Keto Lo Mein with Chicken Yakitori

 

Going low carb or keto doesn't have to be tough. You can find ways to make your favorite carb heavy dishes so you don't feel like you are missing out. 

For example: the picture above looks just like any "regular" lo mein and yakitori. Tastes delicious too. But it's completely keto friendly. I often meal prep for several people and this has come back as top pick for A LOT of my clients. Taste and texture are pretty darned close to the real deal too so even if you are not counting carbs you should enjoy it!! 

Nutritional counts: Lo Mein: 145 calories, 5.7 fat, 10 carbs, 3.2 fiber, 13.6 protein. That's 6.8 Net Carbs.

Chicken Yakitori: 210 calories, 4 fat, 0.7 carbs, 0.1 fiber, 38.3 protein. That's 0.6 Net Carbs.

Total Meal: 355 calories, 9.7 fat, 10.7 carbs, 3.3 fiber, 51.9 protein. Total of 7.4 Net Carbs. 

First up: Keto Yakitori Chicken

Keto Yakitori Chicken

Ingredients

4 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup Chinese cooking wine

2 Tbsp Swerve brown sugar

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Optional

Sesame seeds

Directions

Mix together soy sauce, cooking wine, and brown sugar. Place chicken thighs in oven safe dish with marinade. Place in fridge while you preheat oven to 350. 

When oven is preheated, place pan in oven and cook chicken until done, spooning sauce over the exposed chicken every 10 minutes or so. This should take 30 - 40 minutes but use a thermometer for best results. (Alternative cooking method: marinate chicken overnight, place chicken on skewers and BBQ until cooked through, brushing with excess  marinade while cooking). Serve hot, sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. 

While chicken is cooking, prepare lo mein.

Keto Lo Mein

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp sesame oil

3 cups pork (or other meat)

1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced

2 tsp ginger, grated

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup snow peas

1 1/2 cup bean sprouts

scant 1/2 cup scallions, chopped

1 1/2 cup cabbage, shredded

1 1/2 cup spaghetti squash, cooked

3 cups of NuPasta konjac angel hair noodles (or similar)

Sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp Swerve brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

3 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

Directions

Prep your ingredients so everything is ready to go.

Whisk together your sauce ingredients and set aside. 

Heat oils in a large wok or skillet. Cook pork (or preferred meat) until done, then remove from pan.

Add in garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add in red pepper, snow peas, bean sprouts, scallion, and cabbage. Cook and stir for about 5 - 8 minutes, until veggies soften. 

Add in spaghetti squash, rinsed and drained NuPasta noodles, and the cooked meat.

Pour the sauce over the top and stir to combine. Cook until heated through, about 3 - 5 minutes. 

Serve hot.

So good! You can use chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, even tofu in this if you prefer. Keep in mind though that will change the nutritional counts a bit! 

Serving size for the recipes above is 6. You get about 2 thighs and 2 cups chow mein per serving. 

I do make this often for meal prepping and it is super easy to double.... just make sure you have a big enough pan!

I know some of you are going to say, " BUT some of those ingredients aren't keto." 

In moderation they can be. Adding things like snow peas to this dish ups the carb count a bit but it is still keto friendly in the end AND with the addition of the peas it seems closer to the "real thing". You can, of course, change the veggies to suit your needs. 

Big Batch Bacon and Kielbasa Mac And Cheese With Mediterranean Cabbage Salad

I am never making another macaroni and cheese recipe again. This is the one!

It has the most amazing flavor. You know how most mac & cheese is just "meh"... like, not terrible but not *jazz hands*. This is super *jazz hands* with a little *razzle dazzle* thrown in for good measure. 

It is a big batch - like it makes about 20+ cups of mac and cheese. I developed it for a meal program I was running. For a smaller, family sized amount I would maybe just make 1/4 of it. The size here is perfect for a potluck or if you want to make up some meals to share with extended family/friends. 

The Mediterranean Cabbage Salad is the perfect accompaniment. It is light and refreshing and helps add a few veggies to an otherwise carb-heavy meal! 

First up the salad:

Mediterranean Cabbage Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette 

Ingredients

4 cups cabbage, shredded (or thinly slices)

4 large tomatoes, sliced and seeded

2 English cucumbers, sliced

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 red onion, sliced

garlic vinaigrette (I use Simply Natural Organic Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette)

Directions

Place all ingredients, except vinaigrette, in a large bowl.

Drizzle on a little of the vinaigrette and toss gently. 

Cover and chill until ready to serve. 

When ready to serve: serve with more vinaigrette and add as needed.

On to the main course!

Big Batch Bacon and Kielbasa Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

2 lbs macaroni, cooked

1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 pkgs kielbasa sausage

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

3/4 cup butter

2 onions, diced

3/4 cup flour

8 cups milk, warmed

1 16 oz brick aged cheddar

1 16 oz brick Monterey Jack cheese

2 cups parmesan, shredded (divided)

4 oz cream cheese

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dry mustard powder

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

Directions

Before starting: boil your macaroni and set it aside and cook your bacon and set aside as well. 

Prepare the kielbasa sausage: place sliced sausage onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with a little BBQ sauce. Place under broiler until it starts to brown. Flip the pieces over and broil another 3 - 4 minutes - until browned. Set aside.

Prepare mac and cheese - In a LARGE pot (I use a canning pot), melt the butter and add in the onions. Let cook for a minute. Add in the flour and cook another minute, until thickened. 

Very gradually add in the milk, stirring in between additions until smooth. Cook about 5 minutes until thickened. Reduce the heat and add in all the cheeses (reserve 1 cup of Parmesan for sprinkling on top). Stir until melted.

Add in the spices and stir well.

Lastly, stir in the cooked sausage, bacon, and macaroni.

Let heat through and then serve. 

Don't forget to sprinkle generously with the reserved parmesan cheese.

Don't you want to just crawl right in there? 

Best mac and cheese EVER! 

I got 10 very large servings out of this (2 + cups of macaroni and 1+ cup of salad). If you were bringing this as a side dish to a potluck you would get 20 - 1 cup servings quite easily. 

You can half or quarter this recipe with no problem for smaller amounts. 

The macaroni is so flavorful. 4 cheeses and the smoky sausage and bacon make for the best macaroni EVER!

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Cabbage Pancake)

I've been wanting to make okonomiyaki for a long time. I saw it on Pinterest ages ago and thought it looked amazingly delicious. 

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory cabbage pancake (okonomi - meaning "how you like" or "what you like", and yaki - meaning "cooked") and there are as many recipes for it as there are for Western pancakes. They are super simple, inexpensive, and easy to make. I hesitated to make them because I thought they would be tricky and fall apart easily. Nope. Not the case at all. 

Like most pancakes, these are best eaten when they are made BUT do work well reheating them in the following few days. Definitely make the sauces to go with them. Without the sauce they are pretty plain. The sauces make them irresistible. 

I made them as a side to go with our braised roasted duck dinner (Recipe HERE) but they work on their own for breakfast or just as a snack!

Okonomiyaki

Ingredients

Okonomiyaki Sauce

6 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp Worcestershire

2 1/2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari)

Wasabi Mayo

1/2 cup mayo

1 Tbsp wasabi powder

1 tsp wasabi paste

2 tsp lemon juice

Pancakes

1 cup flour

pinch salt

1 cup chicken broth

1 egg

1/4 head of medium cabbage, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 green onion, diced

1 - 2 Tbsp sesame oil for frying

Garnish

green onions, diced

seaweed snacks, crumbled

Directions

Prepare sauces - For the okonomiyaki sauce: whisk together the ketchup, Worcestershire, and coconut aminos (tamari) until smooth. Place in a small container and leave in fridge until ready to use. Can be prepared a few days ahead of time as it keeps well in the fridge.

For the wasabi mayo: whisk together mayo, wasabi powder, wasabi paste, and lemon juice until smooth. Place in a small container and leave in fridge until ready to use. Can be prepared a few days ahead of time as it keeps well in the fridge. 

Prepare pancakes - place the cabbage and onions in a large bowl. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, chicken broth, and egg until smooth.

Stir in the cabbage and onion until well mixed.

Scoop a generous amount (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) onto a hot skillet drizzled with sesame oil. Use your flipper to shape the pancakes into circles as best you can. 

Cook until bottom is browned and pancakes are sticking together, about 4 minutes. Turn down your heat if they are browning too fast. Carefully flip the pancakes over and cook the other side for another 3 - 4 minutes.

Remove from heat, set aside and keep warm while you continue cooking the rest of the batter. (I believe I got 8 pancakes)

Serve hot, drizzled with a spoonful or two of the okonomiyaki sauce and wasabi mayo. Sprinkle with green onions and seaweed.

They keep well, covered, in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. Reheat the leftovers in a frying pan drizzled with a little sesame oil over medium heat. 

NOTE - You could shred the cabbage if you want it finer than the thin slices... just watch your cooking time because you want the pancakes to retain that cabbage crunchiness and not become soggy! 

NOTE - I used coconut aminos in the okonomiyaki sauce as that is what I had on hand. You could use tamari instead. You could even use soy sauce but I would go with 2 Tbsp instead of 2 1/2 as it is thinner in consistency. 

NOTE - you can make these smaller or bigger, as you like. They are very forgiving! 

NOTE - I actually meant to throw some cooked bacon in the batter but didn't have any on hand. Do it! It's delicious. 

Cabbage pancakes don't exactly sound like the most delicious things out there but I bet they will surprise you! So good. So different. So flavorful. So quick and easy! 

Keto Tuna Cabbage "Noodle" Casserole

Tuna noodle casserole has never been one of my favorite meals. Mom loves it though so we used to have it quite a bit growing up. Chow mein noodles, cream of mushroom soup, tuna, and peas. 

I was excited to try and make something similar but low carb as I am on a keto eating plan. I wanted to show mom that it's possible to make comfort food that is low carb and high protein that still tastes great. 

Turns out I actually prefer this version of the classic dish. I know it sounds a bit sketchy... I mean... tuna and cabbage isn't the first thing you think of when you think delicious food, am I right? 

Seriously though... give this a try. Even if you aren't following keto it's a yummy alternative to old fashioned tuna noodle casserole. 

According to MyFitnessPal one serving (recipe makes 4 servings) is: 342 calories, 10 carbs, 4 fiber, 25 fat, 22 protein, and 5 sugar. (6 net carbs)

Keto Tuna "Noodle" Casserole

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp butter

1 medium cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 1/2 celery stalks, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp dill

1 tsp dry mustard

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)

2 cans (170 gr each) tuna, drained

1/4 cup peas

Directions

Heat oil and butter in a large, oven safe frying pan. Cook cabbage, onion, celery, and garlic for about 10  minutes - until cabbage is softening. 

Mix in the dill and mustard.

Stir in the cream and half of the Parmesan cheese until cheese is melty. Simmer to thicken. 

Add in the tuna and peas.

Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Broil for 3 - 5 minutes, until top is golden.

Serve immediately. 

It does taste like tuna noodle casserole but you're not going to fool anyone. I mean... it's cabbage.

BUT... if you are doing keto or low carb, it's a great alternative. 

Mom loved it. She said she still prefers noodles but this was tasty in it's own right. 

I agree. As a low carb, high protein, high fat meal it is very filling and totally qualifies as comfort food. 

Kale and Cabbage Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Let's start with how pretty this salad is. I mean - normally I don't get too excited about salads but this one had me doing a few *jazz hands*. All that lovely green and purple makes me want to become a saladatarian. 

Saladite? 

Anyway, this dish only takes minutes to make, can easily be doubled for a crowd, and is able to sit for hours without getting soggy. And the dressing? Don't even get me started! Definitely one of my top 5 favorites now. Give it a try, let us know what you think!

Kale and Cabbage Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients

Dressing

1/2 cup 0 fat Greek yogurt, plain

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp poppy seeds

salt & pepper

Salad

3 cups lightly packed, torn kale

1/2 a medium green cabbage, cut in thin slices

1/2 a medium purple cabbage, cut in thin slices

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped

Toppings

1/4 cup onion, sliced thin

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions

In a small bowl, place all of the dressing ingredients.

Whisk together until well combined. 

Chill in fridge until ready to use. It may separate a bit - simply whisk together until combined again. 

In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients. 

Gently stir in about half of the dressing until everything is coated. Use more of the dressing as per your personal preference. (I use all of it.) Sprinkle with the onion, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries. 

Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. Even with the dressing on, the salad can sit, covered, in the fridge for several hours without wilting. If you make it more than 6 hours ahead of time - simply don't dress the salad until right before serving. Keep the salad and the dressing in the fridge separately and then combine when ready. 

Note - As with most salads: you can play around with the amounts of the ingredients in the salad. (The dressing not so much). Want more kale in there? Throw it in. Want more broccoli? Why not. Love pumpkin seeds? Add another sprinkle. 

The only reason I have written specific amounts is to figure out the nutritional counts. According to MyFitnessPal, one serving (recipe makes 5 servings) is: 250 calories, 22 carbs, 15 fat, 9 protein, 5 fiber. 

I've counted this as 5 servings because we had this for our lunch as the main dish. If you were serving it as a side with dinner or such, it would make many more servings. Probably closer to 10 or so. 

 

 

Pop over to Carole's Chatter for some fun foody links!

Irish Chicken Skillet Dinner

Sue and I are always on the lookout for tasty new recipes. Specially when a holiday is coming up.

When I came across a recipe for Irish Chicken in an old cookbook our mom has, I was very excited.

Not only is it perfect for St. Patrick's day dinner, it's simple, easy, and *most importantly* is delicious. I added a few more ingredients to the original recipe and turned it into an (almost) 1 pot meal.

Give this a try for St.Patrick's Day or just for a different Sunday dinner. You won't regret it!

Irish Chicken Skillet Dinner

(Adapted from Irish Cooking cookbook)

Ingredients

Seasoning

1 tsp onion powder

3 tsp dried thyme

generous shake of salt & pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp paprika

Dinner

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

6 slices of thick cut bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium head cabbage, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

1/4 cup water

3 cups new potatoes, quartered

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Prepare seasoning - shake together all seasoning ingredients in a plastic bag large enough to hold all the chicken pieces.

Place chicken pieces in the bag and shake well to coat. Set aside.

Heat a large, oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the bacon until it is crispy.

Remove bacon and place on paper towel to drain.

Drain half of the bacon grease out of the pan.

Place pan back over heat. Place the chicken in the hot pan to quickly brown it - about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. 

Remove the browned chicken to a plate while you complete the next step.

Add the chopped cabbage and onion to the pan with the 1/4 cup water. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the potatoes and stir in well.

Place the cooked bacon on top of the cabbage and potatoes.

Top with the browned chicken.

Place in 375 oven (uncovered) and cook until chicken is done - about 45 - 50 minutes.

Serve hot.

Easy peasy, am I right?

Only 1 pan to clean up after. Gotta love that!

Quick note - if you are like me and completely useless at cutting a chicken - all you have to do is ask your local butcher really nicely and they will do it for you. Well, at least the guys here do - thankfully. Otherwise I would have been making this with just drumsticks or something. Which is totally an option, by the way. 

Another option - if you can't get new potatoes you can use regular potatoes, just cut them into appox 1 inch chunks. 

The whole fam-damily really enjoyed this. I am pretty sure I will be making this again for St. Patrick's Day. (Okay, either this or our Guinness Crock Pot Corned Beef - another super de duper easy meal)

 

Be sure to stop by Adventures of Mel and Lou Lou Girls and Dizzy Busy & Hungry and Carole's Chatter for lots of fun and tasty links!

 

Asian Pulled Pork Wrap

Sue here again. I wanted to share another tasty recipe I totally-not-by-accident created before Jo shared the rest of our Thanksgiving recipes. 

And, by totally-not-by-accident I mean I threw some things in my crock pot and *tah-dah* deliciousness happened by magic. 

This pulled pork would be great on it's own or on some rice but in a wrap a little goes a long way and tastes very yummy. The different textures of the fillings also make for a very interesting (read: amazing) sandwich wrap for lunch or dinner!

Asian Pulled Pork Wrap

Ingredients

Pork

1/2 cup Hoisin sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp BBQ sauce

1/2 cup Sprite (or Coke)

1/4 cup Oyster sauce

9 cloves garlic

salt & pepper

3 lb pork roast

Sandwich Filling

large tortillas

purple cabbage, shredded (or coleslaw)

brown rice, cooked (or white rice)

green onions, diced

sesame seeds, toasted

Ichiban noodles, dry (uncooked) & crumbled

Directions

Turn slow cooker to high. Mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, Sprite, Oyster sauce, garlic, and salt & pepper together in a mixing bowl. 

Place pork roast in slow cooker and pour the sauce over top. Turn to coat.

Cook on high for 5 - 6 hours, until pork is cooked.

Remove the cooked pork, let cool until you can handle it without burning yourself - shred it using 2 forks, then return to slow cooker on low for another 1/2 hour to an hour. 

When heated through you are ready to eat.

Prepare wrap: Lay a large tortilla on a work surface. 

1. Place a few spoonfuls of shredded cabbage in the middle of the wrap, leaving a few inches at the bottom of the wrap so it can be folded up.

2. Top the cabbage with a few spoonfuls of the cooked rice.

3. Top with a few spoonfuls of the pulled pork. (Be careful not to get too much sauce or your wrap will be soggy!)

4. Top the pork with a sprinkle of the diced green onion.

5. Then sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds.

6. Lastly, sprinkle with some of the crushed, dried noodles.

Now you can fold up the bottom of the wrap so it covers the bottom of the filling. Then fold the edges of the wrap into the middle. Secure with a toothpick, if desired.

I didn't put measurements because it will depend on how full you like your wraps. 

We had the pulled pork for dinner the first night and then I reheated the leftovers to make these wraps. I will make the pulled pork again just for the purpose of these wraps though because my hubby and my daughter both loved them. 

Look at all those lovely colors and textures!

I Love meals that are not too labor intensive. Easy peasy is good. :)

Be sure to pop over to Carole's Chatter for tons of great links!