LowCarbKaye

Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of those banquet dishes (or frozen-meal dishes) that isn’t necessarily the first thing we think of making when thinking about chicken for dinner. But it’s a tasty way to change up plain ol’ baked chicken for dinner—and it’s relatively easy to make.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients (for 2 servings)

• 2 six- to eight-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 8 to 12 slices thinly sliced deli ham (sandwich-style)
• 2 to 4 slices swiss cheese and/or 2 oz. blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup dry grated Parmesan cheese

Utensils/Tools Needed

• Thor’s Hammer (meat mallet)
• Gallon-size zip-top bag
• 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish
• toothpicks or skewers

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter and allow to sit while completing the following steps.

Place one piece of chicken in the zip-top bag and, with the smooth side of the meat mallet, pound out to about 1/3-inch thickness. Repeat with second piece.

Layer 4 to 6 slices of deli ham on the flattened chicken, top with cheese (2 slices of Swiss if not using the combination of Swiss and Blue cheeses). Roll tightly and secure with toothpick. Repeat with second breast.

Dip chicken in the butter and then in the egg, then roll in Parmesan cheese. Pour remaining melted butter in baking dish. Place chicken rolls in pan and bake about 30 minutes, or until juices run clear.

You can drizzle with additional melted butter and place under broiler for a few minutes to add a bit of color, if desired.

Let sit about five minutes before serving.

Nutritional Info for 1 serving (1 whole breast/roll)
Chicken: 235 calories, 0 g carbs
2 slices Baby Swiss: 140 calories, 0 g carbs
Ham: (4 slices) 40 calories, 1 g carbs
Egg (about 1/2 used): 37 calories, 0 g carbs
1 Tbsp butter: 102 calories, 0 g carbs
Grated Parmesan: 144 calories, 1 g carbs
Totals: 698 calories, 2 g carbs

I added a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan (~40 calories, negligible carbs). I served with a side of steam-in-bag asparagus (80 calories, 2 g net carbs)

I’m baaaack! After a few months’ hiatus, I’m ready to recommit to the Low-Carb Lifestyle and start sharing recipes again.

I thought I’d start easy this week and do some quick-fix (or fix-ahead) dishes that make low-carbing easier with a busy lifestyle. And since I do eat out a couple of times every week, I’ll also share my strategies for sticking to what’s approximately an Atkins Phase 1 daily carb limit level (Atkins is a strict 20 net grams; I’ll stick to a range of 20-40 net grams daily).

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 oz. shredded Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons Zesty Italian salad dressing mix*

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil; lightly coat foil with olive oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Pat chicken breasts dry and place on greased baking sheet so that they are not touching. In a small bowl, combine mayo, cheese, and seasoning. Mix well. Smear each piece of chicken with half the mayo-cheese mixture.

Bake approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Let sit at least 5 minutes to allow the cheese on top to cool into a crust.

*One of the recipes I saw online used 2 tsp. of chili powder to give the chicken a kick. Salt and black pepper might need to be added if using a seasoning that does not include them—however, keep in mind that the parmesan will add saltiness to it on its own.

Nutritional Info (for one serving):
Chicken: 235 calories, 0 g carbs
Mayonnaise: 99, 0 g carbs
Parmesan: 118 calories, 1 g carbs
Dressing Mix: 5 calories, 1 g carbs
Total: 457 calories, 2 g carbs

In an effort to eat more vegetables (aside from just salads and crudités), I’ve challenged myself to try a new, cooked, vegetable dish each day this week. Since Tuesdays are my night to meet up with a friend at our local Panera and spend an hour or so writing, I made two veggie side dishes last night. So far, I’m batting .1000!

Roasted Cabbage Wheels

• Small head green cabbage
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and pepper
• Fennel or caraway seeds, if desired (I didn’t desire or have these so didn’t use them)

Preheat oven to 400°F (toaster oven: 450°F). Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; lightly coat foil with olive oil.

If the cabbage head has a protruding stem, as mine did, slice it flat. You want to leave the core intact, though, so that wheels hold together. Slice cabbage into 1/2- to 1-inch thick “wheels” (mine were close to 1/2 inch). I took two slices out of the middle, then julienned the remainder to be used in a soup later this week. Lay wheels onto the oiled baking sheet, then drizzle tops generously with olive oil; season with salt and pepper (and fennel/caraway seeds, if desired). Bake until edges are golden brown and interior is tender, about 40 minutes. Enjoy!

2 wheels (approx 1.5 cups cabbage) = 3.5 g net carbs

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While you get that typical “cabbage” smell while these are cooking, they turn out so sweet and yummy that the odor is easily forgotten. The way the outer leaves came out, crisp and just to the edge of being a little too brown, makes me want to try making cabbage “chips” as a snack.

With just salt and pepper, these were delicious. It’s such a blank canvas that it begs to be experimented with, which I most definitely plan to do in the future. I also plan to do this with vidalia onions when they come in season later in the spring/summer.

I didn’t have time to sit down and make out my meal plan this week, but I did know I would need to get some prep work done this weekend. That included going to the grocery store and picking up some veggies (the challenge for me this week is to do a veggie recipe every day) and cooking some chicken that I can use in various applications.

Chicken for Every Occasion

• 1 package of 4–5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts “with rib meat”
• 1 package dry Zesty Italian salad dressing mix

Line your slow-cooker with a liner/bag. This helps tremendously with cleanup later.

Thaw chicken completely, if frozen. Rinse and pat dry. arrange chicken in slow-cooker. If you need more than one layer to get it all in, season chicken on bottom layer before adding more on top. Use entire package of seasoning mix for approx. 4 lbs. of chicken.

Cook on low several hours until chicken is just cooked through. Package each breast separately for use later.

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I grabbed one of the pieces from the fridge on my way to work this morning, and at lunch, I chopped it up, added mayo, mustard, and a little prepared horseradish, and now I’m having chicken salad “boats” for lunch. I’ll probably use another one later this week to make chicken and vegetable soup or stir-fry. It’s always nice to have something like this on hand, especially when I’m trying to make going to the gym after work a habit, so that I’m not always having to cook something from scratch when I get home and all I want to do is crash.

I eat so much beef and chicken (and the occasional pork) that I try to remind myself to eat fish every so often—for variety if nothing else. I’ve never liked fish much, except when it’s battered and fried, so it really is something I have a hard time remembering to build into my meal plans.

Typically, I’ll get tilapia when it’s on sale because it’s very mild and easy to cook. I will occasionally spurge on salmon (but only when it goes on sale for less than $6/pound). Since I had tilapia in the freezer, I figured today was as good a time as any to make a fish dish.

Lemon-Garlic-Butter Baked Talapia

• Tilapia fillets (I used 2 of the 4 in this package), thawed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Preheat oven to 400°F (toaster oven: 450°F). Baking dish large enough to fit fish fillets with plenty of room—I used a 9×9-inch disposable pan (does that surprise you at all?).

Rinse and pat dry thawed fillets. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Slice lemon into 9 paper-thin slices and arrange in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Place fish fillets on top of the lemon slices. Stir minced garlic into the melted butter and drizzle over fillets. Bake 15–20 minutes until fish is white through and flakes easily.

Serve drizzled with lemon-garlic-butter from pan.

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This sounded like a great idea, and an easy way to infuse flavor into a relatively flavorless fish. Unfortunately, part of the flavor that infused into the fish was the bitterness from the skin of the lemon. But, this may just be me, as I am overly sensitive to bitter flavors.

Next time I do this, I’m going to save myself time and just use a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice along with the garlic-butter before baking.

It’s not the most creative recipe title, but it does describe what it is. And it’s YUMMY!

I wanted to use up what was left of the Rotel that I used in the Chile Verde the other day. In the past, I’ve done chicken and Rotel before, but last night, I thought of a twist that made it even more delicious.

Creamy Rotel Chicken

• 1 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (this one was huge and would have fed two!)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup Rotel (6 oz. left of a 10 oz. can after using 1/2 cup for another recipe)
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• Cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F (toaster oven: 450°F). You’ll need a baking dish large enough to hold your chicken.

Season all sides of chicken with salt and pepper and place in baking dish. Pour Rotel over chicken. Bake 45–60 minutes or until juices run clear.

Transfer chicken to serving plate. In baking dish, add sour cream to pan juices/Rotel and stir until completely melted and combined. Pour over chicken*. If desired, top with cheese and return to oven (or microwave 30 seconds) to melt cheese.

Makes 1 serving
4g* net carbs

*I didn’t use quite half of the sauce this made, as it would have been too much. I did still count all the carbs, though, just to be on the safe side.

(1/2 cup La Preferida brand “authentic” refried beans = 9g net carbs. Be sure to check labels—I have a can of another brand as well, and it was 14g net carbs for 1/2 cup!)

Here’s another great finger-food/snack recipe just right for Game Day!

One of the hardest things about the first few weeks transitioning into the Low Carb Lifestyle is breaking the sugar craving (for me, anyway). Which means that I try to stay away from anything remotely dessert-like.

But now that I’m into the third week—and because I had a great result at my weigh-in last week—I decided it wouldn’t hurt to add a “no-no” into my meal plan for this week. Yes, in my OneNote notebook for my meal plans and recipes, I have a tab labeled NoNos:

I consciously named the tab that because, even though I’m only using it for recipes that fit into the low-carb lifestyle, psychologically I need to have those things which fulfill the cravings for the “forbidden”—for the “bad” food. Thus, NoNos.

I found this recipe on Pinterest.

Miniature Cheesecakes

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons granulated Splenda or other sugar substitute
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350°F (toaster oven: 400°F). Muffin tin with six paper liners. (A half-size muffin tin is perfect, because it fits in the toaster oven!)

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and blend (I used one beater head on my hand mixer) until smooth. Divide batter evenly into the six paper-lined wells in the muffin tin. Lift the pan by the sides and tap the bottom on the counter top a couple of times to release any air that might be trapped under/in the batter.

Bake 20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick/skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Remove “muffins” from pan* and let cool to room temperature on counter. Once completely cooled, they are ready to eat. Store in the refrigerator.




I should have cooked these a little bit longer. Even though the pick came out clean, they might have been better if a little more “golden” on top.

Makes 6 Mini Cheesecakes
Nutritional Info (entire recipe):




Chart generated at FitDay.com. Total carbs divided by 6 servings = 1.6 net carbs each!

The original website where I got this recipe says these are 2.6 carbs each, but I plugged all the ingredients into FitDay, and came out with 1.6. If you’re really worried about it, count it at the higher carb count.

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*I suggest removing them from the pan to let them cool, because mine were very soggy on the bottom, likely from “sweating” inside the muffin tin while they cooled. They will puff up and look nice and fluffy and full when you remove them from the oven. They will shrink considerably once they cool.

Next time I make these (oh, yes, I bought two things of cream cheese when I put the ingredients for this on my list!), I’ll probably increase the Splenda by a 1/2 Tablespoon. Or I’ll wait until I can get out to Costco to get a big bag of frozen berries so that I can have something to top it with. Just plain like this, it didn’t quite satisfy my need for a NoNo. I also probably should have let mine cook just a little longer—that may have helped with the moisture issue I experienced, too.

Remember that easy-peasy pork roast I made this weekend? Well, here’s one of those recipes I promised for using the leftovers. I grew up in southern New Mexico, where caldillo and chile verde are staple items on restaurant menus, especially in the fall and winter. So yesterday, even though it was a balmy 65 degrees outside, I decided I’d make a lower-carb, quick fix version of chile verde.

Easy Chile Verde

• 1 cup beef broth (low-sodium, if you have it)
• 1/2 cup Rotel
• 1 cup shredded pork roast
• 2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup chopped Hatch green chile*

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients. (*Adjust the amount of green chile you add based on your taste—start with a little and add more if desired. For some, the heat from the Rotel will be enough and no additional chile should be added.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20–30 minutes. Taste. Add more chile if desired. Serve.

Makes 1 large bowl or 2 generous “cups” of soup
Entire recipe = 5 grams net carbs (2 for 1/4 cup of green chile, 3 for 1/2 cup of Rotel)

Consider garnishing with shredded cheese or sour cream (but don’t forget to count the carbs any garnishes might add!).

In case you haven’t already figured it out, I’m a big fan of no-fuss, no frills recipes. If I can set it and forget it, I’m all for it.

While this recipe makes more than one or two servings, the end result is something that can be adapted for many other meals—as you’ll see later this week.

Easy-Peasy Pork Roast

• 3-4 lb. boneless Boston butt pork roast
• seasoning mixture of your choice (I used Tony Cachere’s More Spice, as usual)
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, cut into large pieces (or frozen chopped onion if you don’t have a fresh one)
• 1 cup water

Medium or large slow cooker—make sure your roast fits into it with a little room to spare.

If you pre-purchased your meat (on sale, as I did) and froze it, make sure it is completely thawed. Generously coat all sides of the roast with the seasoning. Add onion and water to slow cooker; then add roast, fat-side up. Cover and cook on low 8-10 (or more) hours. You will know it is ready when the meat is falling apart. You should be able to easily remove the fat cap before removing the roast from the cooker. Then just shred and serve.