Kicking Carbs to the Curb

Low Carb Strawberry Smoothie

2011-11-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

After the pumpkin smoothie, I decided to try a strawberry smoothie. Sooooo simple. Soooo yummy.

No pictures yet because I keep drinking it all before I remember I'm supposed to take a picture. Oops!

Ingredients for 1 to 2 Servings:

1/2 cup Frozen strawberries
1/2 cup Plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (such as Stonyfield's Oikos brand or Fage)
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream (or other dairy substitute)
1 tablespoon Smuckers Reduced Sugar Strawberry Jam
1 tablespoon Ground flaxseed

Instructions

1.Puree the strawberries. I like to set them out on the counter for an hour or two so they aren't rock hard.

2.Add the vanilla, cream and jam. Blend.

3.Blend in the flaxseeds and serve.

If you double or triple the recipe, this will keep nicely in the fridge (sans flaxseeds) for a quick breakfast on the go. Just don't add the flaxseeds as they gum up and form yucky clumps over time.

Easy Low Carb: Ham, Cheese & Fruit Roll Ups

2011-11-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

Got leftover ham? Try this as a quick snack or add a salad to make it a meal.

Take your ham, add brie, top with your favorite reduce sugar or sugar free jam, roll up and serve.

For appetizers, slice into bite sized pieces and insert a toothpick.

Low Carb Holiday Appetizer: Fruit, Cheese & Nuts

2011-11-23T13:03:00.000-08:00

This elegant appetizer comes together with minimal fuss. All you have to do is toast some nuts and assemble.

Got kids? This would be a good recipe to delegate to them.

The cheese contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the jam and the roasted nuts provide a richness of flavor that makes you go 'mmmm.'

Ingredients

Cheese of your choice: I used brie and a white cheddar
Reduced Sugar or Sugar Free Jam of your choice: I used E.D. Smith brand which has 6g carb per tablespoon.
Toasted nuts: I recommend walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts.

Quantities depend on how many appetizers you want to make. You'll want 1tsp of jam and 1 nut per piece of cheese.

Instructions

1.Toast nuts at 350F for approximately 5 minutes. They will become fragrant when done.

2. If you want to smash the nuts do so, or leave whole. Or mix and match like I did.

3.Slice cheese and top with 1 tsp of jam (2g carb) and then finish with nuts.

Low Carb Pumpkin Smoothie: Healthy & Delish!

2011-11-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

So everyone is sick around here and it was time for a treat. The sugary version of this recipe on Pioneer Woman inspired mine. It is really yummy and very adaptable to paleo, low carb, dairy free etc... ways of eating.

Perfect for breakfast (just add a little protein powder!) or an afternoon pick-me-up on the days the germs seem to be winning the war.

Ingredients for 3 Small Servings

1/2 cup Frozen pumpkin puree
1/2 cup Stonyfield Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla (or tofu or other non dairy substitute)
1/2 cup Cream (or rice milk, almond milk, or coconut milk)
1/4 cup Walden Farms sugar free pancake syrup (or real syrup or honey)
1/2 tbsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Ground flax

Instructions

1. Dump ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides.

Low Carb Crockpot: 15 Minute Chicken Marinara

2011-10-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just throw things in a crock pot and hope for the best. Sometimes it works out, sometimes we go out for dinner.

I ran across a skillet meal the other day that sounded delicious, but required too much of my time. There was frying, removing food, putting food back in, and then putting the pan in the oven--very fussy recipe.

Since I don't have time these days for fussy cooking, I adapted it for the crockpot, threw everything in and crossed my fingers.

This time, I scored. Totally yum-o Italian chicken, akin to Chicken Cacciatore.

Make this on those super busy days where you don't know whether you're coming or going. It takes about 15 minutes to prep.

Ingredients for 4 Servings

Chicken, either 4 boneless, skinless thighs or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 26oz jar of Marinara sauce

(Netrition.com has a nice low carb pasta sauce if you are having a hard time finding one locally or don't want to make your own.)

Instructions

1.Throw everything the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. No really, that's it.

Serving Suggestions

Serve over mashed cauliflower, zucchini noodles or low carb pasta.

Low Carb Haluski (Cheap Low Carb Dinner)

2011-09-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Haluski (pronouned ha-loosh-key) is an Eastern European dish. It's like their version of a stir-fry.

While it's not terribly photogenic, it is full of bacon-y goodness.

It's a one skillet meal that comes together in less than an hour and is also cheap.

The main ingredients are affordable, especially if you are shopping at Costco (seriously, bacon is half the supermarket price).

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:

1/2 pkg. bacon, finely diced
1 large onion, diced
1 green cabbage, diced
1/2 pkg. cooked Carba Nada noodles (optional)
2-3 tbsps butter (optional)
1 container cottage cheese (estimate 1/2 cup per serving) (also optional)

Serving Suggestion: For those of you really watching your carbs, omit the noodles, they aren't low carb enough for active weight loss. If the protein content isn't high enough, serve with some roasted chicken (although remember that bacon fat is very satiating).

And yes, the cottage cheese actually tastes pretty good. It's a substitute for an Eastern European cheese called Brinza. No, it's not typically added to Haluski proper, but it's used in similar dishes (meaning the flavor works) and is a good way to bump up the protein content.

Instructions:

1. Put the pot on to cook the noodles and chop your veggies while you're waiting for the water to boil. Remove the noodles from boiling water once they are cooked.

2.Dice the bacon and throw into a large skillet. Add the onion.

3.Saute the bacon and onion on medium heat until well caramelized--takes about 15-20 minutes. If the pan bottom gets too brown, add a few tbsps of water and scrape the bottom.

4.Add the diced cabbage and cook until it wilts. About 5 minutes.

5.Now it's time for the cooked noodles. Cook everything for another 5 to 8 minutes. Add in a couple tbsps of butter if you wish (we like it).

6.Stir in a 1/2 cup or so of cottage cheese into each serving. Garnish with salt and pepper.

Cookie Photo Shoot

2011-09-12T03:41:00.000-07:00

I've made more almond cookies, trying to get a good picture as I haven't been happy with the ones I have. I think this time I captured their deliciousness. What do you think?

Oh, and recipes are here, here and here. And yes, they are low carb even though they look sinfully delicious.

Low Carb Chicken Broccoli Divan

2011-09-08T03:30:00.000-07:00

This is a 'slop' recipe. Tastes great, looks terrible. I did the best I could with pictures.

I actually wasn't sure about this recipe. It uses a sauce made out of sour cream and mayo, which sounded kind of iffy to me.

However, it was delicious and a great way to use up leftovers or work ahead by grilling extra chicken for making this dish later in the week.

It also makes a lot, so this would be a good dish to make when you have a hungry crowd to feed.

One note of interest, the mayo-sour cream mix could be used as an easy stand-in for cream-of-mushroom soup in green bean casserole.

Ingredients for 6-8 servings

-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (can substitute canned chicken)
-1 bag frozen broccoli
-1 large container Durkee Fried Onions
-1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
-1 cup sour cream
-1 cup mayonaise
-1 tbsp McCormick Perfect Pinch Rotisserie Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2.Mix sour cream and mayo in a large bowl--large enough to hold all the ingredients. Stir in McCormick Seasoning.

3. Add chicken, cheese and frozen broccoli, stir until combined.

4. Spoon into a large casserole dish (or two in my case) and top with Durkee Fried Onions.

5.Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Low Carb 'Antipasto' Platter

2011-09-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Remember when I mentioned I was going to do an Eastern E uro pean 'antipasto' platter for a quick, no-cook meal on Sundays? Here's how it turned out. Beautiful!

Pictured are; brie, marinated mozzarella balls, smoked Hungarian kielbasa, carrots, green pepper, and lightly steamed green beans with hummus for dipping.

Here's a view that shows the whole platter.

Because we bought many of these items in bulk at Costco, it was a cost effective meal. If you were to buy these items at your local grocery store, it might get pricey. However, you don't have to use what I used. Make a list of low carb finger foods and create your own antipasto platter.

The thing I really loved about it was people could graze for several hours. There was no rush to sit down and eat, which is always good for toddlers. The hubby had a nice meal and got out the door on time too.

Related Posts:

Low Carb Lunch: No Cooking!

Cheap Low Carb Dinner: Chicken Thighs and Green Beans

2011-09-05T15:06:00.001-07:00

This meal comes together with just a few inexpensive ingredients: Chicken thighs and green beans.

Chicken thighs are a tasty, yet cheap cut of chicken. Green beans are on sale right now for 99 cents a pound. Cheap, cheap, cheap.

Not to mention this meal has become one of my favorites as it is delicious too.

Ingredients for 4 People:

-8 chicken thighs with skin (assuming 2 per person)
-4 tbsps. butter or olive oil
-As much as you like of McCormick Perfect Pinch Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning (Love this stuff, it is awesome!)
-1 1/2 lbs green beans
-2 strips of bacon, diced
-1/2 an onion, finely diced

Instructions:

1.Preheat oven to 400F (sometimes I cook it at 375F, so somewhere in there is great.)

2. Place thighs in a pan and smear the skin of each thigh with 1/2 tbsp. of butter and top with the McCormick seasoning--just shake it on, as much as you want.

3.Bake for 45-55 minutes. Don't take it out until the skin is nice and crisp.

4.While the chicken is cooking, steam the green beans for 5 minutes.

5.In a skillet, brown the onion and bacon. This takes 5-8minutes. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn!

6. Add the green beans and toss everything together.

7.Turn off the burner, put a lid on the pan and set aside while the chicken finishes cooking.

Related Posts:

Indian Butter Chicken

Low Carb Grilled Chicken Indian Style

Low Carb Dinner: Tortilla Pizza and Salad

2011-09-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

This low carb tortilla pizza and salad was dinner a few weeks ago. Quick and simple,which was what we needed as it was one of those crazy busy nights.

The trick to a crisp 'thin crust' pizza effect when using low carb tortillas, is not using a lot of sauce and baking the pizza for a loooooong time.

I've also noticed the tortillas tend to get damp once the package is opened, so be sure to store them in an air tight container.

I use just one spoonful of sauce and spread it very thinly. For those that like more sauce, a cup of marinara is provided for dipping.

Low Carb Two Week Meal Plan

2011-08-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Summer is winding down and we are actually managing to get tired of our grill menu. Believe it or not, I find myself yearning for soup and cold weather casseroles.

Yes, I do kick myself. Because the heat will be gone before we know it and then we'll have the cold to whine about. I am trying to savor the season, but the food is getting old.

So, in an effort to spice things up, I put together this two week menu plan. Still lots of grilling, but also new flavors and foods we haven't seen in a while.

Plus, even though the cold weather is more than a month away, I do need to get cracking on the crockpot as school is starting and time is more limited than ever. We need dinner to be ready and waiting for us so we're not late to various evening commitments.

Another tricky day for us, dinner-wise, is Sunday. Dinner needs to be done early so hubby can make it to various evening engagements. The thing is, I always forget, and,too many times, he's left the house without eating. So I came up with the idea of an Eastern European Antipasto platter. Smoked kielbasa, cheese, veggies, pickles and olives. No cooking required and minimal prep. Perfect! I'll be sure to post pics once I make it.

Okay, enough talk, here's the menu.

Low Carb Two Week Menu

1.Flank steak fajitas in lettuce

2.Grilled Chicken with crudites (cucumber, peppers, carrots)

3.Chicken Broccoli Divan Casserole

4.Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash

5.Roast Beef with gravy and green beans

6.Sunday Eastern European Antipasto x 2--brie, cheese, olives, fresh veggies and smoked kielbasa

7.Bunless cheeseburgers with rutabaga fries

8. Spaghetti over high protein soy noodles

9. Taco salad with ground turkey

10.Chili dogs without the bun

11. Kielbasa on the grill or in the slow cooker with sauerkraut

7 Days of Low Carb Grillin'

Low Carb Appetizer: String Beans and Hummus

2011-08-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Depending on your low carb plan, hummus may or may not be 'forbidden'. However, it is relatively low carb and an easy way to throw together a party appetizer everyone will enjoy. I say go for it.

Which is exactly what I did on our recent vacation. Green beans are great hummus dippers. I wouldn't have guessed they would be so tasty, but wow, they are really yummy.

People gobbled them up, thrilled with the flavor and the fact that this was a truly good-for-you delicious snack.

Ingredients

12 to 16oz of store-bought or homemade hummus
1 1/2 lbs Green beans (I used one package each of green and yellow beans with the stems already trimmed for me)

Instructions

1.Bring a pot of water to a boil.

2.Quickly blanch beans for roughly 2 minutes. I found one minute wasn't enough, but 2 minutes had them still crispy yet not too hard.

3.Remove beans from water with tongs.

4. Arrange on a plate and serve.

Low Carb Cookies: Molasses Crackle Top Cookies

2011-08-06T16:56:00.001-07:00

My claim to fame as a baker are molasses crackle top cookies and this gluten free, sugar free version of the recipe is quite tasty. It also looks like a regular 'ol crackle top and I would bet some people won't be able to tell the difference.

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies and would be perfect for the holidays.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar blend (don't recommend using other sweeteners in this recipe as this isn't just adding sweetness, but also flavor)
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tbsps. blackstrap molasses
2 tbsps. cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground cloves
1/2 tbsps. ground ginger
2 1/4 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking soda

Cookie coating (optional)

1/4 cup regular white sugar

Instructions:

1.Combine butter and Splenda brown sugar blend in mixer.

2.Add in vanilla, egg, molasses and spices and blend.

3.Add almond flour and baking soda and blend.

4.Roll dough (which can be sticky) into balls about the size of a ping-pong ball.

5.Dip balls in sugar (optional).

6.Place dough on cookie sheet and press down gently with fingers, forming as close to a circle as you can.

7.Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes. I start with 10 minutes and then check, adding time based on how far along the cookies are at the 10 minute mark.

8.Let cool and enjoy!

Also pictured in those last two pictures are my low carb lemon sugar cookies.

Low Carb Cookies: Lemon 'Sugar' Cookies

2011-08-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

These cookies have just a touch of sweetness and a lovely lemon flavor that would go well with tea or coffee.

They can be made either sugar free or reduced sugar (which is what I give my toddler).

The recipe makes a few cookies more than 12, with the exact number depending on how big you want them to be.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sweetener (either honey, Truvia, or Splenda)
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 1/4 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
Zest of one lemon

Cookie coating (optional)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup regular white sugar, optional

You can either use both the sugar and coconut together or each alone or skip them altogether.

Instructions:

1.Combine butter and sweetener in mixer and blend.

2.Add in vanilla, egg and lemon zest, blend.

3.Add almond flour and baking soda and blend.

4.Roll dough (which can be sticky) into balls about the size of a ping-pong ball.

5.Dip balls in coating as desired.

6.Place dough on cookie sheet and press down gently with fingers, forming as close to a circle as you can.

7.Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes. I start with 10 minutes and then check, adding time based on how far along the cookies are at the 10 minute mark.

8.Let cool and enjoy!

Note the last two pics include the molasses crackle top cookie dough, which is why there are yellow and dark brown cookies. In case you were wondering! The gluten free low carb molasses crackle top cookie recipe will be posted next.

Three Quick WooHoos!

2011-08-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

1.The little salad ebook I did (as an experiment) hit #4 on the Kindle top seller list for salads.That was exciting. (You can see it in the sidebar over there, just scroll down a bit.)

2.My copycat Longhorn chili recipe was published in a newsletter. A nice compliment because they found me and asked to use it.

3.After a seven month weight loss stall due to medical issues, I have finally started losing weight again.

YAY!

Low Carb Grilled Chicken Indian Style

2011-07-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

This recipe takes the flavors of my Indian Butter Chicken and makes them into a grill rub.

I invited my toddler to make the marinade with me and she had a ton of fun smelling all the spices. It was nice to spend time making something healthy as opposed to the more traditional carb-laden baking our culture tends to do with kids.

This chicken is a nice change of pace from BBQ and all the usual summer grill flavors. This is deliciously different and low carb!

Ingredients:

4 Chicken breasts
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
2 tbsps. garam masala
2 tsp. chili powder
2tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ cup oil

Instructions

1.Mix all the spices and herbs and oil in a dish.

2. Slice chicken breasts in half to reduce grilling time and add to the dish.

3.Stir and let marinate 6-8 hours (or overnight).

4.Grill until done.

5.Top with fresh cilantro.

Low Carb Asian Flank Steak

2011-07-16T16:34:00.001-07:00

This is an unusual recipe because it uses no sugar. When was the last time you saw an Asian recipe that didn't list sugar??? I think this was the first time for me.

I had flank steak. I needed a recipe and ended up using this one as inspiration. I made some changes.

I always make changes. That's the Joy of Cooking. The ultimate in personalization.

Anyway, this Asian flank steak is succulent and would be delish in an Asian lettuce 'taco' or in a salad. Or, you could just eat it plain, like I did. Because it was too good to stop eating and make anything else.

I had it for lunch the next day as well. Yum!

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 of a fresh lemon, juiced
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 flank steak, fat trimmed

Instructions

1.Combine the marinade ingredients. This is not the wettest marinade, there's not a lot of liquid, don't panic.

2.With your hands, slather the marinade on the steak and place in Tupperware (or other dish with lid). Seal container and marinate overnight.

3.Grill until done.

4.Slice very thinly across the grain to serve. Use the sharpest knife you have.

Low Carb Lunch: No Cooking!

2011-06-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do in warm weather is slave over a hot stove.

So this lunch really hit the spot. No cooking and minimal clean up yet still full of yumminess.

What's in the picture?

Left over brat reheated in the microwave served with brie and sliced pickling cucumbers with a pinch of sea salt.

Took less than five minutes to pull together.

Remember, whenever you are cooking, especially in the summer months where there's a lot more fun stuff to do than cook, throw a few extra whatever on the grill for a quick no cook dinner/lunch later in the week.

Low Carb Meal Plan: 7 Days of Low Carb Grillin'

2011-06-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here are seven simple ways to grill dinner. No muss, no fuss. One for every day of the week. All you need are some spices, meat and a grill.

Note: Chicken and brats are ideal for making extra to use for lunch the next day or for whipping up a super quick dinner later in the week.

Also, recipes below make four servings.

1.Italian marinated chicken. (Pictured above with green beans and a plate of crudites in the background.)

Recipe:
4 chicken breasts
1 bottle Italian salad dressing (cheap off brand is fine).

Instructions:The morning of, dump dressing in a bag, add chicken, seal and marinate.

2.Kielbasa or brats.

Instructions: Open package and grill. This is a great meal for the busiest day of your week as it couldn't be simpler. You can even grill these a day or two in advance so all that needs to be done is reheat and plate 'em up.

3.Bunless cheese burgers.

Instructions:Form patties and grill, topping with cheese in the last 30-45 seconds of cooking. ( Cajun burger alternative: use1 tbsp of cajun seasoning per burger along with 2 tbsps of bleu cheese--mix into meat and form patties.)

4. Cajun chicken.

Recipe:
4 chicken breasts
4 tbsps. cajun spice mix,
4 tbsps. Splenda brown sugar blend.

Instructions: Mix spices and Splenda, rub on chicken and grill.

5. Paprika pork chops.

Recipe:
4 pork chops
2 tbsps hot paprika
2tbsps sweet paprika
2 tbsps Splenda brown sugar blend
2 tbsps garlic powder,
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp caraway seed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3-4 tbsps olive oil.

Instructions:Combine spices and olive oil, rub mix on meat and grill.

6. Tex-Mex flank steak.

Mustard is fantastic in a marinade and is what makes this grilling recipe smokin' awesome.

Recipe:
1 flank steak
1 cup mustard--you want Stadium or Dijon mustard.
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Instructions:

Mix mustard and spices, slather on meat and let marinate either overnight or for 6 to 8 hours.

7.Chicken marinated in garlic.

Don't let this simple recipe fool you, the marinade yields succulent, flavorful chicken.

Recipe:
4 chicken breasts
1 to 1 1/2 cup olive oil
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Instruction:
Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, add chicken and marinate overnight. Grill on foil (to keep the oil from smoking).

And voila! There you have it, a week of low carb summer grilling. I hope this makes your summer meal planning a little less painful.

Not sure what to serve on the side? We do a lot of simple salads. Just buy a big tub of organic spinach from the local warehouse club (i.e. Costco) and it will last you about 4 days. To keep it interesting we vary the cheese we use, the veggies (carrots, cucumbers, peppers) and the salad dressing (ranch, ceasar, bleu cheese etc...).

Low Carb Appetizers: Brie and Fruit

2011-06-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Brie is usually served with grapes, which are sweet little sugar bombs. Not for the low carb set.

So I thought I would try brie with strawberries instead. It was good.

This would make a nice summer appetizer.

Becoming a Slave

2011-05-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

So basically, I've not been feeling so hot and, thus, haven't been cooking as much. Which, in turn, means not as many recipes here.

When I do cook?

I'm making those low carb cookies I posted a few weeks ago.

When I'm not making the cookies I'm taking pictures of them, trying to get used to my new camera. (As you can tell, this is going to take a while.)

And when I'm done taking pictures, I eat the cookies.

Because they are deeeelicious!

Rinse and repeat.

These cookies should come with a warning.

Low Carb Salads: Goat Cheese, Blueberries and Spinach

2011-05-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a salad that will get your goat.

Okay, bad pun, but I couldn't resist.

This is an easy-peasy salad. It looks gourmet. It tastes gourmet.

But all you have to do to make this fabulous healthy salad?

Assemble it.

Yep, that's it. Just put Tab A into Slot B.

Nothing fancy about it other than its looks and taste. I swear.

The goat cheese melds well with the mild sweetness of the blueberries, and the salad gets a zing of contrast from Balsamic dressing. Top with grilled chicken to make a complete low carb meal.

This is a great salad to take to work for lunch. Or to pack on a picnic.

The next time you're grilling dinner? Throw on a couple extra chicken breasts, put this salad on the meal plan and get a head start on the next night's dinner.

Oh! And I know goat cheese is expensive. The best price is often at warehouse stores like Costco. You can also opt for other cheeses, such as gouda, or bleu cheese or even a nice parmesan. Don't let mere cheese hold you back, pick something on sale or that otherwise fits your budget (or, you know, join Costco).

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 plastic tub of organic spinach (gotta get organic, spinach is a heavy pesticide crop)
4 oz. goat cheese
12 Thinly sliced red onion rings (about 3 per person)
1/2 cup roasted nuts: walnuts, pecans or almonds, your choice
1/2 cup blueberries
Balsamic dressing (store bought, look for the lowest carb count)

Instructions:

1.Put spinach in a bowl. (Or, to make individual servings, just divide all the ingredients in fourths on plates.)

2.Top with onion.

3.Sprinkle with nuts and berries.

4.Scatter goat cheese on top.

5.Add sliced grilled chicken.

6.Serve with balsamic vinaigrette.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

2011-04-26T13:07:00.001-07:00

These cookies were inspired by this recipe from the food fabulous All Day I Dream About Food blog. I had to adapt it as I didn't have all the ingredients on hand.

They look good, they taste good. Like a chocolate chip cookie. Yum. The recipe makes a nice cookie, perfect for packing as a snack.

I actually made them in anticipation of a farm visit/picnic tomorrow with my toddler, which, unfortunately, has since been canceled due to inclement weather. (It's been a rowdy Spring.)

The recipe is more a moderate carb one, not for anyone adhering to strict low carb for weight loss.

Here's how I made them.

Ingredients for 12 cookies

-1/3 cup Truvia (Splenda Brown Sugar blend)
-1/4 cup butter, melted
-1 tbsp vanilla extract
-1 egg
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 1/4 cups almond flour
-1/4 cup dried cherries (or other add ins such as cranberries or walnuts)
-1/2 cup Ghiradelli chocolate chips 60% cacao (naturally low carb)

Note: If you want to reduce the carbs, leave out the dried fruit and reduce the amount of chocolate to 1/4 cup.

Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Cream sweetener and butter, then add the vanilla and egg. Mix until all wet ingredients are incorporated.

3.Add salt and baking soda.

4.Mix in the 2 1/4 cups almond flour.

5.Stir in the chocolate chips and cherries (or whatever add ins you are using)

6.Form into balls about the size of a ping-pong ball. Place on cookie sheet and flatten with your hands (they will not spread otherwise).

7.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until they just start to brown on top. (The first time you make these, check them at the 8 minute mark to gauge how they are baking in your oven, just to be safe.)

8.Let cool for a few minutes before moving, otherwise cookies may fall apart. Cooling allows them to 'set' after which point they will not crumble and will behave like a good little cookie.

Low Carb Turkey Cheese Bake

2011-04-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

This casserole yields a fair amount of leftovers, which is why I like to make it a few days before my busiest day. The leftovers are a quick and ready dinner for those nights I need to get out the door by 5pm.

Also, I'm actively trying to cut the amount of time I spend cooking in anticipation of warmer weather. I don't know about you, but I want to spend Spring outside and Summer at the beach, not sweating in the kitchen.

So I'm making a lot of meals that can be served again a few days later. Living a leftover life, that's me!

Anyway, this casserole bake is a twist on an old church pot luck recipe. It's comfort food without the carbs. It's also a very flexible recipe, don't be afraid to toss in veggies that are languishing in the fridge even if they aren't on the ingredient list. (Dirty secret: I put spinach in this time. Next time it might be broccoli.)

Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8-10 servings

1 pkg ground turkey (can, of course, substitute ground beef)
1 onion diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1 1/2 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cans tomato sauce (total of 15-16oz)
Salt
Pepper
Veggies of your choice--I used spinach and some diced Hungarian hot peppers
2 cups cauliflower cooked and coarsely mashed (we're going for lumpy, not smooth) OR Carba-Nada noodles

Instructions

1.Saute onion in olive oil (along with peppers if you're using them) and add turkey.

2.Once turkey is cooked through, add tomato sauce. Stir until warm and set aside.

3.Cook noodles, if you're using them and/or prep the cauliflower. Set aside.

4.Mix sour cream and cottage cheese together and season well with salt and pepper.

Tip: Use a fairly large bowl due to step 5.

5. Combine pasta or cauliflower with the sour cream/cottage cheese mix.

6.In a 9x13 casserole dish, alternately layer meat, cheese mix, and shredded cheese.

7.Top with cheese and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

Dinner the Other Night

2011-04-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

This was dinner the other night. BBQ chicken and my Longhorn BLT Salad--I really love Balsamic Glaze, that is good stuff.

BBQ sauce is not generally low carb, but the amount is negligible so I don't worry about it. Especially if the rest of the day was very low carb, which it was in this case.

Nacho Snack

2011-04-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

The other night, I was in the mood to munch. So I popped a low carb tortilla in the microwave and made chips.

Then topped the chips with cheese and nuked until melted. Served with a side of fresh salsa, extra cilantro and yum!

Low Carb Salads: Strawberry Spinach Parmesan Salad

2011-04-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely Spring salad that shows off strawberries to their advantage. It's also a no recipe salad; all about the ingredients and the way their flavors play off each other with zero cooking.

The sweet flavor notes of the strawberries kiss the tang of balsamic in a really wonderful way. I see now why balsamic vinegar and fruit is sometimes served as a dessert.

Then you have the saltiness of the cheese with the zing of onion. Very nice.

Pair with a nice grilled steak or chicken for a fast, elegant meal.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

-Fresh strawberries, roughly 2-3 strawberries per person
-Very thinly sliced red onion, about 1/4 of the onion
-8 oz. Good quality shaved Parmesan cheese--2 oz per person
-1 tub organic spinach
-Balsamic salad dressing (I used Ken's Creamy Balsamic Dressing which is a bit carby, but it tasted great.)

Instructions

1.Wash what needs washing.

2.Slice the strawberries and onion.

3.Build your salad.

Enjoy!

Dead or Alive?

2011-04-12T15:11:00.001-07:00

I'm here! Sorry for the long break.

Food has gone on the back burner for a bit. I have lots of projects to juggle and I dropped Kicking Carbs!

But more recipes will be coming.

Right now, I'm impatiently waiting for Spring. I have a list of grill marinades as long as my leg to try.

Bear with me!

Low Carb Kids: Yet Another Toddler Lunch

2011-04-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

The toddler is obsessed with hot dogs and cottage cheese, so those were her favorite parts of this meal.

The broccoli slaw has about a 30% chance of being eaten at any given meal. On this day, she fed it to the dogs.

Sigh.

Low Carb Root Beer Float

2011-03-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is in no way shape or form good for you, BUT it is sinfully delicious and a perfect complement to a hot summer's night.

(Okay, it's not summer yet, but it's coming and I will totally be drinking this in August.)

Plus, it's about as easy to make as peeling a banana.

The heavy whipping cream gives you that melted vanilla ice cream taste and the frozen Cool Whip is a great stand in for ice cream.

Note that low carb ice creams such as Breyer's Carb Smart do not work. They ice up and the root beer destroys the ice cream texture.

Ingredients for one

1 can Diet A&W Root Beer
Scoop of frozen Cool Whip OR 2-3 tbsp heavy whipping cream OR both!

Instructions

1.Pour heavy whipping cream into a tall glass.
2.Add root beer.
3.Top with Cool Whip.

Weekend Low Carb Menu Plan

2011-03-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Weekend menu plan is shaping up as follows:

Friday: BLTs wrapped in low carb tortillas and homemade tomato soup

Saturday: Kielbasa, kraut, rutabaga and carrots in slow cooker

Sunday:Taco Salad

I have a few new recipes in the pipeline. Waiting on a few things one of which is a new camera so I can take pictures again. That should arrive next week.

What's for dinner this weekend on your end?

Low Carb Salads: Grilled Chicken Salad

2011-03-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

This salad is beyond simple, but also delicious. You probably already make it, but I thought I'd put the recipe up for anyone who doesn't know about the miracle of using Italian salad dressing to marinate meat.

Plus, I love the pic of this salad. So pretty!
Ingredients

Chicken
Italian salad dressing
Lettuce and veggies for salad

Tip: Grill some extra chicken so you have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Instructions

1.Marinate chicken in Italian Salad Dressing (generic brand costs about $1.20) overnight or for at least 6 hours.

2.Grill chicken.

3.Serve atop fresh greens with your choice of low carb salad dressing.

Note there's no cheese in this recipe. Which is nice. Because sometimes low carb salads rely too heavily on cheese for flavor. In this salad, all the flavor comes from the marinade.

Low Carb Salads: Asian Broccoli Coleslaw

2011-03-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

This Asian inspired sweet-sour coleslaw recipe can be made ahead and munched on all week long. It does best if you make it the day before you plan to eat it, as this gives the flavors time to meld together.

The dressing should be made to taste, so consider the recipe amounts as a starting place and adjust flavor from there. You may want to add more soy sauce or ketchup or sweetener or vinegar depending on your taste buds.

Pair grilled chicken with this coleslaw for a filling low carb meal.

The recipe is part of my Scrumptious Salads ebook available on Amazon.com for just 99 cents.

Low Carb Kids: Another Toddler Lunch

2011-02-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

The toddler had scrambled eggs with cheese, salsa and kiwi for lunch. She really enjoyed spooning the salsa onto her eggs.

The only drawback to this lunch was, I should have made more eggs!

Slow Cooker Low Carb: Longhorn Steakhouse Chili Recipe

2011-02-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

I love the Longhorn chili and order it almost every time we go there. Even over and above steak, which is saying something.

Here's my interpretation of the Longhorn chili recipe using the slow cooker (or crockpot as some like to call it). It tastes pretty darn close to the real deal. Try it and tell me what you think.

If you haven't had Longhorn Steakhouse chili, it's an all meat chili with about 9g carbs (per their nutrition information) featuring large chunks of red pepper and sweet onion with a bright tomato flavor. Very yummy.

Note this is a two pan recipe. Sorry! I wish you could just dump everything in the slow cooker and go, but that's not how you get the best flavor. You're going to do some sauteing and then dump everything in the slow cooker with this recipe. The pan won't be too messy. Promise.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
2 tbsps. chili powder
1tbsp. cumin powder
1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
1 sweet onion quartered
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar medium salsa (any brand)
2 tbsps. olive oil
Shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Tip: Remember to not touch your eyes or other sensitive areas after handling jalapenos.

Instructions
1. Saute onion and jalapenos in olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

2.Add chili and cumin once the onion and jalapenos have started to brown. Stir.

3. Add ground beef, being careful not to mince it into small chunks. You want some small meatball sized pieces of beef, not finely ground beef, chunks make for a nicer chili. Brown for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently.

4.Transfer beef, onion, jalapenos and spices to a slow cooker. Gently stir in tomatoes, salsa, red pepper and onion.

Tip: Put some water in your pan for easier cleaning.

5.Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Low Carb Kids: The Lunch the Toddler Made for Herself

2011-02-20T05:12:00.000-08:00

This is what my toddler choose to have for lunch the other day. Not too shabby.

-Greek yogurt with some reduced sugar strawberry jam and vanilla mixed in

-Kiwi

-Lettuce with ranch dressing and 1tbsp shredded cheese

She ate every bite.

Low Carb Meals:Faking Palak Paneer the Quick and Easy Way

2011-02-18T15:26:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have not yet had Indian food, Palak Paneer consists of cubes of cheese and fresh spinach in a tomato sauce. It's yummy. It's vegetarian for those of us who want to do a low carb vegetarian meal and I pulled it together in 30 minutes, from start to finish.

While this Palak Paneer is not exactly authentic as I had to make some substitutions and took liberties with spice choices, but it is delicious, easy to make and a great addition to the low carb cooking repertoire. It builds on the Indian Butter Chicken recipe I posted previously.

(By the way, for the uninitiated who want to try Indian cuisine, but don't have an Indian restaurant nearby, Amy's brand of organic frozen meals has a few Indian dishes. You could try one or two of those to see if you like the flavors.)

Ingredients for 6 to 8 servings

1 large onion, diced
3 tbsp. ginger, minced (peel the remaining root and freeze for future use)
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsps. garam masala
2 tsp. chili powder
2tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 cans tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth if you're going for a strictly vegetarian meal)
1 package fresh organic spinach
1 cup cream (optional, traditionally palak paneer has no cream, but we happen to like it with cream, it's your call.)
1 tbsps. butter
1 pkg. Queso Fresco cheese (this is a Mexican cheese that is similar to the Indian paneer cheese, but unlike paneer, Queso Fresco is readily available at most grocery stores.)

Other ideas: Grated zucchini would be a good way to boost the veggie content of this dish.

Instructions
1.Saute onion, 3 tbsp. ginger and jalapeno pepper in butter until browned.

2.Add in 2 minced garlic cloves, 4 tsps. garam masala, 2 tsp. chili powder, 2 tsp. cardamom, 1 tsp. coriander. Saute for 1 minute.

3.Pour in chicken broth and scrape bottom of pan to get up the brown bits.

4. Add in spinach (plus zucchini if you're using it) and let simmer until wilted.

5. Add tomato paste and stir until combined.

6.Add in cream followed by cheese, stirring until warm. Note: Don't 'cook' it with the cheese as the cheese will get soft. Add the cheese, stir to heat and remove from stove.

7. Serve over cauliflower (mashed, riced, etc...).

Low Carb Cheesecake

2011-02-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple recipe for low carb cheesecake that I think is really yummy. Cheesecake is the perfect low carb dessert.

I'm giving you a 1/2 and full recipe here so you can customize how much cheesecake you end up with. 1/2 a recipe will give you a small cheesecake, perfect for the heart shaped cheesecake pans I used for Valentine's day. The full recipe will fill a traditional cheesecake pan.

Crust is optional. I don't use one. I don't know about you, but I never eat cheesecake for the crust so why bother with the carbs?

Ingredients

1/2 Recipe (4 to 6 servings)

1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Splenda or Truvia
2 tbsp. Truvia (optional and only if using Splenda)
1 pkg. cream cheese

Full Recipe (8 to 12 servings)

2 eggs
2tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Splenda or Truvia
2 tbsps Truvia (optional and only if using Splenda)
2 pkgs. cream cheese

Topping
2 tbsps. Reduced Sugar Strawberry Jam (or fresh berries if available)

Instructions

1.Mix eggs, vanilla, sour cream and sweetener until incorporated.

2. Soften cream cheese in microwave in 20 to 30 second bursts. Be careful, it can get hot.

3. Stir cream cheese until smooth.

4.Add cream cheese to sour cream mix and stir to combine. Use a hand blender or whisk to whip out any lumps.

5.Pour into a baking container; cheesecake pan or pyrex or what have you and back at 325F. For the half recipe, back for roughly 20 minutes. For the full recipe, 30-40 minutes. You know when it's done when it has the slightest jiggle in the middle. If it looks slightly undercooked, it's perfect and time to remove it from the oven.

Tip: Use a non-stick spray on your pan, even if it is a non-stick pan to avoid sticking.

6.Let cool on counter and then in fridge. Top with strawberries or reduced strawberry jam right before serving.

Carb count stacks up like so for the entire cheesecake:

Full: 87 g total carbs, 61g carbs net

Half: 44g total carbs, 30.5 carbs net

My half recipe would easily yield 6 good sized servings which would be about 5g net carbs per piece.

If You Love Yourself, Eat Rutabaga

2011-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've been buying up every Rutabaga I can find. Seriously.

And making fries.

And arguing with my husband about who gets to eat the last of the fries.

Yes, we are arguing.

Over rutabaga.

Which is like the nerdiest of the nerd veggies, am I right?

They make such good fries.

(Although fair warning, they aren't terribly crispy, but you won't care, promise.)

This last time, I added in some McCormick Rotisserie Chicken seasoning.

I think I'm in love.

This Valentine's Day, find some Rutabaga and fall in love yourself.

The Palate of Low Carb

2011-02-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

Today we went through the drive-thru at McDonalds. As much as we low carb and focus on whole foods, we are still part of a larger culture that I grew up with. I've been nutritionally warped by my carby childhood. While I contain it as best I can, it's impossible, if not impractical, to dodge all the carb loaded bullets our culture shoots at people.

Sugar happens. So does junk food. I try not to be obsessive about it.

Also, I subscribe to the belief that if I deny my child every little thing, it'll cause problems later. So every once in a while, she gets a happy meal (fruit instead of fries) and I get a salad or have a bunless burger. Then my toddler goes and runs until she's sweaty in the play area.

However, today, I had no interest in ordering any food for myself. It just didn't appeal to me when I knew I could make a much better meal at home.

And that's what I did.

My palate, it is a-changing.

It has been a slow process, one that has taken years, but I can now taste how sweet red peppers are. In fact, I don't like them as much as green peppers. A few years ago, I wouldn't have tasted the difference.

I recently had a run-in with mass produced icing and you know what it tasted like to me?

Chemicals.

All too often now when I have a processed and refined carby treat, it just doesn't taste good. I like my low carb food better.

Last year we went on a quickie weekend vacation to a rural area. No restaurants except for fast food. I did the low carb fast food thing for a while, but found nothing tasted good. Even when I indulged in fries or pizza, it tasted bad. It was a miserable weekend because the food sucked and my body felt yucky trying to process all the junk.

Is there anything worse than eating food from your carb heyday and finding out how truly awful it is? Especially if you've built it up in your head as something that is going to be amazing because it tasted so so so good in the past?

The food hasn't changed, I have.

Is your palate different now too?

Low Carb Meal: Pork Goulash

2011-02-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that my husband is from Eastern Europe? And that the food he grew up on is delish and fairly low carb?

The other day I had some pork chops in the fridge waiting for me to do something with them and I was just uninspired. All cooked out.

So I fell back on an old Eastern European standby: Goulash.

This goulash consists of pork and sauerkraut in a cream sauce.

Yes, really. Sauerkraut and cream. I know it sounds weird but it works, trust me. This is also one of those recipes that makes for a good amount of leftovers. One batch fed us for two dinners.

Ingredients for 4 to 6 servings

3 thick boneless pork chops or 2lbs pork loin, fat trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced or a dash of garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 to 4 cups of chicken broth or water
1 jar Vlasic sauerkraut (I think Vlasic is the best brand)
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp butter
Olive oil

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil and butter.

2.Saute onions and garlic until browned.

3.Sprinkle salt and pepper on meat and add to the pan. Sear quickly.

4.Add broth or water* to just the top of the meat. Don't cover, you want them poking through a bit.

*This recipe is traditionally made with just water, but I like the extra omph of the broth.

5.Cover pan, turn down heat and let simmer for a good 40 to 60 minutes. This tenderizes the meat. Check and stir every so often, adding more liquid as necessary to keep the pan from going dry. Although note that you don't have to cover the meat as much once the first batch of liquid reduces off, just keep the pan wet.

6.Drain the sauerkraut and rinse thoroughly with water. This is the single most important step of this recipe. A good rinse is key because you want to take out as much of the sour flavor as possible. Go ahead and taste it as you rinse, you'll be able to tell if it needs more rinsing. Once it's rinsed, let it sit to drain.

7.When the meat is cooked through, add the kraut. Cook until kraut is heated.

8. To finish off the goulash, add the cream and cook until the remaining liquid has reduced and thickened a bit into a nice cream sauce.

Note: At this point in the recipe you want most of the broth to have cooked off, there should just be about 1 1/2 cups liquid left in the entire pan. If you have too much liquid, strain some off.

Low Carb Fries Made With Rutabaga

2011-02-06T11:45:00.001-08:00

Years and years ago I read that Rutabagas make a good low carb fry. However, I could never find them at the grocery store.

Well, now, all of a sudden, they are everywhere and I finally got to make rutabaga fries.

The verdict? They are really a pretty close match to french fries. Very similar to a potato in flavor and mouth feel, maybe an 85% match. They have a subtle peppery zing to them not unlike a parsnip only way milder and I prefer the mildness--parsnips are not my favorite.

I will definitely be buying every rutabaga I see and freezing them for future use. We all enjoyed my first ever batch of rutabaga fries and there's potential for home fries and mashed 'potatoes' as well.

Instructions:
1.Simply peel the rutabaga and cut into uniform sized pieces.

2.Toss with olive oil until well coated.

3.Sprinkle with seasonings of your choices (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder and a dash of paprika).

4.Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes. Check and stir them a few times while cooking.

Note that carb content is 15g per one cup with 3g fiber, so 12g net carbs. For comparison a small potato has around 30g carbs total, 26g net carbs (and that's without any breading that is used to make fries).

Low Carb No Bake Cookies

2011-02-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had those no bake cookies with peanut butter, cocoa and oatmeal? This is a nice low carb interpretation of that recipe. Surprisingly good and simple. I particularly like the coconut flavor in this recipe.

No picture at the moment, because, well, the cookies look kind of like poo. I couldn't get an attractive picture, but hope to come back and add one in the future.

Here's the recipe for about 12 tiny cookies.

Ingredients

4 tbsps. melted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbsps. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup salted sunflower seeds (optional)
1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)
3 tbsp. Splenda brown sugar blend (or 5 tbsps of Splenda and no Truvia)
2 tbsps. Truvia (or 5 tbsps of Truvia and no Splenda)

Instructions

1. Add and mix ingredients in the order listed.

2.Form balls and then press down with a fork (kind of like how you make peanut butter cookies).

3.Chill in fridge until set.

Bowl Lickin' Indian Butter Chicken

2011-01-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

I love Indian cuisine. Love love love LOVE. If I could bathe in curry, I would. Unfortunately, making Indian food at home has not been easy for me. For years, I've read recipes and daydreamed, but never found one that met me where I was at as a cook.

Well, this past week, that all changed as I finally found a recipe that worked. This Indian Butter Chicken is easy to make, comes together quickly and will seduce you with its exotic flavor. It is richly satisfying.

Here's how good it is: My picky toddler? Took the bowl away from her father and ate his entire adult-sized portion. She licked the bowl.

Licked. The. Bowl.

Made her momma proud, oh yes she did.

Note that the recipe does require a bit of an investment in spices, roughly $20 by my calculations. However, if you love Indian food as much as I do, it's worth it.
Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 large onion, diced
3 tbsp. ginger, minced (peel the remaining root and freeze for future use)
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsps. garam masala
2 tsp. chili powder
2tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 cans tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
4 tbsps. butter
Fresh cilantro

Optional: Fresh spinach which can be added to the sauce to boost the nutritional value.

Instructions
1.Saute onion, 3 tbsp. ginger and jalapeno pepper until browned.

2.Add in 2 minced garlic cloves, 4 tsps. garam masala, 2 tsp. chili powder, 2 tsp. cardamom, 1 tsp. coriander. Saute for 2 minutes.

3.Add tomato paste and chicken broth, stir to combine.

4.Add in cream and turn burner down to low.

5.In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and 1tbsp butter. When hot, add chicken and saute until brown.

6.Add sauce and remaining 3 tbsp butter and simmer until chicken is done, about 20 minutes. (If using spinach, add it once the chicken is cooked through.)

7. Serve over cauliflower (mashed, rice, etc...) and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Yummy Low Carb Breakfast Photo

2011-01-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

Had a delish breakfast today. 2 eggs scrambled in 1tbsp butter with 2 tbsp shredded cheese and fresh black berries on the side.

Yum!

What did you have for breakfast today?

Low Carb Salads: Longhorn BLT Salad with Balsamic Glaze

2011-01-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

Recently my husband was out of town for a week on business and it was just me and one very high energy toddler.

I took her swimming, to the library, to gym class, to dance class, to the store. Basically trotting all over town to keep her occupied.

One night, I just couldn't face cooking so we went to Longhorn, where I love love love their chili (totally low carb too at 9g carb per bowl). I also tried their BLT salad which made me check to be sure I hadn't died and gone to Low Carb Heaven. Sooooooo delish and it looked simple enough that I was pretty sure I could re-create it at home.

Here's the recipe. You HAVE to try this. The flavors are perfect for a salad and this would be an excellent choice for when people come over for dinner.

The combination of bacon with the creamy tang of ranch dressing and the dry saltiness of the cheese followed by the tart sweetness of the balsamic glaze is fantastic. This is really something special.

The recipe is part of my Scrumptious Salads ebook available on Amazon.com for just 99 cents.

Low Carb Garden Veggie Roll Ups with Bacon

2011-01-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

So the other day I posted the veggie cracker stacker recipe which makes a boat load of Ranch cream cheese spread.

Here's a tasty way to use that spread. I made these as a snack, but if you pack in enough bacon, you can make a meal.

Ingredients for however many you want to make:

Leafy lettuce such as green leaf or red leaf or romaine.
Veggies of your choice. We used carrots and peppers.
Bacon--1 to 2 slices per roll up.
Ranch cream cheese spread. (Click link for recipe.)

Instructions:

1.Wash and prep your veggies while the bacon cooks in the oven (390F for 15-18 minutes).

2.Smear cream cheese on lettuce, layer with bacon and veggies, roll up and eat.

.

MTM: Quesadilla Lunch for Toddlers (and Adults!) Plus How to Make Guacomole

2011-01-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

Here's our lunch today. A low glycemic fiesta with a low carb cheese quesadilla, homemade guacomole and fresh salsa (from the store).

Also, blueberries!!!! Squeeee! We love blueberries around these parts.

Not too much sugar. 10+ grams of fiber for the entire lunch and two servings of veggies.

If you haven't made guacomole before, it's super simple and a wonderful, fresh addition to your meals.

It's also something that's fun to do with toddlers. I let mine squeeze the lime while I prepped all the ingredients. She also got to stir and mash the avocado as well as add the salt. That passes for High Excitement in our house.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

1 avocado
1 garlic clove put through a presss
1/2 a lime
Salt to taste
Cilantro to taste

Instructions

1.Take a knife and run it in a circle around the avocado. Twist to pull apart from the large pit in the middle. With a spoon, scoop the avocado into a bowl.

2.Mash the avocado with a fork.

3.Squeeze lime over avocado.

4.Add some dashes of salt, the garlic and cilantro.

5.Taste and add more salt, lime or garlic as necessary.

Low Carb Dumpling Recipe

2011-01-20T18:05:00.000-08:00

Finally the dumpling recipe is ready!

Sorry the pics aren't great. Have I mentioned my camera is like 5 years old, which is ancient tech these days and the flash is like a car dealer spot light? It whites out everything.

Any way the recipe is an adaptation of the Matzo ball recipe from the Elana's Pantry cookbook.

Things you can make with this recipe include:

Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken Paprikash
Matzo Ball soup

Some experimental ideas:

Mac 'n' cheese 'gnocchi' type dumplings
'Gnocchi' with meat sauce

The dumplings are also simple to make and a really great addition to my repertoire of low carb recipes.

Ingredients for 16 to 18 dumplings for 5-6 servings (approximately 3-4g carbs per dumpling)

2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 cup almond flour

Instructions

1.Beat the eggs until fluffy.

2.Add the spices and almond flour.

3.Put dough in the freezer for 30 minutes or the fridge for an hour or two. You can get by with less chilling time, but forming the dumplings will be messier. If aesthetics are important to you, chill the dumplings.

NOTE: My dumplings were chilled in the fridge for maybe 15 minutes. I made them while also simultaneously giving a very tired toddler a bath. I did not have time for chilling. I'm not just talking about the dumplings either!

4.Bring a pot of water to a boil.

5.Form all your dumplings at the same time so they can go into the water about the same time.

6.Steam, with the lid on, for about 8 to 10 minutes. They will puff up and you'll see air pockets inside when cut, this means they are done.

MTM: Veggie Cracker Stackers Like Winning the Mom Olympics

2011-01-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

MTM stands for Muffin Tin Monday which is a thing where parents make amazing lunches in muffin tins.

It can get quite creative.

However, there is often a dearth of veggies and a heavy focus on carbs, so I thought I would submit this carb conscious meal with the veggie cracker stackers.

Okay, yes, those are chicken nuggets. They aren't too bad carb count wise. About 15g. My toddler actually didn't eat them. She fed them to the dogs. All she ate where the veggie cracker stackers and the kiwi. We are having a ton of success over here with these, she readily eats them and gets a full serving of raw, fresh veggies.

I am over the moon.

This is like winning the Mom Olympics.

Here's what they look like when they aren't stuffed in a muffin cup.

How to make veggie cracker stackers:

Ingredients:

Crackers--I used 5 Wheat Thins Fiber Select Garden Veggie flavor.
8 oz (1pkg) cream cheese
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 package of Hidden Valley Ranch mix
Veggies of your choice.
Cheese of your choice.

Instructions:

1.Nuke the cream cheese until soft, about 30 to 45 seconds.

2.Mix in the Ranch seasoning and 1/2 cup of sour cream, stir until combined.

3.Rinse and prep your veggies.

4.Using the Ranch cheese mix as 'glue' layer veggies and cheese on a cracker. Just a dab will do ya (and you'll have leftover cheese spread which can be used for other things or throughout the week to make more stackers. If that much leftover worries you, halve the cream cheese and sour cream amounts.)

Also, kids are great at making their own stackers so be sure to invite them to participate.

For low carbing parents, it would be very easy to make a LC garden veggie pizza on a Wasa cracker (you can even use those for the kids, but I like the small precut crackers better). Or check out my low carb nachos which are in a similar vein.

Low Carb Swedish Meatballs

2011-01-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, first, don't shoot me. I know people are waiting on the dumpling recipe. Here's the problem, I don't have any chicken. None. We tried to stop at Costco and they had the nerve to close for New Year's Day and we haven't been back (it's a bit of a trip). The local grocery store sells chicken I wouldn't feed to my dogs--frozen, refrozen and then sold at top dollar to unsuspecting consumers.

So. No dumplings. Yet.

But a Costco run is in the cards for later this week.

Sorry for the delay.

In the meantime, I'm cooking from my freezer stash and came up with a low carb Swedish Meatball that is so good, I hope you will be tempted to forgive me on the dumpling delay.

INGREDIENTS Serves 6

1 package ground turkey (around 1.5-2 lbs)
2 onions finely diced
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 egg
2 cans chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup flour (or use thicknthin low carb thickener)
Olive oil
2 tbsps. butter (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Cover bottom of frying pan with thin layer of olive oil, add in butter and let heat on medium heat. Preheat oven to 350F.

2.Moving fast, because the oil is heating, mix 1 onion, the egg, the spices and the meat. (If you don't like playing Beat the Clock when cooking, just mix up the meat first.)

3.Form meatballs and drop into pan.

4.Fry until brown on all sides. The meatballs are delicate so be gentle when turning them. A few will probably fall apart but that's okay.

5.Remove meatballs from pan and place in casserole dish.

6.Add the remaining onion and chicken stock to the frying pan. Scrape brown bits off bottom of pan.

7.Add in cream followed by flour and whisk rapidly to avoid lumps.

8.Pour gravy over meatballs.

9.Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve as is or over a low carb pasta or mashed cauliflower.

Cajun Bleu Burger

2011-01-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

This is a super tasty and simple burger recipe for those times you want something different. They have a nice kick from the Cajun spices followed by the sharpness of bleu cheese.

Ingredients

-Note: Quantities are per burger. Multiply by the number of people you are feeding to get total amounts.
-Ground beef 20% fat (or turkey if that is your thing)
-2 tbsp Bleu cheese crumbles per burger
-1 tbsp Onion, very finely chopped per burger
2 tsp or 1 tbsp per burger of Cajun seasoning blend (I've seen a few different brands and used them all)

Instructions

1.Hand mix ingredients until blended.

2.Form patties and cook.

3.Serve with caramelized onions and consider melting some cheddar cheese on top. Bacon would be good too.

Low Carb Breakfast Ideas

2011-01-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

Every New Year has people resolving to lose weight and many try a low carb diet, but have no idea what to eat.

Breakfast seems to be an especially challenging meal for many new low carbers. Particularly those that don't care for eggs.

I don't like eggs either, although I do eat them and even enjoy them at times. So I am a good person to ask "what should I eat for breakfast, if I don't like eggs?"

Here are some ideas.

1.Full fat cottage cheese. Just watch the amount as you don't want to over indulge. A serving is 1/2 cup.

2.Almond flour flax muffins. I make both a low carb chocolate muffin and low carb pumpkin cranberry muffin that even people who aren't low carbing love. These are not induction legal, but if you are really struggling with what to eat for breakfast and really hate eggs, they are a good option.

These muffins are also a good introduction to gluten free low carb baking and keep in the fridge for more than a week, making them a great on-the-go breakfast option.

3.Bacon Pepper Poppers. These could easily be assembled the night before and popped into the oven right before your morning shower.

4.Slice of cheese. Not usually enough calories, but fast and easy which is sometimes all you have time for

5.Bacon and sausage. Yes they are processed meats and salty, but still a good choice for breakfast. Now, if you eat them day in and day out all year long, that could be a problem, but once or twice a week is not bad. Also another food you can toss in the oven right before your shower. And easy to eat on the go.

Oh, speaking of processed meats, sometimes I buy a European salami (I'm lucky to live in a area with lots of European food stores) and just eat that in the morning with some cheese.

6.Leftovers or regular meals. This is the main piece of breakfast advice veteran low carbers give to newbies, however, I know I am picky in the morning. The last thing I want is roast beef, but this suggestion may work for you. There are few meals I like to eat in the morning for breakfast, chicken piccata for example always sounds like a good idea to my stomach at 6am.

Keep in mind not everything listed here is allowed on induction for most low carb diets. However, I have always played fast and loose with what was allowed for breakfast and never had a problem losing weight. Unless you have serious insulin resistance (and mine is pretty bad) I think you'll be okay. So if you are a picky morning eater like me, these ideas may help keep you on plan.

By the way, if you are not a picky eater, you should probably be eating eggs. (Try them hardboiled with a bit of butter on top. I set the water to boil while I get ready in the morning.)

Suggested Low Carb Diet Menu for the Beginner

2011-01-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to low carb eating. Also known as Primal, Paleo, Atkins, and South Beach. Whatever the name, they are all the same; a low carb diet.

If you have never been on a low carb diet before, you may be wondering what you should eat. Maybe you are a little stumped about how to make a low carb menu plan.

Well here is a basic menu plan that will keep you satisfied and away from carbs.

Breakfast
Eggs-scrambled, fried, hardboiled or poached--topped with a very small amount of cheese and served with bacon or sausage.

For mornings on the go, hardboiled seems to be easiest. Set the water to boil and go do something else to get ready to leave. Pop the eggs in for 10 minutes, do something else. Let cool and then crack and eat just before you're out the door. (Also cut in half and put a smidge of butter on top, delish!)

After you've done a week or two with eggs, you can switch to the low carb chocolate muffins for breakfast.

There are also low carb pancakes. But these are for after you've done a strict low carb diet for a while.

Tip: If you get bored with eggs, try scrambled eggs with a bit of cheese melted on top served with fresh salsa.

Lunch: Salad with protein
-Taco Salad
-Bacon Spinach Salad
-Greek Salad
-Chicken Cesar salad
-Cobb salad
-Tex Mex Flank Steak salad with roasted jalapeno onion chutney

Tip: Low carb dressings include; ranch, bleu cheese and cesar.

Dinner: Protein with green vegetable
-Roasted chicken with green beans
-Steak and asparagus...with butter
-Low Carb Chicken wings with celery and dip on the side
-Bunless burgers topped with swiss and sauteed mushrooms and onions
-Spaghetti meatballs with no pasta (use parmesan cheese instead of bread crumbs in the meatballs) and broccoli on the side
-Green bean casserole with chicken
-Pork with gravy and mashed cauliflower
-Ground Turkey Moussaka

Snacks
-Celery with bleu cheese dressing
-Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate
-Cheese
-Leftovers
-Pepper Poppers
-Lunch meat wrapped around cheese

If you are on a specific plan it is best to follow your plan, but I well remember how overwhelming the learning curve was. This menu will keep you out of trouble until you assimilate all the ins and outs of your low carb diet.

Also, see this link on Low Carb treats and snacks which will give you even more ideas.

Good luck!

Low Carb Kids: Lunch with Vegetables that Were Actually Consumed! By Actual Children!

2011-01-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here's the lunch I made my toddler today and it was a major SCORE! I am a very happy momma.

The menu?

Low Carb Swedish meatballs (recipe forthcoming)
Kiwi
Veggie stacker crackers
Water

The veggie stacker crackers were a divine inspiration. I used a garden veggie cream cheese as glue for a lettuce-cheese-lettuce stack.

Yes there were crackers. The highest fiber ones I could find. Small ones and I'm okay with some carbs in the toddler's diet.

The toddler helped assemble the crackers which helped pique her interest in actually eating them. I also promised her she wouldn't even taste the lettuce, which was true.

I have lots of ideas on how to expand on this idea. Finally a Good Idea when it comes to getting toddlers to eat their veggies.

By the way, here's my lunch. Which was equally delish. Swedish meatballs and sliced green pepper with some garden ranch dip.

Burgers!

2011-01-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

One thing I've never missed since going low carb is a hamburger bun. I just don't miss it. I actually prefer my burgers without buns.

I've also found that I really love to caramelize onions* in the oven and eat them on top of my burgers. So so so good.

How do you like your low carb burgers?

*Just slice the onions, toss with some olive oil and roast until brown at 390F to 400F. Takes about 20 minutes.

Leftover Ham Quiche-Souffle

2011-01-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

This is what you do with leftover holiday ham, make a quiche-souffle. There's no fixed recipe, it's whatever you have on hand.

-around 10 Eggs
-around 1/3 to 1/2 cup Heavy whipping cream
-Chopped veggies (1 onion and 1 red pepper this time)
-1 cup shredded Cheese
-around 1 cup chopped Ham

The most important thing is to have enough eggs that the batter is a bit soupy. Not a lot soupy, but a bit, like a river full of flood debris. There's a lot of stuff, but still enough liquid to slush around.

Mix vigorously and bake at 350F until it looks as lovely as the picture here.

Done = Not jiggly in the center. Can take up to an hour.

Low Carb Meals: Pork in Mushroom Gravy with Mashed Cauliflower

2011-01-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple meal that will stick to your ribs. I have become a big fan of pork chops with gravy and have come up with a spice blend for pork chops that is really tasty.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings

For the pork chops:

6 Pork chops
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp paprika
Button mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsps. flour

For the cauliflower:

2 bags frozen cauliflower
1 pkg. cream cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
Durkee fried onions

1. Oil large frying pan and heat on medium heat.

2.Chop onion and throw into pan.

3.Mix dry spices on plate and dip pork chops to coat.

4.Sear pork chops until brown. 2 minutes each side.

5.Transfer pork chops to casserole dish.

6.Add mushrooms to onions in pan and saute.

7. Add the stock and scrape pan before adding cream and whisking in the flour.

Note: Don't reduce to gravy in the pan, just heat to incorporate, the gravy will cook down in the oven.

8.Pour gravy over chops.

9.Bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes.

10. When you start to heat the oil in the frying pan for the chops, heat water to boil and cook the cauliflower until done.

11. Once chops are in the oven, mash the cauliflower with the cream cheese. (Don't dawdle here, you want to get this into the oven so it's done the same time as the chops!)

12. Mix in cheese and transfer to casserole dish.

13. Top with Durkee fried onions and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Did You Know? Bacon Cornucopias

2011-01-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

My big food frustration this winter has been the lack of Hungarian Hot peppers. Or any mild-medium hot pepper with which to make pepper poppers.

Darn it.

So one day I threw caution to the wind and just wrapped some bacon around blobs of cream cheese.

Huh.

Wouldn't have guessed that I would never miss the peppers.

Yum.

Low Carb Dumpling Preview

2011-01-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic of the low carb dumplings.Hard to get an attractive pic when chicken and dumplings, by definition, is slop in a bowl, but I tried.

See the paprika? That's me trying to make slop look like a supermodel.

I need another photo shoot. And a new camera.

I just have not had time to make them again--meal planning has not been my friend lately. But I did want to share this pic, a beacon of hope to all who just want to eat chicken and dumpling low carb style.

The recipe is coming. I promise.

Low Carb Salads: Face Planting into a Bacon Egg Spinach Salad

2011-01-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

This salad is currently my favorite and I don't even like spinach! Yet I want to face plant into the salad bowl like I'm a competitive eater every time I make it.

It's a sweet-salty-savory salad. The dressing is a homemade French. This is an excellent main dish salad (add more eggs and bacon) as well as pot luck dish.

The recipe is originally from my step-grandmother, a lovely woman who has a large collection of vintage recipes. After much distraught begging on my part, she finally sent me the recipe from one of her 1950s era cookbooks.

And I am sharing it with you.

You don't even have to beg!

I know there are other versions of this salad on the internet, but I could not find the exact recipe so I think this is the first time this particular combination of ingredients has appeared on the web. This is also why you must try this salad, it's like nothing you've ever had before.

Go on. Experience the urge to face plant in a bowl of lettuce. I dare you.

The recipe is part of my Scrumptious Salads ebook available on Amazon.com for just 99 cents.

Low Carb Salads: Greek Salad Opa!

2011-01-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

This Greek Salad comes together in just a few minutes. The fresh flavor is a great way to start detoxing from all the excesses of the holidays.

It reminds me of a lot of Panera's Greek Salad with the salt and vinegar flavor notes, but with many many more veggies.

The only thing is the leftovers won't keep too well so make only what you can eat in one sitting.

This recipe is part of my Scrumptious Salads ebook available on Amazon.com for just 99 cents.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-12-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-05T12:20:00.001-08:00

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?

2010-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

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 servic e.

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

2010-12-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

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!

Pucker Up Winter Fruit Salad with Roasted Cranberries

2010-11-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

Many fruits are low carb or moderate carb and winter is the season to take advantage of apples, pears, grapefruits and cranberries. The carb count of this salad is too high for anyone on induction, but would work for maintenance or as a holiday treat.

I'm making it for a dinner party myself.

The recipe uses Splenda Brown Sugar blend as sweetener. I was not sure how the Splenda would work against the natural sweetness of the fruit, but it tasted great.

The colors are richer than Warren Buffet and the flavor is so tart, you'll be in the mood for kissing.

Ingredients

(Serves 4 to 5 people in full 1/2 cup servings)

-2 apples--I used Pink Lady which are sweet and tart
-2 pears
-1 red grapefruit
-1 orange plus its zest
-1 bag fresh cranberries
-1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

(Note: You can use all apples or all pears too if you want.)

Instructions

1.Zest the orange.

2.Wash the cranberries, tossing any soft ones.

3.Mix Splenda Brown Sugar Blend with crabberries and orange zest.

4.Line a jelly roll pan (because they have sides and you don't want cranberry juice all over the oven, right?) with aluminum foil.

5.Spread cranberries in a single layer across pan and roast at 375F for 15-20 minutes. You'll know they're done when they've split.

6.Cut up your fruit and put in a bowl. For the citrus, cut off the peel and pith--kind of like how chefs supreme segmented fruit, but half-a**ed.

7.Save the orange peel--there's usually some juicy fruit still attached which we can use to juice the salad which prevents the apples and pears from turning brown. In fact, it's a good idea to slice the oranges in such a way so you have some fruit to juice.

If this part makes no sense to you, that's okay. Just skip it, but if you have any extra orange bits that can be juiced on your salad, please do so.

8.Toss everything together, serve, eat and then kiss the person sitting to your left.

Moderate Carb Lemon Caper Chicken

2010-11-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

This recipe uses a light coating of bread crumbs so not kosher at all for Low Carb. However, I do eat this and it is fine so long as my other meals are low carb for the day.

I make this once every 8 to 10 weeks. Everyone likes it and as long as I'm on plan, some breaded chicken isn't going to hurt me. Especially when it's homemade and not caked on like some fast food places like to do.

It is delicious and worth working into the meal plan rotation, just use the bread crumbs wisely.

Ingredients

-Chicken pounded flat
-Italian Bread Crumbs (amount varies depending on how much chicken you're cooking)
-2 eggs
-1/2 jar Capers-sliced
-Caper juice
-2 lemons, juiced
-Oil for cooking

Instructions

1. Pound the chicken so its thin. For chicken breasts, cut into strips and pound flat.

2. Dip in egg.

3.Dip in bread crumbs.

4.Drop into a pan with some hot oil and fry until browned on both sides. I like to cook each side for about 2 minutes each.

5.Flip the chicken and sprinkle a little bit of lemon juice and caper juice on the breading. This adds flavor, but be careful not to let it hit the oil or you'll get burned. And we're talking just a little bit, not trying to soak the chicken or cover every millimeter, okay?

6.Add the sliced capers when the last batch of chicken goes into the pan. Let them brown along with the chicken.

7.Transfer chicken to an oven proof pan and sprinkle with more lemon and caper juice. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with green beans or mashed cauliflower. Be sure to keep the rest of meal absolutely low carb to compensate for the bread crumbs.

Low Carb Salads: Asian Fusion Ginger Steak (or Chicken) Salad

2010-11-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

This salad makes me feel like I'm living in South Beach and 'lunching' with my supermodel girl friends. It's light with flavor layered on flavor until your palate quivers with pleasure.

Plus it is SO far away from Thanksgiving food it's like a refreshing beach vacation for your taste buds without the bathing suit stress.

Beach vacations are good for us.

Try this. You're gonna like it.

It IS a little busy, but it is not a difficult recipe. Just take it step by step. I've broken it down into meat, salad dressing, and salad sections.

Time saving tip: Make the salad dressing and chop your veggies the same time you prepare the marinade. Then all you'll have left to do is cook the meat and assemble the salad.

Ingredients

For the Meat Marinade:

-1 1/2 to 2 lbs Beef or chicken cut into strips
-2 tbsps. Sweetener (either brown sugar, Splenda brown sugar blend or honey, whichever your diet allows or you feel like using.)
-1/2 cup Soy sauce
-2 tsp powdered Ginger
-1/4 cup Olive oil
-4 garlic cloves pulverized by a garlic press

Instructions

1.Mix all marinade ingredients in the container the meat will sit in. Add the meat and let marinate for 3-4 hours, two if you're short on time.

2.Either grill the meat (if the weather will let you) or quickly sear and fry in a pan on the stove (I like to use grapeseed oil because of its higher flash point).

Note: Be sure to make your salad dressing before you start cooking the meat.

Ingredients

For the Salad Dressing

-1/2 jalapeno, seeded and very finely diced
-1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
-1/3 cup Olive oil
-3 tbsps Soy Sauce
-2 garlic cloves pulverized by the garlic press
-1 tbsp fresh grated ginger (not powdered, don't do that, blech, for the marinade it's okay, but not for the dressing)
-2 tbsp sweetener (white sugar, splenda brown sugar blend, or honey, whichever works for you)
-Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Throw everything into a bottle or bowl and mix. Taste and adjust flavors as need. Usually it either needs more soy sauce or more sweetener so start there.

Ingredients

For the Salad

Salad greens
Green onions
Carrot ribbons
Honey roasted peanuts
1 to 2 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
Cilantro

Other ideas: fresh peppers, cucumber, bean sprouts etc...

Instructions

1. How to toast sesame seeds: Dump in a small pot over medium high heat. Shake like popcorn and watch like a hawk, they toast fast, one to two minutes tops. You'll see them turn golden and the smell will be wonderful, that means they are done.

2.Peanuts are often not on the 'approved' list in low carb diets, but 8 peanuts are not going to mess anyone up and that's all I want you to use on each salad, just 8 peanuts. No more, no less.

Got it?

3.Carrots are also controversial, but this recipe doesn't have enough to really worry about. Promise.

Yes, I'm a bit of a low carb rebel. Not a traditionalist at all. Please don't run screaming!

4.To assemble your salad, put the greens onions and carrots on a plate. Top with meat, garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro and drizzle with salad dressing for the finish.

Phew! That was a long one! I hope you try it and love it as much as we do.

Post Holidy Back to Low Carb Menu

2010-11-26T10:46:00.001-08:00

Here's what's going to be cooking this week at our house.

-Chicken (or leftover turkey) and green bean casserole (recipe forthcoming)

-Turkey Moussaka (recipe forthcoming)

-Hamburgers with salad

-Smothered pork chops with mashed cauliflower (recipe might be forthcoming, if it tastes good)

-Chicken Wings with celery and carrots on the side

-Kielbasa and kraut in the slow cooker (so simple there's no recipe, but it deserves its own post which I'm working on)

-Sausage cheese meatballs with salad (recipe might be forthcoming, if it turns out)

How are you getting back on track? What's your menu plan? I'm always looking for ideas!

Happy Thanksgiving Breakfast

2010-11-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

The best way not to eat too much on a big holiday? Don't go to the party hungry. We had eggs and Pepper Poppers for breakfast today. Yum! And full of appetite suppressing fat.

To recap, for those who missed earlier posts on these miracles of yum, to make the Pepper Poppers you need:

-Peppers (mild:cubanelle, medium hot: hungarian hots super hot: jalapenos)
-Cream cheese
-Bacon

1.Slice your peppers in half.

2.Stuff with cream cheese.

3.Wrap in bacon.

4.Cook at 400F for about 20 to 30 minutes.

When done, pull out of the oven and let cool a bit while you whip up some eggs (and maybe some low carb pancakes too if you're feeling ambitious).

I always always always have peppers, cream cheese and bacon in my fridge for those days you just need to eat something to kill cravings. Pepper Poppers do it for me every time.

Low Carb Soups: Paprikash Soup

2010-11-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

This soup is easy easy easy to make but offers such a depth of flavor, no one will believe you didn't have to go to cooking school to make it. If you like chicken paprikas, this is a great soup that utilizes a lot of those same flavors.

The original recipe is on the Kalyn's Kitchen site and I'll refer you there for the recipe as I did not materially change it.

However, here are some notes you may find helpful.

1. I do not water down stock, I use all stock in this soup. Meaning...this recipe can use a lot of soup stock which can get expensive. I would suggest putting this on your low carb menu plan for the day after you boil a chicken. Use the meat for some other purpose (chicken salad, low carb chicken enchiladas) and save the broth for this soup.

Or save your turkey bones and make turkey stock after the big holiday meal. (In fact you could use this recipe for any leftover turkey; make stock and add the turkey meat. Easy peasy.)

Yes I know this is not beef broth as the recipe requires, but I just add one or two cans of generic beef broth and no one is the wiser. This saves about $5-$6 on the cost of the recipe (the way I make it) as store bought broth is expensive.

Or you could just do it Kalyn's way with the 3 cans of broth and the rest made up in water.

2. I do not grind the caraway seed. I don't think it matters.

What the heck is caraway seed anyway, you ask? It's what makes rye bread taste so yummy. It is also used in E. European cooking to top roasted pork and in soups like this one. It is really good and so long as you don't hate rye bread, this should be a big flavor win for you.

3.Yes, you really do need all that paprika and both kinds. These are available in most grocery stores, but, if not, there's always the internet.

4.Do whatever you want veggie wise. I used fresh peppers each time and added shredded carrots. This soup is not picky, so feel free to experiment. However, I would not skip the cabbage as that gives the soup a lot of its bulk.

Chocolate for Breakfast

2010-11-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

The latest batch of my 'chocolate for breakfast muffins' turned out so pretty, I had to share a photo.

Seriously, these muffins make life worth living. If you are not an egg person, which I am not, you would do well to get some almond flour and try these muffins.

As a busy mom to a busy toddler, it is GREAT to have these in the fridge on Sunday for the week ahead. No muss, no fuss instant breakfast that I can eat in the car. (Tip: Have some dental floss handy the almond flour does tend to get between teeth.)

Yes almond flour is expensive but a 5lb bag at around $30 will make at least 3 months worth of breakfast muffins which is less than a buck a day. For chocolate.

How can you not try this? Can you tell I'm a fan? :)

Here's the recipe.

Getting Back to Low Carb After Thanksgiving (Or Any Holiday)

2010-11-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

Despite our best intentions, carbs creep into our bellies during the holidays. We either get caught at a bad time with no good food options, fail to plan, or travel and lose control of the food and schedule which usually means we lose control of what we're eating to a certain extent.

Plus there's all that dessert. Mostly stuff we loved to gorge on in our pre-LC days.

Am I right?

Food conditioning is hard wired. Most of us, I would bet, have been eating pumpkin pie since late infancy. It's hard to break the emotional hold of sugar when pie has meant family our entire lives.

It's understandable then that all the comfort holiday foods are huge triggers for over eating and going off plan.

Here's my holiday deal, I don't stress about the holidays. Sugar happens. There's a lot more sugar in the world than there is low carb. I am not going to 'win' every battle. I do the best I can in situations where I'm not in control of the kitchen and when I'm home, I go back on plan.

So you know what? If you eat some pie or have some potatoes, it is not the end of the world. Do the best you can to limit the carbs and then plan the work and work the plan for the post-holiday period. Meaning don't just come home, high on all that sugar and think getting back into your groove is going to be so easy.

It's not.

You need a plan.

Here's how I approach it.

1.Set yourself up for success. I plan and shop for my favorite low carb meals in the week following a carb indulgence. This makes it so I have tons of yummy food waiting for me and the carbs are not even a temptation. The key part is it's there in the fridge making it easy to eat. You can even precook and freeze some meals in advance.

2.Snacks. Lots of LC friendly snacks. Carbs spike our appetites so be prepared. I like to do high fat stuff like jalapeno poppers because they are very very satisfying and kill carb hunger very quickly.

3.Exercise to burn off all that sugar roaring in your blood. If you are feeling sluggish and just want to pass out, that actually means you need to exercise. Don't wait until you feel like it, chances are you won't--there's a reason they call it a sugar coma. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel after some fun bopping around to music.

If you are used to working out, ramping up the workout frequency and intensity during the holidays can prevent weight gain in my experience. You still might get a few pounds of water, but those will come off really fast if you plan the work and work the plan after the holiday.

4.Aim for progress not perfection. Sometimes I gradually come back to LC, fewer carbs in my diet day by day until they are gone. Sometimes it's cold turkey, back on plan. Either way, as long as I'm doing better today than yesterday, it's all good.

5.Fight carb hangover with supplements like Alpha Lipoic Acid and Chromium GTF. I have found that 2 pills each cuts the carb hangover in half. Your mileage may vary, but it's worth a try as those carb hangovers can be brutal.

6.Drink your water to flush all that sugar bloat out of your system faster.

7.Do not weigh yourself until you've been low carbing for 3 to 5 days after the holiday. There is nothing there on the scale that is going to help you. If anything it will make you feel more miserable. That's not the goal. Just keep eating low carb, the holiday weight will take care of itself and you will be pleasantly surprised when you do get back on the scale.

This holiday season, don't focus on any of the carbs you ate. Don't beat yourself up about any mistakes you made. Everyone trips and falls, everyone, it's what we do about it that counts.

Promise me that this holiday season, you will put all your energy into moving forward with the best low carb food you can cook. That will serve you better than any regrets.

Low Carb Salads: Not the Usual Low Carb Taco Salad

2010-11-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

This is such an easy salad to make. It's ideal for lunch because you can make a big batch of meat and then just heat 'n eat as needed for several days.

I realize most people know how to make taco salad so I can understand why you may be tempted not to read through the recipe below. However, there are a few twists that I think are worth trying as they amp up the flavor and add the crunch of a tortilla chip without the carbs (and no it's not from the low carb nachos pictured above).

Read on and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

-Ground meat (beef or turkey)
-Diced onion
-1/2 jar medium salsa (I buy the cheapie generic at the grocery store just for this recipe.)
-1 1/2 tbsps cumin
-1 tbsp chili powder
-Lettuce
-Cilantro
-Salsa (I like the use the fresh made salsa from the deli or make my own)
-Sour cream
-Guacamole (optional--it doesn't keep well so only make it they day you plan to eat it.)
-Shredded cheese
-Almonds
-Nacho chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Saute an onion in a wee little bit of olive oil.

2.Add in the spices and saute for a minute or two. This heats the spices and releases their flavors better than adding them to the meat.

3.Add the meat and cook until done.

4.Stir in the 1/2 jar of salsa and cook until warmed through. This adds a wonderful dimension of flavor and the carbs are negligible. Enchilada sauce also works well too.

5.Wash and prepare your lettuce and cilantro. Make your low carb nachos too if that's part of the plan.

6.Build your salad and top with almonds which are an excellent stand in for tortilla chip crunch--they really do a great job here, you won't miss the tortilla chips at all.

The roasting/toasting of the spices and the addition of the salsa and almonds are what elevate this salad to the next level. Try it, I know you'll like it!

Low Carb Nachos

2010-11-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

Here's what I did with low carb nachos the other day for a snack. I added some salsa and banana peppers to the garden vegetable 'pizza'.

Since figuring out how to make these nachos, I have had a batch of nachos that just would not get crisp no matter what I did, which was annoying. Here are some tips if you are having similar difficulty.

1.Be sure the tortillas are not soggy. I did not properly seal the bag and it looks like condensation set in. Wet tortillas do not nachos make.

2.Keep cooking in 30 second intervals in the microwave. When they're done, you'll know, there's no mistaking the 'crisp' of a nacho.

3.Don't add any toppings until the nachos are crisp. I put salt on one batch and despite 4 minutes of microwaving, they never got very crisp. Add toppings after the nachos are done, not before!

Hope that helps. Let me know if you've tried the nachos and how you topped them!

The Low Carb Thanksgiving Menu

2010-11-18T12:45:00.000-08:00

Here's what's on deck for us this Thanksgiving. I'm keeping our home Thanksgiving mostly low carb and we'll indulge at bit in stuffing and potatoes at the extended family get together.

-Green salad, either pear and gorgonzola with pecans or a grapefruit and arugula salad
-Roasted Turkey Breast with gravy made from drippings
-Roasted sweet potatoes flavored with cinnamon, oranges, and brown sugar
-Green beans with bacon and shallots
-Mashed cauliflower casserole (this one is iffy as the menu is looking rather full already, I'm not sure we can eat all this food!)

In addition to the sweet potatoes, carbier menu items include:

-Winter fruit salad
-Pumpkin pie

What are you having for Thanksgiving this year? Have I missed any good recipes?

Tips for Cooking for the Holidays and Keeping it Low Carb

2010-11-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned in my pre-Low Carb days, I was a baker. Big time.

And the holidays are the only time I indulge in my uncanny ability to make perfect pastries, cookies and pies.

Holiday cookies are a huge pitfall because I like to dough sample. Which is not good. So here's my strategy for still pleasing my family, enjoying the holidays, and keeping it low carb.

1. All cookie dough is made in advance and frozen. This cuts down on batter snacking
because I'm not baking cookies for four hours and constantly sampling the dough. Instead, I form the dough into balls and freeze. When it's time for cookies, I just pull what I need from the freezer and bake, no dough sampling because it's frozen.

This has worked really well on multiple fronts. It keeps me low carb and allows me to work ahead of the holiday so I don't spend four days straight cooking. No lie, before I froze my cookies, I would be up until midnight baking.

2.Eat. Don't bake when hungry and keep a low carb snack you enjoy handy while baking. Any time you go for the dough, redirect your hand to your 'allowed' snack. Something chewy like beef jerky that takes a while to process is good.

3.Use sugar free mints and contrary flavors to reduce temptation. Ever sample gingersnap dough after brushing your teeth? Blech. Use the blech factor to your advantage.

4.Make something low carb. As you expand your low carb cooking repertoire you'll find some sweet treats that are low carb. Include those in your holiday baking menu. Always always always have a 'safe' food at the ready so you don't go overboard on all the holiday goodies. And there's no reason your safe food has to suck. Some LC sweets you might like:

-sugar free buckeyes
-sugar free peanut butter cookies
-dark chocolate mousse
-almond flour cookies
-almond flour muffins
-dark chocolate (if you don't have time to cook, this is always a good standby)

These are all things non Low Carb people would enjoy, no one has to know and you may be surprised at how popular the Low Carb goodies are.

What do you make for the holidays now that you're low carbing? I've got so many menus and recipes lined up to try, I don't know if even half of them will get made and posted on the blog, but I'm going to try.

Low Carb Salad Inspiration

2010-11-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

I like to eat a lot of salads with Low Carb, especially in the warmer months. However, I actually still eat salad a lot during cooler weather and am even trying to grow lettuce on my kitchen windowsill. So basically, rabbits envy me, and it gets to the point where, sometimes, salad does not sound appetizing at all.

So I am always looking for new flavors and different salads to try to keep things interesting.

The other day I threw some leftovers together and made what I thought was a nice salad. Here's hoping it inspires you.

Ingredients

-Leftover goat cheese
-Scant amount of Craisins, the very last ones in the bag (not low carb, but in small amounts I don't really worry about stuff like that, but if you do, make some LC cranberry sauce for this salad or use fresh raspberries or 1/2 a pear diced--there are lots of low carb fruit options here.)
-Pecans
-Lettuce
-Balsamic Vinaigrette (home made or store bought, just read the label)

Instructions

Throw together with some lettuce and drizzle with balsamic dressing and voila! a lush salad appears on your plate as if by magic.

Low Carb Nachos! Garden Vegetable Pizza Nachos

2010-11-12T13:07:00.001-08:00

Such a simple tasty recipe. Wish I had figured this one out so much sooner!

Remember the party appetizer where you take crescent rolls and bake them into a crust on which you smear ranch flavored cream cheese and top with veggies? Well, here's a low carb nacho version of that recipe.

Deeeeeeelicious! Great for parties too.

Ingredients

-Low carb tortillas--sliced into 6 'chips'. I used the Tumaro's brand Multigrain tortillas which have about 4 net carbs each. Here's a pic of the package:

-8oz cream cheese (more if you're making a big batch)
-1/2 cup sour cream (keeps the spread spreadable)
-1 packet Ranch seasoning (this may have some carbs, so read the label)
-1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
-Chopped and diced veggies of your choice

Instructions

1.Microwave the 'chips' for approximately 1 1/2 minutes. You will probably have to do this in batches of 6. The chips will start to bubble up and will be crisp when done. Here's a picture for reference:

Once the chips are crisp, set aside until you're ready to assemble your nachos.

2.Microwave cream cheese in 30 second increments until soft. Add the sour cream and ranch seasoning and mix until incorporated.

3.Chop and dice your veggies. Shred your cheese if you're not using pre-shredded.

4.Smear each tortilla with some ranch spread, top with cheese and veggies.

This will make a lot of nachos so be prepared, or cut the spread amount in half.

This recipe is also great for keeping in the fridge for instant snacking. Just dice the veggies and make the spread in advance and nuke your chips as needed.

Very yummy!

No Food For You

2010-11-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

I'm here. I've been cooking but haven't made anything worthy of posting on the internet.

Lots of close, but not good enough recipes. Some made more than once.

Weird flubs like roasting the chicken upside down...twice. Sigh. I AM a little dyslexic but this is bad even for me.

Some major disappointments---layered salad I'm looking at you.

The other complication is a relative visiting us for a long time who we let cook several times a week to keep them busy. So I don't have consistent kitchen access which is driving me slowly insane.

Anyway, I have lots of recipes ready to try and one of them is sure to be a winner sooner or later!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Cajun Style

2010-10-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

We went the pumpkin patch the other day and I decided to try and make 'pepitas' or roasted pumpkin seeds.

Relatively easy to do. Just use a low temp on the oven, maybe 290 or 300. I used 350 and one batch burned.

Here's the actual recipe:

1 tsp sea salt (try to use the best salt you can)
2 tsp Splenda brown sugar blend
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 tbsp butter

1.Rinse your seeds.

2.Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.

3.Roast for roughly 20 minutes, checking frequently to ensure they aren't burning.

These are great as a snack or as a salad garnish. Really flavorful with a great crunch.

Low Carb Meal Plan: Roasted Veggies, Breaded Chicken and Goat Cheese

2010-10-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

This is a bit pricey to make, but a nice occasional indulgence. The recipe is loosely based on a restaurant meal we had at the local German Schnitzl Haus. They did veal, I'm doing chicken with low carb breading.

As for the breading, eh, wasn't too impressed. I'll give you the recipe for how I made it, but if I do it again, I will either just lightly bread in actual bread crumbs or skip the almond flour. I am finding I do not care for crunchy cooked almond flour, whether it's a cracker recipe or a breading.

Ingredients

Peppers
Onions
Other veggies of your choice that will roast nicely
Olive oil
Salt
Chicken
2-3 eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
Vegetable oil for frying

NOTE: The quantities here are for two packages of chicken tenders, adjust accordingly to suit your quantity of chicken.

1. Chop veggies and toss with olive oil and salt.

2.Roast your veggies at 380 to 400F until brown with a few crispy pieces here and there. YUM!

3. Put oil in pan and turn heat on medium.

4.While oil is heating, in a shallow container beat 2 eggs, reserve the third.

5.On a plate combine equal amounts almond flour and Parmesan cheese

6.Dip chicken in egg and then in coating. Repeat if you want a thick coating.

7. Fry for about 1.5 minutes on each side.

8.Transfer to baking sheet and then bake for an additional 20 minutes.

9.Serve stacked with veggies on bottom, goat cheese, chicken, top with goat cheese.

Low Carb Flops: Oven Fried Pickles

2010-10-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

In our area, the restaurants are all serving lightly breaded, deep fried pickles. They are pretty good and I thought I would try a Low Carb version.

Unfortunately, as nice as the picture looks, these were way too salty. I'm mulling over what I could tweak to make it work.

All I did was roll the pickles in some parmesan cheese mixed with some Rotissere Chicken seasoning. They baked up beautifully, but were so salty my mouth was literally puckering by the time I finished the last bite.

Very very very salty. Don't try this at home!

Low Carb Win! Low Carb Pancakes! Woot!

2010-10-21T05:46:00.000-07:00

Very happy with how these turned out!I wanted to make these for my picky toddler to see if I could get more protein into her.

She didn't like them.

Although she ate a previous incarnation of this recipe with no problem. I like this one better. She does not.

Seems like mommy never wins when it comes to food!

These do taste remarkably like pancakes. The texture is good. They look like pancakes. I was happy!

Anyway the recipe is based on The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook by famous food bloggiste Elana of Elana's Pantry.

I made some changes to the original recipe as follows.

Ingredients
-2 eggs
-Sweetener as follows: 2tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend or 3tbsp honey or maple syrup
-1/2 cup water (added in halves to manipulate batter consistency, do NOT just dump in 1/2 cup water!)
-1 tbsp vanilla
-1 tbsp grapeseed oil for the batter
-1 1/2 cups almond flour
-Dash of salt
-2 tsp baking soda
-1 tbsp flour or flour alternative
-Grapeseed oil for the pan
-hand blender

Instructions

1. Crack eggs into a bowl with steep sides and lightly beat. Note:You'll be using a hand blender to incorporate all the ingredients together and the steep bowl sides will cut down on splatter.

2.Add in vanilla, 1/2 of your 1/2 cup of water, your sweetener and the tbsp of grapeseed oil. Mix gently--no hand blender just yet.

3.Add the dash of salt.

4.Add in almond flour and baking soda.

5.Mix by hand and assess batter texture. You don't want it too thin or too thick, but just right, which is difficult to convey in a blog post. If the batter seems stiff, definitely add water. You want it to be malleable but not runny. Add water if you need to thin the batter out.

6.Blend it all with a hand blender to insure even incorporation of ingredients. You can skip this step, but I strongly recommend that you don't. I would only skip if you don't own a hand blender or food processor. Otherwise, suck it up, drag out the equipment and use it, you'll be happy you did!

7.Coat pan with a thin layer of grapeseed oil and let warm on medium low heat.

8.Spoon small, silver dollar pancakes into pan and flip when bubbles appear. Work fast because these burn quick. They cook (and burn) much faster than regular pancakes, at least in my experience.They also are a challenge to flip because they don't get firm on the bottom, so the pancake flipping can get messy. Just kind of push all the batter back together when it splatters as you flip--you won't get perfect circle pancakes, but you will get a pancake.

The one issue I had while making these was my pan just got hotter and hotter as I went even though I was on medium low heat, meaning I had to really work to avoid burning my pancakes.

Serve with topping of your choice. For low carb, these could be easily adapted into a McGriddles spinoff. Just use some syrup in the batter or use 1 tsp on the pancake before topping with eggs and bacon/sausage. Needless to say the carb level is such that this would only be an occasional indulgence, not something to eat all the time.

Reduced sugar or sugar free jam would also work. Natural peanut butter with melted dark chocolate would be good--kind of like a Reese's peanut butter cup pancake. Or simply top with a mash up of fresh berries. For Fall, cook some cranberries with the sweetener of your choice, add some pectin or unflavored gelatin to thicken and top pancakes with 'cranberry syrup'.

If you are careful and calculate all your carb counts, you could probably come up with a low carb pancake suitable for daily consumption.

Low Carb Flops: Almond Flour Pizza Crust

2010-10-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

The picture looks good, but it did not taste like pizza and the texture was grainy. The quest for a good low carb pizza crust continues. Seems like I've tried them all at this point and none of them work for me. Apparently, I'm a pizza snob.

My 'To Cook' List

2010-10-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Current recipes in the wings, with ingredients bought and ready to go include...

-Almond crusted chicken topped with oven roasted veggies and goat cheese. This is based on a German vienerschnitzl meal we had a few weeks ago that was soooooo good.

-Parsnips with herbed butter and a kick of horseradish. We like parsnips, but haven't quite figured out how to cook them well just yet. I am a little nervous about the horseradish in the recipe I decided to try, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

-Goulash soup based on a recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen.

Right now I've got a veggie pot roast in the slow cooker. It smells divine, however, amazingly enough even 10 hours in a crock pot is not enough to cook turnips. Huh.

Anyway, hopefully these recipes will all turn out well enough to make an appearance on the blog.

Low Carb Pumpkin Muffins with Cranberries (a.k.a. Pumpkin Cranberry Bliss Muffins)

2010-10-15T04:19:00.000-07:00

I am really proud of this recipe and I worked on it for several months. As a result, I am feeling a little protective--if you make it/share it on your website, will you pretty please include a link back to this blog? Thanks!

Carb count is roughly 11g per muffin.

Ingredients

-1 stick butter (can use 3/4 or 1/2 stick as well--this recipe is pretty flexible on fat amount, probably because the almond flour has fat.)

-1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend (You could use 1/4cup but the cranberries are pretty tart and need the extra sweetness.) (You can also use 1/4 cup regular brown sugar and 1 mashed banana if you want to avoid artificial sweeteners.)

-1 cup pumpkin (If you're using a small pumpkin can and want to split it evenly, use 3/4 cup instead and freeze the other half for a future batch.)

-3 eggs

-1 tbsp vanilla

-2 tbsp molasses

-Dash of salt

-2 tsps baking soda

-2 tbsp cinnamon

-1 tbsp ginger

-1/2 tbsp ground cloves

-2 cups almond flour

-1/2 cup ground flax

-1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Mix butter, molasses and splenda.

3.Add in pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and salt.

4.Once all the wet ingredients are combined, add baking soda, spices, almond flour and flax.

5.Once the batter is well mixed, add cranberries

6.Assess batter texture. You want a wet, soft dough, kind of mousse-y in texture. If the batter seems dry, add a small amount of water.

7. Fill muffin cups. Try not to overfill them as these rise a bit and the molasses can cause the edges to burn if they cover the pan.

8.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, but check at the 15 minute mark. These can over bake fast so keep an eye on them. The pumpkin has a high enough water content, that sometimes these muffins take longer to bake than my chocolate muffins, so be sure to pierce one with a knife to verify the batter is fully cooked.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip.

I keep these in the fridge and nuke them for about 16 seconds before eating.

Now for carb count. I have already subtracted the fiber.

Butter: 0g
Vanilla: 0g
Baking Soda: 0g
eggs: 3g
Molasses: 32g
Pumpkin: 6g
Splenda brown sugar blend: 48g
Spices: 11g
Almond flour: 22g
Flax: 0g
Cranberries: 12g

Comes out to about 11g per muffin.

Lots of nutrition data was obtained from this site.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bliss Muffins

2010-10-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I've been working on for a while. It's unique to me in the sense that I crafted it myself as opposed to building off of someone else's recipe.

These muffins are like pumpkin bread pudding. I spice them nicely with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. A touch of molasses, just a touch which keeps the carb count down, but still gives a nice flavor note of blackstrap.

They are heaven with a bit of whipped cream. The carb count is somewhere between 10-15g carbs.

I'm working on typing up the recipe and will post it soon.

Low Carb Chicken Wing Dinner

2010-10-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

Oh man, this was so so so so soooooooo GOOD! Really yummy.

These wings are based on Dana Carpender's Heroin Wings recipe (I highly recommend her cook books).

Here's my take

Ingredients:

-Package of thawed chicken wings
-1 stick butter (you can try Olive Oil but I find it doesn't perform as well as butter)
-1 cup Parmesan cheese
-3-4 tbsps Rotisserie Chicken seasoning from McCormicks

Instructions

1.Melt butter in shallow pan. Set aside.

2.Combine Parmesan cheese and seasoning, mix thoroughly.

3.Dip wings in butter then roll in cheese.

4.Bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes until nice and brown.

5.Serve with side of your choice, we went with traditional celery and carrots.

Chili Dogs!

2010-10-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is how you get rid of leftover chili that no one wants to eat; chili dogs. Suddenly people can't get enough.

Yes they have some beans in them, but not enough to be a problem. They were pretty yummy and we all enjoyed them, even our toddler.

Low Carb Breakfast: Egg Muffins with Ham and Spinach

2010-09-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but we are busy busy busy over here. I am finding it difficult to find time to eat breakfast, let alone time to cook one. And as much as I love my low carb chocolate cake muffins, sometimes I want something different.

Enter these egg muffins. They are based on a recipe from Mark's Daily Apple, although I've modified it a bit. They make a perfect on-the-go breakfast.I can quickly heat them in the microwave and eat them in the car as I drive the toddler to preschool.

These muffins are a bit tricky to make, so be sure to read my tips on how to get them in and out of the pan.

Ingredients

-9 eggs
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
-Spinach
-Onion
-Cheese
-Deli ham
-Pam non stick spray

Instructions

1.Saute the onions until brown, add spinach and cook until wilted. To save time, I double the amount of onion and spinach and I freeze half for the next time I make these muffins. (You can also skip the spinach if you don't have it, but do try to include the onions as they impart a nice flavor.)

2.In a large pourable measuring glass (like this one) beat your eggs.

3. Add parmesan, cheese, spinach and onions.

4.Spray muffin tin with Pam. Generously.

5.Place aluminum muffin cups in tin and spray inside of cups with Pam. Trust me. You need to do this.

6.Place ham in bottom of muffin cup. Try to get it to form a cup for the egg, but don't panic if the ham doesn't cooperate. About half the time, the ham ends up in a heap at the bottom of the cup. It's just an aesthetic thing, it doesn't affect taste, so unless you're cooking for the queen don't worry about it.

7.Pour egg batter into ham. This can be tricky, which is why you're using a large Pyrex type measuring cup with a spout. The pour spout keeps this from being a huge mess. Don't use a ladle, that's how I started and I ended up egging my kitchen like a teenager on Devil's Night.

8.Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F.

9.Remove from pan and peel off baking cups asap once the muffins are done. Yes, they are a little hot so watch your fingers, but you have to get those cups off the muffins before they cool and stick.

Note that some people skip the baking cups and just use the muffin pan. I am going to try that, but it will take a lot of Pam to keep the eggs from sticking like barnacles.

Low Carb Meal Plan: Buffalo Chicken Dinner

2010-09-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

The picture looks good, the meal itself was just okay. Not my favorite, but enjoyable in its own way. No real recipe here. Just cook your chicken and then add melted butter to hot sauce for the sauce. Cut your veggies and serve with bleu cheese dressing.