My latest cooking adventure was Low Carb Chicken Parmesan Meatballs.  Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorite dishes to eat and after making my Buffalo Chicken Burger.  I wanted to create more recipes using ground chicken.  I decided to combine my favorite Chicken Parmesan flavors into meatball form.

Mix everything together, but the chicken.  Add the chicken and mix until incorporated. Form the mixture into balls and place in a glass baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through (Broil the meatballs for the last 5 minutes to brown).  Top with the additional marinara sauce and pamesan cheese.  Broil until the cheese has melted.

Serve with asparagus or zucchini noodles.

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Tonight’s cooking adventure was Country Fried Steak with Cream Gravy.  I used the following ingredients for this recipe:

1 lb cubed steak
1.5 cups pork rind crumbs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp mustard powder (dried mustard)
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg

1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Mix the pork rind crumbs and all of the spices to create the breading mixture.  Combine the 1/4 cup heavy cream and the egg for the wash.  Next, if necessary, pound out the cubed steak until they are 1/4″ thick.  Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. While the oil is heating, place the cubed steak into the pork rind mixture to cover.  Next, place the steak into the egg wash and coat.  Place the steak back into the pork rind mixture and coat completely pressing the steak into the mixture.  Place the cubed steak into the skillet and sear 3-5 minutes on each side.  Once seared and if needed, place the steak into an oven proof dish and cook 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. 

While the steak is in the oven, make the cream gravy by pouring the beef broth into the skillet and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck on food leftover from searing.  Add the 1/2 cup of heavy cream and stir to combined.  Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the mixture and whisk to combined.  Allow the mixture to bubble and then reduce to a simmer until the gravy has thickened. 

Net Carb Count*:
6 net carbs (for the entire Country Fried Steak recipe)
3 net carbs (for the entire Cream Gravy recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments:  I loved the way the Country Fried Steak turned out!  It was so delicious.  I served my steak with a side of green beans.  I was looking for a good replacement for this classic southern dish and this is the perfect recipe!  Double “breading” the steak gives it a really crunchy crust.  The steak really uses a lot of the breading mixture since it is double breaded.  I used every last crumb of the pork rind mixture to coat my cubed steak so keep that in mind.  My cubed steak was pretty thick, which is why I cooked it through in the oven.  If you pound your steak out thin then the steak will probably be cooked though in the pan and will not need to go in the oven.  The gravy added great flavor to the Country Fried Steak and was nice and thick from the xanthan gum.  If don’t have any xanthan gum then just allow the gravy to reduce down to thicken.  Now I just have to work on a low carb fried okra recipe and my fiance will really keep me around!

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Tonight’s cooking adventure was Dijon Chicken Tender.  I used the following ingredients for this recipe:

1 lb chicken tenders
1/2 pork rind crumbs
1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning (Salt Free)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp of Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Mix the pork rings, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, thyme, and garlic powder for the breading.  Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Coat the chicken tenders with the Dijon mustard and press the chicken into the breading mixture.  Sear the chicken tenders for 3 minutes on each side.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and place the seared chicken tenders in the dish. Bake for 10-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Net Carb Count*:
4 net carbs (for the entire recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: I normally prepare breaded chicken by using an egg wash and then placing the chicken in the breading mixture.  The Dijon mustard was a great alternative!  The mustard kept the chicken moist and also added a lot of flavor to the chicken.  I like to cook my chicken through in the oven so the breading doesn’t burn, but the chicken can be cooked through on the skillet. 

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