companion blog to the e-book the 24/7 Low Carb Diner

Companion blog to the e-book
Available at http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com

Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Cardamom Cream Chicken

My guys just will not even try to like Indian food. I was so pleased last summer, when away at a teacher training, I got to eat some fabulous food with my friend Ruthie. She knew all the best things to order, and we had a great time. It was especially wonderful since we knew the rest of our week included mandatory meals at the college cafeteria. The food had not improved in the thirty years since I ate there as a college freshman.

I happen to be on a prescription right now that restricts dairy in my diet. I must guiltily admit that I use dairy all the time. Mostly cheese. It can be tough for me to plan three meals a day, all low carb, without cheese. This one was a winner for me. It is a simple take off on the traditional Butter Chicken, with no butter. I fed it to my slightly more adventurous son when he came over for dinner last night. Afterall, I had seen him order a curry inspired nacho dish at a street food event one time...

So easy. Just let the crock pot to the cooking. Then let the ingredients deliver the flavor! The most appealing taste in the flavor profile to me was the addition of the cardamom. It is so hard to describe. Rather like fresh, but not mint. Definitely worth the purchase. The spice blend of cardamom, cumin and coriander pairs beautifully with the coconut milk and incredibly tender chicken. I added some oven roasted vegetables on the side. No dairy, no problem. Wonderful meal. My JP really liked it. He commented twice, in fact. All good things.

I think if I don't tell my hubby that this is Indian food, he won't know it and will like it too.


Cardamom Cream Chicken

1 1/2 lb fresh boneless skinless chicken breast
1 small onion
1 tsp sliced deydrated garlic (may sub powder)
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Knorr Cilantro cube
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 tbsp diced chives

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Dice onion. Toss diced onion with garlic, coriander, cumin, cardamom and cayenne. Place in cooker. Combine coconut milk and tomato paste. Crumble cilantro cube into this mixture. Pour over chicken and onions. Bake on low for 7-8 hours. Shred chicken with two forks. Let cool for about 7-10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Plate and top with chives.

Serves 4:  361 calories   6 net g carb





It is now fall break at school, so I will be testing lots of recipes for the Thanksgiving edition of the Diner News. So much to get done! The holidays will be here before we know it.

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends


Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles,  A Table for Two here.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Mediterranean Feasts and Yogurt Marinated Chicken Salad


So I just got back home from a week at a teacher training seminar at my alma mater. I am so ready to teach Oklahoma history again. I actually learned a lot. Sadly, I was especially reminded of how dorm cafeteria meals never seem to get better as the years pass. I am pretty darn certain that my family ate better this last week than I did, even if it did feel like I was on vacation.

Since last week I had been cooking up a storm for the the June Diner News, I had tons of dishes stockpiled in my freezer. With only hubby home, I made sure to send individual servings of several recipes home with my sweet mom and wonderful middle son. Now that I am back, I have reports that they were wonderful! Nothing spoiled while my kitchen was quiet without me. No, hubby does not share my cooking passion. Somehow he managed to leave some of my prepped food untouched. I don't see take out bags, so I guess he ate a huge amount of peanut butter and celery.

But my mom and Pearson raved about their food gifts. Now I just have to decide with to share with you. Mediterranean food is touted as among the healthiest in the world. We low carbers leave out the grains, but still benefit from the olive oil, fish, lean meats and veggies. Every dish here is a winner. You can find them all in the June issue of the Diner News. Get the 2017 issues for just $6.

Yogurt Marinated Chicken Salad


1 lb boneless chicken breast
Marinade:
1 cup Greek yogurt (add 1 tsp olive oil if using nonfat yogurt)
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Archer Farms Mediterranean Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp oregano

Salad:    2 heads Romaine Lettuce
12 cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup zucchini slices
2 tbsp diced onion
6 Kalamata Olives

Slice chicken breast into large chunks, about 2 oz each. Combine all remaining ingredients. Place chicken into marinade for several hours.   To grill, place on oiled grates and grill until juices run clear. Serve over lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, onion and olives. Top with Greek dressing. 

Serves 4:  210 calories  12 net g carb (will be lower as all the marinade is not consumed)


The marinade makes this chicken so delish! You can use any Greek Seasoning. I buy  mine at Target. I love the mint and dill flavors. Of course, this chicken doesn't have to be in a salad. It makes a superb entree with roasted veggies too.

Now check out some of the other recipes included this month! Be sure to order your subscription.

http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com/html/newsletter.html




Cauliflower Aleppo

Minotaur Steack Rolls with Eggplant Sauce

Caprese Salad in a Jar

Feta Slaw

Gyros Flavored Meatballs

Apollo's Sheet Pan Dinner

Sun Dried Tomato Crusted Fish

Poseidon's Tuna Wrap

Copycat Zoe's Greek Dressing

Zoodles By Zorba Greek Salad

Kabobs

Grilled Artichoke Salad

Zucchini Hummus

Cauliflower Hummus
With no new cookbook out in a while, my Diner Newsletter subscriptions are waning. Rather than purchase a year's subscription, I am changing the order now to the 2017 issues only. I may be phasing out the newsletter. It is a serious amount of work. If you are renewing, I will promise to include a new seasonal issue for the same price. Same new recipes, but seasonal rather than monthly. It will still be a great deal.

24/7 Low Carb Diner News:   http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com/html/newsletter.html

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

Order our books at: 


Love the recipes I share on this blog? My ebook helps you plan and prep to stay healthy 24/7.   http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com


Monday, May 30, 2016

Ninja Nachos

I am seriously obsessed with food trucks these days. It is so not the old fashioned state fair kinda foods. You know, corndogs, funnel cakes and nachos with fake cheese?  Food trucks these days are hip. They are going gourmet; they love fusion of cuisines. Hence, Ninja Nachos. The foods are often healthy and really creative! We went to a festival a few weeks ago and I got tons of ideas. Of course, most aren't low carb friendly. But stealing some ideas here and there and duplicating at home with low carb choices--yeah!  So the June issue of the Diner News is going to feature my interpretations of fabulous food truck finds. I have some pretty amazing stuff. You should watch for my truck    the Diner News for June.

It is a little weird for me, since my family used to own a food truck. We definitely did a lot of hot work and never got rich. We sold fresh pork rinds. But it seems that the day has come for the food truck revolution. I think it would be fun to own my own and sell only low carb and paleo foods. But, I am too old and tired for that! Not to mention too poor to buy a truck. So a newsletter it is.


The recipe I am sharing tonight is actually 4 recipes. The secret is in the sauce so to speak. Two sauces and a marinade. All very important!  These nachos have a definite Asian flair. Teriyaki chicken, Thai Red Curry Aioli,  Thai Peanut Sauce, cilantro and jalapeno. Forget cheese. Forget tortilla chips. These are amazing! Gotta give a shout out to Crunch, the originator of this concept. Fantastic idea, except that they use wonton chips as the base. Betting there is a tad too much sugar in the teriyaki sauce too. I am not too sure what goes into the Crunch version, but here is what I came up with. Really tasty.

Ninja Nachos

Teriyaki Chicken: 
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp erythritol / stevia blend
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp red chili paste

5 oz package pork rinds, spicy or plain
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage (or plain cabbage)
1/4 cup Thai Pepper Aioli (see page 2 for the recipe)
1/4 cup Thai Peanut Sauce (see page 2 for the recipe)
1/4 bunch cilantro, diced
1 fresh jalapeno pepper

Place chicken in a freezer bag. Add soy sauce, sweetener, garlic, ginger, fish sauce and chili paste. Marinate chicken for 4 hours or overnight. Discard marinade and grill on a contact grill. Cut into cubes. Divide pork rinds among 4 plates. Top with shredded Napa cabbage and cooked chicken. Drizzle with Thai Pepper Aioli and Thai Peanut Sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro and fresh jalapeno.

4 Servings:  356 calories     3 net g carb



Thai Pepper Aioli

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Thai Red Curry Paste

Serves 4: 79 calories  1 g carb  


Thai Peanut Sauce

2 tbsp natural peanut butter
3 tbsp water
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Thai red curry paste

Combine all ingredients until smooth

Serves 4: 55 calories  1 g carb

 One word of warning! Eat these up immediately or the pork rind nachos will get mushy. My pork rinds were a little on the small side, so I ended up eating with a spoon. If you have large enough rinds, go ahead and use your fingers nacho style.

Also, if you prefer, you can prepare the chicken in a small crockpot. Just cook the chicken in the marinade.  You can also sub Sriracha for the red curry paste.



Remember, to order the food truck issue, just order the Diner News. The June issue will be out on the 1st. You will get a whole year of the news for just $6. Such a bargain.


Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles,  A Table for Two here

Sunday, April 10, 2016

The Chicken Cook-Up




I like chicken. Unlike many who sing the praises of chicken thighs, I actually prefer white meat.

I like to buy a large package of breasts at cheap prices at the warehouse club and save some bucks. Then on prep day--you all do know what that is, right? On the day I prep foods for the week, I have a plan. This morning I prepped the entire package in almost no time. Today, I will share the new flavoring combinations I came up with following my Saturday shopping spree.  Large batch cooking is not a new concept in the Diner kitchen. It is the kind of thing that keeps us eating healthy food when life gets crazier during the week. One mess to clean up, a little time invested, and loads of easy to fix meals later on. Not only low carb, but low calorie too.




21 Seasoning Salute
Hubby happened to offer to grill burgers today, so I prepped two breasts for the grill. Those were easy with my latest spice purchase. Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute" blend. I am ashamed to be writing about this since this simple technique is such a no brainer. Just sprinkle and grill. But then simple doesn't describe this blend. No salt--but a terrific combination of onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato granules, lemon juice powder, oil of lemon and citric acid. I would not want to pull all of these ingredients out of my pantry! Thankfully Joe did it for us. The whole jar was under $2 also. Bargain! I especially love the brightness of the lemon.

I made a batch of ground chicken patties with this spice blend as well. They taste very much like a mild sausage. These patties would go with just about any side dishes. To make the patties, I grind 2-3 breasts in my Ninja Master Prep. To that, I add 1 1/2 - 2 tsp of the seasoning blend and a good sprinkle of salt. These patties, I chose to bake in the oven. I don't mess with trying to hand form patties. I just spoon the chicken onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets and smooth them out with a silicon spatula. Then, bake about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. These are the patties in the center of the plate.




With those in the oven, I am ready for the second flavor. I don't bother washing the blender. Any little bits of seasoning will work fine for the next batch. This is also a Trader Joe's special. To two breasts, I added 3 tbsp of their Green Dragon Hot Sauce. This is a dandy addition to the patties. Just a slight heat infused into the meat to make it interesting. That is why I love adding flavors to ground chicken. The whole entree has that ramped up flavor, not just a sauce on the outside. Green Dragon is much like Sriracha, with that bit of sweetness. Not too much to worry about the carbs, at least for me. This sauce is made with jalapenos and tomatillos, habanero, cilantro and lime. So good!  These made 4 nice patties which I fried in a non-stick skillet. I like a little more heat, so I may add a bit more sauce on top. Hubby can do them plain, but I am betting these will be lunch salads for me at school. In the photo, these are the browned patties at the bottom of the plate.


Louisiana Supreme Original Chicken Wing Sauce, 17-oz. BottlesLastly, I ground the remaining 3 breasts of chicken with about 1/4 cup of Buffalo Chicken Sauce. You can use Frank's brand, but I admittedly use the brand from the Dollar Tree. Zero carbs and I love it. Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Sauce. A dollar well spent. Again, I don't bother to wash the blender pitcher. This mixture is a little bit wetter. It spoons really easily onto the cookie sheet. I would never try my ground chicken on the outdoor grill, as it would certainly fall through the grates. But an oven bake or pan fry is excellent. Less browning in the oven, but easy peasy on the cook. These take a little longer in the oven-- go for 25 -30 minutes for 6. Add a drizzle of blue cheese dressing when you reheat, and you have great flavor! In the photos, the Buffalo patties are the highest stack with the orange tint.

So there you have it. From nearly 6 pounds of raw chicken, I got 18 servings. All cooked and ready to eat or reheat. Four completely different meals to rotate. And just about an hour in the kitchen. It pays to invest some time on prep day. I find it pays to grind my own chicken as well. This was $1.79 per pound. Hard to beat! If you would like more chicken patty recipes, check these out!  Thai Spiced Chicken Patties, Chicken and Green Chili Volcanoes, Chicken Rollatini, Smoked Paprika Chicken Burgers, Coconut Curry Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Pizzoli, Mesquite Chicken Burgers, Homemade Chicken Chorizo


Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles,  A Table for Two here

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Cruciferous Crunch Stir Fry



We had a guest the other day with some special dietary requirements. Not having expected to serve lunch, I had no plans in place. She told me that she eats a lot of stir fry meals, so I knew just the thing to try. Now that I know we like it, I will do it again---and again.

I love the old crack slaw recipes that have been low carb staples as long as I have had a low carb
kitchen. I usually use a pre-packaged cole slaw mix to save time. But when we got our new Trader Joe's store, I knew some fun was in the future. I bought this bag of pre-shredded Kale, Brussels, Cabbage and Broccoli. They call it the Cruciferous Crunch mix. I was planning a salad, but this happened instead. So glad it did. It can't get much healthier or easier! I already had a cooked chicken breast, so this literally was on the table in under 10 minutes.


Cruciferous Crunch Stir Fry

6 oz cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
10 oz bag Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch mix
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp dried ginger
6 drops liquid stevia (optional)

Heat oil in a skillet. Add minced garlic and chicken, until chicken is lightly browned. Add the bagged vegetables and toss to coat. Stirfry for about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine tamari. sesame oil, fish sauce, ginger and sweetener if using. Pour the sauce over the veggies and chicken. Stir well, plate and serve.

Serves 2:   223 calories   6 net g carb


If you don't have a pre-cooked breast of chicken, just cut one up and increase the amount of skillet time before you add the veggies. You should delay the garlic too so that it doesn't burn.

I like a little sweetener in my stir fry sauce. It reminds me of a teriyaki flavor. But you can certainly do without. This is a template recipe, so add more of what you like. I added some pepper flakes to my portion. 5 Spice powder would be excellent too. A peanut based sauce would be amazing.

The kale and brussels were such a nice touch that don't usually go in a stir fry. I will grab a couple bags of this mix every time I head to Trader Joe's from now on. The price is right, and the convenience of not having to wash and chop is perfect for me. Now I need to go get another bag so I can actually do the salad I was anticipating.

Happy Spring!  Today is the first official day. It is cold here, and I am just getting a little better from a bout with the flu. What a way to spend spring break. I worked the first two days, then got sick for the days I actually had scheduled off. Boo! I am caught up on all my television shows, though. Always look on the bright side.

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles,  A Table for Two here.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Gnome's Chicken Pot



My hubby bought me a Dutch oven as a gift. All these years in the kitchen and I never had a real cast iron dutch oven. Go figure. Today I tried out a new recipe using it. I think he felt a little sad that it took me so long to use it. Alas, with the refinishing of all the old cabinets, my kitchen has been a mess. We are halfway done. I decided to put the kitchen back together and get the rest of the cabinets redone, and the new ones added, during spring break. There are so many steps involved in taking my kitchen from the original honey oak to a stained, distressed linen color. I like the transformation, but it is so much time involved. Goodbye wood stained hands, this week, I will cook.

In looking for recipe ideas specifically for Dutch ovens, you find very few that are low carb. Of course, I know that this will be great for chili, stew and whole chicken, but today I wanted to try something unique. I found this recipe for Sprite Chicken, from Life in the Lofthouse and decided to convert it to low carb. Cooking with lemon lime soda sounded interesting, and I saw several variations for the campfire version. I tend to like a the sweet and savory combo, so I tried it. Some call for cheese to be added, but I wanted to see if I could taste the soda. I am a little sad, that I really don't taste it. Just a hint of sweetness.


Diet Sprite won't work because of the aspartame, but I have a Soda Stream and have some sucralose sweetened lemon lime beverage. I avoid aspartame as much as possible, and would always choose Splenda over it. Generally, I sweeten everything with stevia or a blend of stevia and erythritol. I would suggest Zevia if you want to try this recipe. Even if you choose to drink aspartame sweetened sodas, the heat would break down the sweetness.

after cooking before stirring
So, no "Wow! What is the secret ingredient in this?"  This is more like a comfort food casserole of chicken and root veggies. The original recipe calls for potatoes. I subbed radishes and rutabaga. That worked. Radishes held their shape. They are a little watery, but mild in flavor. The pink color is reminiscent of red potatoes and looks so nice with the bright orange of the carrots. Far fewer carrots to keep the carbs down a bit. But don't leave them out. So pretty!


So why the name you ask? Sprite. (Yes, I looked it up) I had no idea that it was an imaginary little being endowed with magical powers--synonyms of fairie, goblin, brownie, elf, gremlin, pixie, and the one I chose--Gnome. It seemed a little more earthy and fun. Not girly and certainly not chocolate which would have been so confusing if I had chosen "brownie." Gnome it is!


after cooking, stirred
A little coconut flour replaces wheat flour and coats the chicken pieces to be nicely browned. The chicken tastes very flavorful since it browns in the bacon fat. Our Trader Joe's just opened up this past week, and I was able to get the package of end pieces to use for this recipe. Those fried up nicely in my new cookware. It was nice being able to fry and then bake in the same pot. With all the veggies added in, all I had to do was put the lid on and get the whole thing into the oven. That is a feat unto itself. Cast iron cookery is not for the weak! I think it would take many a gnome to carry this one.

Gnome's Chicken Pot


1/2 lb bacon
1 small onion, diced
3 large boneless chicken breasts, diced
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tsp seasoned salt or 1 tsp salt with 1 tsp spice blend of choice
1 lb radishes, trimmed and quartered
3 carrots, diced
1 cup rutabaga cubes
1 cup sugarfree lemon lime soda

In a Dutch oven, fry bacon. While that is browning, dice vegetables. When bacon is browned, remove it from the pot and set aside, reserving the fat. Add the onions to the pot and stir. Turn heat down to low and brown. While onion is browning, dice chicken. Add half the salt and seasoning blend to the coconut flour. Toss the chicken pieces with the flour mixture. Add chicken to the pan. Brown on all sides. When browned, add radishes, carrots and rutabaga. Sprinkle with remaining seasoning and crumbled bacon. Pour lemon lime soda over the top. Place the lid on the pot and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir and serve. Add cheese if desired.

Serves 6:  361 calories  7 net g carb
Serves 4:  542 calories  10 net g carb


 So this has us fed for the day, and a meal later this week too. In case you are interested in kitcheny stuff, I will give you a peek at my new cabinets. The lighting is terrible. I have no windows in my tiny kitchen. I promise these really are the same color, just two different angles. We wanted to lighten the kitchen up a bit, so we went light. My drawers were in terrible shape, and those are not getting replaced. The builder did a terrible job 20 odd years ago and all my drawer fronts have had to be supported with screws and L brackets, which ended up showing in the front. I have tried to hide that with some scrapbook paper Mod-Podged on the front. I like the style. The bumps still show a little, but it is a vast improvement.  I love the red and the French Country look I am slowly getting. Everything matches my distressed red table that you see so often in my photos. It is about my only place for photography with a light source!



As my Christmas present, my oldest son is paying for new cabinets all along one wall. They are literally sagging and crooked on the wall. Definitely an accident waiting to happen. Maybe leftover damage from that storm a few years ago-maybe just more terrible workmanship. I still have to paint those and the old uppers we will keep. I sure hope the others stay attached to the wall until we are ready. I am so not looking forward to having workers here tearing out the old ones. What a mess that will be. It will be great to have safe, pretty cabinets though. And an update from the honey oak I have had for 20 years.
The old ones--see the steam damage from my coffee pot and pressure cooker?
If you have an electric pressure cooker, be more careful than I have been about protecting the wood from the steam. I will be better with my new finish! I would love to add drawer pulls and knobs, but we will wait until the hubby finds a job! Doing all this work ourselves is keeping it under $100.


Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles,  A Table for Two here.






Sunday, January 24, 2016

Raclette Party!


Just before Christmas, we found out about this fun party grill at Aldi. Because my mom is terribly difficult to buy gifts for, we though this might be a great way to get all the family gathered around her table. It worked! My oldest son was in town today, so we had a raclette party.

A raclette is a table top grill made popular in Switzerland. The idea is to offer a selection of uncooked foods, then to grill while you visit with each other. Raclette grills have a non-stick and or stone grill top and individual pans for broiling underneath. Every person gets to make the things that appeal most to him, and the hostess gets to be in with the fun. We had a blast. This seems to have been a seasonal item at Aldi, but you can buy one of your own at my Amazon store. Check out this Hamilton Beach Raclette. This model does not have the stone surface. If that is important, try this Swissmar model.

To prepare, we simply cut several types of meat into thin strips. Some, I marinated, some dry rubbed and some we left plain. We also diced veggies. For the carbivores, we added the traditional boiled potatoes and some crusty rolls. The highlight is the cheese! Those little grill pans that go underneath hold a slice of cheese to get all bubbly and melted under the broiler element. Pour the melted cheese over your grilled meats and veggies. Wonderful! We also really enjoyed the broiled garlic cloves smashed into the meat.

I really wish I had more photos, but my camera shots all came out blurry today. My son Pearson took this one with his phone. It was a great way to feed my hungry boys! I will give you a run down of the low carb goodies that we served:


  • thinly sliced steak
  • sliced chicken marinated in light beer
  • sliced chicken marinated in soy sauce
  • sliced pork seasoned with Penzey's Bavarian spice blend (it tasted like sausage)
  • sliced pork seasoned with Penzey's Northwoods blend (smokey)
  • Gruyere cheese
  • Havarti cheese
  • Swiss cheese
  • Pepper Jack cheese
  • garlic cloves
  • red and white onion slices
  • red and yellow bell pepper strips
  • grape tomatoes
  • pineapple slices

I think next time, I will add sliced sausages, mushrooms, shrimp (but my boy is allergic, so never when he is near) zucchini or yellow squash, and maybe some pre-cooked diced rutabaga. There is a special cheese actually named raclette, but we couldn't find it in these parts. Our favorites were the Harvarti and Gruyere. If you have one, let me know what you use. If not, what would you love to grill with family and friends?


Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles,  A Table for Two here.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Chicken in Mole Sauce--Crockpot Style



We got our first real snowfall of the year today. Yes, it did change my plans for the day, but that was not too bad a thing. I got a jump on my weekend prep for meals. (and a strong start on the February Diner News) This was just the thing I needed to warm me up today. Nice and spicy! Chicken in Mole Sauce. The sauce is complex, for sure, but not at all hard to put together. If you have never made or enjoyed a Mole sauce, you may be surprised to learn that chocolate is an important ingredient. The sauce is a little sweet, and a little spicy. Both hot spicy and cinnamon and clove spicy. I loved this! My kitchen happens to have guajillo chile powder. That can be hard to find, but you can sub with an additional tsp of regular chili powder. The guajillo I have really adds some heat, so if you like it spicy better plan on a shake or two of cayenne or red pepper flakes too. If not, the plain chili powder will make this much more kid friendly. My big kid--the hubby--would find my version too spicy. Good thing for him I made three crockpot meals today. Yes, I am that crazy gadget lady that owns 4 different slowcookers.

The crockpot made it easy-peasy. Maybe this is not as striking as the rich mahogany colored sauce ladeled over a sizzling breast of chicken, but I am more into easy than fancy. I did bother to grab my pretty plate and placemat for the photo. That shows how much I love a theme! Speaking of which, this will be in my slow cooker themed Diner News for February.



Chicken Mole


14 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 tbsp finely diced onion
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp almond meal
2 tsp erythritol / stevia blend sweetener equal to sugar
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp guajillo chili powder
1 tsp plain chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

Add all ingredients except chicken to the crockpot. Stir well to distribute spices. Add chicken (may be diced, but can be put in whole) Cook at low temperature for 6-8 hours. Let cool 10 minutes. Shred chicken with two forks and allow sauce to seep into the meat.
Serve with a salad. Garnish chicken with cheese and chopped cilantro.

Serves 4 as a meal with 2 cups salad w/tomato and 2 tbsp cheese
248 calories and 10 net g carb





Don't you love lazy days? So good to have them once in a while. We could have ventured out, but why? As I sit here, I am still in my loungewear, no make-up and messy hair. Love it. John is wearing mismatched clothes and I don't even care. He his cleaning his office. Woohoo. I did battle yesterday at the grocery store. I promise you, here in Oklahoma, where we don't get much snow, just a forecast of an inch or two will send everyone scurrying to the store for provisions. It's crazy how we think somehow we might get snowed in for weeks without milk or bread.( Not that I buy those things)

Whatever the weather in your part of the world, enjoy!

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles,  A Table for Two here.