Low Carb Taco Bake

This is my variation of a recipe found at Just a Pinch. It was a hit with my husband. And my cat, Marissa!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix crust:
4 oz cream cheese, softened (nuke it briefly)
3 eggs, added one at a time and beaten in until pretty smooth
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/2 t. low carb taco seasoning  - I used Linda's recipe at genaw.com. I doubt this can be tasted. Maybe add more?
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded (I used extra sharp here for more flavor)

Spray a 9 x 13" pan with nonstick spray. Spread above mixture into it and bake @ 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Remove and let it sit for about 5 min before adding the topping below, which you will cook while this is baking. The crust will come out beautifully golden brown.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Topping:
1 lb. ground beef
2 medium zucchinis, diced
1 T. low carb taco seasoning or more to taste
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1- 4 oz. can chopped green chilis
about 2 t. beef base or bouillon powder - it adds a depth of flavor my grass fed beef lacked

2 c. shredded cheddar (I used sharp here)

Brown the ground beef. Use some olive oil if it's very lean. Drain fat if necessary. Add zucchini, tomatoes, green chilis and seasonings. Stir and cook, tasting and adjusting seasonings as desired.

Spread meat mixture over slightly cooled crust. Cover with shredded cheddar. Return to the oven (now at 350 degrees) and bake for about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. it will serve more neatly if you let it cool a bit so you can cut it into squares.

Top with the taco type toppings of your choice. This is pretty rich by itself, so it will benefit from some shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, etc. to lighten it up a bit. And maybe some salsa. This is one place where I think I would skip the sour cream.

Easy Low Carb Chili Dog One Pot Meal

This is a welcome change of pace, a nice choice on a cool day, and just a fun meal all around. My husband ate seconds last night! I like this because I get my chili dog without the bun.

Make this as mild or as spicy as you like. I go for mild.

1 lb. lean ground beef (My doctor recommends grass fed.)
1-2 T. olive oil
1 small to medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 small to medium zucchini, chopped
minced garlic to taste
1- 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 t. chili powder or more
1/2 t. cumin powder or more
1 T. sugar equivalent low carb sweetener of your choice (I used 3 drops Ez Sweetz)
salt and pepper to taste
6-ish Hebrew National hot dogs, or Johnsonville Beddar With Cheddar sausage links, or other low carb choice

Brown the ground beef with olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven, breaking it up as it cooks. Add chopped onion, pepper, and celery and continue to saute. Add minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Start small, taste, add as needed. Stir in canned tomato products. Simmer until vegetables are soft. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Slice hot dogs or sausage links into bite sized pieces, about 1/2" in size, small enough to be bite sized, but large enough not to lose all of their flavor to the chili.  You want a good proportion of the hot dog pieces to the chili, so be generous. We agreed we would have liked one or two more links in ours last night.

Heat together and serve. We ate ours as is, but you could add cheddar cheese, top with sour cream, etc.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

Basic Hamburger Stir Fry

I adapted this recipe from one that called for steak. My budget runs more toward the hamburger end of things, and this allows me to splurge on the grass fed beef my doctor prefers for me. I love that this recipe is very flexible. Use whatever LC vegetables tickle your fancy, or whatever is on sale. It should turn out great, regardless. I limit the amount of vegetables to cater to my digestion. If you can handle more, and can afford the carbs, pile them on!

Ingredients:

1 lb. grass fed ground beef, or lean meat of your choice
1T. light olive oil, or other good oil
1/2 medium onion, quartered and sliced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. mushrooms of your choice, cleaned and sliced
1 1/2 to 2 cups pea pods or other low carb vegetable(s), cut to whatever size you prefer

Sauce:
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. dry sherry
1/4 t. powdered ginger
4 drops EZ-Sweetz = about 4 t. equivalent sweetener - substitute at will
1 t. Thick-It-Up Low Carb Food Thickener

Stir together soy sauce, sherry, ginger and thickener.

Brown meat in oil in a large skillet or wok. Add onions, garlic, and pea pods and stir fry a few minutes. Add mushroom slices. Stir sauce mixture one more time, and add to pan. Cook until the vegetables are done to your liking.

That's it! Serve and enjoy.

Note: I don't know how many carbs to count for the sherry. I am assuming that since it is dry, and most of the alcohol cooks off, there aren't too many by the time it hits the plate.

Swill

This is really good stuff. It's kind of like a deconstructed cabbage roll without the rice. Fiddle with the seasonings as you like. I'm sorry I don't have a source for the recipe I adapted this from. Swill is what their family called it! 

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces

1 28oz can diced tomatoes with liquid or stewed tomatoes, chopped up (original author said you can reduce this to 14 oz. for induction)

1/2 medium head of cabbage

salt & pepper to taste (or Paula Deen’s House Seasoning)

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. garlic powder (or use garlic salt as part of your salt and pepper mix)

1/2 t. crumbled rosemary 

1/2 t. marjoram

a little sweetener to take the acidic edge off of the tomatoes 

Brown the ground beef and bacon in a large pot or dutch oven. Sprinkle with salt, pepper & onion powder and herbs. Cut up the cabbage and spread the pieces over the ground beef.  Pour the tomatoes with the liquid over the top of everything. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 45 min. to an hour. Give it a stir to mix everything together then simmer uncovered for 15-30 minutes more. The cabbage should be tender. 

6 servings approx 2 cups each

9 carbs

3 fiber

6 net carbs

with 15 oz can of tomatoes

7 carbs

2 fiber

5 net carbs

 
_________________

Where Have You Been All My Life?

This may sound crazy, but when I got this tool last January and tried it out, that is exactly what I said.  "Where have you been all my life?'

The picture looks so...unprepossessing...that I had my doubts when I ordered it, but once I used it, and saw how it worked and why it was designed that way, I was sold. It has been my go-to utensil for breaking up and browning ground beef, sausage, etc. ever since.

So take my word for this: If you cook ground meat, you want one! I only regret the years I spent making family meals without this baby. It makes the job of breaking up the clumps of meat so much easier! (Lisa, would you like one for Christmas?)

Quick and Easy Mexican Beef and Pepper Skillet

Beef and Pepper Skillet Recipe

Adapted for low carb by Gay Griffin from Taste of Home

I love Mexican-inspired food. I also enjoy experimenting with recipes like this one and making them as healthy—and downright good!—for my family as possible. —Jenny Dubinsky, Inwood, West Virginia

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.YIELD:6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained

1 tablespoon chili powder – only if necessary

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1-8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 onion, chopped

1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced

1 medium green pepper, sliced

possibly some zucchini if desired 

3 t. sugar equivalent sweetener (to taste - I like it a little sweet)

xanthan gum if needed

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

(or LC cheese sauce to taste, stirred in and melted, or both!)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain.

2. Add tomatoes, broth, chili powder if needed, salt and garlic powder; bring to a boil. Stir in peppers. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 8-10 minutes or until liquid is mostly gone. Thicken with a little xanthan gum (maybe a half teaspoon) if desired. Or stir in some low carb cheese sauce if you have some. 

3. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese. Let stand, covered, until cheese is melted.
Freeze option: Before adding cheese, cool beef mixture. Freeze beef mixture and cheese separately in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

© 2015 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC

from Taste of home