Chicken Mole

Chicken Mole is a spicy Mexican dish made with unsweetened chocolate and lots of spices. While it is flavorful, it is not hot and is great on lettuce leaves topped with sauteed onions and guacamole.

1/2 onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bell pepper, chopped
1-2 tbsp chipotle in adobo, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp peanut butter
1oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1-2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat a skillet to medium high and add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon. Saute 4-5 minutes, then stir in tomatoes, bell pepper, chipotle, broth, peanut butter and chocolate. Cook 5-10 minutes, then puree until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350. In a small baking dish, place chicken breasts and cover with mole sauce. Cook 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Roasted Tomato Bisque

Tomatoes are incredibly low carb and low on the glycemic index. This bisque is almost sweet and really easy to make. Use whatever fresh tomatoes you have on had to roast and serve it with the savory egg muffins.

6-8 vine ripe tomatoes
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade
1 tbsp butter
1/8 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp oil (from the sun-dried tomatoes)


Heat your oven to 400. Half the vine ripe tomatoes and scoop out the insides. Place them and the grape or cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over them, then sprinkle on salt, pepper and basil. Cook 20 -25 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes are just starting to burst. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a medium soup pot, heat butter, then pour in sun-dried tomatoes and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook until onions are soft. Add in the roasted tomatoes and stir, then pour in the vegetable broth. Cover and cook at least 15 minutes.

Pour the soup into a blender and puree until the large chunks are gone. Stir in the last tablespoon of olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and serve topped with fresh basil.

Arugula Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is my favorite side to take to a party, primarily because it is cheap, quick, colorful and (hopefully) encourages others to eat salad. The spicy arugula is perfect with the sweet vinaigrette, but fresh spinach would also work well.

1 bag fresh arugula or spinach
Optional toppings:
toasted walnuts
sliced avocado
crumbled blue cheese
dried cranberries (not too many...very high carb)


Vinaigrette:
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 green onions, minced
salt and pepper

Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl. Pour on top of salad. Any leftover dressing can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Eggplant Lasagna

I grew up eating a variation of this lasagna, complete with the high carb and, to my mind, unnecessary noodles. It has been fun to recreate lasagna and like my previous rendition of my mother's Man-Catcher Lasagna, I do not miss the traditional dish. This is a great recipe to make ahead of time, keep in the fridge or freezer, and cook when you get home.

1 lb ground lean beef or turkey
1 jar store-bought marinara
2 medium eggplant
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and pepper

Heat a large pan to medium and cook beef or turkey. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, then pour in marinara. Turn down to a simmer.

Preheat the oven to 450. To prepare the eggplant, peel each and cut into 1/4 inch slices, making large circles. Place on an oiled baking sheet in a single layer and cook 15 minutes.

To assemble the lasagna, pour half the marinara and meat mixture into a deep baking dish. Layer with half the cooked eggplant, then spread all the cottage cheese in a single layer. Season the layer with cracked black pepper and sprinkle one half the mozzarella cheese. Top with the rest of the eggplant, then the rest of the marinara mix. Top it off with the remainder of the mozzarella and all the Parmesan.

Cover with lid or tin foil and bake in a 400 degree oven 35-40 minutes. Take off the lid/tin foil after baking and put back in under a hot broiler to brown the top. Let the lasagna sit at least 10 minutes, if you can stand it, before serving!

Chipotle Mushrooms

This is one of the best sides I have made in a while. The low-carb mushrooms are kicked up with the smoky chipotles.

8oz portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced
salt and peper
2 tbsp chipotle in adobo, chopped fine
3-4 cups fresh spinach, chopped

Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add in onions and mushrooms. Cook 5-8 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and stir in the chipotles. Slowly add the spinach a cup a time, letting it wilt slightly. Serve immediately.

Almond Ideas

Almonds can have numerous different uses and are a great way to substitute for peanut allergies or gluten allergies.

To make your own Almond flour, put 2-3 cups almonds in a food process and give it a whir. In a couple minutes you will have light and fluffy almond flour to use in place of white or whole wheat flour.

To make your own almond butter, do the same as above, only add 1 tbsp oil to the mix after it grinds 2 minutes. You could also add honey for a sweet flavor.

Summer Veggies

A quick and easy side.

2-3 large zucchini
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp butter
salt and pepper
1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Make Zucchini Noodles using the recipe from the early post.
Slice onion and bell pepper into thin strips, then place in a skillet with butter. Cook on medium 5-8 minutes or until the veggies are starting to caramelize. Season with salt, pepper and ajun seasoning. Add zucchini noodles and cook on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Spicy Brick Chicken

Here is a neat way to cook chicken if you do not have a grill...or if it is raining, as it was the day I made this juicy and delicious chicken dinner.

1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp salt

In a large ziplock bag, place chicken breasts, then pour in remaining ingredients. Marinade 12-24 hours.
Heat a large skillet to medium and add 1-2 tbsp butter or olive oil. Take a cast iron skillet or another skillet that would fit inside the one that is heating on the stove top and cover the bottom with tin foil. Add the chicken to the oiled pan, then place the cast iron skillet on top of the chicken and weight it down with a brick or heavy can. This will put intense weight on the chicken and cause it to sear. Cook 5-8 minutes per side.

Creamy Crab Soup

No one will ever believe that this rich soup does not contain cups and cups of cream. I came upon this recipe by accident; trying to make squash soup but turning into a mild, frothy puree. Mike had the idea to add the lump crab, which he said reminded him of a soup he ate in New Orleans. Oysters would also go well in this soup.

1/2 lb lump crab meat
2-3 cups chopped yellow squash
1 tbsp butter
2-3 cups vegetable oil
2 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade
salt and pepper

Heat a soup pot to medium-high, then add butter and squash. Saute 3-4 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper, then add vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce and cover, cooking about 20 minutes. Let the soup sit for at least 10 minutes, then pour into a blender, adding basil.

Puree until completely smooth and frothy, almost 2 minutes. Pour back into soup pot, bring to low heat and add lump crab. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.

Mushroom and Sundried Tomato Topper

This vegetable mix makes a great topper to grilled chicken, fish, tofu, etc. I keep sun-dried tomatoes (the ones that are packed in oil) on hand just for this purpose.

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
8oz chopped porchini or portabella mushrooms
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil (use the oil the tomatoes come in)
salt and pepper

Heat a small skillet to medium high and mist with olive oil spray. Add mushrooms and cook until just beginning to soften. Add sun-dried tomatoes and the oil they were packed in, about 1 tbsp. Cook another 2-3 minutes, then pour in balsamic. Let everything reduce until the vinegar has become sweet and thick. Season with salt and pepper and serve over chicken.

Grilled Romaine with Sundried Tomato Dressing

Lettuce is almost negligable as a carb, so eat your fill!

dressing:
2 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbsp oil (from sun-dried tomatoes)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp ricotta cheese

1 head romaine, washed and cut in half lengthwise
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet to medium-high or use the grill. Rub olive oil on the inside of the romaine, then sprinkle in salt and pepper. Cook face down 3-5 minutes. Top with dressing.

Sundried Tomato Spinach

1 10oz bag fresh spinach
1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Pour 1-2 tbsp of olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes in the pan, then add the tomatoes. Add spinach in batches and saute until wilted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

You will never want to eat regular potato wedges again!

3-4 large sweet potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil or soy bean oil
1 tsp each:
coriander
paprika
red pepper flakes
salt
dried oregano

Heat oven to 450. Slice sweet potatoes into medium-size wedges, keeping the skin on. Mist cookie sheet with olive oil spray, then arrange wedges in a single layer. Cook 25 minutes, then flip on the opposite side. Cook another 15-20 minutes or until crispy.

Eggplant Tomato Roast

1 large eggplant, peeled
3-4 tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp basalmic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425. Slice eggplant and tomatoes into 1/4 thick slices. Toss in a large bowl with olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Spray a large roasting pan or cookie sheet with olive oil mist, then place veggies in a single layer. Cook 35-45 minutes or until eggplant is golden brown. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan and serve immediately.