Quick Cheeseburger Quiche was probably originally a Bisquick Impossible recipe, but we’ve always called it cheeseburger quiche. Maybe to fool the mommy cook – or the small diners and their daddy -- into thinking there was an exotic gourmet dish on the table in the after work scramble! It’s a great weekday meal – about 35 minutes from start to steaming finish. When I started looking for lower carb options, this recipe surprisingly filled the bill! It is 10 carbs per serving and has 26 grams of protein to recommend it – besides its tasty heartiness. This goes together quickly – especially if you keep browned ground beef on hand. If you like a bit of Italian flair, try adding Italian seasoning along with the salt and pepper. You can also vary the cheese and use monterey jack, ... [Read More]
Main Dish
Chicken Pasta Salad with poppyseed dressing
Chicken Pasta Salad -- Someone brought this flavorful and addicting pasta salad to a potluck and everyone raved over it. I was lucky enough to get the recipe – and then promptly tweaked it. They used dried cranberries which I switched out for fresh fruit to reduce the carb count somewhat. Halved grapes, sliced strawberries and mandarin oranges work nicely. This was the first time I used blueberries and we liked those as well. I prefer Brianna’s poppyseed dressing and look for it when I start yearning for this dish. You can poach the chicken by bringing water to boil in a shallow pan and slipping in a couple of thawed chicken breasts and cooking until done. Better is the flavor from a deli roasted chicken, perfect for using leftovers. Or use the tabletop grill. I laid thawed ... [Read More]
Chili Cups
Chili cups. Quick and easy main dish, hearty appetizers or Friday night staple. When Bytes and his brother were grade school sprouts, they got to picnic on a big green beach towel on the living room floor every Friday night and watch their favorite tv show. Forget Family Night. It was Exhausted Mommy and Daddy Night! They had an early bedtime the rest of the week and we were those mean parents that restricted tv watching. Watching that show meant they could keep up with their friends. Reliving and reenacting the show, through the “get into your pajamas and bed routine”, allowed the parents to interject some critical thinking into the process. “Do you think that was the best way to handle that?” kind of question. Well, maybe Mom, if she wasn’t busy corralling flying shoes ... [Read More]
Mushroom Swiss Burgers
Mushroom Swiss Burgers evolved when I picked up some burgers from a supermarket deli after work one night. We all liked it so well, that I just had to come up with a copy cat version. The grocery store version may have it on speed – just heat the cooking surface and 10 minutes later you have burgers. But the home made version is less expensive and only takes a couple of minutes to mix --- plus the ability to plan ahead far enough to also buy mushrooms and swiss cheese when you find the meat on sale. You get that picture, I’m sure – no need to say more! I usually buy 90% lean or higher if I am going to use the ground beef in a dish, but 85% lean works well when the meat does a solo appearance. If you are going to grill or fry ground beef patties, a bit of fat is necessary to keep the ... [Read More]
Mock N Cheese aka Cauliflower Gratin
Cauliflower au Gratin -- cheesy goodness as a main dish or a side dish. Cauliflower, Mark Twain once sniffed, was nothing but cabbage with a college education. Boiled and buttered, the way grandma used to do it, cauliflower was nothing to write home about. Now it is everywhere. Cauliflower first appeared on vegetable trays, in snack packs and anywhere a crunch was needed. Then low carb dining became important. Cauliflower is only 5 carbs per serving and it's somewhat bland flavor and good texture makes it an acceptable substitute for potatoes, pasta and rice. This classic au gratin recipe makes a substitute for Mac n Cheese. Mock N Cheese! My sister, Vee, told me it was not a good name if I had to explain it. First she hinted ever so diplomatically with a laugh and a hmmmm -- or ... [Read More]
Five meals 300 (or less) calories
Sometimes coming up with a healthy meal is the last thing you want to spend any time thinking about. Here are five basic meal plans with approximate number of calories for one serving to kick start the process with room to add more calories, such as fruit or whole grains. Reminder: the number of calories for each individual to maintain or lose weight will depend on gender, age, activity level. The average woman needs between 1600 and 2000 calories a day. Salad Plate - 200 calories Plate (about 2 cups, loosely packed) of mixed lettuces, spring greens, iceberg, romaine with chopped vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, celery, etc. - 15 -25 calories , sliced hard boiled egg (40 calories) cheese (45 calories), diced apple (45 calories) and nuts (45 calories). If using dressing check ... [Read More]