Atkins Italian Sausage Primavera Review

Let's start with a random tidbit!  My parents were *THIS* close to naming me Primavera.  Instead she chose Tamara (Layla is my youngest daughter).  Since that's what I thought about when I first saw this meal, you get to now think about it too!  So on to the real stuff.  This frozen dinner almost, kind of, sort of looks like the photo on the box.  More so than some other dinners.  The yellowish sauce on the box is drizzled on so it's not as yellow as the real meal.  However the veggies and meat really do look similar and are a great quality in my opinion.  Sometimes I have a real issue with the meat in frozen dinners as the quality is pretty dreadful.  I can see why we are paying a bit more for these than some other frozen dinners (I paid $3.98 at Walmart, which is the only place I've found them).  The price is worth it for the quality of the ingredients and just the fact that us low carbers have a frozen meal option!  I wouldn't say to eat one of these every day as real, fresh food is always going to be better than any frozen item full of preservatives.  However, I plan to keep one or two of these in my freezer to use for emergencies or lazy-days.

5 STARS
1 serving
5 net carbs per serving

Marinated Beef Kabobs

Apologies for the "blurry" photo.  That's actually smoke coming off the grill.  I forgot to take a photo while plated and went straight to devouring these so this in-process grilling photo is the only one I have.  This was a great basic recipe from Kalyns Kitchen.  I wouldn't change a thing.  She recommends using tri-tip, london broil, top sirloin or top loin.  If you use a tougher cut of meat, marinade for longer.

5 STARS
4 servings
3.75 net carbs per serving

2 pounds beef, cut into cubes
2 TBSP beef stock (or red wine)
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp steak seasoning (watch ingredients for sugar)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
black pepper to taste
2 bay leaves (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a ziploc bag with beef cubes.  Marinate at least 4-6 hours (or even overnight is fine). If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak in water at least 30 minutes so they don't catch on fire.  When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium-high.  Grill kabobs to your desired doneness.

Cheddar Baked Chicken

Cheddar Baked Chicken

This was definitely a family pleaser.  Everyone including the baby liked them (I made the kids portions into smaller pieces like chicken nuggets and cooked for less time).  You can't really go wrong with what is basically chicken nuggets with cheddar mixed in.  Yum!  If you don't have almond flour, I think that coconut flour or low carb bake mix would probably work fine too.  You could probably even skip the initial step of dredging in flour if you don't have any low carb flours available to you.  If you skip the flour, these would be *INDUCTION FRIENDLY*.

4 STARS
3 servings
3 NET CARBS PER SERVING
other nutrition per serving: 527 cal; 34.66g fat; 51.33g protein

1/2 cup almond flour *omit flour to make Induction friendly*
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed pork rinds
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat baking dish in oil of preference to make non-stick.  Mix the almond flour, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl (I use a small plate to help with dredging chicken later).  Set aside.  Pour beaten egg into another bowl, set aside.  In a 3rd bowl/plate mix the cheddar cheese and crushed pork rinds.  Dredge chicken in flour mixture, then dip in eggs, then dip in cheddar cheese/pork rinds mixture, making sure to press coating down into chicken on all sides.  Put in baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.