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.

Low Carb Chicken Broccoli Divan

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

Remember when I mentioned I was going to do an Eastern European '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

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

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

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

Related Posts:

7 Days of Low Carb Grillin'

Low Carb Appetizer: String Beans and Hummus

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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'

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...).