I am always looking for creative ways to eat the foods we love and still stay within the low carb parameters. We have been “low carbing it” for about 3 weeks now and really enjoying it. When the weekend rolls around and things get hectic, however, its really hard to stick with it. I’m thinking low carb for 5 days a week is still better than nothing.
Years ago I did the Atkins thing for 6 months and lost 13 pounds…it was awesome, but hard to stick with it because a) I had no imagination and b) because my kids were small and were always wanting spaghetti, pizza, and tacos. Now that they are older they have broadened their horizons and frankly they are enjoying eating veggies instead of starches as much as we are.
So…here is an idea I came up with because my boys still love taco night…I present to you…The Lettuce Leaf Taco.
The ingredients are simple:
Meat of your choice with mexican seasoning (in this example I made carnitas, but I have also used pollo, and I’m sure ground beef would work too)
Chopped spinach
Guacamole
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Romaine Lettuce leaves
It is amazingly filling, and kinda fun to eat…just stack your ingredients onto the lettuce leaf and pick them up like a regular taco. RAD!
To make my carnitas, I chopped up 2 onions, cubed a whole pork roast and simmered it in chicken broth and water for 2 – 3 hours. Half way in between I also added a few tablespoons of salsa…you can add heat to it by using any of your favorite hot sauce, jalapenos or ground red pepper.
You will have to keep chopping up the meat with a metal spoon or spatula to get it to fall apart as you get to the stage where it is cooked thoroughly…usually after 1 hour of cooking. If the water and chicken broth boil down before your carnitas are done cooking you can always add more. I usually start with enough liquid to cover the meat, and add another cup or two…just keep an eye on it so your meat does not dry out or burn to the bottom of the pot.
I am open to any low carb recipes you’d like to share!
Long Ranch on the Hill 