What's for dinner? A Place to Post?
 

I'm starting this thread so I can post what I'm having for dinner tonight, and I hope some of you will post your dinner menu. It'll help keep me focused on eating Atkins and will give me lots of ideas. I'm cooking for one, so it's not too much fun. Atkins seems to be a lot of prep and a lot of cooking unless you want grilled protein and a salad every night. Anyway, what's for dinner?


Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cooked in olive oil with red onion and garlic, then simmered in sour cream.

I'm eating the sauce over steamed cauliflower and having a salad with lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Bleu Cheese dressing. There you go!

I made a roast with potatoes and carrots (for the rest of the family). I will add a salad to my plate.

Last night I had a rotisserie chicken from walmart-(peeled off the skin). Yummy. Had leftovers for lunch. I found the red hot buffalo hot sauce and it has 0 carbs, but I still try not to overdue it.

We had smothered chicken. Boneless skinless baked chicken breast sprinkled with Montreal Chicken seasoning and topped with sauteed mushrooms, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Monterey Jack cheese over that and back in the oven to melt. Steamed broccoli on the side. Yummo!

Thanks for posting, ladies!
 

Roast for one?
 

I love my pressure cooker. I just add some seasonings, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, veggies and it is done in 1.5 hours. It is so tender it falls apart, no knife required.

I love rotisserie chicken! I eat the skin tho...YUM! Rotisserie chicken makes an awesome chicken salad too! I will get that if I am in a hurry and don't want to take the time to cook the chicken. I then just strip it and make a great chicken salad.

Last night I had a big ceasar salad topped with freshly shredded parm. cheese and grilled chicken thighs. YUM!

I'm with you, Torister...I LOVE dark meat chicken and turkey and LOVE to eat the skin. I love the fattier meats and on Atkins, it's NO problem. You don't HAVE to eat the dry 'ole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (although these are GREAT to use for making chicken salad...much easier to dice).

This is kinda gross...but I LOVE the turkey tail. I always run and grab it every Thanksgiving as soon as the bird is out of the oven.

Sandyfanny and the other ladies here...whenever roasts were on sale at the grocery store, I would buy a few. I would cook one at a time ( I season it, put it in a pan, cover and seal the pan with aluminum foil, and then put in a 350 degree oven. Then...I would slice the whole thing up and wrap the slices. I could either eat slices for snacks....with mayo...or dice them up and make roast beef salad.

I found that it was really helpful for me to have already prepared salads in the fridge....chicken salad, egg salad, roast beef salad, etc. Usually I would just toss a scoop onto a bowl of that pre-packaged lettuce/salad mix. But it was a great solution to that problem of coming home really hungry and not wanting to have to wait until something cooked (esp. if I'd forgotten to defrost something). Coming home really hungry/ravenous was a potential disaster in the making for me (just like the old saying that you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you are really hungry...or you'll buy out the whole store). Having actual meal-type food already prepared in the fridge was a huge life-saver for me.....for when snack food just wasn't gonna cut it and I needed some food ASAP.

deena :)

Alright! I confess! I eat the skin too. I love it. lol!

The best laid plans...
 

By the time I went to the dentist, shopped with a friend, and went to the grocery to buy the ingredients for the smothered chicken and got home, it was 6:45 and I was starving. Fortunately, I also brought a rotisserie chicken too.

So, dinner tonight:

Rotisserie chicken wings and a thigh, cauliflower from last night topped with homemade pimento cheese and heated in the microwave. Super-fast and delicious!

I'll try the smothered chicken tomorrow.

My favorite aunt used to cook for us in a pressure cooker all the time, and she made the best dinners in no time. I don't have one, but maybe I should invest.

It was a x-mas gift from my mother-in-law. She got it because we are always busy and she thought it would help w/dinner. She was right. It can also double as a crock pot. Well worth the money.

Next I think I will buy a whole chicken and make it in there.

Dinner tonight-
Chicken with cauliflower rice (salt and pepper and a little soy sauce) and a little bit of broccoli.

Left over butter chicken and steamed green beans. The butter chicken is marinated overnight in lime juice, cumin, coriander, pepper, salt, garlic, cayenne, cardamon. Then you saute a diced onion in butter, add the chicken, add a can of diced tomatoes (I get rid of the juice) add some tomato paste and then a pint of cream ...... garnish with cilantro. Makes a ton of sauce but I love just eating it with a spoon, no rice or potatoes or bread required as far as I am concerned.

Butter Chicken sounds amazing...
 

Deluxe Dinner!
 

Tonight I had a filet mignon grilled in burnt butter and a chef's salad - mixed greens with a thick tomato slice, a hard-boiled egg, shredded cheddar cheese. Bleu Cheese dressing.

My grocer does a great job of slashing the prices on very expensive cuts of meat as they near their "Sell by" date. I buy 'em and eat 'em up!

Tonight I'm making parmesan crusted chicken breasts with mashed cauliflower. I'll have this for lunch tomorrow too as I re-start my Atkins journey.

Parmesan-crusted chicken...yummy!
 

Thanks for posting, Simona; your menu sounds easy and satisfying. If you have time, would you reply with the recipe? Do you dip your chicken in anything before you coat it with cheese? Any oil or butter involved?

Good for you, re-starting Atkins. Me too...let's encourage each other along the way.

Parmesan crusted chicken breasts
 

Not Simona (Simona, please forgive the jump-in) but this is how I do my parmesan crusted chicken breasts: rinse and pat dry the chicken, preheat skillet with about 1/4" good olive oil, beat 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons heavy cream, about 1 cup grated parmesan in shallow dish, add more if needed (if you have shredded parmesan, whirl in food processor to grated consistency), dip chicken in egg mixture, press in cheese, turn and press other side, fry as you would regular fried chicken; when turning, use a spatula instead of tongs as they tend to stick and you loose the coating. I season the cheese with seasoned salt and pepper. I fry 3 large breasts, 2 with parmesan and 1 for hubby using a flour mixture.

Parmesan-crusted chicken breast...Yumm!
 

That's exactly how I make mine! And I will credit JerseyGirl - it was her idea when I asked a while ago about breading chicken without bread :D

I will say I bread chicken for the family using bread crumbs and when they see my chicken, they get jealous because mine looks and smells better :)

JerseyGyrl
 

Isn't JerseyGyrl wonderful!! She is so knowledgeable and so very generous to share that knowledge and her experience.:hug:

Friday night eating out...
 

Last night I ate with friends at Front Street Brewery. It's so hot, I didn't miss the alcohol and drank water and unsweetened tea with lots of lemon. I ordered Parmesan Chicken Wings and a Greek salad off the appetizer menu instead of an entree - the entrees didn't look like I could stay OP. I ordered Bleu cheese dressing to top my salad and dip my wings. It was delicious and looked better than my friends' wraps!

Then we went down the street to a German restaurant famous for its pastries and desserts. I ordered decaf coffee, lots of cream, and strawberry cream roll. We each ordered something different, so I had ONE bite of my friends' choices and ate 3 bites of my dessert and drank my coffee. Then I had the waitress split my cream roll into two boxes and sent it home with my friends. Not the ideal Atkins choice by far, but I'm proud that I didn't gobble it all up or sit around being miserable. (And my bites were small)

I came home and walked my dog in the still-miserable heat and humidity at 9 o'clock and felt fine about my evening!

A Simple Saturday Dinner...
 

Sunday night Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breasts
 

I'm going to try Jerseygirl's chicken recipe.

For veggies, I'll have some asparagus left from last night, a mixed salad with greens, cucumber, hard-boiled egg, tomato, red onion and cheddar. Bleu Cheese dressing.

Results: Parmesan-Crusted Chicken
 

This recipe ROCKS! I had a package of chicken breast tenderloins (big strips) and I followed your recipe exactly except I added ground garlic and black pepper to the cheese before I "breaded" the chicken. No salt needed - the parmesan cheese takes care of that.

And I used part olive oil and part sesame oil because I didn't have as much olive oil as I thought I did and didn't want to go to the store.

These fried beautifully - no problem with the crust staying on - golden brown, crunchy, deliciousness. I've been missing a "crunch" and this recipe delivers it for sure!

Thanks so much for a great recipe. I'm using leftover parmesan chicken to make a "Fried Chicken Salad" for lunch tomorrow. It's a favorite menu item in restaurants here.

Chicken fajitas on the grill w/out the tortillas....YUMMY!

Good job!
 

That sounds super yum! Thanks for posting.

"Fried Chicken" Salad and JerseyGyrl's Crispy Cheese Crackers
 

Tonight I'm using left-over parmesan-crusted chicken breast tenders to make the "Fried Chicken Salad" I love in restaurants. Spinach, lettuce, tomato, red onion, black olives, cucumber and chicken. I'm it eating with JerseyGyrl's Crispy Cheese Crackers ...at least I hope I am. I haven't made them yet, but that's my next move.

Enjoy your dinner!

Yay! JerseyGyrl...I love the cheese crackers!
 

:Thttp://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/cheezits.html

These are amazing...easy and delicious! My microwave time was only 60 seconds, though, instead of 65. I'll make these OFTEN. Now I have yummy crackers to go with my salad.

Quick, easy dinner for me!
 

I've been cleaning house all day and don't feel like cooking...not unusal for me. I hate cooking for one! But here's my dinner:

Vidalia onion and red bell pepper sauteed in butter until the onion is carmelized...yummy!

Wafer-thin beef rib roast slices quickly sauteed in the same pan. I topped my beef slices with the onions and sweet peppers. Delicious. One pan.

I may eat a salad later, but I don't feel like making one. Lazy me...

I forgot to take some food out of the freezer for dinner tonight. But Im not going to let that derail me again. I'll defrost something when I get home and maybe BBQ it. I havent had grilled meat in a while. I miss it :) We went a long stretch of having BBQ daily and we all got sick of it.

Side note: last night I was cooking my eggs for my breakfast and snacks and I tend to boil more than I need because I know my brother and his daughter will eat them. And true to form...the minute they were ready, my brother's hands were in the pot! His wife said "um..those are for your sister's lunch tomorrow". I said it was fine and that I made more than what I need. Im now having to buy 2pkgs of 18 eggs a week because now everyone's eating them!

I find it funny that they dont like the idea of low carb but they'll always eat my low carb meals.

Way to work the plan!
 

Dental Surgery Dinner...
 

Yesterday afternoon I had minor dental surgery, but I can't chew anything, and I have a few stitches. Lunch today was an Atkin's all-phases friendly shake (coffee mocha - yummy!).

Dinner tonight:

Cauliflower soup...I love it. Even though it's been a hot day - so hot it's storming now - I want something substantial for dinner. Cauliflower and cheese soup is what I'm craving.:dizzy:

Would you mind posting your cauliflower and cheese soup recipe?? I love soup but finding one that doesn't thicken with cornstarch or flour is difficult.

For dinner tonight I made my moms meatloaf. I substituted the bread crumbs with Parmesan. She used to roll up hard cooked eggs in the loaf and I did that. It was so yummy! I hadn't eaten it since before she died 4 years ago. It was nice to whip it up again. I baked mine but she would fry it and then let it simmer in her tomato sauce for an hour or two. It reminds me of a giant Scotch Egg :)

Cauliflower Soup for Shells
 

Cauliflower Soup

1/2 head of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
2 T. olive oil
2 cups of chicken broth (I use reduced sodium)
1/2 - 1 c. heavy cream
grated sharp cheese (as much as you like - I use about 1/2 c.)
chopped onion (I use maybe 1/2 cup)

In a large saucepan, sautee the onion in olive oil 'til it's soft over med - low heat. *Add the cauliflower and sautee it with the onions 'til the cauliflower shows a little golden color (about 7 min.) Add the chicken broth, cover saucepan and simmer until the cauliflower is soft. Let the mixture cool off the heat and put it in a blender and puree. You may need to do this in two batches. Return the pureed mixture to the saucepan and add cream, reheating over med.- low heat. Stir in the cheese and ground black or white pepper and serve. Don't add salt until you taste it; the cheese may be enough salt. This makes 4 - 6 servings. You can refrigerate leftover soup and reheat for another meal.

*If you're in a hurry, microwave the cauliflower until it's soft. Then add it to the onion, add chicken broth and simmer about 15 min. But I think it's better to sautee it a little with the olive oil.

I also made the crispy cheese crackers to eat with my soup. Just what I needed to make me feel better.

Meatloaf Recipe
 

Simona, when you have a minute, could you post your meatloaf recipe? My hubby loves meatloaf, so this is something we both could have.:carrot:
Thanks
:dust:

Meatloaf:

2lbs ground beef
1lb ground pork or sausage
2 eggs
1c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 onion finely minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers finely minced [as much heat as you like]
1-2 cloves minced garlic [add as much or as little as you like]
salt/pepper to taste
4 hard cooked eggs

Mix all ingredients except hard cooked eggs.

On a piece of foil paper, lay the ground meat mixture and form into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut the hard cooked eggs in half lengthwise.

Place 2 eggs [4 halfs] in a row across the meat leaving at least 1" from the top.

Using the foil, roll the meat away from you once to cover the eggs. Where the rolled edge meets the meat [away from you] place the 2nd row of egg halfs.

Using the foil again, roll to close and seal the ends by pinching the meat together.

Cooking options:

Oven for 1hr. at 350F topped with low carb ketchup or BBQ sauce.

Fry in a shallow pan until browned on each side and then simmer in tomato sauce for 1-2 hours.

**Frying can be tricky. It can easily fall apart. I bake mine and then add it to the sauce for a quick 30 minute simmer.

Thank you for the recipe
 

:)

This sounds delicious. I have some ground beef in the frig I can use to make this. I'm leaving out the eggs, though. I'm not a scotch egg person. And the sausage 'cause I don't have any, and I don't want to go to the store. Bet it'll still be good, though.

Annoyed because I'm missing another ingredient!
 

Rats! I was all set to make the meatloaf (minus eggs and sausage), but now I realize I used all of my parmesan cheese to make the yummy parmesan-crusted chicken the other night.

And I still have stitches in my mouth and feel as if I've been punched in the face, so limited chewing...

All of this is making me cranky. I guess I'll have some of my cauliflower soup from last night - delicious, but not nearly enough protein for dinner tonight. Maybe I can chew enough to manage a burger patty if I don't overcook it?

Sugar-free jello and whipped cream for dessert, for sure!

What's for dessert?
 

Chicken fajitas were so good the first time around I made them again.

Now what's for dessert?

Coffee with sugar free syrup,cream and CHEESECAKE! without the crust of course.