Atkins Recipe and a Contest

Hey everyone! Just a quick post to tell you about my latest on Examiner. I gave a quick review of the new Atkins penne pasta and a yummy recipe. Just keep in mind that the penne is really suited to someone on maintenance. But it does taste great and if you are wanting the occasional pasta treat, this will work nicely.

Atkins Chicken over Penne

I also wanted to let you know that Atkins is having a great contest right now. If you like coming up with recipes then this contest is for you. Looks like lots of great prizes.

Atkins Recipe Contest

Hope you win! :)

Sharing another pasta recipe

Hey gang. It's still a little crazy here, but getting better. Either that or my mind is so far gone I no longer notice the lunacy of my household. :)

Sharing a recipe today from Dreamfields pasta. If you aren't a fan of Dreamfields, then go check it out anyway and use the sauce recipe. ;)

Classic Tomato Sauce with Linguine

My Easy Low-Carb Meat Sauce

Easy Low-Carb Meat Sauce

(My homemade sauce with Dreamfields pasta.)

Reprint from Examiner

Pasta is a staple in many American households. It’s inexpensive and tasty. For those who have to carefully watch their carb intake, pasta is also a nightmare of epic proportions. Freddy Krueger has nothing on a big bowl of linguine drowning in tomato sauce. Thankfully there are ways to enjoy sauces and pasta-like meals without needing therapy for those sleepless nights.
Today I’m sharing with you my personal recipe for low-carb meat sauce, which will work wonderfully with whatever type of pasta substitute you prefer. It’s thick, hearty, and simple to make. Keep in mind that this kind of meal is generally best saved for later phases of weight loss or maintenance, but could be enjoyed occasionally, without guilt, in most circumstances.

Easy LC Meat Sauce

* 1 cup onions, chopped
* 1 ½ lbs ground beef
* ½ cup tomato paste
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* 2 cups tomato sauce
* 1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/8th teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 3 tablespoons real butter


In a large non-stick skillet brown hamburger and onions until hamburger is no longer pink. Drain grease.

Add the rest of ingredients and mix well. Cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble.

Cover skillet and turn down heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve over your favorite pasta substitute.

Severs 8.


Per Serving:

347 Calories

27g Fat

16g Protein

10g Carbohydrate

2g Dietary Fiber

Feel free to spruce it up with some of your favorite veggies as well. You can add in zucchini, squash, mushrooms or any other low-carb favorite that floats your boat. Add enough veggies and you won’t even need the pasta substitute! Just be sure to add in the proper nutritional counts when tweaking to your liking.

With options like these you can pull up to the table without fear. I don’t recommend inviting Freddy to dine with you though. I hear he’s a messy eater.

Chicken Puttanesca with Spaghetti

I know the subject of pasta is a touchy one in the low-carb realm. Some people are able to consume regular pasta on occasion, others can't even look at the stuff without an insulin spike. (I fall in that last category.) For those that really miss this Italian favorite, and just can't get into the veggie substitutes, there is Dreamfields.

I've heard various people report that Dreamfields products caused them to gain weight, or they checked their blood sugar afterward and noticed it rose significantly. Then there are those who found eating Dreamfields had no effect on them at all. This is one of those your-millage-may-vary things, as is the case with most "diet" foods.

If you are looking for something different than your usual fare, here is a delicious looking dish called Chicken Puttanesca with Spaghetti. While the carb count suggests you save this kind of meal for maintenance, you could also enjoy this as an occasional indulgence during weight loss phases, providing you keep in mind that you may or may not see results on the scale for a few days afterward. I occasionally like to change things up and I have always loved pasta, so this is a great fit for me.

CHICKEN PUTTANESCA WITH SPAGHETTI
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

1 box uncooked Dreamfields Spaghetti
1/3 cup olive oil
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
7 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained (reserve liquid)
15 Kalamata or black olives, pitted and finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan.

2. Meanwhile, heat half of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add half of chicken pieces. Cook about 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. Remove chicken from skillet. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken. Remove chicken from skillet.

3. Add garlic to skillet. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until golden, watching carefully so garlic does not burn. Once garlic begins to turn golden, add tomatoes. Cook 2 minutes; stir in olives, anchovies, capers, tomato puree and red pepper flakes. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.Return chicken to skillet; heat through. Add spaghetti, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper as desired. If sauce is too thick, add all or part of the reserved tomato liquid until sauce is desired consistency.
Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information (1/6 of recipe): 530 calories; 30 g protein;
15 g digestible carbohydrates*; 23 g total fat; 4 g saturated fat; 74 mg cholesterol;
475 mg sodium; 8 g total dietary fiber.

*If traditional pasta is used in this recipe there is a total of 55 g carbohydrate. For more information go to www.dreamfieldsfoods.com.

Recipe courtesy of Dreamfields® Pasta.