A lot of low carbers find that it's easiest to stay on plan when they cook their own food and control everything that goes into it. That means that for many people, learning to cook is essential to their weight loss success. I was inspired by simons2cents and his eagerness to teach himself to cook and decided to start a thread for posting some very simple recipes that any beginner cook can make. Keep in mind that the new cook's kitchen may not have fancy gadgets and appliances so lets try and stick with recipes that only require basic pots and pans and utensils.

I almost forgot to add that you should also post your recipes in the appropriate recipe category above or you could post your recipe there and just link to it in this thread.

BASIC CHILI
2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, chopped, 2 1/2 ounces
1 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 cups water
8 ounce can tomato sauce
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoon salt

Brown the meat, onion, green pepper and garlic in a large pot; drain fat. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 3 hours.

Makes 4-6 servings
Can be frozen

Per 1/4 Recipe: 449 Calories; 26g Fat; 39g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 9g Net Carbs
Per 1/6 Recipe: 299 Calories; 17g Fat; 26g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs

If you can't get chipotle chile powder, just use 1/2 teaspoon more regular chili powder. This makes 6 small bowls of chili or 4 large ones.

MY FAVORITE COLESLAW
16 ounce bag coleslaw mix with carrots
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the mayonnaise, Splenda, vinegar and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix in the cabbage, stirring to coat well. Chill several hours before serving.

TIP: It may not look like the sauce will be enough to coat that much cabbage. It will be plenty, as you'll see after it has chilled a few hours. An easier way to get the sauce evenly mixed into the slaw is to put about 1/3 of the cabbage in a large bowl and blend in all of the sauce. Now add another 1/3 of the cabbage and mix well, then repeat with the remaining cabbage.

Makes about 10 servings

Per Serving: 176 Calories; 18g Fat; 1g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

GEORGE STELLA'S EASY CHEESY CHILI CHICKEN
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup green pepper, cut in thin strips
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1/4 cup Roma tomato, diced, about 1/2 small tomato
4 ounces colby-jack cheese, shredded

Stir together first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. It will be a thick paste. Add chicken and rub seasoning mixture all over meat until coated evenly. Place the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange the vegetables on top of the chicken. Bake at 400º 20 minutes or until chicken is just done. Do not overcook. Top with the cheese and return to oven until melted, about 5 minutes.

Makes 4-5 servings

Per 1/4 Recipe: 321 Calories; 18g Fat; 35g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs
Per 1/5 Recipe: 283 Calories; 15g Fat; 33g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

AMY'S ITALIAN SKILLET
20 ounces ground chicken or turkey
1 small onion, chopped, 2 1/2 ounces
1/2 green pepper, chopped, about 4 ounces *
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped, about 4 ounces *
4-8 ounces tomato sauce (see my comments below)
Pinch granular Splenda, optional
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional, 1 ounce *

Brown the turkey; drain off any excess grease. Add the onions and peppers and cook until tender. Add the tomato sauce, Splenda and spices to taste. Simmer until heated through. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

* I used frozen chopped peppers. The parmesan was my idea. Amy didn't put any in hers. It only adds about 1/4 carb per serving.

With 4 ounces tomato sauce:
Per Serving: 328 Calories; 21g Fat; 26g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

With 8 ounces tomato sauce:
Per Serving: 335 Calories; 21g Fat; 26g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs

This is from Amy's Eating Low website. Check it out. She has a lot of very simple recipes there.

GREEN BEAN & TUNA CASSEROLE
1 small onion, chopped, 2 1/2 ounces
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 14-ounce cans French cut green beans, drained well
4 ounce can mushrooms, drained well
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 6-ounce cans tuna, drained well

In a medium skillet, sauté the onion and celery in the butter until very soft and a little browned, about 20 minutes. Combine all of the ingredients in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole or 8x8" baking dish. Bake at 350º, uncovered, 30 minutes or until nicely browned and bubbly.

Makes about 6 servings

Per Serving: 346 Calories; 24g Fat; 26g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

Thank you, these look great!!!!!

Here are a few more easy recipes:



PAULA'S EASY CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE
4 pieces bacon, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 small cabbage, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 ounce can corned beef, broken into chunks

In a large skillet with a lid, cook the bacon until almost crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate but keep the fat in the skillet. Add the butter to the bacon fat and melt over medium heat. Add the cabbage and stir until coated with the fat. Add 1/3 cup water and salt and pepper, going easy on the salt. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes, until cabbage is tender. Add the corned beef and bacon. Cook, uncovered, until everything is hot and some of the liquid has evaporated. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Makes 4-6 servings

Per 1/4 Recipe: 395 Calories; 28g Fat; 28g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs
Per 1/6 Recipe: 263 Calories; 19g Fat; 18g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

SAUSAGE QUICHE
1 pound pork sausage, browned and fat drained
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Put the sausage in the bottom of a large glass pie plate. Top with the cheese. Beat the eggs, salt and pepper, then beat in the cream. Slowly pour the egg mixture evenly over the sausage and cheese. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand about 10 minutes before cutting.

Makes 6-8 servings
Can be frozen

Per 1/6 Recipe: 607 Calories; 52g Fat; 31g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs
Per 1/8 Recipe: 455 Calories; 39g Fat; 23g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

AMY'S CHICKEN PARM A LA KIMKINS
8 ounces tomato sauce
4 ounces water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons granular Splenda
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or to taste

4 boneless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

To make the sauce, bring the first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small pot. Simmer on low about 1 hour. Place the chicken breasts in a greased baking dish and pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake at 400º about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is done to your liking.

Makes 4 servings

Per Serving: 241 Calories; 4g Fat; 43g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

This is from Amy's Eating Low website. Click here to watch a video of Amy making this recipe. Amy didn't specify the quantity of chicken, spices or cheese to use so I just guessed. I also changed the baking temperature and time. Amy baked hers at 350º about 40 minutes. You'll end up with about 1 cup sauce after simmering. There really isn't much, if any, of a carb savings by making this homemade sauce. Most store bought pasta sauces have about the same number of carbs per cup. You could substitute any no sugar added sauce. One thing I do like about this sauce is that it is nice and thick. Some store bought sauces are a little watery. I like this dish very well and that little bit of parmesan cheese is just enough to make it extra yummy.

TUNA MELTS
2 servings Tuna Salad (recipe follows)
1 large tomato *
2 ounces cheddar or American cheese, shredded

Slice the stem and bottom ends off the tomato then cut into 4 thick slices. Place the tomato slices on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mound some tuna salad on each tomato slice. Top each with 1/4 of the cheese and broil until the cheese is melted.

Makes 2 servings

* Mine was about 3-inches in diameter and about the size of a baseball.

Per Serving: 313 Calories; 21g Fat; 27g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

TUNA SALAD
12 ounces canned tuna, drained
4 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
1/4 cup sugar free sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chives or green onion, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix well and chill before serving. Makes 4-8 servings

Per 1/4 recipe: 264 Calories; 16g Fat; 27g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Per 1/6 recipe: 176 Calories; 11g Fat; 18g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs
Per 1/8 recipe: 132 Calories; 8g Fat; 14g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs

TACO SALAD
1 pound ground beef
1 batch Linda's Taco Seasoning (recipe follows)
1-2 tablespoons Taco Bell taco sauce, optional
12 ounces iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 small tomato, diced, 3 ounces
3 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
6 tablespoons sour cream
6 tablespoons salsa (1 tablespoon per serving)
3/4 cup guacamole (2 tablespoons per serving)

Brown the hamburger; drain off fat. Stir in the seasoning mix, Taco Bell taco sauce and a little water, if desired. Divide all ingredients among 6 large plates.

Makes 6 servings

Per Serving: 280 Calories; 21g Fat; 18g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

LINDA'S TACO SEASONING
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt

Per batch: 31 Calories; 1g Fat; 1g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

EMERALD ISLE SOUP
1/4 cup leeks or onions, chopped, about 3/4 ounce
1-2 tablespoons butter
16 ounces frozen broccoli, no need to thaw
2 cups chicken broth *
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch nutmeg, optional

Sauté the leek or onions in the butter in a medium saucepan until tender. Add the frozen broccoli, broth and a bit of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer until the broccoli is very tender, about 10 minutes. Puree in a blender or with a stick blender until smooth and thick. Stir in the cream and blend well. Adjust seasoning and add nutmeg, if desired. Reheat if necessary.

Makes about 6 servings

* If you use canned broth, add enough water to make 2 cups total.

Per Serving: 204 Calories; 19g Fat; 5g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

Linda,
You rock! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it. I have been checking out your site, but must admit, that it has turned into more of a quest for 4 stars I found myself looking at different things, and thinking "oh that must not any good, it only got 3 stars" I really like that you have included pictures for just about everything. I am a very visual eater, I think it's pretty awesome.

I had planned on christening my pans with orange chicken, but after seeing this, I think I have changed my mind, and I will start with the chili chicken and maybe some basic chili. Both look like they would pack and move well for me to take them to work.

hey linda i have "found"you here!! yipee!!!! i e mailed you recently to tell ya how i love your recipes.(i am the one that has to click on EVERY picture to see it bigger! hee hee!) any way i love it here and keep up w/ the recipes!

Linda - I've found our tastes are similiar then, according to your grading of the recipes. I want to tell you again, how much I appreciate your recipes. It makes me excited to cook again. I have a EXTREMELY picky husband. Thinks McDonalds makes the BEST burgers UGGG!!! He hates about every spice, except garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Man, it's hard to cook LC and tasty for him. But your recipes have added a LOT to our diets and for that I'm SOOO grateful!!

Linda,
Thanks for the ratings explaination. I actually went back and intentionally did not scroll down to look at the stars I ended up choosing mostly 3 star recipes. Again, I ended up basing my opinions on how the recipe looked.

I made the chili last night and it was pretty good. I found it is just not the same without rice or beans, but it works. I also made the chili chicken, and today actually enjoyed these as a combination more than separate it works