Low Carb Dinner Menu, May 2 - 7, 2010

Planning it seems, is the key to success. Vegetables include salad, green beans, and whatever is in the freezer. I know it's not very creative, but it's quick and easy to plan my vegys this way.

Sunday - Cajun spiced shrimp (on sale and already cooked from HEB - happiness)

Monday - Cheeseburger pie

Tuesday -Pork chops

Wednesday -Chicken wings

Thursday -Meatloaf

Friday -Pork loin

I always make enough for leftovers for lunch. Breakfast includes eggs, bacon, ham, and a Jay Robb Protein shake. I bought Oscar Mayer center cut bacon yesterday. It's perfect for cooking in the oven. It comes out just right. Luckily I've got DH trained to cook breakfast. Yes, I am a princess.

Snacks - beef jerky, Slim Jims, diet jello, strawberries, nuts (careful), and raw vegys (cauliflower, broccoli, celery)

Dinner Menu Week of April 6 - 9, 2010

I found a 1 carb per 3 oz. ham at the grocery store. I didn't add any glaze to sweeten it up, so it will be a plain ham to go with my plain green beans. It's a plain Easter dinner. At least I have Easter eggs! This is going to be a tough week, so I'm keeping it simple.

Monday

Bacon, cheeseburgers without the buns and a side salad

Tuesday

Beef fajitas on low carb tortillias

Wednesday

Variation of chicken fried steak (dip the steak in Worcheshire sauce and Carbquik) & steamed vegys

Thursday

Pan fried pork loins & steamed vegys

Friday

Homemade chicken wings & salad

Dinner Plans for March 22 - 26, 2010

I've decided to try something a little different this week. Well, okay, the food isn't different, just the time spent cooking. Can we say casseroles and microwave? All together now...

All in one evening (okay, Sunday would have been better if I didn't get all lazy, but I did work out for the first time in a few months, so that should count for something) bake up -

Low Carb Meatloaf (I like to add chopped onion and bell pepper.)

Cheeseburger Pie (I like to add a package of real bacon pieces and a healthy dose of Greek Seasoning. I added a tsp. of seasoning salt tonight. We shall see...)

Supper Popover

Now keep some quick grilling sausage in the fridge, frozen bags of steamable vegies, and you are good to go for lunch and dinner. Good thing too because DH is working late. Perhaps I can talk him into frying me up some wings on Friday night...yum (Frank's Hot Sauce & butter). I really need to talk myself into going to the store and buying eggs. I'm out and I think it would be a good idea to boil a dozen (not to mention I need eggs for breakfast), but it's 8:00 p.m. and I have a novel to write, so perhaps I can talk DH into picking up eggs on the way home (rolling eyes).

I realize this is a simple week of meals - nothing new (the Supper Popover is new), but I need an easy week of cooking, so it's good to make plans and cook ahead at times. And when all else fails - go out! Okay, maybe not.

Monday's Menu, Restaurant Review of Salad Express

I'm going to combine two thoughts in this post. I'll share my "menu" and a quick review of Salad Express. Here goes -

After four cups of coffee this morning...

I baked bacon in the oven (see my previous post for directions). I microwaved a portion of the leftover egg/sausage casserole from yesterday for breakfast.

At lunch time I was out and about shoe shopping. DD and I were quite hungry. I remembered a salad place close by, so we decided to go there. Salad Express. This little trip got me to thinking. I should share the low carb finds and review the restaurants I visit on my blog. So here goes...

Salad Express is a salad, soup, & dessert bar. I was able to get a variety of vegetable and protein toppings for my salad. I chose the French low cal dressing. I'm not concerned with calories, but I've found that low fat dressings have more carbs, and low cal anything tends to have less carbs (interesting observation, don't you think). I drizzled on approximately two tablespoons of dressing (since I didn't know the carb amounts I wanted to be careful). It's great little salad bar. All you can eat for $6.95 (my location at least). Not bad. I avoided the soups and desserts, but I confess, I indulged in two bites each: watermelon and cantelope. Seriously...just two bites...

For dinner I had Alaska wild salmon in seasoned Cajun butter (HEB's store brand), grilled shrimp, and homemade low carb coleslaw. DH made salmon and shrimp and I made the coleslaw. I know you are impressed with how we work together, but I must admit, I spent most of the time on the couch watching the 20/20 special about The Bachelor.

I've increased my water, stayed on plan, and swallowed my vitamins. Now...to get to the next big goal of the week...going back to the gym. I did buy a really cute bag to carry to the gym. Does that count? Okay, okay...I will try to talk myself into it tomorrow.

Sunday's Low Carb Menu (3/14/10)

This morning I got up and made an egg and sausage casserole. It turned out just right.

Egg and Sausage Casserole

Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with pan. In a fry pan, fry a 6 inch tube of Jimmy Dean sausage (JD doesn't put out as much grease as some of the other brands) with some chopped bell pepper, onions, and a few dashes of onion powder. In a bowl mix 6 eggs, 1/2 cup of cheese, salt, pepper, and a couple of tablespoons of whipping cream. Mix the egg mixture with the sausage mixture and pour into the baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. This recipe does well the next day in the microwave. I also ate a leftover Carbquik biscuit.

Lunch time rolled around and I had some shopping to do, so I ended up eating 20 mild wings from Wing Stop (so yum). If I find out they are not carb free I am going to cry. They don't have their nutritional info. online. I sent an email today to ask. I will post it when I find out.

I made low carb meatloaf, Southern green beans, and cauliflower mashed (mock) potatoes for dinner. The meatloaf was wonderful as usual. DH complained about the butter I put in the green beans (I do like the butter). I totally screwed up the cauliflower mashed potatoes and had to throw them out. Oh well! You live, you learn. Overall, it was a very low carb day.

Dinner Menu for February 28 to March 5th, 2010

I'm starting to feel a bit repetitive, but I must say, I've found a few favorites. Spring Break is coming up soon. I'll have to try some new recipes. In particular, I'd like to find simple vegy recipes and try out some low carb treats. If you have some ideas, please leave comments and links for everyone.

Sunday

Did you miss the BEST Ever Pork Chop post? It's right before this one. They turned out great. I just finished my chop (and half of DH's second). Yum! Tonight I'm going to make Pumpkin Soup and Holmes Original Pecan Sausage.

Monday

I confess. I'm watching the FRC of The Bachelor tomorrow night. By the time I get home from taking DD to dance, I don't have a lot of time to cook. In the morning I will put a Beef Stew together (beef stew meat, 2 pgks. McCormicks beef stew seasoning w/water, cut onion and celery) in the crockpot.

Tuesday

I'm going to make cheeseburger pie (okay, I love it already - makes great leftovers for lunch). I'm contemplating adding broccoli to the pie.

Wednesday

Can you say chicken wings? I'm driving thru, picking up, order out... KFC's spicy grilled chicken wings are 0 carbs. Add your own vegy sides to keep things low carb.

Thursday

What can I say? I'm a traditional American girl. Meatloaf. Uh-huh. Again. I LOVE the low carb meatloaf. I use Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup. I wish they would make bigger bottles! I plan to try cauliflower mashed potatoes (as traditional as a low carb WOE will let me) if I can find a bag of frozen cauliflower. I couldn't find it at Kroger's today (sad face).

Friday

Italian Chicken, Garlic Shrimp (from Schwan's), and a bag of steamed vegys. I always buy my chicken breasts from Schwans. They turn out right every time.

Dinner Menu Week of February 21 - 26, 2010

Sorry I didn't post last week's menu. Things got a little harried with both home and work. I did manage to stay on plan and lose 3 pounds. I'm in a new weight loss decade (one I haven't seen in 10 years), and I'm 4 sizes smaller. How cool is that? Low carb rocks!

This week I'm going to simply share the main course. All of my vegys are steamed. Meat sales were great, so I picked up quite a bit to put in the big freezer.

Sunday

The boys should be home from camping anytime now. The pot roast is in the crock pot. It's smells good!

Monday

Garlic butter chicken dipped in French Fried Onions. Melt a stick of butter. Add 2 tsps. of garlic powder. Crush up some French Fried Onions (French's is the best. The off brand tasted like dirt.). Dip the chicken in the butter mixture and the FFO's. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Tuesday

Texas Style Ground Beef (ground beef, diced onion & bell pepper, Greek Seasoning, 1 tbsp. Worchestshire sauce, 1 can Rotel, optional - Dreamfields Pasta)

Wednesday

Beef Stew in a Crock Pot. Add 2 pkgs. of McCormicks Beef Stew seasoning (w/the water recommended), large pieces of onion and celery. If you can handle the carbs, you could add a little bit of carrot and potato, but measure carefully.

Thursday

Pumpkin Soup & Holmes Original Pecan Sausage (my favorite).

Friday

Salmon in a Crock Pot. I never made this last time. I couldn't find any wild Alaskan Salmon. I'm going to try again this week. My alternative plan is pork chops.

Dinner Menu for February 7 - 12, 2010

I have the roast from Friday in the crockpot. I suppose it was too big because it took all day and all night to cook. Lesson learned: choose a smaller cut of meat.

Sunday

Mmmm...Chicken Wings. Combine a tablespoon of Frank's Hot Sauce and a cup of butter. Dip the chicken wings into the butter, then drop into the fryer. I'll most likely steam a bag of vegetables or have a salad to go along with my meal.

Monday

Turkey Breast. I found the whole turkey breast in the freezer section of the grocery store. Pop it in the crockpot with butter and whatever spices you want. Steam some vegys or cook some green beans as a side.

Tuesday

Cheeseburger Pie. This recipe has become a favorite.

Wednesday

Bunless Bacon Cheeseburger. Okay...it's an easy stand by and Wednesday is a busy day at my house.

Thursday

Low Carb Meatloaf. I just love this meatloaf. It is so good. I'm expecting to be too tired to make mashed (mock) cauliflower baked potatoes, but if you are not, they would go perfect with the meatloaf. I'll probably have green beans.

Friday

Pork Tenderloin. I haven't decided how I'll spice. I might buy one that is already seasoned. Steamed vegys for the side.

Dinner Menu for January 31 to February 5, 2010

I learned a little lesson last week. I made my dinner menu, but didn't get around to shopping. I sent hubby out for half of the list. My week did not go as planned. We ended up having sausage one night and chicken breaded with french fried onions (very good by the way).

Sunday

We are going to bake some catfish. Crush up a bag of pork rinds. Add 1 -1/2 cups of almond flour & 3 tsp. of Old Bay Seasoning. Mix it together. Dip the catfish in egg whites and then into the crumb mixture. Bake @ 500 for 12-15 minutes or until catfish flakes easily. Serve with low carb cole slaw and cut green beans. (Cole slaw - I use a bag of cole slaw mix with Hidden Valley Cole Slaw Dressing. The dressing is 2.5 grams of carbs per tbsp., so use sparingly. I like adding a little bit of diced apple and walnuts.)

Monday

Italian Chicken Legs. This is one of the recipes I intended to cook last week, but never picked up the drumsticks. I have them now, so this is on the menu for Monday. I'll serve it with a bag of mixed steamed vegys.

Tuesday

I was looking through my "back in the day" recipes to see if there were any favorites that I could modify to low carb when I ran across my Pumpkin Soup recipe. Simmer for 20 minutes: 3 cups of chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups of 100% pure pumpkin, 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 tsp fresh thyme, 1/2 clove garlic (minced), and 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Puree 1 cup at a time in a blender or food processor. Return to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Garnish with fresh parsley. I'm thinking about making some sausage to go along with this soup.

Wednesday

BBQ Pot Roast. Place your roast into the crock pot. Combine 1 cup of low carb ketchup (I use Heinz reduced sugar), 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp. brown Splenda or Sugar Twin, 1/2 cup of water. Pour the mix over the roast. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. Serve with mixed steamed vegys.

Thursday

Garlic Butter Chicken. Melt 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave. Mix in 1 tbsp of garlic salt & 1/4 tsp. of pepper. Dip chicken breasts into the mixture and lay in a pan sprayed with Pam. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with the vegys of your choice.

Friday

Texas Style Ground Beef. Brown a pound of ground beef with diced onion and bell pepper. Add 2 cans of Rotel Tomatoes & Chilis. Season with 1 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp. Greek Seasoning, salt & pepper. If you can handle "extra" carbs, add Dreamfields penne pasta.

Dinner Menu for January 24 - January 29, 2010

This week I'm going to try a few new ideas, and some old favorites. Are you ready for dinner?

Sunday

Salmon in a Crock Pot. I always buy wild Alaska salmon, and ask the seafood department to remove the skin. Place 1-1/2 lb. salmon fillet(s) in a crock pot. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine, 2 tbsp. melted butter, 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, & 1 tsp light soy sauce. Cook on low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Keep an eye on it after the first hour so you don't overcook it. Serve with a salad & steamed vegys.

Monday

Roast Beef in a Crock Pot. Place your roast in the crock pot on top of foil balls. Mix together 1 envelope of each and pour over the roast: Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, & McCormicks brown gravy mix. Cook on low 8-10 hours (no water needed). Serve with steamed mixed vegetables.

Tuesday

Tex-Mex Chicken. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish sprayed with Pam. Season with Greek Seasoning. Top with a mix of diced bell pepper & diced onion. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Take it out of the oven and top with cheese (I buy the package of Mexican cheeses from Kraft). Place the chicken back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Back in the day I served this with Ranch Style Beans and Rice-a-Roni, but not anymore. If you can handle beans, you might serve it with Pinto beans. I will have a salad.

Wednesday

Bunless Bacon Cheeseburgers. Seriously I won't be be home. This is the menu for the boys. It's dance class night, so I will grab something low carb at an area restaurant, and pick up DD something on the way home.

Thursday

Low Carb Meatloaf. This meatloaf was a hit. It turned out so good, I'm going to have it again! I think I might try a version of cauliflower mashed potatoes (mock, of course). This time I will buy a bag of frozen cauliflower, allow it to defrost, cook it in the microwave, and mash it up before adding salt, pepper, butter, heavy cream, sour cream, cheese, & bacon bits. I'm going to go light on the cheese.

Friday

Italian Chicken Legs. I'm really making use of the crock pot this week. Place 8 chicken legs in a crock pot. Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp. brown Sugar Twin or Splenda, 1 - 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, & 1/2 cup of diced onion. Cook on low 7-8 hours. I'll serve this with Southern Green Beans and steamed yellow squash.

I'm searching for simple vegetable recipes. Please leave a recipe in the comments section. I desperately need some vegetable variety!

Dinner Menu for Sunday, January 17 to Friday, January 22

What's for dinner? Beef, chicken, pork, and fish!

Sunday

Steak night! Fire up the grill. Add green beans with slivered almonds for your side dish. If you haven't tried the cauliflower twice baked mocked potatoes you are missing out. It sounds weird, but tastes great. I will caution you - it takes about an hour to grate the cauliflower, but it is so worth it.

Monday

Pan fry salmon with HEB's Cajun butter. Yum! Excellent with steamed broccoli.

Tuesday

Put a rump roast in the crockpot with chunks of onion, carrot (a serving is 5 carbs), and celery. Season with two packages of McCormick's Beef Stew Seasoning and about 2 cups of water. Set to low. and cook for about 10 hours.

Wednesday

It's bacon cheeseburger night (without the bun). Serve with slices of cucumbers and tomatoes, or a salad.

Thursday

Chicken and Vegetables. This is my own recipe. I actually made it up from scratch. It's hubby's favorite.

Ingredients: chicken breasts, Greek seasoning, diced tomato, slices of zucchini, slices of yellow squash, cheese

Instructions: Set your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with Pam. Place chicken breasts in the pan (however many you want). Sprinkle with Greek seasoning. Top with plenty of diced tomatoes, zucchini, and squash. Liberally sprinkle on Greek seasoning between layers of vegetables. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and place back in oven for another five minutes.

Friday

I'm going to try a new recipe this week if I can find Hansen's Diet Black Cherry Soda. The recipe is for Cherry Glazed Pork Chops. I'll throw a bag of steamable vegys in the microwave (it is Friday night).

Dinner Menu for January 10 to January 15, 2010

I'm keeping this week's dinner menu as simple as possible with a couple of repeats from last week. The cheeseburger pie was a hit. It's easy and quick to make. I'm going to double the recipe and cook it in a larger baking pan. We take our dinner leftovers to lunch the next day.

Sunday
Low Carb Meatloaf, cheddar biscuits, green beans

Monday
Baked tilapia, green beans w/slivered almonds

Tuesday
Cheeseburger pie (doubling the recipe)

Wednesday
Roast in crockpot (I use two packages of McCormick's seasoning. Add large chunks of onions, carrots, & celery.)

Thursday
Italian chicken, steamed broccoli

Friday
Southwestern Chili Con Carne, cheddar biscuits

Dinner Menu for January 2 - 8, 2010

Saturday

Steak, Cauliflower Twice Baked Potato, Green Beans

Sunday

Apple Marinated Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese

Monday

Hamburger Patties w/Cheese, Tomato / Cucumber Salad (cherry tomatoes cut in half, diced cucumber, diced celery, 1 tbsp. olive oil mixed with Italian Seasoning)

Tuesday

Cheeseburger Pie, Steamed Vegetables

Wednesday

Chuck Roast (crockpot on low with 1 can of Rotel tomatoes), Steamed Vegetables

Thursday

Meatloaf, Green Beans, Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes

Friday

Chili Carne Con, Cheddar Biscuit

Low Carb Dinner Menu for December 6 - 11, 2009

It's dinner time! I'm going very low carb (VLC) in order to break a stall. Here is the menu:

Sunday - grilled pork chops, steamed sugar snap beans

Monday - talapia, salad

Tuesday - grilled chicken, green beans cooked with bacon

Wednesday - hamburger patties w/cheese and bacon, tomato slices and cucumbers

Thursday - steak, steamed broccoli

Friday - fajitas (Mission Carb Control Wheat tortillias are 4 carbs each. I found them at Kroger.), guacamole salad

Dinner Menu for November 15 - 20, 2009

Each week I take the time to plan out my dinner menu. This helps me to stay on budget and to think about my week in general. We eat leftovers for lunch.

Sunday - Bacon cheese burgers w/o the bun, grape tomato/cucumber/celery salad (combine a tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil w/a tbsp of Italian seasoning)

Monday - Crockpot BBQ Chicken Breast (KC Masterpiece Low Calorie BBQ sauce is also low in carbs. Add chunks of onion and cook on low.), Low Carb Cole Slaw (bag of coleslaw salad, Hidden Valley Coleslaw dressing, walnuts, 1 small chopped apple)

Tuesday - Fajitas (use low carb tortillias, meat, pice de gallo, and cheese), guacamole salad

Wednesday - Creamy Chicken in the Crockpot (1 pkg. cream of cheese, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, mushrooms if desired, salt and pepper), green beans, tomato wedges

Thursday - Parmesan Pork Tenderloin (mix a pkg. of fresh parmesan cheese w/cumin and black pepper to taste - press mixture on pork tenderloin before baking), grilled vegys

Friday - Cajun butter shrimp (HEB has a great cajun butter), steamed broccoli/carrot (just a few shreds)/bell pepper (dashed with parmesan cheese)