Chef's Salad

I went to the Cow Town restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday.  We had  such a great time.  The Chef's Salad is a great low carb choice when you eat 'out'.  I have had to eat out a lot lately and was kind of worried about the carb count while I was out of town.  Not to worry.  You can get this at McDonalds or really any restaurant anywhere.  The birthday girl and I each had one of these while another friend had  French Dip and a huge pile of french fries.  I had some food envy, but I enjoyed my salad and didn't feel guilty all day.  Yea for me!

Chef's Salad
Lettuce
Boiled egg
Cheese (any type you choose)
Olives
Mushrooms
Carrotts
Cucumbers
Onions
Turkey
Ham
Tomatoes

Mix it all or arrange it nicely on a plate.  Yum!

"Potato" Salad

LOW CARB "POTATO" SALAD
16 ounce package frozen cauliflower
1/2 cup mayonnaise ( I used Miracle Whip, adds a few carbs but tastes great!)
4 ounce jar diced pimientos, drained well
1/4 cup dill pickle relish, drained well
1 tablespoon chopped onion, optional
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt, to taste
Cook the cauliflower until tender, but not mushy, about 8 minutes. Drain very well, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Mix all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill several hours before serving.
Makes 6-8 servings
Do not freeze
Per 1/6 recipe: 162 Calories; 15g Fat; 2g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Per 1/8 recipe: 121 Calories; 11g Fat; 2g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs 
* I 'borrowed' this recipe from Linda.  Thanks.  This is yummy! 

Snozzcumbers

My son Jacob, who is in fifth grade, brought this recipe home.  Their class has been reading the BFG.  He thought this recipe might  be low carb.  I think it is, maybe just leave out the gherkins.  I think they won't add too much in the carb department, and will add MUCH to the flavor so I will leave them in.

Snozzcumbers
6-8 Large cucumbers
4 cans of tuna fish
4-6 diced tomatoes
9-10 gherkins, finely chopped
9-10 Tablespoons mayonnaise
6-7 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel, cut and hollow out the cucumbers.  Place in a container, standing on end, to drain juice.  Thoroughly drain the tuna fish and mix in the chopped tomatoes, gherkins, mayonnaise, and poppy seeds.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Using a teaspoon, fill cucumbers with the tuna fish mixture, packing it down.  Paint a little mayonnaise in the grooves on the outside of the cucumbers and carefully fill the grooves with poppy seeds.  Have fun with this one!

Breakfast Ideas!

There is no picture for this but this is my favorite low carb breakfast!
Ham and Cheese Omelet with sour cream and Salsa!

Other ideas are:
Watermelon
Strawberries and cream
Scrambled eggs
Omelets with mushrooms
Omelets with Veggies
Fat Free Cocoa ( FYI if you look at the carb count on sugar free cocoa and fat free cocoa, surprisingly the fat free kind has about half the carbs, make sure you watch your labels)  I add some table cream to the cocoa and that makes it delicious, but no longer fat free ;)
Sugar free breakfast drink. My favorite is Walmart brand grapefruit. Perfect to wake you up in the morning.
Bacon
Sausage
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day because I can get away with absolutely no carbs and be full and satisfied.
There are a few types of  cereal that work.  If you can find a bran cereal that is not sweetened the carb count is not terrible.  Then add cream instead of milk and splenda or stevia.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

1 sm. chuck roast, cut in thin, sm. pieces
1 tbsp. oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 c. soy sauce
2 c. beef broth
1 to 2 tbsp. splenda
1 lg. head broccoli, cut up
6 to 8 carrots, cut up
1 lg. can sliced mushrooms
3 tbsp. cornstarch & 1 c. water

Heat oil and garlic in wok until garlic turns light brown around the edges. Then put in beef immediately and stir until brown. Then add soy sauce, beef broth, sugar and juice from mushrooms. Stir and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.Add cut up broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms. Stir into beef mixture. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir once or twice. Take 1 cup water and stir in cornstarch. Add to stir fry to thicken.  You can serve this over rice. For those in your family eating low carb, or if you are trying to be careful with the carbs, use low carb noodles or just eat it plain.

Chicken & Squash

This is patty pan squash.  It is the first time I have grown this type of squash and I like it a lot.  It is a white fruit that looks a lot like a flying saucer.

I put about six boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the frying pan with a bit of olive oil.  After they were cooked about halfway, I put the cut up squash on top and then put on a tight lid and added Mrs. Dash original seasoning.

After about 15 more minutes I mixed everything up and made sure the squash was cooked through.

To serve I added Parmesan cheese, oh, so yummy!

Hoping to Inspire You!

Since I started this low carb lifestyle, I have lost about 25 lbs.  During February of 2011 and wrestling season, I saw a picture of me that was in the paper.  That was just scary.  I realized that I was way bigger than I should be.  I am 5' 8" and weighing 168 was too much!  So my sister and I went on this low carb way of eating and the pounds came off quickly at first.  I understand that the first 15 pounds or so I lost was water weight, but hey, that's all right with me.  The rest of the weight has come off gradually.  I eat about 50 to 70 carbs a day and am still losing weight slowly.  I now weigh 142.  Now I actually look like I should look.  I even put on a pair of Levi's today that I couldn't wear before.  They are loose.  Yeah!  I need to lose maybe another five or ten.  As long as you plan ahead, you can do this.  There are even times when eating low carb is not an option, just know that you can do better the next day.


Good luck to you all!

Omelet Roll

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
12 eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups (about ¾ lb) finely chopped fully cooked ham  (I processed ham in the food processor)
¼ cup chopped chives
     Preheat oven to 375°F.
    Line the bottom and sides of a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with parchment paper; grease the paper and set aside.
    In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add cornstarch and salt; mix until combined. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Add cream cheese mixture; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
    Bake for 30-35 minutes or until eggs are puffed and set.
    Meanwhile combine mustard,  2 cups of the cheese, ham and chives in a bowl, stir until well combined.
    As soon as eggs come out of the oven spread ham mixture over eggs.
    Roll up from a short side, peeling parchment paper away while rolling. Sprinkle top of roll with the remaining cheese; bake 3-4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or thawed frozen, 2 1/2 ounces or approximately 60 berries
Granular Splenda, optional (not included in counts) 

In a small mixing bowl, soften the cream cheese in the microwave about 30 seconds. Separate the eggs, adding the yolks to the cream cheese. In another small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Beat the yolks and cream cheese until creamy and a bit fluffy. Fold yolks into the whites, gently so you don't deflate the whites. Heat some oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. 

Drop the batter by large tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Immediately drop 6-7 blueberries on each pancake. Gently push them into the batter with your finger. This helps to keep them from falling out when you flip them. When nicely browned on the bottom, flip them over and cook until browned on the other side. Flip them back over before removing so you don't lose any berries when serving. Repeat to make a total of 9 pancakes, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve each with 1/8 teaspoon of Splenda sprinkled over the top, if desired.
Makes 3 servings
Do not freeze
Per Serving: 196 Calories; 17g Fat; 7g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

Garlic "Bread"

GARLIC "BREAD"
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 ounce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 

Beat the cream cheese and eggs with a whisk until smooth. Add the cream, parmesan and seasonings. Grease a jelly roll pan very well (I used an 11 1/2 x 17" pan and it came out very, very thin. I might try a smaller pan next time); spread the mozzarella evenly in pan. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Spread slightly with a spatula. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on a rack, then cut into 24 pieces. If desired, spread a little butter on them and sprinkle with garlic powder and parmesan cheese; broil just until butter is bubbly and very lightly browned.
Makes 24 servings
Can be frozen
Per Serving: 73 Calories; 6g Fat; 4g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs

Pizza Crust

 
 THIN AND CRISPY PIZZA CRUST
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
3 eggs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon basil, optional
Toppings of your choice *

Mix the cheeses, eggs, garlic powder and basil well. Line a 16-inch pizza pan with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Evenly spread the cheese mixture in the pan, almost to the edge, making it as thin as possible. Bake at 450º 15-20 minutes until golden brown. I suggest checking it after about 10 minutes. If it's getting very dark on the edges and top, turn the oven down to 400º and continue baking until brown all over and no longer pale on the bottom. Pat off any excess grease then add your toppings. Keeping the oven rack in the center position, put the pizza under the broiler until the toppings are hot and any cheese you added is melted and bubbly, about 4-5 minutes.
Makes 8 servings
Can be frozen
* You may want to sauté your mushrooms, peppers and other vegetable toppings before using because the pizza will only be baked briefly with the toppings on. I also recommend pre-warming any meat toppings as well. I put all of my toppings, except the sauce and cheese, in a big skillet and heated them up together.

Italian Chicken Packets

• For those of us with families who are not carb counters, this would be great over a bed of rice or noodles.  Try this on the low carb noodles.  Yum.
• 4 cups frozen broccoli cuts
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup light Italian dressing
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 breasts = 1.25 lb)

This recipe is about ten carbs per serving.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine broccoli, drained tomatoes and dressing in medium bowl.
2. For each packet, lay two 20x12-inch sheets of regular foil on top of each other.
3. Place 1 chicken breast on each foil packet. Spoon broccoli and tomato mixture equally over each chicken breast. Bring up short sides of each foil packet and double fold top. Double fold both ends to seal each packet, leaving space for steam to gather.
4. Place packets on baking sheet; bake 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in centers (165°F). Carefully open ends of packets to allow steam to escape before fully opening.

JUST LIKE STUFFED BAKED POTATOES

16 ounce package frozen cauliflower *
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
8 ounce cheddar cheese, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 pieces bacon, chopped and fried until crisp
Paprika, optional

Cook the cauliflower until soft, about 8-10 minutes; drain very well and break up florets a bit with a spoon (it's also very good if the cauliflower is still a little chunky). Put in a greased 8 x 8" baking pan or 2-quart casserole. Mix in the cream cheese, cheddar, green onion, salt, pepper and bacon. Dust top with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350º for 20-40 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Or, microwave, loosely covered, for about 40 minutes on 50% power, turning dish after 20 minutes.

Hawaiian Asparagus

I took this recipe that Tracy shared on her daily blog.  This works as a low carb recipe so I posted it here.  I don't particularly like Asparagus so I was thinking you could use fresh green beans from your garden this summer as a substitute!

Hawaiian Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch diagonal slices

2 T. olive oil

1/4 c. beef broth

4 to 5 slices bacon, crisply cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

pepper to taste

2 T. sesame seed, lightly toasted

In a skillet over medium heat, cook asparagus in oil for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add beef broth; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until asparagus is cooked to desired tenderness.  Stir in bacon, pepper and sesame seed.  Serves 4.

Low Carb Snacks!

 Almonds are a great snack when you are hungry.  They have about one carb per 10 almonds.  They really do curb your hunger.  I have a bad habit of just looking for something in the kitchen to eat.  Grab a handful of these and feel better.

 I am so glad I found these.  These taste great when you are looking for a chocolate fix that is quick.  They are kind of pricey, about a dollar a bar but I think they are worth it.

 Strawberries with Stevia!  Yum!  Strawberries and Grapefruit are good low carb fruits.

I found these in the freezer section!  Only four carbs per bar.  The bars are rather small but it satisfies the ice cream craving especially when everyone else in the family is eating the other bars.

Other good snack options are:
Pepperoni slices
Olives
Deviled Eggs made with mayonnaise not miracle whip
Celery with just a taste of peanut butter on top
Celery with cheese
Any Atkins candy bars
String Cheese
Any kind of nut or seed

What are your favorites?

Lasagna with broccoli

Delicious!
All I did for this recipe was to exchange the noodles for broccoli.  This was delicious.  Just make your lasagna like normal, taking care to watch the carb count in the tomato sauce that you use.  Instead of layering the lasagna noodles with the meat sauce and cheeses, I just dumped the broccoli, cottage cheese, meat sauce and the mozarella cheese all together and mixed them up.  Then I added more mozarella cheese on top to make a nice crust.  Cook it until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through at 400 degrees.

My husband liked this better than the pan of lasagna I made for the boys.  It stayed more moist and had a great flavor.  I think you could use cauliflower or any other vegetable you would like.

Waffles 4 large eggs 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 tablespoons water 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 packets Stevia 2 or 3 ounces of crushed pork rinds (I am going to try Almond Flour) 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3 Tablespoons melted butter Beat the eggs then add the cream, water, and vanilla extract and beat some more. Mix the Stevia with the cinnamon and then add that to the eggs. (Mixing the cinnamon with the Stevia before adding helps to keep the cinnamon from clumping up). When well blended mix in the ground pork rinds or Almond Flour. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes until it thickens. Then stir and check the consistency. It should be quite thick, but not to thick to spoon easily. If too thick, add a little water. If too thin, add a little bit more pork rinds. Just before you're ready to put into waffle iron, stir in about 2/3 of the melted butter. Brush the waffle baker with about half of the remaining melted butter, then spoon in about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of batter on each side of the bottom half waffle maker and used a spoon to spread the batter out a little. Close the top of the waffle maker. Takes bout 5 or 6 minutes to bake the waffle. These waffles firm up and brown just like "real" waffles. Serve with butter. I enjoy using the 50/50 Grape Jelly. These waffles are surprisingly good.  I went ahead and made them with Almond Flour.  I think I will try to make these as a substitute for bread when I need a sandwich or something for on the go.  Just omit cinnamon and some of the sweetener.

Chocolate Candy!

These little beauties are Russell Stover French Mint Sugar Free candies.  There are a total of 23 carbs.  One carb is fiber, so substract that.  22 grams of carb are sugar alcohol, so go ahead and subtract that.  That leaves you with 0 carbs!!!  That makes me happy!  These taste great.  I have to keep my Jacob from eating these before I can put them away in a safe place!

Strawberry, Almond and Cream Cheese Salad

• 1 1/2 cups crushed Almonds
• 4 1/2 tablespoons Splenda
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup Splenda
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen lite whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (6 ounce) package sugar free Jello brand strawberry flavored gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the almonds,1 tsp salt,  4 1/2 tablespoons Splenda and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the Splenda and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries, and stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour. 

Pizza

Normal Pizza doesn't have many very many carbs except for what is in the crust.  I modified the crust and it worked out pretty well.

Low Carb Pizza Crust
1/2 Tablespoon yeast
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Splenda
2 eggs
2  Cups of Almond Flour
1 Tablespoon Oil

This 'dough' will not act like other dough because it doesn't have gluten.  I buttered a pie pan, poured the 'dough' into the bottom and baked it for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Then I added the tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and baked it again for 15 minutes.  The crust sticks together nicely when it is baked because of the eggs.

Meatloaf

This recipe replaces breadcrumbs or oatmeal with Parmesan or Romano cheese. You can also add a variety of low carb vegetables to this and I think it would taste fine.

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef
• 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 3 or 4 tbsp tamari sauce (soy sauce is fine if you are not avoiding gluten)
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic minced very fine
• 2 eggs
• slightly beaten
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup Parmesan / Romano / other shaker-style cheese (or combine!)
• 1 slice chopped uncooked bacon

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients together. Don't overhandle the meat, just mix enough to incorporate the ingredients.

2. Shape lightly into a casserole or other deep dish.

3. Bake uncovered at 350* for approximately one hour.

4. About 10 minutes before removing from oven, add a thick layer of grated cheese, preferably cheddar, and allow it to melt.

Stuffed Mushrooms

16 oz  whole mushrooms (not the sliced ones)

1  8 oz package cream cheese

1 T finely chopped green onion

3 T crumbled bacon

freshly cracked pepper

Grated Cheddar Cheese

1. Wash your mushrooms and remove the stems. 

2. Chop up a green onion into tiny, tiny pieces. Add 1 T of the green onion to your cream cheese.

 

3. Add your 3 T of bacon. Throw in a tiny bit of freshly cracked pepper. Mix it all around to combine.

 

4. Place your mushrooms on a sprayed cookie sheet. Fill the insides with your cream cheese mixture.

 

5. Bake at 400 for 15 -20 minutes. Top with cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese the last four minutes of baking. Eat nice and hot from the oven. They cool down very quickly and aren't quite as tasty eaten cold.

Mug Cake

2tbs almond flour,
1 tbs cocoa,
1 tbs coconut oil or butter softened,
1 tbs Splenda.
1 egg,
1.5tbs half and half..
Mix until smooth,
microwave in a mug for 90 seconds!

You can top this with Lite Whipped topping or make your own Cream Cheese Chocolate Frosting.

Cocoa Crack

 

2tbs butter melted in a pan,
add powdered Splenda, about 3tbs,
2 tbs cocoa and unsweetened coconut and almonds..
pour on waxed paper and freeze.
Tastes just like almond joy.

You can leave out the coconut, I do ;) This looks kind of like a pile of poo but it tastes great.  You can add any kind of nut you would like.

Mashed Cauliflower

Pureed or mashed cauliflower is a great substitute for mashed potatoes. Low in carbs and high in nutrients, the "cauli-taste" is very mild. Try it even if you think you won't like it.! You can flavor it up in any way you like adding garlic is a great addition, or Parmesan cheese, or both!

Ingredients:

• raw Cauliflower - a medium head makes about a pound of florettes
• any combination of butter, milk, cream, or whatever you use when you make mashed potatoes - about 1/4 cup
• salt and pepper
• If you have low carb "instant mashed potatoes", add up to 1/4 cup for texture*
• Options: minced garlic (a clove or two); garlic powder (1/2 to 1 teaspoon); cheese

Preparation:

*I like to use instant "potatoes" made for low carb diets, such as Dixie Carb Counters Instant Mashers. Other people use a small amount of real potato or instant potatoes to improve the texture. But you don't need any of these things.

Break the cauliflower up into florets, or just chop. I like to cook it in the microwave in a container that I prepare and serve it in, but you can steam it. Cook it until it's tender -- a fork should easily pierce it.

The easiest thing to do is to add the rest of the ingredients to the container the cauliflower is cooked in, and then use a stick (hand) blender to put it all together. Or you can put it all in a regular blender or food processor.

Assuming 4 servings from a pound of cauliflower, each will have about 3 grams of usable carbohydrate plus three grams of fiber. The calories will depend on what else you add.

Cauliflower Fritters

• 4 cups steamed cauliflower (roughly chopped)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (Substitute 1 cup of almond flour)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup hot water
  
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, flour, garlic, eggs, grated cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Add water so that batter becomes slightly more dense than pancake batter.

On medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp of oil in a 10 inch skillet coating bottom of the pan. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form fritters. You can fit 4 fritters at a time. Cook until golden brown, turn and cook another few minutes. Add a little more oil to the pan, and repeat with the remaining batter.

Steak with Onions and Tomatoes

• 1-1/2 lbs grass fed sirloin tip steak, sliced very thin
• salt to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• cuminto taste
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin or chopped
• 1 very large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin or chopped. You could also used a can of drained stewed tomatoes.

Season steak with salt and garlic powder.
Serve this over rice or for a low carb option serve over low carb noodles.

Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Pork Loin

Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Pork Loin


Temp: 350 degrees F
Bake Time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pork tender loin (1.7 lbs)
4 oz Cream Cheese
8 oz Goat Cheese
1 Pkg Chopped Spinach (frozen) 10 oz
1/2 c. 4 cheese blend )
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs (Substitute ground almonds here)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:

• Drain Spinach of any water by squeezing it tightly and in a strainer.
• Mix Spinach, Cr. Cheese, Goat Cheese & 4 Cheese blend.
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Mix well
• Cut pork loin in 1/2 but not all the way- open it up (filet) and place it on plastic wrap, and lay another layer of plastic wrap on top.
• Using meat tenderizer pound out the meat to 1/4 inch thick
• Remove plastic wrap, and spread in spinach & cheese mixture
• Roll up pork loin
• Tie off loin with cooking twine or secure with toothpicks
• Cover the outside of the pork loin by dipping in your choice of bread crumbs.
• Discard the remaining bread crumbs and place pork loin in a 9×13 glass pan
• Bake for 35-40 minutes till done.
• 
  

Creamy Lemon Dressing

I stole this recipe from Stacy.  I hope that is okay.  It just fits so nicely with the low carb food.

Whisk together ~
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp shredded or grated Parmesan
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Almond Crusted Chicken

Almond Crusted Chicken

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup finely ground almonds

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 beaten egg

mix almonds and cheese with any spices you choose (I thought Italian seasoning and garlic salt would be good)

dredge the chicken in the beaten egg and then in the almond mixture. Fry in olive oil.

Smoked Salmon Ball

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
16 oz. can of red Salmon, drained
1 bunch of green onions, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
dash hot red pepper sauce
chopped nuts or parsley

directions:
Mix all ingredients except nuts or parsley.  In small bowl lined with plastic wrap, chill mixture until firm.  Shape into a ball.  Remove plastic wrap.  Roll in nuts or parsley. Serve with crackers or chips.

Applesauce Cake

 I opened a huge number 10 can of applesauce for my boys as a part of last nights dinner.  So then I needed to use it up.  I found a recipe for applesauce cake and made one for them and altered a few things to make one for me. So I started with a bunch of almonds and put them in my bosch with the blades.  Then I ground it into a finer flour with my handy dandy mill.  The recipe called for 2 Cups of flour so I substituted 2 Cups of almond flour which has about 6 carbs per cup instead of 40 carbs per cup in the white flour.  The only other substitution I made was using Splenda instead of the Brown Sugar. The square pan is the Low Carb cake and the round one is for everyone else.  I am thinking I can freeze the cake and eat it a bit at a time.

 

For cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (Substitute Almond Flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (Substitute Splenda)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs (Add one more egg)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup walnuts (optional), toasted (see Tips), cooled, and chopped

For frosting

• 5 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar (Substitute Splenda)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan.

Make cake:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
• Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using).
• Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

Make frosting:

• Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.
• Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad is one thing I have missed over the last two months and now I don't have to any more!  This Pasta is Dreamfields pasta.  You can buy it at Albertsons and it only has 5 digestible carbs per 3/4 cup serving.  I am thinking this can be a great filler in recipes when it calls for rice or other starches.

The recipe I use for Pasta Salad is.
Pasta
Olives
Cucumbers
Cheese
Broccoli
Cauliflower
or any other low carb cheese or vegetable
Add Italian Salad Dressing and top with Parmesan Cheese.

Cheese Cake

I wish I had taken a picture of this.  When I make it again I will do just that.  Next time I will make cupcake sized portions that I can freeze and take out whenever I feel the need and top with strawberries. There is no crust for this cheesecake but you can make a low-carb crust by using ground almonds, butter and Splenda.  FYI about 30 almonds equal three carbs.

-24 ounces of softened cream cheese
-1 Cup extra-fine whole milk ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese that has been processed in the food processor
-1/2 Cup Sour Cream
-1 1/2 Cups Splenda
-1/3 Cup of Heavy Cream
-1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
-1 Tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
-2 eggs
-3 egg yolks

Spray your Springform pan or I used a glass round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Set aside.  In a shallow roasting pan big enough to fit the cake pan, pour about 1-inch of water and place it on the center rack of the over to preheat.

In a bowl of the electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese, ricotta, sour cream and Splenda on low speed for about 1 minute until well blended.

In a separate bowl, using a wire whisk, mix heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, eggs, and egg yolks until blended.

Turn the mixer on medium speed, and slowly pour the egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Beat just until blended and then turn off; be careful not to over-whip

Pour batter into the greased pan.  Place pan into the heated water bath.  Bake for 15 minutes, and then lower the over temperature to 275 degrees.  continue baking for 1 1/2 hours or until top is light golden brown and cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Turn the oven off when finished cooking and leave the cake in the over to cool for 3 more hours.  This will keep the cake nice and tall.  Then remove cake and refrigerate before serving.  Serve Chilled with Strawberries.

This time may vary if you do the cupcake sized cakes.  Just experiment and let me know how it turns out in the comment section.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil spray for greasing baking pan
• 1 cup soya powder
• 1 cup almonds, finely ground
• 1 cup granular sugar substitute
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8x 4 loaf pan generously with oil spray; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together bake mix, ground almonds, sugar substitute, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whish together oil, eggs, zucchini and vanilla extract. Mix zucchini mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing loaf from pan. With a serrated knife, cut into 18 slices for serving.

2.5 Net carbs per slice.

Cheese soup

Cheese Soup

5 cups chicken broth
1 package of California blend vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)

While this is coming to a boil

make a roux of 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup butter (cook until it starts to turn brown)
cut up 8 oz. of Velveeta into cubes

Add your flour/butter slowly stirring well
Add the velveeta and stir until it melts

Add pepper if you like.

I serve it to my family in bread bowls. Of course, I go without the bread.
Yummy!

Meat and Celery Soup

For lunch today I made some delicious soup.  Spike keeps thinking about going on this low carb diet with me but just can't quite commit.  He gets what I get for lunch and if he wants to indulge himself in more carbs he has to get his own ;)  He was pretty satisfied with this soup though

Swanson Chicken Broth doesn't have any carbs in it so it is a great start to any soup.  Just dice up the celery and chicken or pork.  I had some left-over pork chops so I used those.  Put then in a pot together and add about 2 table spoons of butter and bring it to a boil.  Soups On!

To balance out the lunch I had some sugar free Jello. No carbs there and had a can of diet Shasta Grapefruit, mmmm, my favorite.

Sour cream beans

2 pieces of bacon
1 can of green beans
1 plop of sour cream
8 or 10 chunks of cheddar cheese

Fry the bacon and remove from pan. Put the drained green beans into the pan. Add in the plop of sour cream and the cheese. Stir it around and put the lid on until the cheese melts. Break up the bacon and add it back into the beans. Stir one more time.

Strawberry Sorbet

Here is another recipe for those of us who are cutting down on carbs.  I am thinking this would be a great replacement for when the rest of the family is eating ice cream.  Just put a lite topping on this and is should be great.

Sorbets are such a fantastic dessert.  They are quick and easy to make, fairly healthy (for a dessert), and are a great ending to just about any meal.  This sorbet had a great texture – very fruity, smooth and not too icy.  I did not strain out the seeds because I like them, but you certainly could if you want an even smoother texture.   Kind of a strawberries and cream thing going on – yum!  The only thing I will change next time will be to make a double batch, as the original recipe doesn’t yield much more than a pint and I like to make more than that at once.

Strawberry Sorbet
Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
3/4 cup sugar Substitute Splenda here
1 tsp. kirsch (optional)
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar and kirsch, if using, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve.  Cover and let stand for 1 hour, stirring every so often.
Puree the strawberries and their liquid with the lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds if you wish.
Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Chocolate Roll Cake

I got online and found a flourless recipe for a chocolate roll cake. I figured if I substituted the Sugar it called for with Splenda and the chocolate chips with splenda and cocoa powder and butter, then all would be well.

It is better than I ever hoped for. Now I can have my chocolate fix without any added carbs, except for the little bit of carbs in the Lite Whipped Topping.

Here is the recipe if anyone wants to make it. My boys even liked this better than the Brownies that I made them.

No Carb No flour No sugar Chocolate Cake

For Cake Layer

6 oz chocolate chips (Substitute ¼ C butter, 6 T Cocoa powder & 6 T Splenda)

4 tablespoons water

6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

2/3 C Sugar (substitute 2/3 C Splenda)

¼ tsp. salt

1 Table spoons Cocoa Powder

Filling

Lite Whipped Topping (this has 1 carb per Tablespoon)

Make Cake Layer: Preheat over to 350. Oil a 15 X 10 shallow baking pan and line bottom lengthwise with a large piece of wax or parchment paper, letting paper hang over ends by 2 inches.

Melt butter with water and then add the 6 Tablespoons of cocoa powder and 6 Tablespoons of Splenda. Stir until smooth.

Beat yolks, 1/3 C Splenda and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Fold in warm chocolate mixture until blended. Beat whites with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/3 C Splenda and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Fold on third of whites into melted chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until puffed and top is dry to the touch, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack. Cover top with 2 layers of damp paper towlels and let stand 5 minutes, then remove towels and cool completely. Loosen edges with a sharp knife.

Sift about 1 tablespoon cocoa powder or splenda generously over the top of cake layer and overlap 2 layers of wax paper lengthwise over cake. Place a baking sheet over paper and invert cake onto it, gently peeling off wax paper lining. (Don’t worry if the cake layer breaks; it will hold together when rolled.)

Spread Lite whipped topping evenly over the cake. Put a long platter next to a long side of the cake. Using wax paper as an aid, roll up cake jelly roll-style, beginning with a long side. Carefully transfer, seam side down, to platter, using wax paper to help slide cake. The cake might crack but will still hold together.