Cabbage Pie

April 17, 2016May 7, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

Is there such a think as Persian-Indian fusion cuisine? 🙂 I think this delicious and slightly sweet cabbage recipe would need that descriptor. My inspiration was this recipe over at Lea’s Cooking blog. I found the recipe a couple years ago and saved it to try. Just now got around to taking a closer look at it and decided to make it to go with some leftover grilled Middle Eastern meat in my freezer. But by the time I got through tweaking the recipe, I doubt it tasted anything like the inspirational recipe, but I do like the idea of baking cabbage into a “pie”. 🙂

I have a lot of spices going on in mine, making this taste nothing like cabbage at all! Seriously, because my husband doesn’t like cabbage but LOVED this dish! I gave it a two-thumbs-up, too. This recipe is suitable once you are out of Atkins Induction, and is OK for Keto diets. It would not be suitable for Primal-Paleo folks without changes.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own cookbooks from LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and low-carb friends. 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:

2½ c. cabbage, shredded (or the bagged cabbage is fine)

¼ tsp. sea salt

1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

3 large eggs

1/3 c. sour cream

¼ c. my homemade Shawarma mayonnaise

¼ c. plain whey protein powder

2 T. Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten-Free Bake Mix

1 tsp. baking powder

Dash my Garam Masala Indian Spice Blend

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a pie plate or line a round cake pan or springform pan with parchment and grease the sides. Set aside.

Shred the cabbage and place in a medium mixing bowl. Finer is better than coarser I think. Mine was a little too coarse for easy slicing. Sprinkle with the salt and work it around to get any moisture to bleed out you can. Dry with paper towels on your counter. Place cabbage back in the bowl. Add the chopped jalapeno and green onion and stir. Next add the eggs, sour cream and mayo. Beat this mixture into the cabbage until it is well-blended. Add the bake mix, protein powder and baking powder last and blend into a smooth batter-like mixture.

Pour mixture into greased pie plate and bake at 350º for about 30 minutes. It will be dry to the touch in the center when done. Remove from oven and loosen the edges with a knife or spatula like you would a cake. Cut into 6 slices and serve. This incredibly complements Middle Eastern or Indian meat entrees.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

182 calories

18 g fat

4.21 g carbs, 1.28 g fiber, 2.93 g NET CARBS

8.8 g protein

215 mg sodium

Pimiento Cheese Cauliflower

April 17, 2016April 17, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

I was thinking about pimiento cheese today but didn’t have any low-carb bread made up. So I grabbed the half cauliflower head in my refrigerator and turned it into a pimiento cheese delight. Looking for a different taste for your baked cauliflower next time? TRY THIS! Only change I might make next time is I used only 1 oz. pimiento (half the 2-0z jar I had on hand). Next time I think I’ll use the entire jar and have entered 2 oz. in the ingredients and calculated the numbers below for that recommendation. I would have like a wee bit more pimiento taste, personally.

This is a small recipe, so double it for a big family. 🙂 This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, and Primal. Not suited for Paleo.

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:

11 oz. cauliflower, cut into flowerettes

2 slices American deluxe cheese, broken into small pieces (or Cheddar)

1 oz. cream cheese

1 2-oz. jar of pimiento, drained

DIRECTIONS: Cook the cauliflower in boiling water until just tender. Preheat oven to 350º. Drain cauliflower well in a colander. Slightly press on it to squeeze all the moisture out. Pour it into a medium bowl and add the two cheeses and drained pimiento and stir gently until they are pretty much melted evenly (but it doesn’t have to be totally creamy). Try not to rough up the cauliflower too much as you stir, but partially mashed will be OK. Pour into a square 5″-6″ greased baking dish. Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes or until top is lightly browned and edges are bubbling. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

116 calories

8 g fat

7.76 g carbs, 3.03 g fiber, 4.73 g NET CARBS

6.1 g protein

230 mg sodium

Chicken in Sofrito Cream

April 16, 2016August 29, 2022Peggy 20 Comments

This quick dish is absolutely delicious and so incredibly easy to make! I keep the Sofrito Sauce made up in my freezer in a plastic zip bag and just break off what I need for a recipe. Once the chicken is seared, this takes only 8-10 minutes to simmer down to delectable deliciousness. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets. Primal followers can enjoy if you do dairy but Paleo folks will want to use coconut milk instead of cream.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large chicken breast, skin on (1o oz. of deboned meat)

1½ T. butter

1 c. homemade chicken stock

½ c. heavy cream (use 2 T. less if still on Induction)

Sprinkle xanthan gum

2 T. Sofrito sauce

DIRECTIONS: Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Slice meat at an angle laterally into 4 smaller filets. I pounded mine, but that isn’t necessary. Just a habit with me and chicken. 🙂 Sear the chicken in the hot butter, both sides, until golden. Lower to medium when both sides are golden and the meat is fully done. Add chicken stock around the meat. Add cream and Sofrito sauce and simmer a couple minutes. Lightly dust with xanthan (less than 1/8 tsp.). Simmer until it slightly thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve at once with you favorite sides or a nice salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes two adult servings, each contains:

590 cals, 46.3 g fat, 2.6 g carbs, 0.3 g fiber, 2.3 g NET CARBS, 37.4 g protein, 470 mg sodium

Grass-Fed Roast Beef Pumpkin-Seed Salad

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

A delicious, light lunch or dinner, complete with healthy nutrients found in pumpkin seeds and grass-fed roast beef (although you can use regular beef if you prefer). Grass-fed beef has a richer, stronger flavor than grocery store beef and I found served this way, it tasted milder to me. I think because of the vinaigrette. You need to leave off the pumpkin seeds if you are still in Atkins Induction. Keto diets, Primal and Paleo can enjoy this delicious salad as well.

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:

3½ oz. leftover roast beef, sliced thin (I used grass-fed beef)

1 T. butter

1 c. shredded lettuce of your choice (I used curly leaf)

4 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 small green onion, cut to your preference

1 T. raw or roasted pumpkin seeds (I used raw)

1½ T. my Balsamic Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS: Tear lettuce onto a serving plate. Add green onion and tomatoes. Set aside. In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter and saute the beef for a couple minutes until it just begins to brown. Remove from heat. Drizzle dressing over salad and sprinkle on your pumpkin seeds. Dip the meat and butter over the salad and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 serving which contains:

521 calories

38.1 g fat

6.9 g carbs, 2.1 g. fiber, 4.8 g NET CARBS

38.2 g. protein (use less meat if you are restricting your protein)

85 mg sodium (I added a sprinkle at the table, too, which is not included)

Cheesy Crawfish-Yellow Squash Casserole

April 15, 2016April 15, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

This casserole came out delicious. The blanched kale “platters” were an afterthought, but I figured at the very least, it would make a lovely photo. Maybe they would even be good together. Good decision! Even my husband thought they complimented each other and what a lovely color contrast as well!

This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto, Primal and Paleo as well, provided you use a phase or plan suitable bread. You can use other spice blends, but the one called for is particularly crucial to the final Cajun flavor on this dish. It helps to mellow any fishiness the crawfish might have. Sometimes they can be strong.

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:

3 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1 c. celery, chopped

¼ c. each red and green bell pepper, chopped

2 oz. onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 small yellow squash (about 6″ long)

¼ tsp. salt

12 oz. crawfish tail meat (I buy Boudain’s frozen at Walmart)

2 slices my gluten-free focaccia bread (or plan/phase suitable bread)

4 slices American Deluxe cheese

2 slices Cheddar cheese, diced or shredded

1½ tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend (or Emeril’s seafood blend)

DIRECTIONS: Cut squash lengthwise into 4 quarters. Then slice the wedges into ½” slices. Chop the celery, onion, red and green pepper coarsely. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the vegetables altogether just until about half tender (they’ll finish cooking in the oven. Add garlic, Seafood Spice Blend and salt. Stir and saute a couple minutes longer. Add crawfish tails, stir & turn off heat. Crumble one of the slices of focaccia into the mixture. Stir to mix. Place 4 slices of American cheese on the top of the mixture. Crumble the second slice of bread over the top and finally top with the diced/shredded Cheddar. Place lid or foil on top and pop into 350º oven for about 30 minutes or until top bread crumbs and cheese just begin to brown. Serve directly from the skillet the casserole baked in or as I did, atop blanched leaves of kale (submerged 2 min. in boiling water, removed gently and drained on paper towels).

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains: (not including kale option)

237.5 calories

20.71 g fat

7.15 g carbs, 1.60 g fat, 5.55 g NET CARBS

19.7 g protein

724 mg sodium

Salmon Galette

April 13, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

This was how I put two items in my freezer together for lunch: leftover salmon patties and a frozen ball of pie dough. Mmmm, did it ever taste good, too! This recipe is a great way to use up a few leftover salmon OR tuna cakes. This is not suitable until you are out of the Induction phase of Atkins. If you don’t have any leftover cooked cakes, just mix up the salmon or tuna mixture and spread it evenly on your galette crust, add the cheese and bake it. All will cook properly.

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:

4 leftover salmon (or tuna) cakes

1 recipe my “Flour” Pie Crust

5 oz. mozzarella cheese shreds (5 slices)

DIRECTIONS: Make the pie crust by that recipe’s instructions, but roll it into a 8″x12″ rectangle instead of a circle. Preheat oven to 350º. Remove top piece of plastic wrap from the crust. Crumble (or spread, if yet uncooked) the fish cake mixture onto the dough, leaving 1″ dough uncovered on all 4 sides. Sprinkle 4 oz. of the cheese on next. Using the plastic wrap to assist, lift the 1″ edge and fold it over onto the filling forming a sort of rolled edge. Press the edge slightly and seal the corners by pressing them a bit more. Pop pan into 350º oven and bake until crust is nearly browned on the edges and center is dry to touch. Remove pan and sprinkle on the last ounce of cheese and pop back into oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains: (lower carbs by cutting into 5 servings)

461 calories

38.45 g fat

21.15 g carbs, 16.45 g fiber, 4.7 g NET CARBS

28.7 g protein

476 mg sodium

Spinach Cheese Bread

April 8, 2016January 27, 2023Peggy 20 Comments

Not quite wanting pizza for lunch, I turned to an old, simpler approach yesterday. This was created with my best pizza crust recipe, modified it a wee bit, added more cheese and some spinach and MAN! Was this ever good! And look how low-carb it is!!!!! Even my husband said “This is really, really good, Peggy! Be sure to upload this onto the blog!” And it is so easy to put together. You can enjoy this delicious treat once you are at Atkins Phase 2 and beyond.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. almond flour

¼ c. whey protein powder, unflavored

¼ c. golden flax meal (or more whey protein powder)

1 tsp. baking powder

2 T. oat fiber (not the same thing as oat bran!)

4 T. (2 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 T. heavy cream

1 tsp. dry yeast, well-dissolved in 2 T. warm water

2 c. shredded Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese

1 c. frozen chopped spinach (I did not thaw)

VARIATION: Remove from oven before fully done, spread a few tablespoons Alfredo sauce and some more sprinkles of spinach on top. Dust with Parmesan and pop back into oven for more of a true spinach pizza result. (variation not figured in the nutritional numbers below)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. In a medium mixing bowl, measure out all dry ingredients but the yeast. Stir well. Dissolve the yeast in the 2 T. water. Add to bowl with dry ingredients. Add in the beaten eggs, cream, vinegar and softened cream cheese. Beat the wet ingredients into the dry a few strokes. Add the Jack or mozzy cheese shreds and un-defrosted spinach (break up clumps as you go) and stir to form a thick batter. Line a 9″ x 12″ sheet pan with silicone or parchment. Spread batter evenly to fill the pan. Pop into 350º oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and dry to the touch in the center. Remove and cool a few minutes. Cut into 12 pieces and serve. If you eat it while still real hot, you will need a fork. It gets easier to handle in your hand (and tastier) as it begins to cool a bit. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 12 servings, each contains:

154 cals, 12.3 g fat, 3.75 g carbs, 2.49 g fiber, 1.26 g NET CARBS, 9.5 g protein, 232 mg sodium

Shallot-Herb Baked Chicken

April 7, 2016May 16, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

This easy dish takes very little effort to put together. Just make the marinade and it takes care of itself from there! It is, of course, Induction acceptable. This is nice served with a nice green vegetable and my Jicama Eggplant Stuffing. Suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo.

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. Even a few of my recipes are in the cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (also 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 tsp. my Herb Spice Blend (or your favorite herb blend)

3 T. olive oil

1 T. balsamic or red wine vinegar

2 T. shallots, finely chopped

16 oz. boneless chicken breast

DIRECTIONS: Place first four ingredients in plastic quart zip bag or dish large enough to hold the chicken. Add chicken, zip bag closed and manipulate marinade around the chicken well with your fingers. Place in refrigerator for a couple hours. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 475º. Place chicken breasts onto baking pan. Using a fork, dip the solids out of the marinade and spread evenly over the meat. Pop into preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Should brown very nicely in that amount of time. Ovens will vary, so check meat at 20 minutes. If using other cuts of chicken, you will need to allow more cooking time and will probably want to turn oven down to 350º after the first 30 minutes to avoid over browning.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each containing:

319 calories

18.9 g fat

1.68 g carbs, .03 g fiber, 1.65 g NET CARBS

33.7 g protein

500 mg sodium

Indian Cashew Chicken Curry

April 6, 2016January 11, 2023Peggy 4 Comments

Cachew Chicken Curry

This curry recipe is quite unique in flavor from any others I’ve tested. The fenugreek is what makes the difference. If you’re a curry fan, you will want to give this delicious recipe a try. I have had my jar of fenugreek for some time, but I bought it for Iranian cuisine, which uses fenugreek often. I had this thought of using it in an Indian dish and WOW! A great decision! An added note: despite the pepper(s) in this, the final dish is NOT too spicy. As always, I don’t like food too spicy and you won’t find such on my blog. Something about cooking Indian recipes seems to tone down jalapeno and cayenne in the final dish. Not sure why, it just does. This recipe is suitable for Phase 2 of Atkins and beyond, and Keto diets as well. Omit cashews or use almonds for Atkins Induction folks.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. coconut oil (or butter)

16 oz. chicken breast, boned, skin removed, cut into big chunks

4 oz. onion, sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and slivered (will not be hot in the final dish)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. black pepper (a key flavor in this recipe yet too too hot)

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (final dish was NOT hot)

1 tsp. fenugreek seed, ground

Dash salt

¼ tsp. my Garam Masala

Dash turmeric (1-2 shakes from a shaker)

3/4 c. heavy cream

½ c. chicken broth

2 oz. cashew nuts (raw or roasted is OK)

3 Roma tomatoes, cut in chunks

1/8 tsp. xanthan gum (optional, if you want it thicker)

Garnish with a sprig of cilantro if you like

DIRECTIONS: Melt coconut oil over high heat in a non-stick wok or skillet. Add chicken and saute to brown on all sides. Add onion and saute until it, too, begins to brown. Add slivered jalapeno and garlic. Add all spices, cream and chicken broth, nuts and tomatoes. Lower heat to LOW and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until flavors have had a chance to meld. Serve alone or over steamed cauliflower rice. For those not low-carbing at your table, I would offer a bowl of steamed basmati rice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings, each contains: (does not include cauli-rice or basmati rice)

353 cals, 19 g fat, 9.4 g carbs, 1.48 g fiber, 8.92 g NET CARBS, 34.4 g protein, 457 mg sodium

Cranberry Scones

April 5, 2016April 12, 2016Peggy 4 Comments

I haven’t baked anything for my husband in awhile. Decided on scones for breakfast. I think I’ve finally developed a scone we BOTH liked. My prior attempts were a little too dry, or a little too damp for us. These were just right and yummy indeed! The frosting was already in my freezer and quite honestly, an afterthought. I just wanted to see how they would be with frosting. The verdict, good with or without frosting. Scones aren’t usually very sweet, so I probably won’t ice them in future. By the way, these just get better with aging, both in texture and flavor! These are not suitable for Atkins Induction.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote them because these are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

2½ c. almond flour

½ c. plain whey protein isolate powder

¼ c. Splenda

2 T. erythritol

1 T. coconut flour

¼ tsp. salt

1¼ tsp. baking powder

2 eggs, beaten

¼ tsp. lemon, orange or vanilla extract

½ c. sugar-free dried cranberries (I dehydrate mine now & keep some in my freezer all the time)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheet with silicone or parchment. Measure all the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Stir well. Add in the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, stir and blend the wet and dry ingredients into a uniform, very thick batter. Divide mixture into 7 equal parts and roll into roughly 2″ balls. Place on the baking sheet, pressing them slightly flat so they are about 3/4″ thick. OR you can form into a large round disk of dough about 3/4″ thick and cut into 7 wedges, which is the more typical shape for scones. Bake for around 15 minutes at 350º or until firm in the center. Remove and cool. Ice if you wish, but that is NOT included in the numbers below.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 7 scones, each contains (not including frosting)

267 calories

20.7 g fat

10.34 g carbs, 4.35 g fiber, 5.99 g NET CARBS

15.5 g protein

229 mg sodium

Ham-Spinach Alfredo Pizza

March 28, 2016March 28, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

I’m taking a lot of shortcuts in the kitchen these days dealing with back issues that make it difficult to stand for long periods of time. So today’s lunch, a quick and simple pizza, was made with a Joseph’s Flax-Oat Bran Pita bread, at 4 net carbs per piece. They make pretty good pizza crusts but I’d not used one for a crust in a pretty long time. I forget how good they are. Of course, making one of my own pizza crusts would be a few less carbs, but like I said, I’m taking short cuts these days. This pizza was quite tasty, with just a hint of basil. Fresh basil doesn’t agree with my stomach, so I can’t use more than 1 leaf in anything, but it was quite good here. This pizza isn’t suitable until you get to the grains level of the Atkins carb reintroduction ladder.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote them because these are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Joseph’s Flax Meal and Oat Bran Pita bread round

1 T. cream cheese, melted

1 oz. mozzarella cheese shreds

1 T. grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c. chopped spinach leaves

1 basil leaf, chopped

½ oz. red onion, sliced as thin as possible

1 oz. cured ham (I used ½ slice of Cure 81 ham)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Place pita on a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment. With the back of a spoon, smear the melted cream cheese onto the crust. Sprinkle with Parmesan and most of the mozzarella shreds. Evenly spread the spinach on top. Then add the red onion and finally, the ham. Sprinkle basil on top. Finally sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top. Pop into 350º oven for about 15 minutes to allow all the cheeses to melt and flavors to blend. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 pizza which contains:

277 calories

16.6 g fat

11.1 g carbs, 4.9 g fiber, 6.8 g NET CARBS

23 g protein

985 mg sodium

Eggplant Parmigiana “Pizza”

March 27, 2016March 11, 2023Peggy 2 Comments

And here’s a ‘pizza’ that doesn’t even have a crust at all! This tastes more like Eggplant Parmigiana than a pizza to me, but one never knows when one starts out creating. I LOVE how the eggplant crust came together. Just as crunchy as classically prepared Parmigiana. Couldn’t even taste the pepperoni though. Will put more next time. What I do know is this was extremely filling and truly DELICIOUS! 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 in the microwave for such recipes. Makes prep time a snap! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint.

VARIATION: Double the recipe, omit the pepperoni and make a full casserole pan 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 (eat with a fork) and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 slices, each contains:

310 cals, 23.1 g fat, 7 g carbs, 3.1 g fiber, 3.9 g NET CARBS, 18.9 g protein, 700 mg sodium

Avocado Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

March 25, 2016March 25, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

I keep Spring Mix salad greens in my refrigerator fairly regularly. Had a fresh carton I bought at the store yesterday and made myself one delicious salad for lunch today. Avocados, although a little carb-y, add so much flavor and nutrients, I decided to splurge. Since my husband cut an orange last night to make Pimm’s Cup cocktails for us, I decided to make an orange vinaigrette for my dressing. It was very GOOD with avocado! This salad is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote them because these are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. Spring Mix or salad greens (mine had some spinach in it)

2-3 cherry (or 1 slice) tomatoes

1 raw mushroom, sliced

½ avocado, sliced

1/3 recipe my Orange Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS: Place 2 c. salad greens on a large plate. Slice and arrange the tomato, mushroom and avocado on top. Spoon about 2 T. orange vinaigrette dressing on top and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 salad which contains: (includes dressing)

298 calories

26.4 g fat

15.6 g carbs, 9.0 g fiber, 6.6 g NET CARBS

2.1 g protein

111 mg sodium

Pork Chops with Roasted Poblano Gravy

March 24, 2016March 24, 2016Peggy 4 Comments

I picked up a couple of medium-size poblano peppers at the store yesterday as I wanted to make a creamy sauce for some pretty pork chops. I added a mashed avocado to my sauce, which added nutrients, but absolutely no flavor whatsoever and I will not add it in future. Waste of a good avocado in my opinion. 😉

This recipe was quite tasty if you like the taste of poblanos. As a rule, these peppers are not spicy hot, especially when you roast them as I did for this recipe. Although there are the occasional hot ones out there. However, that has only happened to me one time in 45+ years of cooking with them.

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal followers. Use coconut milk instead of the cream for Paleo dining.

Variation: Substitute 2 portions of seared boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs for the pork.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for book promotions. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium poblano peppers, stemmed and seeded, cut into halves

2 pork chops (mine were 7-oz bone-in)

1-2 tsp. bacon grease

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ c. chopped cilantro

½ c. heavy cream

½ c. chicken broth (I use homemade)

Dash each salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS: In a skillet, melt the bacon grease and cook the pork chops until brown on both sides and thoroughly done. Remove to a platter for now.

Preheat oven to 375º. Stem, seed and cut pepper into halves lengthwise. Place cut side down on a baking pan and roast for about 20 minutes. Peel as much of the papery skin off as you can get off. Cut into ¼” strips and set aside.

In the skillet you seared the meat in, add the garlic, pepper, cilantro, salt, pepper and saute over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Replace chops on top and allow them to reheat on low fire. Serve with half the gravy dipped over each chop. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 adult servings, each contains:

552 calories

39.3 g fat

5.40 g carbs, 1.30 g fiber, 4.10 g NET CARBS

41.7 g protein

239 mg sodium

Turkey & Sausage Dressing Casserole

March 23, 2016March 24, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

I went rummaging in my freezer for an easy dinner last night and found a turkey thigh and drumstick, some leftover Christmas stuffing. I had forgotten the turkey was even in there. Decided to turn it into a casserole of some sort. I grabbed a small bag of frozen green beans and this is what I came up with. It reminds me of green bean casserole, so I decided to bake off a pan full of onion rings, knowing the rest wouldn’t go to waste as the hubs loves them for a snack. The final dish came out really tasty! I’ll have to remember this recipe next Christmas for my leftovers. This recipe is not suitable for Atkins Induction.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for book promotions. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz. bulk pork breakfast sausage

3 c. turkey meat, diced large

2½ c. leftover Cornbread Stuffing

6 oz. thawed frozen green beans (or pre-cooked fresh, cut)

½ recipe Jennifer Eloff’s blender Cream of Mushroom Soup (scroll down page)

1 serving (2 oz) my Spicy Oven-Fried Onion Rings

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450º. Slice the onion for the onion rings REAL thin. Separate the rings in a bowl and add the homemade mayo. Stir to coat well. Crush the pork rinds in your food processor or a plastic bag, season and add the onion rings, a few at a time, to coat. Place on a parchment-lined metal baking sheet and bake until they are browned, or about 15 minutes. Remove and cool. Set aside while you cook the casserole mixture. Lower oven to 350º.

Brown the sausage over medium-high heat just until pink is gone. Add turkey and saute a few minutes. Add the green beans and crumbled up stuffing. Turn off fire.

Make the soup in your blender as instructed in the linked recipe. Save half for some other use, as you only need half the recipe for this casserole. Stir half the soup mixture into the skillet until it has moistened all ingredients. You can transfer to a baking casserole if you prefer, or bake it right in the skillet you sauteed the mixture in. Top with ¼ of the onion rings (more if you like). Pop casserole into 350º oven for about 20 minutes or until golden on top and the flavors have co-mingled.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

396 calories

28.6 g fat

7.16 g carbs, 2.43 g fiber, 4.73 g NET CARBS

28.2 mg protein

569 mg sodium

Red Radish Cottage Fries

March 21, 2016April 12, 2023Peggy 4 Comments

I’ve been making hash browns with onion and bacon grease pretty much all my life. My Southern roots grow deep. When I learned (making Chinese stir-fries) that radishes taste totally different when cooked (not bitter as they often are when eaten raw), a light bulb went off. Daddy’s hash browns!! They’re GREAT for breakfast with eggs and bacon; GREAT as a ‘potato’ side at dinner!

You will just be amazed how close to red potatoes red radishes taste when fried this way. For me, the key here is the onion and bacon grease. Just not as good done in olive oil. 🙂 Do try this some time if you haven’t yet. The carb count is astounding compared to real potatoes! This recipe is suitable for All phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo as well.

INGREDIENTS:

15 medium radishes, cut in large pieces

2 oz. yellow onion, sliced

2 T. bacon grease

Dash each salt and coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon grease. Toss in the onion and saute until it begins to get soft and brown/caramelize on the edges. Add radishes, salt and pepper and continue stir-frying until radishes are no longer opaque. You want them to just begin browning so the skins will stay a pretty reddish color. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

87 cals, 8.9g fat, 2.26g carbs, 0.56g fiber, 1.7g NET CARBS, 0.3 g protein, 75 mg sodium

Meatballs & Smoked Gouda on Zucchini Noodles

March 20, 2016March 25, 2016Peggy 3 Comments

More sauce added AFTER photo was taken

Not your usual meatball dish, but man, was this ever good! I used just enough Smoked Gouda to be a subtle background taste, but you can add more if you prefer. This recipe makes 24 meatballs and I found 4 per serving filled us right up, in fact 3 filled me up and I put one back into the pot. I have another meal or two leftover for my freezer! 🙂 This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins (but omit wine if still in Induction) and Keto diets if the carbs will fit into your day.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for book promotions. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 links Italian sausage, casings removed

2 eggs, beaten

1 slice my Flax-Whey Protein Bread (or low-carb bread equivalent)

¼ tsp. garlic powder or granulated garlic

1/8 tsp. onion powder

¼ chopped parsley

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. chicken broth

3/4 c. dry white wine (omit if still in Induction)

8 mushrooms, sliced

1 oz. red bell pepper, diced

Dash black pepper

1/8 tsp. xanthan gum or favorite thickener

3 oz. Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

5 4″-5″ zucchini (makes about 6 cups “noodles”)

DIRECTIONS: Mix all meat ingredients in a bowl using a fork or your hands. Form twenty-four 1-1½” meatballs. Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat (high will cause them to stick badly, but adjust heat as your stove requires). If your beef is very lean, oil the skillet a bit. Not necessary if meat is 20%-30% fat. Brown meatballs on all sides, handling them very gently with tongs as you turn and brown them. Remove balls to a paper plate or platter. Add mushrooms and brown just a bit over medium heat until no longer opaque. Add red bell pepper and wine to skillet and scrape free the brown bits stuck to the pan. This is what makes your gravy taste so good. Add chicken broth, dash pepper. Dust the xanthan gum over the sauce and stir to blend. Lower heat to lowest setting.

Heat a second skillet over medium heat for cooking your zucchini noodles (yes, you’ll have to juggle both skillets here. Keep an eye on the sauce, stirring a time or two as it thickens). Add just a splash of oil to coat the noodle pan. Add zoodles and stir gently to begin cooking and stir-saute just until they lose their opaqueness and begin to soften. Remove from fire for plating.

Dip up about 3/4-1 cup zoodles onto each plate. Top with a light sprinkle of Smoked Gouda shreds so it will begin melting. Place 4 meatballs on top. Spoon on about 1/6 of the sauce (1 nice cooking spoon worth) over each serving. Sprinkle with a bit more of the Gouda to garnish. Serve at once & ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains: (I only cooked 2 servings of noodles for us and we ate 2 servings. Froze the remainder of the meatballs and sauce for two future easy meals.)

451 calories

29 g fat

11.13 g carbs, 3.76 g fiber, 8.37 g NET CARBS

34.3 g protein

863 mg sodium

Sour Cream & Chive Chicken

March 7, 2016March 24, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

Tonight I was craving something creamy for the leftover grilled chicken breast I found in the freezer. My first thought was sour cream enchiladas, but woe is me, no green chilis in the house. Then my thoughts turned to sour cream and chives and BINGO! This came out quite delicious!! Since I’m still having back issues, I didn’t use the homemade Corn Tortillas I would have preferred to use. Taking alll kinds of short cuts in the kitchen these days. I feel certain the corn tortillas would have been better. But I did have some Mission low-carb flour tortillas in the fridge and took the easy way out tonight.

Only change I will make next time, I drained my mushrooms off this time. This dish is real rich and creamy with dairy, but I will not drain them next time, as I would like it a little more moisture. I am writing the recipe accordingly so yours will come out just perfect! My husband said this is definitely a keeper! I think so, too! It was so yummy!

NOTE: I used real onion chives from the garden in this recipe. Green onion, if subbed in, will have quite a different flavor…..more intense. Your call. This recipe is not suitable for Induction. I would recommend waiting until you are close to goal weight if using the higher carb flour tortillas as the carbs nearly DOUBLE with the flour tortillas (probably around 7-8 carbs per serving). If using my homemade corn tortillas, you can enjoy this tasty recipe in Phase 2 Atkins as soon as you reach the grains level of the carb re-introduction ladder. 🙂

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 other wonderful cooks to bring you a wealth of recipes you will love! Some of my low-carb creations appear in each of the 5 volumes! 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 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:

1 large grilled chicken breast (11 oz. deboned meat), skin on, cut into small pieces

5 my homemade Corn Tortillas , cut to 1″x¼” strips

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. sour cream

Dash salt and black pepper

1 4-oz can sliced mushrooms, with juice (if using fresh mushrooms, add 1/4 c. cream to recipe)

1/3 c. fresh chives, chopped (or green onion)

1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (or mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS: Cut up chicken meat (leave skin on) and lay evenly in the bottom of a lightly oiled medium casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350º. In a medium bowl, soften cream cheese and stir until creamy smooth. Stir in the sour cream, chives and mushroom juice. Add salt and pepper and stir again. Spread the sour cream mixture over the chicken evenly. Sprinkle the cut up tortillas on top next. Layer the mushroom slices evenly next. Top with shredded cheese.

Lightly cover with foil and bake at 350º for about 30 minutes, removing the foil the last 5-10 minutes so any tortilla pieces peeking out will lightly brown and crisp up. Serve with your favorite green vegetable or salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains: (using my homemade corn tortillas)

383 calories

29.5 g fat

5.83 g carbs, 1.48 g fiber, 4.35 g NET CARBS

24.5 g protein

5.84 g sodium

Einkorn Blueberry Crumble

March 3, 2016March 10, 2016Peggy 6 Comments

I’m having some back issues of late. Can’t stand up for very long, so my time-consuming baking efforts will likely wane for awhile. But I have a kitchen island with comfy bar chairs and I can sure sit and cook, have the hubs put the pan in the oven and pull it out when it’s done! I don’t need any assistance with eating my fair share though. 😉

My husband pointed out today we had a carton of blueberries beginning to dry out a bit at the back of the fridge. So I decided to make some sort of simple crisp or crumble fruit baked dish. My husband set the oven, greased my baking dish and rounded up the ingredients from my pantry (bending and stooping is an issue, too). I was able to do most of the rest, with the added help of regular heavy doses of ibuprofen all week long.

This was my first time using Swerve® sweetener and I was at a loss there. It didn’t have any funny aftertaste sampled on my finger, nor in the final crumble dish that I could detect. It is worthy of further experimenting in my opinion. Just followed the info on the back of the packaging and it came out pretty close to my taste preference. But honestly, it wasn’t quite sweet enough with 2 Tbsp. and I have therefore adjusted the recipe below for what should be better next baking. The crumble topping was successful and the final dessert came out quite tasty.

Blueberries are a little higher in carbs, so if you are still in the Induction phase of the diet, use strawberries instead. To lower carbs further, omit the Einkorn flour totally. I simply adds a nice flour taste and pastry texture that almond flour alone can’t do. 🙂 This recipe is not suitable until you have reached the nuts and berries level of Phase 2 Atkins. It’s a little high carb for Keto diets. This is not suitable for Primal-Paleo plans.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for book promotions. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. fresh blueberries

3/4 c. Jennifer Eloff’s Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix (or other low-carb mix)

2 T. Einkorn flour

3 T. Swerve® sweetener (or equivalent sweetener to equal 3 T. sugar)

2 T. oat fiber

1 large egg

3 T. butter

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Rub butter lightly on a 6″ square baking dish and set dish aside. Put rest of the butter in a medium bowl. Add all the dry ingredients on top of the butter. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg on top, beat it with a fork and slowly work it into a dough with the dry ingredients. Using a fork or your fingers, crumble the dough evenly on top of the fruit. Pop into preheated 350º oven and bake for about 20-23 minutes or until lightly browned on the top. Slightly cool and enjoy warm.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

240 calories

18 g fat

20.25 g carbs, 7.12 g fiber, 13.13 g NET CARBS

13 g protein

46 mg sodium

Greek Souvlaki and Grilled Vegetables

February 27, 2016August 21, 2016Peggy 4 Comments

Greek Souvlaki and Grilled Vegetables

I love Middle Eastern food and so much of it is Atkins friendly! I’ve been making this for years and thought I’d share with my low-carbing friends. This dish is suitable for Induction, too! By the way, this marinade is surprisingly good on chicken and fish, too! This is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Paleo-Primal as well.

You can have many more delicious low-carb dinner recipes like this with your very own copy of the best-selling cookbook series LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS, by Jennifer Eloff and other well-known low-carb kitchen gurus. Click the link to see a sampling of what’s in store in these books. They are available individually or as a set; in regular or coil binding. You can get hours at Amazon or direct here.

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept any compensated for this promotion nor the inclusion of my recipes in these cookbooks. I promote them because I know a good thing when I see it! You’ll definitely want to add these cookbooks to your low-carb menu-planning arsenal!

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. trimmed pork, steak or lamb, cut into 1½” cubes
4 oz. red bell pepper in 1½” pieces
4 oz. green bell pepper in 1½” pieces
2 small onions (1½” diameter or less)
8 oz. yellow squash(1½” thick slices)

MARINADE:

3 T. extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1/2 T.)
1 T. white vinegar
2 small cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 small crushed bay leaves

Marinate meat in fridge in plastic bag/container 4-5 hours in the marinade. Stir occasionally or hand manipulate the bag to coat all pieces well. When ready to cook meal, parboil peppers 1 minute, squash 2-3 minutes, onions 3-4 minutes. Lift each type veggie out of water at appropriate number of minutes. I find veggies won’t get done as fast as the meat does if not parboiled.

For better cooking control, we like to skewer veggies on their own skewers. Baste veggies in 1 T. more EVOO and a pinch of oregano or 1/4 tsp. Cavender’s No-Salt Greek Seasoning.

Now skewer meat on 5 long skewers. Pieces can be pretty close together on the skewers. Grill over hot charcoal fire for approximately 10-12 minutes on a side, positioned VERY close to coals. Voila! Dinner for three. If you have enough skewers (this amount takes 5 long skewers), this is a real easy company dinner served with a Middle Eastern cucumber, sour cream, mint salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

492.7 calories

35.43 g. fat

10.7 g. carbs, 2.93 g. fiber, 7.77 NET CARBS

33.1 g. protein

Einkorn Blueberry Donuts

February 26, 2016March 10, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

Well, I went and modified my Einkorn Cake Donuts by deleting a couple things and adding some fresh blueberries. Have been wanting to try some blueberry donuts. Well, I didn’t have any blueberry sugar-free DaVinci syrup and had to use vanilla syrup, but they still came out pretty darn good. I’ll definitely use the blueberry syrup next time, as they needed more blueberry flavor. Also my berries were very mild in flavor to begin with.

This recipe is not suitable for Atkins Induction. It is OK once you get to the Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance levels. It’s acceptable for Keto diets if you can fit the carbs into your daily numbers, but totally unacceptable for Primal-Paleo. Please see the “Where to Buy Ingredients” tab for sources for my hard-to-find ingredients.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for book promotions. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. oat fiber

½ c. coconut flour

½ c. plain whey protein powder

¼ c. egg white protein powder

¼ c. Einkorn all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1 T. glucomannan powder

¼ tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter)

1 pkt. stevia

½ c. granular Splenda (or equivalent sweetener of choice)

½ c. erythritol (or equivalent sweetener)

3 T. unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs, beaten

3 T. Da Vinci Blueberry sugar-free syrup

½ c. cream

½ c. water

3/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly oil 2 non-stick “standard” donut pans (you need 12 slots). Measure all the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Stir to blend. Spoon out 1-2 T. and toss fresh berries in it to help prevent sinking in the batter. Break the eggs into the center of dry ingredients and beat. Add cream, water, DaVinci syrup and melted butter. Stir well until batter is well mixed. Batter will be fairly thick. Lightly fold berries into batter. Don’t over stir or they will turn your batter blue and break apart. Spoon batter carefully into the slots until level full (that’s right, FULL). These don’t rise much, just forming a nice little dome. Pop into preheated 350º oven for about 17 minutes. Slightly cool and remove using the tip of a knife to loosen. Allow to cool completely for flavors to develop. Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee or tea!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Make 12 standard size donuts, each contains:

125 calories

9.39 g fat

10.76 g carbs, 5.62 g fiber, 5.14 g NET CARBS

7.54 g protein

123 mg sodium

Indian Saag Paneer (Spinach with Pot Cheese)

February 20, 2016February 23, 2023Peggy Leave a comment

We just LOVE creamed spinach! Especially the kind they serve at Indian restaurants. The spices used in Saag are delightful on your palette. I can buy the paneer cheese frozen at nearby small Indian grocery. 🙂 There are recipes on the internet for making it at home, if you’re feeling adventurous. 🙂 This dish is Atkins Induction friendly and suitable for other Keto diets as well.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. butter

2 oz. yellow onion

16 oz. frozen chopped spinach

1 c. water

3 oz. cream cheese

1/3 c. heavy cream

Dash salt and pepper

1 tsp. my Garam Masala spice blend

½ tsp. grated ginger root

½ c. chopped cilantro

½ seeded jalapeno chopped

OPTIONAL: Add paneer cheese cubes (available at Indian groceries). This homemade pot cheese tastes similar to cream cheese. With the paneer cubes added, the dish is called Saag Paneer. Without the cheese, they simply call this side dish Saag the Indian word for spinach. Tofu cubes are a good substitute for paneer cheese.

DIRECTIONS: Sliver up the onion very thin or chop finely. Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion over medium heat in non-stick skillet. Add spinach and water, cover and simmer just until spinach is done (about 5 minutes). Drain off any remaining water. Now dot the surface with cream cheese and stir in to melt. Add all spices, ginger, and jalapeno pepper now. Stir. Lower heat to lowest setting and add cream. Simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add cilantro last and simmer 1-2 minutes longer. Sometimes I pop it into a 350º oven for 15 minutes, but that is not actually necessary. The dish shown in the pic above WAS NOT baked yet. Great with grilled kebab, chicken or fish. Mmm Mmm Mmm. I just love this stuff!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings each contains

193 cals, 16.4 g fat, 7.9 g carbs, 3.9 g fiber, 4.0g NET CARBS, 197 mg sodium

Sausage Breakfast Focaccia

February 12, 2016March 10, 2016Peggy 8 Comments

To quote the bard, “a sausage biscuit by any other name……” would taste as sweet. 🙂 A tasty new way to use my wonderful gluten-free focaccia bread recipe. You’ll be happy to know you CANNOT taste the flax meal in this bread either!

TIP: If you are not gluten-free, I find 1 T. oat fiber improves this bread’s taste and texture greatly. But remember, if you add it, OAT FIBER IS NOT GLUTEN FREE.

This recipe is suitable for Phase 2 Atkins, Keto diets, Primal folks if consumed only occasionally. This bread would not be suitable for Paleo.

DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for book promotions. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

BREAD INGREDIENTS:

½ c. almond flour

¼ c. golden flax meal

¼ c. plain whey protein powder

1 tsp. baking powder

3 T. cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs, beaten

1 c. grated Monterrey Jack cheese

½ c. grated Mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. cider vinegar

1 T. heavy cream

1 T. water

1 tsp. yeast dissolved in 1 T. warm water (optional, for flavor only)

1 T. oat fiber (optional)

TOPPING: 5 oz. browned sausage + 1 c. more shredded cheese of your choice

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Soften cream cheese in medium mixing bowl in microwave. Beat in the eggs, cream, water, vinegar, both cheeses and dissolved yeast (if using). Measure and add in all the dry ingredients and stir well with a rubber spatula. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. You can also use a non-stick pan. I would not recommend silicone, as this won’t brown as nicely on your Silpat. Scrap the batter onto the prepared pan, spreading it as evenly as possible with the spatula into a rectangle that is roughly 10″x13″. Batter will be about ¼” thick. Sprinkle on cooked sausage and then the mozzarella shreds. Lightly press down on the toppings so they embed slightly into the batter. Pop pan into 350º oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until dry to the touch in center and lightly browned on the edges. . Cool a few minutes and cut evenly into 9 slices and enjoy! When totally cool, store in plastic bag in your refrigerator.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Entire sheet contains: 2113 calories, 164 g fat, 30.6 g carbs, 13.8 g fiber, 16.8 g net carbs, 142 g protein, 3334 mg sodium (divide by number of servings you cut)

If cut into 9 portions, each serving would contain:

235 calories

18.2 g fat

3.4 g carbs, 1.53 g fiber, 1.87 g NET CARBS

15.73 g protein

370 mg sodium

Pineapple-Butternut Hand Pies

February 7, 2016April 25, 2023Peggy 2 Comments

Pineapple is way to high in carbs to use much in desserts on a low-carb eating plan. However, if mixed with something a little lower in carbs, like winter squash, you can end up with a dessert a low-carber can enjoy once in awhile. The crust here is Jennifer Eloff’s Miracle Dough, slightly modified with the addition of a bit of sweetener for this dessert application and a little oat fiber as well. I made the dough recipe into 5 7″ empanadas or hand pies, so the carb count, although still lower than a conventionally made hand pie, is still too high unless you are near or at the final Maintenance phase of the program. A possible solution, would be to make smaller pies, 10 little empanadas, to halve the carb count. These came out delicious and are easily held in the hand.

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

1 large egg, beaten

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

2 T. unsalted butter

1 T. Splenda® or equivalent sweetener of choice

1 c. Jennifer Eloff’s Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix (or other low-carb bake mix)

1 T. oat fiber

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

Half a 2# butternut squash, cooked (1 c. mashed squash)

1 c. pineapple chunks (water pack), drained and coarsely chopped

Liquid sweetener to equal 5 T. sugar (no carbs in the liquid variety)

2 T. more butter

Few drops vanilla (optional)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS: Make the filling first. Slice butternut squash in half lengthwise. Microwave on HI for 12 minutes, cut-side down, in a dish of shallow water. Scoop out seeds and mash flesh. Place 1 cup squash pulp in a bowl. Add chopped pineapple, liquid sweetener, cinnamon and vanilla (if using). Taste and adjust for sweetness preference. These are Mexican style empanadas and therefore not be as sweet as you may be used to.

Make dough next. Melt cheese along with butter in a medium glass bowl on medium setting of your microwave. Takes 3-4 minutes, stir and check couple times as it heats. You don’t want to over cook, but merely melt it. Remove bowl carefully as it will be very hot. Sprinkle bake mix over the cheese. Sprinkle Splenda® and oat fiber on top next. Add beaten egg last. Now, using a fork, work dough into a smooth clump of dough until ingredients appear to be uniformly blended. Switching to a rubber spatula as it begins to bind together works nicely. When it forms a contiguous ball of dough, turn out onto plastic wrap on your counter. Top with second sheet of plastic and roll out with rolling pin to about 3/16″ thick or typical piecrust thickness. Preheat your oven to 350º.

Construction: If making 5 larger hand pies, I used a 7″ mini pizza pan to cut out my circles of dough. A small saucer would also work. If making 10 small pies, I would suggest using a 4″ ramekin, large drinking glass or large cookie cutter to form your circles of dough. Lay one circle of dough onto the corner of your baking sheet lined with silicone sheet or parchment paper. Fill circle with 1/5 of the filling (or 1/10 for the littler pies), placing the filling only on half the circle of dough. Don’t get filling too close to the edges or it will ooze out during baking. Dot filling with 1 tsp. butter. Fold other half of dough over filling and crimp edges decoratively with a fork. Repeat for remaining pies. Pop into 350º oven and bake for 20 minutes (smaller ones may take less time). Watch these, as the dough with all that cheese, over browns quickly if you get distracted at the “almost done” designated time. Just saying, as I did that very thing and way over-browned my first trial working with this dough recipe (and it was only over 3 minutes).

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 large hand pies, each contains: (halve numbers for small pies)

389 cals, 27.8g fat, 21.28g carbs, 3.92g fiber, 17.36g NET CARBS (small pies=8.68 net carbs), 24.64 g protein, 288 mg sodium

Strawberry Pie

January 29, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

I like to use xanthan gum to thicken up a fruit filling, but chia seeds or glucomannan will also do that job for you if you prefer. And with the xanthan gum, it doesn’t go watery on you and ruin the crust overnight in the fridge! My hubby’s reaction was “This is like REAL pie!” But it’s low-carb all the way folks! This recipe is not acceptable until you reach Atkins Phase 2. Keto dieters can have this if the carbs will fit into your daily limits. For those that find this crust too high in carbs, I have other pie crust recipes that are quite a bit lower in carbs than this particular Nutty Pie crust. Click the “Pie Crust” category on the right side of the page to check out my lower carb crusts.

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, 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:

1½ pints strawberries, stemmed (reserve 1 large whole berry for center decoration)

1 “Nutty” Pie Crust, baked

1 c. water

Sweetener of your choice to taste

Red food coloring (optional)

liquid Splenda® or stevia to taste for whipped cream topping

Dash vanilla

1½ c. heavy cream

xanthan gum (1/8-¼ tsp.)

DIRECTIONS: Put 5 berries into a food processor or blender. Slice remaining berries into a medium bowl. Add the 1c. water to the berries in the blender/processor and puree until smooth. Pour this mixture into in small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add Splenda® and quite a few drops red food coloring and stir, repeating until you get a nice red glaze color. When it comes to a slow boil, lower heat to a slow simmer and begin dusting with xanthan gum, stirring well between additions, allowing it to thicken. Will take several additions to get glaze thick enough. When satisfactorily thick remove from heat and pour over sliced berries. Stir well to coat all berries and pour into baked, cooled pie shell. In clean bowl, whip the whipping cream. When nice and thick, add a dash of vanilla and your preferred sweetener to taste. Spread topping over berries and decorate center with whole berry, or fan slice it and spread the layers out a bit. A couple of fresh mint leaves (if you grow mint) placed aside the berry looks lovely.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 8, each serving contains:

198.3 calories

16.83 g fat

14.91 g carbs, 8.14 g fiber, 6.77 g NET CARBS

5.24 g protein

80 mg sodium

Mini Meatloaves

January 8, 2016June 22, 2020Peggy 4 Comments

You just can’t go wrong with meatloaf! But some nights you just don’t want to wait until a large meatloaf cooks. That’s when I do what I call mini meatloaves, in the skillet. These are quick to put together and just as good as the slow cooked larger version. These are suitable for all phases of Atkins.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 lb. lean ground beef (or 1 lb. beef+½ lb. ground pork)

2 oz. yellow onion, chopped

2 oz. green pepper, chopped

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 c. parsley

1 egg, beaten (or 2, if you want to omit the flax meal below)

1 T. flax meal soaked in 3 T. water (or a water-moistened crumbled low-carb biscuit/roll, or 1T. ground chia soaked 10 min in 3-4 T. water)

2 T. Parmesan cheese, grated (more if you like)

1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1 T. bacon grease or oil of choice for frying

4 oz. can tomato sauce (no added sugar)

DIRECTIONS: Soak flax meal or chia, if using, in water in a small bowl for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally as it thickens up. While it is soaking, add all other ingredients (but tomato sauce and oil) to a food processor or blender and pulse to mix well, until vegetables are chopped really fine (why I pre-chop them). Add soaked flax meal and pulse la couple more times to incorporate it well. Using water-dampened damp hands, form mixture into 6 thick patties resembling miniature meatloaves, slightly rounded on one side. Heat oil in skillet on high heat and brown the meatloaves on all sides until they are nearly done. Add tomato sauce to skillet, scraping up brown bits from frying as you stir it in. Put lid on skillet and simmer low for about 10 minutes or until meat is thoroughly cooked. Serve with tomato gravy on top of each portion.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each 4 oz. serving has:

349 cals, 22.9g fat, 4.27g carbs, 1.1g fiber, 3.17g NET CARBS, 30.2g protein, 588 mg. sodium

Pork in Leek & Mushroom Wine Sauce

January 7, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

When we grill pork chops or pieces of loin, we always throw 8 or more on the grill and freeze the extras for future use. I made this delicious recipe with smoked pork, but it would be good made with skillet seared pork as well. 🙂 This goes together really fast and is delicious. This recipe can also be made with grilled or skillet seared chicken breasts. Those still in the initial 2-week Atkins Induction Phase should omit the wine. With that caveat, this recipe is suitable for all other phases of Atkins without changes, Keto diets and Primal followers as well. Not suitable for Paleo however.

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz. raw, lean pork loin (or pre-grilled pork chops)

1 T. butter

1 leek, rinsed well and sliced

½ c. white wine (omit if still on Induction)

1 4-oz. can of sliced mushrooms (or fresh), with juice

½ tsp. my Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning

Dash coarse black pepper

¼ tsp. glucomannan powder (or your favorite thickener)

1 c. heavy cream

¼-½ c. water (or chicken broth for richer flavor) if more sauce needed or you get your sauce too thick.

DIRECTIONS: In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. If not using grilled pork, sear the meat on both sides to a nice golden brown and nearly done. Add the leeks to the pan and saute a few minutes to wilt them down a bit. Add the spice blend, pepper and wine (if using). Simmer a few minutes. Lower heat to lowest setting and add mushrooms with sauce and the cream. Place lid on pan and simmer for about 15 minutes for meat to fully cook and flavors to develop. Stir occasionally. Spoon out about 1/2 cup of the liquid into a small bowl. Stir the glucomannan into the bowl of sauce. Slowly add the glucomannon paste back into the skillet gravy, stirring or whisking to prevent lumps. Stop when it is thick to your preference. Serve at once with your favorite sides. I served with steamed cauliflower and green beans.

VARIATION: Make using seared or grilled chicken breasts or fish filets instead of pork. Just sear (or grill) in the butter first.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

430 calories

31.5 g fat

5.35 g carbs, 0.62 g fiber, 4.73 g NET CARBS

25.9 g protein

106 mg sodium

Chicken-Spinach Salad

January 5, 2016April 10, 2023Peggy Leave a comment

I love Sam’s canned chicken meat as it is just pure white meat, water and salt. No junk ingredients added. Today I used some to make a delicious spinach salad with a small head of fresh spinach and some of my delicious sofrito sauce. It was very filling with the chicken and cheese added some protein. The pumpkin seeds are optional and omitting them will drop the carbs by around 2 net carbs.

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal as well. Omit the cheese for Paleo.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. tightly packed fresh spinach leaves

1/3 of 13-oz can (about 3 oz.) chicken meat

3 T. shredded mozzarella

1 T. pumpkin seeds, raw or roasted (optional)

2 T. my Sofrito mayonnaise (more if you like)

2 San Marzano or cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

DIRECTIONS: Wash spinach leaves and pat dry with paper towels. Place on serving plate. In a small bowl, mix the chicken and sofrito mayo. Add chicken meat and stir well. Spoon chicken mixture on top of salad. Top with mozzarella and if using, the pumpkin seeds. Garnish with tomato halves. If you like a really wet salad, add more of the sofrito mayo.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 serving which contains:

512 cals, 41.9g fat, 10.1g carbs, 5 g fiber, 5.1g NET CARBS, 26.5g protein, 1013 mg sodium

Pumpkin Pie (individual or large)

December 13, 2015October 1, 2018Peggy 2 Comments

Individual Pumpkin Pies (baked in 4″ Calphalon pans

This is my favorite traditional pumpkin pie filling recipe. I have been baking this recipe of my mother’s for many years now. It is very light and fluffy as the egg whites are whipped separately. Of course, those still on Induction will need to bake and serve this crustless. Those that are already to the OWL Phase 2 level of Atkins can pour this filling into an uncooked low-carb pie crust of your choice and then bake. Mine are shown on my “Flour” Pie Crust. With that crust recipe, each pie (minus topping) contains 9 net carbs. It looks a little dark because I was out of golden flax meal and had to use my 50:50 mixed flax meal. I usually use canned pumpkin for this but tried it with fresh today and it was delicious, although a tad milder in flavor I think. This recipe is suitable for Induction if made crustless. All other phases of Atkins and Keto diets can enjoy these small pies.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c. granular Splenda (or equivalent sweetener of your choice)

1 T. erythritol (or pinch stevia extract)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger (optional)

1/8 tsp. salt

1 c. canned or fresh baked pumpkin flesh (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)

1/2 c. heavy cream

3 large eggs, separated per directions below

DIRECTIONS: Break and beat one whole egg in a medium mixing bowl. Take out another medium mixing bowl. Separate the two remaining eggs, putting the yolks into your first bowl with the whole beaten egg. Put the whites in a clean, dry, separate bowl.

In the bowl with the 1 whole egg and 2 yolks, add all other pie ingredients. Beat will with a stick blender or hand mixer until smooth, especially if using fresh pumpkin, as it can be lumpy. Slowly stir in the cream and blend until smooth.

Beat the 2 egg whites to “stiff peak” stage using an electric mixer. With a rubber spatula, fold the beaten whites into the pumpkin mixture. When all is incorporated well, pour the mixture into 4 mini pie crusts. For the crustless version, pour into a buttered baking dish. For the large pie version, pour into an uncooked, prepared 9″-10″ low-carb pie crust positioned in your pie plate.

IMPORTANT: For the large pie version, if you use an 8″ pie plate, this amount of filling will likely overflow during baking. If that’s the only size pie plate you have, only fill the prepared crust 3/4 full. Put remaining filling into a buttered small dish to bake separately for the kids, who often don’t like crust anyway.

Bake at 350º for 40-45 minutes. Filling will puff way up during cooking and then fall level when removed from the oven and cooled. When totally cooled, Serve with a dollop of whipped cream sweetened with the sweetener of your choice.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 4 servings, each contains: (Does NOT include topping or crust)

191 calories

15 g. fat

9.52 g. carbs, 2.2 g. fiber, 7.5 g NET CARBS

6.06 g. protein

72 mg. sodium

Broiled Salmon in Spicy Butter

December 12, 2015December 13, 2015Peggy 5 Comments

Broiled Salmon in Spicy Butter

I try to include salmon in our diet regularly. This simple recipe is our favorite way to cook salmon indoors. And of course, I love my delicious Chipotle-Lime “Sweet Potatoes” with seafood. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo diets.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. (two pieces) boneless, skinless salmon

4 T. unsalted butter

½ tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend

DIRECTIONS: Turn on your broiler to about 450º. Place butter in a small baking pan and pop into oven to melt as the broiler heats. Rinse and pat dry the fish filets with paper towels. Remove pan from oven and stir the spice blend into the melted butter. Coat both sides of the filets with the butter mixture by just dipping them (both sides) into the melted butter mixture. Pop pan back into broiler for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned and firm in the center. I like to baste the filets one time with the butter sauce during the cooking process to keep the top surfaces from drying out. Plate each portion and pour any remaining butte sauce over each. Serve with your favorite side dishes and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 adult servings, each contains:

454 calories

33.1 g fat

1.0 g carbs, 0.0 g fiber, 1.0 g NET CARBS

37 g protein

80 mg sodium

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

December 1, 2015December 9, 2015Peggy 4 Comments

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Yet another stuffed pepper recipe, but this one has a Mexican flair to it. If you’re not familiar with them, Guajillo chiles (pronounced gwa-hee-yo) are dried and usually sold in bags or on a string in most grocery stores. They look like this when dried:

Guajillo Chiles

The Guajillo, though not really hot, adds a very nice flavor to Mexican food. Since discovering Guajillos, I put them in most all of my Mexican dishes. Love that taste! Though tough and leathery when you buy them, they will soften as they absorb moisture from a recipe. Some people re-hydrate them in a dish of hot water for 15 minutes before using, but I find that unnecessary. These stuffed peppers are chock full of nutrients! If you use ½ unsweetened Muffin-in-a-minute for the low-carb biscuit, these would be acceptable for Induction even.

INGREDIENTS:

2 large red bell peppers (or green is fine)

12 oz. ground beef

Pinch each onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder

Pinch salt and black pepper

6 oz. zucchini grated

½ c. green onion, chopped

1 leftover low-carb biscuit or slice of bread (I used one of these: http://genaw.com/lowcarb/cq_cheddar_bay_biscuits.html

8 oz. Monterrey Jack Cheese (or mixture of jack and cheddar if you prefer)

1/2-1 whole dried Guajillo Chile, seeded and chopped (These are not hot!)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Cut the stem and seed out of two large peppers. Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Place in pot of boiling water and parboil for a few minutes, until just beginning to slightly soften. Remove and drain on towel. Place cut-side up in a greased glass dish. Set aside while you make the filling.

Brown crumbled ground meat in a non-stick skillet. When done, add green onion and grated zucchini and continue sauteing until zucchini is beginning to get done. Add all spices, salt and pepper, and the chopped Guajillo chile. Crumble up the low-carb biscuit into the meat mixture and stir well. Now add about half of the cheese and stir so it melts and bounds with the meat, somewhat. Spoon 1/4 of the filling into each pepper half. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly on top. I serve these with a nice guacamole salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 serving, each contains:

488 calories

34.9 g fat

11.85 g carbs, 5.18 g fiber, 6.67 g NET CARBS

37.8 g protein

357 mg sodium

Cherry-Strawberry Mini Pies

November 14, 2015November 23, 2015Peggy 3 Comments

Cherry-Strawberry Mini Pies

I like to keep 4-5 pie-crusts made up in my freezer (uncooked) at all times. I just find it makes me more inclined to bake pies than if I have to make both the crust and filling on the same day. I’ve found over the years keeping them frozen in Ziploc® bags is just so convenient. They lose nothing in flavor or results from the freezing. Just thaw a bit, and while still cold, roll out between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and you’re good to go. Today I felt like taking advantage of having crust ready to go.

I took one and made some mini cherry-strawberry pies that were incredibly tasty! I had to abruptly leave the house mid-cooking to go unlock our other house we’re selling. Needed to unlock for a carpet cleaner as the hubs was running late from his doctor’s appointment. The result was these overcooked a tad, despite turning the oven off as I left. I’ll get a better photo next time I make these and post a prettier picture at that time. But I wanted to share this with my readers since the hubs and I just thought they came out sooooo tasty. Who’da thunk cherries mixed with strawberries would be so good? These simple treats are going to be made again and again at our house, but I’m sure I’ll try with different berries as well! They are a little carb-y using cherries, but using more strawberries and less cherries (or even all strawberries) will lower carbs for you. You could also try using only 3/4 of the pie crust recipe, pressing it thinner into your pan forms. Or you could make this in muffins cups and make more, reducing the serving size.

These are suitable once you reach the grains carb reintroduction level of Atkins OWL ladder. These are too high in carbs carb for Keto folks I suspect, unless you’re at goal weight. They are not suitable for Primal or Paleo unless modified.

INGREDIENTS:

1 12-oz can red tart cherries with juice

3/4 c. frozen whole strawberries, thawed with juice

1/4 c. Splenda + 2 T. erythritol (or sweetener of choice to = 5 T. sugar)

1/8 tsp. glucomannan powder (or ¼-½ tsp. other thickener of choice)

1 recipe my “Flour” Pie Crust

DIRECTIONS: Make the pie crust by that recipe’s instructions and divide into 4 portions (or 5 if trying to reduce carb count). Press each portion firmly into mini pie pans (I used a 4-slot shortcake pan). Preheat oven to 350º. Place fruit, juices and sweeteners in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Dust the glucomannan or other thickener into mixture and stir, simmering 1-2 minutes to thicken. Remove and dip into filling equally into the 4 (or 5) formed shells. Place on a baking sheet to catch ooze/spillover during cooking and pop into 350º oven for bout 20 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned on the edges. Remove, cool slightly and enjoy with some low-carb ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Entire recipe has 862 calories, 60.7g fat, 134.5g carbs, 69.3g fiber, 65.2g NET CARBS, 29g protein, 669 mg sodium

If making 4 pies, 3″x 1″-deep, each contains: 215 calories, 1 5.2g fat, 33.6g carbs, 17.3g fiber, 16.3 g NET CARBS, 7.2g protein, 167 mg sodium

Recalculate as needed for the number you are making. Also adjust carbs for thickener changes.

Shrimp-Topped Chipotle “Sweet Potatoes”

November 6, 2015November 6, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

Shrimp-Topped Chipotle “Sweet Potato”

This is a very nice way to use my Chipotle-Lime “Sweet Potatoes”. It’s flavorful and very filling. It’s also packed with lots of healthy nutrients! Obviously, only those closer to goal weight or if serving at holidays and very special gatherings, should be adding the 2 real sweet potatoes to the pumpkin mixture in this filling. This recipe is only suitable for Atkins Induction if the sweet potatoes are left out. Frankly, I have made this recipe both with and without the real sweet potatoes and it’s delicious BOTH ways.

INGREDIENTS:

½ recipe my Chipotle-Lime “Sweet Potatoes”

2 5″ sweet potatoes (optional, omit for Atkins Induction)

2 T. unsalted butter, melted (for the shrimp)

¼ tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend

12 medium shrimp, peeled

DIRECTIONS: In a large mixing bowl, make the Chipotle-Lime Sweet Potatoes following that recipe’s instructions linked above. Don’t forget the cinnamon, as I have done so myself more than once! I get so mad when that happens. Set mixture aside after mixing WITHOUT BAKING!

If using the sweet potatoes, bake two 5″ medium sweet potatoes in the oven right along with the pumpkin. When cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and with a spoon, carefully scoop out the flesh into your large bowl of pumpkin mixture. Take care not to tear up the shells if you want to stuff them. Alternately, I have baked this recipe in a buttered ceramic baking dish.

Stir all together well. Don’t forget your cinnamon, as I often do and get so mad at myself when I forget it.

Preheat oven to 350º. Melt the butter in a small baking pan, add the Seafood Spice blend and stir. Add the shrimp to the pan and toss to coat. Preheat broiler and broil for a few minutes to cook/brown them nicely. Remove from broiler and set side. Lower oven to 350º bake setting.

Scoop 1/4 of the pumpkin-potato mixture into each the 4 potato shell halves and place on the same baking pan you broiled the shrimp in. Top each potato half with 3 shrimp (more if you want to splurge). With a brush, baste the shrimp with any remaining melted butter/spice mixture in the pan you broiled them in. Pop into 350º preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with a nice green vegetable or lovely salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings (1 half each). Each potato half contains:

Without 2 potatoes: 185 calories, 13.7g fat, 12.42g carbs, 1.0g fiber, 11.42g NET CARBS, 3.72g protein, 148.5 mg sodium

With 2 potatoes: 240 calories, 13.7g fat, 25.5g carbs, 11.8g fiber (assuming you eat the peeling), 13.7g NET CARBS, 4.72g protein, 184 mg sodium

Spanakopita Pie

November 2, 2015November 24, 2020Peggy 2 Comments

Spanakopita Pie (shown with my Greek Stefado)

I made a delicious low-carb version of Spanakopita Pie tonight. It was delicious with our Beef Stefado! I can’t have the traditional phyllo pastry one typically uses to make spanakopitas, but my low-carb crust with a few pork rinds crushed and added for crunch was quite good! My husband said I could make this again any time! This recipe is not suitable until you are in Atkins Phase 2, and have re-introduced grains, as there is flour product in Carbquik.

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 other wonderful cooks to bring you a wealth of recipes you will love! Some of my low-carb creations appear in each of the 5 volumes! Order yours TODAY! from Amazon or on our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe Peggy’s “flour” Pie Crust

1 cup pork rinds, crushed fine

6 oz. fresh spinach

1 T. cream cheese

1/3 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Dash dill weed

1 tsp. dried mint (or 1 T. fresh, chopped)

¼ c. parsley, chopped

Dash salt and black pepper

1 tsp. dehydrated shallots or minced onion

DIRECTIONS: Make the pie crust by that recipes instructions at the above link. Roll into an oval shape about 10″ x 6″ (between two sheets of plastic wrap). Remove the top piece of plastic a moment and sprinkle the pork rinds on the top. Replace plastic and roll again to press the rind flour into the pastry. Remove plastic again. Flip the oval of dough completely over, as you want the rinds on the OUTSIDE of your pie. Preheat oven to 375º.

Make filling: Place spinach in a non-stick skillet over medium heat that you have glazed with a film of oil. Stir with a fork and stir until it is wilted down. Lower heat to low and stir in the cream cheese so as to melt it. Add the crumbled feta, dill, mint, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the shallots, stir and simmer on low heat a minute or so.

Remove the top sheet of plastic from your pastry and spoon the filling over the right half of your pastry oval. Using the plastic wrap to help you, fold the left half of the dough over the right half. Crimp the edges with a fork. Using the plastic wrap to lift, tip onto a parchment or silicone sheet lined baking pan. Pop into 375º oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cut into 4 portions and serve with your favorite Greek foods.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 wedge-shaped servings, each contains:

266 calories

23 g fat

20.3 g carbs, 17.05 g fiber, 3.25 g NET CARBS

15.2 g protein

543 mg sodium

Greek Stefado

November 2, 2015November 12, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

Greek Stefado (shown with my Spanakopita Pie)

This delicious Greek stewed beef recipe has been a favorite in our house for a long time and I made it again tonight for dinner. The recipe has been on the blog, but I’d not posted a photo for it yet. 🙂 Rather than serving atop traditional rice, this can be served on a bed of steamed cauliflower or by itself if you like. It is suitable for the OWL phase of Atkins and beyond. If you leave out the wine, it just won’t be as good but those on Induction can do so if they really want to have this dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 c. olive oil
2 lb. beef (any lean cut, I used rich-flavored grass-fed beef), cut into 1½” cubes
8 oz. baby whole onions or large wedges of larger onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. dry red wine
1 tsp. ground cinnamon or a 2″ cinnamon stick
pinch allspice
pinch each black pepper and salt
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
1 T. malt vinegar
2 T. tomato paste
2-2½ c. water (to cover meat)

Heat oil in a large stew pot over high heat. Brown onions on the surface to caramelize them. Remove to a plate. Now add meat cubes to the pot and brown WELL on all sides. If you don’t brown the meat pretty dark, the gravy will not be dark brown as shown. Add all remaining ingredients (except the onions) and add water to just cover meat. Bring to boil and immediately reduce to a simmer on low heat. Simmer covered for 1 hour to tenderize meat. Stir occasionally during cooking to prevent pan scorching. Add more water if appropriate.

After 1 hour, lift lid and remove cinnamon stick (if used) and bay leaves. Now add back the browned onions. Simmer another 15 minutes or until onions are nice and tender but not disintegrating into the sauce. Although traditionally served with rice, it goes nicely with salad, broccoli, or atop a bed of steamed cauliflower.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

445 Calories
27.6 g Fat
7.4 g carbs, 0.86 g Fiber, 6.54 g NET CARBS
35.2 g. Protein

Sorry, I don’t have the actual sodium count for this recipe.

Zucchini Egg Muffins

November 2, 2015November 2, 2015Peggy 4 Comments

Zucchini Egg Muffins

I’m not a big egg fan personally, although most low-carbers swear by egg muffins for breakfast. These tasty little muffins with a zucchini “bottom” were delicious! They’re small, and I confess to wantonly eating THREE of them! Even my husband liked them (he ate 4!) and he absolutely hates veggies with eggs. 🙂 These would make a great weekday grab-n-go breakfast. They are not suitable for Paleo followers unless you omit the cheese. They are suitable for all phases of Atkins, all keto diets and Primal programs if they fit your carb and dairy daily limits.

INGREDIENTS:

1 t. olive oil

8 oz. zucchini, sliced into 12 equal slices around 1/4″ thick

6 oz. pork sausage, crumbled and pre-browned

4 oz. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

4 eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS: Heat a non-stick pan to medium-hi, coating it with the 1 T. olive oil. Slice zucchini and lightly brown in the hot pan on both sides. Cool. While it is browning, brown the sausage and drain. Preheat oven to 350º. Place 1 zucchini slice into a silicone muffin pan cup and press down to form a “bottom” for your muffins. Repeat for the other 11 slots. Spoon sausage evenly into the muffin cups (about 1-1½ T. per cup). Top each with about 1T. cheese, using it all up with even distribution. Beat the eggs in a bowl and spoon about 1½ T. into each. I used a 2 T. measuring cup that wasn’t quite full and had JUST enough egg to bind my muffin ingredients. Tap pan on the counter so the egg will settled down through the muffin ingredients to help bind them. Place in 350º oven for about 17-20 minutes or until just beginning to brown on the top. Don’t over brown or they will be dry.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 12 egg muffins, each contains:

112 calories

9 g fat

0.82 g carbs, 0.2 g fiber, 0.62 g NET CARBS

6.78 g protein

194 mg sodium

Cranberry Walnut Sandies

October 29, 2015November 15, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

Cranberry Walnut Sandies

Made my hubby some delicious cookies this evening. They came out pretty much like pecan sandies in texture but if you freeze them, they get firm and slightly chewy. They seem to even get tastier from having been frozen. 🙂 They can be eaten right from the freezer, as they do not get hard. These are delicious and will add variety to your holiday cookie tray. One thing I would change about my recipe is next time I won’t press the dough into my bar silicone pan. The cookie texture in a long stick-like shape are inclined to break in half. Next time I’ll roll into balls and press slightly to form round cookies, like traditional sandies. So I’m writing my instructions to reflect that change in forming the cookies. These are not suitable until you reach the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb reintroduction ladder.

DO NOT substitute other sweeteners for the sugar-free honey or they will be more shortbread-like and not chewy. If, however, that’s what you desire, sub away. 🙂

You can have other tasty low-carb cookie recipes at your fingertips with your own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends latest cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. Click the link to see a preview of what’s in store in this 5-volume set. They can also be ordered individually at Amazon or here.

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes in these books. I do so simply because I think they are GREAT recipes you’re going to want in your collection.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. almond flour

½ c. coconut flour

1 T. oat fiber (substitute gluten-free oat flour for gluten-free version)

1 tsp. glucomannan powder (konjac powder, which is pure fiber)

1/8 tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

½ c. coconut oil or softened butter

2 T. almond butter

1 T. vanilla extract

½ c. granular Splenda (or sweetener of choice to equal ½ c. sugar)

1 T. erythritol (or sweetener of choice to equal 1 T. sugar)

1 egg, beaten

¼ c. sugar-free imitation honey (NO SUBSTITUTIONS. I use Honey Tree from Walmart)

½ c. chopped walnuts

½ c. coarsely chopped fresh cranberries (I used homemade sugar-free dried)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. In a large mixing bowl stir the almond butter and oil together until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla and imitation honey. Measure in all dry ingredients on top and stir well to form a smooth dough. Add chopped nuts and cranberries and stir to blend well. If your dough seems very dry or stiff (coconut flours vary), add in ½ beaten egg. My dough was about like chocolate chip cookie dough, neither stiff nor gooey. With your hands, roll dough into 24 equal balls (around 1¼” balls of around 2 T. dough each) and place them onto a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Leave 1″ space between cookies. Press balls down slightly flat and pop pan into preheated oven. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until firm. Do not over brown these cookies or texture will be drier and less chewy. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan COMPLETELY before removing with a spatula as these are delicate while hot. They firm up when cool. 🙂 Store in an airtight container.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 24 cookies, each contains:

138 calories

12.2 g fat

5.53 g carbs, 2.72 g fiber, 2.81 g NET CARBS

3.36 g protein

56.3 mg sodium

HOMEMADE IMITATION HONEY: If you don’t want to run to the store for sugar-free honey, but also don’t want to use all real honey because of the carbs, I have a homemade recipe for sugar-free honey to allow you to make these cookies right now! 🙂 This was inspired by a recipe of Birgit Kerr on Birgitkerr.blogspot.com. Boil the following for 2-3 minutes: ¼ c. erythritol, 2 T. + 1 tsp. real honey + 1 pkt. stevia (or Splenda). Cool (thickens as it cools) and spoon into an airtight jar. If it crystalizes over time in your pantry, just soften in the microwave on DEFROST for 1 minute or plunge the jar into a pot of slow simmering warm water a minute or so before using.

Crawfish Etouffée

October 22, 2015November 24, 2020Peggy Leave a comment

Crawfish Etouffée

Étoufée means “smothered or stewed” in French. This popular Cajun dish is a classic example of slow cooking seafood to perfection. There are as many étoufée recipes as there are gumbo recipes. What the really good ones have in common is the very first step in the process……making the roux. The roux imparts a nutty, browned flour taste to the broth of this stew and if this step is bypassed, you will merely be making an ordinary fish soup with much less depth of flavor.

There is an art to making roux and knowing when to “kill” the browning action just short of burning it, which gives it an unpleasant, bitter taste. If it burns, you just have to toss it out and start again. I’ve burned it one time in hundreds of batches, so once you get the hang of it, it’s really quite easy to know exactly when to kill the browning action!

This Louisiana favorite has long been in my recipe files. Had to tweak the roux making process to meet Atkins guidelines, but otherwise, my recipe is unchanged. CarbQuik is only acceptable in OWL. If you’re still on Induction, you could omit the roux process entirely (leaving out the CarbQuik) and at the end of cooking, thicken with successive light dustings of xanthan gum. Won’t be as good, but OK if you crave this during Induction. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. CarbQuik bake mix (I have since learned oat fiber works and for much lower carbs)

2 T. oil of your choice

1 c. chopped yellow onion

½ c. chopped green onion

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. chopped green pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

½ c. chopped parsley

4 coarsely chopped, seeded small Roma tomatoes

12 oz. crawfish tails

1½ c. seafood stock or chicken broth

1 tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend

¼ tsp. each salt, black and cayenne pepper

½ stick butter

10 drops Tobasco to start (more to taste)

DIRECTIONS: Chop the yellow onion, celery and bell pepper and have it at the ready by your stove. I use my non-stick wok for this but any large skillet will do. Heat oil and add CarbQuick. Whisk constantly on high heat. You want to brown the roux as dark brown as you can get it without it getting black (burned). This can burn in the blink of an eye once it gets really hot, so absolutely DO NOT get distracted or walk away from the stove while making a roux! The second it gets to a dark brown color, immediately dump the chopped vegetables in the pan to drop the temperature of the mix and halt further cooking. Now you can relax and continue to put the dish together leisurely.

Place the half stick of butter in the pan and saute the veggies until the onion begins to get soft and caramelizes a bit. When this is for company, I have to confess I usually put a WHOLE stick of butter in this dish, but only the 1/2 is calculated in nutritional info below. When onion is caramelized, add all remaining ingredients except the green onion. This should be added just minutes before serving as you want in only partially cooked. Cover and simmer on lowest heat about 1-2 hours. You’ll know when it’s done, because it isn’t until it tastes good! Add green onions, cook 5 minutes longer. I like to dust with xanthan gum several times, stirring between each addition, to slightly thicken if the roux didn’t do the job. Serve in bowls like soup or stew, with a green salad and your favorite low-carb dinner rolls.

Traditionally this seafood stew is served with a big scoop of rice in the center (not allowed until the grain rung of OWL). If you are already near or at goal weight, brown rice would be a healthy choice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each containing:

290 calories

20.18 g fat

13.88 g carbs, 4.38 g fiber, 9.50 NET CARBS (5.50 net carbs using oat fiber for the roux)

17.63 g protein

approx. 700 mg. sodium

Flank Steak in Mushroom Wine Sauce

October 20, 2015October 20, 2015Peggy 1 Comment

Another quick dish that almost cooks itself. My kind of cooking. I used grass-fed flank steak, but any lean cut of steak like round, sirloin, or chuck will do and it need not be grass-fed meat. You need to omit the wine if still on Induction, but this can be enjoyed (with that 1 omission) at all phases of Atkins, Keto programs, Primal and Paleo (if coconut milk is used in lieu of the cream).

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz. lean beef flank, sirloin, chuck or round steak

1/3 c. oat fiber (only a small portion of it is consumed)

2 T. palm, coconut or olive oil

Dash salt and black pepper

½ c. tap water

½ c. heavy cream

¼ c. dry white wine (omit if still on Induction)

1 4-oz. can of mushrooms with juice

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Place the oat fiber in a paper or plastic bag. Add a dash of salt and black pepper and stir or shake to mix. Cut the meat into 4 portions and pound with a cleaver to tenderize. While doing this, heat the oil in a non-stick skillet on high. Dredge the meat by dropping 1 piece at a time into the bag. Close bag and shake to coat well. Place meat into hot oil in pan and brown nicely on both sides. When well-browned, lower heat to medium. Add the water and de-glaze the pan to get all the tasty brown bits off the bottom. Add the wine, black pepper and mushrooms with juice. Slow-simmer for about 30 minutes or until meat appears to be tender. Add the cream and simmer to thicken up. Use a bit of your favorite thickener if it seems too thin to you. Serve at once with your favorite side dishes.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

315 calories

22 g fat

3.97 g carbs, 1.67 g fiber, 2.30 g NET CARBS

25.7 g protein

370 mg sodium

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes on Zoodles

October 20, 2015November 26, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes on Zoodles

This is a quick dinner that really satisfies! It is also a GREAT way to use up a little leftover cooked chicken or turkey meat. It’s rich, creamy and delicious! Suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and even Primal folks can enjoy this occasionally, too. Use coconut milk in lieu of cream for Paleo. You can also leave the chicken breasts in 4 serving size pieces if you prefer. Omit the wine if you are still on Atkins Induction.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. chicken breast (1 large, raw), cut in bite-size pieces or 4 equal “filets” (or cooked diced chicken)

1 oz. onion, raw, chopped (white or green, I used green)

2 T. butter

4 pieces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped

3/4 c. heavy cream

¼ c. water

¼ white wine (omit on Induction)

½ c. parsley, chopped

Dash each salt and black pepper

1 zucchini, cut into noodles (I use a Spiralizer)

1 carrot, peeled and cut into noodles (or 1 more zucchini)

DIRECTIONS: Cut zucchini and carrot into “noodles”, steam a few minutes in a non-stick skillet with a dab of oil. Set in a microwave to keep warm or over a warm, off burner on your stove. On another burner, melt the butter and saute the cut up or filets of chicken until lightly browned on all sides. If using cooked chicken, don’t saute it too much. Add the onion, sun-dried tomatoes and saute with the chicken until soft and tender. Add the parsley, cream, water and wine and simmer until it all begins to thicken. Use a dusting of your favorite thickener if it seems watery to you.

Make sure “noodles” are still hot and plate 1/4 of them on each plate. Top each with 1/4 of the chicken mixture and serve at once. This pairs well with a nice salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

375 calories

28 g fat

6.45 g carbs, 1.45 g fiber, 5.0 g NET CARBS

22 g protein

351 mg sodium

Rutabaga and Onion Hash Browns

October 14, 2015August 16, 2020Peggy 2 Comments

Served with braised beef and fresh green beans.

Rutabagas, shown above with braised beef and green beans, are very close to real potatoes, both in texture and flavor, thus its nutrient profile classes it as a “starchy” vegetable. This tasty hash browns dish made with rutabaga and onion can be ready in about 15 minutes. This recipe is not suitable until the starchy vegetable rung of the Atkins OWL ladder. Yes, there are a number of substitution vegetables (red radish, daikon radish, turnips), but those are completely different recipes in my opinion.

INGREDIENTS:

5 oz. peeled rutabaga, cut ½” dice or smaller

2 oz. chopped onion

1 T. bacon grease

Dash each of salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Heat bacon grease in non-stick skillet and saute chopped onion over high heat until ½ done. Add diced rutabaga to skillet and saute, turning often until rutabaga is fairly tender. This will take about 15 minutes of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste. This goes well with your breakfast eggs, sausage and bacon or makes a lovely side dish for meaty dinners.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

93 cals, 6.6g fat, 7.95g carbs, 2.05g fiber, 5.9g NET CARBS, 1.1g protein

Texican Pork Stew

October 14, 2015October 14, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

Texican Pork Stew

It was 53º here at 6 am when I walked my dog today. It was invigorating (after a 98º high yesterday) and put me in the mood for chili. But the hubs said “You can’t call what you’re making for lunch chili if you’re using PORK and SQUASH in it!” Since pork was what was thawed, I compromised and called this creation a “stew” to keep him happy. 😉

It had a lovely flavor and boy, was it ever tasty! This went together in under an hour, start to finish, too! This lazy cook’s kind of recipe! This is suitable for Phase 2 of Atkins. Keto followers may want to omit the soy black beans to drop the carbs low enough.

Dipped up Ready to Eat!

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

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. bacon grease or oil of your choice

2 large pork chops, deboned and chopped coarsely (mine yielded 12 oz. meat)

3 oz. onion, chopped

1 small (2″) mild jalapeno, seeded, chopped

2 oz. poblano pepper (mild by definition), seeded, chopped

1 can mole Ro-Tel tomatoes with chiles, undrained

1½ c. homemade chicken broth (used 1 c. broth + ½ c. baked chicken juices)

1 tsp. chili powder

Dash ground cumin

¼ tsp. chile de arbol powder (or ¼ tsp. more regular chili powder)

2 tsp. seeded and ground dried guajillo chile pepper (optional)

1 medium yellow squash, diced in ½-3/4″ pieces

1 can (15-oz) Eden soy black beans, drained (omit if still on Atkins Induction)

DIRECTIONS: Brown the pork in the oil in a non-stick deep skillet. Add the chopped onion, jalapeno and poblano peppers. Stir fry with the meat until all is lightly beginning to brown. Add the tomatoes, all spices listed and bring to a slow simmer. Add the squash, cover with lid and let simmer stirring every 5-10 minutes until the yellow squash is just tender but still intact (about 30 minutes total. Serve at once. Pairs nicely with a lettuce and guacamole salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

Without beans: 233 calories, 11.95 g fat, 8.65 g carbs, 2.52 g fiber, 6.13 g NET CARBS, 20.5 g protein, 469 mg sodium

With beans: 271 calories, 13.5 g fat, 10.65 g carbs, 4.27 g fiber, 6.38 g net carbs, 23 g protein, 476 mg sodium

Roasted Shawarma Chicken and Vegetables

October 10, 2015June 9, 2016Peggy 2 Comments

I have made these Roasted Shawarma Vegetalbes before, but have never added chicken to the mix. Good decision! This dinner tonight was delicious! I saved out 1 chicken breast from this whole chicken to use for something else this week but cooked all the remaining pieces. If you omit the chicken, this vegetable dish is a marvelous side with grilled steak and chicken! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well. So ENJOY everybody!

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

INGREDIENTS:

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

1 whole chicken, cut up (minus 1 of the breasts reserved for another use)

10 cloves garlic, peeled

1 medium zucchini, sliced thick

1 yellow squash, sliced thick

8 oz. Japanese eggplant, cubed or sliced thick (I don’t peel it)

1 2 3/4″ tomato, cut into wedges

3 oz. onion, sliced (I used red onion)

1 tsp. my Shawarma Spice Blend

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. I used my convection settting to speed mine up a bit. Oil a large metal baking pan with some of the olive oil. Lay the chicken pieces evenly in the pan (I cut my chicken breast into 2 pieces, as they tend to be large nowadays). Next add the sliced vegetables evenly around the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle on the Shawarma spice Blend and last of all, place the garlic (whole) around the pan, cutting larger cloves in half. Pop into 350º oven. If using convection roast, it will take about 35-40 minutes, or until chicken reads 170º on your meat thermometer. If using standard oven, it will probably take a full hour, perhaps a bit longer if your chicken is big or you cut your vegatables larger than shown in my photo. I like to baste the chicken and veggies with pan juices mid-cooking. 🙂 Serve with a nice green salad. This is delightful with basmati rice for your non-low-carbing dinner guests. 🙂 I don’t eat anything with mine.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes around 6 servings, each contains:

384 calories

25 g fat

8.08 g carbs, 2.56 g fiber, 5.52 g NET CARBS

32 g protein

457 mg sodium

Open-Faced Sriracha-Bacon Burger

October 9, 2015October 9, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

This was truly one of the most delicious low-carb burgers I’ve made in a long time. Not at all “hot” from this small amount of the Sriracha sauce. They were moist and flavorful and VERY filling! This recipe is suitable once you get to Phase 2 OWL of Atkins (those still on Induction need to use an Induction-friendly bread like this one), Keto diets, and Primal followers as well. Paleo folks should use coconut milk instead of cream, but otherwise this is quite acceptable for that eating plan if served without toasted bread or atop a plan-suitable bread.

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

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. grass-fed ground beef (or regular ground beef)

3 T. unsalted butter

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 tsp. Sriracha chile sauce

Dash each black pepper and onion powder

½ c. heavy cream

½ c. tap water

1 green onion, chopped very fine

5 slices of my Gluten-Free Focaccia (or other low-carb bread)

DIRECTIONS: Brown the bacon until lightly browned and drain on paper towels. Break up the meat into a medium mixing bowl. Add the bacon, Sriracha, black pepper and onion powder. Work the meat mixture together with fork or your hand much like you would if making a meatloaf. Divide meat into 5 equal parts. They will weigh about 4.3 oz. each and cook out to about 3 oz. Form into five patties and brown on both sides in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove meat from pan to a paper plate. Spoon off all grease but about 1½ tablespoons. Add cream and water to the pan. Lower heat to very low and de-glaze/scrape the tasty brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a spatula, which will brown and season the cream nicely. Should be no need to add more salt or pepper. Now add the white part only of the chopped green onion to the sauce, stir and let cream thicken. Add a light dusting of of xanthan gum if you want it thicker.

Meanwhile, toast the 5 slices of low-carb bread and place on serving plates. Place a burger atop each piece of toast and finally, pour 1/5 of the sauce over each, garnishing with the green part of the green onion you chopped. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 “burgers”, each contains:

502 calories (or use less butter)

43 g fat (or use less butter)

4.10 g carbs, 1.60 g fiber, 2.50 g NET CARBS

29 g protein

357 mg sodium

Bacon Smothered Burger

October 8, 2015October 9, 2015Peggy 6 Comments

This delightfully easy dish makes a great lunch, dinner, or even breakfast. It’s quick to make and very nutritious. Note the nutritional stats below! Of course, it goes without saying this it Induction friendly. This is Paleo suitable if you use the coconut milk rather than the cream and it is suitable for all phases of Atkins. This is just as good, perhaps even better, served over a ground pork patty sprinkled with a pinch of thyme (had it that way today!!) or a couple regular pork sausage patties. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

6 oz. raw ground beef (cooks out to about 4-4¼ oz)

3 slices bacon, chopped fine

1 green onion

¼ c. heavy cream (coconut milk for Paleo)

½ c. water

Pinch salt (omit if you are sodium sensitive)

Cracked fresh pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Form a meat patty with meat and brown it in a non-stick skillet until done. Drain and set on a serving plate. Cook bacon in same skillet, drain on paper towel. Chop green onion and add to pan. Lower heat to lowest setting and add water and cream. Stir until onion is soft. Thicken with your favorite thickener if not naturally thick enough for you after it reduces a minute or two. Add bacon, salt, pepper and dip over meat and serve. Goes nice with a green salad at lunch or some scrambled eggs if serving at breakfast.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 serving which contains:

633 calories

50.5 g fat

3.8 g carbs, .7 g fiber, 3.1 g NET CARBS

39.8 g protein

1055 mg sodium (depends on your bacon)

Montreal Pork “Steaks”

October 7, 2015June 12, 2016Peggy 4 Comments

Montreal Pork “Steaks”

This delicious, simple entree took all of 20-30 minutes to pull off. Just mix the ingredients and brown until 160º internal temp on your meat thermometer. I served with buttered, mashed cauliflower and spinach. Man were these ground meat patties ever good! These are suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo.

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

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground pork

2 T. chopped parsley

2 T. melted butter

3/4 tsp. my homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning

Dash coarse black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl with your hand or a fork like you’re making meatloaf. Form four equal patties, slightly pressing them flat. Brown on medium heat on both sides until they are at 160º internal on a meat thermometer or until they are no longer oozing pink fluid when pierced with a knife tip. Serve with your favorite sides and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 ” ground pork steaks, each contains:

350 calories

29 g fat

0.25 g carbs, 0.00 g fiber, 0.25 g NET CARBS

19.2 g protein

204 mg sodium

Steak-Stuffed Baby Eggplant

October 6, 2015June 30, 2016Peggy 4 Comments

We don’t eat as much at a meal as we once did when we were younger. So we often have some steak leftover for other uses. This week’s leftover steak went to the baby eggplant we bought at the farmer’s market this week. We both love eggplant, so just about anything I do with it is greatly enjoyed. This creation was no exception. This recipe is suitable for All phases of Atkins and Keto diet programs.

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

INGREDIENTS:

3 T. bacon grease, or you could chop/fry 3-4 slices of bacon. (not included in protein count below)

3 oz. onion, chopped

2 oz. green bell pepper, chopped

¼ c. parsley, chopped

½ tsp. my homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 slices my Gluten-Free Focaccia bread, crumbled (or equivalent of favorite low-carb bread)

1/8 tsp. salt

¼ c. heavy cream

3 six-oz. baby eggplant

12 oz. leftover steak, chopped (or use ground beef)

DIRECTIONS: Slice eggplant in halves lengthwise. Scoop out most of the flesh and chop into ½” dice. Preheat oven to 350º. Heat bacon grease in medium non-stick skillet. Saute onion and bell pepper until half tender. Add salt, steak, seasoning blend, and eggplant. Continue to saute until nearly tender but not breaking down. Add parsley, crumbled focaccia and cream. Stir. Place eggplant into baking dish with a little water in the bottom. Fill each with 1/6 of the mixture. Pop into hot 350º oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until shell flesh is tender with knife-tip test. Serve with a green or cucumber salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 halves, each contains:

309 calories

23 g fat

6.95 g carbs, 3.23 g fiber, 3.72 g NET CARBS

20 g protein (more if you use whole bacon)

407 mg sodium

Einkorn Individual “Dreamsicle”® Cake

October 3, 2015August 3, 2018Peggy Leave a comment

Yet another creation with my Individual Vanilla Cake recipe that makes actually TWO servings. This was delicious so you ought to consider giving this a go! This little basic vanilla cake has so many possibilities! It is not suitable for Atkins Induction, but is OK to enjoy once you get to Phase 2 of Atkins.

Individual Dreamsicle® Cake

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

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Einkorn Individual Vanilla Cake

½ c. heavy cream, whipped

¼ tsp. orange zest

liquid sweetener of choice to taste

2-4 drops Crush® orange water flavor drops (to taste)

DIRECTIONS: Mix and bake the the cake according to that recipe’s instructions (linked above). When cool, tip out of the dish with a knife tip and slice horizontally into 2 layers. Place one layer on a medium serving plate. Next, in a small bowl, whip and sweeten to taste the heavy cream. I use a stick blender and I like to whip 1 cup of whipping minimum at a time. It’s just easier. Then I measure out the ½ cup needed for this recipe, refrigerating the rest of the whipped cream for another day. Be sure to cover the reserved cream. Stir the orange zest into the whipped cream. Add 2-3 drops of the orange water flavor drops and stir. Spread half the creamy orange “frosting” on the bottom cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top and ice the top only with the rest of the orange-flavored cream. Cut into two servings and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

307 calories

30.3 g fat

6 g carbs, 1.25 g fiber, 4.75 NET CARBS

5.6 g protein

85 mg sodium

Crawfish-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

September 30, 2015November 6, 2015Peggy 3 Comments

Crawfish-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

What a pleasant surprise! I just started throwing leftovers together and added some homemade mushroom soup and Cheddar cheese and BAM! A tasty, creamy seafood dinner! And so nutritious, too! You really NEED to try this! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins. If you look closely, you may notice some grains of rice. I had about 1/2 cup cooked wild rice in my freezer and I threw that in, too. You could omit that for lower carbs, but it sure added a nice nutty taste to the dish. Lower-carb hemp hearts would be a better choice for that nutty flavor when I make this next time.

This recipe is suitable once you get to Phase 2 of Atkins. Suitable for Induction without the wild rice addition. Paleo-Primal followers will also need to make dairy modifications to enjoy this.

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

INGREDIENTS:

4 T. unsalted butter

½ c. green bell pepper, chopped

3/4 c. celery chopped

2 oz. onion, chopped

1½ c. small Japanese eggplant, sliced (the purple kind, although the black can be diced and used instead.)

1½ c. cooked spaghetti squash threads (the threads of one half a 6″-7″ squash)

6 oz. cooked crawfish tail meat

4 green onions, chopped

1/8 tsp. salt (omit if you used salted butter above)

1/4 tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend

½ batch (store the rest for another casserole) Jennifer Eloff’s low-carb Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

¼ c. heavy cream

½ c. cooked wild rice (omit for Atkins Phase 1 Induction)

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Melt butter over high heat in large non-stick pan. Add the celery, onion and bell pepper. Saute until nearly tender. Add the eggplant and saute until half cooked. Stir in the spaghetti squash threads, crawfish and green onion. Cook a couple minutes only.

Add the salt and spice mix. Stir in the soup, cream, wild rice (if using) and finally the cheese. Scoop into a greased baking dish or back into the spaghetti squash shells if you want to. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes and serve with a nice salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes six 1-cup servings, each contains:

298 calories

23.8 g fat

10.68 g carbs, 2.46 g fiber, 8.22 g NET CARBS

11.1 g protein

574 mg sodium

Raspberry-Lemon Bites

September 19, 2015September 20, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

Raspberry-Lemon Bites

I got this idea from a Lemon-Raspberry Cheesecake recipe by Stacey Crawford over at Beauty and the Foodie. I made some raspberry sauce to keep on hand for a variety of uses as well as some lemon cookies this week and thought I’d combine the two. What a WONDERFUL decision! Delicious flavor combo, Stacey! These are OK for all folks who have reached Phase 2 Atkins or beyond. Keto fans can enjoy them if the carbs fit your daily limit. These cookies would not be suitable for Primal or Paleo followers.

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

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Raspberry Coulis

1 recipe my Lemon Cookies

DIRECTIONS: Make the cookies per that recipe’s instructions and chill. Make the Raspberry Coulis per that recipe’s instructions and chill. When ready to serve, remove them from the refrigerator and place 1/2 tsp. of the raspberry coulis atop each cookie and plate decoratively. Enjoy at once! If these are held over, the sauce may run off the top, but that won’t affect the flavor. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 36 little cookies, each contains:

82 calories

7.1 g fat

3.6 g carbs, 1.8 g fiber, 1.8 g NET CARBS

2.0 g protein

375 mg sodium