Low carb recipes for Cinco de mayo
Chicken or ground pork Enchiladas
Chicken or pork chile verde
Chicken rojo
Low carb Mexican cassarole
Southwestern Chili Con Carne
Faux refried bean
guacamole
Low carb margaritas
Low carb sangria
Sangria
2 cups Burgundy wine
2 cups club soda or seltzer water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda)
1 lemon, sliced into circles
1 lime, sliced into circles
1/4 cup diet Tang or any Crystal light fruit drink, optional
Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, pour into glasses over ice.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving Calories 46
Fat 0 grams Saturated Fat 0 grams
Carbohydrates 3 grams Fiber 0 grams
Net Carbohydrates 3 grams
Margaritas tend to be very high in sugar. Traditional ones have Triple Sec or Cointreau, both orange liqueurs with 5 grams of carb per tablespoon (16 grams per jigger). Margaritas made with sweet and sour mix are usually worse, as 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of sweet and sour mix has at least 17 grams of sugar, and sometimes more. Imagine how much sugar you're getting in one of those big margaritas! Yikes!
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 jigger (1.5 oz) tequila
* 2 Tablespoons (1 oz) lime juice - bottled more convenient, fresh tastes a lot better
* 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) water
* 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
* 1 Tablespoon's worth artificial sweetener (I like to use liquid, carb-free types)
* Ice - small handful
* Margarita salt or kosher salt
PREPARATION:
Wet the rim of the glass and dip into a small plate of salt.
Combine all ingredients. You can either serve it over ice (in Mexico I've usually been served it this way, but I can't say I've had extensive experience), or strained into the glass, or blended in a blender.
2 grams of carbohydrate using bottled lime juice, 2.5 for fresh.
Guacamole
Recipe courtesy George Stella
Show: Low Carb and Lovin' It
Episode: Low Carb Mexican
1 ripe Hass avocado
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Cut the avocado in half around the pit and remove pit. With a spoon, scoop the avocado pulp out of the skin into a medium bowl, and mash the pulp. Add all other ingredients and mix together until blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover surface of guacamole with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving Calories 119
Fat 11 grams Saturated Fat 3 grams
Carbohydrates 4 grams Fiber 2 grams
Net Carbohydrates 2 grams
Southwestern Chili Con Carne
A warm, hearty stew that will leave you full and satisfied. If fresh roasted chiles are not available, you can use canned. Omit the sugar for a low-carb version.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, large diced
1 red bell pepper, large diced
1/2 cup red onion, large diced
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck
4 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 (15-ounce) can soy black beans, drained and rinsed, optional
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions and cook until slightly tender. Add the ground beef and spices and cook until browned. Skim off excess grease. Add the diced tomatoes and soy black beans and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To serve, garnish chili with cilantro. If desired, top with shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese, sour cream, and sliced scallion tops.
Chicken or Pork Chile Verde
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 1/2 pounds chicken or pork boneless and diced to cubes
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup green chile sauce
* 2 cups tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped
* 2 roasted green chiles, seeded and diced (Anaheim or Poblano work well)
* 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
* 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar*
* 3 tablespoons oil
* 2 cups drinking water
PREPARATION:
Brown the chicken or pork in a small amount of lard or oil, over high heat.
Place the browned chicken or pork, chile sauce and tomatillos into a crock pot set on low, or a large, covered pot over low heat.
Before you ask, yes, there is soy sauce in this recipe (I consider it the "secret ingredient") I got the idea years ago when I asked the cook in a Mexican restaurant about his great fajitas, so I feel I'm on safe ground. Skirt steak is traditional, but you can really use whatever beef you like, or boneless skinless chicken breast. I usually use green onions for grilling (you can get more for the same carbs, and more fiber) but regular onions if I'm making them in a skillet.
INGREDIENTS:
* 1.5-2 lbs skirt steak or other beef or chicken easily cut into strips
* 1 medium onion, sliced, or 15 medium scallions (green onions) - same amount of carb!
* 2 large Bell peppers, sliced - two different colors is nice
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 2 Tablespoons oil
PREPARATION:
1. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, and oil. If grilling, save a couple of Tablespoons aside to toss with the vegetables.
2. Slice the meat into about 1/2 inch slices. If using skirt steak, flank steak, or other meat with an obvious grain (lines through the meat), be sure to cut perpendicular to the grain, or you will be chewing a very long time.
(Think about it - you want to create a lot of short fibers, not a few long ones.)
3. If cooking in a skillet, marinate everything together in a bowl or plastic bag (a zip-type works well). If grilling, marinate the meat and veggies separately. Even a few minutes helps, up to 2 hours is great.
4. If grilling, remove from marinade and grill.
5. For cooking in a skillet (preferably regular, not nonstick), cook the meat first (it will probably take two batches, depending upon your pan). Add a little oil to the skillet and get it very hot (the oil will shimmer). If you don't get it hot enough (or crowd too much meat in), the meat will steam instead of browning. When the meat is browned, remove and add veggies. When they begin to soften, return meat to skillet to heat through.
6. Serve with salsa, sour cream, cilantro (if desired) and guacamole. If low-carb tortillas are available, that is a nice addition, but a fork works fine.
Chiken rojo
he great thing about this dish is that you can assemble your ingredients while the chicken simmers, so it cuts down on prep time. It only takes 30 minutes cooking time from start to finish.
INGREDIENTS:
* 3-5 chicken breasts or thighs
* 6 tomatoes, large
* 1/2 an onion, cut into quarters
* 3 tablespoons of oil
* 2 cups chicken broth mixed with 2 cups of water
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1 teaspoon garlic, peeled and crushed
* 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 tablespoon red chile powder or chile paste
* salt to taste
PREPARATION:
Preheat broiler on high.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over high heat. Brown the chicken pieces on each side. Cover chicken with chicken broth and bring to a boil. While it's coming to a boil, slice the top off of each tomato and place cut side down on a cookie sheet along with the onions.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over them. Place in broiler and remove when tomato skins become very wrinkled and shriveled.
While the tomatoes are broiling, bring the chicken broth to a strong simmer and add in the chile, cumin, oregano, garlic and cocoa.
When the tomatoes are ready, remove from broiler and let cool for 1 minute.
While the tomatoes cool, turn the chicken
Peel the skin off of each tomato and use a spoon to remove the seeds from the middle. Using your fingers, mash the tomato a little and add into the sauce. Separate the onions and stir into the sauce. Let the sauce reduce while chicken finishes cooking.
If the liquid cooks off to fast, add water about a half cup each time, until the chicken reaches 170 degrees or is no longer pink inside.
Faux refried beans
(I have to check where to find black soybeans)
This version of the Mexican classic is made with black soy beans. About black soy beans, and where to find them
INGREDIENTS:
* 1-2 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces
* 1 can black soy beans
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* salt or seasoning salt and pepper to taste
* 2 T cream or milk
PREPARATION:
1) Fry bacon pieces until crispy.
2) Carefully add beans (it may splatter).
3) Stir, and mash beans. I use a potato masher, or sometimes a stick blender. You could put them in blender.
4) Add seasonings and adjust to taste.
5) Add cream or milk, and serve.
Each of 4 servings has 4.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus almost 6 grams of fiber.
Low-carb Mexican Casserole
* 1 lb ground turkey
* 1 pkg taco seasoning mix
* 1/2 c. chopped green onion, divided
* 3/4 c. salsa
* 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
* 1/4 c. chopped black olives
* 4 Tbls. sour cream
In a skillet, over medium-high heat, cook turkey. Stir in seasoning mix and remove from heat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread cooked turkey mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch-square baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 the green onions over the turkey and top with salsa, then sprinkle cheese over top. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and hot. Garnish with the rest of the green onions, olives and a blob of sour cream.
LC serving suggestion: make taco chips from low-carb tortillas by cutting them into 8 sections, brush lightly with olive oil and bake at 400 for 5 minutes.
I can't make enough of this recipe. My family loves it and I have to double the recipe because they always come back for 2nds! Note, I do not use the black olives, which does remove 2 carbs from the the count.
Per Serving:
368 calories; 23g fat; 29g protein; 11g carbohydrate; 2g dietary fiber; 126mg cholesterol; 1172 sodium
I'll go back and clean them up later, in the mean time if you try any of these check back and post a comment about how they turned out
Chicken or pork chile verde
Chicken rojo
Low carb Mexican cassarole
Southwestern Chili Con Carne
Faux refried bean
guacamole
Low carb margaritas
Low carb sangria
Sangria
2 cups Burgundy wine
2 cups club soda or seltzer water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda)
1 lemon, sliced into circles
1 lime, sliced into circles
1/4 cup diet Tang or any Crystal light fruit drink, optional
Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, pour into glasses over ice.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving Calories 46
Fat 0 grams Saturated Fat 0 grams
Carbohydrates 3 grams Fiber 0 grams
Net Carbohydrates 3 grams
Margaritas tend to be very high in sugar. Traditional ones have Triple Sec or Cointreau, both orange liqueurs with 5 grams of carb per tablespoon (16 grams per jigger). Margaritas made with sweet and sour mix are usually worse, as 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of sweet and sour mix has at least 17 grams of sugar, and sometimes more. Imagine how much sugar you're getting in one of those big margaritas! Yikes!
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 jigger (1.5 oz) tequila
* 2 Tablespoons (1 oz) lime juice - bottled more convenient, fresh tastes a lot better
* 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) water
* 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
* 1 Tablespoon's worth artificial sweetener (I like to use liquid, carb-free types)
* Ice - small handful
* Margarita salt or kosher salt
PREPARATION:
Wet the rim of the glass and dip into a small plate of salt.
Combine all ingredients. You can either serve it over ice (in Mexico I've usually been served it this way, but I can't say I've had extensive experience), or strained into the glass, or blended in a blender.
2 grams of carbohydrate using bottled lime juice, 2.5 for fresh.
Guacamole
Recipe courtesy George Stella
Show: Low Carb and Lovin' It
Episode: Low Carb Mexican
1 ripe Hass avocado
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Cut the avocado in half around the pit and remove pit. With a spoon, scoop the avocado pulp out of the skin into a medium bowl, and mash the pulp. Add all other ingredients and mix together until blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover surface of guacamole with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving Calories 119
Fat 11 grams Saturated Fat 3 grams
Carbohydrates 4 grams Fiber 2 grams
Net Carbohydrates 2 grams
Southwestern Chili Con Carne
A warm, hearty stew that will leave you full and satisfied. If fresh roasted chiles are not available, you can use canned. Omit the sugar for a low-carb version.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, large diced
1 red bell pepper, large diced
1/2 cup red onion, large diced
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck
4 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 (15-ounce) can soy black beans, drained and rinsed, optional
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions and cook until slightly tender. Add the ground beef and spices and cook until browned. Skim off excess grease. Add the diced tomatoes and soy black beans and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To serve, garnish chili with cilantro. If desired, top with shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese, sour cream, and sliced scallion tops.
Chicken or Pork Chile Verde
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 1/2 pounds chicken or pork boneless and diced to cubes
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup green chile sauce
* 2 cups tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped
* 2 roasted green chiles, seeded and diced (Anaheim or Poblano work well)
* 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
* 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar*
* 3 tablespoons oil
* 2 cups drinking water
PREPARATION:
Brown the chicken or pork in a small amount of lard or oil, over high heat.
Place the browned chicken or pork, chile sauce and tomatillos into a crock pot set on low, or a large, covered pot over low heat.
Before you ask, yes, there is soy sauce in this recipe (I consider it the "secret ingredient") I got the idea years ago when I asked the cook in a Mexican restaurant about his great fajitas, so I feel I'm on safe ground. Skirt steak is traditional, but you can really use whatever beef you like, or boneless skinless chicken breast. I usually use green onions for grilling (you can get more for the same carbs, and more fiber) but regular onions if I'm making them in a skillet.
INGREDIENTS:
* 1.5-2 lbs skirt steak or other beef or chicken easily cut into strips
* 1 medium onion, sliced, or 15 medium scallions (green onions) - same amount of carb!
* 2 large Bell peppers, sliced - two different colors is nice
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 2 Tablespoons oil
PREPARATION:
1. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, and oil. If grilling, save a couple of Tablespoons aside to toss with the vegetables.
2. Slice the meat into about 1/2 inch slices. If using skirt steak, flank steak, or other meat with an obvious grain (lines through the meat), be sure to cut perpendicular to the grain, or you will be chewing a very long time.
(Think about it - you want to create a lot of short fibers, not a few long ones.)
3. If cooking in a skillet, marinate everything together in a bowl or plastic bag (a zip-type works well). If grilling, marinate the meat and veggies separately. Even a few minutes helps, up to 2 hours is great.
4. If grilling, remove from marinade and grill.
5. For cooking in a skillet (preferably regular, not nonstick), cook the meat first (it will probably take two batches, depending upon your pan). Add a little oil to the skillet and get it very hot (the oil will shimmer). If you don't get it hot enough (or crowd too much meat in), the meat will steam instead of browning. When the meat is browned, remove and add veggies. When they begin to soften, return meat to skillet to heat through.
6. Serve with salsa, sour cream, cilantro (if desired) and guacamole. If low-carb tortillas are available, that is a nice addition, but a fork works fine.
Chiken rojo
he great thing about this dish is that you can assemble your ingredients while the chicken simmers, so it cuts down on prep time. It only takes 30 minutes cooking time from start to finish.
INGREDIENTS:
* 3-5 chicken breasts or thighs
* 6 tomatoes, large
* 1/2 an onion, cut into quarters
* 3 tablespoons of oil
* 2 cups chicken broth mixed with 2 cups of water
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1 teaspoon garlic, peeled and crushed
* 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 tablespoon red chile powder or chile paste
* salt to taste
PREPARATION:
Preheat broiler on high.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over high heat. Brown the chicken pieces on each side. Cover chicken with chicken broth and bring to a boil. While it's coming to a boil, slice the top off of each tomato and place cut side down on a cookie sheet along with the onions.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over them. Place in broiler and remove when tomato skins become very wrinkled and shriveled.
While the tomatoes are broiling, bring the chicken broth to a strong simmer and add in the chile, cumin, oregano, garlic and cocoa.
When the tomatoes are ready, remove from broiler and let cool for 1 minute.
While the tomatoes cool, turn the chicken
Peel the skin off of each tomato and use a spoon to remove the seeds from the middle. Using your fingers, mash the tomato a little and add into the sauce. Separate the onions and stir into the sauce. Let the sauce reduce while chicken finishes cooking.
If the liquid cooks off to fast, add water about a half cup each time, until the chicken reaches 170 degrees or is no longer pink inside.
Faux refried beans
(I have to check where to find black soybeans)
This version of the Mexican classic is made with black soy beans. About black soy beans, and where to find them
INGREDIENTS:
* 1-2 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces
* 1 can black soy beans
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* salt or seasoning salt and pepper to taste
* 2 T cream or milk
PREPARATION:
1) Fry bacon pieces until crispy.
2) Carefully add beans (it may splatter).
3) Stir, and mash beans. I use a potato masher, or sometimes a stick blender. You could put them in blender.
4) Add seasonings and adjust to taste.
5) Add cream or milk, and serve.
Each of 4 servings has 4.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus almost 6 grams of fiber.
Low-carb Mexican Casserole
* 1 lb ground turkey
* 1 pkg taco seasoning mix
* 1/2 c. chopped green onion, divided
* 3/4 c. salsa
* 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
* 1/4 c. chopped black olives
* 4 Tbls. sour cream
In a skillet, over medium-high heat, cook turkey. Stir in seasoning mix and remove from heat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread cooked turkey mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch-square baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 the green onions over the turkey and top with salsa, then sprinkle cheese over top. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and hot. Garnish with the rest of the green onions, olives and a blob of sour cream.
LC serving suggestion: make taco chips from low-carb tortillas by cutting them into 8 sections, brush lightly with olive oil and bake at 400 for 5 minutes.
I can't make enough of this recipe. My family loves it and I have to double the recipe because they always come back for 2nds! Note, I do not use the black olives, which does remove 2 carbs from the the count.
Per Serving:
368 calories; 23g fat; 29g protein; 11g carbohydrate; 2g dietary fiber; 126mg cholesterol; 1172 sodium
I'll go back and clean them up later, in the mean time if you try any of these check back and post a comment about how they turned out