Featured Fridge clean out Calabacita con Pollo

[jcam222]

Knocked out the lawn mowing and decided to cook something to eat for the week. After a quick survey of the fridge and pantry I settled on something that ended up being Calabacita con Pollo. As a fridge and pantry clean out it makes ample use of some premade ingredients. First up into the 17" Lodge goes a little Olive oil and two bunches of green onions I needed to use up.

Once the onions softened a bit I added about 4 lbs of chicken breast cut into fingers and tossed in a couple kinds of pre packaged taco spices. I ordinarily make own based on tx smoker recipe but had grabbed these as they were much lower carb than many. Cooked until I had a nice sear on all sides of the chicken.

Time to add some ingredients for a sauce. Jar and a quarter of Pace Chunky salsa and a 27 oz can of chopped green chilies I had scored for $0.99 per can! Yep I bought a bunch lol. ( pic only shows the half jar salsa)

I had a big thing of cherry tomatoes to use up so into the pan they went.

Lastly time to add the cubed zucchini and yellow squash. I had two medium of each. When I make this again I'll add additional squash. After tasting I added an additional packet of taco seasoning and stirred in here.

This went in the oven at 400F for around 45 minutes or so until the squash was tender.

Plated up a nice bowl for a pic and to sample to the neighbors. It's wildly approved.

I've never had this before but it's jumped high on my list of favorites. The squash really takes on the flavors nicely and it just really hits the spot. Nothing gourmet in my process but it will end up made many more times. Thanks for looking.

 

[ronf]

Looks excellant. Great job.

 

[indaswamp]

That looks Ketolicious!!!!! Fantastic!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I can't show this to Sheila just yet, I don't have all the ingredients...

 

[SmokinEdge]

Going, going GONE! Out of the park with that Jeff. Nice work.

 

[Fueling Around]

Very good Jeff!
I may have to show this one to my wife later this year when the summer squash starts producing.
No cooking today as planned. The garden took all day and I still didn't finish.

 

[jcam222]

Looks excellant. Great job.

Thanks!

That looks Ketolicious!!!!! Fantastic!

Thanks! Yep it's keto passable. I'll likely make my own spice blend next time to reduce the few extra carbs from the premade. Most store bought list corn starch and maltodextrin as The first ingredients, found a couple that just list corn starch as like the 6th ingredient.

I can't show this to Sheila just yet, I don't have all the ingredients...

Haha, I think you'll find it's worth the ingredients David. Look forward to seeing what you think of it.

Going, going GONE! Out of the park with that Jeff. Nice work.

Thanks a lot!

Very good Jeff!
I may have to show this one to my wife later this year when the summer squash starts producing.
No cooking today as planned. The garden took all day and I still didn't finish.

Thanks! Man I love zucchini and yellow squash. Looking forward to tons of cheap ones from the Mennonites this summer

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

That looks fantastic Jeff! Was that just water you added before going into the oven?

 

[JLinza]

Man, that looks great Jeff. Nice work

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Knocked out the lawn mowing and decided to cook something to eat for the week. After a quick survey of the fridge and pantry I settled on something that ended up being Calabacita con Pollo. As a fridge and pantry clean out it makes ample use of some premade ingredients. First up into the 17" Lodge goes a little Olive oil and two bunches of green onions I needed to use up.View attachment 719304Once the onions softened a bit I added about 4 lbs of chicken breast cut into fingers and tossed in a couple kinds of pre packaged taco spices. I ordinarily make own based on tx smoker recipe but had grabbed these as they were much lower carb than many. Cooked until I had a nice sear on all sides of the chicken. View attachment 719305Time to add some ingredients for a sauce. Jar and a quarter of Pace Chunky salsa and a 27 oz can of chopped green chilies I had scored for $0.99 per can! Yep I bought a bunch lol. ( pic only shows the half jar salsa)View attachment 719306I had a big thing of cherry tomatoes to use up so into the pan they went. View attachment 719307Lastly time to add the cubed zucchini and yellow squash. I had two medium of each. When I make this again I'll add additional squash. After tasting I added an additional packet of taco seasoning and stirred in here. View attachment 719308This went in the oven at 400F for around 45 minutes or so until the squash was tender. View attachment 719309Plated up a nice bowl for a pic and to sample to the neighbors. It's wildly approved. View attachment 719310I've never had this before but it's jumped high on my list of favorites. The squash really takes on the flavors nicely and it just really hits the spot. Nothing gourmet in my process but it will end up made many more times. Thanks for looking.

Awesome! I could get behind a bowl of YUM like that.

 

[texomakid]

That looks really good Jeff.

 

[indaswamp]

Thanks! Yep it's keto passable. I'll likely make my own spice blend next time to reduce the few extra carbs from the premade. Most store bought list corn starch and maltodextrin as The first ingredients, found a couple that just list corn starch as like the 6th ingredient.

Yep. I make my own also. I have pretty much achieved my goal set weight. I am bouncing between 157-161#. I'll tell ya- the positive mental aspects of keto are amazing!! What are your thoughts on carb. cycling during part of the year?

 

[jcam222]

That looks fantastic Jeff! Was that just water you added before going into the oven?

Thanks Brian! No water, just the salsa and Big can of green chilies with juice.

Man, that looks great Jeff. Nice work

Thanks!

Awesome! I could get behind a bowl of YUM like that.

I just knocked some out for supper. Even better on day 2.

That looks really good Jeff.

Thanks

Yep. I make my own also. I have pretty much achieved my goal set weight. I am bouncing between 157-161#. I'll tell ya- the positive mental aspects of keto are amazing!! What are your thoughts on carb. cycling during part of the year?

It's popular with many. If I get anywhere near my goal weight I may try it on workout days. I just returned to the gym after 6 years away.

 

[chef k-dude]

Love me some "clean out the refrigerator". Especially when it also includes the pantry!

I'll have to keep this in mind when the wife's squash comes in. I can live without the stuff but she loves it. I "endure" it when in-season. This would be a great time to carb cycle...some Basmati rice would work very well.

Hit it and quit it! We've been "hitting it" a bit much lately and the belly shows it, but my weight is stable...just "carb bloat". Back in my low carb forum days, "carb day" was a thing for many people once they hit "the stall" (yep, it's not just for smokin' meat). Some would give themselves 8 hours to engorge and go to IHOP to feast, others would just have "Carb Nite", but it seemed to bump "the stall" off-center. As I recall it really ticked me off! I had LC'd it hard, denying myself everything carbolicious, even fruit, then would carb splurge and lose 3lbs! WTH?!!

 

[Colin1230]

Yep, I could eat that for a week for sure. Nice work, Jeff.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

I getting into my recipe manager to make soon. I listed here for someone else that might want to make it. I will be scaling it down. I guessed 16 oz salsa? I will use frozen Hatch peppers.

Edited

Olive oil
2 bunches of green onions or couple sweet onions
4 lbs of chicken breast cut into fingers
3 oz taco spice
30 oz Pace Chunky salsa
27 oz can of chopped green chilies
1 pk cherry tomatoes
2 zucchini cubed
2 yellow squash cubed

First up into the 17" Lodge goes a little Olive oil and two bunches of green onions

Once the onions softened a bit I added about 4 lbs of chicken breast cut into fingers and tossed in a couple kinds of pre packaged taco spices. I ordinarily make own based on tx smoker recipe but had grabbed these as they were much lower carb than many. Cooked until I had a nice sear on all sides of the chicken.

Time to add some ingredients for a sauce. Jar and a quarter of Pace Chunky salsa and a 27 oz can of chopped green chilies I had scored for $0.99 per can! Yep I bought a bunch lol. ( pic only shows the half jar salsa)

I had a big thing of cherry tomatoes to use up so into the pan they went.

Lastly time to add the cubed zucchini and yellow squash. I had two medium of each. When I make this again I'll add additional squash. After tasting I added an additional packet of taco seasoning and stirred in here.

This went in the oven at 400F for around 45 minutes or so until the squash was tender.

 

[jcam222]

I getting into my recipe manager to make soon. I listed here for someone else that might want to make it. I will be scaling it down. I guessed 16 oz salsa? I will use frozen Hatch peppers.

Olive oil
2 bunches of green onions
4 lbs of chicken breast cut into fingers
3 oz taco spice
20 oz Pace Chunky salsa
27 oz can of chopped green chilies
1 pk cherry tomatoes
2 zucchini cubed
2 yellow squash cubed

First up into the 17" Lodge goes a little Olive oil and two bunches of green onions

Once the onions softened a bit I added about 4 lbs of chicken breast cut into fingers and tossed in a couple kinds of pre packaged taco spices. I ordinarily make own based on tx smoker recipe but had grabbed these as they were much lower carb than many. Cooked until I had a nice sear on all sides of the chicken.

Time to add some ingredients for a sauce. Jar and a quarter of Pace Chunky salsa and a 27 oz can of chopped green chilies I had scored for $0.99 per can! Yep I bought a bunch lol. ( pic only shows the half jar salsa)

I had a big thing of cherry tomatoes to use up so into the pan they went.

Lastly time to add the cubed zucchini and yellow squash. I had two medium of each. When I make this again I'll add additional squash. After tasting I added an additional packet of taco seasoning and stirred in here.

This went in the oven at 400F for around 45 minutes or so until the squash was tender.

Brian they were 24 oz jars of Pace Salsa. If estimate 30 oz total I used. For the onion you could easily ( and likely better) use chopped sweet onion or cooking onion. As I mentioned as well I'd up the amount of squash. The squash is amazing and really takes on all the flavors even better than the chicken. Hope you like it.

 

[jcam222]

Love me some "clean out the refrigerator". Especially when it also includes the pantry!

I'll have to keep this in mind when the wife's squash comes in. I can live without the stuff but she loves it. I "endure" it when in-season. This would be a great time to carb cycle...some Basmati rice would work very well.

Hit it and quit it! We've been "hitting it" a bit much lately and the belly shows it, but my weight is stable...just "carb bloat". Back in my low carb forum days, "carb day" was a thing for many people once they hit "the stall" (yep, it's not just for smokin' meat). Some would give themselves 8 hours to engorge and go to IHOP to feast, others would just have "Carb Nite", but it seemed to bump "the stall" off-center. As I recall it really ticked me off! I had LC'd it hard, denying myself everything carbolicious, even fruit, then would carb splurge and lose 3lbs! WTH?!!

Yep some folks get that woosh of weight loss on a carb cycle or simply a cheat day.

Yep, I could eat that for a week for sure. Nice work, Jeff.

Thanks Colin! I usually don't have issues eating the same thing a few days or more in a row if it's good.

 

[indaswamp]

Jeff- this one is on deck for me....will add to the rotation of keto meals.

 

[forktender]

Knocked out the lawn mowing and decided to cook something to eat for the week. After a quick survey of the fridge and pantry I settled on something that ended up being Calabacita con Pollo. As a fridge and pantry clean out it makes ample use of some premade ingredients. First up into the 17" Lodge goes a little Olive oil and two bunches of green onions I needed to use up.View attachment 719304Once the onions softened a bit I added about 4 lbs of chicken breast cut into fingers and tossed in a couple kinds of pre packaged taco spices. I ordinarily make own based on tx smoker recipe but had grabbed these as they were much lower carb than many. Cooked until I had a nice sear on all sides of the chicken. View attachment 719305Time to add some ingredients for a sauce. Jar and a quarter of Pace Chunky salsa and a 27 oz can of chopped green chilies I had scored for $0.99 per can! Yep I bought a bunch lol. ( pic only shows the half jar salsa)View attachment 719306I had a big thing of cherry tomatoes to use up so into the pan they went. View attachment 719307Lastly time to add the cubed zucchini and yellow squash. I had two medium of each. When I make this again I'll add additional squash. After tasting I added an additional packet of taco seasoning and stirred in here. View attachment 719308This went in the oven at 400F for around 45 minutes or so until the squash was tender. View attachment 719309Plated up a nice bowl for a pic and to sample to the neighbors. It's wildly approved. View attachment 719310I've never had this before but it's jumped high on my list of favorites. The squash really takes on the flavors nicely and it just really hits the spot. Nothing gourmet in my process but it will end up made many more times. Thanks for looking.

Damn, that looks KILL'ER!!!!!
Well, everything except the banana slug/ yellow squash in it, one of the very few veggie's I refuse to eat.
(my gramp's told me that they were banana slugs when I was a kid.)