Mexicali Meat Loaf

This is so easy to make.  Just make sure you allow the long cooking time.  It was amazing!  Once it was done and on my plate, I added a little salsa to the top.  I had with a salad and the raspberry fool that is on the blog. 

1 pound ground beef
1 pound mild pork sausage
1 cup crushed plain prok rinds
1 can diced mild green chilies
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I use the frozen kind)
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I did Colby/Monterey Jack)
3/4 cup salsa
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, crushed (I use the jar kind)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine all the ingredients in a really big bowl and then with clean hands knead it all until it's thoroughly blended.

Dump it out on a clean broiler rack (I used a cookie sheet with edges) and form into a loaf - it'll be a big loaf!

Yield 8 servings

Each with 5 grams of carboyhdrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 28 grams of protein.

If you are chopping the onion yourself, make sure it is chopped quite fine for the loaf.  If the pieces are too big, it tends to make the loaf fall apart when you cut it.  The Mexicali Meat Loaf may crumble a bit anyway because it is quite tender.

Recipe came from 1001 Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

Slice of Mushroom Heaven

This was listed as a side dish, but I used it as a main dish for me.  You MUST like, and I mean realllly like, mushrooms for this one.  It was pretty good.  I think next time I will add in some green peppers and maybe use a different cheese.  I ended up also adding a little salt and pepper on the top. 

4 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (I used the frozen, already chopped kind)
1 clove garlic, crushed (I used the jar kind)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups half-n-half
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups shredded Gruyere cheese, divided (I used Swiss since I couldn't find the cheese and it's from the Swiss family)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat and begin frying the mushrooms, onion, and garlic.  When the mushrooms are limp, turn the heat up a bit and boil off the liquid.  Stir in the white wine and cook until that's boiled away, too.

Stire in the lemon juice and turn off the heat.  Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the half-and-half, eggs, salt, peper, and 2 cups of the cheese.

Spray and 8x8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the bottom.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake for 50 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden.

Yield:  9 servings

Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 13 grams of protein.

Little Mama's Side Dish

I liked this as is.  The olive flavor does carry through though.  If you have someone or yourself that does not care for olives,  you could always leave them out of the dish and put them in individual servings instead.

4 slices of bacon
1/2 head cauliflower (I had frozen so just used that)
1/2 green pepper
1/2 medium onion (I just threw in some frozen)
1/4 cup sliced stuffed olives

Chop the bacon into small bits and start it frying in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  (Give the skillet a squirt of nonstick cooking spray first.)

Chop the cauliflower into bits about 1/2 inch.  Chop up the stem (if used fresh) as there is no reason to waste it.  Put the chopped cauliflower in a microwaveable casserole dish with a lid, add a couple of tabelspoons of water, cover and microwave for 7 minutes on high.

Give the bacon a stir, and then it's back to the chopping board.  Dice the pepper and onion.  By now some fat has cooked out of the bacon, and it is starting to brown around the edges.  Add the pepper and onion to the skillet.  Saute until the onion is translucent and the pepper is starting to get soft.

By the time that confluence of events transpires, the cauliflower should be done.  Add it to the skillet without draining and stir-the extra little but if water us going to help to dissolve the yummy bacon flavor from the bottom of the skillet and carry it through the dish.

Stir in the olives, let the whole thing cook another minute while stirring, and then serve.

Yields 4 to 5 servings
Total carb count is 2g

Reciepe from 1001 Low Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

Skillet Stroganoff

We ate this plain since I haven't found a noodle that is low-carb friendly.  My mother-in-law has made them out of eggplant (I believe) so I need to get with her on that receipe.  But this was actually very good without the noodles.  If you aren't watching your carbs as strickly, cook up some noodles and put this over them.  Will definitely make again.

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced (I used the fozen, already chopped kind)
1 clove garlic (I used the jar kind)
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon liquid beef broth concentrate (I had bullion on hand so used that)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown and crumble the ground beef in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic as soon as there's a little grease in the bottom of the pan and cook until the pinkness is gone from the ground beef.

Drain the excess grease.  Add the mushrooms, broth concentrate, Worcestershire, and paprika.  Stir in the sour cream and then add salt and pepper to taste.  Heat through, but don't let it boil. 

This is great as-is, but you may put it over noodles from the non-low-carb set.

3 servings
Total carbs is 7g

Recipe from 1001 Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

This has to bake for a long time, so it's not something you can throw together quickly.  Plan for this one.

I have this baking right now so havn't actually had a chance to taste it.  I did use the three peppers, but I could have got away with four as this made a TON of filler.  I'll update tonight after I have had a chance to try them.

I forgot to update this last night.  Okay, these turned out very well.  I thought they would be a little spicer with the Rotel, but they really weren't.  They had a slight kick to it, but not like I thought it would.  So I froze some and then put the leftovers, individually wrapped in SaranWrap, in the fridge.  I just had one heated up in the microwave and it turned out fine.  Not soggy or anything and actually tasted a bit better after it sat overnight.  So I will do these again.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used the already chopped, frozen kind)
1 clove garlic, crushed (I used the jar garlic)
1 can tomatoes with green chilies, divided (Rotel)
1 egg
1/2 cup half-n-half
1/2 cup prok rind crumbs (I bought some at Aldi's and just put some in a plastic baggie and crushed)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (I'm not a fan of cumin, so I just used a dash)
1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 green peppers

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, 1/2 cup of the tomatoes with chilies, the egg, half-n-half, pork rind crumbs, and seasonings.  Use clean hands to combine everything well.  Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds and core.  Form the meat mixture into 6 equal balls and press each into a pepper half, mashing it down a little to fill the peppers.  Arrange peppers in a baking pan as you stuff them.  Spoon the remaining tomatoes over the top and bake for 75-90 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Total carbs is 7g

Recipe from 1001 Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

Raspberry Fool

This was a much needed item to fill the sweet tooth.  It didn't come out as "thick" as I would have liked it, hence the note below with the cream.  I had a small piece of cheesecake and spooned this over it and wow, it was amazing.  The I took the leftovers, which I just kept it in the bowl and didn't place in dessert cups, and took that as dessert for lunch.  It kind of has a pudding/yogurt type of texture but it's amazing.  I'm assuming you could replace the raspberries with pretty much any frozen fruit.  Just have to try it and see if it works out.

12 ounces frozen raspberries, no need to thaw
1 tablespoon cold water
6 tablespoons granular Splenda or equivalent liqued Spleda (I used granular)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granular Splenda or equivalent liquidd Splenda, divided (I used granular)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cream (I used half n half, but learned next time to get the heavy whipping cream instead)

Put the frozen berries, water and 6 tablespoons Splenda in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat 10 minutes until the berries have broken up.  Cool completely then mash them wall.  Don't bother straining out the sees.  It's not worth the trouble and you'll end up wasting half of the berries by doing that.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with 1/2 cup Splenda and the vanilla until fluffy.  Set aside.  In another bowl, beat the cream and remaining 2 tablespoons Splenda until stiff.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.  If necessary, put in the refrigerator until the berries have cooled.  When the berries have cooled, fold them into the cream cheese mixture.  You can either blend until the mixture is completely pink or leave a few streaks of white remaining.  Spoon into 6 dessert cups and chill several hours before serving.

Makes 6 servings
Do NOT freeze

With granular Splenda:  Per serving: 10g Net carbs
With liquid Splenda:  Per Serving:  6g Net carbs

Recipe from Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes online

Sloppy Joe Pie

This was okay.  It had too much of a mayo taste so when I make it again, I will probably use 1/4 cup of mayo instead of a 1/2 cup. The meat mixture was very good.   3 stars 

1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup onion (I used the frozen kind)
2 stalks celery, minced (I didn't use this)
1 clove garlic (I used the jar kind)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used half n half)
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Brown the hamburger with the onion, celery and garlic; drain the fat.  Add the tomato sauce, Splenda, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper.  Mix well and let simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or so just to blend the flavors.  Put the meat mixture in the bottom of a greased glass pie plate; mix in about half the cheese.  Spread the remaining cheese over the top.  Beat the eggs in a small bowl and whisk in the mayonnaise and cream.  Pour the custard mixture evenly over the cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until nicely browned.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Makes 6-8 servings
Can be frozen

If you cut it into 6 servings, 4 net carbs
If you cut it into 8 servings, 2.5 net carbs

Recipe from Linda's Low-Carb Menus & Recipes online