My husband recently embarked on a Keto Diet which means I either have to make him something keto friendly or find keto friendly recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Keto friendly meals aren’t really that hard to come up with, basically you just have to limit or replace the carbs. So that means pastas are out unless you use edemame spaghetti or other flourless pasta substitutes. But any way one of our favorites turned out to be this Chicken & Asparagus dish that my husband can eat with a small salad and the rest of the family can eat with pasta or even rice.
My grandkids and even my husband were not big asparagus fans, but after tasting this Chicken & Asparagus dish they decided it was pretty good. One of the best things about this Chicken & Asparagus dish is that it’s super easy to make, it’s really just a stir fry and can be ready in about a half and hour!
Chicken & Asparagus – A Keto Friendly Dish!
2 Servings
Ingredients
4 Pieces Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs cut into chunks
7-8 Stalks Asparagus cut into thirds
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Minced Garlic
1 Tsp. Lemon Pepper
1 Tsp. Rosemary
1/2 Tsp. Thyme
1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 Tsp. Parsley
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
Directions
Combine dry seasonings in a small bowl (not the garlic)
Heat Olive Oil in a wok or deep frying pan
Saute Garlic until it starts to turn brown
Add chicken and seasoning mixture
Cook until chicken is done
Remove chicken from pan and set aside
Add asparagus to pan and cover with chicken stock
Cook until asparagus is tender
Return chicken to pan and toss with asparagus
Turn heat up and cook until liquid is mostly gone – keep stirring so it won’t burn
I babysit my twin grandbabies 3-4 days a week, and they are adorable handfuls! They keep me so busy that it’s hard to find the time to make dinner, that’s about when they get a wee bit fussy. Many days my husband and son pick-up dinner on their way home, but there’s really nothing like a home cooked meal.
To keep us fed and the twins happy I’ve turned to my crock pot. It makes my life so much easier, it’s a great way to multi-task. I toss ingredients in it in the morning before the twins arrive and have dinner ready in the evening. My crock pot is even big enough to cook food for my son and his wife, so I pack some up to go. I just have to keep reminding them to bring back the containers if they want more home cooked meals!
Beef Stew is one of the best things to cook in a crock pot. The slow cooking process makes the meat tender and tasty so you don’t have to use the more expensive cuts of meat. I’ve made stews on the stove, most of the recipes I’ve come across involves dredging the meat in flour, just an extra messy step in my opinion. My crock pot stew doesn’t involve dredging, I just toss all the ingredients in the pot and my stew comes out just as good, if not better.
Beef stew is just one of those comfort foods that I need every so often, specially when it’s chilly outside. I know that sounds weird if you know I live in Hawaii, but has been getting quite chilly at my house, at least for me. I wear a sweater when the temperature drops to 60!
My family, like most folks in the islands, eat stew with steamed white rice. You can serve this stew with rice, or any other starch you prefer. Hope your family loves it the way my family does! Enjoy!
The Best Crock Pot Beef Stew
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
3 1/2 lbs. chuck roast
1 lb. bag baby carrots
3 large celery stalks
6 small or medium sized potatoes ( I prefer Yukon Gold or the Red Skinned ones)
1 large onion
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbls. rosemary (dried or fresh)
1 tbls. oregano (dried or fresh)
3 tbls. cornstarch
sea salt to taste
Directions:
1. Cut roast into 1″ chunks trimming off fat.
2. Wash celery stalks and slice into 2″ sections.
3. Scrub potatoes well and cut in half, then cut halves into 4 chunks each.
4. Toss everything, including baby carrots, into the crock pot.
5. Sprinkle with spices.
6. Pour vegetable broth and 1 cup beef broth over all.
7. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup beef broth and pour over all.
8. Stir everything together making sure the cornstarch mixture is well distributed.
9. Cover pot and set on slow cook for 8-10 hours.
Serve when ready. Store leftovers in airtight container in the refrigerator. Believe me you’ll want to make extra just for leftovers, it tastes even better the next day!
Scrub potatoes well and cut in half, then cut halves into 4 chunks each.
Toss everything, including baby carrots, into the crock pot.
Sprinkle with spices.
Pour vegetable broth and 1 cup beef broth over all.
Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup beef broth and pour over all.
Stir everything together making sure the cornstarch mixture is well distributed.
Cover pot and set on slow cook for 8-10 hours.
Serve when ready.
Recipe Notes
Store leftovers in airtight container in the refrigerator. Believe me you'll want to make extra just for leftovers, it tastes even better the next day!
If you’ve a yen for some comfort food nothing is more comforting than this Italian Herb Pot Roast. It’s delicious, filling, and oh so easy to make!
I make this Italian Herb Pot Roast in the crockpot. All you have to do is toss in all the ingredients, including the veggies, set the pot to slow cook, and when you come home your dinner’s ready!
What makes my Italian Herb Pot Roast different from all the other pot roast recipes out there? I add lots of garlic and a bit of Balsamic Vinegar to give it extra flavor. And since you’re throwing everything in the pot it’s really a complete meal. Best of all I use chuck roast, one of the least expensive cuts of meat. This meal isn’t only easy to make, it’s easy on the budget too!
Italian Herb Pot Roast is the perfect comfort food for rainy or snowy days. Served with a loaf of fresh crusty bread or even garlic knots it’s simply a delicious meal the whole family will enjoy!
So the next snowy or rainy day, or just because you feel the need for some good old fashioned comfort food haul out your crockpot and make some Italian Herb Pot Roast. Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
2-3 Lbs. Chuck Roast
4 Large Potatoes scrubbed clean and cut in quarters
2 Cups Baby Carrots
1 Large Onion cut into large chunks
6 Cloves Garlic finely minced
1 Tbls. Italian Seasoning
1 Tsp. Oregano
1 Tsp. Rosemary
1/2 Tsp. Thyme
2 Cups Beef Broth
1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
Toss all the ingredients into a crock pot.
Stir gently making sure to get some of the liquid on top of the roast.
Lamb is a type of red meat from young sheep (under a year old). Depending on the cut lamb can have more calories than beef or pork, but this can be offset if you trim off the fat. Lamb has less marbling so once the fat is trimmed it is much leaner form of protein. Not only is it a rich source of high-quality protein, it is also a freat source of many vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.This. This makes lamb a very healthy choice.
Lamb is a popular choice in many Middle Eastern and European countries. One of the most popular way to prepare is are these grilled Lamb Kabobs.
I’ve heard many people say that lamb has a strong gamey taste. I agree! But first of all you need to make sure you’re actually cooking lamb, not mutton. Lamb is the meat of sheep that are less than a year old. Adult sheep meat is called mutton. Mutton has a much stronger taste and smell.
But even lamb can have a mild gamey taste and smell. Whenever I prepare it at home I always marinate it first in lemon juice, it cuts the gamey taste and smell. Then I marinate the lamb in seasonings before grilling. This makes the Lamb Kabobs tasty and tender. My family loves them! Served with rice pilaf or roasted potatoes they make a delicious meal for our Sunday barbecues.
Here’s my recipe!
Ingredients:
Makes 8 Kabobs
2 – 3 Lbs. Boneless Leg of Lamb
1 Lemon
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Minced Garlic
1 Tsp. Rosemary
Pinch of Salt & Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 Onion
1 Pkg. Mushrooms
Directions:
Wash lamb, trim fat, cut into 1″ cubes
Place cubes in large ziplock bag and squeeze lemon juice over all.
Shake bag to cover the meat.
Refrigerate about 1 hour.
After 1 hour remove lamb cubes from lemon juice and rinse.
Place in a clean ziplock bag and add olive oil and spices.
Shake to cover meat.
Marinate in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Cut green pepper and onion into 1″ pieces.
Skewer meat, peppers, mushrooms, and onion on metal or bamboo skewers. Alternate meat and veggies.
Grill to desired doneness or about 5 -7 minutes. Do not over cook. Meat should be pinkish in the middle.
I used to make homemade Pasta Sauce with fresh tomatoes and seasonings. Those days are long gone. With everything going on I just can’t seem to find the time so like many busy folks I started to use store bought sauce in a jar. There are many brands and flavors out there, many of them are just fine I guess, but they just aren’t the same as homemade. Well you don’t have to settle for generic pasta sauce. With just a bit of dressing up you can make jar pasta sauce taste like homemade. Yes even the less expensive store brands! All it takes are a few extra ingredients stirred into the sauce as you heat it. No chopping involved, promise!
I make this sauce to use for spaghetti, ziti, and other pasta dishes. You can even use it for pizza, and it’s great for dipping my Stromboli in!
You can make sauce ahead for later use. I usually pour it into mason jars and store in the fridge for about a week or so. For longer storage you can seal it or freeze it in the jars, that way you’ll always have pasta sauce handy!
I like to use fresh herbs from my garden. I always keep small pots of herbs in the kitchen. It’s a very inexpensive way to add fresh herbs when you need them. Just pinch off what you need when you need it. But if you don’t have fresh herbs no worries, just use the spices in you spice rack!
Here’s what you need to dress up your store bought jar of pasta sauce.
Ingredients:
1 Jar or Can of Pasta Sauce – Original or Garlic & Onion work best
1 Can Diced Stewed Tomatoes – Italian Style – half drained
1 Tbls. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Oregano (fresh or dried)
1/2 Tsp. Rosemary (fresh or dried)
1/2 Tsp. or 3-4 leaves Basil (fresh or dried)
Directions:
Place jar pasta sauce in a pot.
Add stewed tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. If you’re using fresh herbs rinse them in water, pat dry with a paper towel, and tear into small pieces before adding to sauce.
Stir to mix well.
Simmer about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to keep from scorching.
Serve over hot pasta or place in jars for later use.
Store sauce in the fridge for about a week or freeze.
Almost Homemade Pasta Sauce
Print Recipe
Dress up store bought jar pasta with a few easy ingredients. It will taste like homemade!
Add stewed tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. If you're using fresh herbs rinse them in water, pat dry with a paper towel, and tear into small pieces before adding to sauce.
Stir to mix well.
Simmer about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to keep from scorching.
Serve over hot pasta or place in jars for later use.
Store sauce in the fridge for about a week or freeze.