Low-carb Chicken Marsala

This is a super easy, and a little time consuming because of the steps to cook each item, but, it is well worth it!

Chicken Marsala - low carb

 Just 11 carbs per serving including the pasta.

Chicken Marsala – 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup Adkins baking mix or almond flour (or regular flour if you are not on low carb) – 5 carbs

1 tsp Mrs. Dash – 0 carbs

½ tsp Oregano – 0 carbs

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts – 0 carbs

4 large green onions, sliced thick – 8 carbs

2 tablespoon olive oil – 0 carbs

4 tablespoons butter – 0 carbs

3 cups mushrooms, sliced thick – 6 carbs

3/4 cup Marsala Wine – 5 carbs

1 cup chicken broth – 0 carbs

Chopped parsley, for garnish – 0 carbs

2 cups of Dreamfields penne pasta – 20 carbs

Total carbs – 44 

Serves 4 

Carbs per serving – 11

Directions

In a large non-stick frying pan, place 1 T olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and cook until onions start to brown. Remove onions to a large plate/bowl.

While onions are cooking, cut each chicken breast in half and then pound it thin – to about ¼ inch. On a plate or bowl, mix the flour Mrs. Dash, and oregano; stir with a fork to combine thoroughly. Toss the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

To the same skillet, heat the other tablespoon of oil on med-high and when it’s hot, add 1 T of butter. As soon as it’s melted, put the chicken in and cook for at least 3 minutes on each side – only turn once – until browned on each side. Move the chicken to the plate/bowl with the onions (chicken will not be cooked through).

Put the water on to boil for the pasta, salting the water.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the same skillet, keeping it on med-high, and add the mushrooms. Place lid on pan, turning mushrooms as they brown and all of their liquid is cooked off - about 10 minutes. 

Remove the lid and add Marsala wine and bring to a boil. Cook for about 3 minutes, wine will have reduced by half, then add chicken broth and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn down to medium and add chicken and onions back into the pan and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. (Chicken is done when it is firm to the touch, it doesn’t take long if you pounded your chicken thin.) Add in the last 2 T of butter.

Serve over Dreamfields pasta – penne, linguine, rotini, or your favorite. Make sure to cook the pasta per box instructions, not any longer. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley or chives.

You could also use chicken tenderloins but just make sure they are uniform in size so they cook in the same amount of time.

 Mushrooms in the skillet - looks like a lot but they cook down to a third of the original volume.

Chicken is cooked until almost done since it will be added back into the sauce for additional cooking.

Low-Carb Stuffed Meatloaf

I was craving some old-fashioned meatloaf, but decided to create a lower carb version - no bread crumbs. I didn't miss them after trying this. The only thing I will miss is the real reason I usually make meatloaf - leftover meatloaf sandwiches! White bread, meatloaf, lettuce and miracle whip - YUM! But I don't really need the bread - I can make meatloaf lettuce cups! This meatloaf is too good not to eat hot. I'll make another one in a few weeks just for lettuce cups.

Complete pictures at the bottom.

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon

1 cup of diced green onions – 7.5 carbs

½ carrot – diced or julienned – about ½ cup – 2 carbs

1 T minced garlic – 2 carbs

1 ½ lbs ground beef (80/20) – 0 carbs

2 eggs, beaten – 0 carbs

1 T chopped fresh rosemary (if you don't like this flavor, you can omit) – 0 carbs

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley – 0 carbs

1 tsp dried basil – 0 carbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese – 1.6 carbs

1 T Worcestershire sauce – 1 carbs

1 tsp kosher salt – 0 carbs

½ tsp ground pepper – 0 carbs

4 slices of provolone cheese – 2.4 carbs

½ of a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, strained – 4 carbs

½ cup sliced Spanish olives (can substitute black olives or omit completely) – 1 carbs

½ cup Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup – 8 carbs

Total carbs – 29.5 

Serves 6 

Carbs per serving – 5

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut bacon into ¼” strips and fry till just crisp in a non-stick skillet. Remove bacon from skillet to a paper towel. In the same skillet (with the bacon drippings) add the onions and carrots* and cook till onion starts to brown – add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Drain and excess drippings and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, place meat, eggs, rosemary, parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese and half of the onions/carrot mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon, stirring gently, not mashing, until mixed well. 

Place a piece of plastic wrap on a large cookie sheet. Empty the meat mixture onto the plastic wrap and form into a rectangle, about 10”X15”, about ½”-¾” thick. Place 4 slices of provolone down the center of the meat (see picture below), leaving a 2 inch edge on the long sides.

Mix the remaining onion/carrot mixture with the diced tomatoes, olives and bacon. Place the mixture evenly on top of the provolone cheese.

Using the plastic wrap to help you, roll the meat up and seal the meat seam, including the ends.

Line a baking pan with foil sprayed with vegetable spray (I use Reynolds Wrap Release Foil - recycle-able) because you don’t need the spray – awesome!) Place the meatloaf in the pan and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cover meatloaf with ketchup and return to the oven for 20 minutes, until about 150°, and juices run clear.

Allow meat to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

*You can always add green pepper and celery when frying the onions and carrots, or any combination, but adjust carbs accordingly.

Pictures:

 

 Slice the bacon all at once, you can break it up as you fry it.

 Fry bacon in a non-stick skillet. Remove bacon to a paper towel and keep drippings in the skillet.

 Fry onion and carrots in the drippings over medium heat (celery and peppers can be added at this time.)

 Beaten eggs, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, fresh rosemary, sea salt and pepper.

 Mix in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, stirring gently until combined. This makes the meatloaf very tender.

 Place the meat on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap, forming a large rectangle. Place provolone cheese down the center.

 Place the stuffing mixture on top of the cheese.

 Use the plastic wrap to help you roll the meat. Seal the seams and ends and transfer to a foil-lined pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

 After 50 minutes, cover meatloaf with Reduced Sugar Ketchup . Bake 20 minutes more or until juices run clear.

 

The finished product!

Low Carb Redo - Spaghetti with Roasted Cauliflower, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

    

The final product - 8 carbs including the pasta!

My friend and neighbor, Deanna, posted this recipe from Pinterest. It looked really good, so I had to make it. 

Here’s the thing – even if you don’t want to make the entire recipe, just make the cauliflower! After I made the recipe, which is really, really good, I took the remaining cauliflower and roasted it for another meal or snack. So simple, yet so good!

I used the rest of the head of cauliflower to make a snack for the next day.

Here’s the recipe after I took out some bad carbs and added some good ones:

Spaghetti with Roasted Cauliflower, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower florets – 6.5 carbs
2 T olive oil – 0 carbs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese - .5 carbs
salt and pepper – 0 carbs
1 cup chicken stock* (or vegetable stock) – 0 carbs
1 cup heavy cream – 3 carbs
½ cup blue cheese – 2 carbs
1 lb Dreamfields spaghetti – 33 carbs
¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted in a dry pan – 2 carbs

Here's most everything for the recipe. Most was bought at Aldi's in US1 in Cutler Bay. If you want to save money, this is the place to shop - cash or debit card only.

Total carbs – 47  

Servings – 6

8 carbs per serving

 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400°.
2. Cut the cauliflower head into small florets (about the size of your thumb or smaller), drizzle with olive oil then toss with Parmesan cheese and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower start to turn golden brown on the edges. (I used a foil-lined pan to roast for easy cleanup.)
   
3. Heat the stock to boiling in a small sauce pan. Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and place half of it in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the hot stock and blend with a stick blender until you get a smooth soup-like consistency. You could always use a food processor, but be careful with the hot stock! If the mixture is too thick, add more stock or water. Set aside.

   

   I hardly ever get to use this blender, but it was free!
4. In the same saucepan, heat the cream to boiling point. Crumble the blue cheese into the hot cream, then turn down the heat to very low and stir until melted. Now add the smooth cauliflower puree and stir well. Set aside. My blue cheese did not melt completely but I liked the little chunks of cheese in the final product.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the box. Drain the pasta and place it back in the pot. Add the cheese sauce and toss.
6. Top with the pasta with the remaining roasted florets and some roasted chopped walnuts. Serve immediately. I also added some more Parmesan cheese.

   

   Chopped walnuts - about 10-12 for this recipe.

*Reading the nutrition information on the package is so important. For example, the chicken stock I bought had zero carbs, but some low-sodium and other brands list 1-2 carbs. Salad dressings are another package that you need to give some attention, for example, regular Ranch Dressing will have around 2 carbs per serving but when you go with the low-fat version, there are more carbs per serving. This is true for many of the low-fat or diet versions of many products. It seems more sugars are added to make up for the flavor of the removed fat.