The Best Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus

Side dishes are a big thing for me. I need creativity for side dishes or I get bored pretty quickly. There's a ton of variety in the protein but side dishes aren't as easy for me.

I made this for a dinner party and it was a huge success. So tasty and so delicious. I'll make this again for sure.

The Best Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus
Recipe from Sweetcsdesigns.com
Serves 4

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
2 T olive oil, extra virgin
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c Parmesan , shredded or grated
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper, fresh cracked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim asparagus to remove tough, woody ends - discard ends.

On a baking sheet (line with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup), lay down asparagus.

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and lemon juice, mix around with hands to coat evenly.

Pour cheese and garlic powder over asparagus, mix with hands to evenly mix and coat asparagus.

Generously season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes - checking at around 10 minutes to see if tips have started to brown slightly and asparagus has softened a bit.

Cook until asparagus is soft and has crunchy browned bits, about 15 minutes total (this is very dependent on your oven and the thickness of the asparagus stalks - watch it to be sure it doesn't overcook.)

When asparagus is done, serve immediately.

Calorie 141
Carb 6
Protein 7
Fiber 2

Big Mac Salad

This recipe...Oh my goodness...so good.

I'm a big fan of the components that make up a Big Mac, but not a fan of the Big Mac. It's too big and tooo...well, icky.

But what's not to love about burger, pickles, ketchup, mayo, lettuce and tomatoes...I mean, Yum.

Super easy recipe and super filling.

Big Mac Salad
Recipe from Lowcarbyum.com
Serves 8...but really 4 good size meals or a serving based on the small salad plate and dressing mixture is about 3/4 Cup will feed 8

Salad:
1 1/3 pounds ground beef about 600 grams
1/2 small onion chopped (optional)
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/8 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp chili pepper (optional)
12 ounces lettuce greens
2 spears dill pickles diced
3 small tomatoes sliced (optional)
3/4 cup cheddar cheese freshly grated
1 small red onion sliced (optional)
Salt & Ground Black Pepper to taste
1-2 T olive oil for sautéing

Dressing :
2 T tomato paste
3 T water
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/4 c sour cream
1/8 tsp ground sage
1/8 tsp ground oregano
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
low carb sugar substitute (if desired)
salt & ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:

Dilute tomato paste in water and add some sweetener (if desired). Add mayonnaise and sour cream. Season with sage, oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

In a slightly greased skillet, sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes without burning. Add lean ground meat then season with thyme, oregano and marjoram. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Add a little chili pepper for some heat. Thoroughly cook beef. Transfer to a platter lined with paper towel. Set aside.

Assemble Salad:

Cover platter with greens. Layer cooked beef, chopped greens – lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, dill pickles and top with cheddar cheese. Drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!

Calories 273kcal
Carbohydrates: 2g
Protein: 19g

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is one of my favorite chicken dishes. I remember having it at TASIS and falling in love with the creamy richness of this dish. I've made it a number of times and it almost always turns out great.

Last nights dish was a disaster. I had college friends over for dinner, people I hadn't seen in a very long time and didn't know their food preferences. Chicken Marsala seemed like a safe bet. All was fine in the prep and the cooking of the chicken. Then the sauce happened.

I put the marsala and chicken sauce in the pan to reduce and let it go for a good 10 minutes. Then came the cream...and it curdled. Ugh. So I figured I'd strain the sauce and start fresh. I figured the sauce was too hot and/or too much acid in the dish. At any rate, it was a disaster.

When I strained the sauce I neglected to put something to strain it in, so down the drain it went. F*ck! So then I had to think fast. I put the mushrooms back in the pan...and then just made a Parmesan cream sauce. Added the rest of the half and half and some whole milk with Parmesan. Put the chicken in and walked away...then I burnt the damn sauce. It was not turning out to be my night.

Took the chicken out, used another pan and remade the Parmesan cream sauce. It turned out fine and we joked about it a bit, but good heavens what a mess.

Now, this recipe, however, is easy. It's quick and simple. Just know when you add the cream, do it at a much lower temp and be sure your wine has reduced plenty. Once something curdles it's hard to come back from that.

Chicken Marsala
Recipe from Cafedelites
Serves 4

Chicken:
1/2 c all-purpose flour (plain flour)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black cracked pepper
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally to make 4 fillets*
2 T olive oil, divided
4 T unsalted butter, divided

Marsala Sauce:
1 T unsalted butter as needed
8 ounces (250g) brown or Cremini mushrooms, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c dry Marsala wine
1 1/4 c low-sodium chicken broth (or stock)
3/4 c heavy cream (thickened cream, evaporated milk or half and half may also be used)**
2 T fresh chopped parsley

Mix the flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off excess.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch pan or skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry 2 of the chicken breasts until golden-brown on both sides (about 3 to 4 minutes per side). Transfer to warm plate, tent with foil and keep warm.

Repeat the same with the remaining 2 chicken breasts.

In the same pan with remaining pan grease leftover from the chicken, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mushrooms and for 2-3 minutes until browned, scraping away at any of the leftover chicken bits off the bottom of the pan.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the Marsala and the broth and simmer until reduced by half and starting to thicken, (about 10-15 minutes).

Pour in the cream and return the chicken back into the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens (about 3 minutes). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. (The sauce will continue to thicken off the heat.)

Serve over cooked angel hair pasta (or pasta of choice), rice, potatoes, cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles, if desired.


Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 29g | Fiber: 1g

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Oh Lord was this a perfect meal for a cold fall day. The recipe is easy and delicious. You should really make this recipe. It hits all the notes you'd expect: Comfort, flavor, comfort, beef, comfort, stewy, comfort...you get the picture.

My crock pot wasn't big enough for amount of food here. So I put it in a dutch oven and cooked in the oven at 250 for 6-8 hours. Turned out perfect.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Recipe from The Recipe Critic

TheRecipeCritic.com

5 slices bacon, finely chopped
3 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut to 1 inch cubes
1 cup red cooking wine
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup flour
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons thyme, finely chopped
5 Medium Carrots, sliced
1 pound baby potatoes (I used tri color)
8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced
fresh chopped parsley for garnish

In a large skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.

Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add chicken broth, and tomato sauce, and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour. Add the sauce to the slow cooker.

Add garlic, thyme, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8. Garnish with fresh parley and serve with mashed potatoes if desired.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Chinese food ranks up there for me as a favorite. It's not very carb friendly though since most the time I feel obligated to eat it with rice. I'm learning, however, that rice isn't essential if the main dish has flavor.

This dish was good. It wasn't GREAT and didn't earn a 5 star ranking from me. It was flavorful and easy to make, so there's that. The sauce was good, but not great. The best part is I remembered the cashews this time. I forget them so often.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Recipe from Spendwithpennies.com

Photo from SpendwithPennies.com

For the stir fry:
1 T vegetable oil , divided use
2 small zucchini , quartered lengthwise then sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 c of mushrooms , quartered
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves of garlic , minced
1/3 c roasted cashews (unsalted or low sodium)

For the sauce:
1/3 c chicken broth (or water)
1 T soy sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp corn starch

Heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just softened.

Add the mushrooms and zucchini to the pan and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and just browned.

Remove the vegetables from the pan, place on a plate and cover to keep warm.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Increase the heat to medium high.

Place the chicken in the pan and season with the salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through and golden brown.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch.

Return the vegetables to the pan with the chicken and pour the sauce over the top. Increase the heat to high and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.

Stir in cashews and serve immediately, over rice if desired.

Calories: 289
Carbohydrates: 14g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 28g

Easy Mongolian Beef

Chinese food is a food I miss being low carb. It's also the one ethnic food that I find so easy to make at home. And, without rice. Which makes me sad. I miss rice.

Tonight I made Mongolian Beef. It's not something I order too often while out, but this recipe caught my eye. It's super easy to put together.

I modified it with two things...I added sauted mushroom and zucchini. I needed to bulk this up a bit since I wasn't eating rice with it.

You can make this even lower carb by using a brown sugar substitute. Let me be clear, this isn't a low carb recipe making it as it's listed. I didn't have a sugar substitute, so it had a bit more carbs than I would have preferred.

Easy Mongolian Beef
Recipe from Therecipecritic.com

Photo from TheRecipeCritic.com

Serves: 4

1½ pounds flank steak, sliced thin
¼ c cornstarch
3 T vegetable oil
½ c low sodium soy sauce
½ c brown sugar
¼ c water
1 tsp minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
green onions, sliced for garnish

In a large zip lock bag add the sliced flank steak and cornstarch. Toss the beef to coat evenly. Heat a large skillet to high heat and add the vegetable oil. Once heated, add the steak in a single layer and cook on each side for about a minute until the edges just start to brown. Once the steak is cooked, remove and set aside on a plate.

In a small mixing bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ginger, and garlic. Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the steak to the sauce and allow the sauce to thicken for a couple of minutes. Toss with the chopped green onions and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Keto Stuffed Mushrooms

Sunday dinner, like any social event, is hard to keep low carb. I figured the carb count is going to be high so where I can make a difference I do.

I ended up owning appetizers last night so I decided to keep it low carb. Stuffed Mushrooms is an all time favorite and, relatively speaking, are low carb on their own. Most recipes have breadcrumbs and few other yummy bits.

This recipe has no bread crumbs and is delicious. Super easy to make, takes just a small amount of planning so the cream cheese is softened, but otherwise, easy to pull together.

Keto Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe from dietdoctor.com

Serves 4-6

8 oz. bacon
12 mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
7 oz. cream cheese
3 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika powder
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Start by frying the bacon until really crispy. Let cool and crush into crumbs. Save the bacon fat.

Remove the mushroom stems and chop them finely. Sauté in the bacon fat, adding butter if needed.

Place the mushrooms in a greased baking dish.

In a bowl, mix the crumbled bacon with the fried, chopped mushroom stems and the remaining ingredients. Add some of the mix to each mushroom.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms turn golden brown.

Beef Egg Roll Slaw

Soooo egg rolls are one of my favorite things. Turns out the wrapper has carbs. Which is my favorite part.

But then I found this recipe. I have done deconstructed cabbage rolls too and I've gotta say, this deconstructing of some of my favorites are turning out pretty good.

I got a bit heavy handed with the ginger, but it wasn't horrible. I like ginger, so there's that.

If you love the insides of an egg roll, make this recipe.


Beef Egg Roll Slaw
Recipe from Recommended.Tips

Photo from Recommended.Tips

2 T sesame oil
1/2 c diced onion
5 green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 T chili-garlic sauce (such as sriracha)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) package coleslaw mix
3 T soy sauce

1 T apple cider vinegar

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, white parts of the green onions, and garlic.

Sauté until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add ground beef, sriracha, ginger, salt, and black pepper.

Sauté until beef is browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes.

Stir coleslaw mix, soy sauce, and cider vinegar into the beef mixture.


Sauté until coleslaw is tender, about 4 minutes more. Top with the rest of the green onions.

Double Chocolate Mousse (Low Carb)

Y'all... this is the BEST low carb dessert I've had. I made this for book club and it was a hit.

I chopped up some of the sugar free chocolate and put it in the mousse.

Other ideas we came up with to add to this was orange or coffee extract. Yum.

Double Chocolate Mousse (Low Carb)
Recipe from Cafedelites

2 (13.7oz) cans full fat coconut cream or coconut milk
2 T confectioners sweetener (or confectioners
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
20 g | 2 squares 70% chocolate , shaved (optional for extra richness -- or sugar free chocolate chips)
extra shaved chocolate to garnish

Place sealed cans of coconut cream (or milk) in the refrigerator overnight. Without shaking the cans, open carefully and scoop out the thick cream sitting at the top above the water. Transfer the thick hard cream to a bowl and discard all of the liquid left in the bottom of the cans (or reserve to add into smoothies later).

Add the sweetener (or sugar if using) and beat on high using a hand mixer (or whisk) until thick and creamy (about 1-2 minutes). Reserve about 4 tablespoons of the plain 'whipped cream' to use as a topping to serve with and set aside.

Fold the cocoa powder and salt through the cream and beat (or whisk) again until smooth, well combined and thick. Fold through the shaved chocolate if using). Depending on the coconut milk you use, a mousse will form almost immediately once the cocoa powder is mixed through. If not, refrigerate until set and ready to serve, or serve immediately. Dollop the 'plain whipped cream' over the mousse and sprinkle with shaved chocolate (if using).

Creamy Pico De Gallo Dip

This is such an easy dip and so worth it. I can't believe that I never thought to mix Pico de Gallo with cream cheese. 

I can think of so many things to do with this dip...like put it on top of chicken breast or mix it with pasta. 

Creamy Pico De Gallo Dip

Recipe from Thenovicechefblog.com

1 c chopped tomato (about 4-5 Roma tomatoes)

1/3 c chopped red onion (about half of a small onion)

1/4 c chopped cilantro

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

juice from one lime

1 (8 oz) block Neufchâtel Cheese (the skinny cream cheese)

In a medium bowl, toss together tomato, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic and lime juice. Use immediately, or let marinate for a few hours if you have the time. This can also be done as early as the day before.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.

Lay Neufchâtel Cheese on baking dish. Cover with Pico de Gallo. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until warmed throughout.

I didn't heat this up. Instead kept it chilled. So much better.

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.