Apricot Chicken and Cheesy Cauliflower

So I'll admit that the Apricot Chicken recipe was not from a low carb site or source. I adapted it, and as such may have a few more carbs than Atkins Phase 1 allows. I think though, that for the amount 1 person would eat, it's probably ok. I'll sit down and do the math on this one in a bit. The cauliflower one was advertised as a "mac and cheese" but you and I both know that there really isn't much on the market that mimics the texture or shape of either elbows, shells, or penne well enough to be called "macaroni". It's just cheesy cauliflower. But it's still delicious.

The sauce is super messy but super good!

Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts or 2 lbs chicken thighs
1 c. sugar free apricot preserves
1 packet dry onion soup/dip mix
8 oz Catalina or Russian dressing (recipe below)

Russian dressing:
6 Tbs. granular Truvia or Splenda
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. oil (I used canola)
1/2 lower sugar ketchup
1 1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Combine and chill.

Mix up all the sauce ingredients in your skillet or casserole pan well, then add in chicken, coat well, and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

The sauce ended up more liquidy than I would have liked, but it still tasted amazing. You can serve this over cauliflower rice (cauliflower that has been grated and steamed) if you'd like. The recipe makes a TON of sauce. You could also use the sauce as a stir fry sauce and add snow peas, water chestnuts, mushrooms, a julienned carrot, red pepper slices, etc.

Cheesy Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
4 tbsp cream cheese
1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard or yellow (any kind)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 c. reserved for top)
4 Tbs. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steam chopped cauliflower until soft. Once soft drain and return to saucepan. Add cream cheese, cheese and cream and stir until incorporated. Add mustard, garlic powder, and salt pepper to taste. Add mixture to a baking dish, cover with remaining 1/2 c. cheese and top with pepper and then broil until bubbly.
Note: I steamed the cauliflower but it wasn't quite soft enough for my liking. You could boil it for at least a few minutes to achieve a softer texture. I don't have a steamer, so I used a big soup pot with about 2" of water in the bottom, a metal colander with mesh, and a glass lid on top. Worked pretty well.