Once again I find myself packing way too many pounds, which is even more worrisome than usual given the fragile nature of my legs and joints these days. So Dr. Atkins and I have found ourselves reacquainted.
I'm not sure what it is about my body, but ti seems to respond well to a lo-carb diet. My dad has used the Atkins diet since the 70s to lose weight. Back then it was the "drinking man's" diet because you could still consume as much alcohol as you wanted and eat steaks.
These days they've watered down the message a bit and don't call for the high-fat, meat-only diet the good doctor espoused. But then he slipped on a patch of ice and cracked his skull open, so he is no longer around to keep the message alive.
But the good ol' Atkins seems to work for me, especially now with more and more no sugar treats. Overall I try to avoid sugar. I've always had a bad reaction to eating too much of it and when I cut it out entirely, I tend to be a lot healthier. It's kind of a shame because I've discovered baking in my older age and now I can only make the treats, not eat them.
The good news, however, is that I've lost weight, and although I need to lose more, I'm encouraged. I've been pretty much subsisting on meat and salad dinners, with an emphasis on chicken and seafood ever since my uric acid level came back high during my pre-surgery blood work, which could be an early sign of gout, which I DON'T want to get.
I still eat meat from time to time, though. In fact, I'd been wanting to make some meatballs for a while because we had a can of those french fried onions you use in green bean casseroles hanging around and they have 3 carbs per 2 tablespoons, which means they'd be a great replacement for bread crumbs in my meatballs, I thought.
I had seen a recipe for meatballs and baked ziti and decide to craft my own lo-carb version. Once of the greatest discoveries for us lo-carb, low glycemic index dieters has been Dreamfields Pasta, which allows us to eat pasta with carbs that are basically passed through the body. I showed it to my dad and have studied it and it seem legit. And the Trader Joe's
Barbecue Grill & Broil seasoning is fabulous because it has no salt and lot's of flavor.
So here's my Lo-carb baked ziti with meatballs
1 and one-half box Dreamfields** penne pasta, cooked to shy of al dente and drained
1 pound ground beef 85/15
2/3 can of Durkee french friend onions, crushed
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon Trader Joe's barbecue Grill & Broil seasoning
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 large cans Progresso chopped tomatoes with puree
3 fresh bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 package trader Joe's quattro frommagio cheese
1 pound whole milk mozzarella cheese
1 pint whole milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Mix together the ground beef, dried onions, grill seasoning, eggs and Parmesan cheese. Roll in small balls and cook in skillet with olive oil heated to medium. Cook meatballs until browned on all sides. Drain the fat (this is absolutely necessary to make a non-greasy meal). Add onions in with meatballs and cook until transluscent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cans of tomatoes, wine, oregano and bay leaves. simmer. Mix the ricotta cheese with two large eggs. Using a large baking dish (11 by 13 inches) sprayed with canola oil, spoon a few tablespoons of sauce (avoid meatballs) into the bottom. Top with half the cooked penne. Top the sauce with two-thirds of the ricotta mixture. Top with half the quattro frommagio, half of the mozzarella, sliced and half the remaining Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining pasta. Add remaining ricotta and other remaining cheeses. Bake in 350 oven for 40 minutes.
** Dreamfields cut their box size to 13 ounces, so you have to use more than once box. Jerks.
*** real Atkins calls for whole milk products, which are much lower in carbs.
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