Sardine Salad

I will without a doubt gross someone out with this post. Lol... but bear with me! This is essentially tuna salad made with sardines instead of tuna. Why, you ask?

Because good quality, BONE-IN sardines are high in calcium and many folks, especially those who eat low carb and women, can be calcium deficient. The bones are very small and very soft - mixed up like this you'll never know they are there. They're also a good source of protein. I serve this in the mornings to my kids for the protein and calcium... and they love it!

Sardines are also very low in mercury, so it can be eaten regularly unlike tuna.

Bai Fruit Drink

Despite looking like it has 9 carbs per serving, 8 of them are from erythritol which is a sugar alcohol that is not digestible, so it causes little to no blood sugar impact. Whole bottle is 2 net carbs.

Lots of flavors - available Walmart, Amazon, Costco and I'm sure lots of other places.

LC Cooking Tip - Batch Cooking

If you have 1 or 2 less busy days each week, try to get as much cooking done as you can for the whole week! This is Saturday and Sunday for me. We start with breakfast and make extra waffles or pancakes so we can reheat later. Then we break to go to the library. We get home at noon, make/eat lunch and cooking continues all the way until dinner. 

This picture is everything I made this Saturday which included lunch and dinner, but also TONS of leftovers to get us through the week ahead.

Waffles
Spinach & Cream Cheese Salami Roll
Smoked Sausage
2 loaves of Swedish bread
Homemade Mayo
Tuna Salad
Stuffed Peppers
Mock Imo's Pizza

LC cooking "tip"

Low carb cooking can often be time consuming because much of it is from scratch. Try to think of ways to get more done with your cooking time.

Example: tonight we had sausage pizza. Early in the day I browned 2 lbs of sausage instead of 1. I scooped out what I needed for the pizza and refrigerated to use later. I made the rest into a sausage gravy, divided into 2 bowls and refrigerated. I'll use it tomorrow for lunch (roasted sausage & cheese bell peppers) and dinner (biscuits and gravy).

During one cooking session today , I have the most time consuming part done for our next 3 meals. 

Tuna Salad, Salami & Cream Cheese Roll-ups...

Tuna Salad, Salami & Cream Cheese Roll-ups, Cheesy Herb Cauliflower Casserole, Green Beans, Stuffed Jalapeños. 

6 net carbs and lots of protein.

Roasted sausage and cream cheese bell peppers

Roasted sausage and cream cheese bell peppers, cheesy herb cauliflower casserole, green beans. 

6 net carbs.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Stock photo from website... apparently I was too excited to eat them and forgot to take a pic.

http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2015/08/low-carb-browned-butter-chocolate-chip-blondies.html

 

Walden Farms Syrups

Saturday morning waffle accoutrements. The kids think the chocolate, marshmallow and caramel are super fun! All are 0 carbs, fat and calories. 

Cheesy Herb Cauliflower Casserole

*Cook frozen riced cauliflower in microwave for 4 minutes, then put in casserole dish.

*Add 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 2 oz provel (or provolone) cheese, salt and pepper and stir.

* Cover whole top with good quality American cheese.

* Bake a 400 about 20 minutes.

Salmon Burgers

Salmon burgers with cheese
Rainbow cauliflower
Snow peas

 

About 6 net carbs

 

 

Homemade Mayo

I can't tell you the last time I bought mayo. This is so easy and so good.

Add to Mason jar:
2 cups olive oil (Regular or light; not EVOO)
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 high quality, pastured eggs (pasteurized if you don't know the source)

Insert immersion (aka stick) blender all the way to the bottom. Blend without moving for 30 seconds. Slowly start pulling blender up and tilting jar to get oil incorporated. Total blending is only about 1 minute.

(Leave on the counter for 1 hour. The acid in the vinegar and lemon juice "cook" the eggs.) Refrigerate.

Polish Sausage Hodge Podge

I'm not even sure what to call this. Polish Sausage Hodge Podge?

Everything in it was leftovers. Polish sausage, riced cauliflower, green beans, brussel sprouts and brown gravy. Sorta strange, but everyone loved it.

Here's how to make very LC carb gravy:

Place 2 cartons of LC beef stock in a saucepan pan and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. I add a little half and half... 1/4 - 1/2 a cup. To thicken, sprinkle 1 tsp of xanthan gum right on the gravy and whisk like crazy!! Once incorporated, add another tsp of xanthan gum and keep whisking like crazy. It usually takes 4-5 tsp. Error on the thin side. .. it will thicken up quite a bit as it cools and can turn gummy if you add too much.

 

 

Mock Imo's Pizza!

(OK, so only folks around St. Louis will be able to get provel cheese. It can be replaced with another cheese like provolone and/or swiss.)

This is the easiest LC pizza recipe!

8oz grated mozzarella
8oz provel (grated or cubed)
1 tsp psyllium husk powder
Pizza spices and salt
Toppings

Preheat oven too 400.
*Spread mozzarella thinly over parchment lined baking sheet.
* Thinly sprinkle psyllium husk powder over mozzarella.
* Evenly spread provel over mozzarella.
* Add spices to your liking - I do garlic powder, basil, oregano and black pepper. Also do about 1/8 - 1/4 tsp of kosher salt. It tastes flat without it.
* Add toppings of your choice, but don't make it too heavy.

Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate and bake another 6 minutes. Pull out and put on cooling rack. (You'll think I'm crazy right about now... it's a soft blob of cheese at this point.) Wait 10 minutes then cut into squares.

Heat pizza sauce in a separate bowl and dip pizza into sauce!

I get 8 good sized pieces. We only eat 2 pieces each... it's really filling.

It's so easy a 5 year old can do it!

Tacos with provolone cheese shells

Tacos with provolone cheese shells and Spanish riced cauliflower.

To make shells:
Place 1 slice of provolone cheese on parchment. Microwave for 1 minute until browned. Working over a paper towel, quickly hold cheese and parchment vertical, fold cheese over into a taco shape and hold for 15 seconds. Instant taco shell! I make these an hour or two before dinner so I'm not rushed trying to do this while I'm making dinner.

Grilled Mahi Mahi

Grilled Mahi Mahi, Cheesy garlic roll (recipe in tagged in Breads), Mixed veggies

6 net carbs

Huevos Rancheros - sans tortilla or chips

Lettuce base, taco meat, egg, cheese, sour cream, salsa. Side of avocado and broccoli. 

6 net carbs.

Pork Barrel BBQ Seasoning

Spices without sugar or fillers can be hard to find. At Costco.

Oopsie Rolls (aka Cloud Bread)

Oopsie rolls (aka cloud bread) have a unique texture, a little "spongy", but they are very neutral in flavor which I like. I use them for burgers, BLT's and my Asian Potstickers (recipe tagged under Lunch/Dinner).

http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2014/03/04/oopsies/

Note: the recipe mentions optional Psyllium husk powder.  I've tried it, but didn't think it changed it much.  I don't bother with it.

I've also edited a bit for US measurements.  I simply add 1oz cream cheese for each egg.
3 eggs = 3 oz cream cheese
4 eggs = 4 oz cream cheese
etc...

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

Place uncooked (frozen or thawed) green beans on parchment lined baking sheet. Season salt and pepper. Top with a good amount of Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes until cheese browns. (Maybe a bit longer if green beans were frozen.)

Cheese Bowl Chef Salad with Avocado

To make cheese bowl:

Place 2-3 slices of provolone cheese onto a piece of parchment (roughly in a circular shape; can tear the cheese and piece it together). Microwave for about 2 minutes... you want it to become quite brown. Quickly remove from microwave and place on an inverted bowl and hold about 15 seconds. It will firm up and tada... a cheese bowl! 

About 4 net carbs (depending on ingredients).

Perfect for taco salads too!

Boston Cream Poke Cake

This is one of my favorite LC baked goods. It's not hard, but there are a few "stages". I usually make the cake early in the day and let it completely cool. In the afternoon, I make the pastry cream and put on the cake so it can soak in overnight. (Tip: I double the pastry cream! Use 3/4 on the cake and save the rest for serving.) The next morning I make the ganache and let it setup until I serve.

http://www.swervesweetener.com/recipes/boston-cream-poke-cake/

Homemade LC Ice Cream

Add the following to your ice cream maker and churn per its directions.

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup sweetener (I use xylitol)
1 Tbsp extract of your choice

Optional:  add additional LC yummies if you'd like (chocolate chips, cookies, etc).

A1c = 4.6% - Happy, Healthy & Thriving!

Biscuits & Gravy

This is my FAVORITE LC biscuit recipe and SO easy. You'll think the gravy recipe looks weird, but I promise it's good!

http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/sausage-gravy-and-biscuits/