1poundskinless chicken breastsIdeally, 4 breasts that are 4 oz each
1cupsweet marsala wine
1cupchicken stock
8ouncessliced mushrooms
1/4cupall-purpose flour
16largeasparagus spearsends trimmed off, and cut into 2 inch segments.
1cuporzo pasta
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo pasta, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
To flatten the chicken. put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them; pound with a flat meat mallet (or the palm of your hand) until they are about 1/4-inch thick.
Coat chicken pieces in flour. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large frying pan, melt the 3 tbs butter with 1 tbs olive oil over medium heat.
Add to the frying pan the chicken, and cook both sides until golden (about 5 minutes for each side).Do this in batches if the pieces don’t comfortably fit in the pan. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
Add the mushrooms to the frying pan and cook on medium until the mushrooms are golden brown and the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping the pan to pick up all of the tasty browned bits. Add the chicken stock and Reduce heat to medium, allowing the sauce to thicken (reduce in volume by about half). Salt and pepper to taste. While the sauce is cooking down, cook the asparagus.
On a baking sheet, spray the asparagus with cooking spray and arrange in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Place the asparagus in the pre-heated oven. Roast for 5 minutes, shake the pan, then roast until tender about 5 minutes more.
Divide the pasta and asparagus equally between serving plates. Then the plate the chicken and top with marsala sauce.
Bring a pan of salted water (add enough salt to the water to make it taste like the sea) to a simmer. (the water will be steaming and may have occasional bubbles, but should not be boiling).
Add the chicken to the simmering water. Poach the chicken over low heat until just cooked through, about 9 minutes. Remove to a bowl and allow to cool. With your fingers, finely shred the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and jalapeño, cook until the onion is softened (about 3-5 minutes). Add the tomatillos, season with salt and continue cooking until wilted.
Pour the tomatillos into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.
Lubricate a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and spread a little sauce on the bottom.
Heat the tortillas (you need to do this or else they will break while you fill them) Working with 1 tortilla at a time, place in a dry, hot pan for about 8 seconds per side. Remove the tortila from the pan, then add 1/3 cup of chicken to the tortilla and roll into a cylinder. Repeat, lining up tortillas tightly in the baking dish.
Spread the rest of the sauce over the tortillas and cover with cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted.
2tablespoonslime juice(juice of 1 lime = 2 tablespoons)
8eachcabbage leaves or bibb lettuce leaves
1cupuncooked jasmine rice
Instructions
Boil a pot of water and cook jasmine rice per package instructions (typically, for ½ cup dry rice, you use ¾ cup water. Add water and rice to pot, trun heat to high to bring to boil. Once boiling, stir the rice and turn heat to low. Cover pot with lid and let cook for 15 minutes.
Combine curry paste, chicken, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix until incorporated.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Once shimmering, add the chicken to pan and cook (stirring) for 6 minutes or until done. Remove pan from heat.
To the pan now off the heat, mix in the cucumber, shallots, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt to taste.
Place 2 cabbage leaves on each serving plate. Divide chicken mixture evenly among leaves and serve
1rotisserie chickenskin removed, bones removed, and meat diced
1/2packagePillsbury pie crusta 14 oz package has 2 crusts, you are using just one.
Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Make the pot pie sauce
First, make the roux. Melt 4 tbs butter over medium-low heat in a large saucepan, until foaming. Mix in flour. Cook 2–5 minutes, constantly mixing. (You are just trying to cook this long enough to get rid of the raw flour taste. The texture will be similar to wet sand. The mixture may take on a light tan color, that is fine.)
To the roux, add the 2 cups of chicken broth, mixing constantly until mixture is smooth. Add the cup of milk and again mix until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove pan from heat, add chicken and vinegar, and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour out the mixture into a separate bowl, and wipe out the pan.
Cook the veggies
In the cleaned pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add onions and sage, cook for about 2 minutes (until the sage is fragrant)
Add potato, celery, carrots. Cook for another 6 minutes.
Turn the heat off, then Stir in the peas, parsley, and the chicken mixture. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the pot pie and bake
Pour filling into the casserole dish.
Using a roller, roll out the dough so that it will fit over the baking dish.
Place dough over the baking dish, tucking dough into the edges of the dish. Cut 10 slits in the dough to allow for venting.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crust is golden and mixture is bubbling.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Place a 12-well muffin pan on the baking sheet and coat the wells and the top of the pan with cooking spray. set aside.
Combine 1/3 cup of the panko, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl . Set aside.
Place the egg in a large bowl and beat it with a fork. Add the remaining 1/2 cup panko, 2/3 cup Parmesan, chicken, onion, basil, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper. Using clean hands, mix everything until combined. Don’t squeeze or overwork the mixture.
Divide the mixture among the wells of the muffin pan. Evenly divide the mozzarella among the muffins. Push the cheese into the center of the chicken mixture, making sure to enclose the cheese in the chicken mixture. Smooth out the tops of the muffins.
Sprinkle the panko-parmesan mixture over the tops of the muffins, gently pressing to adhere.
Place the baking sheet with the muffin pan on it in the oven and bake until the meatloaf muffins are cooked through, about 25 minutes.
While the muffins cook, heat the marinara sauce and keep it warm.
While the muffins cook, heat the frozen green beans according to package instructions.
When the muffins are done cooking, set the oven to broil and broil until the panko topping is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Run a small knife around the perimeter of each well to loosen and remove the meatloaf muffins. Serve immediately with the marinara sauce and green beans.
Heat a pot of salted water (the water should taste like seawater) to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, to al dente. Drain and set aside.
Working with 1 breast at a time, cut breasts in half horizontally. Using meat pounder (or the heel of your hand), gently pound each cutlet into even 1/4-inch thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Spread flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge cutlets in flour, shaking off excess, and return to plate.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add cutlets and cook until lightly golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to clean plate.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, shallot, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until liquid has evaporated and vegetables begin to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add capers and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add broth and wine and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until slightly thickened and mixture is reduced, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and mix in butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken and pasta to pan to heat through, about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to platter and top with vegetables, pasta, and sauce. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.
4ouncesdried wide egg noodlestypically ½ of the bag
1/2cupfrozen green peas
2.5tablespoonsbutterdivided
6ouncesfully cooked smoked sausagesuch as kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch rounds (typically 1/2 of the package)
1medium yellow onionhalved and thinly sliced (about 1.5 cups)
1smallred bell peppercored and thinly sliced (about 1 cups)
1mediumcabbageabout 1 pounds, cored, quartered, and shredded (Or, you can buy pre-shredded cabbage)
20eachasparagus spearsfibrous ends chopped off and discarded, then cut into 2 inch pieces
1tablespoonof apple cider vinegar.
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the noodles and cook for 2 minutes less than the minimum time stated on the package.
Into the pot of boiling water with egg noodles, stir in the frozen peas and asparagus and cook for 2 minutes more. Drain well, then transfer into a large bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter. Cover to keep warm.
Wipe out the pot used to cook the noodles. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat, then add the sausage. Cook, (stirring occasionalluntil browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage into the bowl of pasta (reserving the drippings in the pot).
Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the now-empty pot. When melted, stir in the onion, bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the cabbage in batches, stirring until each batch is starting to wilt before adding more. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5- 10 minutes. Stir in the noodles, sausage, and veggies. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Butterflying and pounding flat the pork tenderloins allows them to cook incredibly quick. I typically make this on my grill (and you can too), but decided to give instructions for broiling the pork instead so that people without a grill can enjoy this quick, healthy, and delicious recipe. For the salad, I wanted to leave the ingredients open-ended so you can decide to put whatever in it you like. This means the calories/carbs will be less exact, but since raw veggies are incredibly low carb and low calorie the estimate will still be pretty close. If you eat salad dressing, be sure to keep it to 2 tablespoons or less and choose one that is without added sugar.
1.5lbspork tenderloinsThis will typically be 2 loins
1tablespoonpacked brown sugar
Rice
1 1/3cupjasmine rice
2cupswater
Salad
10ouncesromaine lettuce
4servingssalad veggies whatever you want in your salad (onion, tomato, cucumber, carrots, etc)
Instructions
Preheat the broiler to its highest setting. Arrange a rack about 6 inches under the broiler.
Prepare the rice
In a medium pot, add the water and rice with a large pinch of salt. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir, cover pot with lid, and turn heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from eye. Do not remove lid, to allow rice to continue to steam.
Make the chimichurri
Combine ¼ cup oil, parsley, cilantro, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a mini food processor. Process until the cilantro, parsley, and garlic are minced. Set aside. (If you don't have a food processor, you can mince the parsley, cilantro, and garlic by hand, and combine all of the ingredients into a bowl)
Prepare the salad
Chop the romaine lettuce into bite size pieces. Chop the salad veggies. Toss together in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the pork
Trim excess fat off the pork tenderloin(s), Then butterfly the tenderloins by slicing them lengthwise about 3/4 of the way through and opening the pieces like a book. I(f you're not sure how to butterfly, check the video link in the notes section). Now pound the tenderloins to a ½ inch thickness- You can do this by placing the loins between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pounding them with the heel of your hand, a small pan, or with a meat mallet if you have one.
Sprinkle pork with the brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
Place pork on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place on the top rack in the preheated oven. Broil the pork until it is lightly browned and registers 140 degrees, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer pork to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 3-5 min.
Slice pork on bias ½ inch thick and transfer to platter. Top with chimichurri and serve with rice and salad.
8ouncespork tenderloinhalved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4ouncesliced mushrooms
2celery stalks
2green onion
1cupsnow peas
Rice
2/3cupjasmine rice
1cupwater
Instructions
In a small pot, add the water and rice with a large pinch of salt. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir, cover pot with lid, and turn heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from eye. Do not remove lid, to allow rice to continue to steam.
Prepare the veggies. Cut the celery on an angle into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the green onion into 1 inch pieces.
In a small bowl, mix the Sriracha with soy sauce, vinegar, honey and cornstarch
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the pork and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until meat starts to brown, about 7 to 9 minutes.
Stir in celery and cook until bright green, about 2 min. Stir in green onions, snow peas, Chili sauce mixture, and 1/4 cup water. Cook until sauce is thickened, about 1 min.
Beef rigatoni can be a very carb heavy and high calorie dish, but this recipe will satisfy your cravings for pasta with a meaty tomato sauce for only 600 calories and 60gm of carbohydrate. It can be put together in 45 minutes, and will still taste great as leftovers. For the salad, I wanted to leave the ingredients open-ended so you can decide to put whatever in it you like. This means the calories/carbs will be less exact, but since raw veggies are incredibly low carb and low calorie the estimate will still be pretty close. If you eat salad dressing, be sure to keep it to 2 tablespoons or less and choose one that is without added sugar.
6tablespoonssliced fresh basilfresh is much better, but you can substitute 2 tablespoons of dried basil
1tablespoonred wine vinegar
12ouncesrigatoni
28ozcanned crushed tomatoes
4ouncesgrated mozzarella cheese
1/4cupgrated Parmesan cheese
Salad
10ouncesromaine lettuce
4servingssalad veggieswhatever you want in your salad (onion, tomato, cucumber, etc)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare vegetables (onions and carrots)
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan. Add onion and carrots, cook for about 5 minutes (or until onion is translucent), stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, cook another 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant.
Add ground beef, Italian seasoning, red pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes
Add chicken stock, 4 Tbs basil (save 2 Tbs for garnish), vred wine vinegar, pasta, and crushed tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook 13 mnutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste
Transfer contents of pan to a casserole dish, and top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes to melt the cheese.
Prepare the salad
Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Chop the salad veggies. Tosss together in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Once the casserole is done cooking, remove from oven and allow to cook briefly. Plate , garnish with remaining basil, and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g
My wife and I both work full time. For awhile I struggled to be consistent with cooking after work because I was “too busy”. However, I believe in the importance of home cooking for my health, so I worked on compiling a repertoire of quick meals that were also carbohydrate-restricted. These meals are:
Low carb and low cal: My target in putting together dinner recipes is 65 grams of net carb or less. I also target 500 calories (though some will go over this!). I am a large male, and the portions satisfy me (so they can satisfy you too!)
Quick: Nearly all of these meals take 25-45 minutes to make, and the few that take longer are casseroles that make multiple meals.
Approachable: These recipes use common ingredients you can find in any supermarket, nothing fancy. Most of the meals are vegetarian or seafood (since that’s what my wife eats), but I try to slowly add a few meats recipes in there as well.
Complete: I have written the recipes to be complete meals (including sides and veggies), in order to make it easier for meal planning and during cooking.
Easy to plan: This page gives you the option to create shopping lists, which greatly simplifies shopping for the week. On each recipe card, you will see a button that says “Add to Mealplan“. Click the button to add the meal to your meal plan.
Meal plan and recipe organizer
Creating a mealplan will create a shopping list for you and allow you to quickly print out all of the recipes for that week. It’s easy to do.
On each recipe card, you will see a button that says “Add to Mealplan”. Click the button to add the meal to your meal plan.
Click “inbox” to see your meal plan. From the inbox, you can view and print a shopping list, as well as print all of the recipes.