Low Carb Mexican Ideas?

[bluhimmy]

I'm co-hosting a couples baby shower. The father-to-be is watching his carb intake, so I'm trying to come-up with menu ideas. Originally, I was thinking of a optional "build your own burrito/salad" bar, with chicken and carnitas as the main meat dishes; and all the fixings along with the tortillas available to build a burrito and/or salad. Aside from spanish rice and beans, I can't think of any other side dish options that would be good for someone trying to eat low-carb.

Any comments and/or suggestions on the menu?

Thanks!

[Rose]

I made a quiche type thing before that was low carb. I can't remember the recipe but it was ground beef, onions, garlic, spices, and then mix with eggs and salsa and bake in a pie pan.

I'll see if I can find the recipe. It was pretty good.

[bluhimmy]

Rose - That sounds yummy. :p Would love to try out the recipe!

[Janey]

Instead of regular Tortillas, you might want to use the La Tortilla Factory (http://www.latortillafactory.com/) low-carb ones? They are pretty good -- I really like the garlic & herb ones. And for those watching calorie intake - they are only 50 calories. Some tortillas are 6 times that! We use the low carb tortillas to make shrimp or chicken fajitas (AKA Sloppy Jose's -- we make them so messy ;)). There's a "Store Locator" on their website that shows where they are carried in your area.

[craftyT]

When DH & I used to do Atkins we ate a lot of Mexican Lettuce Wraps which are basically tacos with a crisp, iceberg lettuce shell instead of corn/flour tortillas - very yummy and satisfying :)

[Kinetic]

A great low carb appetizer is Jalapeno Poppers! Everyone can enjoy these. Plus, they are so easy to make!
You can adjust how spicy they are (depending on how much of the pepper membrane you scrape out.)

http://users3.ev1.net/~fontlady/food_photos/jalapeno_popper_variation.jpg

JALAPEÑO POPPERS
8 fresh jalapeños
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. Seasoning Salt
8 slices crumbled bacon, or Real Bacon Bits

Cut the chiles in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds and membranes. Mix the cream cheese with the seasoning salt. Fill each chili half with cream cheese, but do not mound it. (Four ounces should be just about the right amount for 8 average size jalapeño halves. If you have extra large chiles, make sure you have a full 8 ounces of cream cheese on hand.) Place cream cheese side up on foil-lined baking sheet. Top with Bacon. Bake at 375º 10-15 minutes.
Makes 16 servings
Per Popper: .5g Net Carbs

[Kinetic]

Here's just one more recipe. There are so many low-carb mexican dishes out there! Since there's traditionally alot of fat in Mexican cuisine, it is easily adapted to be low carb.


ENCHILADA BAKE
Crust:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon Taco Seasoning
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Beat or whisk the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the seasoning; mix well. Stir in cheese; mix well. Grease a 9 x 13" baking dish; spread the cheese mixture evenly over the bottom. Bake at 350º, 35 minutes or until browned, but not too dark. Let stand 5-10 minutes before adding the topping.

Topping:
1 pound ground beef
3 teaspoons Taco Seasoning
8 1/2 ounce jar enchilada sauce
4 ounce can chopped green chiles
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Brown the hamburger; drain fat. Stir in the seasoning, enchilada sauce and chiles. Spread over the crust. Top with cheese. Bake another 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbly. Serve with the low carb toppings of your choice:
-Shredded lettuce
-Sour cream
-Salsa
-Ripe olives
-Pickled jalapeno slices
-Guacamole

Makes 8-12 servings, (24 net carbs for the entire dish)
http://users3.ev1.net/~fontlady/food_photos/enchilada_bake.jpg

[tbell]

Wow, Kinetic! That looks great!

[Rose]

Bluhimmy I can't find that recipe, but that enchilda bake looks yummy! I may have to try that tonight.

[bluhimmy]

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas and suggestions! :)


MrsHill - I forgot they made low carb tortillas. Thanks for the reminder.

teresa2mike - Love the lettuce idea!

Kinetic - Thanks for the recipes. They look yummy. I'm going have to try them out soon.

Rose - No problem. ;)

Love to hear more ideas.

[tbell]

I made the enchilada bake last night and LOVED it! You couldn't tell it was LC at all. I think I'm making it again for a pot luck at church on Sunday....

[Sarah051504]

I had to stop in and thank you girls for one tasty dinner! I made up some of the Jalapeno Poppers and the enchilada bake for myself. I did tweak the recipes a bit, omitted the bacon on the poppers and for the enchilada bake I used imitation crab instead of ground beef and only used half the amount of cheese and substutited a mexican blend for the cheddar. So yummy. :D Thanks again.

[sublime311]

1. Make sure you have fresh guacamole and salsa on your menu - this is perfect low-carb food.

2. You can offer whole wheat tortillas as an alternative to regular tortillas.

3. A salad makes a GREAT side with Mexican food. Maybe you could offer a low-carb dressing with chile seasoning added for Mexican flair. Add radishes, spanish olives, and colorful peppers for loads of color.

4. You can offer a 7-layer dip to be served with regular tortilla chips as well as homemade whole wheat pita chips:

Hot 7-Layer Dip

1 can of Refried beans

1 can of black beans, drained

1 package of taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 cup of Salsa

1 can (4 oz.) of Diced green chiles

2 tablespoons diced jalapenos

1 cup of shredded cheese

2 large green onions

1 pack of chips

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine refried beans, black beans and seasoning mix in medium bowl. Spread bean mixture in ungreased 8-inch-square baking dish.

Spread sour cream over bean mixture. Top with salsa, chiles, jalapeños and cheese; cover.

Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and dip is bubbly. Garnish with green onions. Serve with chips.

Serves 10

Crispy Whole Wheat Pita Chips

4 whole wheat pita breads
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice each pita bread in half. Slice each pita bread half into 3 wedges. Carefully split each wedge into two pieces. You should end up with 12 "chips" per pita bread or 48 pita "chips" total.

Place pita chips in a single layer on baking sheets. Lightly spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly brown, about 7 minutes. Flip chips with a spatula and continue cooking about 5 minutes or until chips are crisp and lightly browned.

Makes 4 Servings
Serving Size: 12 chips

Good luck!

[Kinetic]

That layered dip sounds so tasty!

Whole Wheat breads are really healthy for you. Unfortunately, whole wheat doesn't always mean low-carb.