Black Walnut Ice Cream

February 21, 2017September 14, 2017Peggy 6 Comments

This was my Dad’s favorite flavor of ice cream. We lived in Illinois when I was a wee lass and he would, without fail, order this at our nearby ice-cream parlor. Eventually he began to concoct it at home and the rest was history. Black walnuts are a bit pricey unless you have a tree in your yard (Daddy did). But the distinctive flavor for some uses is worth the price in my opinion. I store them in my freezer so they do not go rancid. As I rarely use them, a bag will last me a year. I can’t believe I didn’t care for black walnuts when I was a child, but I have learned to appreciate this black walnut treat. Now, black walnut ice cream, too, is my favorite flavor! The hint of maple flavoring is the key. I plan to try it with Kahlua next time to see how that comes out. 🙂 This recipe is not suitable until you reach the nuts & seeds level of Phase 2 Atkins. With a plan suitable ice cream, it should be fine for Keto and Primal followers who indulge in the occasional dairy (might want to use real maple syrup over the extract though). This dessert is not suitable for Paleo as I just don’t think coconut mile would be good in this.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

1 tsp. maple extract + 1 tsp. tap water (or sugar-free maple syrup)

¼ c. black walnuts, chopped (I order at nuts.com)

DIRECTIONS: Make a batch of the low-carb vanilla ice cream (link above) by that recipe’s instructions, up to filling the molds. Instead, scrape the ice cream into a medium bowl or loaf pan and freeze until firm but not rock hard. Scoop out into your serving dish. Drizzle the maple extract/water mixture on top and sprinkle the nuts on last.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: This recipe makes 1 serving (2 small scoops). Note: The ice cream recipe makes 10 servings, so you’ll have more ice cream for other diners or future uses)

One serving: 350 calories, 34.4 g fat, 4.7 g carbs, 2.3 g fiber (deductible only if you use Fiberfit sweetener), 2.4 g NET CARBS, 8.6 g protein.

Bacon-Onion-Smoked Gouda Chipotle Burger

February 16, 2017February 22, 2017Peggy Leave a comment

Man, this may just be the best burger I’ve ever eaten! The hubs grilled the meat patties and I came up with the rest of the magic. Mmmm……Mmmm……Mmmmm……is all I can say!

I want to take this opportunity to mention the wonderful little commercially-made low-carb hamburger buns called SMART BUNS by SmartBaking Company in my photo. A friend over at Low Carb Friends Forums (Ouizoid is her member name) mentioned them not too long ago and I decided to order some at Netrition.com). They are just marvelous in neutral flavor and texture! You’ll swear you’re eating a regular high-carb bun! And there is a bit of deductible sugar alcohol in them that, along with a hefty measure of fiber, makes them zero carb. Only 4 net carbs even if you don’t deduct the sugar alcohol! The bag says gluten-free, but most will tell you Oat fiber isn’t 100% gluten-free, so Celiacs will not be able to enjoy these most likely. I have no such issues, so I will be ordering these regularly to be used exclusively for burgers, as they are a little pricey to use for everything bread-related. I will continue to bake my own low-carb breads for other uses. Charcoaled burgers are pretty darn special at our house and worthy of the extra expense, not to mention the time savings. 🙂

These burgers, due to grain product in the buns, are not suitable until you are past Atkins Induction Phase. They are suitable for Keto diets, but unsuitable for Primal-Paleo. But you folks can certainly use a plan-suitable bun and enjoy this delicious recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground beef

4 slices bacon, cut into large pieces

2 oz. onion, slivered in thin wedges

2 oz. shredded Smoked Gouda cheese (or cheese of choice)

4 T. my Chipotle Mayonnaise (I added more at the table to mine)

4 Smart Buns (or low-carb buns of your choice)

DIRECTIONS: Form four patties with your hamburger meat and grill as usual to desired doneness. While those are being cooked, brown the bacon and onion until the onion is beginning to brown and caramelize. With your spatula, divide the mixture into 4 equal groups in the skillet. Place 1/4 of the cheese atop each group. This will “bind” it together as the cheese melts so it will stay put on your burger while you eat it. Place lid on skillet and turn off heat. In a minute or so the cheese will be melted. Place a patty on each bun bottom. With your spatula, carefully dip up each portion of the bacon-onion topping onto each burger patty. Squirt (from a mustard squirt bottle if you have one) or dip your mayo equally onto the four burgers and top with bun top. Finally, CHOW DOWN on these tasty wonders!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 burgers. Each contains:

469 calories, 36.6 g fat, 17.5 g carbs, 12.2 g fiber, 5.3 g NET CARBS, 35.3 g protein, 562 mg sodium

Blueberry Pie

February 12, 2017February 12, 2017Peggy Leave a comment

We have company in from Dallas tonight and I made a blueberry pie to serve using my new Einkorn flour-Almond flour pie crust. I wasn’t exactly sure I was going to pull the top crust off, as low-carb pie dough is so fragile, but with much care I managed to get it onto the berry-filled bottom crust just fine. It sliced nicely, tasted wonderful and will be a lovely dessert to serve my company. This recipe is one of the carbiest on my website and is therefore not suitable until you reach the berry rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb reintroduction ladder, and it would probably be wise to wait until you are nearly at goal weight for enjoying this one. The higher carb count is mostly attributable to the berries themselves, as the crust is only responsible for around 7 of the 17.7 net carbs. So I’m afraid the only way to cut carbs on this would be to cut the pie into smaller pieces. This pie is not suitable for Primal-Paleo followers unless you use a plan-suitable crust.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. frozen blueberries, unsweetened

¼ c. erythritol (or equivalent sweetener to equal ¼c. sugar)

¼ tsp. glucomannan powder (or your preferred thickener)

2 recipes my Einkorn-Almond Flour Pie Crust

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Make a double recipe of the pie crust as instructed in the recipe linked above. Divide the dough in half and form into balls. Chill for 30 minutes. Take one of the portions from the refrigerator and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on top and using a rolling pin, roll it into a circle slightly larger than you pie plate. Invert the plate centered over the dough and grabbing plate, dough, paper and all, flip the plate back upright with the sheet of dough now on top. I find gravity pulls the the dough right down into the pie plate. Gently peel off the parchment paper. If crust tears, just press it gently with your fingers to “mend the cracks”. 🙂 Crimp the edges decoratively however you like. Pop into a preheated 350º oven for 10 minutes, precooking just to the stage the dough feels dry on the surface (half cooked, but not brown yet).

While the bottom crust is cooking, place blueberries in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the erythritol and glucomannan powder (or whatever thickener you prefer). Stir them every few minutes to allow the filling to begin thickening (though it will not be fully thickened until it has baked and cooled). Remove the bottom pie crust from the oven as soon as it is dry to the touch. Cool it a few minutes and then stir the berries one last time and fill the bottom crust, spreading the berries evenly in the pie shell.

Remove the remaining dough from the fridge. Run a damp sponge over your counter and place a piece of plastic wrap on it so it is smooth. The water keeps it from sliding around. Place the chilled ball of dough on top. Lay a second piece of plastic wrap on top and roll it just the size of your pie plate. Slide the crust, plastic and all onto a sheet pan or the back of a cake pan lid and set in the refrigerator to chill 15 minutes. Remove from the fridge and carefully remove the top sheet of plastic wrap. Quickly flip the crust onto your left hand that is centered right over the bottom crust, simultaneously sliding your left hand out from under it as you let the crust fall onto the pie below. Remove the remaining piece of plastic wrap carefully. Crimp the top crust and bottom crust together along the edges as best you can. Pop the assembled pie into a 350º oven for about 35 minutes or until the top crust is browned in the center. The very center of mine was SLOW to brown (not sure why), thus, as you see in the pics, mine browned a bit too much on the edges. Next time I will definitely use my metal crust protector ring so that won’t happen. You might want to use foil to protect the edge of your pie from browning so much.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 servings, each contains:

318 calories, 25 g fat, 29.32 g carbs, 11.57 g fiber, 17.75 g NET CARBS (14.2 net carbs per serving if cut into 10 slices), 7.07 g protein, 161 mg sodium

Blueberry Pancakes

February 11, 2017November 24, 2020Peggy 3 Comments

I created these for our Christmas morning breakfast. Mmmm. They sure came out light and fluffy. Very tasty with sugar-free blueberry syrup. I basically took my Nectarine Pancake recipe, added 1T. flax and subbed blueberries for the nectarines. If you don’t have blueberry syrup, make your own using a few berries, mashed and heated up with a bit of water, some sweetener and thickener of your choice. Sorry, but these pancakes are not Induction friendly. You must wait until the grains rung of the OWL ladder to enjoy these due to the oat flour in them.

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INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs, beaten

¼ c. heavy cream

¼ c. water

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

6 drops EzSweets liquid sweetener

½ c. Jennifer Eloff’s Splendid Gluten-Free bake mix: http://low-carb-news.blogspot.com/2011/04/im-very-excited-to-unveil-my-splendid.html

½ c. Carbquik bake mix (or more of above mix for gluten free version)

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. oat fiber (omit for gluten free version)

1 T. flax meal (preferably golden)

3/4 c. frozen blueberries

1/2 tsp. glucomannan powder (optional volumizer)

DIRECTIONS: Beat eggs in a medium mixing bowl. Add cream, water, sweetener and vanilla. Stir well. Add all dry ingredients. Gently fold in berries and let batter sit a bit while griddle is heating on medium-high heat. Oil griddle with your preferred oil. Using a ¼ c. measuring cup, dip batter onto greased griddle. When 1st side is brown, flip and brown 2nd side. This batter will make eight 4-4½” pancakes. Top with sugar-free blueberry or maple syrup and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 pancakes, each contains:

92.63 calories, 6.94 g fat, 8.83 g carbs, 5.09 g fiber, 3.74 NET CARBS, 7.38 g protein, 202 mg sodium

Curried Meatballs and Cauliflower

February 8, 2017February 9, 2017Peggy Leave a comment

My husband wanted something “Indian” for dinner tonight. I had thawed a pound of ground pork and also had half a pound of lean ground beef in the fridge. We both love those tiny meatballs that appear on Indian restaurant buffet tables, so I decided to give them a stab and see what I ended up with. Using what veggies I had on hand, this was the final dish and brother was it ever good! 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, quite honestly. This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, and would be OK for Primal-Paleo using coconut milk for the cream.

INGREDIENTS:

½ medium head cauliflower, cut into flowerettes

1 lb. lean ground pork

½ lb. lean ground beef

1 egg, beaten

2 oz. raw onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp. ground ginger root

1 tsp,. total Garam Masala

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

Cherry Topping

February 6, 2017Peggy 1 Comment

Shown on Einkorn Vanilla Cake

I keep a couple cans of Oregon® Red Tart Cherries (water pack) in my pantry at all times. The hubs likes cherry desserts. Cherries are fairly high in carbs, so I can’t join him in such desserts very often. But for a real treat or special occasion we sometimes make a cherry topping for vanilla cake (as shown above), for spooning on vanilla cheesecake, for brandy-laced Cherries Jubilee over vanilla ice cream (a favorite dessert of mine) or for when I make my Black Forest Cake on Valentine’s Day. This only takes a few minutes to make, too! this topping is not suitable until you are at Atkins Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance or have reached the final rung of the carb ladder (higher-carb fruits) of your carb re-introduction process in your Ketogenic diet. Clearly if you are Primal or Paleo, you need to use some other sweetener and perhaps a chia gel made with the cherry juice to thicken.

INGREDIENTS: 1 14.T oz. can of red tart cherries (water pack)

2 T. erythritol (or sweetener equivalent to 2 T. sugar)

1 T. granula splenda (or other sweetener equivalent to 1 T. sugar)

¼ tsp. xanthan or guar gum to thicken

DIRECTIONS: Using a small saucepan, stir all ingredients together gently. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring, until it slightly thickens. Remove and allow to cool on the counter. Spoon over your cooled cheesecake, ice cream or cake and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings if you spoon the topping over desserts. But up to 8 servings, obviously, if you spread the topping onto an 8″ cheesecake and then cut into 8 slices. I’m providing numbers for the entire recipe and you’ll need to divide the numbers below by the number of servings you get/serve. Also be sure to add in the carb count for the cake, ice cream or cheesecake you serve this on!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: This entire batch of topping contains: (Determine your per serving carbs based on how many servings you get for your particular application.

98 calories, 0.0 g fat, 23.3 g carbs, 4.0 g fiber, 19.3 g NET CARBS Remember, this number is for the entire batch! 1.5 g protein, 16 mg sodium

Cinnamon Coffeecake

February 2, 2017Peggy 2 Comments

This light, fluffy coffeecake was a BIG hit with the hubs this morning. I used an old tried and true bread recipe and topped it off with a classic cinnamon-butter topping. DELICIOUS! You can use a smaller pan to allow it to rise even higher if you like! May take a bit longer to cook if you do that. This one’s a keeper for us! Hope you’ll try it soon! This is not suitable until you are well past the Induction phase of Atkins due to the CarbQuik in it, which contains a small amount of real wheat product.

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

¼ c. Splenda

¼ c. erythritol

1 T. quality cinnamon

4 T. unsalted butter, melted

BATTER INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe Peggy’s Sliced Bread

2 T. warm tap water

1 tsp. dry yeast + ¼ tsp. sugar

VARIATION: Add so chopped nuts to the top before baking. If you like things sweeter, you can make a low-carb glaze and drizzle over the top (we prefer less sweet coffeecakes).

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9 x 13″ pan with parchment, oiling the pan sides not covered with parchment. Mix cinnamon, Splenda and erythritol in a small bowl and set aside. Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat and then stir just HALF of cinnamon mixture into the butter. Remove from heat. Set both the dry and wet toppings aside for now.

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm tap water in a small bowl. Make the Peggy’s Sliced Bread per that recipe’s instructions (click link above), adding the yeast mixture to the softened cream cheese and egg mixture. Whip these wet ingredients with a whisk until smooth. Add the dry bread ingredients on top and stir well with a rubber spatula. With your rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread the batter evenly. Sprinkle on the dry half of the cinnamon-sweetener mixture evenly. Pop pan into 350º oven for 20 minutes. Remove cake gently and drizzle butter-cinnamon mixture over the top and return to oven. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes longer or until that mixture appears to be being absorbed and is pretty dry to the touch on top in the center of the pan. Cake should be done by then. Ovens vary, so watch it on the second half of baking. Enjoy hot with your favorite tea or cup of java.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 servings, each of which contains: (not including optional nuts or glaze)

272.6 calories, 24.6 g fat, 10.8 g carbs, 5.43 g fiber, 5.37 g NET CARBS, 13.6 g protein, 354 mg sodium

Creamy Smoky Chicken Casserole

January 29, 2017August 13, 2023Peggy 8 Comments

This delicious casserole evolves often from bits of leftover veggies that invariably are staring at me in the fridge when I start making dinner. Despite that fact, this is consistently a good dinner! It’s also very nutritious when kale is included. The Savory Casserole Topping is optional, but quite good on this dish. It does add some flavor to the simple basic flavor profile of the dish! This recipe is suitable once you get to phase 2 of Atkins. Omit the topping and you Induction folks can enjoy this as well. This recipe is not suited for Primal or Paleo followers due to the dairy in it.

INGREDIENTS:

½ medium head cauliflower, stemmed and chopped to 3/4-1″ pieces (about 2½ cups)

2 T. coconut oil

3 oz. onion, chopped

2 large carrots, sliced or chopped

1 c. my low-carb Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

2 T. cream cheese

3/4 c. heavy (whipping) cream

2 c. cooked chicken meat, chopped (I left skin on mine)

3 oz. Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

Dash black pepper

1 leaf raw kale, stemmed, chopped fine (about 3/4 c. loose-pack)

½ recipe of my Savory Casserole Topping

VARIATION: Add a pinch of thyme or poultry seasoning to the mixture before baking. Kale haters, you could sub in 1/2 c. leaf baby spinach instead. For a total change-up, omit the cauliflower completely and instead use 8 servings of low-carb noodle like Miracle Noodles or Carba-Nada fettucini (by Al Dente).

DIRECTIONS: Make the casserole topping per that recipe’s instructions (click blue link above). Set aside. Preheat oven to 350º.

In a medium saucepan, cover cauliflower with water and boil only until half tender. While it is cooking, heat oil over high heat in non-stick large skillet (I use a non-stick wok), add onion, carrot and saute until half-tender also. Lower heat to medium, add cream cheese and heat until melted. Lower heat to lowest setting and add the soup, cream, half the shredded Gouda, the pepper and chicken meat. Stir lightly to mix well. Drain water off cauliflower when half tender and add to the skillet mixture. Stir again. Add the raw, chopped kale (or green veggie of choice) and stir one last time. Sprinkle remaining Gouda over the top and then add the crumble topping evenly over the top of the casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºfor 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 servings, each contains:

390 calories, 30.7 g fat, 8.73 g carbs, 2.55 g fiber, 6.18 g NET CARBS, 17 g protein, 539 mg sodium

Chipotle-Pork Soup

January 29, 2017February 22, 2023Peggy Leave a comment

Man, to have so few ingredients, this soup was amazingly full-flavored! DELICIOUS! The hubs is down in Georgetown today, so he won’t get to taste it until reheated tomorrow. This is one of those foods that I just know is going to get even tastier upon re-heating. I am out of Eden soy black beans, so I had to use pintos, which are much carbier. So to lower the carb count shown below, use soy black beans with only 1 net carb per 1/2 cup rather than the pinto beans and you have a delicious, low carb soup. The count isn’t terribly bad having used pintos, but I would have preferred to use soy black beans. This soup is not suitable until you are farther along in your weight-loss journey. Those still in Atkins Induction Phase need to omit the beans and add 1 c. more water, as I think you will find it too rich without the extra water). Primal-Paleo followers will want to substitute chick peas or lentils for the beans.

INGREDIENTS:

10 oz. breakfast sausage

3 oz. onion, chopped

3/4 c. red bell pepper, chopped

3 c. homemade chicken broth

1 c. water

1 c. canned pinto beans, drained (can use soy black beans, chickpeas or lentils)

¼ c. cilantro, chopped (optional)

1 7-oz. can Herdez Salsa Verde (or 1/2 c. mixture of tomatillos & mild, canned green chilies)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 tsp. each regular chili powder, mild Ancho chile powder and Guajillo chile powder)

Dash smoky, dried chipotle chile powder (or 1 small chipotle in adobo, seeded and mashed)

DIRECTIONS: Brown sausage in medium soup pot over high heat until no longer pink. Add onion and bell pepper. Add chicken broth, cilantro, Herdez Salsa Verde, garlic, chile powders and beans. When it all comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until onions are tender and flavors have mellowed. You Paleo-Primal folks will want to cook until lentils are done. You will not need added salt in this recipe as the sausage and Herdez have plenty between the two (too much for my taste, in fact, but I’m a very light salt user.). Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 cups, each cup containing:

191 calories, 11.5 g fat, 7.36 g carbs, 1.91 g fiber, 5.45 g NET CARBS, 10.9 g protein, 589 mg sodium

Chocolate Shell

January 28, 2017January 28, 2017Peggy 1 Comment

This recipe is ideal for making a chocolate shell for ice cream bars and a variety of chocolate candies. The sky is the limit on how it can be used for candy making, including multi-layer candies. Pictured above are bite-size sweets made with (left) peanuts, (center) coconut-pecan, and (right) almond-dried cranberries. Since what you add to your chocolate will vary, the nutritional information will vary. Therefore I am providing just the counts for the chocolate coating mixture. you will then have to add the nuts or fruits you add to each piece for an accurate count. This recipe is chilled to set, but it keeps at room temperature for a fairly long period, so you can serve these creations at parties without fear they will melt on the plate. Just pop any leftovers back in the fridge for longer term storage. They should freeze OK, too. 🙂

This recipe is suitable (as written) for all phases of Atkins. Once you reach Atkins Phase 2 OWL, you can add nuts, coconut meat, fruit bits or whatever is allowed on your eating plan to your candies.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE SHELL COATING:

1 c. sugar free chocolate chips (I use Hershey’s)

1 square unsweetened baking chocolate (or 4 squares Lindt 90% chocolate)

¼ c. melted butter

1 T. coconut oil (or 1 T. more butter)

6 drops liquid Splenda (or 2 tsp.vanilla sugar-free syrup)

DIRECTIONS: Set silicone candy molds on a sheet pan. Place your nuts, coconut, or fruit bits into each of 48 silicone candy form cups. Next, in double boiler or a small saucepan over another pan containing boiling water, melt the butter and coconut oil. Add the square of chocolate and melt slowly. Add the choco chips, stirring constantly so the chocolate will stay smooth. It should make a smooth, silky (not lumpy) chocolate sauce. Dip 1 tsp. of sauce onto each candy mold slot. There should be enough to do all 48 slots. Then go back and put any remaining sauce as equally on the 48 candies as possible, using it all up. The chocolate will run down around the nuts/fruit and make a solid piece of candy once chilled. If making a smaller batch, refrigerate (or freeze) any leftover sauce in a ziploc plastic bag for future use. Pop the sheet pan into the refrigerator for about 15-30 minutes. When the chocolate is hard to the touch, pop ’em out from the bottom and ENJOY! The chocolate will not totally melt if at room, but don’t leave them out for hours. The chocolate WILL melt under the heat of your fingers if held too long.

NUTRITIONAL INFO FOR SAUCE: Makes about 1¼ cups or 20 T. (60 tsp.). This will be enough for 48 1″ candies. Each tsp. contains:

19 calories, 1.79 g fat, 0.55 g carbs,0 .21 g fiber, 0.34 NET CARBS, 0.20 g protein, < 1 mg. sodium

additives

Beef Chile Relleno Casserole

January 26, 2017March 8, 2023Peggy 6 Comments

I just love chile rellenos, but I don’t like all the fuss of actually stuffing them. So I just make the dish up in a layered casserole. Tastes exactly the same, but it’s much less trouble to put together. My last similar recipe was with chicken. This is how I make this dish with beef. This recipe is Induction friendly and Primal diners who eat cheese can also enjoy this dish. It would not be suitable for Paleo followers.

INGREDIENTS:

3 poblano peppers (2-2.5 oz. each)

12 oz. lean ground beef

2 oz. onion, sliced

½ tsp. dried guajillo or ancho chile, seeded & chopped (optional)

¼ tsp. chili powder (½ tsp. if guajillo & ancho chiles above are not available)

¼ tsp. garlic powder

3/4 c. Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, solids only (mild, unless you like “spicy hot”)

¼ c. cilantro, chopped

6 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450º. Roasting your peppers will make them milder and sweeter, so don’t bypass this step. Cut tops off poblano peppers and remove seed cluster. Cut in halves, lay the halves on a non-stick baking sheet and roast in 450º oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning once during roasting. Remove and cool. Lower oven to 350º. Peel tough skin gently off the peppers.

While they are roasting, heat ground beef in non-stick skillet over high heat. When meat is no longer pink, add onion and saute until tender. Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese. Simmer 3-4 minutes for flavors to meld together. Lay the skinned poblano pepper pieces in the bottom of 4 individual casserole dishes or one larger casserole dish if you prefer. For the next layer, spoon half of the beef mixture equally amongst the 4 dishes. Spread half of the cheese equally over the tops of the 4 servings. Next, place the remaining beef filling equally in the 4 dishes. Finally top each equally with the remaining cheese. Pop them into a 350º oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Serve at once with a nice guacamole salad (and if you are in Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance, this is nice with a ½ c. of heated refried beans).

VARIATION: If your are at goal weight and you can afford the extra carbs, a thin layer of refried black soy beans is delicious on this (I usually start out with the bean layer, or you can dot them on top before adding the final cheese).

NUTRITIONAL INFO: REcipe makes 4 servings, each contains:

412 calories, 27.7 g fat, 6.72 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4.72 g NET CARBS, 32.6 g protein, 897 mg sodium

(adding ½ c. mashed soy black bean layer increases carbs to 10.7 g, fiber 5.5 g, net carbs 5.22 g).

Pumpkin Cake

January 25, 2017October 8, 2018Peggy 10 Comments

Shown cake made with fresh pumpkin.

This moist, delicious pumpkin cake, inspired by a recipe I saw at Fabulous Foods.com, came out simply wonderful. It cooked perfectly and has a lovely smooth texture. I don’t care for the texture of cakes made exclusively with almond flour, so I subbed 1/3 whey protein powder into her recipe for a smoother texture. I also chose to use fresh pumpkin rather than canned. I reduced the butter called for by 25% as well. This one’s a keeper for our holiday baking, for sure! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal as well. The cream cheese knocks this out of suitability for Paleo, unless there is a suitable substitute that meets that program’s requirements.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this one can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included). Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love! Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: amongfriends.us/order.php.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. almond flour

1 c. plain whey protein powder

1 c. Splenda or equivalent sweetener of choice

2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1 T. + 1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. nutmeg

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. (1½ sticks) butter, softened

1 c. fresh (or canned) cooked pumpkin puree

4 large eggs

½ c. sugar-free maple syrup or caramel sugar-free syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Line the bottom of a tube with parchment cut-to-fit, or use a lightly oiled non-stick bundt pan. Oil the sides and post of your tube pan as well. In a medium bowl, soften cream cheese and butter. With electric mixer, blend them well. Add eggs, syrup, pumpkin and vanilla. Whip on high until very smooth. In a separate bowl, measure out all dry ingredients and stir well to blend to a uniform mixture. Add to the wet ingredients and beat with the electric mixer until a smooth batter is achieved. With a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the cake pan spreading it as evenly as possible. Bake at 350º for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and dry. Cool almost totally before loosening with a knife and tipping onto a cake plate for serving. You can top with dollop of fresh whipped cream if you like.

VARIATION: Use lightly oiled silicone muffin pans for a muffin version. Should make 12 large muffins that will take about 20-25 minutes to bake at 350º.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 14 slices, each contains:

295 calories, 25.8 g fat, 7.28 g carbs, 2.30 g fiber, 4.98 g NET CARBS, 12.4 g protein, 287 mg sodium

Crumble Topping

January 14, 2017February 26, 2020Peggy 3 Comments

photocat

I love working with oat fiber. It brings to low-carb baked goods what flour used to bring, a flour-y taste and flour-y texture. This tasty crisp made with apple was just DELICIOUS! I had 4 Gala apples I had bought for my husband (that he wasn’t eating) that were going to go bad and were really past the crisp, eating stage. So this is how I used those up! My typical apple filling: 4 peeled, sliced apples tossed with a few tablespoons of water, a sprinkle of xanthan gum tp thicken, 1/4 c. Splenda or erythritol, along with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into non-stick pan or baking dish and dot with 2T. butter.

I made the crumble topping below and sprinkled HALF the crumble mixture over the fruit. I zipped the other half up in a baggie and freeze for another use. Will keep frozen for 1 month. This is not Induction friendly, so wait until you reach Phase 2 of Atkins to enjoy this. To make this MUCH lower carb, you could instead use peeled, grated jicama, sliced zucchini or chayote squash for half, or even all the apples in this, but cooking time will increase if you do.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. CarbQuik baking mix (or other low-carb bake mix)

½ c. (45 g) oat fiber (DO NOT use high carb oat flour! Not the same thing!)

2 T. cold butter

pinch salt

1/4-1/2 c. water, added slowly

1-2 T. granular erythritol

OPTIONAL: ½ tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Into a medium bowl, measure out bake mix, oat fiber and salt. Stir. Using a fork, cut in the cold butter until crumbly and well incorporated into dry ingredients. Slowly add 1/4 c. water and work in with fork. Add more water by tablespoons, stirring after each addition until mixture begins to hold together into pea-sized clumps. When all appears to be mixed well, spoon out half the mixture into a ziploc bag and freeze for future use. Using fingers, crumble the remaining topping onto your fruit crisp filling mixture. Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is browned nicely. Serve hot or cold.

NUTRITIONAL INFO FOR TOPPING ONLY: Recipe makes enough for TWO 9″ round pans of apple or berry crisp. I get 4 servings from a 9″ pan. (8 total servings in both pans).

Total recipe contains: 374 calories, 47g fat, 75.7g carbs, 67.7g fiber, 8 NET CARBS, 24g protein

1 single serving of topping (1/4 of 1 pan) contains: 45.5 cal, 3.1 g fiber, 9.5 g carbs, 8.5 g fiber, 1 NET CARB, 3 g protein

FOR THE CURIOUS: 1 Serving with apple filling made as described above: 219 calories, 18g fat, 39.4 g carbs, 20.3 g fiber, 19.1 g NET CARBS, 6.4 g protein. Yes, it’s really high carb using real apples, so you might prefer to cut the majority of carbs out and use berries or apple substitutes like jicama, chayote squash or zucchini in your filling! Just sayin’ that most of the carbs here are in the filling, not the crumble topping. 😉

Banana “Bran” Muffins

January 5, 2017July 29, 2020Peggy 2 Comments

These delicious banana muffins are reminiscent of the banana bran muffins I grew up on. But wheat bran is just to high in carbs to use anymore. I find flax meal (some dark and some light) is a good substitute for bran flavor. This recipe was inspired by a recipe of BigDumbBear on the old Atkins forums. I finally tried them BDB and they are a wonderful way to get 9 muffins at a time. I added some whey protein powder, some banana and banana flavoring and VOILA! A tasty morning or afternoon tea muffin that is only 1.87 net carbs! And so nutritious, these. This will make 6 larger muffins, but I used a silicone pane with smaller cups and I got 9 out of this batter. Numbers are calculated for 9 small muffins. This recipe is not suitable for Induction unless you omit the banana and double the flavoring extract. It is suitable once you begin to re-introduce the higher carb fruits like bananas. It is suitable for Keto diets as well.

INGREDIENTS:

½ a 6″ small banana, mashed (omit for Induction)

4 extra large eggs, beaten (or 5 large)

2 T. coconut oil (or oil of choice)

1 tsp. banana emulsion or extract (2 tsp. if still in Induction & omitting the real banana)

1½ c. golden flax meal (1 c. golden+½ c. dark for a grainier taste)

2 T. plain, unsweetened whey protein powder

7-9 light shakes KAL pure stevia (around 1/8 tsp.)

couple dashes salt

1½ T. baking powder

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Using a brush, oil the slots of a muffin pan with a dab of oil in each. I used a silicone pan and only 9 of the slots. Peel and mash the half banana in a medium mixing bowl. Add beaten eggs, oil, banana emulsion/extract and stir well. Measure the dry ingredients on top and beat to a smooth batter. Let sit a couple minutes as it will swell a bit. Dip evenly into the 9 (or 6 larger) slots of your muffin pan. Pop into 350º oven and bake for around 20 minutes or until lightly browned and dry to touch in the center. Remove from oven and let them sit a couple minutes. Pop out and serve hot with butter or at room temperature.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Make 9 small muffins, each contains:

59 calories, 13.4 g fat, 7.21 g carbs, 5.24 g fiber, 1.87 g NET CARBS (2.8 net carbs if you only make 6), 7.43 g protein, 116 mg sodium

Chai Tea Spice Blend

December 12, 2016December 12, 2016Peggy 1 Comment

We just love Indian Chai tea. Having lived in Tehran, Iran for a couple of years when I was 10-12 years old, I just loved drinking their unspiced plain hot tea from the little 2″ tall sipping glasses they serve tea in there. It always reminded me of my childhood days, playing “house” and having “tea parties” with my dolls.

In Iran, sugar was sold in huge solid blocks and they would just hammer off chunks, pop a piece into their mouths and sip the hot tea right through that sugar “cube”. At age 10, what fun! Pure sugar in your mouth! 🙂 What can I say? My views on sugar sure have changed. 🙂 I very quickly learned considerable Pharci language at age 10, mostly from our maid, Fatimeh, who spoke little English. When we would pass a tea shop in the bazaar she would make a sipping gesture and ask: “Chai meekhawheed?” (sp?) which I quickly figured out meant “Do you want some tea?” I learned the proper response in no-time flat “Adeh, chai meekhawham” (sp?), “Yes, I want some tea!”. I also knew in that setting, I’d get it served Iranian style, with those fun chunks of rock sugar, something my mother would never allow at home. Wasn’t I a naughty little 10 year old? Mom was always worrying about that evil, Mr. Tooth Decay (those old enough, remember him from the Colgate TV commercials in the late 50’s?). Moms always over worry, don’t they? My teeth haven’t all fallen out after all! LOL Wonder if Chai tea is served with rock sugar in India? Sorry, I digress with my boring nostalgia trip………..

Cardamom Pods, cloves, black peppercorns and cinnamon sticks

It was not until today, looking on the internet for the origins of the word CHAI, that I learned Indian hot chai tea, infused with all its lovely aromatic spices, actually gets its name from the Persian word for tea, CHAI (pronunced in Iran with second syllable stressed CHA – EEEEEE ) Ya learn something everyday!

I really avoid commercial spice preparations as much as I can, what with all the “extras” they add to those prepared mixes, beaucoup salt and sugar. So I decided to take the most common spices I can taste in a cup of chai tea and just make up my own, using equal amounts (roughly) of the likely spices. I quickly learned it needs to be a little top-heavy with cinnamon and doubled that 1 ingredient. The final spice blend, brewed into a 2-cup pot of tea, was DELICIOUS! So I thought I’d share my new blend here with my readers.

I’m a lazy cook by nature and don’t like the nuisance of shelling cardamom seeds from those big pods, so once I saw that Penzey’s sells it already shelled, well you know I was on that one like a fly on flypaper! 🙂 I order already shelled cardamom seeds from Penzey’s Spices on-line or their catalog. Therefore, I have no earthly idea how many cardamom pods it will take to yield 1 tsp. seeds, but probably around 10-15? There are about 8-10 little black seeds in the average green cardamom pod.

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INGREDIENTS:

¼” slice of fresh ginger root (about 1 tsp.)

6 black peppercorns

10 whole cloves

2 tsp. cinnamon (or 1 3″ stick broken up)

1 tsp. cardamom seeds

3/4 tsp. fennel seeds

DIRECTIONS: Place all ingredients in a blender or spice grinder (I use a dedicated cheap coffee grinder for spices) and grind until all is pretty fine. Store in a lidded jar in a dark cabinet or your refrigerator if you’re worried about the ginger. To make tea from this spice blend, boil your water in a proper teakettle and add your teabag(s) or loose tea in an infuser (my pot has a built-in infuser that lifts in and out). Add 1 tsp. Chai Spice Blend to the infuser along with your tea for every 2 cups of water/tea you want to serve. Steep for 5 minutes with the lid on and serve in cups with milk or cream and sweetener of your choice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 9 tsp. of spice blend, each teaspoon (amount to brew 2 cups chai tea) contains:

3 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.75 g carbs, 0.45 g fiber, 0.3 g NET CARBS, < 0.1g protein

Quick Danish

December 11, 2016August 5, 2021Peggy Leave a comment

Blueberry version

This is a wonderful new way to use my Peggy’s Sliced Bread recipe! TIP: I keep some sort of plain, unflavored low-carb sheet bread cooked and at the ready in a gallon Ziploc bag in my refrigerator at all times, so making this for breakfast takes about 10 minutes total!

I took a piece of my Peggy’s Sliced Bread (linked above), sliced it laterally into two thinner slices and filled it with a delicious thickened pineapple filling with a smear of cream cheese. Doused with cinnamon. Nuked it on defrost for 20 seconds and man, oh, man, was it ever good! A little carby as I had no berries in the house today, but REALLY good if you can afford the pineapple carbs when you get farther along in your weight-loss journey. Net carb counts for other fruits provided below.

If using other fruits, you will want to use some other DaVinci syrup (vanilla or appropriate berry flavor) or use other sweetener of your choice with 2-3 T. water added to compensate for the syrup’s water. This is not suitable until the grains rung of OWL.

You can sure pull the carb count down using other berries. As you can see, I have explored several varieties of this Quick Danish. By the way, this reminded me very much of pineapple upside-down cake, just without the cherry. But that could be remedied on special occasions! 🙂 With a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top, this would make a lovely, easy dessert for unexpected company! If serving on black/dark plates, for visual impact, I would dust the plate with powdered sweetener/erythritol along with the cinnamon. Of course, you can use any plan-suitable bread you prefer over the bread I used, but you wil have to calculate your nutritional info from scratch.

Pineapple Version

PINEAPPLE VERSION (right) : Slice the bread laterally into 2 thins slices and place 1 on a plate. Set aside. Place in a saucepan ¼ c. crushed pineapple, juice pack (I didn’t drain), ½ T. unsalted butter, dash cinnamon, dash xanthan gum, 2 T. Davinci Pineapple sugar-free syrup (or sweetener to taste). Heat, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove. Spoon half onto the slice of bread on the plate. Top with 1 T. softened cream cheese (sweeten if you like). Place the second thin slice of bread on top and spoon on the rest of the fruit mixture. Warm a few seconds in the microwave on defrost and serve while hot.

Blackberry Version

BLUEBERRY or BLACKBERRY VERSION: Mash 2 oz. berries with a fork in a saucepan with 1-2T. water, pinch of stevia + 2 drops liquid Splenda and a sprinkle of xanthan gum to thicken. Cook on medium heat a couple minutes until thick. Slice bread laterally and place 1 thin slice on a plate. Spoon half the berry mix onto it. Top with about ½ T. cream cheese. Placed second half-slice bread and add remaining berries to top and dot with cream cheese. Mmmmm. this recipe is not suitable for Atkins Induction.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (for the pineapple version, the first one I made): Makes a single serving which contains:

256 calories, 21 g fat, 16.2 g carbs, 3.7 g fiber, 12.5 NET CARBS, 8.5 g protein, 243 mg sodium

Strawberry Version: Use 3 medium strawberries sliced: 5.3 NET CARBS

Blackberry Version: Use 1/4 c. frozen blackberries: 7.3 NET CARBS

Cherry Version: Use 1/4 c. canned tart cherries: 10.9 NET CARBS

Blueberry Version: Use 1/4 c. fresh blueberries: 7.6 NET CARBS

Sausage Cheese Biscuits

December 5, 2016May 3, 2021Peggy 3 Comments

How about a pan of these delicious hearty biscuits for breakfast in the morning? They are tasty, very light and are not at all crumbly like so many low-carb bisctuits turn out. Better yet, they are very simple to make! This is certainly a breakfast treat suitable for Atkins Induction or other Keto diets if the numbers will fit into your daily menu limits.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 c. whey protein, unflavored, unsweetened

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

4 oz. pork breakfast sausage, cooked

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. coconut flour

1 T. almond flour

1 T. oat fiber (for gluten-free biscuits, omit or substitute 1 T. certified gluten-free oat flour)

Pinch garlic powder

1 egg, beaten

¼ c. melted butter, unsalted

3 T. cream

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Brown sausage in non-stick skillet, crumbling it up well. Melt butter in mixing bowl in microwave. Add cream and beaten egg. Add sausage and cheese and stir. Measure out all dry ingredients on top and stir all together just until ingredients are well mixed. Using a 2T. measuring cup, scoop out rounded scoops (about ¼ c.) into 8 greased muffin cups (I use a silicon muffin pan). If any batter is left in the bowl, top each off equally with the remaining batter. I used a square muffin pan and this amount of batter made eight that rose nearly double, but did not mound very high, as you can see in the pic. Bake at 350º for about 12-15 minutes, but check at 10 minutes as ovens vary.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 biscuits, each contains:

106 calories, 8.6 g fat, 2.06 g carbs, 0.84g fiber, 1.12 g NET CARBS, 8.79 g protein, 189 mg sodium

Individual Eggplant Parmigiana Slices

December 1, 2016March 11, 2023Peggy Leave a comment

This Eggplant Parmigiana like dish if fun to serve in individual slices. I LOVE how the eggplant crust came together. Just as crunchy as classically prepared Parmigiana. Couldn’t even taste the pepperoni though. Won’t bother or will put more next time. What I do know is this was extremely filling and truly DELICIOUS! I’m going to make Eggplant Parmigiana (this minus the pepperoni) more often from now on. Pork rinds are just wonderful as a stand-in for breadcrumbs in Italian cooking. If you keep some of the Lucini sauce in your freezer, it can be defrosted quickly int he microwave for such recipes. Makes prep time a cinch! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint.

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VARIATION: Increase recipe, omit the pepperoni and make a full casserole pan full of these slices for classic Eggplant Parmigiana. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices eggplant, unpeeled, about 3/8″ thick

1½ T. homemade mayonnaise

1½ oz. pork rinds (2 handfuls) crushed

Dash your favorite seasoning blend

Dash Italian spice blend (or oregano)

1½ oz. shredded mozzarella (about 5 Tbsp.)

4 T. spaghetti sauce (I use Lucini brand I buy at Walmart)

½ oz. green bell pepper, sliced extremely thin

5 slices pepperoni, chopped a bit

2 T. Parmesan, grated

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450º. Line baking sheet with parchment.

Slice off eggplant slices and brush both sides with mayo. Crush pork rinds and stir in spices. Sprinkle them onto both surfaces with pork rind crumbs, coating well. Place slices onto parchment lined pan and bake at 450º for about 15 minutes. No need to turn during baking. Remove from oven and lower to 350º.

Sprinkle each slice with 2 T. mozzarella cheese. Dot each with 2 T. sauce. Place bits of green pepper next. Evenly space the pepperoni bits. Sprinkle each with Parmesan cheese and the remaining 1T. mozzarella. Bake at 350º for 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 slices, each contains:

310 calories, 23.1 g fat, 7.0 g carbs, 3.1 g fiber, 3.9 g NET CARBS, 18.9 g protein, 700 mg sodium

Broiled Salmon with Tarragon Crab Sauce

November 28, 2016September 5, 2020Peggy 2 Comments

Broiled Salmon with Tarragon Crab Sauce

This simple fare is rich, delicious and only takes about 30 minutes to put together. The sweet tarragon is so nice in the cream sauce. Make half the recipe if you only need two servings. This is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto Diets and Primal followers.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. fresh salmon filets

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

Dash of my Seafood Spice Blend or Emeril’s seasoning

2 T. more butter, melted (for the sauce)

2 oz. yellow or white onion, slivered thin

3/4 tsp. sweet dried tarragon

15 grape tomatoes, cut into halves

3/4 c. heavy cream

3 T. white wine (I used Chardonnay)

Dash salt

Dash xanthan gum (optional)

8 oz. picked crab meat (I used a pouch of Blue Star Brand)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat your broiler. Cut the salmon filets into 4 equal portions. Baste with the melted butter and sprinkle on the Seafood Spice Blend. Broil until done or about 10 minutes, until salmon is firmed up in the center.

While the fish broils, melt the remaining butter in a skillet and brown the onion until it begins to brown. Add the tomato halves and saute until they just begin to soften a bit. Add the cream, tarragon, crab and wine and simmer about 3-4 minutes. Don’t be too rough with the crab meat. Add salt to taste and a light dusting of xanthan gum on the top and stir sauce until it thickens up. Dip the crab sauce equally over the four portions of fish and serve with your favorite sides. My husband likes green peas with seafood, but that isn’t the best low-carb choice. Broccoli or steamed green beans would be a better choice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

430 calories, 33.7 g fat, 4.07 g carbs, .62 g fiber, 3.45 g NET CARBS, 25.75 g protein, 277 mg sodium

Chia-Chai Chewies

November 21, 2016August 28, 2025Peggy Leave a comment

These unique spice cookies will appeal to the chai tea lovers out there and be a hit for any special occasion. My neighbor loved them and he wanted to take a few home when I served them at our Round-Robin Neighborhood Christmas Dinner one year. I’m baking a batch of these today! These are sort of like an cinnamon oatmeal cookie with a “twist”. The cardamom in the spice blend is so nice in these! They have a little crunch from the chia seeds, but you can soak the chia in a danb of water to soften them if you find you don’t care for that seed crunch. Nice thing about these cookies is they just seem to mellow and get tastier every day they sit in your fridge or freezer. I know there are a lot of ingredients, but it’s why they are so good and SO WORTH EVERY ONE OF THEM. These are truly the best low-carb cookie I’ve developed! I do hope you’ll try this one. 🙂

You might want to add chopped pecans or walnuts to these, but my husband doesn’t like nuts much and I also wanted to post just a basic recipe with the dried prunes (a great raisin replacement for lower carbs). I have added nutty-tasting hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds) and some chia seed for the bit of crunch and nutrition these two ingredients bring to these cookies. The sugar-free honey is essential for these to be chewy, so do not sub out this honey with any other sweetener or you are NOT going to get a chewy cookie (trust me, been there, done that). This recipe is not suitable for Atkins Induction. Wait until you are nearing Pre-Maintenance to enjoy these, as they are a little higher carb than most of my cookies, having prunes in them.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. coconut oil (preferably not in liquid form, so do not melt)

2 T. almond butter

1 T. vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

¼ c. sugar-free honey (I can buy it at Walmart)

4 dried prunes, chopped (DelMonte brand has no added sugar)

1½ c. almond flour

¼ c. + 3 T. hemp hearts

1 T. ground chia seeds (I use 50:50 white and black)

½ c. coconut flour

1 T. oat fiber

1 tsp. glucomannan powder (or xanthan gum)

1/8 tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 T. erythritol

½ c. granular Splenda or equivalent sweetener to equal ½ c. sugar

2 tsp. my Chai spice blend

VARIATION: You can just use 2 tsp. ground cinnamon if you are not fond of Chai spice flavors. Another delicious variation would be to use dried cranberries for the prunes in these. 🙂

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Measure all the wet ingredients into a small bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Stir in the chopped prunes and if using nuts, add them now. In another bowl, measure out all the dry ingredients and stir well. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until all are uniformly mixed into a solid cookie dough. It will be pretty thick and stiff if your coconut oil wasn’t liquid. Form into 24 roughly 1″ balls (I use a scooper to be sure they are all about the same size) and set on parchment lined cookie sheets about 3/4″ apart. These don’t spread much during cooking. Slightly press the ball of dough to flatten on top a wee bit (not too much though).

Pop into preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes. Ovens can vary, so yours may take a little less or a little more time. They will be slightly firm to the touch in the center when done, and just beginning to brown a bit on the edges. Remove and DO NOT REMOVE FROM PANS UNTIL COMPLETELY COOLED. These are quite fragile when hot and will break apart if not cooled completely before handling. When fully cool, remove from pans and ENJOY! Store remainders in a lidded container.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 24 2-inch cookies, each cookie contains:

126 calories, 10.9 g fat, 5.44 g carbs, 2.38 g fiber, 3.06 g NET CARBS, 3.36 g protein, 53 mg sodium

Curried Fruit and Sweet Potatoes

November 20, 2016October 28, 2022Peggy 2 Comments

I’ll just say right up front that this holiday recipe is probably the highest carb recipe on my website. Now I’m glad I have that unpleasant admission out of the way. During the holidays, I’m willing to scrimp on carbs elsewhere so that I can enjoy a dish my entire family associates it with holiday feasts. This dish was a favorite of my Dad’s and continues to be a hit with guests whenever I serve it. Ways you can lower carbs a bit here: ditch the maraschino cherries and use fresh; ditch the sweet potatoes and use chunks of fresh pumpkin.

This side is a lovely complement to roast turkey, baked chicken, roast duck, goose and other game meats as well. I usually use Sharwood’s or Sri Lankan curry powder, but any brand will do here. If you’ve never had curried fruit, I’m certain you’re in for a treat with this. This is not suitable until the “higher-carb fruits” rung of the Atkins OWL carb re-introduction ladder or when you have reached the Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance phase of the plan.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 T. curry powder

Sweetener of choice to equal 1/4 c. sugar

½ tsp. maple extract

1 T. erythritol (or 1 packet stevia)

6 pear halves, natural juice pack, drained & cut in half

4 slices pineapple, natural juice pack, drained and cut into thirds

6 oz. nectarine or peach, sliced (I don’t peel)

10 maraschino cherries (or fresh, pitted)

5 oz. sweet potato, peeled (or fresh, cooked pumpkin chunks)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Peel sweet potatoes, cut into medium-size chunks and boil in sauce pan for 4-5 minutes only. You just want to half cook them. Alternately you can use fresh pumpkin chunks instead to lower carbs. Drain and set aside. While they are boiling, melt butter in baking dish in oven. Remove and stir in extract, curry powder and sweeteners. Slice nectarine into the butter/curry mixture. Add pear quarters and pineapple pieces. Add whatever cherries you’re using next (pit them if using fresh). Last add the partially cooked sweet potatoes. Toss gently with a large serving spoon so as to get some of the seasoned butter to coat each piece. Pop into a 350º oven and bake for around 35-45 minutes, tossing the fruit in the sauce once during baking. Serve hot with your favorite roast fowl or game. Leftovers reheat nicely (I dot with more butter when re-heating). You’ll be glad to know this dish is one of those that taste even better the second time around!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

124.8 calories, 4.15 g fat, 22.32 g carbs, 3.23 g fiber, 19.09 g NET CARBS, 1.13 g protein, 16 mg sodium

Eggplant Terrine

November 17, 2016July 21, 2018Peggy 3 Comments

I’m always fascinated by layered terrines when the chefs press them into terrine pans on television cooking shows. Thought I’d try it with eggplant last night for dinner. I used a non-stick meatloaf pan that is extra long (12″ x 4″). I debated on whether to use spaghetti sauce or a beaten egg-cream mixture and opted for the red this time. I will be trying the other version soon though. 🙂 I used “Classico” brand Tomato & Basil spaghetti sauce (6 NC per ½ cup) and used VERY little of it between each layer of the torte to avoid it being “soupy”. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint.

VARIATIONS: Omit the pound of ground beef for a more dominant eggplant-tasting dish. Another variation would be to omit the red spaghetti sauce and use a sauce of 4 eggs beaten with 1/4 c. heavy cream spread between the layers. You will need to recalculate carbs with these variations.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. eggplant, sliced thin 1/8″ thick (allow more time for thicker slicing)

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. low-carb meatless spaghetti sauce of your choice

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

8 basil leaves, chopped

¼ c. shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Oil a terrine pan or meatloaf pan lightly and set aside. Stem and cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/8″ thin slices (for fastest cooking time). Set aside. In a skillet brown the ground beef. Add the basil and stir until it is wilted. Remove from heat.

To construct the terrine, place a single layer of eggplant slices on the bottom of the oiled pan. Dot with about 3 T. sauce and spread evenly with the back of your spoon. This is not much sauce, but you do not want this torte to come out soupy, so this is intentional. Top with about ¼ of the meat. Sprinkle with ¼ c. mozzarella. Place another layer of eggplant on the top. Press all down firmly with your fingers to compact. Repeat with the sauce, ¼ of the meat and cheese. Place the third single layer of eggplant slices and again press down firmly. Repeat with the sauce, ¼ of the meat, and cheese. Place the final layer of eggplant on top, the rest of the sauce, the last of the meat and the last of the mozzarella shreds. Press down again to compact the layers.

If you should have any unused eggplant slices, you can either decorate a final layer as shown (left) if serving to company, save the remaining eggplant for another day’s soup or chop it up for a future casserole. Sprinkle the top of the torte with the ¼ c. Parmesan cheese and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes,then remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until lightly browned on top. If knife goes into center easily, it is completely done. Thicker eggplant will require probably 15 more minutes cooking time. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before attempting to cut into four equal servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

445 calories, 31 g fat, 10.15 g carbs, 3.92 g fiber, 7.23 g NET CARBS, 30.6 g protein, 516 mg sodium

Smokey Gouda Brussels Sprouts

November 17, 2016November 17, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

I created this tasty veggie dish for people like me, quite frankly, who are NOT very fond of this vegetable. And I succeeded! I loved this smokey, cheesy rendition of this nutritious vegetable! And I just don’t say that very often about Brussels sprouts. We both thorougly enjoyed this and will be making it again. A lovely side dish for your Holiday table, for sure! This veggie dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint as well.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included). Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love! Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php. DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote the books because they are great cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

14 oz. frozen Brussels sprouts

4 slices coarsely chopped bacon

2 oz. yellow onion, chopped

4 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, shredded/grated

DIRECTIONS: Boil Brussels sprouts for 3 minutes. Cut them in halves or smaller if you prefer. In skillet, brown bacon. Add chopped onion and saute together until onion caramelized. Toss in the Brussels sprouts and stir, cooking for just a few minutes. Transfer to baking dish if you prefer. Top with grated cheese and bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes. I’ve also done this dish without the bacon:

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 4, each serving contains:

322 calories, 13.2 g fat, 9.68 g carbs. 3.9 g fiber, 5.78 NET CARBS, 25.38 g protein, 508 mg sodium

Mesquite Orange Brandy Cake

November 16, 2016May 30, 2023Peggy 2 Comments

This moist cake can be a marvelous addition to your Holiday celebrations. It reminds me a little of my grandmothers fruitcake, just not with all the high-carb candied fruit bits. This cake has been modified several times now and I think I’ve finally gotten the ingredients just about right. Even my husband thought this cake had a nice texture and deep, rich flavor (thanks to the slight “smoky” taste of mesquite flour). And trust me, he is NOT a fan of cakes with this much fruit and nuts in them.

Mesquite flour has a hint of a smoke taste to me, although you might not find it so. This cake is light and fluffy, and not dense at all like classic fruit cakes we quickly learned to dislike. I think the addition of the oat fiber plays a major role in texture here, so don’t omit that. I order oat fiber and mesquite flour from Netrition.com. Nuts.com also carries mesquite flour http://www.mesquiteflour.com/. This recipe is not acceptable until the grains rung of OWL. This cake was baked in an 8½” x 3″ round silicone cake pan shown below:

INGREDIENTS:

7/8 stick butter (7 T.)

1 ¼ c. granular Splenda

¼ c. brandy

¼ c. DaVinci coconut or vanilla sugar-free syrup

4 beaten eggs

½ c. coarsely chopped fresh cranberries

2 T. grated orange rind

3/4 c. chopped pecans

¼ c. unsweetened coconut

2 T. oat fiber

1 3/4 c. CarbQuik bake mix (or Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten Free Bake Mix for gluten-free)

4 T. mesquite flour

1 tsp. baking powder (yes, even though CarbQuick has some in it!)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Pour brandy over cranberries to soak while mixing up the cake. Chop nuts. Soften butter and beat with Splenda until smooth. Add eggs beating well after each one. Mix all dry ingredients in separate bowl and slowly add to egg mixture, Stir well. Now add in cranberry mixture, brandy and all, and the nuts. Be sure batter is well-blended. Pour into a sprayed round, deep cake pan (I used a small silicone sunflower-shaped pan that is about 3″ deep). Bake in a preheated 350º oven for 50 minutes. It is done when toothpick stuck in center comes out dry/clean. Cake will be mounded in the middle at first fall back level as it cools. Turn cake onto cake plate when fully cooled. As with most low-carb baked goods, store leftovers in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 12, each serving contains:

203 calories, 18 g fat, 15.75 g carbs, 9.62 g fiber, 6.13 g NET CARBS, 6.1 g protein, 239 mg. sodium

Einkorn Sausage Balls

November 14, 2016November 24, 2020Peggy Leave a comment

This is an ever-popular Holiday appetizer that never goes out of style or favor with your holiday guests. And they are so easy to make ahead, heat and serve. I have another Sausage Cheese Ball recipe on my website that rings in at only 1 net carb per ball. But I like this one a bit better and it’s easier to put together, with fewer ingredients. This recipe features my convenient homemade Einkorn Low-Carb Bake Mix (similar to Bisquick and Carbquik) and have come up with what I think is an even tastier, more moist Sausage-Cheese Ball. And this improved recipe only rings in at 1.76 net carbs per ball. Not bad for the convenience of just reaching for 3 ingredients in lieu of a whole bunch of ingredients. These are not suitable until the grains rung of the carb re-introduction ladder of Phase 2 OWL. They are OK for Keto diets if you can fit them into your daily carb limits. They would be totally unacceptable for Primal-Paleo due to grain.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. breakfast sausage (I used my homemade breakfast sausage recipe)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 c. my Einkorn Bake Mix (For gluten-free version, use Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten-Free Bake Mix or another GF mix of your choice)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Mix the above ingredients in a medium bowl with your hands as you would a meatloaf mixture. When thoroughly blended, form into 30 1″ balls and place on non-stick baking sheet or one lined with parchment or silicone sheet for ease of clean-up. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to paper towels to drain off any excess grease (mine had none actually). Serve warm and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 30 1″ balls, each sausage ball contains:

95 calories, 7.81 g fat, 2.4 g carbs, 0.64 g fiber, 1.76 g NET CARBS, 4.82 g protein, 81 mg sodium

Einkorn Buttermilk Biscuits

November 13, 2016November 13, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

My latest biscuit experiment came out delicious! The hubs said he really liked these. I decided to see what a little Einkorn flour would bring to my new Buttermilk Biscuits recipe posted last week. I’m pleased with the results! The texture didn’t change dramatically, and they took a wee bit longer to cook, but I love the added buttermilk taste of these! This recipe is not suitable until you reach the grains level of the Atkins carb re-introduction ladder. With the addition of the Einkorn flour, these are certainly not my lowest carb biscuits. So browse my other biscuit recipes if you are looking for a lower carb count. I have a number of them now. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 c. CarbQuik bake mix

1/4 c. Einkorn flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 T. egg white protein powder (optional rise booster)

1 tsp. glucomannan powder (or xanthan gum)

½ c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1 egg, beaten (use 2 eggs if you omit the egg white protein above)

4 T. sour cream

4 T. melted butter

1 c. 2% buttermilk

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 425º. Oil an ebilskiver or turnover pan, muffin pan, muffin-top pan, or parchment line a baking sheet.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the cheese shreds. In a small bowl, beat the egg, sour cream, butter and buttermilk together with a whisk. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry and mix/wold well with a rubber spatula to form a nice ball of dough that is mildly wet. Form into eight equal portions, shaping them taller than flatter if using s sheet pan. Place into oiled pan slots or equally spaced on your baking sheet. Pop into 425º oven for 16-18 minutes. Watch them closely after the 12 minute mark, as ovens do vary. Slice and butter or serve with jams of your choosing.

NUTRITONAL INFO: Makes 8 biscuits, each contains:

143.5 calories, 12.9 g fat, 11.08 g carbs, 5.17 g fiber, 5.91 g NET CARBS, 7.2 g protein, 307 mg sodium

Sherry-Pecan-Bacon Stuffing

November 7, 2016December 10, 2020Peggy 4 Comments

It’s getting close to the holiday feast so I will be posting some of my favorite holiday recipes over the next few weeks. This particular stuffing is a low-carb modification of famed Chef James Beard’s wild rice stuffing I’ve been making for many, many years. It is outstanding with venison, wild game, roasted chicken or turkey. This year I’m serving it with a duck we’re grilling outside. Mmmmm! The inspirational recipe is made with 2 cups of cooked wild rice, so clearly not for those still in Atkins Induction. However those in Atkins maintenance who can eat such things, could certainly make this using a quality wild rice. Admittedly, these modifications make my low-carb version a little different, but not so much as you might think. I sometimes compromise and use half bread cubes with half wild rice and I get the best of both worlds without too many carbs for a once-a-year treat. 🙂

This dish is not acceptable before the grains rung of OWL as written. You could sub in a Muffin in a Minute toasted for the Artisan Flatbread and have this at the nut rung of OWL. I do not stuff my turkeys, but prefer to bake my stuffing in a separate pan so the top can get toasty. The toasting of the sherry-soaked bread cubes is essential to the overall taste and texture of this dish. When I was in high school, I’d always pick those out and eat them, as I carried the dish to the dining room table. Annoyed my mother to no end. But they were sooooo good! A lush at 17, yet ironically I hardly drink at all as an adult. I DO cook with wine a great deal, however.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. sweet onion, chopped

½ stick unsalted butter

1 lg. stalk celery, chopped

2 c. jicama, peeled and grated

¼ c. parsley, chopped

½ c. pecan halves

4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped, cooked and drained

¼ tsp. dried tarragon

¼-½ black pepper

2 c. Artisan Flatbread, cubed and toasted (or 1 c. bread + 1 c. cooked wild rice)

4 T. sherry

HOLIDAY VARIATION: Add a few dried, sugar-free cranberries or mushrooms to the stuffing

DIRECTIONS: Make Artisan bread per that recipe’s instructions in a 13×15″ pan. Cool and cut into 12 “slices”. It should take two slices to produce the required 2c. of cubes. Put remaining slices into a gallon zip-lock bag and store your refrigerator for sandwiches or whatever. BTW this makes great bread for serving with Italian foods. It keeps very well in the fridge, too. Toast the 2 c. of cubes on the same pan in your oven, stirring several times as they dry out and get toasty.

Coarsely chop up and fry bacon in a skillet. If you have one, doing this in a large wok will eliminate the need to transfer to a large bowl later (saves on dirty dishes). Drain bacon on paper towels. Pour off grease for another use. Now melt butter in same skillet/wok and saute the onion and celery until tender. Next add grated jicama and continue to saute until jicama is tender. Add parsley, tarragon and pepper and stir well. Turn off heat and pour mixture into a large bowl, if required, to facilitate stirring. Mix sherry with water. Bunch the bread cubes together on their baking sheet and drizzle the sherry water over them, tossing once, trying to be sure each cube gets a bit of the liquid and that all liquid is absorbed. Now add the bread cubes and pecans to the veggie mixture and give it a final stirring to blend all ingredients.

Grease a large casserole dish with butter and pour dressing into the pan. If you can afford the calories, dot with 2 T. butter. Bake at 350º for about 20-30 minutes until bread cubes on top are toasted a bit.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 6, each serving contains:

230 calories, 20g fat, 6.17g carbs, 2.67 g fiber, 3.5g NET CARBS, 4.6g protein, 195 mg. sodium

Porcini-Portobello Braised Chicken

November 1, 2016March 10, 2023Peggy 2 Comments

Oh my goodness, did my husband ever like last night’s dinner creation. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, I locked it up last night. This recipe is a little on the carb-y side as I added 1½ cups AlDente brand “Carba Nada” low-carb fettucini noodles to the pan. They soaked up the the rich broth flavors quite nicely. Clearly that makes this recipe unsuitable for Atkins Induction. But you could certainly cook some zucchini noodles on the side for a lower-carb option and enjoy this dish once you get to Phase 2 (due to the wine, which is not allowed until Phase 2). You could even go a step farther and substitute more chicken broth for the wine and enjoy this during Induction Phase! Won’t be quite as good, but doable early in the diet. 🙂 This dish has stellar flavor and I hope my readers will try it sometime. We both have always enjoyed the flavor affinity of wine and thyme on chicken and beef dishes. And this is yet another wine + thyme success. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

5-6 dried Porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in very hot water

2 large chicken breasts (or choice of chicken pieces for 4 portions)

¼ tsp. each coarse black pepper, salt, Spanish paprika and onion powder

2 T. unsalted butter

1 T. olive oil

3 oz. onion, slivered or chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained of liquid

1 c. chicken broth (-preferably homemade)

½ c. dry white wine (I used Chardonay)

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves (1 T. fresh, chopped)

¼ tsp. xanthan gum (or your favorite thickener)

1½ c. raw AlDente “Carba Nada” egg fettuccini noodles” (about 1/3 of bag) [or use 4 c. zucchini noodles]

DIRECTIONS: Soak the Porcini mushrooms in a small bowl of very hot water for about 30 minutes or until soft. When soft, slice them, cutting away any tough stems. Boil the Carba Nada noodles in a medium saucepan until tender but not quite done. Drain water off noodles and set aside while you prepare the main dish. Butterfly the chicken breasts so they will cook faster and to create 4 portions of meat.

Mix the black pepper, paprika and onion powder on a paper plate. Sprinkle the chicken pieces on all sides with the spice mixture. Heat a large skillet over high heat, melting the butter and oil together. Sear the chicken pieces on all sides until golden (it will not be done yet). Remove chicken temporarily to a plate. Add the onion slices to the skillet and allow it to caramelize in the hot oil. When the onion is softening and browning, next add the drained canned mushrooms, garlic, chicken broth, wine and thyme to the pan.

Bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to lowest setting so the contents of the pan are just simmering. Whisk in the xanthan gum and let it begin to thicken for a couple minutes. Gently stir in the partially cooked, drained noodles (if using), replace the chicken on top, cover pan with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes on lowest heat possible or until chicken is done and noodles have absorbed most of the liquid (internal temp of 170º). Remove lid and let dish breathe and moisture to evaporate from atop the chicken. If substituting zucchini noodles, prepare those while the main skillet is in this final stage of cooking and add their value to the lower nutritional numbers below. Serve with a nice green salad and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains (calculated using chicken breasts):

With Noodles: 412 calories, 19g fat, 13.75 g carbs, 4.27g fiber, 9.38g NET CARBS, 39.8 g protein and 714 mg sodium

Without Noodles: 377 calories, 18.5 g fat, 7.75 g carbs, 2.87 g fiber, 4.88 g NET CARBS, 36.8 g protein, 709 mg sodium

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage

October 30, 2016January 20, 2017Peggy 7 Comments

A delightful new stuffed spaghetti squash graced our dinner table last night. It was creamy yet not too heavy. The overall flavor is Italian with the Italian Sausage in it. But you can substitute regular breakfast sausage and totally change the flavor outcome. Unless you grow them yourself, it’s very hard to get small enough spaghetti squash to make a half shell serve just one person. So in this recipe, each half serves TWO people. 🙂 This delicious and very filling dish will make your family smile and ask for an encore performance! This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto and Primal diets but would not be acceptable for Paleo due to the two cheese in it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium spaghetti squash (or 2 small 5-6″ small ones if you can find them)

12 oz. mild Italian Sausage, removed from casings (preferably homemade)

2 oz. onion, chopped

1/3 c. red bell pepper (coarsely chopped)

2 oz. cream cheese

½ tsp. dried oregano leaves

2 T. parsley, chopped

Dash each onion and garlic powder

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

VARIATION: Use “regular” breakfast sausage instead of Italian sausage for a distinct flavor change. Using “Hot” sausage or “Hot” Italian sausage will also change things up considerably, but be careful there. 🙂

DIRECTIONS: With a large kitchen knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, place cut-side down in a baking dish with ½” water. Microwave on HI for 13 minutes. Remove and cool a bit for handling. With a fork, scrape out the squash threads onto a paper plate or bowl. You will be using 2-2½ cups of the threads for this recipe and reserve the rest for some other use. Preheat oven to 325º. Set the shells (used as bowls) onto a baking pan or dish.

Remove the sausage from the casings and place in skillet over medium-high heat to brown, crumbling it up with your spatula as it cooks. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook until they are tender. Stir in the cream cheese until it is melted and uniformly distributed. Add onion, garlic powder, oregano and parsley. Stir well. Add about 2 cups of spaghetti squash threads and stir well. Only add more if you think you need more to fill up your hungry family, but be sure to recalculate the nutritional info if you increase the squash. Spoon the mixture into the two large shell halves (or 4 smaller ones). Top each portion with and equal share of the mozzarella cheese. Pop the pan into a 325º oven for 30 minutes to blend flavors and melt cheese. Serve with a nice green Italian salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings. With 2 c. squash threads, each serving will contain:

473 calories, 38 g fat, 9.55 g carbs, 1.8 g fiber, 7.75 g NET CARBS, 23.9 g protein, 465 mg sodium

Chicken and Dumplings

October 28, 2016March 27, 2023Peggy Leave a comment

Man, this Induction-friendly dish is real winter comfort food for us. It tastes even better than it looks! Just what you need on a chilly day. A cyber friend said it is snowing today where she is this week! So I thought I’d share this American classic in two versions. First one is Atkins Induction-friendly based on the dumpling recipe used. It’s a marvelous use of Oopsie Rolls and I was astounded they held up to 20 minutes of broth simmering! The spongy, egg-like quality of Oopsie Rolls is just perfect for this application! Just as an FYI, you can also cut the rolls up into smaller pieces for adding small “dumplings” to other soups. 🙂 If you want to double or triple this recipe, it definitely freezes well.

For more traditional dumplings, slightly higher carbs but still low-carb, try this recipe sometime but just substitute in my Peggy’s Original Dumplings for the Oopsie Rolls listed in the above recipe. You will not be sorry, as even my husband thinks this version of low-carb chicken and dumplings are a pretty good imitation of his mom’s chicken and dumplings. She made hers with cut up canned biscuits. His mom wasn’t fond of cooking and never made such things from scratch with flour. She always took shortcuts when cooking (who doesn’t occasionally). How that version cooks up is shown below:

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken breast (large, about 8 oz.)

2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (plus enough water to cover chicken well if needed)

3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

3 large stalks celery, chopped coarsely

1 chicken bouillon cube

Dash black pepper

2 Oopsie Rolls (also called Improved Revolution Rolls)

¼-½ tsp. xanthan gum to thicken

DIRECTIONS: Cut chicken breast in half for two servings. Place in stew pot. Cover with all remaining ingredients except Oopsie Rolls and xanthan gum. Bring to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Break or cut up rolls into quarter-sized “dumplings” and drop into broth. Continue to simmer for 15-20 more minutes. Do not disturb with spoon too much and the “dumplings” will not fall apart at all. Right before serving, dust xanthan gum over surface and gently stir, waiting between successive dustings to allow to thicken. When you get to the desired thickness, remove from heat and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

350 calories, 16.2 g fat, 5.9 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 2.4 g NET CARBS, 41.5 g protein, 1500 mg sodium

Made with my “Peggy’s Original Dumplings” recipe for the dumplings (not suitable during Atkins Induction Phase I).

Buttermilk Biscuits

October 26, 2016June 8, 2020Peggy 11 Comments

Well these certainly came out delicious! The hubs said he really liked them. I wanted the taste of buttermilk in a biscuit and had not tried that to date. I’m pleased with the resulting biscuits, which are not grainy, crumbly or dense like so many low-carb biscuits. These are actually pretty light. This recipe was inspired by one posted by “EnglishLit” on Low Carb Friends forums. I have changed it up quite a bit, but the basic flour she begins with is unchanged in this version. This recipe is not suitable until you reach the grains level of the Atkins carb re-introduction ladder.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. CarbQuik bake mix (or other low-carb mix)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 T. egg white protein powder (optional rise booster)

1 tsp. glucomannan powder (or xanthan gum)

½ c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1 egg, beaten (use 2 eggs if you omit the egg white protein above)

4 T. sour cream

4 T. melted butter

1 c. 2% buttermilk

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 425º. Oil an ebilskiver or turnover pan, muffin pan, muffin-top pan, or parchment line a baking sheet.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the cheese shreds. In a small bowl, beat the egg, sour cream, butter and buttermilk together with a whisk. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry and mix/wold well with a rubber spatula to form a nice ball of dough that is mildly wet. Form into eight equal portions, shaping them taller than flatter if using s sheet pan. Place into oiled pan slots or equally spaced on your baking sheet. Pop into 425º oven for 12-15 minutes. Watch them closely after the 12 minute mark, as ovens vary. Slice and butter or serve with jams of your choosing.

NUTRITONAL INFO: Makes 8 biscuits, each contains:

127.4 calories, 12.9g fat, 8.58g carbs, 5.46g fiber, 3.12g NET CARBS, 6.7g protein, 307 mg sodium

Coconut Cake

October 18, 2016October 18, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

I tried my hand at a classic coconut cake shortly after I began low-carbing. It has always been a favorite of mine. So I thought I’d share it with you today. It’s a great way to get some coconut and coconut oil into your diet! With all the eggs that coconut flour requires, this is a costly cake to make. It is not as white and light as traditional coconut cakes, but with all the coconut oil and butter, this cake certainly doesn’t want for moisture. I iced my two layer cake with whipped cream to which I added some dehydrated coconut milk powder for stabilizing and a pinch of coconut flavoring, but you could certainly use whatever cream cheese or coconut frosting you prefer. This recipe isn’t suitable until the nuts rung of Phase 2 of Atkins. It is suitable for Keto if you can fit the carbs into your daily limits.

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. butter, unsalted, softened

1/3 c. coconut oil (melted)

12 medium-large eggs

3/4 c. sugar-free syrup (vanilla or coconut)

¼ c. erythritol

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

1/3 c. Carbquik bake mix (use Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten-Free Bake Mix for gluten-free version)

3/4 c. coconut flour

2 T. oat fiber

1 tsp. glucomannan powder or xanthan gum (texture enhancers)

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

For frosting: 1 c. whipping cream, 2 tsp. Coconutti extract (or 1 tsp. regular coconut extract), 6 drops liquid sucralose, and either 1 T. coconut milk powder or 1/8 tsp. glucomannan powder to stabilize.

VARIATION: Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Line the bottom of two 9″ cake pans with either parchment or waxed paper. Grease the sides of the pan with coconut oil and set them aside while you mix up the batter. In a large bowl, soften the butter and coconut oil and beat well until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Add erythritol and syrup. Stir well. Measure and add in all dry ingredients. Beat with a spoon until smooth. Scrape batter as evenly as possible into the two prepared pans. Bake in preheated 350º oven for 30-35 minutes. Toothpick check the center to make certain it comes out dry. Remove and cool completely before attempting to frost.

While cakes are cooling, make the frosting. Whip the cream until thick. Stir in 2 tsp. Coconutti extract (or 1 tsp. other coconut extract), the liquid sucralose and the coconut milk powder and stir well. When cakes have totally cooled, place one on a serving plate. Spoon a thin layer of frosting on the bottom layer. Place second layer on top and ice the top and sides with remaining frosting. Sprinkle a tiny bit of toasted coconut on top if desired. Keep this cake (and all low-carb cakes) refrigerated when not serving/consuming. I highly recommend removing it from the refrigeratore for 1 hour before serving. It gets fairly “dense” when chilled due to the coconut oil in it.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 servings, each contains:

373 calories, 32.46 g fat, 14.82 g carbs, 8.8 g fiber, 6.02 g NET CARBS, 11.0 g protein, 24.8 mg sodium

Beef in Mushroom Wine Sauce

October 17, 2016September 25, 2017Peggy 8 Comments

I love to make this recipe whenever I have a sizeable portion of a very large chuck or sirloin roast leftover. It’s very tasty, rich and a great way to tenderize that meat even further. Whenever I make a beef roast, I always save any leftover gravy or roast meat broth/drippings, no matter how little that may be. I invariably find many uses like this recipe for using it up. I freeze it in ½-cup and 1-cup blocks and once frozen, pop them into a gallon zip-loc bags for soups, casseroles and recipes like this that just need a little broth or gravy. I can then thin the gravy to use as beef broth. 🙂

This delicious dish can be enjoyed by all phases of Atkins provided those still on Induction omit the red wine. This is suitable for Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included). Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love! Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php. DISCLAIMER: By personal choice I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote them because they are great cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. rich beef gravy or roast drippings (or beef broth + ¼ tsp. xanthan gum (to thicken)

2 4-oz cans mushrooms, drained (liquid reserved)

2 T. tomato paste

¼ tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1½ lb. leftover cooked beef roast, sliced

¼ c. dry red wine (I used zinfandel, but any dry red will work) [omit for Induction]

VARIATION: Add 1/2 c. chopped parsley (I was out, or I would have used it here)

DIRECTIONS: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the beef gravy or beef stock. If using beef broth instead of gravy, whisk in xanthan gum to blend. Add the tomato paste and whisk again to blend well. Add salt and pepper and stir. If using, add parsley and red wine. Allow to simmer covered on LOW heat for 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer 5 minutes longer. If gravy is too thick, add a bit of the mushroom liquid back to the pan; if too thin, add more xanthan gum (or your preferred thickener) in very light dustings on the surface, stirring in and allowing each addition to develop and thicken before adding more. You do NOT want to overdo xanthan gum lest the sauce get slippery in texture. Serve at once with you favorite green vegetable or side dish.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

255 calories, 6.9 g fat, 3.87 g carbs, 1.40 g fiber, 2.47 g NET CARBS, 40.3 g protein, 417 mg sodium

Clams in Sofrito Sauce on Black Bean Noodles

October 16, 2016October 17, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

My husband was out of town today and I knew he’d get home around 6:30, provided there was not too much traffic coming out of Austin on I-35. One little wreck can slow him down an hour! So I chose to whip up a simple dinner from a can of whole clams that I knew I could cook from start to finish in 30 minutes after he got home. This was a real treat and quite delicious.

Check out my latest pasta discovery! Black bean spaghetti that I stumbled upon at Thrive Market on-line. It’s organic, is certified gluten-free, high in fiber and protein! It has more carbs than zucchini noodles, but is a nice alternative to spaghetti squash and zucchini squash all the time. For lowest carbs, serve over 20 oz. of pre-cooked zucchini noodles. The verdict on the black bean noodles: both I and my husband liked them in taste and texture. They didn’t really taste of beans and reminded me of regular whole grain pasta in flavor. Texture was like any al-dente thin spaghetti. The color is black before they are cooked. After cooking they are an off-putting gray, so they are not something I’d ever serve to company, or that I chose to use in my feature photo above. I took a snapshot of them below so you can see the gray color after cooking. Only 11 net carbs per 2-oz serving, which is lower than Al Dente brand Carba Nada Noodles! Only listed ingredient is black beans.

Their gray color will elicit all sorts of comments from the kids. I will definitely buy and cook these tasty noodles again. Color doesn’t bother me at all. Of course, as I said above, you can serve this clam dish over zucchini noodles to cut carbs. I am posting nutritional info for methods of serving.

This recipe is suited to Atkins Phase 2 and beyond (make without wine and with zucchini noodles if you are still in Induction Phase). This can be enjoyed on Keto diets if you use zucchini noodles and Paleo-Primal provided you use the zucchini noodles as well.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included). Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love! Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php. DISCLAIMER: By personal choice I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote them because they are great cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1 8-oz. box of black bean spaghetti

4½ oz. raw bacon, chopped

3 oz. red onion, slivered

3 oz. leek, chopped (or green onion)

2 T. my Sofrito sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 10-oz. can whole clams (with juice)

¼ c. dry white wine (omit for Atkins Induction)

Dash of your preferred thickener (I used 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum)

OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese (not calculated in below)

DIRECTIONS: In large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles for 6-8 minutes per box directions. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and brown chopped bacon. When nearly done, add the red onion and chopped leeks and saute until tender. Add sofrito sauce, minced garlic and chopped plum tomatoes. Add white wine. Stir as the mixture cooks for about 5-7 minutes. Add thickener and stir over low heat until it has begun to slightly thicken. Drain noodles when done cooking and spoon them onto a serving platter. Top with the clam mixture, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan if you like, and serve with a nice green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

USING BLACK BEAN NOODLES: 484 calories, 18.8 g fat, 33.25 g carbs, 13.87 g fiber, 19.38 g NET CARBS, 4.05 g protein, 471 mg sodium

USING 20 oz. ZUCCHINI NOODLES: 293 calories, 22 g fat, 15.32 g carbs, 3.72 g fiber, 11.6 g NET CARBS, 18.2 g protein, 470 mg sodium

Pepper Jack Cheese Crisps

October 16, 2016August 15, 2025Peggy Leave a comment

These are the cheese crackers I like to make when I’m out of fresh jalapenos as well as those pickled in a jar. They get nice and crispy if browned properly. I ALWAYS have Monterey Jack cheese in the house, so here’s my short-cut method of making my Jack Snacks of Facebook fame with millions of shares. The pepper taste isn’t too strong in these, so they are great by themselves or use for dipping dips. These are suitable for all phases of Atkins, Ketogenic diets and Primal followers if you do the occasional dairy. These are clearly not suited for a Paleo diet.

INGREDIENTS:

5 slices Monterrey Jack Pepper cheese (5 oz.)

Parchment paper (DO NOT use waxed paper!)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Using a large knife, cut the four slices of cheese into for smaller squares. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Again, DO NOT USE WAXED PAPER or you will ruin these. The wax and cheese melt together and bond. Pop into 350º oven for about 12-15 minutes (check often, as ovens vary).

Allow them to cool completely on the pan before attempting to remove with the tip of your knife. Serve alone or with your favorite dips and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 20 cheese crisps, each one contains:

27.5 calories, 2.25 g fat, 0.19 g carbs, 0.0 g fiber, 0.19 g NET CARBS, 50 mg sodium

Zucchini Pesto Quiche

October 12, 2016October 13, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

I found a new pesto sauce recently and wanted to try it out in a recipe tonight. It is Sundried Tomato Pesto Italian Pasta Sauce by Santini (imported). This quiche, complete with a low-carb cust, was delicious! This recipe can also be made crustless if you are still on Atkins Induction phase. Using mozzarella instead of Monterrey Jack cheese is always an option. Adding some Parmesan is another possible addition. Both my husband and I really liked this pie and found it very filling. Leftovers reheated nicely too.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included). Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love! Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php. DISCLAIMER: By personal choice I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote them because they are great cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Peggy’s Improved Pie Crust (or your fav low-carb pie crust)

12 oz. zucchini, sliced

3 oz. onion, chopped

10 oz. pork sausage

2 T. olive oil

Click to enlarge

3 oz. pesto or sundried tomato pesto sauce

6 oz. Monterrey Jack Cheese

Dash each salt and pepper

1 beaten egg

½ c. cream

DIRECTIONS: Make the pie crust per that recipe’s instructions and bake for just 15 minutes until barely cooked and remove from oven. In large non-stick skillet, saute the zucchini on both sides in two batches. Remove from skillet to a plate and in the same skillet, saute the sausage, onion, salt and pepper until the sausage and onion are done. Drain off any excessive grease. Layer ½ of the zucchini in the bottom of the cooling pie crust. Dot with ½ the pesto sauce. Put ½ the cheese on next. Sprinkle half the meat/onion mixture on next. Layer the rest of the zucchini slices on next, dot with remaining pesto sauce, then the meat mixture and finally the last of the cheese. In a saucer beat the egg with the cream and drizzle over the entire pie evenly. Bake in a 350º oven for about 20 minutes or until egg/cheese mixture appears fully done. Serve with a nice green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

646 calories, 56.67 g fat, 17.2 g carbs, 9.07 g fiber, 8.13 g NET CARBS, 6.5 g protein, 747 mg sodium

Kielbasa and Cabbage Bake

October 10, 2016October 14, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

This is my variation on a theme. I had this dish a number of times when I was growing up but I was not very fond of it back then, as Mom always got hers too tart with vinegar for my palate. This recipe is just right on the tang and spice combination. And the onions in mine add a sweet edge as well! We have made it this way several times now and we both just love this dish now! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo programs as well.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included). Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love! Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php. DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote them because they are great cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

5 links Kielbasa or smoked sausage, sliced (I use Meyer’s from Elgin, TX)

3 ox. slivered yellow onion

¼ c. my homemade Shawarma Mayo

¼ c. my Balsamic Vinaigrette (or Italian dressing)

6 c. green cabbage, chopped coarsely

1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet over high heat, partially brown the sausage slices. When almost done, add the slivered onion and saute until the onion softens a bit and releases its sugar. Turn off heat. Chop the cabbage and stir it into the meat-onion mixture. In a small bowl, mix the mayo and vinaigrette, stirring well to blend. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mayo mixture onto the cabbage. Add a couple shakes coarse black pepper and stir to blend well. I positioned the sausage above for photographic impact, but that is not necessary.

Cover tightly with foil and pop skillet into oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 15 more minutes until just slightly brown on top. I think you will love this dish as much as we do! I like to serve this with a tomato-cucumber salad or broiled tomatoes.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

438 calories, 45 g fat, 10.17 g carbs, 3.95 g fiber, 7.22 g NET CARBS, 17.3 g protein, 566 mg sodium

Spicy Boursin Chicken

October 9, 2016October 9, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

A little Boursin cheese (also known as Gournay), salsa and the right spices mixed with chicken creates a wonderful combo. We both really liked this new creation! This dish is quite rich, so one bundle is all I could eat. Calories can be reduced doing this with fish filets rather than chicken. This dish freezes well, too! This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, but not well-suited to Primal-Paleo due to the dairy.

You can have many more simple, tasty low-carb chicken recipes at your fingertips with you very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends cookbooks Low Carbing Among Friends. These very talented chefs have collaborated to bring you so very many new recipes to try. Get yours in regular or coil binding today at Amazon or here: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I do not receive remuneration for this promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks you are going to want in your cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into six portions

12 oz. frozen chopped spinach

3 oz. red bell pepper, finely chopped

3 T. Herdez canned “hot” red salsa, drained solids only (drained RoTel will also work)

5 oz. package Boursin Cheese with garlic and herbs

¼ tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/my-seafood-spice-blend/

Dash black pepper

Available in the specialty cheese bin at Walmart and other grocery stores.

3 T. melted butter

VARIATION: Use fish filets for the chicken.

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Defrost and squeeze the frozen spinach to remove water and set aside, allowing it to continue draining in a colander or sieve while you prepare the chicken. Diagonally slice the chicken into 6 thin filets. Place plastic wrap on top and pound chicken quite thin (without tearing apart) using a mallet. Now place the spinach in a mixing bowl and add in the Boursin cheese, bell pepper, salsa and black pepper. Stir well to blend ingredients. Spoon evenly onto the center of the 6 flattened pieces of chicken and fold the meat over the top. Place seam side down in baking dish. Sprinkle well with the spice blend and with a brush, baste each bundle with melted butter. Pop into hot oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until meat is golden brown (fish will cook faster, say in about 20 minutes). Spinach/cheese mixture will spill out of the bundles, but not in a messy way, as you can see in the pic above.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

323 calories, 27.3 g fat, 4.48 g carbs, 2.05 g fiber, 2.43 g NET CARBS, 26.5 g protein, 580 mg sodium

Muenster Beef Casserole

October 6, 2016October 7, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

This was sure a pleasant surprise I made for dinner tonight. Not a fancy dish, but a nice, quick week-night meal that practically cooks itself. I rarely cook with Muenster cheese, but my husband bought a large quantity this week and I decided to give it a whirl on this beef creation that was formulating in my head around 4pm. Got the ratios just right on these ingredients and it came out delicious! One I’ll be making again, for sure! This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins and most Keto diets. It is not suitable for Primal or Paleo due to all the dairy.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. ground beef (use a full pound if you prefer)

12 oz. frozen green beans, thawed

2 oz. onion, chopped

½ c. canned mushrooms (4 oz. can, drained)

4 oz. cream cheese

¼ c. homemade mayo (I used my Shawarma Mayo)

Dash sea salt

½ tsp. coarse black pepper

5 oz. (5 slices) Muenster cheese, torn into quarters

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a casserole dish lightly with coconut or olive oil and set aside.

Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat and brown the ground beef stirring frequently. Add the onion mid-cooking so it will get tender. Add green beans and let them cook a bit, too, stirring for about 5 minutes. Dot with cream cheese, add the mayo and stir to allow them to melt and blend evenly in the meat-bean mixture. Add salt and pepper, stir again and remove from heat.

Spoon half the mixture evenly into the oiled baking dish. Layer half the cheese on top. Spoon remaining mixture on top evenly. Layer the remaining cheese on top. Cover casserole with foil and bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes or until bubbly in the center. I served this with a nice green tossed salad.

NOTE: To speed this up on cooking time, you can pre-cook the green beans in water. That is the item that will take longest to cook if still virtually frozen.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

463 calories, 39.8 g fat, 7.18 g carbs, 2.01 g fiber, 5.17 g NET CARBS, 19 g protein, 337 mg sodium

Pork Chops with Smoked Sausage-Green Chilies Gravy

October 5, 2016October 5, 2016Peggy 4 Comments

This simple dish came about from a can of green chilies sitting in my fridge that I opened a couple nights ago and then decided not to use them in a recipe. Really wanted to use them up and created a tasty dish that takes just 30 minutes to prepare. Brown the chops, sausage, make the sauce and YOU’RE EATING! My husband really liked the bit of sausage in the gravy. Not so much as to make it salty though. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, and Primal followers. Paleo followers will want to use coconut milk in lieu of the cream.

Many delicious low-carb recipes like this can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends (me included). Chef George Stella also brings you a wealth of delicious recipes you will love! Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php. DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote them because they are great cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp. bacon grease (or oil of choice)

4 4-oz. pork chops

4 oz. lean smoked sausage (2 links), diced small

1 c. rich pork broth (I save drippings from roasts and freeze for such uses)

3/4 c. heavy cream

4 oz. canned mild green chilies

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

OPTIONAL: 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum or your favorite thickener for thicker sauce

DIRECTIONS: Dice the sausage. I sliced and then cut those slices into quarters. Set aside. Heat the bacon grease in a skillet and sear the pork chops on both sides until nearly done. Remove to platter. Add the smoked sausage to the pan and saute until done, or a couple minutes. Add the pork broth and bring to a full simmer. Lower heat and add cream and green chilies (I did not drain). Finally add the black pepper and simmer on lowest heat for about 5 minutes to allow the cream to reduce & slightly thicken up. Add back the chops. Add a dusting of xanthan gum, whisking it into the sauce, allowing to develop and thicken further, if not thick enough for you. Remove from heat and serve with your favorite sides.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

374 calories, 30.5 g fat, 1.85 g carbs, 0.20 g fiber, 1.65 g NET CARBS, 22.9 g protein, 405 mg sodium

Greek Spinach Crustless Quiche

October 2, 2016September 20, 2021Peggy 3 Comments

greek-spinach-beef-pie

I got to thinking earlier this week about those wonderful Spanakopita spinach-stuffed phyllo pastries they serve at Greek restaurants and decided that’s the taste I wanted today. I thawed ground beef and just threw together my typical ingredients for Spanakopita and made a “pastry-less” version. It came out just about as good as my traditional Spanakopitas, just without the phyllo pastry. We had it for dinner tonight. I’ll freeze the leftovers for warming up one night later in the week. This is a particularly healthy entree with all the nutrients in spinach. This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets. It can also be enjoyed by Primal followers.

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. olive oil + 1 T. butter

2 oz. onion, chopped

12 oz. ground beef

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach (cooked per directions, strained & squeezed dry to make about 1 c.)

1/3 c. parsley, chopped

1 tsp. dried mint (or 2 T. fresh)

Dash each salt and black pepper

Pinch dried dill

1 oz. cream cheese (optional, but makes it very rich)

½ c. crumbled feta cheese, rinsed well in strainer

2 large eggs

1/4 c. heavy cream

VARIATIONS: Substitute ground lamb or goat for the beef

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Melt butter and add olive oil to medium non-stick skillet. Add onion and saute over medium heat until it begins to brown and caramelize. Add ground meat and cook until done. Lower heat and add spinach, herbs, spices and cheeses. Mash cheeses with back of spoon to speed up melting/blending into meat mixture. Stir mixture well. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the cream and drizzle it evenly over the meat mixture. Tilt pan to spread egg evenly over the top. Pop into 350º oven for about 20 minutes just until egg is set in the center. Serve with a nice Greek green salad and your favorite low-carb dinner rolls and butter.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each containing:

428.3 calories, 31.9 g fat, 4.95 g carbs, 1.55 g fiber, 3.4 g NET CARBS, 30.38 g protein, 656 mg sodium

Shrimp Stir-Fry on Shirataki Noodles

October 1, 2016March 24, 2023Peggy Leave a comment

I’ve been occasionally using the opaque, tofu variety of shirataki noodles (made from the konjac tuber) and I am definitely liking the ones that contain oat fiber much better than the translucent variety. I need my noodles to be opaque. The tofu shirataki noodles definitely LOOK like flour-based pasta, but are fairly tasteless on their own. Instead they take on the taste of whatever sauce/foods you put over the top of them or cook them in. And that’s OK with me. They at least psychologically allow me to have noodles on my low-carb journey. 🙂 Served on the shirataki noodles, this dish is OK for all phases of Atkins provided those still on Atkins Induction omit the sherry/wine.

This got a two thumbs up from my husband. Whenever he gets this excited about a recipe, I definitely like to share it here with my readers. This dish has few ingredients and goes together in about 10 minutes. The nutritional values show how healthy this dish is! I’m honored the nice folks at Konjac Foods chose this recipe to showcase amongst a number of other tasty-looking recipes on their recipe feature page! 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 8-oz. packages of tofu shirataki noodles (Konjac noodles)

1½ T. coconut oil

2 oz. onion, slivered into thin strips

2 oz. red bell pepper, slivered into thin strips

1 very large jalapeno, seeded and slivered into thin strips

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp. ginger root, peeled and minced

1 T. sherry or white wine (omit if on Induction)

1 T. low-sodium soy sauce

Pinch black or toasted sesame seeds

1 c. chicken broth (homemade) or 1 cube in 1 c. water

1/8 tsp. xanthan gum

OPTIONAL: Sambal Oelek chile sauce to taste.

DIRECTIONS: Open bags of noodles and rinse them for 3-4 minutes under hot water to get the fishy odor off of them. Drain on paper toweling. Trust me the shrimp topping will kill any remaining odor on the noodles after rinsing. Set aside. Prepare all the vegetables and have them at the ready by the stove. Crumble the bouillon cube into the hot water. Add soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick wok or skillet. Stir-fry the onion, red pepper and jalapeno until just begins to get tender. Add shrimp and sauté until they are curling and opaque. Pour chicken bouillon mixture into pan and sauté 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle xanthan gum over top of mixture and stir/sauté 1-2 minutes or until it begins to slightly thicken the sauce and the liquid is adhering to the shrimp and veggies, turn off fire. Plate half the noodles on each of two dinner plates and dip half the shrimp mixture up over the noodles. Serve with a nice green salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 adult servings, each contains:

237 calories, 13.15 g fat, 11.7 g carbs, 4.1 g carbs, 7.6 g NET CARBS, 17.8 g protein, 1135 mg sodium

Triple Pork Rolls

September 28, 2016September 28, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

My roll of Smoked Gouda cheese caught my eye when I reached for my two pork chops to sear for dinner. I had thawed some ground pork for another use and BINGO! This idea came to me! And what a good idea it turned out to be! I’ve seen cheesy low-carb meat rolls wrapped in bacon many times on the internet, but none to date using my favorite cheese, Smoked Gouda. Well, I’m here to tell ya these were GREAT! And I don’t usually like a lot of cheese with my meat dishes. So I got the amount just right! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto and Primal folks on the occasional dairy day. It would not be suitable for Primal followers unless you omit the cheese.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Several of my own creations appear in each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php. DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pork chops, de-boned (or 4 oz. boneless pork loin)

8 oz. ground pork

2 oz. Smoked Gouda cheese

4 thick slices of bacon

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Pound the pork chops with a meat tenderizer and cut each into two pieces, ultimately to make four rolls. Shred the cheese into a medium mixing bowl. Add the ground pork and mix well with a fork or your hands. Form into 4 small logs. Place a log of the ground mixture onto each piece of pork chop and roll. Finally, tightly roll 1 slice of bacon around each of the four rolls and place seam down in a baking pan (I used a metal pan). Pop into 350º oven for about an hour and lightly browned or until internal meat temperature reaches 160º. Serve with your favorite sides.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings (these are so rich 1 will fill you up), each contains:

283 calories, 0.20 g fat, 0.52 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0.52 g NET CARBS, 23.3 g protein, 284 mg sodium

Chorizo & Smoked Sausage Scrambled Eggs

September 21, 2016March 6, 2023Peggy 2 Comments

Entire recipe shown

My new egg creations are often the result of some little leftover or bit of food I fear won’t keep much longer. On this occasion I wanted to use up the last of some cilantro in the fridge before it perished there. So it was eggs with a Mexican twist for sure. Those that don’t like “hot”, this half of a large jalapeno was not too much for me, and I do NOT like things too “hot”. It just added a nice flavor layer. Many lovers of real spicy food will want to use even more I suspect. I use locally-made Texas smoked sausage and chorizo. These will surprise you! They mellow out the heaviness of both the chorizo and the smoked sausage. Most of my long-time readers know I’m not that fond of eggs to begin with, but this recipe makes them regularly doable for me!

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Paleo-Primal regimens as well (using ghee for the butter here).

INGREDIENTS:

5 large eggs beaten

Dash onion powder

1 link chorizo or smoked sausage (or some of both)

¼ c. cilantro, chopped coarsely

½ seeded jalapeno, chopped very fine

Dash ground cumin

2 T. butter or ghee to cook eggs.

DIRECTIONS: Beat the eggs with the onion powder in a mixing bowl and set aside. Chop the sausage, cilantro and jalapeno. Lightly brown the sausage in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeno and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the butter to melt and then stir in the cilantro. Lower heat to medium. Slowly pour the eggs over the sausage mixture as evenly as possible. Wait a couple minutes before stirring so the eggs and sausage begin to bond on the bottom and edges. When the edges begin to bubble a wee bit, using a rubber spatula, slowly push in the outer edges toward the center to loosen. Begin flipping sections of the mixture with spatula to fully cook the eggs to your desired doneness. Remove from heat and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

363 calories, 33 g fat, 1.4 g carbs, 0.5 g fiber, 0.9 g NET CARBS, 22 g protein, 379 mg sodium

Lime Chocolate Candy

September 19, 2016September 19, 2016Peggy 5 Comments

You know those cute little chocolate confections you always see at Christmas time in a box that are shaped like an orange cut into wedges just like an orange? The most popular selling flavor is the chocolate orange. But this one company used to also make these in LIME (though shaped like an orange) and man, oh, MAN, that one was to die for! I bought one every year!! Then all of a sudden in around 2008, I could no longer find it anywhere to save my life!! Not even at Cost Plus World Market Imports, where they still carried the orange and raspberry ones. World Market told me they thought the lime variety (and most of their flavors) had been discontinued.

So I decided to try to make something similar today myself, as we just loved that lime candy! Just made my basic low-carb chocolate bark recipe and just added one of my favorite citrus flavorings: Boyajian Lime Oil. BAM! That’s real close to the chocolate limes I’m remembering!! If you’re not familiar with Boyajian Citrus Oils, you’ve just GOT to get the Mini Box of lemon, lime and orange. They are fantastic and last a very long time, as you use so little in a recipe (couple drops). Best $10 you’ll ever spend in the kitchen!

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Paleo-Primal if you use ghee for the butter.

More delicious low-carb sweet treats can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I do not get paid for this book promotion or for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

12-16 drops liquid Splenda (I used 16 because I like my candy sweet)

1 pkt. stevia

1/8 tsp. Boyajian Lime Oil

DIRECTIONS: Place butter in 8×11″ metal baking pan and pop into oven at 350º until butter is just melted. Remove and stir in lime oil and liquid sweetener. Mix well. You can either wait and add the stevia later, to taste, or go on and add it now to the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Sift the mixture over the butter surface. Using a rubber spatula, stir well, pressing out any cocoa lumps that form. From here, you have two options. Either pop pan into freezer on level surface for about 30 minutes. OR you can pour mixture carefully into silicone candy molds totally 48 pieces. If done in the pan, cut into exactly 48 pieces (6×8) and using a thin metal spatula, gently lift out each piece to a lidded storage container. If using molds, pop each piece out and place in a lidded storage container. Must be stored in refrigerator (or freezer) at all times. Eat them fast or it will melt in your fingers, but that’s not a problem for me!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 48 pieces, each contains:

35 calories, 3.88 g fat, 0.26 g carbs, 0.13 g fiber, 0.13 g NET CARBS, 0.12 g protein, 1 mg. sodium

Flax-Whey Protein Bread

September 18, 2016September 18, 2016Peggy 10 Comments

Sprinkled with 8-Seed Crust blend

This bread is my previous Low-Carb Flax Bread that is evolving for the better. I’m not so fond of the taste of flax and have made some further changes to my first Atkins Induction-friendly recipe. Those changes are reflected below. The result has a lovely taste and texture, although not as good as my gluten-free focaccia recipe…….but I can’t have that right now as I’ve returned to an ULTRA low-carb regimen. Just replace 1/2 cup of the golden flax with the dark flax and sprinkle some caraway seed on top for a rye version. Although not particularly low-calorie, this bread has only 1.05 net carbs per slice! Better yet, a slice is thick enough to laterally slice into two thin slices for toasting at breakfast!

If you’re not familiar with oat fiber (please don’t confuse with its carbier cousin oat bran!) it has 26 grams carbs per serving and nearly 26 grams fiber, so it’s a wash on the carbs after subtracting the indigestible fiber. Technically it comes from the oat grain’s husk, and grains aren’t allowed during Induction. You CAN omit it here, but it adds much flavor and texture to this bread. Oat fiber comes from the outer husk of the oat. I have never gained eating small amounts of it, so I include it in most all of my baked goods. Your mileage may vary, so tread carefully the first time you consume oat fiber. If you gain or find it stirs carb cravings, then by all means, do not eat it again until you get to the grains rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb ladder.

I prefer baking this bread in a large sheet pan, because I can easily cut into 16 uniform slices, with more crust, too! It also is pretty easy to slice each portion laterally if you wish even thinner slices for toasting. I just can’t slice real thin slices with a loaf of most low-carb breads…….I just can’t, without botching the slice totally.

Here’s one happy customer’s reaction to this bread:

I am so happy I found your site. I have made this recipe 3 times. and it is so good. My pan is 10X13, but it works find for me. We both think it taste like cornbread.
So I have added some stevia to make it a little sweet. And I use coconut oil instead of olive oil and increased it to 1/4 cup.
I have not had any bread for the last few years. And I can’t seem to get enough of this since I have been making it.
I really like that it slices, and stays together.
I will have to try the Low-Salt Sandwich Bread and see how it is with out cheese. I bet it is just as good.
I like it because it is Low Carb and have alot of protein.
Thank You

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. golden flax meal

1/3 c. oat fiber

2 T. glucomannan (konjac) powder

1 tsp. dry yeast dissolved in 1/3 c. warm water

1½ c. plain whey protein

¼ tsp. salt

1T + 1 tsp. baking powder

7 eggs

1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack

4 T. olive oil

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Mix all dry ingredients and cheese in large bowl. Add eggs, water and oil, beating eggs well until batter is well blended. Line 11×17 sheet pan with parchment. With a rubber spatula, scrape batter onto parchment. Using the back of a dinner fork, spread batter from the center out to the edges of the pan, as evenly as possible. I sprinkle caraway or other spices seed over half the sheet bread. Bake for around 18 minutes until center is dry and springs back when touched. Avoid over browning. Cool and cut into 16 equal slices. I store this bread in a gallon plastic bag in the fridge until ready to use. It keeps about 2-3 weeks. Can be toasted or rewarmed in a low oven. This recipe rises enough (3/4″ thick) that you can actually slice it laterally and get a sandwich (2 slices) out of each 1/16th slice of this bread! That really helps keep you within your daily carb limits! This bread freezes well but remember to never freeze bread longer than a month, ANY bread, low carb or otherwise, as it dried out beyond edibility.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 16 portions, each contains:

195 calories, 14.77 g fat, 7.27 g carbs, 6.22 g fiber, 1.05 g NET CARBS, 14.6 g protein, 237 mg sodium

Mexican Turkey-Squash Soup

September 14, 2016September 17, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

Sometimes dishes I create evolve from what I have leftover or “open” in the refrigerator, especially soups. I do like to use up leftovers promptly. When I opened the fridge at 11:00, I saw half a can’s worth of Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, and a bag of leftover turkey meat we just thawed last night. So this soup was born from that. Took about 30 minutes to cook. We both loved the taste and it was very light yet satisfying. You can, of course, use chicken meat in this recipe. This recipe is a great way to use up some of your Thanksgiving turkey this year! It is not suitable until you are well into Phase 2 Atkins at the legumes rung of the carb re-introduction ladder, but those on Induction can just leav the refried beans out. It is suitable for other Keto diets, but not Primal-Paleo unless the re-fried beans are omitted.

INGREDIENTS:

3 c. cooked turkey meat, chopped (I used 2c. white & 1c. dark)

4 c. homemade chicken broth

2 c. tap water

1 16-oz. can re-fried beans (omit if still on Induction)

1½ c. yellow summer squash, chopped (1 medium)

3/4-1 c. Ro-Tel tomatoes with chilies (half of a 14-oz can)

4 oz. onion, chopped

½ tsp. each ground cumin and chili powder (or 1 tsp. taco seasoning)

½ dried, mild guajillo (or ancho) chile pepper, seeded & chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt to taste (omit if broth has sodium)

1/4 c. cilantro chopped (omit if you’re not a fan)

DIRECTIONS: Chop turkey into 3/4″ pieces. Add turkey to a large soup pot and add broth, water and Rotel tomatoes. Chop squash, onion and cilantro and also add to the pot. Seed and chop the guajillo (or ancho) pepper and add to the pot, along with the taco seasoning and minced garlic. Spoon the refried beans into the pot in small increments. Turn on heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, stir well to be sure beans have diffused into the broth and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until squash is just tender. Spoon into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 10 cups, each contains:

160 calories, 5.5 g fat, 8.30 g carbs2.53 g fiber, 5.97 g NET CARBS, 16.4 g protein, 329 mg sodium

Bacon-Wrapped Steak Logs

September 11, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

My husband has been in the hospital the last few days for some tests. Running back and forth, I’ve been eating pretty simply most nights. I had thawed half a sirloin the morning he went in, and just HAD to cook it tonight. So this quick, effortless dinner was what sounded good tonight. Not what I had originally planned to do with the sirloin (cube and add to a leftover pot of chili), but this just sounded better for some reason. So I thought I’d share this “recipe”, if you can call it that, with my readers. This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, and Primal-Paleo as well.

Note: I ate 3 of these with the guacamole shown, but I had not eaten all day long and was ravenous when I got away from the hospital today. Probably most would only need two of these to fill up, especially if serving with a more substantial side veggie.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lean raw beef sirloin (or chuck or round steak)

3 oz. onion, sliced and separated into rings

8 slices low-sodium thick-slice bacon (I use Walmart’s ‘Great Value’)

2 T. bacon grease

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375º. After trimming all visible fat from the edges of the piece of meat, cut the lean muscle meat into 8 long strips. Mine ended up being about 1/2″ wide and 4-5″ long, although all were not all perfectly equal in size/weight. Life is not so perfect. 🙂

Melt 1 T. of the bacon grease in a pan over high heat. Sear both sides of the meat quickly until they begin to brown. Remove the pieces to a waiting plate. In the same skillet, melt the remaining tablespoon bacon grease over medium to high heat. Make 1 cut in each of the onion rings so they will be long, snake-like pieces when cooked. Place the onions in the hot skillet of bacon grease and brown them, stirring often, until they begin to caramelize. Turn off heat.

Working on a cutting board or counter, take 1 piece of meat, lay 1-2 long slices of onion on top and angle wrap the piece with bacon. I did this by laying the meat on the board, topped with the onion pieces, and then started the bacon wrap at one end on top and slightly lifting the “log” with onion just enough to bring the bacon underneath the log. Then I pulled the bacon around the top again, then underneath again and so on until the steak log was wrapped. I did not secure the bacon with toothpicks, but you can if you prefer. If you try to just roll the bacon on the outside of the meat, the onion will keep trying to fall off as you roll (which I discovered the hard way). Place the wrapped log so the bacon end(s) are face down if possible, onto a waiting baking pan that is lightly oiled (or use parchment or a silicone sheet). Repeat for the other 7 steak logs, placing them on the baking pan as well. Pop into 370º oven for about 30 minutes, but watch them! Ovens vary. Yours may take 5 minutes less or 5 minutes more cook time. Remove and serve with a nice guacamole salad as shown or your favorite veggie side.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 steak logs, each contains:

145 calories, 8.72 g fat, 0.85 g carbs, 0.11 g fiber, 0.74 g NET CARBS, 15.22 g protein, 124 mg sodium

Chicken Diane

September 8, 2016September 25, 2023Peggy Leave a comment

My mother used to make the best Steak Diane and mashed Potatoes when I was growing up. It was one of her recipes I just had to copy when I left home. This recipe is my creation with chicken and the rest of her recipe is untouched. Man, is this ever good. And it’s so easy to make, you can be eating it in no time! It is suitable for all phases of Atkins (omit the wine if still on Induction), Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well, again, if you omit the wine. It can be made with raw chicken, or with de-boned already cooked chicken. You can even sear whole chicken breasts or other pieces for a fancier presentation for company. Cooked, baked chicken is what I used in the picture above. But I have done it with cut-up raw chicken as well. I do NOT remove the skin from my chicken. Way too much flavor there to do that. This is best served with or atop mashed, well-seasoned cauliflower, but it is also delicious on zucchini noodles. Your non-low-carbing guests will LOVE it over real mashed potatoes. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

1 oz. slivered yellow onion

1 T. olive oil

10 oz. de-boned, chicken breasts, pre-cooked chicken meat or whole chicken pieces

1 clove minced garlic

4 large mushrooms chopped

1/4 c. chopped parsley

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 T. butter

2 T. white wine (omit if still in Induction)

2 T. heavy cream

Dash salt and pepper

Xanthan gum (optional, to thicken if desired)

DIRECTIONS: Cut up chicken meat into 1-2″ pieces. It’s up to you whether you skin it or not but I rarely do so. Most of the flavor is in that skin! I’ve done the dish both ways before. Melt the butter in anon-stick skillet and sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms until done. With slotted spoon, remove onion/mushroom mixture to a plate. Add olive oil to skillet and get hot. Sear chicken pieces until thoroughly done and browned a bit. Add parsley and lemon juice. Sauté 1-2 minutes longer. Lower heat and add wine and cream. If you like a saucier dish, add ½ cup chicken broth, but be sure to add to nutritional info below if you do. Stir scraping the bottom of the pan allowing cream and wine to de-glaze the skillet a few seconds. Return chicken to pan but just set pieces gently atop the sauce, allowing the browned skin (if you leave it on) to remain exposed (makes for nicer presentation).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

421 calories, 30.9 g fat, 4.6 g carbs, 0.9 g fiber, 3.7 g NET CARBS, 28.9 g protein, 75 mg. sodium

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

September 6, 2016June 9, 2023Peggy 4 Comments

I haven’t made this recipe is ages but saw a can of artichoke hearts in my pantry this morning. Pulled some chicken from the freezer and this is on the menu tonight. This simple dish goes together in about 10 minutes, bakes in 1 hour while you are free do to other things. Is this one EVER delicious! Even my husband likes this recipe and he’s not particularly fond of artichokes! He refuses to eat the leaves dipped into butter when I make them. But when he was finished wolfing this down at dinner, he said “Be sure to post this on your blog.” That’s the best compliment I can get. It owes its unique flavor to the Shawarma Spice Blend in the mayo. It brings so much to the final flavor profile. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Keto diets. With all this dairy, this recipe is not suitable for Paleo followers.

NOTE: I discovered that the reheated leftovers are even tastier than on first baking!! So this dish, if serving to company, might be better made a day ahead, only partially cooking/browning the chicken for 35 minutes and removing from oven. Refrigerate overnight and allow it to finish cooking/browning the next day as it is warming up. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

3 large chicken thighs

3 large chicken drumsticks

5 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ c. sour cream

¼ c. + 2 T. my Shawarma Mayonnaise

½ c. parsley, chopped

2 oz. yellow onion, chopped fine

1 can (15 oz) artichoke hearts, drained or 1 c. marinated salad artichokes, cut in halves, rinsed well

Dash sea salt

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

3 T. melted butter for basting

DIRECTIONS: Remove the chicken from the bones, leaving the skin on as it adds so much flavor. You can boil the bones for some great stock for future use. I cut each piece of the meat into two smaller pieces. Set meat aside for now. Preheat oven to 350º and lightly oil a ceramic 9×13 baking dish.

Soften the cream cheese by your preferred method. I nuke mine in a glass mixing bowl on DEFROST for 2-3 seconds. Stir in sour cream and mayo and blend well with a rubber spatula. Add chopped parsley, onion, salt and pepper and stir again. Fold the chopped artichoke hearts gently into the creamy mixture. Spoon the artichoke mixture into the oiled baking dish and spread evenly. Place the pieces of chicken, skin side up, on top of the mixture. Mine were slightly touching in my dish, but they shrink during cooking. Using a brush, baste meat with a bit of the melted butter. Sprinkle with another dash of salt and black pepper. Pop into 350º oven and bake for 1 hour. Baste again with melted butter at the 20 minute mare and again at 40 minutes cook time. Remove from oven at the 1 hour mark when chicken should be golden brown. Serve with your favorite green salad or green veggie side dish.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings, each contains

529 calories, 50 g fat (reduce dairy items a bit to lower fat), 6.68 g carbs, 2.00 g fiber, 4.68 g NET CARBS, 22 g protein, 468 mg sodium

4 responses to “Chicken Artichoke Casserole”

AnnMarie

April 15, 2018

Made this today. I did make the S. mayo, although with store bought mayo. I made your spice blend, wish I had cut it in 1/2 lol, I’ll never use that much spice in my life 🙂 I used boneless, skinless chicken breast (I don’t like dark meat or skin) and spread the mixture on top. I added a package of squeezed dried spinach to the mix. I spread the mixture on top of the chicken and then sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan and baked for about 70 min. It was delicious. It does have a “unique” taste that is due to your spice mix. 🙂

1. Peggy
  
  April 16, 2018
  
  I’m so glad you tried it, AnnMarie. Spinach would be good in this! Delighted it was well-received. 🙂
  
Liza

September 7, 2016

This looks great. I have been making a version of this for potlucks and company for years. My version uses a large jar of the marinated artichokes and not the cream cheese or mayonnaise. I’ll be adding this to my chicken and artichoke files. Thanks.

1. Peggy
  
  September 7, 2016
  
  The Shawarma spice blend in my mayo is what make this a little unique, Liza. Hope you’ll mix up a batch of that and try it. It’s marvelous on roasted chicken, pork chops and roasted vegetables. A very unique and versatile spice blend. Hope you like this version of a popular chicken dish.