Washday Red Beans

I attended grad school, very briefly, in Louisiana. On my first visit, the head of the department took me out to lunch. Not being a big seafood fan, I chose red beans and rice. I was told I'd chosen a classic Louisiana dish that was traditionally served on Mondays, washdays. I found polish sausage on sale last week and was really craving red beans and rice. This dish isn't quite authentic, but it comes close enough to make my taste buds happy.

1½ lbs yellow squash
1 t salt, divided
½ c chopped onion (2 oz)
¾ c chopped green bell pepper (4 oz)
1 c chopped celery (4 oz)
1 T oil
14 oz polish sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced
½ c canned red beans, undrained (4½ oz)
½ t thyme
½ t black pepper
½ t cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 T butter

1. Using a julienne peeler or a sharp knife, make long, thin noodles from squash skin and flesh. Cut noodles into ½-in pieces.
2. Sprinkle squash with ½ t salt, stir to combine, and set aside.
3. Sauté onion, pepper, and celery in oil over medium high heat until softened.
4. Add sausage and cook until browned.
5. Pour in beans, thyme, peppers, bay leaf, and remaining salt. Add enough water to cover contents. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and let simmer uncovered 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Add more water as needed).
7. Drain squash well. Sauté in butter over medium high heat until tender (6-8 min).
8. Serve sausage and beans atop squash.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size ¼ recipe Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 467 Total Fat 37.9 g   Saturated Fat 14.5 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 4.5 g   Monounsaturated Fat 16.5 g Cholesterol 85 mg Sodium 1630 mg Potassium 720 mg Total Carbohydrates 15.2 g   Dietary Fiber 5.1 g   Sugars 2.6 g Protein 17.1 g

Chicken Pesto Lasagna

I was looking to make a baked noodle dish with something other than a traditional tomato-based sauce. Pesto seemed like a good bet and chicken breasts were on sale this week. I mixed it all up, added a dash of low-carb garlic bechamel, and made a very rich and delicious lasagna. Adam even commented that maybe it was just a little too rich. I, of course, scoffed at the very idea and helped myself to a second serving.

3 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ c heavy cream
Pinch nutmeg
1 recipe Almond Noodles
1 recipe Spinach Walnut Pesto
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and thinly sliced
½ c grated Romano cheese (1 oz)

1. Melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 min.
2. Stir in cream and nutmeg. Simmer until thick, about 6-8 min, stirring frequently.
3. Layer noodles, pesto, chicken, and cream sauce in a 9x9 pan. Top with grated Romano.
4. Cover and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20-25 min or until edges have browned.
5. Let stand a few minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 slice Serving per Recipe 9

Amount per Serving Calories 351 Total Fat 33.3 g   Saturated Fat 10.0 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 5.2 g   Monounsaturated Fat 16.0 g Cholesterol 101 mg Sodium 313 mg Potassium 254 mg Total Carbohydrates 4.9 g   Dietary Fiber 2.3 g   Sugars 1.0 g Protein 10.1 g

Pork Lo Mein

I've been craving Chinese food lately. Unfortunately, the few dishes I've tried serving over riced cauliflower haven't been particularly appealing to my family. Then it struck me: we've really been enjoying julienned squash noodles, so why not try an Asian-inspired noodle dish? I was able to find a great sale on pork loin last week, but it required buying a full 8-lb cut. This dish seemed like the perfect way to use some of that "extra" pork. The added bonus? Everybody loved it.

2 lbs yellow squash
1 t salt
1 lb boneless pork loin,* cut into ¼- to ½-in cubes
2 T peanut oil
¾ c chopped broccoli (4 oz)
½ c julienned carrots (2½ oz)
⅔ c chopped cauliflower (3 oz)
2 T diced red bell pepper (½ oz)
½ c halved snap pea pods (2 oz)
1 mushroom, sliced (¾ oz)
2 T butter
1 T grated fresh ginger (8 g)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ c chicken broth
2 T soy sauce

1. Using julienne peeler, make long, thin noodles from squash skin and flesh. Dice 4 oz of remaining seed core and add to other vegetables.
2. Salt noodles and set in a colander for 20-30 min.
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Stir fry pork 7-9 min or until cooked through.
4. Drain squash noodles well. Sauté in butter over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 min or until noodles reach desired tenderness.
5. Add vegetables, ginger, and garlic to pork. Stir fry for another 3-5 minutes or until just tender.
6. Add broth, and soy sauce. Simmer until vegetables reach desired tenderness.
7. Serve pork and vegetables over noodles.

*You can substitute leftover pork. Add ¾ lb cooked pork, diced or shredded, to the vegetables with the broth.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size ¼ recipe Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 325 Total Fat 18.5 g   Saturated Fat 7.5 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 3.0 g   Monounsaturated Fat 7.4 g Cholesterol 77 mg Sodium 1261 mg Potassium 1024 mg Total Carbohydrates 13.6 g   Dietary Fiber 4.7 g   Sugars 4.6 g Protein 27.3 g

Mock-aroni and Cheese

Changing my eating habits to exclude high-carb foods and most grains left me without one of my all-time favorite foods. I needed to create an acceptable substitute pronto. This dish is so yummy that both my kids (ages 6 and 1½) preferred the squash version over traditional wheat macaroni I'd made for them.

3 lbs yellow squash
1½ t salt
⅓ c butter, divided
½ c cream
1 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided (4 oz)
¼ lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 scallions, sliced into rings

1. Using a julienne peeler or a sharp knife, make long, thin noodles from squash skin and flesh. Cut noodles into ½” to 1” pieces.
2. Salt and set in a colander for 20-30 min. Drain well.
3. Melt 3 T butter in small saucepan over medium heat.
4. Sauté noodles in remaining butter over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 min or until noodles reach desired tenderness.
5. Add cream to melted butter and simmer until sauce begins to thicken (about 5 min), stirring frequently.
6. Add half the cheese to the cream sauce. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
7. Mix together noodles and cheese sauce. Top servings with remaining cheese, bacon crumbles, and scallion rings.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size ¼ recipe Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 435 Total Fat 39.6 g   Saturated Fat 23.9 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8 g   Monounsaturated Fat 11.7 g Cholesterol 118 mg Sodium 868 mg Potassium 685 mg Total Carbohydrates 10.6 g   Dietary Fiber 3.3 g   Sugars 4.0 g Protein 11.8 g

Baked Almond Noodles

I was planning to make lasagna with slices of eggplant instead of the noodles. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to add eggplant and mozzarella to the grocery list. I found a low-carb lasagna recipe that substituted almond flour crepes for the noodles. I tinkered a bit to make a thicker noodle, then added them to my own lasagna recipe, minus the mozzarella.

1 lb ground beef
½ c minced onion (2 oz)
½ c shredded carrot (2 oz)
½ c diced celery (2 oz)
3 c diced tomatoes (28 oz)
1 t oregano
½ t thyme
3 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ c heavy cream
1½ c grated Romano cheese, divided (3 oz)
Pinch nutmeg
1 recipe almond noodles (below)

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté together beef, onion, carrot, and celery until beef is browned and onions are soft and translucent. Drain well. Add tomatoes and herbs. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until thick, stirring occasionally.
2. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, cooking until fragrant (about 1 min). Add cream and simmer until sauce begins to thicken (4-6 min), stirring frequently. Add 1 c cheese and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Stir until smooth.
3. In a buttered 9x9 pan, make layers of cream sauce, noodles, and meat sauce. Top with remaining Romano. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 min or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
4. Let stand a few min before serving.

Almond Noodles
⅓ c almond butter (3 oz)
1 T coconut flour (8 g)
3 eggs
½ c yogurt
¼ c water
¼ t salt

1. Blend all ingredients together until well combined.
2. Pour by ½ c measure onto square griddle brushed with oil and spread to cover.
3. Cook over medium-low heat until set and slides easily from pan.
4. Set on a wire rack to cool.
5. Cut into wide noodles.

Nutrition Facts (whole recipe)	Nutrition Facts (noodles only)
Serving Size 1 slice Serving per Recipe 8	Serving Size 12 noodles (9" x 3") Serving per Recipe 1
Amount per Serving Calories 418 Total Fat 33.7 g   Saturated Fat 14.0 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8 g   Monounsaturated Fat 13.8 g Cholesterol 153 mg Sodium 344 mg Potassium 565 mg Total Carbohydrates 11.2 g   Dietary Fiber 3.5 g   Sugars 1.2 g Protein 19.6 g	Amount per Serving Calories 856 Total Fat 67.6 g   Saturated Fat 13.0 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 13.8 g   Monounsaturated Fat 34.6 g Cholesterol 555 mg Sodium 1133 mg Potassium 1060 mg Total Carbohydrates 23.3 g   Dietary Fiber 14.8 g   Sugars 6.2 g Protein 42.9 g