3-4 cups diced cooked chicken
1 lb pork sausage
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushroom, sliced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 ounces frozen cauliflower, cooked well and drained
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
paprika (optional)

Brown the sausage with the celery, onion and mushrooms. Stir the softened cream cheese into the sausage mixture until well blended. Coarsely chop the cooked cauliflower. Mix all ingredients and spread in a greased 9"x13" baking dish. If desired, dust the top with paprika. Bake, covered with foil, at 350º for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until hot and bubbly and top is lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes

Source: not sure! Whoops!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

It was a cold and rainy day, perfect for some stew! I made a big pot of this stew to pack for lunch the rest of the week.

Beef & Vegetable Stew

1 lb lean beef for stew
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 (15 ounce) cans beef broth
8 ounces fresh green beans
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium zucchini, peeled and diced
1/4 cup frozen corn
bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
2 Tablespoons corn starch

In a medium to large pot, heat 1/2 tsp olive oil; brown beef, onion and garlic. Add broth, tomatoes, veggies and seasonings. Bring to a boil; simmer, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Mix corn starch with small amount of cold water and add to pot. Let boil for a few minutes until thickened. Discard bay leaf, serve.

Quick Quiche

This recipe was very easy and tasty. Reheated well!

Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche

1 lb. very lean hamburger
1 small chopped onion
4 slices crisp-cooked bacon, chopped in bits
3 eggs1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup half-n-half
8 oz. shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese
garlic powder to taste (optional)
white pepper

Brown hamburger in skillet with onion. Remove and mix in bowl with bacon pieces, breaking up any larger clumps with a fork or pastry mixer until you have a fine mix. Drain well of any excess grease and press into the bottom of a deep-dish pie pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine remaining ingredients in mixer bowl and whip well. Pour mixture over beef "crust" and bake 40-45 minutes until top is browned and "set". Cool 15-20 minutes before slicing. This can be packaged in Ziplocs or plastic containers for meals quickly microwaved over the next 3-5 days. (Does not freeze well, though.)

Source: lowcarb-recipes.com

Fabulous Feta!

I appologize in advance about the this post and the next one. Neither will have photos. :(
I took photos, but someone who shall remane nameless (and has a curly mullet in his photo on the sidebar) apparently deleted them from the camera before I posted the recipes...

This was very quick and easy!

Bacon Feta Chicken Breasts

6 thin chicken breast cutletts
6 slices of bacon
3/4 cup crumbled Feta

Sprinkle each chicken breast with some feta cheese, role up and wrap with a slice of bacon. Bake at 375 for 30 min, or until juices run clear.

Some Like It Hot!

It was one of our first cool evenings tonight, so I thought I'd spice things up. These pork chops were awesome and very spicy. You can easily adjust the heat to your taste. I served them with Trader Joe's Vegetable Jambalaya, and it was great together. I'll definitely be making these again soon!

Cajun Pork Chops

1 lb. Pork Chops
1 Medium Onion (julienned)
2 Stalks of Celery (cut in 1 in. pieces)
1 Red Pepper (julienned)
1 Green Pepper (julienned)
Olive Oil
Cajun Seasoning
Hot Sauce

Sprinkle pork chops generously with Cajun seasoning. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute the onions and peppers until onions are translucent.Add pork chops and cook one side until browned. Turn chops and cover skillet, cook for 8-10 min. or until pork chops are done. Remove from skillet, place on platter and shake hot sauce over everything.

Source: Adapted from stellastyle.com

Fishy Wishy

I feel like all we eat sometimes is chicken. And while chicken is good, there is only so much you can do with it. So tonight I thought I'd try a new fish recipe. It was really good, and you could make the recipe with any kind of white fish, and adjust the seasoning to your favorite herbs.



Flounder Baked in Sour Cream

1 pound of flounder fillets
1 Tablespoon and 2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a flat 2 quart casserole with the 1 Tablespoon butter. Arrange the flounder in the casserole. Mix the remaining ingredients (except butter) together with the sour cream and spread over the fish. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Source: Stellastyle.com

Veggie "No Mac" and Cheese

So this pretty much defeats the healthiness of the veggies, but boy is it good! Plus it satisfies the macaroni & cheese cravings with little carbs!

Veggie "Mac" and Cheese Casserole

Kosher salt, as needed, plus 1/2 teaspoon
2 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
Vegetable oil spray 1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, plus 1/2 cup for topping the casserole
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt.
Spray the baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat between several layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer the cauliflower to an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk just until the cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until browned and bubbly hot, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Source: Adapted from foodtv.com

Easy & Cheesy

Here is another easy fast and flavorful recipe using similar ingredients as the one below. It is a great way to work veggies into your meal.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus a few whole leaves for garnish

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 dashes cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup julienned green bell pepper

2 tablespoons diced red onion

1 medium plum tomato, cored and diced (about 1/4 cup)

4 ounces shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk together the oil, chopped cilantro, cumin, salt, garlic, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat.

Transfer chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet and arrange the green pepper, onion, and tomato over each. Roast until the largest piece is just cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from oven and immediately top with the cheese and serve as the cheese melts. Transfer the chicken to a platter or among plates and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Source: Adapted from Foodtv.com

Mucho Yummy!

I've been trying to cut back on the carbs lately, but sometimes that makes for a pretty boring diet. Not anymore! This is probably the most creative low carb dish I've ever made, and it was awesome. I didn't miss carbs at all! Even if you are eating carbs, you should try this dish anyway, it was delicious!

Low Carb Taco Bake

Crust

4 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Topping

1 lb ground beef
3 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/4 cup tomato sauce
4 ounces chopped green chilies
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

For the crust, beat the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the cream and seasoning. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish; spread the cheese over the bottom. Pour in the egg mixture as evenly as possible.

Bake at 375ºF, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before adding the topping.

For the topping, brown the hamburger; drain fat. Stir in the seasoning, tomato sauce and chilies. Spread over the crust. Top with cheese. Reduce oven to 350ºF and bake another 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbly. Serve with the toppings of your choice (add additional carbs).

Source: Recipezaar.com

Spinach & Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken

I found this recipe on Cooking Light, but adapted it a little at the end by adding sour cream. It was very good. The blue cheese was very mild, I might add a little more next time.

Spinach & Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sour cream

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup onion; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add spinach, and sauté 3 minutes. Combine spinach mixture, cheese and 1 teaspoon mustard in a small bowl. Stir well; set aside. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 tablespoons spinach mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet. Set aside, and keep warm. Add 1 cup onion to pan, and sauté 5 minutes. Add wine and thyme; cook 3 minutes or until reduced by half. Add broth and 2 tablespoons mustard; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick, add 1/4 cup of sour cream, stirring occasionally. Return chicken to skillet; cover and simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce with chicken.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light

Souper Cheezy!

This soup was awesome! Perfect for a cool fall day. I'm sure to be making more pots of this soon.




Loaded Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1/2 cup diced onions
5 cups frozen broccoli
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
2 oz cream cheese
2 TBS butter
salt & pepper to taste
12 oz chicken breasts
2-3 tsp corn starch

Combine all ingredients (except chicken & corn starch) in a pot and cook over medium heat.

Meanwhile, dice and cook the chicken. Add cooked chicken to pot and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch in a few tsp. of water, then add to the pot and allow soup to thicken.

Top with additional sour cream, shredded cheese, and bacon bits if desired.