Tonight's Dinner: Low carb, low fat, no sugar... Chicken Lettuce Wraps & Springtime Lemon salad.

Tonight I wanted to make something really easy, due to it being a school night and I started dinner later than usual. A friend had just requested a low carb recipe, so my mind was in that zone when I created tonight's dinner. You can use any recipe you have for tacos, or meals that you need to lay on pasta, rice, or potatoes, just eliminate the carb by replacing them with a lettuce leaf or a bed of field greens. Arugula is a personal favorite of mine; I just love the peppery flavor this green lettuce provides! Tonight, I just used Bibb lettuce because it makes a nice cup, kinda like a healthier taco shell. ;-)Walla, instant low carb meal! Hee...

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Pam (olive oil)

1 Lb. ground chicken

Fresh Ground blk pepper to taste, about ¼ tea.

Salt to taste, about 1/8 tea.

1 C. vertically sliced red onion

Artichoke heart out of an artichoke. Or, buy jarred or canned (about ½ C.) 

Cut off bottom; Boil artichoke on stove (bottom in water --until done; about 20-25 min's):

 Cut up core of artichoke:

1/3 C. large cherry tomatoes or small tomatoes cut in half.

1 Tbl fresh oregano torn off stems.

1 Tbl fresh flat leaf parsley torn off stems.

10 garlic stuffed grn olives cut into about 4 slices. 

3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded in bag if kids are eating; for adults you may want to cube fresh mozzarella cheese.

Squeeze juice out of one large juicy lemon.

Bibb lettuce leaves from one bunch.

Instructions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet; coat pan w Pam cooking spray. Add Onion and next 5 ingredients (through olives); cook about 3 min’s.

2. Pour out mixture in a bowl (set aside). Use skillet to cook ground chicken, salt and pepper chicken while in skillet.

3. Cook chicken until no pink is seen and it is crumbled; stirring around often.

4. Add bowl mixture to chicken and heat through (warm up the veggies).

5. Stir in cheese and add lemon juice.

6. Spoon ¼ C. chicken mixture into each of two lettuce leaves.

I just love light springtime salads and this one I literally just threw together; it's so easy! I will try to come up with measurements because I literally just made it up as I went along while posting a picture on FB, chatting with my husband, and tasting my friend’s homemade wine, lol. ;-)

Lemon and Cucumber Springtime Salad

Ingredients:

Garden cucumbers washed and cut lengthwise with a veggie peeler, cheese cutter, or sharp knife into very thin strips. (This will act as your pasta).

1 handful each of Green beans and Sugar snap peas, (about 1/2 C. of each).
Steam for 1 min and 45 sec in microwave.

Place in ice bath imediately to stop cooking.

1 Mango, cut into strips.
Just fyi when deciding whether to use a mango: They get all the sweet flavour from their carbohydrate content. There are many varieties of mangoes, and most of them have a high carbohydrate content. Since the carbohydrates are fruit based, its healthy complex carbohydrates- sucrose (as opposed to simple carbohydrates). Per 100 gms of mangos, there are about 14 gms of carbohydrates. There is almost no fat or protein content in mango. It provides you with more than your daily requirement of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It also contains fiber, magnesium, iron and antioxidants. So, as you can see mango is overall a nutritious fruit, and like most fruits is low fat and cholesterol free!

The glycemic index of mango ranges between 41-60, so its low. So, mango does not have any significant effect in increase blood sugar levels, so it does not promote fat storage. Due to the medium glycemic index, mangoes are okay for diabetics.

1 Avocado, cut into strips.
In regard to deciding about an avocado: Carb-conscious dieters know that carbohydrates in the form of fiber are not counted as “Net Carbs” – the carbs that interfere with weight control. Half of a Haas avocado has 6 grams of Total Carbohydrate, but the 4.2 grams of fiber brings the Net Carbs down to just 1.7 grams. There are also 1.8 grams of protein, 153 calories and 15 grams of “good” fats. Plus, you’ll gain significant amounts of folate, vitamin A, vitamin E (more than any other fruit), potassium, iron, magnesium, copper, vitamin B6, and riboflavin.

Micro planed /grated lemon peel from one large lemon

Juice of the lemon.

Fresh coarsely ground blk pepper to taste.

Drizzle olive oil around on salad, about 3 circles around, maybe about 2 Tbl's.

Balsamic vinegar, two splashes, maybe about 1 Tbl.

Freshly sliced mint (optional, I did not add tonight, but thought of it... it had become dark outside-- I had already sent my husband out to get the oregano and parsley for the chicken dish, and did not want him to have to venture out again).

Assembly:

1. Place thinly sliced cucumbers into bowl.

2. Add Green beans, Sweet sugar snap peas, Mango, Avocado, and mint (if you use it).

Salad before dressing is added:

3. Drizzle oil on Salad.

4. Squeeze juice over salad, careful to catch seeds.

5. Ground blk pepper over salad, stir ingredients.

6. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over dish.

7. Sprinkle with lemon peel.

 Enjoy ;-)

Roasted Cauliflower Risotto: Recipe

Due to a few requests for the side dish that went well with the Balsamic Glazed Filet and Radicchio dinner at link: http://lisakramerartlifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/02/reduced-balsamic-glaze-on-beef-filet.html (or it is simply the recipe beneath this one as you scroll down); here is the recipe for the risotto.

The flavors of the radicchio can be described as spicy or bitter, which is why sugar and the sweet acidity of the balsamic made that meat dish pop!

The risotto is a creamy starch that takes on a nutty flavor with the addition of almonds and their crunch. However, what makes this dish pop is that the roasted cauliflower takes on a smoky flavor from the roasting process. This meal is a flavor explosion! You will be dipping for seconds. ;-)

Ingredients:

Risotto can be tricky; it is simply a matter of timing. So, again I stress the need for a kitchen timer. Risotto is not an ingredient you can take shortcuts with; it needs time to absorb each ingredient in a process. This is why some people think only chiefs can cook risotto.  If you follow the steps with a timer, you will be amazed at how creamy this dish can be.—If is not really that difficult; you just have to pay attention to the grain. ;-)

Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable that once you start using it, you will find it fast becoming a staple side dish to many of your meals. It is perfect for roasting!

1 head cauliflower, florets cut into ½ inch pieces for the topping

3 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil

Chopped stems to mix with the risotto on the stove, not to be roasted in the oven with the florets.

Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ C sliced almonds

1 finely chopped large onion

1 ½ C Arborio short-grain Italian rice (or short-grain rice vialone nano or pkg that says risotto)

2 smashed and minced garlic cloves

½ C dry wht wine

3 C’s low-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbl unsalted butter

4 oz. (1 ½ C) grated or finely chopped Italian fontina cheese

½ C roughly chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2.   Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 Tbl olive oil on a baking sheet. Spread in a single layer and season pepper and with salt like you would French fries. Roast on upper oven rack, 5-10 min’s, you have to watch it get just a bit browned at edges.

Pictured: a variation of golden and brown raisins can be added to the cauliflower to add a touch of sweet to the roasted mixture. Play and see what your family likes the best.

Pictured: a variation of garlic can be added. Roasted garlic is delish!

3.   Then add the almonds and roast about 5 min’s more, until almonds are roasted, but not burnt, not dark brown. This step is a much watch closely process. I set my timer at the 5 min mark and then watch close; nuts can burn quick.

4.   Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tbls olive oil in a Dutch oven (large ovenproof saucepan with a lid) over high heat. Add the onion and cauliflower stems and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 3 min’s.

5.   Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 min’s.

6.   Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 min.

7.   Add 3 C’s broth, 2 C’s water and 1 tsp salt; cover and bring to a boil.

8.   Transfer the pot to the lower oven rack and bake until the rice is tender, about 15 min’s.

9.   Remove the rice from the oven and add the butter, fontina and parsley, stirring vigorously until the risotto is creamy, 1 to 2 min’s. At this point you want to serve immediately; you want the parsley to stay bright green, not over cooked and bland in color.

10. Serve family style in a decorated bowl, or divide among bowls, topping with the roasted cauliflower and almond mixture.