Beef, slowly cooked with onions, carrots and cabbage

Slow Cooked Beef Casserole

For a lovely heart warming meal you just can't beat a nice slow cooked beef casserole. This one has onion and carrot added with some salt, pepper, mixed herbs and beef stock. Simply served with white cabbage. A truly tasty low carb meal. For dessert why not have some blueberries and thick double cream? Now that's what I call a satisfying low carb meal, and not a potato in sight!

Ingredients: Serves two

250/300 grams braising steak cut into small cubed pieces

 1 large red onion chopped

  1 large sliced carrot

1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs

salt and pepper to taste

Just under 1 pint of gravy stock

Easy Method

Clean, cut and place all ingredients in a casserole dish or earthenware oven proof pot with lid. Pour over the stock and cook at 180c in an electric oven, or Mark 4 Gas Oven for 90 to 120 minutes. Obviously ovens do differ so check food is cooked thoroughly before serving.

Once you've enjoyed your casserole just serve up the blueberries and cream.

Green Spanish manzanilla olives, French brie and Italian sun dried tomatoes in olive oil.

This little combination makes for a fantastic low carb snack or starter. It goes very well with an ice cold dry white wine. 

Chicken Fillets with Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms and Green Vegetables

       
                    

I have enjoyed many low carb meals over the past five years. Quite honestly if it wasn't for my husband Eddie being diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic I probably wouldn't have heard about the low carb high fat lifestyle. Now five years on we, and many others, are doing great. Eddie's blood sugar numbers are consistently low. Both he and I are enjoying good health. In the early days when we first started low carbing the dire words of a 'certain' dietitian could well have caused worry. It was felt we were missing out on certain food and nutrient areas. Well I can report .... we are still here, very fit and well for our 60+ years (Sshh I didn't tell you how old we are!) and still following our low carb high fat lifestyle. Quite honestly I would not eat any differently, I feel so much better for this 'lifestyle'.

How I prepared and cooked tonight's chicken meal for two, obviously change amounts to suit your requirements.

Ingredients

350g chicken fillet roughly cut into cubes

little olive oil for use in frying pan

salt, pepper and mixed herbs to taste

4 chestnut mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese

selection of green vegetables - broccoli, green beans, peas

chicken stock

Method

1) Gently clean and prepare mushrooms. 'Stuff' with a little cream cheese - place on a baking tray, I either slightly oil it or place some foil on the bottom so the mushrooms don't stick, cook in a moderate oven 190C for about 15 minutes.

2) Wash and prepare chicken fillets. Roughly cut into cubes fry gently in a pan with a little olive oil added. Add salt, pepper, mixed herbs to season as appropriate. Usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes for chicken to cook but check before serving. It should not be pink!

3) Either steam cook, or microwave, your choice of vegetables. I used a mix of broccoli, cut green beans and a handful of peas.

4) Prepare and make your chicken stock.

5) When all ingredients are cooked and ready, simply serve and enjoy, this wonderful low carb meal.

Optional - a nice glass of your favourite Chardonnay, Chablis or Pinot Grigio.

Although if you want to spend a little more money I can recommend a lovely New Zealand 'Oyster Bay' Sauvignon Blanc.

Cheers and Bon Appetit !