HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year. Hope you are all hail and hearty.

It has been a busy holiday season over here. Unfortunately, not in a good way, but all I can say is...onward and upward. Here's hoping 2011 doesn't hurt quite as much as 2010.

Cooking wise I have lots to share, just haven't had time to sit down and get it all together yet. Soon though.

I made some low carb dumplings that were really good. I just want to make them again before I post a recipe. They would be a good stand in for the pasta in mac 'n' cheese and could be used as gnocci as well as old fashioned dumplings. It's a real gem of a recipe. I can't wait to share it.

And I have an awesome spinach salad recipe. I just about ate an entire bucket of spinach it was that good.

By the way, I actually don't like spinach so you know it has to be fantastic.

Tonight we are keeping it simple. Chicken wings. Hummus with low carb tortilla chips.

There are other recipes too, I just can't remember them all! I've been taking pics of food like crazy! I also have some new recipes on deck to try; butter chicken, tandoori chicken and goulash.

Hope you have a blast ringing in the New Year.

Low Carb Pork Chops with Pickled Cabbage

I was skeptical about this recipe, but it is actually really delicious and easy and healthy and totally low carb.

The secret ingredient is pickle juice.

No, seriously. Pickle juice.

And it's good. Doesn't even taste like pickles, it just adds a je ne sais pas to the flavor.

Give it a try and tell me what you think.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 to 6 people.

-3 thick pork chops sliced in half to make 6 thinner pork chops (or just buy 6 thinner pork chops)
-1 tsp salt
-2 tsp pepper
-2 tsp paprika
-1 large onion diced
-1 small head of cabbage diced
-1/4 cup pickle juice from pickle jar (we used Klausen)
-3-4 tbsp Cooking oil
-1-2 tbsp butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Let oil heat on med-high heat. Preheat oven 350F.

2. Mix spices on a plate.

3. Coat both sides of chops with spices (mix up more if you need it).

4.Sear chops until browned on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.

5.Transfer chops to oven proof baking dish.

6.Brown onion in pan. Add cabbage and cook until soft.

7.Stir in pickle juice.

8.Place cabbage onion mix on top of pork chops.

9.Bake at 350F for around 40 minutes.

Miracle Noodle Review

Miracle noodles are popular low carb substitutes for pasta and I finally got around to ordering some.

Umm.

Weeeeeell.

Not for me.

They look like noodles. They don't taste like anything and cook up fast.

But they are rubbery and stretchy, the texture is nothing like pasta.

So a pass for me.

Have you tried them? Would you try them?

I find that pasta is a texture I miss with low carb so I've been trying various options. I have a few other brands of low carb pasta in the pantry waiting for me to experiment so expect future posts on the topic.

If you are on the fence, note that the company will accept returns for a full refund within 14 days. So if you order any, don't wait like I did to try them!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. I receive no financial compensation nor free product for this post.

Easy Way to Make Low Carb Hot Chocolate

I love me a good steaming cup of chocolate, and with the first snow fall fluttering outside my window, I've got a hankering for hot chocolate.

Except it ain't exactly low carb.

So I've been experimenting.

First with just heavy whipping cream and some dark chocolate melted in.

Which was superlicious.

Except I realized there are a lot of carbs in heavy whipping cream and I was imbibing about 20g, based on my calculations.

Although it was very filling and reduced cravings pretty well, it was still not a Good Thing to indulge in on a regular basis. At least not if I wanted to lose weight.

I searched the internet and found a bunch of busy recipes with more than 3 ingredients and that just seemed like too much work. I wanted a convenience comfort food, not something that had me in the kitchen for a half hour.

So I bought some diet Swiss Miss cocoa mix, which has 4g carbs, and some dark chocolate Lindt truffles which have 5g carbs and mixed the two with a dash of cream for a 10g per cup hot cocoa.

It's fast, it's simple, I don't really have to do any cooking and it tastes good.

Ingredients:

1 Swiss Miss Diet Hot Cocoa packet
1 Lindt Extra Dark truffle
6 oz. water (i.e. a little less than 1 cup)
2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream


Instructions

1. Microwave the water in a mug until it's screaming hot.

2.Drop in the truffle.

3.Dump in the cocoa packet.

4.Stir until the truffle is melted.

5. Add the cream and enjoy.

Oh and before I forget, if you are shopping on Amazon.com this holiday season, please consider using my affiliate link. Proceeds go toward replacing my Kitchen Aid mixer, which I rely on heavily due to a bum wrist. It doesn't cost you anything, I don't know who orders what or where things go or even if people clicked from this post.

Two Ingredient Dark Chocolate Mousse

Believe it or not, I am actually not a fan of using artificial sweeteners, but life is about compromise. If I want to eat let alone enjoy my food, I am going to have to give a little.

However, one thing I can make that is completely natural is dark chocolate mousse. This is a simple simple recipe that tastes soooooo yummy. You can also freeze it as a stand-in for chocolate ice cream.

Oh and before I forget, if you are shopping Amazon this year, please consider using my affiliate link. Proceeds go toward replacing my Kitchen Aid mixer, which I rely on heavily, for recipes just like this one, due to a bum wrist. It doesn't cost you anything, I don't know who orders what or where things go or even if people clicked from this post.
Ingredients:

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 bag Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips

Yes that's it.


Instructions:



Melt the chocolate on a double boiler. Takes about 5 minutes. Stir it rather frequently. Once it's melted, set aside to cool slightly.


Beat the tar out of the heavy whipping cream until it is stiff and thick. This also takes about 5 minutes.



Fold the chocolate into the cream, gently, with a spatula. Drizzle the chocolate down the sides of the bowl to cool it even further before it hits the cream.

Be sure to thoroughly incorporate the chocolate, if you under stir, you'll get a clump of hard chocolate at the bottom of the bowl.

Once it's all done put it in the fridge to 'set' and then go lick the saucepan AND the bowl.

Because this is how we know God loves us, dessert making always yields at least one bowl to lick.

Not licking is a sin. I just want you to know so nothing bad happens to you when you go the great buffet in the sky.

This makes about 6 to 8 1/2 cup servings and that is all you may have, just 1/2 cup as this is low carb, not carb free. A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, I calculated the carb count at 10g, but I could be mis-rembering.

All that space travel is hard on the brain.

No, I don't know why I'm mixing in Star Wars/space travel verbiage and religion here. Why do you ask?

Top with raspberries or strawberries and serve. I happened to use sugar free Cool Whip (so bad for me, I know but there was this last minute dinner party with NO berries to be found in this universe) and chocolate sprinkles.

May the mousse be with you.

Ground Turkey Moussaka: Like Lasagna Only Weirder

I don't remember which magazine gifted me with this recipe, in fact I don't even have the recipe anymore, I make it from memory, but oh! is this a gem of low carb goodness. The flavors are fantastic. The vegetables are legion and there's feta cheese.

I love feta cheese.

So this low carb casserole always makes my parts quiver.

By the way, I'm not sure why it's called a Moussaka, there's no eggplant, although I supposed you could add it in.

Nor does it have much in common with lasagna but, yet, at the same time, is just like lasagna. Weird, I know. Just trust me on this one. (You could actually take out the feta and add in some mozzarella and it really would be a noodleless lasagna.)

This also freezes well.

The only down side? The cheese components can be expensive. So look for coupons and sales. Athenos will usually have a coupon somewhere for their feta.

Oh and before I forget, if you are shopping Amazon this year, please consider using my affiliate link. Proceeds go toward replacing my Kitchen Aid mixer, which I rely on heavily due to a bum wrist. It doesn't cost you anything, I don't know who orders what or where things go or even if people clicked from this post.

Ingredients:

This makes around 10 servings, great for a crowd!

-1 package of Butterball or Jennie-O ground turkey (ground beef would work too)
-1 onion, diced
-1 tbsp garlic powder
-1 green pepper diced
-1 can red beans, drained (omit if this is a major carb sin for you)
-1 zucchini either diced or shredded on a cheese grater
-Any other veggies you think would be a good idea
-2 cans tomato paste
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1 big container of Ricotta cheese
-1 container feta cheese
-3 eggs

Instructions:

1.Saute the onions in a little oil.

2.Add the meat and garlic powder and cook.

3.Add the veggies once the meat is done.

4.Dump in the tomato paste, thin it with the juices already in the pan (or if the pan is dry, add some water).

5.Give a generous squirt of ketchup and stir to combine.

6. If there is any extra juice at this point, drain it off. You don't want the meat mix to be too wet.

7.Transfer mix to a casserole dish. My 9x13 dish is always too small so I end up using two.



8. Mix Ricotta, feta and eggs until incorporated.





9.Spread on top of meat mix.



10.Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.

Help a Cook Out

My little toddler dropped the salt shaker in the mixing bowl while we were making cookies the other day.

My Kitchen Aid mixer didn't take that well and now, despite some replacement parts, it's trying to overheat and the motor isn't speeding up/slowing down properly.

Years and years and years ago I had surgery to repair a bad wrist. The surgery was successful by about 90%. The other 10% is stuff like cooking and other repetitive fine motor movements.

The Kitchen Aid mixer is literally my kitchen aid.

So if you are shopping on Amazon.com this holiday season, would you mind using my affiliate link?It doesn't cost you anything, I don't know who orders what or where things go or even if people clicked from this post. It will help fund a new mixer, which my bum wrist relies on to do the heavy kitchen work.

No doubt, I am not the worst off in this world, but we can't swing a last minute Kitchen Aid purchase either so...if you are moved to do so, please use the link.

Just click and then browse and shop normally.

Thanks.

Weigh In Post: How Was Tday?

How'd everyone do over the holiday?

I did not gain any weight.

Which was surprising, but I'll take it.

I've got a lot of new recipes coming.

A turkey moussaka that will make you realize you've never really loved any of that other food you ate. This is an excellent low carb casserole that will put a smile on your face.

I've got a low carb chocolate mousse recipe. Two ingredients. No artificial anything. Tastes like the air heaven.

And low carb hot chocolate to warm the cockles of your low carb heart.

So stay tuned!

Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Kraut

My husband is from E. Europe and eats his weight as well as my weight in kielbasa every year. This delicious meal is so simple, there's no recipe.

Just throw everything in the crockpot and turn it on. Come back 8 hours later for the perfect antidote to a cold, blustery day.

This stuff would melt the icicles on the Grinch's heart. Seriously.



Ingredients:

-Kielbasa (not the crappy stuff from the grocery store, you'll need to find an ethnic meat shop, see Instructions for more info)
-Root veggies such as turnips, parsnips, carrots, potatoes, whatever your diet allows
-2 jars Sauerkraut (I would use the Vlasic brand, we think it's the best)
-1 can chicken broth


Instructions:

1.Locate your local Polish, Hungarian, Slovenian, Russian or Ukrainian meat shop and get some fresh homemade kielbasa. If there isn't one in your area, but you end up traveling somewhere that has ethnic grocery stores, pick some up--it'll keep in the freezer for 6 to 8 weeks.

The place we get ours from is working on an online ordering service.

Whatever you do, don't buy crappy mass produced brats or kielbasa from chain grocery stores, it's not the same thing. At all.

2.Drop the kielbasa in a crock pot along with whatever veggies you eat (potatoes or carrots work best, but turnips would be good)



How I deal with the carrots and potato which are not low carb? I allow 1/4 of a potato and a chunk of carrot per serving. The people who can eat carbs get the rest. So portion control keeps this low carb for me.

3.Top with lightly rinsed kraut.




4.Pour in a can of chicken stock and cook on low for about 8 hours.

Serving tip: Top the kraut with a pat of butter.

P.S.Oh and before I forget, if you are shopping Amazon this year, please consider using my affiliate link. Proceeds go toward replacing my Kitchen Aid mixer, which I rely on heavily due to a bum wrist. It doesn't cost you anything, I don't know who orders what or where things go or even if people clicked from this post.

Low Carb Menu: Green Bean Casserole with Chicken

I love green bean casserole but the original recipe has a lot of issues. First, there's the cream of mushroom soup which is not only highly processed, but full of carbs. Then there are the canned beans which are full of chemicals like BPA.

Not really healthy.

However, luckily the major flavor/texture ingredient, the Durkee onions, are low carb so the recipe is amenable to being modified for both low carb and low chemical eating. Here's how I do it.

Oh wait, before I forget, if you are shopping Amazon this year, please consider using my affiliate link. Proceeds go toward replacing my Kitchen Aid mixer, which I rely on heavily due to a bum wrist. It doesn't cost you anything, I don't know who orders what or where things go or even if people clicked from this post.


Ingredients

-1 bag frozen green beans
-1 package of Durkee Fried Onions
-1 lb chicken, cooked and cubed (leftovers are GREAT for this recipe, you can also use canned chicken in a pinch, although we are trying to avoid cans here)
-2 tbsp butter
-1 diced onion
-Diced button mushrooms
-1 can chicken stock
-1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
-Thickener such as 1/4 cup flour or guar gum or other low carb thickener.

(Note:Yes the flour is carby, but not terribly so. It has just 20 carbs and we're going to get between 6 to 8 servings here which will keep flour carbs to under 5g per serving. For those who haven't ordered low carb thickeners yet--like me!--it's helpful to know how to make this with what is handy.)

Instructions:

(And yes, the pics won't line up with the text, sorry about that!)

1. Fill casserole dish with the still frozen green beans and chicken.


2.Saute the onions and mushrooms in butter until browned. Tip: Have the liquids measured out and ready to go, you're going to need them fast.


3.Sprinkle onions and mushrooms with your thickener and stir very quickly for about 30 seconds.


4.Add the chicken stock and quickly scrap the bottom of the pan.


5.Add the cream.


6.Stir, stir, stir, stir, stir. If there are clumps of thickener, use a whisk.


7.Pour over chicken and green beans.


8.Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 the can of Durkee Onions.


9. Top the casserole with the remaining onions.


And.....


Wait for it...

Trying to line up these pics is a nightmare....







10.Bake at 350F for 30 minutes and Ta Dah!