Quick Homemade Applesauce-No Sugar Added

Posted in Desserts, Sauces, Side Dishes, Snacks by

This is not a low-carb recipe, but it is Paleo and healthy. It is from http://www.food.com. This recipe serves 8 and I would estimate the net carbs to be 16.6 g because of the natural sugar from the apples.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 lbs. baking apples (I used honeycrisp)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 2 thin lemon slices
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

  1. PEEL and core apples (you can leave the skin on a couple of them if you like the taste and texture). Cut apples into approximately 1 inch cubes.
  2. ADD all ingredients to the pot and turn heat on high.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until the apples have softened significantly.
  3. STIR frequently, making sure that the apples are not sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Add more water if necessary.  Remove lemon slices (if you can find them).
  4. MASH with a potato masher or use a food mill for a smoother consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature (also good cold).

Enjoy.

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms

Posted in Appetizers by

A George Stella winner.  Calories: 160, Fat: 9.5 g, Protein: 15.5 g, and Net Carbs: 3 g.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound large button mushrooms (about 16 mushrooms)
  • 2/3 cup finely shredded cooked chicken breast (I used cooked rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 large egg white, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons minced celery
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce
  • 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. SCRUB mushrooms clean. Remove stems and discard.
  3. PLACE chicken, egg white, celery, butter, and Louisiana Hot Sauce in a mixing bowl and mix well.
  4. STUFF each mushroom until overflowing with the filling.
  5. PLACE the stuffed mushrooms on the prepared sheet pan. Top each with a few crumbles of Gorgonzola cheese.
  6. BAKE for 15 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and filling is bubbling hot.

Chicken in Broccoli Cheese Sauce

Posted in Crock Pot/Slow Cooker, Main Dishes, Poultry by

A yummy recipe from George Stella’s Real Food Real Easy cookbook. Serves 4-6. Calories: 460, Fat: 19 g, Protein: 63 g, Fiber: 1 g, and Net Carbs: 4 g.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon trans-fat free margarine (or butter)
  • 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 8 ounces light cream cheese (or regular cream cheese)
  • 2 cups frozen broccoli florets
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. ADD margarine or butter to a large skillet over medium-high to high heat, until sizzling.  Add chicken breasts and brown well, about 3 minutes each side.
  2. TRANSFER chicken to a slow cooker set to low. Add the chicken broth to the skillet the chicken was cooked in over medium-high heat and use a spatula to scrape the bottom, breaking up any glaze the chicken may have left in the pan. Heat broth until simmering.
  3. ADD the cream cheese, broccoli florets, salt, and garlic powder to the slow cooker and then pour simmering chicken broth over top.
  4. COVER and let cook 5-6 hours, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. After the first hour of cooking, stir well to disperse the cream cheese throughout.
  5. WHEN chicken is finished cooking, set the slow cooker to high and stir in shredded Cheddar cheese, until melted. Serve immediately.

George Stella’s Tips:  If you are planning on leaving the house, you can skip the stirring an hour into cooking by melting the cream cheese in the skillet before adding the chicken broth in step 2.

George Stella’s Variation: The broccoli will break up into the sauce, and that’s not a bad thing, but if you’d like something with a little more texture, start with fresh broccoli or (even better) cauliflower florets. Also, you can add 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard for a little more zing (which I did).

Southern Green Beans

Posted in Side Dishes by

This is a great recipe from George Stella’s Low-Carb Essentials cookbook. It has 145 Calories, 9.5 g Fat, 6 g Protein, 5.5 g Net Carbs.  Serves:  4.  It is one my favorite green bean recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 strips bacon, chopped
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1-1/2 pounds green beans, ends snapped
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt (or salt substitute)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. ADD bacon to a medium pot over medium high heat.
  2. SAUTE bacon until nearly crisp.  Add onion and continuing sauteing until bacon is crisp and onion is translucent.
  3. ADD all remaining ingredients to the pot and stir.
  4. BRING up to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover.
  5. LET simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.  Beans should be extremely tender.
  6. SEASON with salt to taste before serving.

Holly’s Chopped Salad

Posted in Lunch, Salads and Soups by

This is my sister’s recipe and it is a big hit in our family.  It takes a little while to make because there is a lot of chopping involved but it is absolutely delicious.  The ingredients can be altered to suit your own personal taste preferences.  The key is that ALL ingredients must be chopped in SMALL pieces.  It can easily feed 6-8 people.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Two heads of lettuce (two varieties) (or 2-3 bags), chopped
  • 1 cup of spinach, chopped
  • 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
  • 1 cup broccoli, chopped
  • Red bell pepper, chopped
  • Yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • Cucumber, chopped
  • Tomatoes, 2-3, chopped
  • Avocado, chopped
  • 3-4 hardboiled eggs, chopped
  • 3-4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add pepper and dressing (we use Marie’s ranch dressing).

Enjoy!

Easy Cheesy Frittata

Posted in Breakfast by

I’ve adapted this recipe from http://www.kraftfoods.com.  It makes 6 servings, 1 slice each.  Cal. 120, Fat 7 g, Sodium 260 mg., Carb 2 g, Fiber 0 g, Sugars 0 g, Protein 13 g.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 eggs
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • 1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
  • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 2 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Beat eggs, egg whites and water in medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended.
  2. Stir in tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the bacon and basil.  Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Bake 25 min. or until puffed and golden brown.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Recipe

Posted in Appetizers, Lunch, Poultry by

This is a great recipe that my friend Jana turned me on to.  I located it at http://www.fifteenspatulas.com and made some adjustments.  The recipe yields 2-4 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs. chicken wing pieces
  • salt
  • pepper
  • garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Heat up a big pot of boiling water.  Season the water like you would for cooking pasta (taste the water, it should taste a little repulsively salty, like sea water).
  3. Boil the chicken wings for 7-8 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack so the excess water can drain off.  Let them drip dry a little bit, then dry them well with a paper towel.
  4. Place the chicken wings directly on a sheet pan.  (I use parchment paper on the pan.) Bake the chicken wings for 25-30 minutes on one side, then flip the wings and bake for another 5 minutes on the other side.  The wings should have crispy crackly golden skin on the side that was in contact with the sheet pan.

Options:  I mix ranch dressing and wing sauce to dip my wings in.  I also made these with parmesan cheese.  I put the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder into my food processor and then just rolled my wings in the mix before baking.  D’lish!

Low Carb Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup

Posted in Crock Pot/Slow Cooker, Poultry by

I found this recipe at http://www.aboutamom.com.  The carb count is not available but based on the ingredients, it is very low.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 32 oz. chicken stock
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 medium yellow pepper, diced
  • 1 medium red pepper, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 (8 oz.) package McCormick Taco with Chipotle & Garlic Skillet Sauce (I could not locate this sauce so I used 6 oz. tomato paste, paprika and chipotle chili powder)
  • 1 tbs. season salt
  • 2 tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Except for the fresh cilantro, add all ingredients to the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
  2. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts.  Gently stir in fresh cilantro, cover, and continue cooking for an additional hour.

This recipe makes a lot of soup, about 14 cups.  I topped off with a little sour cream.

Mushroom Swiss Smothered Chicken Breasts

Posted in Main Dishes, Poultry by

Another great recipe from George Stella’s Real Food, Real Easy cookbook. It has 3 net carbs per serving. There are great variation ideas at the end of the recipe. I’ve added ham to this recipe and am looking forward to trying it with bacon next time. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons fat-free margarine (or butter)
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 slices Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add the margarine or butter to a large skillet over medium-high to high heat.  Once sizzling, add chicken breasts and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  3. Add mushrooms over chicken and sprinkle garlic powder, as well as another small pinch of salt and pepper over top.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until cutting into chicken at its thickest part reveals no pink.
  4. Place oven rack about 6 inches from the top, set broiler to high and transfer chicken breasts to a sheet pan.  Top chicken breasts with an even amount of the cooked mushrooms, and then cover all with the juices from the pan.  Then top each with a slice of Swiss cheese.
  5. Broil for only 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.  Serve immediately.

Variation:  A slice of ham or two strips of bacon can be added between the mushrooms and the Swiss cheese for even more smothered goodness!

Amish Broccoli Salad

Posted in Lunch, Main Dishes, Salads and Soups by

This is a delicious, healthy and sweet salad which can be a main dish or a side dish.  The recipe comes from http://low-carb-news.blogspot.com.  This dish claims to yield 12 servings but it is so delicious it yields around half that in my house.  1 serving = 4.1 net carbs.  There are variations to the recipe that I will add to the bottom.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb chopped broccoli
  • 1 lb chopped cauliflower (chopped into very small chunks)
  • 1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled (about 7 slices)
  • 2 cups grated Smoked Gouda OR cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • liquid sweetener to equal 1/2 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup sugar substitute OR to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp salt OR to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In large salad bowl, combine broccoli, cauliflower, bacon and 1-1/2 cups Smoked Gouda or cheddar cheese;
  2. In medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sweetener and salt.  Stir the creamy mixture into the broccoli salad.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Cover the salad bowl with plastic wrap and chill before serving.

Variations:  Leave out the cauliflower and use only broccoli.  Add some chopped or sliced red onions.  Replace the cauliflower with diced cooked chicken.  Maybe add in some chopped, hard boiled eggs.