Low Carb Archives - Page 2 of 2

Tag: Low Carb

05
Jun
2013

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Banana Maple Pudding

categories: Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks, Uncategorized

If you aren’t familiar with chia seeds other than the infamous pets, you probably clicked on this post out of sheer curiosity. I personally was a skeptic at first. I immediately added them to my mental list of foods that are a hippy gimmick. I even tried to convince myself that I wasn’t a hippy at heart. Then I went over my life passions in my head. Oh yeah, I am part hippy. I figured I at least owed it to my fellow hippys to try the seeds. If I didn’t like them, I could move on to something else weird.

Ok, seriously people, they don’t taste like anything. If you like tapioca, you will like them. If you don’t like tapioca, grind them up and drink them in a shake, use them like a flour, so on. There are tons of uses for the nutrient packed seeds. Here is a short list of benefits these poppy seed like beauties contain:

Full of omega-3’s (improves mental performance)
High in fiber
High in protein
High in calcium
High in antioxidants
Helps with weight loss (gives you a full feeling)
Redeuces inflamtion (great for those with arthiritis)
Absorbs extra acid (great for reflux sufferers)
Lowers cholesterol
Lowers the risk of heart disease

With all of these benefits and no taste, I will be adding these to whatever I can. The reccomended amount for an adult is 2 tablespoons a day. An easy amount to add to a morning smoothie, shake, eggs, yogurt, cereal, toast, or even sorbet for dessert. Honestly, I would reccomennd starting off with the recipe below as an introduction. It’s an easy recipe to make, and tastes amazing! The chia seeds act as the thickener. They absorb the liquid and grow 8 times in size. The gelatenous coating creates the pudding like texture. The hardest part in making this is waiting for it to thicken. It will start thickening immediately, but I noticed the greatest consistency 12 hours in.

You can buy these little beauties at your local health food store or by clicking here.

Recipe

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups almond mlik

2 tablespoons real maple extract (vanilla works too)

7 tablespoons chia seeds

Mix the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Cover and chill 6 hours. Serve by itself or with fresh berries.

Servings: 8 • Size: 1/2 cup

Calories: 110 • Fat: 6g • Carb: 13g • Fiber: 7g • Protein: 4g •
Sugar: 4g • Sodium: 53mg • Cholesterol: 0mg

18
Apr
2013

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

categories: Side Dish

When you think ‘health food’, the word mashed potatoes usually doesn’t exist. When I found out those words could co-exist in the same recipe I ran home and made a batch. I think it’s been about 8 years since I first made them, and they are still a go to recipe.

This recipe is simple and translates into any mashed potato use you can think of. I have used it on top of Shepherd’s Pie. I have made ‘potato’ cakes. Of course you can eat them in their simplest form too.

Regular mashed potatoes, made from scratch have a calorie count of 239 calories, for one cup. A whopping 79 calories are from added fat. The carb count comes in at 35.5g and the sugar content is 3g. It would take you 27 minutes of jogging to burn off the spuds.

For the same amount of cauliflower mash, there are 90 calories. 40 of them are from healthy fat, the carb count is 5.1 g, fiber 3.3g and sugars are 1.7. This version only takes approximately 10 minutes of jogging to burn off. Kind of a no brainer nutritionally. Especially because this healthy version of the mashed taters will have you saying “potato who?”.

Recipe

Serves 6 – 8

1 head of cauliflower, core removed and florets pulled apart into smaller portions

4 tablespoons Smart Balance butter

salt & pepper to taste

Steam the cauliflower florets until they are soft enough to mash.

When cooked, put the florets into a food processor with the remaining ingredients and process until it reaches your desired consistency. I like mine a little chunky.

Servings: 4

Calories: 94 • Fat: 5g • Carb: 2 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 1g • Sugar: 1g Sodium: 99mg • Cholest: 0mg

08
Apr
2013

Turkey Bacon & Egg Cups

categories: Breakfast, Low Carb, Main Dishes, Quick Meal

Last week I was flying solo in the parenting department. I’ve lectured you before on the importance of prepping meals or ingredients ahead of time. This time I figured I should practice what I preach. In the past I’ve been really bad about not eating breakfast at all when don’t have my partner in crime to help assist with the morning craziness. But, I feel like a hypocrite, so I decided to break that cycle. This breakfast dish is an easy go to, quick breakfast for those busy mornings.

I came across these little babies on pinterest. I have now made them twice and have tweaked the recipe to my liking. They are so delicious, healthy and easy. They reheat well, and give me a much needed protein boost in the morning. I ate them with half of a whole wheat english muffin topped with smart balance butter, and half a grape fruit. The meal was perfectly balanced with carbs and protein. Leaving me satiated till my mid morning snack.

They may look fancy but they are super simple. They would even make a great addition to a weekend brunch. Make them, you won’t be sorry!

1 lb Turkey Bacon

1 dozen eggs (preferably organic)

2 tablespoons green onions, or chives, minced

about a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line each cup of a muffin tin with foil (or you will never make this again). Make sure the foil is higher than the cup. Make a circle with the bacon and drop it in each muffin cup, it will overlap itself. Crack each egg into the bacon circle. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto each egg cup. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the white is set. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cheese. Sprinkle each cup with green onions. Enjoy hot! (Of course I enjoyed mine with a generous amount of tabasco. Hey! It boosts your metabolism!).

05
Apr
2013

Zucchini Noodles with Asparagus Tips & Portobello

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes

At the end of a long day of school drops offs, pick ups, housework, volunteering, soccer and tennis, I love entering my kitchen for a bit of stress relief. My reprieve is cooking. Making a delicious, healthy meal is just as fun as eating it. Granted, I’ve been doing it a long time and have my flow going. But, even when I had no clue what braise really meant, I still found the kitchen to be therapeutic.

Kitchen gadgets make cooking even more fun. I recently acquired a new one. It was love at first sight. I first spotted this darling on another food blog. I admired the curves and lines, and kept going back to fawn over the green beauty again and again. I told my husband, “If you ever need a gift idea for me, this is it!”. I showed him where to buy it on Amazon. Then I waited. He didn’t take the hint. The green beauty didn’t arrive on my doorstep. Then, something better happened. Amazon local deals had my beautiful green goddess on sale for half price, for one day! That was it. Within 5 minutes, it was bought and a few days later I had her in my hands. I bet you want to know what it is by now. What I have been gushing over. You will probably think I am strange for obsessing over this tool, but here it is…

If you are looking for the proper wording for this bad boy, it is a vegetable processing device. In simpler terms, it makes veggies into noodles. I have chopped vegetables trying to get them to resemble noodles, only getting an o.k. result. The results you receive with this bad boy are perfect. There are two blades, one for angel hair type noodles, and one for wider noodles. In this recipe I used the angel hair blade, but it really doesn’t matter. I piled my plate as high as I wanted, because everything in this recipe is good for you. So go ahead and stuff yourself silly with this dish.

Oh and by the way, the price is even lower than what I bought it for on Amazon now. For $6, this —–> beauty can be yours! (click on pic for a direct link).

Now for the recipe:

1 lb boneless chicken thighs, visible fat trimmed, cut into 1 inch strips

1 Portobello mushroom cap, cut into 1 inch strips

1/4 sliced brown onion

6 asparagus spears, snap woody bottom off and cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup bruschetta (click for recipe)

2 zucchini, cut into pasta like noodles (you can use a knife, it just won’t be uniform)

salt, pepper & garlic powder for seasoning

olive oil

Pre-heat broiler. Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and put on cookie sheet. Broil for 7 minutes.

While chicken is broiling, sprinkle mushrooms, asparagus, and onions with salt and pepper and saute in 1 tsp, of olive oil over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Put another 1 tsp. of oilve oil in saute pan and saute zucchini for 3/4 minutes, moving constantly. Add in bruschetta, saute for another 2 minutes. To serve divide the zucchini noodles, veggies, and chicken into to bowls. Serve hot

02
Apr
2013

Simple Bruschetta Chicken

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes

There are some recipes that are best left untouched. In their purest form they are perfect, pristine almost. Bruschetta chicken is just that. My mouth is watering just thinking about the basil, garlic and tomato melding together in perfect harmony. It can be used in a multitude of applications, but this time it was perched atop a roasted chicken breast. If you are in a hurry to make dinner, still want to impress and eat clean and healthy, this is the dish. It goes from prep to oven within 10 minutes. I served it with a whole wheat spinach pasta and roasted broccolini.

Side note: The bruschetta topping can be used to make a traditional bruschetta (toasted bread with the bruschetta on top), or could be used like a salsa to dip veggies or pita chips in. Or you can toss it with pasta. Any way you use it, you will love it. It’s actually quite addicting.

Warning: Make sure everyone in your house has some. Guaranteed garlic halitosis will invade everyone’s mouth after eating this. BUT, If everyone eats it, the aroma cancels itself out. Pretty cool, huh?

1 container grape tomatoes, washed

2 large garlic cloves

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (red pepper if you want it spicy, use less first, the garlic has a bite too)

1 lb, boneless chicken breasts, washed and pat dry with paper towels

salt, pepper and garlic powder for seasoning the chicken

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic on both sides. Spray both sides with olive oil (use a misto sprayer). Roast chicken for 20 minutes or until all the juices running out are clear. Internal temp should be 165 degrees.

For the bruschetta:

In a food processor put garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Process till the garlic is finely chopped. Scrape the sides of the processor and push all of the ingredients to the bottom of the bowl. Add the tomatoes in and pulse 4-5 times. They should still be chunky. Set aside.

When the chicken has about 7 minutes left, pull out of the oven and distribute the bruschetta topping evenly among all the breasts. Put back in the oven for the remaining time.

29
Mar
2013

Spicy Sesame Asian Pork & Veggies

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love cauliflower rice. I make up recipes so I can eat the fluffy, antioxidant filled wonder. The recipes I make to go with it are healthy and usually saucy, flavor packed creations. This recipe is no exception. One of my best friends was coming over for dinner with her kids. I had not seen her in a while and knew she jumped on the healthy eating bandwagon. I also knew she had not had cauliflower rice before. I wanted to give her the best introduction to my other best friend.

I scanned the fridge for a protein. After weighing my options I grabbed the organic pork tenderloin I found on sale the other day. Now that I had a protein base, I looked for some veggie friends to introduce the pork to. I decided on a colorful array of red cabbage, red onions, zucchini and carrots. Next, I needed to come up with a sauce to marry the pork, veggies, and cauliflower rice together. I bathed them in a sweet, salty, spicy mix of soy sauce, agave, red chili peppers and a little corn starch to bind their marriage together. This marriage was made in heaven. After the first bite, my friend looked at me and said, “This is going on your blog, right!’. It now is.

2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into strips about 1 1/2 inches long, 1/2 inch wide

1 cup red cabbage, sliced in strips

1 cup red onion, slice in thin half moons

1 zucchini, cut in half moons

1/2 cup baby carrots , cut in 1/3s

1 garlic clove, minced

sesame seeds for garnish

Click here for the cauliflower rice recipe

For the sauce:

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar

3 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon chili flakes

Pre-heat your broiler on high. Season the pork strips with salt and pepper, put on a foiled lined cookie sheet and spritz the top of the meat with olive oil. Broil for five minutes.

While the meat is broiling, make the sauce. Mix together all the ingredients and set aside.

Make the cauliflower rice. (see recipe link above)

In a large saute pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil) and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Add all of the veggies and saute for 2 – 4 minutes. The veggies should be crisp but edible in this dish. Add the garlic in and saute for another minute. Add the meat and the sauce in. The sauce will seem thick. Use the chicken brother a half cup at a time to thin out the sauce to desired consistency. It should be a thick syrup consistency. Serve immediately over the cauliflower rice. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Don’t forget to share the recipe with your best friend!

26
Mar
2013

Portobello BBQ Chicken Pizza

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes, Side Dish

When my husband travels I really don’t like making a huge dinner. But, I still have to feed myself and two voracious boys. The problem lies in the dishes. I despise making a great dinner with every pan in the kitchen and then having to clean it up too. The husband and I have a symbiotic kitchen relationship. I cook, he cleans. It’s a match made in heaven. Every now and then I will get a dirty look when he sees the mess I made, but one bite into dinner I am usually forgiven (I seem to get away with a lot when it comes to food).

Back to the topic at hand, an easy clean up, healthy dinner. The boys and I had just come home from their tennis lessons and it was getting late. As you may have seen I made a ton of shredded chicken the other night. I still had a small amount. Then I saw the portobellas. An idea conjured in my tired head, and boom, portobella bbq chicken pizzas were thrown together in a matter of 5 minutes.

The clean up entailed a chefs knife, cutting board and throwing away the foil that covered the baking sheet. Oh, and if you are wondering if my 4 and 6 year old ate them, the answer is no. I like them to eat carbs at dinner. I popped a frozen, organic, multigrain, 3 cheese pizza into the oven, and roasted some broccolini for them and myself.

They devoured their entire pizza and tiny trees, while I inhaled mine. Showers were taken, books read, kisses given and lights out. For them at least. A mommy’s day doesn’t end till she gets to watch her Real Housewives of _________. Wait, I don’t watch that nonsense. I meant, not until I finish reading the latest epic novel pertaining to global warming. Yeah. That’s it.

Makes 1, but can be doubled easily

1 large portobello mushroom, cleaned and stem removed

1 tablespoon of bbq sauce

1/4 cup shredded chicken

a few thinly sliced red onions

1 heaping tablespoon reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

dash of red pepper flakes (optional as garnish)

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the bottom of the mushroom cap (the round part) with olive oil (preferably with a misto*, not the chemical laden non-stick sprays). Turn over the mushroom cap so that the bottom side is up. Sprinkle a little sea salt over the mushroom. Spread the bbq sauce on the inside of the cap. Then add the chicken, then the onions, then the cheese. Bake the mushroom till the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Take out of the oven and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.

25
Mar
2013

Pickled Red Onions

categories: Condiments, Side Dish

This recipe was tacked onto another Bon Appetit recipe that I made recently, the Shredded Red Chili Chicken. It’s an amazing topper to that dish and pretty much anything that deserves a good pickle. It could not be simpler to make these tart ruby rings. So easy, that they might become a weekly staple for you as well. If you are like me and love pickled veggies, make a lot. They shrink down somewhat after pickling.

1 red onion, sliced thin, but not super thin

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup warm water

Mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl, except onions. After mixing, add onions and let stand until slightly pickled, about 30 minutes. Drain and store in a sealed tupperware in the fridge.

04
Mar
2013

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

categories: Main Dishes

A horrible picture of this dish. I promise to update soon!

This recipe has a special place in my heart. I had been cooking healthy for about a year and just starting to make up my own recipes. I entered this and one other into the Aetna Healthy Food Fight Competition not expecting much. To my surprise both recipes were picked to compete. I had to pick one, so the spaghetti squash lasagna was it. Each of the 6 contestants had their own stage to prepare their dish in a 90 minute time frame. It was exciting and fun. Any nerves I had before hand were gone within minutes. While preparing my dish the audience was able to come up and ask questions. I had a great time answering them. The host would come by every now and then with a question or comment. In the end, I didn’t win. Another dish had better nutritional qualities (the biggest point scoring aspect).

I was invited to go to the finals in L.A. where Bobby Flay was one of the judges. Although I wish I could have competed there too, it was such a great experience.

I hope you enjoy my almost winning dish. The judges sure did! (Or so I’ve been told).

1 large spaghetti squash

1lb turkey italian sausage

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 jar marinara sauce

1 small container reduced fat ricotta cheese

1 cup colby jack, shredded

3/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated

salt and white pepper to taste

garlic powder

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (not an easy task). Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh. Place cut side down in a microwave safe dish in about 1/2 cup salted water. Place plastic wrap tightly over the dish and microwave for 12 – 14 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Saute the peppers, onion, and carrots in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Cook till onions are translucent and peppers soften, carrots will still be firm. Add salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes to your taste. Stir well. Add garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often, do not let garlic burn. Take off heat. Take a fork starting at one end of the spaghetti squash pull all of the stands out and add to the vegetable mixture in your saute pan, mix well.

In a medium size bowl combine ricotta, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. white pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, basil, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1 cup marinara sauce.

Spray a baking dish ( I used I size smaller than 9X13 and have no idea what the dimensions are) with cooking spray and add a small amount of marinara to the bottom, spread evenly. Cover the marinara with half of the spaghetti squash mixture, cover the spaghetti squash layer with half of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle the ricotta with 1/2 of the colby/jack cheese. Repeat. Once the last layer of cheese is sprinkled use the remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Let sit about 10 minutes before you serve. Enjoy!