Crispy Cajun chicken with sour cream green beans

photo by Jamie Jo McGraw

Can I say yum?? This chicken had crispy skin and moist, juicy meat.  The next day at work I was heating up my leftovers, and my manager came back to see what I was eating...everyone in the lobby was salivating over the smell!  The beans were kind of thrown together by Jamie, and they were sure tasty too.

RECIPE!

3 servings (and 1 leftover piece for lunch)

6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

1/4 cup butter

olive oil

1 can green beans

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Cajun seasoning:

2.5 tsp paprika

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1.5 tsp dried oregano

1.5 tsp dried thyme

1)  Preheat over to 400 degrees.

2)  Melt the butter in microwave.  Add cajun seasoning and mix to combine.  

3)  Arrange chicken on a baking sheet.  Distribute seasoning/butter mix evenly between the chicken thighs.  Make sure to liberally saturate the chicken, on the top, bottom, sides, and even between the skin and meat!  (I think that is the most important step...season under the skin!!!)

4)  Cook chicken for 45-50 minutes or until skin is crispy but not burnt.

5)  While the chicken is cooking, sautee the onions, garlic, and celery in a little bit of olive oil until soft. Add beans, sour cream, and S&P.  Stir to combine.  You just want to heat the beans thoroughly...they don't need to cook at all.  Rich and yummy and a great side to the chicken.

6)  Serve to your loved ones and expect people to be jealous of your leftovers!!

Stuffed Bacon wrapped Chicken w/ cheesy cauliflower casserole

This was so hearty and delectable.  I fed a bunch of country boys with this meal...they would have had no idea it was low-carb or "diet food" except that they all know I'm on a low-carb diet.  YUM!

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 brick cream cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
garlic powder
pepper

1 head cauliflower
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 stick butter
chopped fresh parsley
pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400.

1)  Cut cauliflower into florets.  Place in large pot and cover with water.  Boil until tender.

2)  slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 8 pieces of chicken.  Spread cream cheese on piece of chicken.  Sprinkle green onion over cream cheese.

3)  Roll up chicken to conceal cream cheese mixture.  Wrap 2 pieces bacon criss-cross around each piece of chicken.  You may need to secure with toothpick.

4)  Sprinkle with garlic powder and fresh pepper.  Bake in oven for 50 minutes.

5)  Drain cauliflower.  Place in large mixing bowl and lightly mash until no florets remain.  Pour in cream.  Add 1 cup cheese and mix well.

6)  Dump mixture into casserole dish.  Put butter pats on top of casserole.  Sprinkle with fresh pepper.  Top with remaining cheese and bake for 45 minutes.

7)  Take casserole out.  Sprinkle with parsley

 8) Move chicken up to top rack and broil for a few minutes, so bacon gets crunchy.

9)  Serve up, and enjoy!

Low-Carb Pad Thai

Photo by Jamie Jo McGraw

This Pad Thai is made using spaghetti squash instead of noodles.  I have to admit...I didn't miss the noodles! The consistency was just like carb-filled noodles, and the flavor was very mild.  Just try it! Regular Pad Thai has over 60 grams of carbs in it, and this recipe has 17.  17 isn't exactly super low-carb, but it can be a great way to fulfill your noodle craving.  It's fast too!

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Recipe:

1 spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons thai fish sauce

1 tablespoon splenda or stevia

3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or 4/5 thighs cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons peanuts

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

4 green onions, chopped.

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lime

2 tablespoons oil

1)  Poke holes in squash so it doesn't explode.  Microwave for 13 minutes.  Remove from microwave.  Cut in half.  Scoop out all the seeds inside.  Use a spoon to scrape the "meat" of the squash. It will break up into little "noodle" looking pieces.  Cover and set aside.

2)  Heat pan over medium-high heat.  Sauté garlic in oil for one minute.  Add chicken and sauté until almost cooked through. Add fish sauce and stevia.  Stir to thoroughly combine.  The chicken should be all the way cooked through at this point. 

4)  Add squash to pan.  Mix until squash is heated through.

5)  Pile up some "noodles" on a plate.  Top with peanuts, cilantro, and onions.  Garnish with lime.  

This was so delicious with the lime juice squeezed over the dish.  I am definitely satisfied and no longer have a noodle craving.  Enjoy!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Photo by Jamie Jo McGraw

Everyone knows the boring, regular, low carb dinner options.  Tonight I didn't want chicken.  I didn't want cauliflower.  I didn't want beef.  I wanted something unique and cravable; something that had international influences.  Asian Lettuce Wraps were calling my name!  I adapted this recipe from the book, 1001 Low-Carb Recipes, from Dana Carpenter.  I swear it's not as complicated as it looks, its just a matter of having all the ingredients! I was super impressed with the results and have found encouragement at the start of my low-carb weight loss journey.

Meat mix:
1 lb ground turkey
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained
1 cup sliced mushrooms
5 green onions, cut into three pieces each, discard white parts
3 TB soy sauce
2 TB splenda or stevia
1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1 1/12 teaspoons minced garlic or garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
3 TB olive oil
One head lettuce (I used iceberg)  cut on the sides to create little cups

Dipping sauce:
1/4 cup splenda or stevia
1/4 cup water
2 TB soy sauce
2 TB rice vinegar
2 TB ketchup (sugar-free if you have it)
1 TB lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2-3 teaspoons chili garlic paste (depending on heat preference)

DIRECTIONS:

Meat-

1) Dump the water chestnuts, onions, and mushrooms in a food processor.  (I have the Ninja mini blender/chopper that my brother and his fiance generously gifted me this past b-day, and it's AWESOME!) Pulse until it is a medium consistency. You could always just finely chop everything if you prefer.

2)  In a seperate bowl, combine soy sauce, splenda, molasses, garlic, and vinegar.

3)  Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add turkey.  Cook until it looks half-way done.  Add the veggie mixture and stir fry for a few minutes until turkey is cooked through.

4) In the meantime prepare the sauce.  Combine all dipping sauce ingredients.  You can use a blender (I used my Ninja) or just whisk it all together.  Set aside until ready to serve meal.

5)  Pour soy sauce mixture from earlier into the skillet.  Let cook a minute longer until everything comes together.

To serve, I put the meat into a large bowl, the lettuce leaves on a plate, and the sauce in a small bowl.  Then I served it family style, with everyone preparing their own as they go. Spoon some of the meat mixture into a lettuce leaf, roll up lettuce around meat, and dunk into dipping sauce.  Eat in one bite.  This is VERY important.  In Asia they will scoff at you if you try to take a bite of your Lettuce Wrap...no matter how big it is, ONE BITE!!  Enjoy