Recipe: Low Carb Cooking Ideas

I am into the second week of changing my menus; going back to a few old favorites and trying a few new ones.  Some of the recipes are in the Dana Carpender Low Carb CookBook (so I cannot reprint the recipes); but I can tell you which ones I used this week!

• Steak au Poive (steak in a bit of heavy cream and lots of cracked pepper)
• Chicken Breast in a Lemon-Pepper Gravy (with a side of mashed cauliflower!)
• Cajun Skillet Shrimp

From my kitchen, menu ideas include:  sausage & peppers w/onions, chicken cutlets stuffed with prosciutto and gruyere cheese (search the VGL Cookbook under "chicken" for the recipe), burgers topped with blue cheese, chicken stir fry, curry chicken (also under the VGL cookbook) and beef burgundy - all served (or will be served) minus the bread, rice or pasta.  Large portions (heavy on the veggies) are key to a great looking, nicely filling dinner. I'll keep sourcing out new recipes to make my kitchen life fun, interesting and tasty along the way!

The chicken stir fry was easy but have all the chicken cutlet and veggies cut first!  In a large saute pan, add 2 Tablespoons oil, medium heat then add 1/2 Tablespoon coarse sea salt, 1/2 Tablespoon red pepper flakes.  Add the cut-up cutlets and cook until no pink is evident.  Add 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce. Toss well. Remove chicken, place in bowl and cover to keep warm.  Add another little bit of oil to the pan and another 1/2 Tablespoon each of coarse sea salt and red pepper flakes. Add the cut up veggies (1 green pepper, 1 bunch scallions,  1 zucchini, 2 handfuls string beans, 8 oz mushrooms).  Toss until veggies are cooked but not limp.  Add 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce, mix well.  Add the chicken back in (juices and all) and toss well, heat through and serve.

I will leave the recipe for the beef burgundy for the coming week, I'll post it with pictures.  This is an easy-easy recipe and cooks for hours in the oven so there is no standing over a hot stove for hours.  It'll warm the house and make it smell really good, too!

An update to the breaded pork chop recipe: since I am going "low carb", I subsituted almond flour for the bread crumbs.  After dipping the 2 pork chops in the egg mix, I sprinkled each side with 1 teaspoon of Emeril's Essence (google the recipe: easy, tasty and makes enough to store in pantry) then "breaded" them with the almond flour and quickly golden fried them in 3 Tablespoons of oil before placing the frying pan in the oven to bake (325 degrees) for 30 minutes.  Served up with green beans and sauteed zucchini with onions!  The pork chops had a hot spicy flavor and were very juicy!

Have not missed the wine, for those inquiring minds, and I've kept to my 40 minute power-walking in the morning listening to club/dance/zumba music.  My first day to "splurge" will be Valentine's Day - and there will be champagne!

Fifi