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.