I grow Swiss Chard in my grow-bag garden out back and it is producing nicely this year. I tried a new sauté with it last night that we just loved. A thumbs up from both of us! If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, you can certainly leave them out here, as I’ve made this vegetable that way as well and it’s quite good. Note: I did not include stems when harvesting the chard from my garden.
I served this alongside pot roast, but you could probably enjoy it with any dish you would enjoy that has spinach. This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Primal/Paleo as well.
1-2 T. extra bacon grease (add only if very lean bacon)
2 T. unsalted butter
2 oz. red onion, chopped
6 large fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper
8 Swiss chard leaves (8″ long without stem), coarse chop
DIRECTIONS: Fry bacon in skillet over high heat. Add onion & butter and extra bacon grease (if needed) to pan when bacon is almost done. Bear in mind calories/fat count will be lower than shown below if no extra bacon grease is needed). Sauté until onion is translucent. Lower heat to medium and add sliced mushrooms, sautéing until no longer opaque. Sprinkle on black pepper. No salt is needed as the bacon makes this salty enough. Add chopped chard to the pan. Let it just sit atop skillet contents a minute or so, until it begins to wilt. Turn with spatula to wilt the other side. Stir/sauté a couple times until chard is just softened to your desired state. Serve at once.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
184 cals, 16g fat (cals & fat will be lower if extra grease was not needed), 6g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g NET CARBS, 5g protein, 350 mg sodium
When they stuff peppers, grape leaves, tomatoes, onions, eggplant or whatever in the Middle East with meat mixtures, they call that food ‘Dolma‘ (or a word similar), which literally means “stuffed”. The mixture often includes bits of dates or raisins.
I haven’t had these particular stuffed peppers since I lived in Iran but I do cook stuffed peppers with a variety of low-carb meat fillings. Fatimeh, our maid in Iran made something like this for us one time. I remember she put raisins in her meat filling, which I thought very odd at the time. That jacks up the carbs too high for me on my low-carb regimen, since peppers themselves are pretty carb-y. So I tend to leave out the raisins. If I think I can splurge a bit, I’ll snip up a few with kitchen shears and add them since they add so much flavor. Fatimeh also used bulgur wheat in her filling mixture, whereas I used lower-carb hemp seeds. Even with my changes, the peppers themselves have quite a few carbs, as you can see in the stats below. But peppers are so good for you, I just don’t care. I’m just going to have stuffed peppers once in awhile and that’s a given! One of these is a serving and fills me right up.
These are suitable once you get to Phase 2 Atkins. Keto folks can probably fit these macros into their day with menu planning. These are also suitable for those following Primal or Paleo programs.
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium-large green peppers (or any other color you like)
20 oz. lean ground beef
2½ oz. onion, chopped
3/4 c. chopped parsley
1 14.5-oz (total) can diced low-sodium tomatoes
3 T. hemp seeds/hearts
1 tsp. each turmeric, dried mint and dried dill
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash each salt and pepper
VARIATIONS: Use ground lamb instead of beef. Use cooked lentils instead of hemp seeds (carbs will go up with lentils). If you can are in maintenance and can afford the extra carbs, add 2 T. snipped raisins to the meat mixture before filling the peppers.
DIRECTIONS: Cut the tops off the peppers. Pull out the seed cluster and discard. Save the “lids” if you want to use them for plate presentation, otherwise, chop the flesh and save all but the stem in a baggie in the refrigerator for future pepper needs. Parboil the peppers in a braising/soup pot of water 1″ deep for just 2-3 minutes to slightly cook them. Carefully drain off water and stand the peppers cut-side up in the pot. Set aside for now.
For the filling, in a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat and onion together. Add half of the can of tomatoes (just solids) to the meat and stir. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer 5 minutes to cook off any water in the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 350º while you are simmering the meat. After 5 minutes of cooking, spoon the meat filling equally into the peppers. Place pepper “lids” on top if using. Pour the remaining diced tomatoes and their liquid down into the bottom of the pan around the peppers as shown below to help the peppers remain moist during cooking. Pop your cook pot into a 350º oven for about 40-50 minutes. The amount of time will depend upon the size of your peppers and the thickness of the pepper “walls”. Bigger/thicker peppers will take more time. If they look like they are about ready to collapse, they’re done! As the filling is totally cooked, you just want to cook the peppers until they are tender and not fall-apart stage, so keep an eye on them (ovens vary).
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 stuffed peppers, each contains approximately:
391 cals, 22g fat, 17.07g carbs (from the tomatoes and peppers), 5.9g fiber, 12.17g NET CARBS, 32.7g protein, 443 mg sodium
This family favorite is Atkins friendly and I made it again for dinner last night. I thought I’d repost this delicious dish for those that are new to my site. Be sure to omit the wine if you’re still on Induction Phase of Atkins program. Got to be honest, it won’t be as good without the wine, so you might want to hold off until you’re out of Induction to try this one.
I serve this dish to company often and it’s always a hit! I actually won the Galveston Daily News Holiday Recipe Contest with this recipe back in the 80’s. You can actually make this dish ahead of time, holding off on adding the bell pepper and tomatoes upon reheating for just 1-2 minutes after guests arrive and you’re ready to plate up for service. Thicken the sauce with the butter past at the very last minute. When I have company, I usually just use a whole cut-up chicken, minus the back, which I boil for chicken stock for adding to the sauce if needed,. If not, the stock goes in the freezer for future uses.
INGREDIENTS:
16 oz. chicken breast, skin on (cut into 4 servings) (I often use 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs & 1 breast)
4 slices of thick-slice bacon (1″ pieces), or dry-cured Smoked Country Ham, if you have access
1/2 c. chopped onion
4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 lg. cloves minced garlic
1.5 c. chicken broth or water
1/4 c. dry white wine (omit if still on Atkins Induction)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
1/2 c. green bell pepper cut into strips
4 plum tomatoes, cut into large wedges.
2 T. butter blended with 1 T. oat fiber or 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum
DIRECTIONS: Brown the chicken in a skillet heated up with 1/4 c. olive or coconut oil. When both sides are nicely browned, remove chicken pieces from the skillet to a platter. Brown the bacon, onion, mushrooms and garlic in the same skillet in the same drippings. When veggies are tender, add chicken pieces back to the skillet, skin-side up. Add water, wine, thyme and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 30 minutes until chicken is done and veggies are tender. Add 1/4-1/2 cup stock only if you feel the dish is too dry at this point.
Finally, the last 4-5 minutes of cooking, and right right before you plan to serve, add the bell pepper and tomato wedges. Cook another 2-3 minutes only, as you don’t want the peppers to lose their pretty green color. You want the tomato wedges slightly softened but not falling apart. The bacon/ham usually makes this dish salty enough without extra salt addition. Thicken with 2 T. butter that has been softened and blended with 1 T. oat fiber or 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum. Stir in slowly, simmering for 1-2 more minutes. Dip chicken onto serving platter and ladle the sauce over the meat.
I serve mine over a generous helping of buttery Mashed Cauliflower. In my pre-low-carb days, this dish was served over now-verboten mashed potatoes. 🙂
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 4 servings of 4 oz. meat each
Each serving has 504 calories, 33.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 1.9 g fiber, 40 g protein, 6.1 g NET CARBS
This recipe has been one of my most popular and most visited recipes to date. Our best friends in Dallas have taken us several times to a wonderful little Lebanese restaurant over in Ft. Worth named Hedary’s. Family-operated for many years, I can say their tabouleh salad and kebabs are to die for! So is their slow-roasted baked lemon chicken known as Frarej. For those tables positioned close enough to do so, they used to serve their fresh-baked pita bread all the way from behind the counter on long, paddled poles. Don’t know if they still do that, but is sure was fun to watch! Next time you’re in Ft. Worth, give Hedary’s a try! But in the meantime…………………..experience their delicious baked chicken at home! This Induction friendly version of their ever-popular lemony chicken dish is slightly changed. The original dish has potato wedges, so I always substitute rutabaga or turnip wedges to keep the carbs reasonably low. I did not include the root vegetables in the nutritional info below as I don’t always include them in the pan. I tend to vary the vegetables I use based on what I have on hand. So be sure to calculate the veggies you add (and consume) over and above what I consider to be the base recipe of onion, garlic and tomatoes. If you have family that are not on Atkins, I would definitely use a few wedges of potato for them, as they soak up those tasty pan juices like a sponge and are sooooooo tasty.
My rendition is very close to the inspirational dish from Hedary’s, though I must confess, not QUITE as good. This meal is easy to prepare and the oven basically does the work for you! Gives a whole new meaning to “Set it & forget it”. 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
4 T. olive oil
1 cut up whole chicken or 8 pieces
4 oz. onion cut into wedges (separate layers)
2 Roma tomatoes cut into wedges
6-10 cloves garlic, (leave half of them whole, mince the rest)
½ tsp. oregano
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash salt and pepper
OPTIONAL: Carrots and wedges of rutabaga or turnips (for non-low-carbers, potato wedges)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 500º. Cut up chicken into separate pieces making 8 pieces in all. I never use the back as I simmer that for broth to freeze for other purposes or it becomes dinner for my dogs. 🙂 Drizzle 1 T. of the olive oil on the bottom of a very large baking/roasting pan (I use a 12 x 15 stainless steel metal pan). I do not recommend glass/ceramic wre for such high temperature cooking. If you don’t yet have a really large, good quality stainless steel roasting pan, I think it is one of the single most important investments you can make in your cooking tools. Place chicken skin side up in the pan. You don’t want any overlapping or crowding. I do not recommend using a glass or ceramic baking dish at the very high temperature called for in this recipe. Glass can be unpredictable, can even break, above 450º. Crowding of this chicken and the surrounding veggies will result in deeper pan juices around them and that will impede crisping of the chicken. Place tomato wedges around and in between chicken pieces. Do the same with the onion pieces and add the garlic. If using the root vegetables, cut them up and place them evenly around the chicken. Squeeze the lemon over everything in the pan. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the pan contents as well. Lightly sprinkle some oregano over all (about 1/4-½ tsp, I don’t measure it). Bake 30 minutes at 500º. Baste with pan juices, lower heat to 350º and bake another 20 minutes or to internal temperature of the chicken is 170º on a meat thermometer. Baste with pan juices just before serving if desired. I like to place the juices in a gravy boat and have it on the table for basting the drier breast meat. If there are any juices leftover, I freeze them and add them to the bottom of the pan next time I make this recipe (which is often!). I like to serve this with a Tabouleh parsley salad.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: (does NOT include the optional potato, turnips or carrots). Please note, these numbers are only approximate, because the actual counts will vary depending on which pieces of chicken and which roasted veggies you eat.
I was asked by my husband to cook a pot of pinto beans and ham with some cornbread tonight. I don’t like to eat such a carb-y meal, so I only ate a couple boiled eggs and 1/2 avocado during the day in plans for the carb-y dinner tonight. I modified my Jalapeno-Cheese Bread recipe that has been on my website for years now and changed things up a bit. I added onion powder and a hefty amount of cayenne pepper, along with a small amount of actual cornmeal. We both LOVED the result! This bread is not suitable until you reach Maintenance Phase of Atkins, since it has real cornmeal in it.
This would probably make up nicely as muffins, too. Muffins will only take about 15-20 minutes to cook.
The corn flavoring I use is, frankly, whatever brand I can find. Select Products (who bought out Superior Flavors and then shut down their on-line website later. Superior Products website will still open for me and may accept orders on certain products. I use their “Fresh Corn” in their Regular Shop, but you have to get the 8 oz. bottle. I succeeded in ordering 6 small bottles last time OK. If you have no success placing an order at that site, try this corn flavoring (I have not personally tried): https://amoretti.com/products/sweet-corn-extract-ws, try the corn flavoring at Naturesflavors.com (I hear it’s good, but I haven’t tried it yet, myself).
INGREDIENTS:
1½ c. almond flour
2 T. coconut flour
¼ c. golden flax meal
1 T. baking powder
1½ c. shredded cheddar cheese (or other hard cheese)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. granulated onion powder
1/3 c. cornmeal (I use white, but yellow is just fine)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a loaf pan well and set aside. I highly recommend using a piece of parchment to cradle the batter, as my bread is inclined to stick on the bottom at times, even in a non-stick pan! I can easily get 10 very thick slices out of this loaf. For those that use over-long size loaf pans (4″x12″) I have had luck with this recipe using both the extra-long loaf pan, as well as a regular loaf pan. The longer size will back a flatter loaf; the regular will make a slightly taller loaf.
Measure all dry ingredients and cheese into a medium measuring bowl, stir and set aside. Add cheese and stir all dry ingredients together to blend. Add all liquid ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to blend. Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into greased, preferably parchment-lined also, loaf pan and pop into preheated oven for 40 minutes in a 5×8″ pan (only 30 min if using a 4″x12″ pan). Ovens vary, so check center with finger for a dry touch and also do a toothpick test. Remove and cool in pan a few minutes before attempting to tip out & slice. Run sharp knife around edges to loosen and gently tip out onto a cutting board. Slice into 10 servings.
This cornbread should make an outstanding“Cornbread” Stuffingfor your holiday turkey, I’m sure.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes ten 1/2″ slices, each slice contains:
284 cals, 22g fat, 9g carbs, 3g fiber, 6 g NET CARBS, 11g protein, 272 mg sodium
I meant to post this earlier in the week, but we had company and doctor’s appointments seems like forever. I want to wish all my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving! I know you’ll be serving up some delicious low-carb creations.
I’m fond of turkey roasted in my roaster oven as they always come out so moist cooked that way. This year I’m actually cooking a turkey breast and two thighs instead of a whole bird. Nobody is visiting and I don’t want too many leftovers. Roaster ovens are especially nice for extra oven space needed at holiday gatherings.
What turkey would be complete without a good batch of dressing/stuffing? This recipe, modified to be low-carb, has been in my family for years (high carb version, that is). I think you’ll like my low-carb version. I like to bake the dressing separately from the bird as I like the crusty bits on top:
That just brings us to the pièce de résistance, dessert. Oh, the dilemma! I usually decide on light rather than rich and heavy dessert as most folks are stuffed to the brim before dessert. Although pumpkin pie is typical at my house, I think I’ll be doing a sweet potato pie instead this year. I just substitute an equal amount of cooked sweet potatoes (mashed) in my regular pumpkin recipe. This year I’m making a large pie and several small ones to save for later in the the holiday season. A person can never have pumpkin/sweet potato pie too often in my book. 🙂
At a time to be thankful for family, friends and good food to share with them, I can’t imagine a more bountiful meal to serve. May all my readers be blessed with a lovely holiday get together this year.
It’s what’s for dinner tonight! This tasty dinner comes together in under an hour, start to sitting down at table. I always buy chicken breasts with bones (or whole), as I stew the bones to strip for adding those bits of meat to my dog’s food and making chicken broth. But you can certainly use boneless breasts for this dish if you wish to speed up this quick meal even more. This risotto-like dish is very psychologically satisfying, as well as being quite filling. My husband and I felt like we were eating real rice or cous-cous! This creation is extremely low-carb and suitable for all phases of Atkins, other Keto diets, Primal Blueprint and if the wine and cheese are omitted, it is also acceptable for Paleo followers.
INGREDIENTS:
5 T. butter, unsalted
20 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
DIRECTIONS: Melt butter in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken strips and begin to brown. As it is browning, sprinkle with half the Seafood Spice Blend, salt and black pepper. Turn the pieces of meat over and brown the other side. Sprinkle remaining spices on the side of meat now up. When meat has nicely browned a bit on both sides, add in the parsley, garlic and wine (if using). Lower heat to medium and stir occasionally as it simmers for about 5-10 minutes. Open noodle package and drain in a sieve under running cold water to rinse. Pour noodles into skillet and stir to blend ingredients well. Continue cooking another 10 minutes and remove from heat. Serve at table allowing each serving to receive 1 T. grated Parmesan on top.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
My husband wants something “Indian” for dinner tonight. I thawed some beef and chicken (I often swap chicken and pork in recipes). We both love those tiny meatballs that appear on Indian restaurant buffet tables, so I decided to make these again tonight. This comes out really nice and I think you’ll like this dish. Not at all spicy, so double the jalapeno if you’re into spicy, or add a dash of cayenne pepper. For the non-low-carbers at the table, this would be delicious served with basmati rice, but it was pretty darn good just as is, with cauliflower standing in for rice. This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, and would be OK for Primal-Paleo using coconut milk for the cream.
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1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped (use 2 for spicier dish)
¼ c. cilantro for meat
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
¼ tsp. salt
2 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
½ c. cream + ½ c. water
1-2 T. more chopped cilantro for sauce
Dash curry powder
2 T. coconut or olive oil for browning meatballs stove-top (or bake them on non-stick pan)
VARIATION: Add ¼-½ tsp. crushed dried mint to meat mixture (or 6 fresh leaves chopped). you can also use ground lamb in this recipe for a more intense meat flavor.
DIRECTIONS: Cut up cauliflower and partially cook in boiling water until just half tender. You want it under-cooked as it will cook more once in your skillet sauce. Drain and set aside for now.
In a food processor, pulse to a smooth mixture both meats, the egg, onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, ¼ c. cilantro, turmeric, salt and ½ tsp. of the Garam Masala spice blend. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (medium if not using a non-stick pan). You can also bake the meatballs if you prefer to eliminate the need for any coconut oil (for about 20 minutes at 350º). Form into twenty 1½” meatballs. Brown them rotating gently as they brown. Spoon/drain off excess grease, if any.
When meatballs are nice an golden and almost done through, add the cream and water to the pan. Using a silicone spatula, scrape up any brown bits off the pan so it will make the sauce richer. Add chopped tomato, the final bit of the cilantro (and dried mint if using), dash curry powder and the rest of the Garam Masala spice. Gently stir in the cauliflower chunks, coating each with sauce. Simmer on low heat until thick to allow flavors to meld together nicely. If the sauce is not thick enough for your taste, dust with the tiniest dusting of xanthan gum or your preferred thickener. Work it into the sauce with your spatula until it has done a proper thickening job. It will not take much at all.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings (4 meatballs each with 1/4 cauli/sauce mixture). Each serving contains:
428 calories, 33 g fat, 9.36 g carbs, 3.64 g fiber, 5.72 g NET CARBS, 25.5 g protein, 258 mg sodium
I am cooking up a batch of this scrumptious chicken for our dinner tonight. This is, bar none, our all-time favorite chicken dish. This family favorite is Atkins friendly, so I hope all my Atkins followers enjoy this one. Omit the wine if you’re still on Induction. It won’t be quite as good without the wine, but acceptable. 🙂 This dish is always a hit with company and really pretty simple to make. I actually won the Galveston Daily News Holiday Recipe Contest with this recipe back in the 80’s. You can actually make this dish ahead of time and just add the bell pepper and tomatoes for a brief simmer after guests arrive, thickening the sauce at the very last minute. When I have company, I usually just use a whole cut-up chicken, minus the back, which I boil for chicken stock for my freezer.
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INGREDIENTS:
2 extra-large chicken breasts, skin on (cut into 4 servings) (or 4 serving any pieces you like)
4 slices of chopped bacon or dry-cured Country Ham, cut into 1″ pieces
1/2 c. chopped onion
4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 lg. cloves minced garlic
1.5 c. chicken broth or water
1/4 c. dry white wine (omit if still on Atkins Induction)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
1/2 c. green bell pepper cut into strips
4 plum tomatoes cut into large wedges.
2 T. butter blended with 1 T. oat fiber or 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum
DIRECTIONS: Brown the chicken in a skillet heated up with 1/4 c. olive or coconut oil. When both sides are nicely browned, remove chicken pieces from the skillet to a platter. Brown the bacon, onion, mushrooms and garlic in the same skillet in the same drippings. If using Country ham, soak an hour in warm water to remove excess salt before chopping & browning. When veggies are tender, add chicken pieces back to the skillet, skin-side up. Add water, wine, thyme and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 30 minutes until chicken is done and veggies are tender.
Finally, the last 4-5 minutes of cooking, and right right before you plan to serve, add the bell pepper and tomato wedges. Cook another 3-4 minutes only, as you don’t want the peppers to lose their pretty green color. You want the tomato wedges slightly softened but not falling apart. The bacon/ham usually makes this dish salty enough without extra salt. Thicken with 2 T. butter that has been blended with 1 T. oat fiber or 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum. Stir in and simmer for 1-2 more minutes. Dip chicken onto serving platter and ladle the sauce over the meat.
I serve this over a generous helping of buttery Mashed Cauliflower. In my pre-low-carb days, this dish was served over now-verboten mashed potatoes. 🙂
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 4 servings of 4 oz. meat each
Each serving has 504 calories, 33.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 1.9 g fiber, 40 g protein, 6.1 g NET CARBS
Whenever I pop into my local Natural Grocer I look to see if they have elk in the freezer. We love it grilled outside, since I think that brings out the best flavor in meats. The flavor, if you’ve not had it before, is similar to beef. Not really as wild-gamey as venison tastes to me. I developed a simple marinade that really does a great job of tenderizing what otherwise can be a fairly tough cut of meat. Elk has virtually no fat, so there is no marbling to help tenderize the meat. Therefore marinating is recommended.
This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and is certainly acceptable for the Paleo-Primal table. I usually serve mine with a small oven-baked sweet potato (if I have the carbs to spare that day), a grilled pineapple slice and a nice green salad. All I can say is man, oh, man, is this good eating. My husband REALLY likes this new marinade and has eaten elk many times now
INGREDIENTS:
2 lb. elk, steaks or shoulder cut 1¼-1½ thick
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
2 tsp. onion powder or 1 T. finely minced onion
1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 Cloves minced garlic
½ tsp. coarse black pepper
1/8 tsp. Chipotle powder (or pinch of cayenne)
4 T. unsalted butter or ghee, melted
6 pineapple slices(optional 1 per person, as they are high carb)
DIRECTIONS: Prepare meat by trimming off any obvious large pieces of sinew. Butterfly larger/thicker roasts so they are between 1¼-1½” thick. Place meat into a gallon plastic zip bag. Mix the next 8 ingredients (all but the melted butter) in a small bowl. Stir and scrape the marinade into the bag. Zip bag and manipulate with your hands to evenly coat the meat. Marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator, turning and manipulate the meat and marinade bag every hour. When ready to cook, prepare a bed of hot charcoal in your grill. When the coals are ready, place meat on grill. Melt butter. Using a brush, baste the meat (and 5/8″-3/4″ pineapple slices if making them) with melted butter/ghee several times while cooking to help with moisture.
This will need to cook about 6-8 minutes on a side if you like your meat very rare. Allow around 10 minutes per side for medium rare, as shown in the pic above. Medium will take about 12 minutes on a side. You ABSOLUTELY DO NOT want to cook game well done on the grill (as it has no fat/marbling to help keep it moist and tender). Therein lies the path to a result you won’t be pleased with. And elk is too expensive to fall prey to “death by overcooking”. This marinade is also delicious on beef chuck or lamb chops if you don’t have get access to elk.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings elk, each contains: (does not include pineapple slice if you indulge). One slice of pineapple will add around 100 cals + 19g Net Carbs).
This quick dish originally came about one day at lunchtime because I had 1/4 pound package of fresh breakfast sausage in the fridge sitting center front of the refrigerator shelf today at eye level. Adding just 3 other ingredients made for a wonderful and delicious lunch. Today, however, I made this one for dinner tonight. I forgot how good this dish is! Even my greens-aversive husband enjoyed this dinner! I DID double the ingredients to make enough for two servings tonight. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well.
INGREDIENTS:
4 oz. pork breakfast sausage, crumbled large (I use Owens ‘regular’)
2 oz. onion, slivered large
1 c. chopped kale (or 2 leaves, stemmed and chopped)
1 oz. red bell pepper, slivered small
Dash salt and black pepper
DIRECTIONS: Brown the sausage until no longer pink. Add onion and sauté until it, too, is tender and browned to your liking. Add red pepper and kale and sauté just until they are soft. Overcooking kale will make it both strong and somewhat bitter, so don’t do that to your kale. sprinkle the mixture with a dash of salt and coarse black pepper and serve.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes one large serving (adjust for more servings) which contains: (Share with someone to reduce the numbers below. Remember, these are all “good” carbs)
442 cals, 32g fat, 12.3g carbs, 2.3g fiber, 10g NET CARBS, 24.9g protein, 1036 mg sodium (omit salt if super sodium sensitive)
This is my all-time favorite ways to cook eggs in the morning. I’m not terribly fond of eggs just scrambled or fried. I have always had to “doctor them up” quite a bit to eat them. This is one way I’ve succeeded in making eggs, to be quite honest, not taste so much like eggs. It’s sinfully rich and Atkins Induction friendly!
It is also suitable for Primal diners, but not Paleo without a substitute for the cream. You can play around a bit with this recipe, too, adding other things to the sauce like cooked pork sausage, ham (as shown), sliced mushrooms, onion slivers. 🙂 Tarragon is a sweet, delicate spice with a slight licorice taste. If you put too much in the sauce, you’ll probably not be happy with the result. When it comes to tarragon, MORE is not better! For what it’s worth, although I sometimes add ham to this sauce (shown above) for my husband, I personally prefer this sauce without the ham.
If beyond Induction Phase of Atkins, 1 T. sherry or white wine is also good added to this sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
Without the 2 oz. ham (my preferred way to serve this)
1 tsp. olive oil
¼ c. + 2 T. heavy cream
1/3 c. water
¼ tsp. crushed tarragon
Pinch onion powder
1 T. butter
4 large eggs, beaten
1/16 tsp. xanthan gum (only if you want it thicker)
VARIATION: Add 3-4 oz. sliced/chopped cooked ham to the sauce before adding the other ingredients to the skillet. Add some cooked crumbled bacon to the sauce instead of ham. 🙂
DIRECTIONS: In small non-stick skillet, sauté chopped tomato in olive oil. When tender but not reduced to mush, lower heat and add water, cream, tarragon and onion powder. Simmer a few minutes and it will thicken up on its own. Only add the xanthan gum if you want it thicker. In separate non-stick pan, melt butter and add beaten eggs and cook scrambled just until done. Plate 1/2 the eggs with 1/2 of the cream sauce on two serving plates.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each containing:
354 Cals, 32.3 g fat, 3.3 g carbs, 0.4 g fiber, 2.9 g NET CARBS, 13.85 g protein, 236 mg sodium
This recipe has been one of my most popular Middle Eastern recipes therefore I would be remiss in not including it in our adventure through my Middle Eastern recipe collection. It has garnered millions of Facebook fans where I once maintained a presence, during those years I was on the Low Carbing Among Friends team. I no longer maintain a Facebook presence.
Our dear friends in Dallas have taken us several times to a wonderful little Lebanese restaurant over in Ft. Worth named Hedary’s. Family-operated for many years by a Lebanese family. I can say their tabouleh salad and kebabs are the best I’ve ever eaten. So is their slow-roasted baked lemon chicken known as Frarej. For those tables positioned close enough to do so, they used to serve their fresh-baked Lebanese bread all the way from behind the counter on long, paddled poles used to place them into and out of the ovens for cooking. Don’t know if they still do that, but is sure was fun to watch! Next time you’re in Ft. Worth, give Hedary’s a try!
In the meantime…………………..experience their delicious baked chicken at home! This Induction friendly version of their ever-popular lemony chicken dish is slightly changed, but just as yummy nonetheless. The original dish has potato wedges, so I always substitute rutabaga or turnip wedges to keep the carbs reasonably low. I did not include the root vegetables in the nutritional info below as I don’t always include them in the pan. I tend to vary the vegetables I use based on what I have on hand. So be sure to calculate the veggies you add (and consume) over and above what I consider to be the base recipe of onion, garlic and tomatoes. If you have family that are not on Atkins, I would definitely use a few wedges of potato for those folks, as they soak up those tasty pan juices like a sponge and are sooooooo tasty.
My rendition is very close to the inspirational dish from Hedary’s, though the tomatoes are my personal addition. I must confess, mine is good, but not QUITE as it is at Hedary’s. Sigh. I understand Hedary’s has left the original location and moved farther out in Ft. Worth somewhere. This meal is easy to prepare and the oven basically does the work for you! Gives a whole new meaning to Ron Popeel’s expression “Set it & forget it.” for a sheer heavenly, delicious dinner almost effortlessly. 🙂 Please follow directions closely as they are KEY to getting the best results.
INGREDIENTS:
4 T. olive oil
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces, cutting breast in half (Do not remove skin or you will ruin this dish)
4 oz. onion cut into wedges (separate layers)
2 Roma tomatoes cut into wedges
6-10 cloves garlic, (leave half of them whole, mince the rest)
½ tsp. oregano
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash salt and pepper
OPTIONAL: Original dish had potato wedges and whole carrots roasted in the pan with the chicken. The carrots are OK but I’d substitute in pieces of rutabaga, turnip or daikon radish for the potato wedges to keep carbs down.
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 500º (therefore do NOT use a ceramic baking dish!). Cut up chicken into separate pieces making 8 pieces in all. I never use the back as I simmer that for broth to freeze for other purposes or it becomes dinner for my dogs. 🙂 Drizzle 1 T. of the olive oil on the bottom of a very large METAL baking/roasting pan (I use a 12 x 15 stainless steel metal pan). If you don’t yet have a really large, good quality stainless steel roasting pan, I think it is one of the single most important investments you can make in your kitchen tools. Place chicken skin side up in the pan. You don’t want any overlapping or crowding. Do not use a glass/ceramic baking dish as it will break in a 500º oven.
Crowding of this chicken and the veggies in the pan will result in deeper pan juices. Deeper juices keeps chicken from crisping of the chicken, so use a really large pan. Place tomato wedges around and in between chicken pieces. Do the same with the onion pieces and add the garlic. If using the root vegetables, cut them up and place them evenly around the chicken. Squeeze the lemon over everything in the pan. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the pan contents as well. Lightly sprinkle some oregano or Greek seasoning over all (about 1/4-½ tsp, I don’t measure it). Bake 30 minutes at 500º. Baste with pan juices, lower heat to 350º and bake another 20 minutes or to internal temperature of 170º on a meat thermometer. Baste with pan juices just before serving. I like to place the juices in a gravy boat and have it on the table for basting the drier breast meat while eating. If there are any juices leftover after the meal, I always freeze them and add them to the bottom of the next pan I make of this recipe (which is often!). Each successive pan is therefore better than the last! I like to serve this chicken dish with my Cucumber Mint Salad or my Tabouleh salad
NUTRITIONAL INFO: (does NOT include the optional vegetables). Please note, these numbers are only approximate, because the actual counts will vary depending on which pieces of chicken and which roasted veggies you consume.
Serves 4, each 2-piece serving contains: (these numbers do not include the carrots or rutabaga)
447 cals, 30.4 g fat, 7.98 g carbs, 1.1 g fiber, 6.88 g NET CARBS, 34.8 g protein, 39 mg. sodium
If you like cilantro you’ll love this sauce! It is so easy to prepare and is extremely good on chicken, pork or baked/broiled fish. Any leftover sauce in the pan also freezes well! When reheating, warm over lowest heat just long enough to get hot so as to not overcook the cilantro or curdle the cream. this is not acceptable for Atkins Induction Phase due to almonds, but OK after you leave Induction Phase.
1 whole bunch cilantro, chopped fine (use ½ c. parsley if you don’t like cilantro)
1/2 c. heavy cream
Dash salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS: If making this sauce for chicken, sear the meat well on both sides in the butter until golden brown. If it is for fish, bake/broil your fish until completely done and set aside until sauce is completely done. Place first 7 ingredients (except for the butter you’ve already used searing the chicken) into a blender or food processor and pulse until fairly finely chopped. Now carefully transfer the cilantro mixture back into the skillet around the chicken. Simmer sauce with chicken for about 45 minutes or until chicken is completely done. Lower heat and add cilantro and cream. Stir for only 2-3 minutes to slightly thicken. Serve with about 1/3 c. sauce over each serving of chicken. This sauce will NOT be very thick. If using on fish, spoon the sauce over your baked/broiled fish right before serving.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 3 c. sauce for 9 servings, each containing:
Grass-fed beef steaks can be a little tough as they are so lean. However, grilling them with a nice marinade usually tenderizes them nicely. Hubby usually has a baked potato with his; I often have fried radishes & caramelized onions (shown above), as it reminds me of potato hash browns. And of course, you can’t go wrong serving a nice salad with grilled meat. This is a very simple marinade I think my readers will enjoy. The spices give it a distinctly Asian flavor. This recipe is suitable once you reach Atkins Phase 2 OWL, as the bit of white wine is not allowed on Induction. It would be acceptable for Paleo-Primal only if you consume small amounts of wine. Of course, leaving out the wine is always an option. As grass-fed beef does tend to be a little tougher to begin with, I would not recommend cooking grass-fed beef well-done or you are going to be doing a lot of chewing. 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
2 1″ thick steaks (I used grass-fed T-bone, each 14-oz bone-in steak yields=10 oz. meat)
3 T. coconut aminos, tamari, or low-sodium soy sauce
2 T. olive oil
2 oz. white wine (omit if still in Atkins Induction)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. ginger, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 tsp. toasted white sesame seeds
1 tsp. black sesame seeds (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Mix the two types of sesame seeds with the red and black pepper in a saucer. Poke the meat a few times with an ice pick, knife or kitchen fork to allow marinade to penetrate the meat a bit. Pound the sesame seed/pepper blend onto the surface of the meat either with the butt of your palm or a meat tenderizer mallet. Place the steaks into a glass marinating dish. Now add the coconut aminos (or soy sauce), wine and olive oil to the container. Add the minced ginger and garlic. Mix it up a bit and then, using a basting brush, drizzle the marinade over the meat carefully trying not to disturb the spices on the surfaces. Cover and marinate for 4-5 hours in the refrigerator. Remove steaks 30 minutes before ready to cook to bring them to room temperature. While they come to room temp, prepare your charcoal fire. When coals are white-hot, cook the steaks for about 7-8 minutes per side for medium to medium rare as shown above (or until done to your liking).
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Naturally, not all the marinade is absorbed by the meat and consumed. I show the total carbs for the marinade below, but you can assume around ½ g. net carb is consumed on the marinade. 🙂
Yields 2 adult servings (charcoal-grilled steak is the one time I indulge myself). Each 10 oz. serving of steak contains:
478 cals, 21.4g fat, 3.9g carbs, 2.1g fiber, 1.8g NET CARBS (only around ½ g net carb consumed), 62.8g protein, 948 mg sodium
I just love duck! We tried a new marinade on the duck in the pic. I usually oven roast it in the oven but have also done this bird over a charcoal fire. It comes out absolutely delicious done either way! I’d like to share this marinate/sauce with my readers that may also be fans of duck. This VERY nutritious recipe (check out the stats below!) is suitable for all phases of Atkins (using broth rather than wine if still in the Atkins Induction Phase). It is also suitable for Paleo-Primal followers as well if broth is used rather than wine.
INGREDIENTS:
1 c. white wine (use chicken broth if still on Induction)
Dash each: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
1 whole 5-lb duck, neck and giblets removed for other use
DIRECTIONS: Remove neck and giblets from duck and save for other uses. My dog usually gets the giblets and neck meat I simmer until tender, but the neck will make great stock for soup if you want to add it to the carcass bones after dinner in a pot of water with chopped onion and carrot. Duck stock makes delicious soup!
Butterfly (spatchcock) the duck by cutting up the backbone and spreading the bird out in a marinating dish. Add wine (or broth in on Induction Phase), minced garlic and other spices. Marinate covered in plastic on your refrigerator shelf for 2-4 hours, turning and basting 1-2 times during this period with a basting brush.
You’ll need to allow about 1½-2 hours to cook a 5# duck to internal temperature of 180º. Duck is traditionally served a wee bit pink but you can cook it a bit longer if you prefer. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375º. Remove duck from refrigerator and lift out of the marinating dish. Pour marinade off into a small saucepan. Add compound butter and simmer for 5 minutes or so to allow raw duck juices to fully cook. Place duck skin side up in a large baking pan, baste with marinade and pop in hot oven. Using a basting brush, baste duck with marinade and pan juices every half hour. At 1 hour cooking, remove duck and cover wing tips and leg tips with small pieces of foil so they will not over brown/burn. Pop pan back into oven, lower oven to 350º and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour longer (ovens will vary), or until a meat thermometer reads 180º at center thigh and center breast. Serve at once with your favorite sides for fowl. I served mine with steamed broccoli and broiled tomatoes. This would be delicious done on the grill with grilled fresh pineapple slices alongside. Mmmm. How I DOOOOOOOO love grilled pineapple! 🙂
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
I made some Moo Shu Pork for dinner recently and as I grabbed my homemade hoisin sauce from the refrigerator, I thought I need to post this recipe again for those readers that may have missed it.
My first exposure to Moo Shu Pork was at a restaurant in Houston called Shanghai East. On one occasion, the actress Debra Paget was dining across the room from us. She is/was married to an Asian oil businessman, my husband said. I will always see her as the beautiful Indian princess Sunsiree, who marries Jimmy Stewart in “Broken Arrow”. The restaurant was fairly empty as it was mid-afternoon, so we walked over, introduced ourselves and chatted a moment about her career. Such a pretty woman, even then, in her late 50’s or early 60’s maybe? I remember this occasion every time I eat Moo Shu Pork. Photo of this 60’s star below. 🙂
We love, love, love Moo Shu Pork. But to really enjoy it, you just have to have Hoisin Sauce to add and that, purchased at an Asian market, just isn’t a low-carb item. Several of my readers have been asking me for years to create this sauce in a low-carb version, but I kept hesitating to take that on, as I didn’t actually know where to begin & was reluctant to even start. One day when we wanted to make some Moo Shu Pork, I said ‘Here goes!” that morning. Better late than never, as the end result it isn’t that bad. 🙂
Commercial Hoisin sauce either has brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup or a considerable amount of molasses in the ingredient listing. I tried several recipes for this sauce I gathered around the net over the past 9 years and the only two trialed to date were just not so good to me. :{ So I set about creating my own finally. By the way, this sauce is the very same plum sauce used in serving famed Peking Duck, and it also compliments my Asian Honey Duck recipe.
And so my experiment began that morning. I had an open bag of no-sugar-added prunes in my pantry, so I began there. I started with 10 dried prunes as a base. Then I added a few store-bought ingredients mention on commercial labels of the sauce, cutting carb “corners” wherever I could and literally guessing the amounts for all my ingredients to arrive at the desired taste.
Well, I’m here to tell you my final sauce, after aging, came out pretty darn good! Not exactly like the high-carb stuff in the jar at the Asian grocery store when finished, but it ages and gets closer to that flavor over time in the fridge. We ate it that first night, and were initially a little disappointed in its mild flavor. The anise (licorice flavor) in the Chinese 5-Spice Powder was pretty pronounced but the bean paste, not so much. Those flavors however did mellow and develop in just 24 hours, getting considerably richer/deeper flavored in a week.
All in all, not bad for my first shot at a low-carb version of this essential Chinese condiment. Most commercial hoisin sauce has around 8 carbs per tablespoon, so this number is trimmed down considerably with my recipe. Using liquid Splenda lowers carbs a tad, but not very much. A couple weeks later, the sauce had aged quite nicely in flavor, so the key appears to be letting it age before using.
I’ll post the Moo Shu Pork recipe later today. I have been cooking many years with with Gloria Bley-Miller’s marvelous cookbook The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook as my “Bible” for Chinese cooking. I highly recommend her cookbook. I can cook Moo Shu pork blindfolded but must be sure to have dried tiger lily buds and dried cloud ear fungus on hand to prepare it.
This sauce is suitable once you get to Phase 2 of Atkins, since it is used in such small amounts on the “pancake” (low-carb flour tortilla) that you will use to roll up the Moo Shu Pork. This sauce is totally unsuitable for Primal or Paleo due to the soy beans, as all legumes are eschewed in those food plans. Sauce should keep a long time in a jar in the refrigerator. Mine is now 3 months old and it smells/tastes just fine.
INGREDIENTS:
10 large dried prunes (4 oz.), no sugar added (I use DelMonte)
½ c. water
1 T. rice wine vinegar
3 T. low-sodium soy sauce (use dark soy sauce if available)
¼ tsp. Chinese 5-Spice powder
1 tsp. molasses
3 T. Splenda or few drops of liquid sweetener of choice
2 T. Eden soy black beans, rinsed & mashed smooth
DIRECTIONS: Place prunes in small saucepan with about ½ c. tap water. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer until they are soft, or about 5 minutes. Mash well into the water with a fork until pretty smooth. You can puree in a blender or food processor if you like, but is difficult to do with such a small amount. Remove from heat.
Mash the beans on a paper plate to as smooth a paste as possible and stir into the prune mixture. Add vinegar, soy sauce and 5-Spice powder to the pot and stir well. Spoon into a lidded jar and store if in your refrigerator for a week. I do not know how long this keeps yet, and it sure has no preservatives in it. But since it’s just made from basically dried fruit, vinegar and sugar ( preservatives naturally) with some soy sauce (fermented), I suspect a pretty long time. Just don’t know yet. The soy beans will be what spoils first in this combo. I’ll try to remember to post back my findings on that when mine no longer seems to smell/look right to me and I toss it out. 🙂 UPDATE: Seems to last indefinitely in the refrigerator. That that I made ages ago is still good months later. No ill effects from eating it ever.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 1 cup (16 Tbsp.). Each tablespoon contains:
I’ve seen a lot of recipes for Cuban Pork Roast on the internet lately. This meat is known as Cerbo Asado in Cuba when cooked on a grill over charcoal. The recipes I have encountered sound interesting, but quite heavy in Mexican oregano, which is already stronger and more aromatic than Italian oregano most of us are familiar with. The recipes vary quite a bit, like gumbo does from kitchen to kitchen. I’ve come up with a version that is a similar, but much little milder in oregano. It also pulls several interesting new flavors into the mix. It is a blending of some 3-4 different recipes, adding my own ingredients, deleting some ingredient as well. I think you’ll like the final taste on this pork, as both of us certainly did.
When a marinade or sauce can take away the strong flavor of roasted pork (at least strong to me) that’s a win-win in my book. This recipe accomplished that admirably and I will be making this creation again. I’d like to try it on a brisket cooked outside on the grill sometime as well.
I am only providing the nutritional info for the marinade/sauce to which you can just add the amount of meat you slice off and consume. My assumption is that each person will likely only be consuming 1 T. marinade/sauce on the meat and perhaps 1 T. dotted on the meat at table. This recipe is not suitable until you are past the Induction Phase of Atkins. It is perfectly suitable for Keto plans and Primal-Paleo as well.
Afterthought: This meat leftover makes particularly tasty sandwiches. Love it that way, so I do a large roast on purpose! This meat freezes well cooked/sliced & separated with plastic wrap to have at the ready so you can pop off a few slices, defrost and serve up those delicious sandwiches in no time at all! And its ever so much better for you than store-bought lunchmeat.
1 T. dried oregano leaves (or 2 T. fresh, chopped)
1 T. each onion powder and ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. chipotlechile powder (or a 1″ pepper in adobo, rinsed, seeded and mashed)
1/16 tsp. dusted glucomannan powder to ever so slightly thicken marinade so it will cling to meat
OPTIONAL: 1 tsp. salt
VARIATION: I suspect this would be delicious grilled over charcoal like you would pork for making pulled pork BBQ. I haven’t tried that yet, however. If you wish, you can add some bell pepper to the bottom of the baking pan 1 hour before meat is done. The roasted peppers are quite delicious with this meat.
DIRECTIONS: Place first 5 ingredients into a marinating pan large enough for your meat. Add all the herbs and spices listed and stir well. Add glucomannan, whisking until blended. This will ever so slightly thicken the marinade so it will cling to meat. Place pork butt into marinating pan. Using a basting brush, drizzle marinade over meat slowly until all sides are covered. Marinate for 1-2 hours, turning meat once and repeating the drizzling step to baste all over again.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 325º. Line large sheet pan with foil so it will catch all juices for easier clean-up. Set a meat rack in the pan next to elevate the meat and finally place the meat fat-side up onto the rack. The rack is essential to get the “bark” on all sides of the meat. Pour marinade into a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes to make certain the raw meat juices in it have fully cooked. Remove from heat.
Baste meat again with marinade and pop into 325º oven. Bake for 1 hour to raise internal temperature of the center of the meat. Now lower oven temperature to 250º and bake for about 4 hours (more for larger roast; less for smaller one), turning the meat and basting every hour to allow all sides to brown evenly. When the meat reaches 170º internal temperature it is done and fork tender. Mine was so tender the slices fell away from the knife before I could even get them cut off. Remove meat to serving platter and set a few minutes. Combine pan juices and baste with a little water and cook a few minutes to be sure it is fully cooked throughout and to reduce. Slice meat fairly thin and serve with a nice guacamole salad. Have the “sauce” on the table so your diners can dot a little more on at the table, it on their portion, as it is a wonderful flavor “boost” to the meat.
Alternately, you can cook this slow over charcoal fire like you would for cooking pork for pulled pork BBQ.
TIP: As always, be sure your thermometer isn’t touching a bone when you check temperature so you are getting an accurate reading.
NUTRITIONAL INFO (for sauce only!) Makes about 2 cups (32 T.). Average serving=2 T. Each serving contains: (be sure to add in the meat portion to these numbers to get your per serving total)
I have some leftover baked chicken breasts as well as a bit of leftover beef gravy so I’m having this delicious dish for dinner tonight. Many, many years ago I ordered this dish in the New Orleans French Quarter. I think it was at Brennan’s or Antoine’s, but I honestly can’t remember which one. It’s many flavor layers have lingered in my memory. To this day, I put it up there with some of the very best chicken dishes I’ve ever eaten. The entrée consisted of a tender, seared chicken breast resting atop a rich brown mushroom-wine reduction sauce. The pièce de résistance was then topped with a delicious sauce bernaise. The marriage of these two sauces, to my complete surprise, was simply amazing!
You have to do a little bit of a juggling act at the stove, as you have several pans going all at the same time. I’ve streamlined the directions as much as possible. The end result of your labors is well worth it!! Trust me on this one. As I don’t want my sides to have conflicting flavors that will compete with this delicate flavor synergy, I would recommend fairly simple vegetable to pair with this, perhaps a simple mashed cauliflower or something like sautéed carrots or squash, as shown. You don’t want a lot of busy flavors in your sides, is my drift. 🙂
This dish is not suitable for Induction due to the bit of wine in the brown sauce. You could omit the wine and have the dish, however. Won’t be quite as good, but pretty good. This dish is suitable for Paleo-Primal if you leave out the wine and use clarified butter). Although this dish is higher in calories than most of my recipes due to the sauces. Use a little less of the two sauces if you must lower calories also.
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INGREDIENTS:
2 5-oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 T. unsalted butter
1 tsp. olive oil
1 c. rich brown gravy (I used leftover gravy from a stewed beef roast)
¼ c. chopped parsley
¼ c. red wine (burgundy or claret are good choices, but any red will do)
Dash salt and black pepper
4 oz. canned mushrooms, drained (or butter-sautéed fresh if you have them on hand)
DIRECTIONS: Make your Bernaise sauce per that recipe’s instructions and set on rear stove burner that is turned off. If it gets thick while waiting to do remaining steps, add a bit more butter and warm it up slightly on lowest heat possible, whisking constantly. You will have about ½ c. of the Bernaise sauce leftover, but it’s great warmed up with a bit more butter the next day to smooth it out. It’s simply wonderful over scrambled eggs or to complement a grilled steak!
Butterfly the chicken breasts with a sharp knife. Heat butter and oil in non-stick skillet on high heat and sauté chicken until golden on each side and thoroughly done (about 5-6 minutes on a side). While those are browning, in another non-stick skillet, add beef gravy, red wine, parsley, salt and pepper and the drained mushrooms. Bring to light boil and then lower heat and simmer to reduce just a bit while you get the plates for plating.
To plate, spoon about 1/2 c. of the brown mushroom sauce in a tidy puddle on the center of the plate. Set a chicken breast on top. Spoon about ¼ c. Bernaise sauce on the top right down the center. Serve with your favorite side dishes.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:
786 cals, 55.7g fat, 5.3g carbs, 1.3g fiber, 4g NET CARBS, 46.7g protein
This tasty dish is incredibly easy to make! It’s just a matter of layering the ingredients in a pan. The really hard part is being patient while it bakes, because it smells so darn good while it’s cooking! It takes some time for the eggplant to get tender, but it is well worth the wait. It went very nicely with a seared pork chop and small Italian salad. This dish is Atkins Induction friendly and Paleo-Primal friendly as well if you eat the occasional cheese. Of course, you can add browned ground beef to this dish for a complete meal.
This recipe appears in Vol. 5 of Jennifer Eloff’s Low Carbing Among Friends cookbooks. Be sure you add this series to your cookbook collection as it contains some of the tastiest recipes from George Stella and other very talented low-carb cooks. You can order your set (or purchase them individually) from Amazon or here: http://amongfriends.us/.
INGREDIENTS:
1 T. olive oil
16 oz. eggplant, sliced 3/16″ thick or less
3 large Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
1 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
4 oz. ricotta cheese
1 tsp. oregano (or Italian Seasoning blend of your choice)
½ c. low-carb sugar-free spaghetti sauce (I use homemade, Belo vita or Lucini Italia Tomato Basil)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease well a ceramic quiche or pie plate with the olive oil. Slice eggplant and tomatoes. I found I had enough eggplant and tomatoes for 3 layers in my pan. Begin with a layer of eggplant on the bottom of the quiche dish. Top with a layer of tomato slices. Next sprinkle with 1/3 of the oregano/Italian seasoning. Next sprinkle 1/3 of the Mozzarella and 1/3 of the Parmesan evenly on top. Dot surface with 1/3 of the ricotta. Repeat the layers two more times. Spoon the spaghetti sauce evenly over the top, spreading it with the back of your spoon. Pop into preheated 350º oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Check at 1 hour with a fork. The tomatoes and eggplant will produce a great deal of moisture during the first half of cooking (this is to be expected), but all of it will evaporate by the time the eggplant is tender. If the fork goes into the eggplant easily, the dish is done. If not, cook it another 15-20 minutes.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:
157.2 calories, 10.2 g fat, 7.65 g carbs, 2.78 g fiber, 4.87 g NET CARBS, 9.8 g protein, 274 mg sodium
These eggs made for quite a tasty surprise at lunch today! DELICIOUS and even worthy of serving to company! The mushrooms were an afterthought, and although they were good on this dish, they can be eliminated if you personally don’t like mushrooms. They are not “in the driver’s seat” in the flavor department here…..the creamy sauce is. 🙂 You know what they say………The saucier is the most important chef in the kitchen. I totally agree with that. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo as well.
***SUGGESTIONS TO CUT CALORIES & FAT: You can use less butter to sauté your eggs. You can omit the mushrooms along with the 2 T. butter used to sauté them. You can also use more sour cream and less mayo in the Chipotle Sauce. You can also just use 2 T. of sauce on your eggs instead of the 1/4 c. serving of sauce calculated in below. Of course, any changes will require you recalculate your new numbers on a food tracking software.
DIRECTIONS: Make a batch of the Chipotle Chile Sauce, setting 1/4 c. aside for this single serving dish and storing the remainder covered in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. In a non-stick skillet, melt 2 T. butter and sauté the sliced mushrooms just until no longer opaque. Transfer the mushrooms to a small saucer and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Slightly warm the sauce and the mushrooms in the microwave on DEFROST for a couple minutes while you cook the eggs. Melt the other 1T. of butter in the skillet and scramble the eggs on medium high heat until they are done to your liking, Plate the eggs. Remove the sauce and mushrooms from the microwave and spoon the sauce first over the eggs. Then top with the sautéed mushrooms. Serve at once.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 serving which contains (as written):
719 cals (see suggestions above to cut calories), 72.6g fat (see suggestions above to cut fat), 4.2g carbs, 0.8g fiber, 2.4g NET CARBS, 16g protein, 330 mg sodium
We recently grilled some delicious German Beef Brats I get from my grass-fed beef supplier. The seasoning blend in his sausages is simply delicious! Very heavy with black pepper, but we like that. With the 3 leftover links I defrosted tonight, I created a quick, stir-fried dish that’s both tasty, satisfies and yet stays low in carbs, despite all the vegetables in it. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto, Paleo and Primal nutritional programs. You could also make this using any type of brats, smoked sausage or Kielbasa with equally good results.
INGREDIENTS:
2 T. bacon grease
8 oz. German beef brats (or any smoked sausage), pre-grilled or cooked, sliced
1 c. frozen green beans
4 oz. onion, sliced thinly
4 oz. green cabbage, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 oz. red bell pepper, sliced
4 oz. sliced mushrooms, drained
Dash each salt and black pepper
¼ tsp. Sriracha chili sauce
DIRECTIONS: Heat the bacon grease in a non-stick wok or skillet. Saute the green beans and onion until it begins to wilt. Add the cabbage and garlic next and continue sauteing until it just begins to soften. Add the bell pepper, stirring as it softens just a bit (but isn’t mushy). Add sausage, mushrooms, salt, pepper and Sriracha sauce and stir well for 2-3 minutes for flavors to blend. Remove and enjoy. I ate mine plain, but it would be good on brown rice for non-low-carb guests.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
Up until now, I have only used my Baharat spice in braised chicken dishes (cooked in liquid): braised beef and braised lamb. When I created this recipe, I tried it both grilled and baked in the oven. I was most pleased with both methods of preparation actually. Very tasty both ways! In Iraq, they would likely use whole, cut-up chicken pieces as I don’t think Cornish hens are available there. I especially like to use Cornish hens for serving company, if I can get them, simply for the cute visual impact on the plate. The meat doesn’t taste one bit different than larger chicken. This recipe would be very for preparing quail, dove or other wild game fowl as well.
I allow a half a bird per person when buying your Cornish hens but make sure there is one half bird extra for a bigger eater. Most women and men will only eat ½ Cornish hen when two sides are served. I have seen a man with a hefty appetite eat a whole hen on one occasion. I have only done so once in my life, but it was a particularly small hen. If I fix 2 sides, ½ Cornish hen fills me right up. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well.
INGREDIENTS:
2 1-1¼ pound Cornish hens (or appropriate # pieces cut up chicken for 4 people)
4 T. unsalted butter (use less if you need to cut calories)
½ tsp. Aleppo pepper (or dried, ground anchochile pepper)
1/4 tsp. onion powder
Optional: 1/2 tsp. sumac (if available)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Melt the butter in a saucer in the microwave. Stir in the spices to mix well. Split the hens in half up the back bone with a knife or kitchen shears. This technique is referred to as spatchcocking or butterflying the bird. If grilling, prepare the fire. When it is hot, place the pieces evenly (or butterflied Cornish Hens cut side down) on the grill. If baking them, place on a grate set inside a baking pan to catch juices.
Using a brush, baste the hens well with the spice-butter mixture. If baking, pop pan into 350º oven and bake for 45 minutes. If grilling, turn once midway through cooking. Cook to internal temperature of 165º in the breast. Turn up oven to 375º and continue to roast for about 15 more minutes to brown the skin. Watch them closely this last 15 minutes, as ovens can vary. When a meat thermometer poked in the center of the breast meat reads 165º they are properly cooked. Remove from oven or grill and serve half a Cornish Hen to each person at the table to start off. Only the hardiest of eaters will eat more, most likely.
Traditionally, this meat is grilled. Try it that way first as it is truly memorable grilled! But also try it just baked in your oven sometime so you can see the difference. This meat pairs nicely with any side dishes you like, but particularly nice with my Shawarma Roasted Vegetables. I also like to enjoy it with my Iranian Mint Cucumber Salad.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings (I allow ½ hen per person), each contains:
501 cals, 39.3 g fat, 0.62 g carbs, 2.50 g fiber, 2.12 g NET CARBS, 34.1 g protein, 347 mg sodium
Now THAT is a plateful of nutritious food! Just look at the nutritional info below for this recipe! I included more than I usually do here to drive home that point. And those numbers are just for the fish and sauce! If you add in values for the spinach and broiled tomatoes………WOW! You can’t eat any healthier! It probably almost meets your entire RDA nutritional requirements for the day! This delicious sauce I have used on so many different things. It’s good on with sautéed spinach, chicken, and over grilled shrimp. It’s marvelous on scrambled eggs at breakfast (using diced tomato instead of tomato paste). I’m sure I’ll continue to find new ways to use this tasty pink sauce, changing up the herbs and spices.
I have discovered recently this is delicious on salmon. It never disappoints! I served it alongside broiled tomatoes and sautéed spinach. My husband isn’t terribly fond of salmon but he definitely liked this rendering of a very healthy fish that is very rich in Omega 3’s. In order to be acceptable for Atkins Induction you must omit the wine. It’ll still be good, just not quite as good. 😉 Wait until you get to Phase 2 OWL to add the wine. This recipe is suitable for Keto diets but you might want to omit the wine as it may throw you out of ketosis. It is perfectly OK for Primal-Paleo followers if you substitute coconut cream or coconut mild for the heavy cream.
INGREDIENTS:
12 oz. salmon filet (skin removed)
2 T. butter (I use unsalted)
½ c. heavy cream (or coconut cream or coconut milk)
½ c. water (or ½ c. more cream, if you can afford the extra carbs)
2 T. tomato paste
½ tsp. dried tarragon leaves (or about 1½ tsp. fresh, chopped)
Dash each salt and black pepper
¼ c. rose or white wine (omit for Induction)
1/8 tsp. xanthan gum or guar gum (or your favorite thickener)
1 sprig parsley, chopped or more tarragon (for garnish)
DIRECTIONS: Cut the fish into two equal servings. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Sear the pieces of salmon on both sides over high heat until golden and flesh is fully done (peek in the center with a fork). This will only take a couple minutes on a side. Remove to a platter and pop into warm oven to hold while sauce is made. Lower heat to medium. Add the water, cream, tomato paste and tarragon to the skillet. Bring to a slow simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Dust the xanthan/guar gum slowly, a little at a time over the sauce and whisk it into the cream mixture. Stir constantly as it begins to thicken. Turn off heat, plate the fish and dip sauce on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or bit more tarragon. Save any unused sauce for your scrambled eggs in the morning! So yummy on eggs!
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes two 6-oz. servings, each contains: (including half the sauce)
This recipe was my Dad’s pride and joy. In 80 years of cooking he never found a marinade he liked better. I often make this truly out-of-the-ordinary roast for company and holidays, but we do it on smaller cuts of beef year-round! It’s DELICIOUS! You grilling fanatics MUST try this recipe sometime! This is truly my all-time favorite beef marinade as well and has been since I was in high school over 40 years ago. We invariably have this recipe for Christmas dinner, because we are usually turkey’ed out by then. This recipe makes enough marinade for an 8 lb. boneless rib roast, which will (after shrinkage) serve 10 nice servings, with some leftover for the most delicious cold roast beef sandwiches you ever had. I do not recommend reheating this meat, as the meat and marinade loose some of their impact on reheating. But it makes the best cold roast beef sandwiches you ever ate! 🙂
Once I realized this marinade could just as easily be used on smaller cuts of beef, we enjoy it much more often now. I have used it for rib roast (shown top above), lean boneless chuck roasts, sirloin of varying sizes (shown above) and individual ribeye steaks. It’s also good on wild game you want to do on the grill. It’s a truly unique flavor when cooked over charcoal (not so good oven-cooked though). It is Atkins friendly (just not Induction friendly, because of the wine). Leaving out the wine just isn’t an option for this recipe, so wait until the Atkins OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss) phase to enjoy this wonderful dish. I guarantee, this is so good you’ll be fighting over who gets the two end slices, just like at my house. 🙂
MARINADE INGREDIENTS: (remember, it is not all consumed)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/8 c. low-sodium soy sauce (1/4 c. if you can tolerate the sodium, I don’t though)
¼-½ c. dry red wine (burgundy or claret work nicely but any dry red will do)
1 T. tomato paste
1½ T. coarse ground black pepper (or enough to entirely coat your meat thickly)
DIRECTIONS: Pound the coarse ground black pepper over all surfaces of an 8 rib roast (or sirloin, or chuck roast) using the butt of your palm or the smooth side of a meat cleaver. Use less pepper if doing a smaller piece of meat. Place meat in glass dish. I drizzle marinate every half hour (as often as you can remember to stop and do it) most of a day (minimum 6 hours). Most efficient way to marinate without disturbing pepper coating is to use a basting brush. Do not touch the meat with your brush, or you’ll wipe all the pepper off! Hold it over the meat and let it drip off the brush. When surface is soaked, put in refrigerator to marinate between “bastings”. I baste hourly until cooking time.
COOKING:
This recipe really is not good cooked inside in your oven. Not sure why, but it just isn’t. It seems it is the marriage of the marinade with charcoal smoke that makes this recipe taste divine. You need to grill the 8 lb. rib roast for about 2 hours over medium coals (using a rotary spit if you own one). If you don’t have one, like me, just turn the meat every half hour to sear all surfaces nicely. Best if not cooked past medium to medium rare stage. I take mine off when my meat thermometer reads 120º degrees and set it on my cutting board for another 10 minutes to “rest”. A piece of meat this large will continue to climb to around 130º while resting. That’s usually a nice pink medium-rare inside.
If doing sirloin or chuck roast (around 3-4 lb.) grill about 20 minutes on a side for medium-rare. This marinade really does a nice job of tenderizing a chuck or sirloin roast. Cook rib steaks just like you usually would to your desired doneness.
This recipe always gets the WOWS when I serve it. Hope you folks will try it! I think you’ll find you won’t be sorry you did! The outside slices are so good we always fight over them at home. 🙂
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
The marinade is discarded when you cook the meat. No further basting should be done while cooking as there is now raw meat juice in the marinade. Calculating how much marinade is consumed is difficult. It would also be impossible for me to know how many servings you are able to get out of your roast. So I’m providing the totals for the entire batch of marinade and you will have to see how much it makes and how much is left in the pan before discarding to determine roughly how much is staying on the meat and thus consumed by how many people you are serving. Most of the sauce goes down the drain, to be perfectly honest, so you’re getting mostly sodium from the soy sauce and a few carbs from the wine and tomato paste that cling to the surface of the meat (a little more if you get the end slices). The figures below DO NOT INCLUDE THE MEAT.
Theentirebatch of marinade has:
131 cals, 0.7 g. fat, 18 g. carbs, 4.6 g. fiber, 15.4 NET CARBS (entire batch), 5.5 g. protein, 1070 mg. sodium
My husband really liked a new bread creation I came up with. The peppered bacon and cheese are memorable in this bread. This recipe is not suitable until you reach the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins OWL carb re-introduction ladder in Phase 2. It is suitable for Primal diners, if you eat occasional cheese. Omit the cheese to make this suitable for Paleo. This batter cooks up nicely as biscuits or muffins, as the crust is particularly nice on this. Muffins or biscuits will only take about 15-20 minutes to cook however.
You’ll find many more delicious bread recipes in our Low Carbing Among Friends cookbooks, a series by Jennifer Eloff and other talented low-carb kitchen gurus. You can order them from Amazon or direct .
INGREDIENTS:
1½ c. almond flour
2 T. coconut flour
¼ c. golden flax meal
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. white or cider vinegar
1 c. grated cheese
4 oz. lean bacon, chopped (preferably peppered bacon)
¼ tsp. coarse black pepper (or just use Wright’s peppered bacon)
5 eggs, beaten
2 T. coconut oil, melted
2 T. olive oil
1 T. cider vinegar
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. I used a NON-standard sized loaf pan that is 4½” wide, 2½” deep and 12″ long.
Baked in an abnormal-size loaf pan 4½” x 3″ x 12″ (Italian import)
Measure all dry ingredients and cheese into a medium measuring bowl, stir and set aside. Chop bacon and brown in skillet with black pepper shaken all over it (I didn’t measure the pepper, but I’d guess about ¼ tsp. total). When bacon is done, set aside to drain/cool on paper towels a few minutes. While it cools, add all liquid ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to blend. Add cooked bacon and stir one last time to blend bacon evenly throughout batter. Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into non-stick, greased or parchment lined loaf pan and pop into preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Ovens vary, so check with toothpick test. Remove and cool in pan a few minutes. Run sharp knife around edges to loosen and tip out onto a cutting board. Slice into 10 servings and serve warm.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 large slices, each contains:
293.6 cals, 26g fat, 6.16 g carbs, 3.18 g fiber, 2.88g NET CARBS, 11.24 g protein, 481 mg sodium
I found a small package of grilled pork slices in my freezer this morning I need to use up. Since I have cooked this recipe numerous times now and my husband and I just LOVE it, it’s what’s for dinner tonight! It’s so simple to make you’ll want to try this some time. The mystery added ingredient, to what is basically the Crack Slaw recipe, makes all the difference in the world! The BBQ sauce is the KEY INGREDIENT, so don’t omit that. The flavor impact is astounding. Without the sauce, it’s pretty much just an ordinary Crack Slaw in my opinion. Carb count is a little high on this dish, but it is all in the healthy vegetables in it. This recipe provides your daily requirements for Vitamins B6, C, iron, manganese, niacin, phosphorous and thiamin. So the carbs are well worth it in nutrition alone!
This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and most Keto programs. Paleo/Primal Blueprint folks must use a plan-acceptable BBQ sauce.
¼ c. low-carb BBQ sauce (I use G.Hughes, thinned with 1 T. each vinegar & water)
Dash of coarse black pepper
VARIATIONS: Instead of ham, use thinly-sliced smoked sausage, leftover grilled pork meat, breakfast sausage mini-meatballs, or leftover BBQ brisket. Brown all meats first in the skillet as was done with ham in the directions.
DIRECTIONS: In a large non-stick wok or skillet, melt the bacon grease over high heat. Add cut-up ham (or leftover grilled BBQ meat) and stir-fry to caramelize and lightly brown it for about 3 minutes. Add the red bell pepper next and sauté until just barely starts to soften. Add leeks and stir-fry until it just begins to go limp (about 4-5 minutes). Add the cut-up cabbage and cook all together just until cabbage begins to soften. Drizzle the water/vinegar- diluted BBQ sauce over the top and turn off heat. Stir to mix the sauce to coat all ingredients with its smoky, sweet goodness. Sprinkle top of mixture with a quality coarse black pepper. At this juncture, you have two choices. You can either serve the dish at once if you like your cabbage to still be a bit crunchy. Or you can pop it into a 350º oven for 15-20 minutes for flavors to develop further and for veggies to get a bit softer. Your call.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Made with leek rather than yellow onion, makes 5 servings, each contains:
199 cals, 11.72g fat, 12.02g carbs, 2.78g fiber, 9.24g NET CARBS (only 7.5g NET CARBS using yellow onion), 11.78g protein, 768 mg sodium
My husband went to the grocery store today and came home with a jicama. This is one of my favorite ways to have jicama. I love these for an easy dessert, for breakfast or for a late night snack. They are very filling and taste a lot like baked apples! These things satisfied my sweet tooth during Atkins Induction Phase when I craved something sweet. This recipe is suitable for Keto, Paleo and Primal diets.
INGREDIENTS:
3 oz. jicama, peeled & sliced less than ¼” thick
2 T. melted butter
4-5 drops liquid stevia or liquid Splenda (or your preferred sweetener)
½ tsp. cinnamon
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. In sheet pan, melt butter. Stir in cinnamon and liquid Splenda. Slice jicama about 1/8″ thick (1/4″ if you like them crunchier) and place each slice into butter/cinnamon mixture. Turn over so both sides are coated well. Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes until begin to soften. Serve warm!
VARIATION: I have made this in a skillet using peeled chayote squash and a bit more butter. Then I pop the skillet into the oven to finish off. But I didn’t invent that wheel. You can find that recipe over on Linda Genaw’s website: http://genaw.com/lowcarb/fried_apples.html.
I absolutely LOVE trail mix. And such a healthy snack! It has the added bonus of being very transportable, for hiking, biking, camping, or taking to the office in a little baggie. This apricot-coconut mix was a Christmas favorite of a relative. She always brought some to the holiday gatherings. The pumpkin seeds are my addition to her recipe. The stuff is so good I have to dip my ½ cup portion out and put the bag away, or I’ll just keep eating and eating it. Wrapped prettily with a ribbon, this makes a lovely gift when going to parties or for the holidays. Just place in a pretty clear glass container and affix a pretty bow on top! This very nutritious dessert/snack is not suitable until the highest fruit rung of the Atkins OWL carb re-introduction ladder (pre-maintenance or maintenance). This recipe is suitable for Paleo-Primal eaters.
VARIATION: Substitute pieces of dried prunes (Delmonte has no added sugar) for the dried apricots. I also have a Cranberry Trail Mix recipe you might like.
INGREDIENTS:
5 oz. pumpkin seeds, hulled, roasted (unsalted)
5 oz. sunflower seeds, hulled, roasted (unsalted)
2 oz. walnuts (about 28 halves), coarsely chopped/broken up
6 oz. fresh coconut meat, slivered thinly
4 oz. sliced almonds
6 oz. dried apricots, no sugar added (I buy them at Sam’s)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 200º and spread thinly sliced coconut onto a sheet pan. Dry for about 1½-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven before coconut begins to brown and cool. You don’t really want to toast it for this recipe, just dry it out a bit. In a large mixing bowl, toss all ingredients together. Using kitchen shears, cut apricots into small pieces and add to the bowl. Stir to mix well. Store in a zipper plastic bag in your pantry.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 6 cups or twelve ½ cup servings. Each ½ cup serving contains:
Although I’ve said many times I’m not a BIG sweets eater, my husband is. So I bake maybe one thing a week, enjoy one serving and he eats the rest. That’s the way it was even before I started low-carbing. This banana bread was one of the first sweets recipes I tried in 2009 when this journey began. It came out so good, I still make it often. I’m going to share those dessert recipes this week that I keep coming back to……favorites. Although not always the spectacular, showy desserts, they are the ones I bake again and again. That says something to me.
To give credit where it is due, the basic batter that inspired this creation was a recipe at Sugar Free Low Carb Recipes which no longer appears to exist when I Google it. Hmm. Anyway, I changed it up by adding vanilla, sweetener, baking powder and glucomannan powder. I believe the smooth texture on my result is attributable to the glucomannan and makes this the perfect foundation for a wide variety of sweet bread possibilities.
My first experiment with this batter was this banana bread recipe. A slice only has 3.74 g net carbs using bananas! The texture of this batter is amazing and the bread is ever so moist. The basic batter made with only extract as flavoring has 1.08 g. net carbs (cut into 18 slices), so conceivably you could add any variety of fruits, dried fruits, nuts and flavorings for an endless variety of breakfast/dessert sweet breads. Be sure to recalculate to include anything you add and recalculate your new per-serving numbers, because the numbers below only reflect the basic batter and 2 mashed bananas. This is suitable for Atkins OWL or above and I believe for Paleo-Primal adherence as well.
This recipe appears in Vol. 5 of Jennifer Eloff’s cookbook series Low Carbing Among Friends. These books are a compilation of fantastic recipes from well-known low-carb cooking gurus on the internet. Even Chef George Stella has participated in Jennifer’s cookbook venture. They make a wonderful addition to any low-carb cook’s library. You can order copies at Amazon or here: http://amongfriends.us/order.php
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 c. coconut flour
2/3 c. almond flour
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 T. glucomannan powder
1 tsp. baking powder
Sweetener equivalent for ½ c. sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3 T. coconut oil, melted
½ tsp. vanilla
8 eggs, beaten
2 mashed bananas
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a loaf pan with a bit of coconut oil or butter. I use an odd-size loaf pan 4″x 2½x 10″ that allows me to get 18 smaller slices from my loaf. Using a standard loaf pan, you may only get 9 slices and have to cut them in half to get the carb values shown below for each of my 18 slices. Mix dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl. In a larger bowl, beat or whip all wet ingredients. Add the dry items to the wet and whip with a whisk or electric mixer until smooth. Fold in your desired fruit, nuts or flavorings and stir well. Spoon batter into greased pan, level with a spoon and bake at 350º for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into center comes out dry/clean. Cool a bit, slice into 18 servings (or 9 cut in halves) and serve warm.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 18 servings, each contains: (2 bananas calculated in below, but no nuts)
141 calories, 12 g fat, 5.61 g carbs, 1.87 g fiber, 3.74 g NET CARBS, 4.24 g protein, 90 mg sodium
My very first low-carb crackers. Flax itself carries a sodium load and I rarely have to add salt to anything made with flax. Texture on these is very good: brittle, crunchy and crisp, especially the browner crackers that bake around the outer edges of the pan. But even those in the center of the pan were pretty crisp.
Each time I bake these, I try some new seasoning in them. I think rosemary/onion may be my favorite. Those are so good! I’m very pleased these will stay crisp all week long just in a ziploc bag on the counter! Re-toast them a bit in the oven if yours do not stay crisp.
The ratio of flax and almond meal in these is JUST RIGHT! This is my go-to cracker recipe when I’m really watching carbs tightly. My non-low-carb husband likes these as well! These crackers, excellent with cheese, butter, soup or whatever, are suitable most Keto plans, Paleo, Primal and of course, Atkins followers, once you reach the OWL (on-going Weight Loss) phase ‘nuts and seeds’ reintroduction level.
INGREDIENTS:
2 c. almond flour
1 c. flax meal (I use a 50:50 mixture of dark and golden)
2 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. optional seasoning of your choice (see ideas below)
2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 eggs, beaten (or 3 egg whites if you prefer a crisper cracker)
VARIATIONS: Any herb(s) you like along with onion and garlic powder, any combination of grated cheeses with or without onion/garlic powders, rosemary and onion powder, coarse black pepper, Everything Bagel spice, sliced toasted shallots, just onion powder, just garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne, onion powder and smoky chipotle powder, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Cajun seasoning. Get creative!
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Line a sided sheet pan with parchment. Mine is 11½ x 17″. Measure all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. With a fork, beat in the two eggs and olive oil until the mixture is moist throughout. Crumble the dough evenly over the parchment lined pan. Then, using plastic gloves or baggies on your hands press the dough evenly into the pan, trying to achieve the same thickness throughout. If you have a straight sided glass, you can even roll the dough out for a smoother surface, but this isn’t really necessary. This will take you a few minutes. Score into 48 crackers (8 x 6) with a straight edge knife. Pop into preheated oven and bake for 15-16 minutes. They will brown around the edges of the pan faster and you may have to remove outer crackers as they bake. Don’t over brown as flax products can get a burned taste real fast if over-browned. Cool and break apart along score lines. When thoroughly cool, store in ziploc plastic bag at room temperature in your pantry.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 48 crackers, each cracker contains:
33.2 cals, 2.84 g fat, 1.37 g carbs, 0.93 g fiber, 0.44 g NET CARBS, 1.1 g protein, 15.2 mg sodium
This quickly thought-up menu turned out to be one of the best fish dishes I’ve created in a VERY long time! I just can’t believe how good it is to be so simple. A great recipe for weeknights when you’re tired after a long day at work. This recipe just made my regular fish recipe rotations, for sure! I don’t believe I’ve ever used my shawarma spice on seafood before, but will be definitely be doing so again in the future! It’s truly delightful on fish! It was almost like a Hollandaise sauce, but without all the fuss, since I keep a fresh batch of homemade mayo made up all the time. This dish is acceptable for Atkins Induction and is Paleo friendly if you use coconut milk in lieu of the cream. You can use Swai, sole, flounder, tilapia, bluefish, halibut or any mild fish. I’ve even used this sauce on broiled salmon and liked the results. I keep this spice blend made up in my spice rack so making this is a snap at my house. 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
4 5-oz. fish filets or fish filet portions of your choice
DIRECTIONS: Stir 1 tsp. of the spice blend and the cream or coconut milk into the mayo in a small saucepan and set on burner set to lowest possible heat setting. Now to sauté the fish. Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Pat any moisture off the fish with paper towels and sprinkle both sides evenly with the remaining ½ tsp. shawarma seasoning and a pinch of salt. Raise heat to high and sear the fish on both sides until golden brown and done in center (takes just about 3-4 minutes on a side. Plate the filets and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the creamy sauce over each portion. Serve with a green vegetable or nice green salad.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
A lot of Indian food fans don’t realize what a stellar job they do with fish in India. Many menus don’t have it on the menu, but a quick perusal of an Indian cookbook will have you realizing they eat a lot of fish. Their exotic spices compliment fish in the most wonderful way.
Originally posted in 2010, I thought of this recipe today and am fixing this for dinner tomorrow night, I think. This baked fish dish goes together really fast, so it is an easy meal prep during the summertime when you’d rather be outdoors having fun than cooking in the kitchen. If you wish, you can use whole fish for this recipe. This spice mixture would also be good on flounder or trout. This recipe is Induction friendly. The batch pictured has 1 small Roma seeded and finely chopped. I enjoy this entrée both with and without the tomato. I have not included the tomato in the recipe or nutritional stats, however.
INGREDIENTS:
2 8 oz. tilapia or flounder filets (or white flesh fish of choice)
1 tsp. minced ginger root
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 finely chopped jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 T. chopped cilantro
¼ tsp. turmeric
Dash each of cayenne & black pepper
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
Dash/sprinkle of Garam Masala spice blend
OPTIONAL: 2 tsp. tomato sauce or 1 small tomato chopped on fish before spices added is very good.
DIRECTIONS: Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl. Do not use a plastic bowl or the turmeric will permanently stain it. Add melted butter and mash it all up together. Place fish on oiled, non-stick or parchment-lined pan. Spread tomato sauce or chopped tomato on side that is up (if using), add seasoning mixture evenly on the top of each filet. Broil for about 10 minutes (15or so for whole fish), until thickest part of the filet is firming up. Or, you can bake for about 20 minutes (30 minutes for whole fish, depending on size), but I personally think broiling is best.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 2, each serving contains:
I have been intrigued by recipes I see for Pad Thai, although I am very new to it. Recipes for it would indicate every recipe for it is a little different although some ingredients are consistently in all the recipes, so I went about concocting my own version, pulling from this recipe and that recipe. I had no idea if the final dish was going to be good. Told my husband “If we don’t like it, we can just go out and eat.” It far surpassed our expectations the first time I put this together! Other than the fact I got it a little too hot with peppers, the overall flavor was truly OUTSTANDING! I love when I make new culinary discoveries. I now see why people rant and rave about Pad Thai. I will definitely be making this dish on a regular basis in future! I can’t wait to try it with pork, chicken and shrimp one day.
I’m showing a lesser amount of hot pepper ingredients below than went into my dinner tonight 😉 as it was way too hot for as I originally constructed it. This meal would be suitable for Atkins Induction Phase, Keto diets and would even fit a Primal-Paleo lifestyle if plan-appropriate sauce ingredients are used.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. rice vinegar
1 T. oyster sauce
1 T. low-sodium soy sauce
1 drop or pinch of your favorite sweetener (optional)
1 T. fish sauce
2 c. cooked spaghetti squash threads
2 T. olive oil
1 medium carrot, julienned lengthwise and cut into 2″ pieces
2 oz. purple onion
1 small jalapeno, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like things HOTTER!)
1 c. bean sprouts (I had none and used 1/3 c. julienned water chestnuts)
4 large green onions, chopped, ½” pieces
12 oz. cooked crawfish tail meat, (or cooked shrimp)
3 large eggs, beaten
½ c. cilantro, chopped
1 T. butter
DIRECTIONS: Cook half the spaghetti squash by slicing in half, removing seeds, putting cut side down into baking dish with 1/2″ water and microwaving on HI for 13 minutes. Holding the squash half with a pot holder or towel, fork out threads from one half of the squash. Reserve the other half of the squash for some other use. In a small bowl, make a sauce of the first 6 ingredients. Set aside. Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet and scramble the beaten eggs lightly. Chop with a knife a bit on a cutting board and set aside for now. Cut up all the vegetables so they are ready for final cooking and assembly. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the carrot, purple onion, green onion and sauté until tender crisp. Add the cooked spaghetti squash threads, the bean sprouts (or water chestnuts) and crawfish tails (or shrimp). Continue to stir-fry over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, to allow flavors to blend. Add the scrambled egg now and then the cilantro, stirring to mix them in evenly. Lower heat. Stir the sauce you prepared and pour it evenly over the mixture. Stir one last time to mix everything thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve at once.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:
178 cals, 9.8 g fat, 8.9 g carbs, 1.9 g fiber, 7 g NET CARBS, 14 g protein, 715 mg sodium
I’m trying to use just fresh fruit for the occasional sweets craving. I’ve never been a big sweets eater, so this works just fine for me. I like to bake an acorn squash from time to time, especially at the holidays, both as a side dish and as a dessert. It goes so well with pork and roast turkey. Including holiday flavors like cranberries and orange, seems like you can’t go wrong.
I traditionally used maple syrup or brown sugar in this recipe, but maple extract can fill that brown sugar taste. Splenda or Stevia will have to do to sweeten up the squash a bit. This is a pretty high-carb vegetable, so it should not be enjoyed until Atkins Pre-maintenance or Maintenance phases. It is also suitable for Paleo-Primal dining. This was lovely with pork! This is also very good with a holiday turkey or wild game.
INGREDIENTS:
1 5″ diameter acorn squash
½ naval orange, peeled and chopped
1/3 c. fresh cranberries, chopped
½ tsp. cinnamon
Sweetener of your choice (I used liquid stevia extract)
¼-½ tsp. maple extract
4 tsp. unsalted butter or ghee
VARIATION: Sprinkle on a few chopped pecans before baking.
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Using a large knife, cut the squash in half. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place a little water (1/4″) in a shallow quiche dish. Place squash cut side down in the water and microwave on HI for about 8-10 minutes or until it is beginning to get tender inside but is not falling-apart mushy. Remove from oven and drain off water. Turn squash cut side up and set aside while you make the filling. In a small bowl, place the chopped orange, chopped cranberries, cinnamon and if using, the sweetener and maple extract. Stir well. Fill each squash cavity with half the mixture. Top with 2 tsp. butter/ghee each and bake in preheated 350º oven for about 20 minutes.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains: (not including any nuts used on top)
My grandmother on my Dad’s side was very fond of creamed vegetables. She was a country girl raised in a very poor farm family but was a very good cook. My great-grandmother, who I also knew, taught her well. She grew her own vegetables and love, love, LOVED creamed soups and creamed vegetables. Over the years, I guess she served me creamed peas, new potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, baby onions, spinach, corn………. You name it and she probably creamed it. 🙂 She had 2 dairy cows on her property, some chickens and a nice garden. She produced her own milk, cream and even taught me to churn butter. This defrayed the grocery costs of a single mom raising 9 children during The Depression. She was quite the gardener and sold vegetables at the local curb farmer’s market in Texarkana.
My non-green vegetable tonight was created in honor of her love of all things creamed. She wasn’t big on spices, so I doubt she ever even heard of tarragon, but I think she would have liked these and been proud to serve this dish. My husband isn’t too fond of carrots and even he liked this new dish of mine! His thumbs up on an un-favorite vegetable speaks volumes to me. This recipe is not suitable until the Atkins OWL phase, as carrots are a bit carb-y. It is suitable for Paleo-Primal followers also.
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½” pieces
Water to cover carrots
1 T. unsalted butter
Dash each sea salt and pepper
¼ c. heavy cream (or coconut milk)
Optional: 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum or your preferred thickener
1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
DIRECTIONS: Bring carrots and water to slow boil and cook until just barely tender. Drain off all but about ½ c. of the cooking water. Add butter to the carrots and remaining water. Lower heat and add cream. Sprinkle with xanthan gum and simmer on low until it begins to slightly thicken. The cream sauce will turn slightly yellow from the beta carotene in the carrots, but that doesn’t impact flavor. Sprinkle with the dried tarragon and toss. Dip up into serving dish.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:
Sometimes I like to turn my vegetables into croquettes! That way I can introduce whatever seasonings into the mixture I want before searing them off to create a flavorful browned surface. I created these with zucchini, but have done similar things with broccoli. I have even made croquettes of mycalabacita recipe (omitting the cheese). Anything I think I can form into the right thickness of batter, well it’s highly likely I’ve tried to turn it into croquettes over the years. What can I say? I love fried food like so many of us do. 🙂
I created these to serve with baked ham, but have since learned they are pretty good with all meats. I even varied these once for a complete lunch. by adding 2 oz. tuna to them (which was quite good). These are so delicious for so little effort and ready in no time! This would therefore be a good recipe for your busy week nights. Over 100,000 people on Facebook thought so when I posted this recipe debuted there on our ‘Low Carbing Among Friends’ page.
These lovelies are not suitable for Atkins Induction unless you use an Induction-friendly One Minute Muffin for the breadcrumbs instead of the biscuit listed. They are a go for Keto, Paleo and Primal eating plans if you use plan-suitable bread and skip the hot sauce (use more cayenne instead).
INGREDIENTS:
15 oz. grated zucchini (3 small zucchini)
1½ oz. onion, grated fine
2 eggs, beaten
1 plan suitable biscuit or piece of bread, crumbled (or ½ c. crushed pork rinds)
Dash of salt
Dash each black pepper and cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Sriracha chile sauce (or plan-suitable hot sauce)
1 T. oil of your choice
DIRECTIONS: Grate the zucchini over a clean kitchen towel. Lightly salt with the dash of salt and let it sit there while you work. The salt will draw out the water from the zucchini while you are mixing everything else.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Grate the onion into the eggs and add the black pepper, Sriracha sauce and bread crumbs (or crushed pork rinds, if using). Stir to mix well.
Roll the zucchini in the towel so you can wring/squeeze out any remaining water over your sink. Open towel over the bowl and scrape the zucchini into the egg mixture. Stir well with a spoon.
Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Using a ¼-cup as a scooper, scoop ¼ cup mixture into the hot oil and let it spread a bit so it is flat. Cook until first side is golden brown. Do not disturb these excessively as they are cooking. When the first side is brown, flip with a spatula and cook the other side to a golden brown. Remove to a paper towel to drain excess grease. Transfer to serving platter and serve at once.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 9 cakes, each contains: (will vary slightly with your choice of bread or crumbs)
68.4 cals, 5.46 g fat, 2.58 g carbs, 0.78 g fiber, 1.8 g NET CARBS, 3.55 g protein, 70 mg sodium
I’ve been making hash browns with onion fried in bacon grease pretty much all my life. Of course, back in the day, I used real potatoes. My Southern roots grow deep and this is how my mother and her family fried potatoes. But many years later, I worked for a boss that had been stationed in Vietnam who was always talking about how he loved to cook Asian stir fries. He invariably mentioned using red radishes in his stir fries, which astounded me. I had used kohlrabi before, but never radishes. He said they weren’t at all bitter when cooked like that. I tried them and was pleasantly surprised. Just like he said: no bitterness/hotness at all! Then a light bulb went off. Daddy’s hash browns!! Once I tried them, I’ve done them hundreds of times like this now. They’re GREAT with breakfast eggs and bacon. These are another of the dishes that got me through the difficult Induction Phase of Atkins. I even enjoy these now as a ‘potato’ side at dinner, like the Chicken-Fried Steak shown above!
You will just be amazed how close to red potatoes red radishes taste when fried this way. For me, the key here is the onion and bacon grease. They’re just not as good done in olive oil in my opinion. 🙂 Do try this some time if you have not yet had the pleasure. The carb count is astounding compared to real potatoes! This recipe is suitable for All phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo followers as well.
INGREDIENTS:
15 medium radishes, cut in large pieces
2 oz. yellow onion, sliced
2 T. bacon grease
Dash each salt and coarse black pepper
DIRECTIONS: Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon grease. Toss in the onion and saute until it begins to get soft and brown/caramelize on the edges. Add radishes, salt and pepper and continue stir-frying until radishes are no longer opaque. You want them to just begin browning so the skins will stay a pretty reddish color. 🙂
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:
87 cals, 8.9g fat, 2.26g carbs, 0.56g fiber, 1.7g NET CARBS, 0.3 g protein, 75 mg sodium
Early along in my Atkins journey, I learned that zucchini noodles not only made a great support for spaghetti sauce and to create a new twist on mac and cheese, but they could also be pretty delicious with not much added to the picture. One of my favorite ways to serve them is just sautéed in butter and a good dousing of Parmesan cheese. It reminds me of risotto.
When I created my version of sofrito sauce, I found it to be delicious on just a plate of zoodles. These healthy “noodles” are delicious alongside a variety of meats and seafood. Their flavor profile is most adaptable to what you are serving. Last night I served them with broiled shrimp. They will also serve as a foundation for a number of delicious meat stir-fries, Bolognese sauce, as well as numerous seafood dishes like my Clam Sauce. They are exceedingly easy to make, cook and are Atkins Induction friendly. This recipe is also acceptable for other Keto plans, Primal or Paleo regimens as well.
VARIATION: Use yellow summer squash instead of zucchini (or any combination of the two). For added color impact, you could add some carrot you have run through the noodler.
DIRECTIONS: Form the zucchini noodles in your preferred noodling tool. I used my hand-held Vegetti® for this task as my larger Spirooli® broke irreparably not long ago. I like the little Vegetti®! I understand they make an electric Vegetti® now, but I’ve not seen them in the stores yet. Saw it on the internet. But the hand held model works just fine. You will end up with about 3½-4 c. zucchini noodles. Depending on your tool, you may want to cut them shorter with a knife (I did). Place on a clean kitchen towel and pat/press to absorb all the water. Wait a few minutes and press again to dry them well of their water.
Heat a non-stick skillet and melt the butter. Add the noodles and with a large kitchen fork, stir them gently just until they go limp and translucent. Add the Sofrito sauce and mix well. Remove from heat and dip into a serving dish or onto plates. Sprinkle Parmesan on top either in your serving dish or allow your diners to add it themselves at the table. Enjoy!
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings (about 3/4 c. each after shrinkage). Each serving contains:
We bought a huge box of lobster tails at Sam’s at Christmas. We’re down to the last two tails in the box. Going to make a nice lobster salad for our dinner this evening. Neither of us are terribly hungry and we’ve been at doctor’s appointments and physical therapy all day long. Needless to say I forgot to defrost any meat and can thaw these tails fast.
This salad is visually appealing and its flavor matches its attractiveness on the plate. With avocado added to the plate, it is also extremely filling, so I would definitely call this one a main dish. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Keto diets. Paleo and Primal folks can enjoy this one as well!
INGREDIENTS:
4 c. mixed salad greens
10 leaves baby spinach
4 San Marzano mini tomatoes, sliced crosswise (or use 8 cherry tomatoes)
2 oz. red bell pepper, sliced thin
½ green onion, chopped into ½” pieces
1 ripe avocado, skin & seed removed, sliced
4 T. homemade mayonnaise, seasoned with your fav blend (I used my Shawarma Mayonnaise)
2 lobster tails (10 oz. in shell, 8 oz. meat yield total)
VARIATION: Add some finely diced celery and a dash of cayenne pepper to the lobster salad mixture.
DIRECTIONS: Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of water to a boil. Drop in lobster tails and boil for about 7-8 minutes. Remove, cool a bit and holding with a pot holder, cut the tail shell down the “belly” side and remove the meat from the shell. Cut meat into 1/2″ bite-sized pieces and set aside for now to cool further.
While the lobster is boiling, plate your base salad greens, dividing the above vegetables equally between two serving plates. In a small bowl, toss the cooled down lobster meat with the homemade mayo and spoon half of the mixture onto the center of the greens on each plate. You can use a plain, unseasoned homemade mayo, but I like to use a seasoned mayo for salad dressings, particularly good that way with lobster. Serve salads at once.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:
This salad is one of my favorites. It was the only salad I would eat when I was a child. It combines two of my very favorite flavors: bacon and creamy tangy onion. This yummy salad makes a delightful, light lunch can be enjoyed during all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo regiments as well! Nutritional numbers are approximate, as I can’t know how much of the greens you will put into each salad bowl. Salads aren’t an exact science in my opinion. Most of the calories and fat are, as you might expect, in the dressing.
INGREDIENTS:
6 oz. raw bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
Enough greens for 4 salads: romaine or lettuce of choice, green onion, celery, bell pepper
DIRECTIONS: Prepare the salad greens in a large salad serving bowl. Set aside. In a skillet, brown the bacon until fully done to your liking. Dip bacon onto paper towels to drain. Turn off heat and let skillet cool a few minutes. Drain off for some other use all but 3 T. of the bacon grease. You only want 3 T. left in the skillet. Add the shawarma mayo to the skillet grease and stir quickly. Pour over the salad greens and top with the cooked bacon. Serve at once as this salad is supposed to be slightly warm at serving.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 salads, each contains approximately:
409 calories, 43 g fat, 6.45 g carbs, 2.75 g fiber, 3.7 g NET CARBS, 4 g protein, 380 mg sodium
I’ve had this salad dressing on cucumbers many a time and loved it. Tonight I decided to try it on jicama and it was WONDERFUL! Very refreshing salad for summer. The crispness and slightly sweet quality of the jicama is perfect with mint! This salad is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo as well.
1 c. jicama, peeled, cut in strips about 1″ long (or grated if you prefer)
Sprinkle of salt to taste
Splash rice wine vinegar (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Mix up the Mint Sauce recipe linked above and set aside. Peel and cut up jicama and place in bowl large enough to toss easily. Add 2 T. of the mint sauce and toss. Taste to see if you want to add salt. If you prefer your salads tart, add a sprinkle of rice wine vinegar (available in most grocery stores in the Chinese Food section) to the jicama as you toss it. Plate and serve with tomato slices.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 serving which contains:
78 calories, 2.4 g fat, 13.2 g carbs, 7.1 g fiber, 6.1 g NET CARBS, 1.7 g protein, trace of sodium in vinegar
Does it get any prettier? I have seen the occasional recipe that called for purslane over the years, but was never inclined to try any. Quite honestly, I wasn’t very familiar with what it was. But I have begun growing it on my patio in huge pots. It is so hardy and has such lovely blooms! The entire plant is edible, leaves and flowers! I decided I was going to finally taste it today. To me, the flavor of all three parts of the plant (flower, leaf and stem) I would liken to a lemony bib lettuce. Purslane is a powerhouse of nutrition! I no longer live at the house with the ginormous pots of multi-colored Purslane, so I include a photo of my current small pot of yellow purslane below: http://www.naturalhealth-solutions.net/healthy-eating/powerhouse-of-nutrition-purslane.
To harvest purslane, just pinch off individual stems from the mother plant, grab the end of the stem with one hand, and in one quick motion with your other hand’s thumb and index finger, strip the leaves off the stems like you would strip rosemary leaves off the stems. Place the leaves (and blooms,, if using) into a colander or sieve. Rinse under cold water to remove any dirt or insects hiding there. Purslane wilts fast in dressing, so wait and prepare and dress your salad right before serving. Below is a pic of what edible purslane looks like growing:
CAUTION: If you find and gather what looks like wild growing purslane, be sure to snap the stem. If it oozes a white, milky-looking substance, BEWARE! What you have found IS NOT edible purslane!! The plant that oozes the white milky substance when pinched is an inedible impersonator known as spurge that just happens to look like purslane! Its blooms are tiny and barely visible. The edible purslane, when a stem is snapped has clear fluid in it. Another difference, is the leaves are ‘alternate’ along the stem on the edible purslane. Leaves are ‘opposite’ along the stem of wild spurge. If eaten by mistake, wild spurge will make you very sick! It’s leaves are also less thick and fleshy than the leaves of edible purslane. Edible purslane has a clear fluid when squeezed. Toxic wild spurge has a milky white liquid and is shown photo right:
The inspiration for this recipe is a Middle Eastern salad I’m familiar with known as Fattoush. It has toasted torn pita bread pieces in it. Well, I decided to just omit the bread because I sure don’t need to be eating bread in my salads. But you could break up toasted low-carb bread into this salad if you like.
INGREDIENTS:
1 c. purslane shoots and leaves, stripped off stems (I only use the very tips of the stems)
2 c. romaine lettuce, broken into pieces
1/4 c. fresh mint, coarsely chopped
½ c. cucumber, peeled and diced
6 grape tomatoes (I cut mine into halves)
½ oz. red onion, slivered as thinly as possible
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. sumac (optional, but traditional in Fattoush)
Dash each salt and black pepper
Couple purslane blooms (also edible)
OPTIONAL: Toasted, broken up bits of 1 slice of low-carb bread
DIRECTIONS: Harvest the purslane leaves and rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper toweling. Add the torn lettuce, mint, cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes and salt/pepper. In a small dish mix the measure out and stir the oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic and sumac. Drizzle over the salad greens and toss. Serve at once.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:
101 calories
9 g fat
4.66 g carbs, 1.43 g fiber, 3.23 g NET CARBS
1.1 g protein
61 mg sodium
258 mg potassium
16% RDA Vitamin A, 25% C, 10% E, 16% iron, 11% manganese
We’re dining outside the box tonight for our Easter Sunday dinner tonight. I’m serving my tasty Lobster & Shrimp Dien Bien on real rice (I always treat myself for holiday dinners) with this tasty Tomato-Mushroom salad above. We’re also having a side of butter-sautéed garden-picked spinach with it. Yum!
This Atkins Induction, Keto and Primal-Paleo friendly salad is ever so good with seafood and colorful, too! I just love this stuff!
INGREDIENTS:
1 Portobello mushroom, cut into ¾” dice
3 T. olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped large
10 black olives, cut into halves or thirds
2 fresh basil leaves chopped
¼ c. green onion, chopped
1 tsp. yellow onion or shallots, chopped
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 clove minced garlic
Sprinkle of black pepper and salt
DIRECTIONS: Sauté cubed mushrooms in olive oil with onion/shallots and green onion. Remove when mushroom is done. Allow to cool on counter. Add dressing ingredients and toss well. Chill 30 minutes or so before serving. I serve this in a Romaine lettuce leaf if serving to guests.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each containing:
251 cals, 23g fat, 10.7g carbs, 3.1g fiber, 7.6g NET CARBS, 3.75 g protein, 190 mg sodium
Whenever I make up a batch of my Olive Tapenade, I love to use part of it for a lovely salad dressing. My husband is an olive addict if there ever was one. This salad came about in just such a scenario. We had enjoyed the tapenade I made this week on my Almond-Arrowroot Crackers and there were just a few tablespoons left. I had an open bag of fresh spinach, with just enough left for two salads, so I took the balance of the tapenade and created a tasty spinach salad to go with our dinner tonight. This salad is delicious and suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo as well.
INGREDIENTS:
3 c. fresh spinach leaves
12 slices cucumber
8 tiny San Marzano tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), sliced in half
DIRECTIONS: Plate half the spinach in each of 2 salad bowls or plates. Top each decoratively with 6 slices of cucumber and 4 of the tomatoes. Add red onion if using. Sprinkle with Parmesan if using. Drizzle each salad with half the dressing and serve at once.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 salads, each complete salad contains: (does not include Parmesan or red onion)
If you are a fan of Middle Eastern Shawarma meat wraps, you need to try this flavor on a salad! Pretty amazing! This creamy salad dressing uses homemade mayonnaise as its base. The Shawarma spice does the rest! It’s imbued with the flavors of Middle Eastern gyros or kebabs. It a delightful flavor to change up chicken or turkey sandwiches. It’s equally delicious atop green salads and spinach salads. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Paleo-Primal diners as well. Just thin with an extra splash of vinegar, some cream or coconut cream to turn this thick mayo into a lovely salad dressing. It is also doubles as a Bernaise Sauce stand-in (just use tarragon instead of shawarma spice mix) to serve with grilled meats, fish and even some veggies! Yum!!
DIRECTIONS: Mix ingredients, stirring well and chill until ready to use for sandwiches. To use it as a salad dressing or sauce for meats or seafood, thin it with a splash of more vinegar, a little heavy cream, sour cream or yogurt. Keeps about 7-10 days in the refrigerator. It will get an off odor when it has gone bad.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 T. of mayo (4 servings). Each 2T. serving contains:
200 cals, 22 g fat, 0.16 g carbs, 0.02 g fiber, 0.14 g NET CARBS, 0.64 g protein, 32 mg sodium
We’ve covered my favorite soups thoroughly this week. Now I’d like to shift my readers thoughts to the next meal course: salads. As a child I didn’t much care for salads. It wasn’t the greens that I didn’t care for, but rather the dressings. The sourness of vinegar, nor mayonnaise-based dressings were my cup of tea. When I discovered how to make homemade mayonnaise after I got married…….well my world flipped on its head. I loved the homemade variety of this famous condiment. And man, oh, man did it ever lend itself to endless variations for salad dressings!
And once I tasted balsamic vinaigrettes, well the world of tart dressings expanded immensely for me. That edge of sweetness was apparently what I craved on a salad. So I’d like to re-share some of my all-time favorite salad creations with these two foundational dressings. My favorite was created from a lovely bunch of kale. Rather than cook it all, which was my traditional approach to this leafy green, I decided to try a raw kale salad one night. I’d seen in magazines people eat it raw, so I thought why not?
Since kale is a bit stronger than other greens when cooked, I thought a bit of fruit might round out any bitterness of the vegetable when eaten in its raw state. And it did! The earthy taste of the walnuts and walnut oil playing off the citrus in the orange vinaigrette are pure heaven in this salad. It is delicious and perhaps my favorite salad of all time now, to be quite honest. I serve it often. Even my husband loves this one, and he’s not fond of walnuts or nuts period! I do hope all my readers will try this one on your less-than-enthusiastic salad eaters. It will change them I’m convinced!
This recipe is not suitable until you reach the the higher fruit level of the Atkins OWL carb ladder (Phase 3). It is perfectly OK for Ketogenic diets (although you may want to use lower-carb berries rather than oranges). It is also suitable for Primal and Paleo as well.
You will find many more delicious salads and dressings like this in the hottest selling Low Carbing Among Friends cookbooks. International author Jennifer Eloff has pulled in the most incredible talent on the the low-carb cooking scene. Together they bring to you a bevy of tasty recipes you will be proud to serve to friends or family. Order your personal set (or individual volumes) today from Amazon or here: http://amongfriends.us/order.php
BASE SALAD:
1½ oz. kale leaves, stems removed, sliced thinly (this was 2 large leaves for me)
2 oz. raw onion, sliced thinly (I only had white on hand, but red onion would be perhaps even better)
½ oz. walnuts, coarsely broken apart (about 7 halves)
2 ½”-slices of orange, cut into thirds
ORANGE VINAIGRETTE:
1 medium orange (you will only use part of it for this recipe)
2 T. walnut oil (important not to substitute other oils here)
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 T. orange juice (fresh squeezed)
Dash each salt and coarse black pepper
Dash garlic powder (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Cut the orange in half across the segments. Peal one half of the orange with your knife. Cut away 2 slices about the size of two large sections and cut the two into about 6 bite-sized pieces. Set aside. In a small bowl, squeeze out 2 tablespoons of orange juice from the uncut half. to the orange juice, add the walnut oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and if using, the garlic powder. Stir and set aside.
Remove the tough stems from the kale. Wash and dry the leaves. Julienne slice the kale (thinly) and place into a medium salad serving bowl (unless you plan to plate the salads individually). In that case, you can use any old bowl large enough to toss this in. Add the thinly sliced onion, walnuts and pieces of orange. place the bowl of greens and fruit in your refrigerator until ready to serve.
The final step right before serving is to pour the orange vinaigrette over the greens and toss well to coat. If you wish to plate it, place half the salad onto each of two individual serving plates. Garnish with a slice of orange if desired. I didn’t have any tonight, but a sprinkle of pomegranate kernels would be delicious as well as pretty on this salad. 🙂
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:
As with most of my soups, this one was again a result of leftovers I needed to use up. And as always, those soups often turn out to be the most delicious! I had a lot of lean pork shoulder I whittled off a bone for my foundation. I had two smallish baked sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. I always have homemade pork stock on hand in my freezer, as I save broth from all roasted pork. Then I just started adding ingredients I know to be delicious in Indonesian curries and a tasty, filling soup was the result.
This soup is not suitable until Atkins Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance. It is perfectly suited for Paleo and Primal diners. You can reduce the carbs a bit (4.74 net carbs) by using only 1 small sweet potato or about 1/3 c. flesh.
INGREDIENTS:
2 oz. onion, sliced
1 T. coconut oil
1 lb. cooked, lean pork, chopped
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger root, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried lemon grass (or 1 small stem fresh, chopped, if available)
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash black pepper
1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk
3 c. homemade pork (or chicken) broth
2 c. water
1/4 tsp. Thai red curry paste
2 small baked sweet potatoes (about 3/4 c. flesh yield) [use less to lower carbs]
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
DIRECTIONS: Bake the sweet potatoes until done. Heat coconut oil in a large soup pot and saute union until it begins to brown. Add garlic and pork and saute a couple minutes. Split the sweet potatoes with a knife. Using a fork, mash the flesh and scoop it out and add to the soup pot. Add to the pot the following: garlic, ginger, all spices, lemon grass, coconut milk, broth, water and Thai curry paste (if using). Stir well. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook about 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes. Using either a stick blender, or transferring to a blender in small batches, pulse a couple times to reduce to a not-quite-smooth soup. Serve garnished with a 1-2 cilantro leaves and serve.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes six 1¼-cup servings, each contains:
294 cals, 20 g fat, 6.73 g carbs, 0.45g fiber, 6.33g NET CARBS, 21 g protein, 262 mg sodium
Texas is seeing quite a chill in the air for April. I went out looking for some bedding plants and was so cold wandering my favorite nursery, I just drove back home when done there, despite having a haircut and grocery shopping on my errand list.
When it’s a chilly 52º, it’s not quite cold enough for making chili, but pumpkin and winter squash soups are nice at such times. For this delicious soup, I just need a couple things in my pantry. I use Sam’s “Daily Chef” canned chicken meat as it only has chicken, salt and water in it. No modified food starch or other junk ingredients. I always have some homemade chicken stock in my freezer, so this is an easy lunch for me. This soup is quite tasty and is very nutritious, too. I went for a Thai flavor today. GOOD choice for my key ingredients! This recipe isn’t suitable until you reach the nuts and seeds rung of Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb ladder. It is perfectly suited to other Keto diets and Primal-Paleo as well.
INGREDIENTS:
1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree (please do not use spiced pumpkin pie filling!)
1 can (13 oz.) coconut milk
3 c. homemade chicken broth
¼ c. packed, fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ tsp. salt
Dash black pepper
¼ c. green onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. Thai Red Curry Paste (or to taste)
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp. Thai fish sauce (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (13 oz) chicken meat (salt/water pack, with broth)
DIRECTIONS: Basically, place all ingredients into a large soup pot, stir well and bring to a boil and then lower heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Although not absolutely necessary, use a stick blender to puree the soup if desired. Garnish with sprig of cilantro or seed blend of choice.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes five 1½ c. servings, each contains:
273 calories, 19.2 g fat, 10.2 g carbs, 2.6 g fiber, 7.6 g NET CARBS, 13.66 g protein, 432 mg sodium
I have never liked how sweet canned tomato soup was. Wouldn’t eat the stuff as a child. But for some strange reason, I was craving tomato soup today and thought I can must make mine from scratch……..even better! Made it a little different though. It was thick and very flavorful. Cream can be added for extra richness, but that is not used or included here. This is Atkins Induction friendly at all phases and Keto friendly as well. Paleo and Primal folks can have this delicious soup, too.
INGREDIENTS:
2 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes, no-salt added
12 oz. cauliflower, cooked and well-drained ( ½ large head)
DIRECTIONS: Cook cauliflower in your usual manner, drain and pour into a bowl. Cook tomatoes and onion in the same pot until very tender. Add the cauliflower to the tomatoes and onion. Add the 3T. pesto sauce. Either using a stick blender or a food processor (in small batches) pulse/blend until fairly smooth. Add hot water if you find it too thick for your liking. Serve garnished with a fresh basil sprig as shown, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, or a sprinkle of parsley. This would pair nicely with a salad and a piece of your favorite low-carb garlic bread.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 large bowls, each contains:
Buttoni's Low-Carb Recipes 