Chicken Faijta Quesadillas with Cilantro Pesto

Sooo...I didn't really follow this recipe like I should have. Well, that's not completely true...I followed it, minus the bell peppers, then forgot to put the onions on the quesadilla.

This was a fantastic little meal. I used the Mission Low Carb tortillas (6 net grams of carbs). Took one tortilla, cut it in half and made the quesadilla from that. A serving is one tortilla. If you have more available carbs for the day, by all means, use two.

I also took the cilantro pesto one step further for dipping the quesadilla in. I added sour cream to the remaining pesto. Nice sauce that made. In fact, that dip would be fantastic for veggies. Sour cream, cilantro pesto and a couple of red pepper flakes...

And the other thing I changed is the chicken. I had some left over roasted turkey breast. I simply chopped it up, crisped it up in a frying pan and add just a little chili powder.

Make this. you won't regret it.

Chicken Faijta Quesadillas with Cilantro Pesto
Recipe from Delish.com

Serves 4

3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks
1/2 c plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 T Taco Seasoning
kosher salt
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 c fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
1 c fresh basil leaves
1/4 c crumbled cotija
1/4 c almonds
1 clove garlic

In a large bowl, coat chicken with oil and taco seasoning and season with salt. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

Add onions and peppers to skillet and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt.

While peppers are cooking, make pesto: In the bowl of a food processor, combine cilantro, basil, and olive oil and pulse until combined. Add cotija, almonds, and garlic and season with salt. Blend until combined.

Wipe out skillet and add butter. Slather a tortilla with pesto and top with chicken, peppers and onions, and pepper jack. Top with another tortilla and cook until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook other side until golden. Repeat with remaining tortillas and ingredients. Serve with remaining cilantro pesto. (Store remaining pesto in a glass jar in the refrigerator up to 1 week.)

Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto

This is a standard go to, yummy chicken for me. Its so flavorful and so good and so low carb. Easy to make and clearly one of my go-tos.

Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto
Recipe From MyRecipes.com
Serves: 4

2 tsp grated lemon rind
4 tsp fresh lemon juice, divided
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 (1-inch) pieces yellow bell pepper
8 cherry tomatoes
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, cut into 8 wedges
Cooking spray
2 T plain low-fat yogurt
2 T reduced-fat sour cream
1 T commercial pesto

Preheat broiler.

Combine rind, 1 tablespoon juice, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken, and onion. Thread vegetables and chicken onto 4 (12-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally.

Combine 1 teaspoon juice, yogurt, sour cream, and pesto. Serve sauce with kebabs.

Calories 211
Fat 7.3 g
Protein 27.9 g
Carbohydrate 7 g
Fiber 1.2 g

Parmesan-Roasted Green Beans

I'm always looking for good, innovative ways to eat veggies. I'm not a huge veggie fan and when on low carb, I kinda gotta.

These were super easy and so good. Don't over cook them though. Mushy green beans are gross. The tip at the bottom is one to live by. I do it all the time with most veggies I want to crisp up.


Parmesan-Roasted Green Beans
Recipe from Dietdoctor.com

Photo from Dr. Diet Website

Serves: 4

1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 lb fresh green beans
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk together eggs, oil and spices in a bowl. Add the beans and stir until all of the green beans are covered with the egg batter.

Remove excess liquid and add the Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly.

Spread the beans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake on upper level in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until the beans have turned a nice color.

Tip!

If you like your beans crispy, put your empty baking sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes prior to baking the beans. Be sure all of the beans are coated with batter so none of them turn out dry. Also make sure they are in a single layer on the baking sheet. Enjoy!


Calories: 142.5 kcal
Fiber: 3.2 g
Carbohydrate: 5.6 g
Protein: 6.0 g

Cube Steak in Gravy

Cube steak is a cut of meat that brings back so many fond memories. One of my most comfort filled meals is Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and grave, and corn. Mom's version. The Chicken fried steak is made with cube steak.

Trying to be lower carb, that meal isn't one I can eat...ever. So I wanted to find one that was close. This one has the elements of cube steak and a gravy. I'd make this again and again.

Cube Steak in Gravy
Recipe from Sweetcsdesigns.com

Photo from Sweet C's Design

Serves 5

1 1/2 pounds cubed steak (5 cube steaks)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tbsp butter, divided
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
6 cloves garlic, diced finely
1 large onion, sliced
1 (14-ounce) can beef broth

Season steak generously with salt and pepper. Heat butter in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat.

Add cube steaks and cook on medium high until well browned on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Remove steaks from pan when browned and set aside.

Add second half butter to pan and melt. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté on medium, stirring often, until onions are soft and mushrooms have browned slightly.

Add garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, another 2 minutes. Stir in beef stock, stirring to deglaze pan as you add stock.

Bring to a boil and let reduce, about 4 minutes. When gravy has thickened, add steaks back to pan. Toss in gravy to coat.

Cal 445
Carbohydrates 6
Fiber 1
Protein 40

Keto Coconut Flour Pancakes

Hallelujah!! Pancakes that are low carb and NOT made from almond flour. These were surprisingly tasty. They aren't fluffy, buttermilk pancakes full of glorious carbs. But they are worthy. And I will make them again.

Keto Coconut Flour Pancakes
Recipe from Lowcarbyum.com

Recipe from Low Carb Yum

1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
1/4 cup heavy cream sour cream works too
1 packet stevia
1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
3 eggs add another if batter is too thick
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
water optional
Whisk together butter, cream, stevia, salt, eggs and vanilla extract.

In another bowl, combine coconut flour and baking powder.

Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Let batter sit to thicken (15-30 minutes may be needed).

Lightly oil skillet and heat over medium heat.

Spoon heaping tablespoons of batter onto skillet to make pancakes about 2-3 inches in diameter.

Flatten out the thick batter a bit with the back of a spoon to form flatter rounds.

Be sure to check out the recipe video on YouTube for more useful tips on the recipe!


Serving: 1 pancake
Calories: 77
Carbohydrates: 1g
Protein: 1g
Fiber: 0g

Strawberry Cucumber Salad

I made this when a good friend of mine from California was in town. She and her husband were here in July and this salad is a perfect summer treat. Absolutely not low carb because of all the fruit, but for a "cheat" it is totally worth it.

Strawberry Cucumber Salad
Recipe from SkinnyTaste

1 1/3 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 cup slivered red onion
1 1/3 cup diced cucumber (about ½ large)
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
pinch kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic glaze
2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Combine strawberries, onions, cucumbers, mint, basil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Lightly drizzle with balsamic glaze and finish with slivered almonds.

Mississippi Pot Roast

This recipe...super delicious. Pot roast is really one of the best meals in my opinion. It was Dad's favorite and I think about him every time I make it.

This recipe was all the rage a couple of years ago. Easy, somewhat inexpensive, and delicious.

Mississippi Pot Roast
Recipe from Somewhere on the Internet

3-4 pound) roast, your choice of cut
One stick butter
1 package au jus gravy mix
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (dry)
Pepperoncini peppers, number to your liking and a little juice

Put roast in slow cooker. Add other ingredients. Salt and Pepper if you like and cook on until tender.

Cook on Low for 8 hours.

Easy Parmesan-Garlic Chicken

This was probably one of the first meals I ever made for company. I had some friends over and thought this would be a "classy" dinner...only later to realize 1) Kraft not classy and 2) overcooked chicken REALLY not classy.

This is a GREAT low carb meal and one that I'm going to have to put into my rotation of "how to make chicken taste better".

Easy Parmesan-Garlic Chicken
Recipe from Kraft
Serves 6

1/2 c KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 env. GOOD SEASONS Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb.)

Heat oven to 400°F.

Mix cheese, dressing mix and garlic powder.

Moisten chicken with water; coat with cheese mixture. Place in single layer in shallow baking dish.

Bake 20 to 25 min. or until chicken is done (165°F).


Calories 180
Carbohydrate 2g
Protein 29g

Cornucopia Salad

This is a fantastic salad for pot lucks or family dinners. The longer it sits the better it gets. Super easy to construct and super delicious. It is, after all, a Paula Dean recipe.

Cornucopia Salad
Recipe from FoodNetwork
Serves: 8

1 head iceburg lettuce, washed, patted dry, and torn into pieces
1/2 c diced green bell pepper
1/2 c diced celery
1 c frozen green peas, thawed, uncooked
2 (8-ounce) cans sliced water chestnuts
3 bananas, sliced, tossed in 1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 c raisins
3/4 c chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or salted peanuts)
1 c grated Cheddar
3/4 c chopped green onions, green part only
10 to 12 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, chopped

Dressing:
2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c sugar
1 T white vinegar

In a large rectangular dish, layer salad ingredients in the order listed, stopping after the nuts. Mix dressing ingredients and let stand for 5 minutes. Spread dressing over entire top of salad, covering it completely. Sprinkle cheese, green onions, and bacon over salad. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

MMM Pumpkin...

I am no fan of pumpkin pie...but love pumpkin bread and these cookies. I've made then several times and they scream FALL.

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies
Recipe from Martha Stewart
Yields 3.5 dozen

2 c all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c sugar
1 large egg
1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.

When cookies have cooled, set them (still on rack) over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make an 1/8-inch hole; pipe chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Covered S'mores

Oh s'mores...how I love thee. 

I suppose I could start every blog with "how I love thee" since most recipes I actually hate never make it this far.

Back to s'mores. These I made for Sunday dinner a lifetime ago. They were a big hit. I might have to bring them out again soon. Not low carb, but oh so delicious.

Chocolate Covered S'mores
Recipe From Pioneer Woman
Serves: 8

16 whole Graham Cracker Squares (two Single Rectangular Pieces Still Stuck Together)
1 container (7 Ounce) Marshmallow Creme
1 whole Package Chocolate Almond Barn Or Other Melting Chocolate
Chopped Nuts, Sprinkles, Etc.

Other items to add between the marshmallow cream...reeses peanut butter cups.

Scoop a heaping tablespoon of marshmallow cream onto 8 crackers. Top with the other 8 crackers, pressing gently. Immediately put the sandwiches in the freezer---within a minute of putting the second cracker on top. Freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes to set the marshmallow creme as much as possible.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a glass bowl, then set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to keep the chocolate melted. When the chocolate is room temperature, remove the sandwiches from the freezer. One by one, dip the sandwiches in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Work quickly, then add on whatever sprinkles you'd like to use. Immediately put the sandwiches back into the freezer to set the chocolate and keep the marshmallow from rebelling and oozing out.

Freeze for at least 30 minutes, then you can store the s'mores at room temperature or in the fridge until you're ready to serve!

Chicken, Chorizo and Tortilla Stoup (Stew-Like Soup)

This is one of my favorite recipes. When fall comes around it's screams to make soups and stews..this is a fantastic option for fall weather.

Chicken, Chorizo and Tortilla Stoup (Stew-Like Soup)
Recipe from FoodNetwork

Services 4

1 pound chicken tenders
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound chorizo sausage, in packaged meats case near kielbasa
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 small red potatoes, diced
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted chopped tomatoes (recommended: Muir Glen)
1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained
2 tsp hot sauce
1 quart chicken stock
1 sack red or blue corn tortilla chips
2 c shredded pepper jack or smoked Cheddar
Suggested garnishes: chopped scallions, chopped cilantro or fresh thyme leaves

Preheat medium soup pot over medium-high heat.

Chop tenders into bite-size pieces. Wash up, then season chicken with salt and pepper. Dice chorizo. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken to pot. Lightly brown chicken 2 minutes, then add the chorizo and garlic. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes, then add peppers, onions and potatoes. Cook 5 minutes, then stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, and hot sauce. Add chicken stock and bring soup to a bubble.

Preheat broiler.

Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender 10 to 12 minutes. Ladle soup into shallow bowls and top each bowl with a generous handful of crushed tortillas and cheese. Melt cheese under hot broiler. Garnish with scallions and herbs.

Broiled or Grilled Pollo Sabroso

Chicken is one meat that always needs a little extra something. When eating low carb or, well any diet, chicken becomes a mainstay of the meat world...

This one was super flavorful.

Broiled or Grilled Pollo Sabroso
Recipe from SkinnyTaste.com

Serves 6

6 medium chicken thighs
1 T vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 packet Sazon (in Spanish aisle, I prefer Badia brand with no MSG)
Adobo (in Spanish aisle)
garlic powder
oregano

Season chicken with vinegar and soy sauce. Add sazon, 1 teaspoon of adobo, garlic powder, oregano and adobo and mix well. (Don’t use your hands or they will turn orange) Let chicken marinate at least 20 minutes. Broil or grill on low until chicken is cooked through, careful not to burn. Enjoy with rice and salad.

Best Ever Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is one of my most favorite salads. The combo between the sweet (strawberries) and the savory blue cheese is really fantastic. It's not low carb (thanks strawberries) - but it's still one great salad. If you plan correctly, having the strawberries could keep you within your carb limit.

Best Ever Strawberry Spinach Salad
Recipe from Theslowroasteditalian.com

Photo from The Slow Roasted Italian site.
It's a great photo.

Serves 6 (That's a lie. It really serves more like 4 - but its because the salad is so good that you take bigger helpings.)

Candied Pecan Ingredients [JW note: I just buy the candied pecans. It's quicker.]
1 T butter
1 T packed light brown sugar
1/2 c pecan halves
pinch salt

Dressing Ingredients
2 T granulated sugar
1/4 c extra light tasting olive oil
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

Salad Ingredients
10 ounces fresh baby spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 small red onion sliced
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 c fresh blueberries
1/2 (5 ounce) package blue cheese crumbles

Place a silpat mat or a sheet of parchment paper on the counter top to dry the pecans.

In a small skillet over medium heat melt butter. Add pecans, sugar and salt. Stir until pecans are well coated. Stir until the sugar caramelizes, about 3-5 minutes.

Spread onto silpat or parchment paper. Separate pecans. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile: in a pint size mason jar combine dressing ingredients. Seal and shake until well combined. Set aside on the counter.

In a large bowl combine the spinach, onions, strawberries and blueberries. Pour about 1/2 of dressing over salad, and toss. Top with cheese and candied nuts. Serve remaining dressing on the side.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving (or serve immediately).

Add sliced grilled chicken for a fabulous summer meal.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Tikka Marsala, it turns out, is actually relatively low carb. The RICE that I feel is required to eat with it, is not.

Its high in fat for sure - I mean 1.5 c of heavy cream? That fat adds up. On Keto or low carb, as long as your cholesterol is fine, the heavy cream will not mean a damn thing. That's one of the hardest things for me to wrap my head around eating low carb. Fat is ok. Sugar is not.

I heart Tikka Marsala. It's a staple for me when I eat in Indian restaurants...which isn't often. Making it is easy...or you can take the long route and make it correctly. This recipe is in between.

Don't let the ingredient list freak you out. Most of it are spices...

Chicken Tikka Masala
Recipe from Cafedelites.com

Photo from Cafedelites.com

Serves 6

For the chicken marinade:
28 oz boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
1 c plain yogurt
1 1/2 T minced garlic
1 T ginger
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Kashmiri chili (or 1/2 teaspoon ground red chili powder)
1 teaspoon of salt

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 small onions (or 1 large onion) finely diced
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic finely grated
1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
14 oz tomato puree (tomato sauce/Passata)
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili (optional for color and flavor)
1 teaspoon ground red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups of heavy or thickened cream (use evaporated milk for lower calories)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup water if needed
4 tablespoons Fresh cilantro or coriander to garnish

In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 10 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)

Melt the butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.

Pour in the tomato puree, chili powders and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red color.

Stir the cream and sugar through the sauce. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, if needed.

Garnish with cilantro (coriander) and serve with fresh, hot basmati rice.

Authentic Carne Asada

Another old recipe that wasn't posted to the blog. I love carne asada. It's one of my all time favorites and I order it in almost any/all Mexican restaurant.  When I lived in Mexico there was something about the citrus flavor that really hit my happy button.

The one note I saw I added was to not allow it to marinade for 2 hours or overnight. The citrus starts to cook the meat and it gets a weird texture to me. I marinaded it for about an hour.

Authentic Carne Asada
Recipe from Thestayathomechef.com

2 limes, juiced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
½ c orange juice
1 c chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ c olive oil
1 jalapeno, minced
2 T white vinegar
1 (2 pound) flank steak

In a gallon size resealable bag, combine lime juice, crushed garlic, orange juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil, jalapeno, and vinegar. Squeeze it around to mix it up.

Put the entire flank steak into the resealable bag. Seal it up tight. Make sure all the meat is exposed to the marinade, squishing the bag around to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Heat an outdoor grill to high heat.

Remove the flank steak from the marinade, and discard excess marinade. Cook on the grill for 7 to 10 minutes per side.

Once done, remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. Slice against the grain, and serve.

Easy Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole (Low Carb)

Y'all...this is a cabbage roll unhinged. THIS recipe is a repeat and I'm expecting it to be a really good leftover...Lord knows since it serves 12 I'll be eating leftovers for awhile. Well, except I'll put some in the freezer for the Pantry Goat.

Make...this...recipe...If you love cabbage rolls, you'll love this.

For the marinara I used Rao's. It's one that's recommended among the low carb world because the carbs are low... and it's quite tasty. I'm not a fan of overly sweet marinara and this fits right into that world. Be ware though...it's a bit pricey.


Easy Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole (Low Carb)
Recipe from Wholesomeyum.com

Photo from Wholesomeyum.com
She takes fantastic food photos, BTW.

1 T Avocado oil (or oil of choice)
4 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 1/2 lb Ground beef
1 1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1 medium head Cauliflower (riced; about 4 cups)
2 T Italian seasoning
3/4 medium head Cabbage (chopped/shredded; about 6 cups) - I only used 1/2 a head of cabbage and it was plenty.
3 c Marinara sauce
3 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded (and optional - but why would you?)

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for up to a minute, until fragrant.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain if needed.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 9x13 in glass baking dish, stir together the rice cauliflower, chopped cabbage, and Italian seasoning.

When the ground beef is cooked through, stir that in. Stir in marinara sauce.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cabbage is crisp-tender. [JW note: I topped with the cheese and just baked it for 30 minutes. It was perfect. ]

Top with shredded mozzarella, if using. (If not, just continue baking without it.) Continue baking for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the cabbage is completely cooked through.

Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

Ahhh a Sunday Dinner favorite. What could possibly be wrong with Bacon...Ranch... and Cheese. When you put all those things together, you get a fantastic appetizer.

Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
Recipe from 16th and Bliss

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temp
½ c shredded cheddar
1 c bacon crumbles, divided
¼ c diced green onion
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix

Place cream cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix with mixer until both blocks are combined. Add in ranch dip mix and green onion and mix well. 

Blend in shredded cheddar and ½ cup of the bacon crumbles. Once mixed, using your hands, form into a ball. Roll the ball into the remaining ½ cup of bacon crumbles.

Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Serve with pita chips, crackers, or anything that strikes your fancy!

Asian Grilled Chicken

SkinnyTaste is one of my favorite sites (and cookbooks) that I am constantly finding great lower carb recipes.

This recipe I made months ago, but tagged it as one of my favorites. I'd make this one again for sure. When I made it originally I made a large batch of chicken and kept the leftovers for salads or snacking later in the week.

Asian Grilled Chicken
Recipe from SkinnyTaste

Serves: 3
6 thin boneless skinless chicken cutlets (3 oz each)
For the Marinade:
2 T lemon juice
2 T toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 green onions, minced
1/4 c low sodium soy sauce (for gluten free, use tamari)
1/4 c teriyaki sauce
1 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken, turn the pieces to coat evenly, cover and place in refrigerator a minimum of three hours, but preferably overnight.

Preheat grill to high. Grill chicken top side down first until well browned charred, about 5 minutes, turn and cook on the second side about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.

Apples and Cheddar Chicken Salad Recipe

I'm catching up on making sure recipes I've tried are also on the blog. I'm paranoid of losing recipes and so have a couple of "backup" options and this blog is on of them.

As I recall, this recipe was decent. It's a big high in carbs at 22g for me. I may make it again, but really with salads I find I won't make one that has "common" ingredients. I mean, let's face it, this is just a cobb salad in disguise.

Apples and Cheddar Chicken Salad Recipe
Recipe from Diethood.com

Serves: 4

FOR THE SALAD
2 to 3 Romaine Hearts, chopped
3 grilled or cooked (leftovers) chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 c cubed cheddar cheese
2 Granny Smith Apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 Red Delicious Apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 c chopped walnuts

FOR THE HONEY YOGURT DRESSING
½ c nonfat plain yogurt (I use Dannon)
¼c eggless mayo
2 to 3 T organic honey
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Place chopped romaine salad in a large salad bowl.

Add chicken strips, cheddar cheese, apples and walnuts over salad greens. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine yogurt, eggless mayo, and honey; stir until completely and thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Pour salad dressing over salad.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Nutrition Info: 

Cal: 353

Carbs 22

Fiber 4

Protein 25

Asian Beef Stir-Fry

This was the last meal that had a large amount of carbs in it (rice). The stir fry itself isn't bad, but the rice...oh boy. I do love my rice.

This was a good mix of flavors. I doubled the sauce, as I always do. I didn't double the entire set of soy sauce though. It always makes it salt. So I used 4 T soy and 2 water.

I forgot to get green onions and I'm sure those would enhance the flavor of this dish even more.

I have so many Asian stir fry type of recipes I'm not sure I'll ever make this again. Its not because it wasn't delicious, just that I have others I want to try.

Asian Beef Stir-Fry
Recipe from Cuisine Weeknight Menus - September 2016

Photo from the Internet

3 T low sodium soy sauce
2 T mirin
1 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 T peanut oil
2 T minced scallion whites
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 T minced fresh garlic
1 lb beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
1/4 c bias-sliced scallion greens

Whisk together soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar and cornstarch.

Heat oil over medium-high heat until lightly smoking.

Stir fry scallion whites, ginger, and garlic 30 seconds. Add steak, stir fry until evenly browned, 2-3 minutes, then remove.

Add mushrooms and stir-fry until browned, adding more oil as needed, 3 minutes.

Return beef mixture to wok, add soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil stirring frequently. Simmer mixture for 1-2 minutes until thicken.

Garnish with scallion greens.

Fathead Pigs in a Blanket

Now that the vacation is done...and I ate my heart full of carbs....I'm back to the low carb life.

For breakfast this week, I decided to try this Pigs in a Blanket recipe. Almond flour bread stuff, so far, hasn't been my favorite texture...and am hoping that with a sausage in the middle of it will make it better.

I learned from my last attempt with this dough that really the best way to mix it is in a food processor. So that's what I did and it worked great.

Fathead Pigs in a Blanket
Recipe from: Mypcoskitchen.com

Photo from Mypcoskitchen.com

Says it makes 8, but I only got 6 out of it. I think I didn't roll my dough thin enough. I rolled it to 1/8"

6oz (170g) cheddar cheese (she says you can use any cheese like mozzarella or ghouda)
2 tbsp cream cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup blanched almond flour (about 85g)
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp parsley
8 organic small cheddar sausages (wheat/sugar-free, 180g)
JW note: I used breakfast sausage - organic

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Shred the cheddar cheese into a microwave-safe bowl and add the cream cheese.

Place in the microwave and microwave for 1 minute. Take out of the microwave and mix with a silicone spatula. Place back in the microwave and heat 30 more seconds. If the cheese isn't fully melted by now, place it back in the microwave and heat another 20-30 seconds until fully melted. Mix with your silicone spatula.

Add the egg to the cheese mixture and mix until the egg has been completely incorporated.

Add the almond flour and spices and mix together until a dough forms.

Add a long piece of parchment paper over a baking tray to cover.

Place on a piece of parchment paper and separate into 8 balls.

Flatten the balls with your spatula, into small rectangles the length of your sausage.

Place the sausage over the rectangle dough and roll. Repeat for all sausages.

Place the tray into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition facts:
Carbohydrates 2.89g
Fiber 1.1g
Protein 11.13g