Mains – Page 3 – Laurie’s Healthy Cooking

Reuben Rollups

By Laurie on Sunday, March 17, 2019

One of my favorite deli meats is Vienna corned beef. I know, it’s not the healthiest option to have on a daily basis, but every now and then it’s nice to splurge, and St. Patrick’s Day is one of those times.

When I was young, I have fond memories of walking home from a day at the beach with my family, and stopping at the corner store to buy some corned beef and dill pickles. I would make a sandwich with corned beef, pickle slices and Miracle Whip on white bread. I know, crazy, right?

I learned that the traditional way to eat a corned beef sandwich is on rye bread with mustard. And I did have it this way at the Carnegie Deli in New York several years ago.

These days, I only eat corned beef on special occasions. These low-carb Reuben Rollups give you all the flavors of a Reuben sandwich, but without the bread. They are a rich, tasty and satisfying treat to enjoy on a day like St. Patrick’s Day.

Start by laying out 3 slices of corned beef and a slice of Swiss cheese.

Spread on some Thousand Island dressing (easy to throw together with just 3 ingredients), and a spoonful of drained sauerkraut.

Then just roll up and enjoy!

Reuben Rollups

Servings: 1 (two rollups)

6 thin slices deli corned beef
2 slices Swiss cheese
4 teaspoons Thousand Island dressing (recipe below)
2 tablespoons sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

Thousand Island Dressing

Whisk together 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon natural ketchup and 1/2 teaspoon dill pickle relish.

Directions:

Lay three corned beef slices on a cutting board, slightly overlapping. Place a piece of cheese in the center. Spread 2 teaspoons of dressing over the meat and cheese, then add 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut to the bottom end of the meat. Starting from the bottom, roll tightly, making sure that the filling stays inside. Place on a plate. Repeat to make the second rollup.

Variations: Substitute the mustard of your choice for the Thousand Island Dressing. If you don’t like sauerkraut, fill the roll with a dill pickle spear.

Mains

Omelet with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

By Laurie on Wednesday, March 6, 2019

An omelet can be an easy, delicious, and filling meal that doesn’t have to be limited to breakfast, but any time of day. The best part is that most of us have eggs on hand, then you can use up leftovers or any vegetables, meats or cheeses that you might have around as the filling.

An omelet can be a bit tricky to cook when you first attempt it. You want to be sure that you have all the fillings ready to go before you put the eggs in the pan. They cook very quickly and require your full attention. If you wait too long, you’ll end up with overcooked or burnt eggs.

So if you want to add any vegetables to your omelet, start by sauteing them first, in a little butter or oil. In the photo below, I was making a double batch of filling, so I used a bigger pan.

Once the vegetables were browned and tender, I moved them to a plate. Then I added the beaten eggs to the smaller omelet pan.

You want to wait just a few seconds for them to start cooking. Then take your wooden spoon and start pushing them in from the edges, while at the same time tilting the pan so the liquid in the center moves to the outside.

Once the eggs are almost cooked, lower the heat and add little bits of the goat cheese evenly over the surface.

Next, pour the mushroom and onion mixture over one half of the omelet.

Then take your spoon and loosen the eggs all the way around the pan, to make sure the omelet is ready to slide out easily.

Tip your pan so the omelet slides onto a plate, starting with the side containing the mushrooms. As soon as it hits the plate, use the pan to fold over the second half, then press the top down slightly with your spoon.

Omelet with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Servings: 1

2 tablespoons organic butter, divided
4 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 large organic eggs
1 tablespoon organic cream or half and half
A pinch of salt and pepper
1 ounce goat cheese

Directions:

In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat and add the first 7 ingredients. Saute for several minutes until mushrooms and onions are soft and beginning to brown. Remove from the pan onto a plate.

In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs with cream and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan, when it’s melted, then pour in the eggs. Wait a few seconds until they begin to set, then start pushing them in from the sides with a wooden spoon, while tipping the pan, so that the uncooked eggs in the middle move to the outer edges.

When the surface no longer has big puddles of uncooked eggs, lower the heat and add dollops of goat cheese all around, then spoon the mushroom mixture over one half of the eggs. Loosen the omelet from all sides of the pan with the spoon, and tip the pan sideways to slide the omelet onto a plate, mushroom side first. Use the pan to fold the omelet in half as you release it.

Mains

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole

By Laurie on Monday, February 11, 2019

I love Mexican food, the spicier, the better, and would be happy eating tacos or burritos every week. Unfortunately, chips, tortillas, beans, corn and rice are all too heavy for me.

I wanted to come up with a dish that had the same wonderful flavors as chicken enchiladas, but without the starchy tortillas.

Each component had to be seasoned well and able to stand alone, so that when they were assembled in the casserole, the combination of flavors would be that much better.

The base of the casserole would be a version of Spanish rice, using riced cauliflower instead of regular rice. I started by cooking some peppers and onions in a bit of avocado oil.

Then I added garlic, tomato paste, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, along with frozen riced cauliflower.

After everything was cooked and the vegetables soft, I poured the rice mixture into my casserole dish. The next step was to take shredded chicken, and toss it with a spicy sauce. Using prepared rotisserie chicken saves time.

Looking at a popular brand of canned enchilada sauce, I realized it contained a few ingredients that I’d rather not use: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Shortening, Caramel Color, Red Color No. 40.

Instead, I used a small can of tomato sauce, and just added my own spices. Then I tossed the chicken with half the sauce.

I added the chicken to the casserole dish, then poured the rest of the sauce on top, followed by shredded cheese.

After baking for 30 minutes, it was ready to eat! My husband didn’t even know that it contained cauliflower.

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen riced cauliflower
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Spicy tomato sauce (see recipe below)
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
4 ounces shredded pepper- jack cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Directions:

Heat a large skillet, add the oil and saute the onions and peppers over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for about a minute, then add the frozen cauliflower rice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything and cook for 5 minutes to thaw the cauliflower. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and let cook for another 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.

Spicy Tomato Sauce:

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Mix tomato sauce and spices together.

To assemble:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spoon cauliflower rice mixture into a 9 x 9 inch square casserole dish. In a separate bowl, toss the shredded chicken with half of the Spicy Tomato Sauce, and layer the chicken on top of the rice. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken. Finally, sprinkle the cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Notes: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time, and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Using prepared rotisserie chicken from the grocery store saves time. You can use any size casserole dish that you have handy: square, round or rectangular.

Mains

Sloppy Joes

By Laurie on Thursday, January 31, 2019

With the Big Game coming up this weekend, maybe you’re looking for a warm, comforting dish to serve to friends and family. This healthier version of an old classic has all the flavor, but uses ground turkey instead of beef, as well as plenty of vegetables: mushrooms, peppers and onions. My husband is not a fan of mushrooms, but he doesn’t even know they’re in this dish, because they’re minced and look just like the ground meat!

Many sloppy joe recipes call for sugar, but I find that the small amount of sugar already contained in the barbecue sauce is plenty. But feel free to add more sweetener if you like. I recommend using a granulated stevia product (such as Truvia or SweetLeaf) rather than sugar.

If you’re having a big group, or just want to have leftovers, you can double this recipe. It freezes well, too.

Since I’ve been cutting down on the amount of starchy carbs in my diet, I serve this sloppy joe mix in a bowl over sauteed green cabbage. It’s delicious!

Sloppy Joes

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
1 pound ground turkey
1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup natural barbecue sauce (without high fructose corn syrup)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper to taste
A few dashes hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot, optional

Directions:

In a large skillet, saute the ground turkey in the oil over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon to cook evenly and prevent big chunks. Add the mushrooms, onion and bell pepper and continue cooking for several minutes, until the vegetables are softened and starting to brown.

Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

I serve mine in a bowl over sautéed cabbage, but my husband likes it on a bun.

Cooked ground meat, vegetables and sauce in a pan on the stove.