Main Dish Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ pound ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
• ½ cup freshly chopped basil leaves, chopped
• 1 ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano, divided
• ¼ cup pork rind crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained well.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin so that it holds its shape when baked. Boil the scooped-out center part until very soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan heat 1-tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned ground beef to the pan and saute until all of its liquid is evaporated and the beef begins to brown slightly. Drain the beef, removing the extra, unnecessary fat. Let cool briefly and chop the cooked beef so that there are no large chunks of meat. In another medium saute pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions, peppers and garlic together.

In a bowl mix together the cooked eggplant, vegetables, cooked beef, herbs, 1 cup of the cheese, pork rind crumbs, and the egg.

Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with this mixture, dividing it evenly between the 2 halves.

Top with chopped tomatoes and the remaining ¼ cup of grated cheese, season with salt and pepper, place on an oiled oven tray or baking dish, and bake for 50 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool briefly, slice widthwise and serve.

We used Shirataki spaghetti, well drained and rinsed in hot water along side mixing it into the stuffing.

Makes 4 servings

lowcarbfriends.com
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Ingredients

• 1 lb. Walleye
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup ground or chopped pork rinds
• ½ cup any fish breading
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Mix eggs and milk together. In a separate bowl, combine pork rinds and fish breading. Dip pieces of fish in milk/egg mixture and then coat with the breading mixture. Deep fry until golden brown.

Makes 6 servings (1½ cups)

Steve Rumer, Recipe Contest Winner from the Harrod Pork Rind Festival
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Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1½ cups pork rinds
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 4 lemon wedges

Directions

Place chicken breasts, one at a time, under a plastic bag to prevent splattering, and pound flat with the flat side of a meat pounder. Chicken should be quite thin.

Remove several pork rinds from their package and place them in a clear plastic bag. Crunch them by pressing on the bag. (I used the mallet on them, too; easier!) Repeat until there are 1½ cups of finely crushed pork rinds.

Put the crushed pork rinds in a bowl. Discard any large hard pieces. Add the garlic powder to the rinds.

In a small bowl, mix the grated parmesan with the chopped parsley and set aside.

In a bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Dip the chicken into the beaten egg until well-coated. Then, dip the chicken into the pork rind and garlic mixture.

Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken breasts in the oil for 4 minutes on each side or until breading is golden brown and the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Place the cooked chicken cutlets on paper towels to remove excess oil before putting them on a serving plate.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese and parsley mixture sprinkled on top of each cutlet. Decorate the plate with lemon wedges.

Contra Costa Times

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