Low Carb Strawberry Smoothie

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

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

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!

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

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)

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

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.