Fried Egg Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburger

Tweet

This meal was inspired by a picture my wife found on Pinterest (click here to see the inspiration photo). Although I have resisted the black-hole-otherwise-known-as-Pinterest, I can't deny the seemingly infinite cooking inspiration that it provides.

The best part...what looks like a regular ole burger treats dinner guests to an "eggceptional" surprise (sorry...couldn't resist) upon reaching the fried-egg burger center.

1 lb Lean Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
5 Strips Bacon
4 Medium Eggs
4 Slices Cheese (I used smoked gouda)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder

Cut bacon into small strips and pan fry until crispy. Set aside bacon.  Drain grease and wipe pan. I chose to save a couple of teaspoons worth bacon grease to fry the burgers (I said low-carb...not low-calorie!)  Mix ground meat, Worcestershire, and seasonings.  Form meat into extra large patties.  Using a small biscuit cutter or a knife, carefully cut out the center of the patty for the egg to drop in (you can add all the holed-out centers together to make another patty or just cook them as is and make slider-sized burgers.)  Carefully pick up the holy patty and drop in in the hot pan.  Cook about 30 seconds per side, then crack an egg and carefully drop it in the hole in the middle.  Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until the burger & egg are cooked to your preference.  If you prefer your yolk cooked harder or softer, you can add the egg earlier or later. Add the bacon strips and cheese on top and serve.  For low carb, serve naked (i.e. bunless), on a low carb tortilla, or as a lettuce wrap.

Low Carb Eggplant Parmesan

Tweet

I don't like eggplant.  Broccoli and squash can get old. I admit, this purple vegi looks interesting when you see it in the vegetable isle, but looks can be deceiving. I have tried several "mushy" eggplant recipes without success, until I had an epiphany.

"Eggplant Parmesan"!!!!...Aaahhhhhhhhhhhh (That is an epiphany sound, not the beginning of a sneeze)

Eggplant Parmesan happens to be one of my all time favorite Italian recipes and eggplant happens to be the one of the main ingredients.  I figured that this would be an easy recipe to modify into low carb as the only change would be to find a replacement for the breading.  I have used this breading several times, and each time I modify it with precision engineering measurements (aka just throw in different amounts of the main ingredients and experiment as you go).

Layers:
1 Large Eggplant
Shredded Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Sauce:
1 Small White Onion
1 Small Green Bell Pepper
12oz Can Diced Tomatoes
4oz Can Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 Links Italian Sausage
Italian Seasonings or Basil Pesto
Garlic
Salt

Low Carb Breading:
1/3 C Almond Meal
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
1/8 C Ground Flax Meal
2 Tbsp Coconut Flour
Salt
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
2 Eggs

Peel the eggplant. Using the thickest setting on your mandolin slice the eggplant into slices.  If you don't have a mandolin, go buy one, you won't regret it.  You can use a knife, but it is difficult to get thin slices, so be patient.  Beat the eggs in a bowl, and in a separate dish mix the dry ingredients for the breading. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg, lift and let drain a second, then coat with breading.  Shake off excess and place on a roasting rack in a cookie sheet. Bake 15-25 minutes @ 350F or until the breading browns and is fragrant like roasted almonds.

Meanwhile, cook the sausage links in a pan.  Remove and set aside to cool.  Dice the onion, bell pepper, & garlic and saute until softened.  Add the tomatoes, sauce, pesto/seasoning, and a pinch of salt.  Slice the sausage links and add them to the pan.  Simmer until eggplant is ready.

In a casserole dish place a layer of eggplant, top with a layer of sauce, sprinkle with shredded & Parmesan cheeses, then repeat until you are out.  Should make about a 1" thick casserole.  Place in the oven @ 350F and bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Low Carb Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

This recipe definitely satisfied my craving for eggplant parmesan. Surprisingly the breading tastes great, and doesn't get soggy when you bake it in the casserole.  I even had reheated leftovers and the breading held up much better than the regular carb loaded versions.

Low Carb Trail Mix

Tweet

One of the things that can be difficult on a low carb diet is snacks on the go.  My selection of nuts and seeds does resemble a bulk foods section at the grocery store, but I still seem to get tired of just plain nuts.

This isn't really a true recipe since the best mix is going to be a blend of whatever you like the best.  Here is the blend that I tend to like the most:

2C Almonds
1C Peanuts
1C Sunflower Seeds
1C Unsweetened Shaved Coconut
1C Dried Cranberries (No Sugar added)
1/2C Unsweetened Carob Chips

Scoop 1/2C of the mixture into snack bags. Bags are 5-7 Carbs a piece.

Tips:
1. Hunt around until you can find no sugar added dried cranberries.  I ended up finding the lowest carb content cranberries in the bulk section at a local health food store.
2. Get shaved coconut because the texture works very well with trail mix as opposed to shredded.
3. Use one type salted nuts and the rest unsalted otherwise it will throw off the sweet/salty balance too much.
4. If you are taking the trail mix on a long hike or somewhere where it is going to get hot then consider omitting the carob chips otherwise they will melt in your hands and not your mouth.
5. Pack for a hike, road trip, picnic, movie theater snack, ect....

Mesquite Grilled Vaquero Fajitas

Tweet

1 Pkg Beef Skirt Steaks
1 Pkg Chicken Breasts
1 Bottle Italian Dressing
Fajita Seasoning
Salt & Pepper
Minced Garlic
Onion Powder
Juice from 3 Limes
1/4 C Tequila
Sliced Onion
Sliced Bell Pepper

Season the steaks and breasts with salt, pepper, fajita seasoning, and onion powder.  Place them in a bag and add the dressing, garlic, lime juice, and tequila. Place meat in the fridge to marinate at least overnight.  Note, you can marinate then freeze them for later if required.  When ready to cook, light the grill and cook over some hot coals until done.

Heat some oil in a skillet and saute the onions and bell pepper until they are tender.

The chicken can be sliced into strips.  When you slice the steak slice it across the grain (perpendicular to the direction of the grain) and at a diagonal angle (meaning your knife will be at a 45 deg angle from the top of the cutting board).  This will ensure that when you bit into the fajita taco you can easily bit off a tender piece and not end up pulling the entire slice of meat out of the taco.  If you are unsure at how to slice it don't over-think it and instead try a few different directions until you end up with a slice that is very easy to bite off and chew.

For fajita tacos, serve with warm tortillas (low carb), sour cream, grilled onion/bell pepper, guacamole, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Zucchini Spinach Lasagna

Tweet

1 lb Ground Italian Sausage
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 Jar Marinara Sauce
Italian Seasoning
Minced Garlic
1 Diced Onion
2 Large Zucchini
2 Cups Shredded Cheese
1 Pkg Cream Cheese
1 Bunch Fresh Spinach (or 1 pkg Frozen Spinach)

I was initially inspired to make a low carb lasagna from some of the other blogs that have made some pretty good looking recipes. I found some delicious low carb lasagna recipes, but I still longed for a low carb replacement for the noodles that would provide the lasagna some body and a noodle like texture between the layers.

In a skillet saute the onions and garlic.  Add the sausage and turkey and brown.  Drain any excess grease and add the marinara sauce and Italian seasoning and reduce heat to a slow simmer.

Take the zucchini and slice them lengthwise as thin as you can, or approximately 1/16" thick.  I would highly recommend a mandolin slicer to get nice thin slices, but you can use a sharp knife as long as you have patience and a steady hand.  Don't fret about having perfect slices, as you can easily piece everything together in the dish.  Note, as seen from the photo below I did not have a mandolin slicer for the zucchini and I could probably use a bit more patience but it pieced together fine.

Spray a 9x13" casserole dish with pam.  Line the bottom of the dish with a layer of zucchini slices.

Then top the zucchini with a layer of the sauce, then some spinach, then some dollops of cream cheese as shown below.

Repeat zucchini, sauce, spinach, cream cheese until you run out or the casserole is full, whichever happens first.  The top layer should be a layer of zucchini slices topped with the shredded cheese.  Place in the oven @350degF for 30 to 45 minutes.  The lasagna should be bubbling and the cheese melted.

Note, this was the point in the experiment that I thought I had failed miserably because as I took it out of the oven I noticed that the zucchini slices had put off a significant amount of water.  I was afraid that all was lost and we would end up with a soupy mess.  This however was one of those mistakes that turned out to be good in the end.  I was able to easily drain all the excess water off of the casserole and I was left with a fairly stable lasagna.  I know, I know...you are not supposed to have to drain lasagna, but trust me, it's worth it.

Slice and serve.  Continue to drain any excess water as needed.  Even though the water is a bit of a pain, the taste of the lasagna was amazing.  The zucchini "noodles" added a good flavor and decent body to the lasagna.  A future experiment (maybe pre-cooking) is planned as an attempt to pull some of the water out of the zucchini prior to assembling the lasagna.

Low Carb Pancakes

Tweet

To anyone still following my blog, I apologize that the posts have been few and far between.  Since it is hard to find time, I am trying to regularly post one of my favorite recipes or low carb experiements that turn out to be a definate success.  This recipe falls into that catagory since pancakes are generally not going to fall in the low carb catagory.

I experiemented and adapted some low carb pancake recipes I found to come up with a low carb pancake mix that tastes great.

1/4 C Almond Flour

1/4 C Coconut Flour

1/4 C Low Carb Baking Mix (Bob's Red Mill Brand)

2 Tbsp Whey Protein Powder

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Truvia/Erythritol (or preferred sweetener)
1/4 tsp salt

2 Large Eggs
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil, Melted (or melted butter)
2 Tbsp Half and Half (or cream)

1 Cup Coconut Milk (or almond milk)

1/8 tsp vanilla (omit if you are using vanilla flavored whey)

Total Batch = 18-20 Net Carbs
Makes 8-12 Small/Meduim Pancakes @  2-3 Net Carbs Each
Serving Size = 2 Small/Medium Pancakes (4-6 Net Carbs)

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Beat the eggs in a seperate bowl.  Then add all of the remaining wet ingredients to the eggs except the coconut oil/butter.  Just before you are prepared to mix the wet and dry together add the melted coconut oil/butter to the wet ingredients then add the wet to the dry.  Mix until you have a batter.  If your batter is too thin add some more coconut flour, if it is too thick add some more coconut milk.

I used an electric skillet which I set to 325°F.  Once hot (spritz a few drops of water to verify that it is hot enough, the water should jump around wildly then evaporate quickly) pour approximately 1/4 Cup of batter on the skillet.  Use your spoon to spread the batter into a thin layer otherwise the pancake will end up too thick and won't get done in the center. 

I found that slightly less than 1/4 Cup yielded these nice small pancakes.  Let the pancakes cook until the bubbles on the top start to form and the bottom is browned.  It takes awhile for the pancake to cook enough to be able to flip them without making a mess. 

Cook until browned on the other side then serve.

Low Carb Topping Ideas:

-Peanut Butter

-Over Easy Eggs (if you prefer savory over sweet)

-Sugar Free Syrup

-Low Sugar/No Sugar Added Preserves

-Fruit & Whipped Cream

Roasted Asparagus

Tweet

Drop that steamer, put the asparagus on the counter, and slowly step away. Don't even think about putting that lovely asparagus in a steamer or pot of water.  Follow these directions very carefully and nobody will get hurt:

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.

2.  Wash asparagus and snap off ends.

3.  Lay on a greased cookie sheet and brush with olive oil.

4.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ginger powder.

5.  Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

6.  Pop in the oven for 10-20 minutes or until it reaches your desired crispness/tenderness.  (I prefer mine just in between crisp and tender so I usually bake for around 10-12 minutes.

You are now free to enjoy the world of roasted asparagus.  The only downside is that you have likely now learned the "err of your ways" from back in the days of the steamed/boiled asparagus.  I hope you enjoy as much as I have.

Oven Baked "Fall-off-the-Bone" Baby Back Ribs

Tweet

Ingredients:

1 Rack Baby Back Ribs

Signature Dry Rub

If you are low carbin', I recommend making your own dry rub since most pork rubs have brown sugar or some kind of sweetener. Just blend together your favorite seasonings to get the desired mix of salty, savory, & spicy flavors.  Besides, making your own dry rub will automatically give you some "street cred" among the Southern BBQ folks. Have fun with it and come up with a catchy name for your signature rub.  If you must have some sweetness, then you can blend in some sugar alcohols or artificial sweetener. Personally, I'll leave the sweet stuff to the folks in Kansas because here in Texas sweet BBQ makes less sense than a screen door on a submarine.

"Art's Country Engineered (We Ain't in Kansas Anymore) Texas Dry Rub Recipe"

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Red Pepper

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Fajita Seasoning

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Onion Powder

First remove the tough skin/membrane off of the back of the ribs.  Take a small knife and insert it between the skin and meat (just under the skin) in the center of the rack. Make the slit between two center ribs and cut it deep enough to fit a finger into.  Slide your finger between the skin and meat and pull the skin off of the ribs.  This should enable you to remove the entire membrane in one piece. Might take a bit of muscle, but it should come off without too much struggle. Grunt loudly and finish with a carnivorous roar as you rip off the membrane to make sure you scare your guests a little bit and live up to your newly earned "Street Cred".

Next lay the ribs on a piece of aluminum foil and coat the entire rack of ribs (top/bottom/& sides) with your signature dry rub. 

Wrap the ribs tightly and place in the oven @ 275°F for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. No need to turn them or do anything but wait patiently.

Slice and enjoy.  The meat should be extremely tender and almost falling off the bone. The only downside is you will probably wish you would have done 2 or 3 racks of ribs.

Warning-Don't let too many people know that you cooked the ribs in the oven or you might loose some of that "Street Cred" mentioned earlier.  These ribs might not have that amazing smokey flavor of ribs smoked over a mesquite fire all afternoon, but they are very simple to prepare and are sure to please.

Thai Chicken Curry Soup

Tweet

There isn't much I like more than some Thai curry poured over some rice. Since I can't have the rice, I made this easy curry soup and was impressed with the results.

2 Cans Coconut Milk

2 Cans Chicken Stock

1 tsp minced ginger

1 Tbsp Red Curry Paste

1 Pkg (5-8) Chicken Thighs

1 Red & Yellow Bell Pepper

1 Onion

1 Can Bamboo Shoots drained

1 Zucchini

6 Limes

Cilantro

Fish Sauce

Sriracha Sauce

In a pot add the coconut milk and chicken stock and heat to a simmer.  Add the ginger and curry paste.  Slice the chicken, onion, bell pepper and zucchini into strips (I usually shoot for 2" long x 1/2" wide or less). Add the chicken slowly to the pot and let simmer for a few minutes.  Then add all the vegetables and simmer until they are the desired tenderness.  Reduce heat to low and add 2 Tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tsp Sriracha, and the juice from 1 lime.  Cut the remaining limes into wedges and serve the soup with lime, cilantro, fish sauce, & sriracha for garnish.

Sun Dried Tomato, Bacon, Feta, & Spinach Low Carb Quiche

Tweet

Sun Dried Tomato, Feta Cheese, Spinach, & Bacon Quiche with Low Carb Almond Meal Crust

Almond Meal Crust:
*1-1/2 C Almond Meal or Almond Flour
3 Tbsp Ice Water
4 tsp Olive Oil

*Tip almond meal (w/skins) and almond flour (blanched/skins removed) can be interchanged. You can make your own almond meal by grinding almonds in a food processor or coffee grinder. Make sure you don't grind the almonds too long or you will end up with almond butter. Grind the almonds in steps using a sifter to sift out the flour and returning the larger bits to the grinder.  If you purchase almond meal/flour, I recommend buying it in bulk from Whole Foods/Central Market/Sun Harvest/ect because the per pound cost is generally cheaper. Always store in an airtight container because ground almonds can become rancid.

Mix almond meal/flour and salt.  Above picture is almond flour purchased from Sun Harvest.  Beat olive oil and water and add to almond meal/flour.  Mix until a dough forms.  Add more water or almond meal/flour as required to form a dough ball that is not too dry and not too sticky. 

Spread into a 9" greased pie plate.  Dip your fingers in ice water to keep them from sticking when pressing out your crust. 

Cousins (Merlin & Bailey)

Warning, you likely won't have alot of help during this phase of the project. I caught my helpers sleeping on the job. "Lazy Bums"!!!! Just wait, when this comes out of the oven everyone will be begging.

I recommend covering the edges of the pie with pie covers or just aluminum foil to prevent the edges from burning or getting too dark.  You must exhibit lots of patience if you use aluminum foil, otherwise you will end up very angry because they tend to fall off while placing in the oven.

Bake @350 for 15 to 20 minutes or until it starts to brown.  While the crust is baking work on the filling.

Quiche Filling:
5 Eggs
1/4 C Coconut Milk or Almond Milk
6 to 8 Sundried Tomatoes chopped
1/2 Cup Feta
1 Pkg Frozen Spinach
1 Pkg Bacon

Slice the bacon in 3/8" wide slices and fry until crispy. (If you have read the cast iron post, this would be a good time to use that skillet).  Drain the bacon on paper towels. 

Remove all but 1 Tbsp of bacon grease from the pan and add the spinach and cook until thawed.  Add the sundried tomatoes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Mix in the bacon and remove from heat.  In a bowl beat the eggs with the coconut/almond milk. 

Pour the spinach mixture into the pie crust.  Add the feta cheese and use a fork to mix the cheese in a bit.  Pour the egg mixture over everything and pop in the oven.  I once again recommend using the covers for the edge.  Remove the covers with about 20 minutes remaining.

Bake quiche 40 to 50 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.  Set out to cool and try to fight off all the hungry people that will be flocking to the kitchen due to the wonderful smell.

I was skeptical of the almond meal crust, but the concensus was that the taste and texture was amazing.  Several comments were that the almond meal crust is preferred over a regular crust.  Try it for yourself.  I'm thinking of using it for a low carb dessert soon. Im open to suggestions.

Seared Butterflied Salmon Steaks

Tweet

I love Salmon but for some reason I had difficulty getting it to cook perfectly.  If you remove it from the skin then it will fall apart.  If you leave the skin on then the skin gets crispy and browned but the rest of the fish doesn't get that great seared crust.  I discovered this technique for cutting and preparing the salmon so that you get a nice crisp crust and a nice flaky center.

Buy a 6 to 9" long piece of fresh salmon fillet. Ask the butcher to cut you off the thickest part of the salmon (try to get the forward most part of the fillet where it is thickest and widest.  Preferably you want the salmon to be at least 1.5" thick.

Butterfly Technique:
Cut the salmon in 2-3" wide strips all the way through the skin.

Then take each piece of salmon and prepare to make another cut 1-1.5" from the edge, directly in the center of the fish. This cut should run lengthwise. When you make this cut, only cut through the flesh down to the skin, but do not cut through the skin.

The fold the salmon in half so that the skin is folded back to back.

Season both sides of the steak with salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger powder. 

Heat up a skillet and put 1 Tbsp olive oil in the pan.  When the oil is hot (just before it starts to smoke), add the steaks to the pan.  Place the steak so the open side of the fold is facing down.  This will allow the fish to sear and help hold the butterflied steaks together nicely.

For medium to well done grill the steaks 2.5 to 3 minutes on each side.  For rare to medium rare grill the steaks for 1.5 to 2 minutes on each side.

You don't have to hassle with removing the salmon from the skin for presentation as it is ready to serve.  It also makes it very easy to eat as you just slide your fork next to the skin to remove the fish bite by bite.

Grilled Pork Loin Chops

Tweet

If you are trying to earn a cool nickname try serving this winning dish to your friends and maybe you will be known as "Pork Chop".  Even though it didn't work out for Costanza, it might turn out better for you.  Just make sure you don't serve them with a side of string beans or a bowl of beanie wienies.  That could backfire.

Grilled Loin Chop w/Steamed Broccoli and Sauted Spinach

Pork loin chops (To save a few bucks, buy a pork loin on sale and slice it into 3/4" chops yourself)
I have saved some dough by purchasing the entire pork loin from Sams Club which is generally about 2 to 3 feet long.  I then divide it into thirds.  One third I will make a pork loin roast, the other some sort of stuffed loin, and the last third I slice into chops.

I like to slice these loin chops thick so that they will remain juicy after cooking.  The cooking process should aid at keeping the chops moist.

Season the chops with Salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper or your favorite blend of spices.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a tablespoon of oil in your cast iron pan on high heat.  Let the pan get hot then add the chops.  The goal is to sear the chops.  Let the chop sear for 1 minute, then flip and sear the other side for 1 minute.  Pull the pan off the heat and place directly into the oven for 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

If you like saving money and cooking healty, check out this blog, cheaphealthygood.  It has become one of my favorites for saving some bills, paper, bacon, honk, roll, sawbucks, moolah, rock, benji's, chedda, C-notes, scratch, bread, smackeroos, or samolians.  I will take on the smug e-surance guy anyday!!!

"Jazzed Up" Spinach Egg Breakfast

Tweet

One of the staples of a low carb breakfast is eggs, but do you find yourself getting tired of eggs from your head to your legs? Want something besides a rEGGular breakfast? Starting to wish Humpty didn't get put back together again?

Okay, enough yolking around already.  This is a quick morning breakfast that will help jazz up those eggs a bit.  Maybe it's not "New Orleans" jazzed up, but it definatly has more Jazz than there is in Utah.

Jazzed Up Spinach Egg Breakfast

6 Eggs Beaten

1 Cup Ham Diced (or breakfast meat of choice)

1 Pkg Frozen Cut Leaf Spinach (or fresh spinach if you have some handy)

1/2 Onion Diced

Shredded Cheese

Salsa

Saute onion in a frying pan with a little butter.  Add ham and spinach.  When spinach is thawed completely and cooked through, add the eggs and stir until cooked.  Top with cheese and serve with optional salsa.



Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Skillet

Tweet

As far as food is concerned, usually if it looks good, then it tastes good as well...Right?

I have to admit that this dish does not quite follow those guidelines and is more of an "ugly duckling" dish.  It tastes amazing (and meets low carb guidelines) but does not come out to be the most appealing dish.  I have learned a valuable lesson; It is not fair to judge dishes solely on looks.  Sometimes you have to be willing to accept them however they look and no matter what political party they choose....well that is, unless they don't taste good or become too liberal.  Then it is ok to judge away.

Warning, it may be fun to make up some interesting (aka gross) names to describe how this dish looks, but I would recommend keeping them to yourself.  My wife wasn't very thrilled and did not get the childish humor in something I was trying to serve her for dinner.  On the other hand, if you have say a 12 year old son, he would probably enjoy the humor.



Recipe:

1 Pkg Frozen Leaf Spinach

(This would definatly be better with fresh spinach, but I have decided that this is my
"I don't have anything left in the fridge and I don't feel like going to the store so what can I whip up in a hurry" meal.  I think most of my best creations fall under that exact same description.)

1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes (you can sub RoTel for some spice!!)

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 8oz Jar Medium Artichokes

2oz Cream Cheese

2oz Sour Cream

1/3 Cup Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

1 Small Onion

Garlic, Salt, Pepper

Shredded Parmasean Cheese

Put a little olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat.  Add chopped onion and saute until they start to brown.  Add ground turkey and brown (You can drain the meat at this point, but I say what for, it's turkey). Add spinach, tomatoes, artichokes and seasoning.  Cook until spinach is thawed.  Add cream cheese, sour cream, and shredded cheese.  Stir until all the cheese is melted.  Top with parmasean cheese to serve. 

Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Skillet



Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

Tweet

The next dish was an amazing discovery and has become a lifesaver for the low carb diet.  My wife has gotten tired of constantly having eggs for breakfast.  One day at the store I stumbled upon low carb yogurt.  They actually have an abundance of flavors and only have 3 net carbs per cup.

This has become a simple, quick, and tasty low carb breakfast.

1/2 Carton Low Carb Yogurt (Flavor of your choice)
1/4 Cup of mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries)
1/8 Cup chopped almonds
1 Tbsp Whipped Cream

Follow these complicated and detailed instructions very carefully.  Place yogurt in a bowl and top with berries, chopped almonds, then whipped cream.  Enjoy!!!!!

 

Variation into a dessert:

I have to give credit for this variation to my malfunctioning refrigerator.  We just spent $300 to repair our fridge that wasn't cooling correctly, and since then it has become too cold and has been freezing things in the refrigerator.  I pulled one of the low carb yogurts out of the fridge and it was completely frozen.  I set it on the counter to thaw, but became too impatient after about 15 minutes.  What I ended up with was frozen yogurt that was creamy and flavorful. I made the same as above, but instead it ended up as ice cream with all the toppings.  Once I fix the fridge, I will just have to accidentally put a cup of yogurt in the freezer every once in awhile.

Low Carb Snow Ice Cream

Tweet

We live near Dallas, Texas and I always figured Texas was supposed to be a warm state.  Not the case last week when we were hit with single digit temperatures and several inches of ice topped with snow and sleet that incapacitated the area for a whole week.  I'm ok with a little snow or cold weather for one or two days a year, but c'mon, this is a bit much.

Well all that cabin fever made for a great idea for a late afternoon treat.

Step 1.
Order some freezing cold weather and snow accumulation.  Preferably the soft fluffy type.

Step 2.
Place your bottle of wine in natures cooler for optimum thermodynamic heat transfer*.  See picture for proper installation.
*Not necessarily a true statement, but it is more interesting than the fridge.




Step 3.
If you are able to plan ahead, then place a clean bowl outside so that it will accumulate snow during the snowfall.  If you are less patient like me, then you will have embark on an important expedition to gather the correct snow.  Basically, find the cleanest snow around and gather it in a bowl.
Tip: If you have dogs, avoid the backyard for obvious reasons and instead choose another location not traveled by pets or animals.


Step 4.
Mix the following ingredients:
Snow
Heavy Cream or Half and Half
Sugar Free Syrup (Flavor of your choice)

Notes: Add less cream for more of a snow cone/frozen yogurt texture or add more cream to get closer to a real ice cream texture.  Add syrup to your preferred sweetness.  Start with 1 tsp syrup per Cup of snow.



2 Tbsp Half & Half per Cup of Snow



2 Tbsp Half & Half and 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream per Cup of Snow

Step 5.
Retrieve that chilled bottle of wine from outside and enjoy with your amazing dessert.

The snow has since melted and it is actually 55°F today.  However, I heard that tommorow we are expecting another winter storm with 13° temperatures and more snow and ice.  I was bummed at first, but hey, if God sends you snow, make ice cream!!!

Zucchini Wrapped Pork Loin Chops

Tweet

I remember seeing a similar recipe in a Better Homes & Garden magazine and decided to make a few modifications and give it a try.

1 large zucchini
6 to 8 pork loin chops (To save money you can buy the whole pork loin on sale and slice it into chops yourself)
olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp basil pesto
Italian seasoning, salt, & pepper

Slice the zucchini as thin as you can.  Try to get 2 slices for each chop.  The zucchini needs to be thin so that they are pliable.  Season each pork chop with salt, pepper, & italian seasoning.  Wrap each chop with two slices of zucchini and place toothpicks in the chops to keep the zucchini in place.  Brush the zucchini and chops with the olive oil and place on a rack in a baking sheet.  Bake in the oven @350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pork is done.  Mix the pesto and minced garlic and serve each chop with a little pesto on the side for dipping. 

I served the pork chops with a side salad.  There is nothing that great about the salad except that instead of croutons, my wife came up with the idea to make backed cheese crisps to top the salad.  These tasted great and added an amazing texture to the salad.

Cheese Crisps:
1/2 cup grated cheese (I like to use a mexican cheese blend)
1/2 cup shredded pamasean
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients together. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place a thin layer of cheese on the parchment paper.  The layer should be spread out so thin that the shreads of cheese only slightly overlap each other.  Bake at 400 until the cheese is melted and bubbling.  Set the oven to broil and toast the cheese to get it crispy.  Break the cheese into small pieces and use as a crunchy topping.

Smoked Salmon Zucchini Bites

Tweet

One of the challenges of a low carb diet is appetizers or Hors d'oeuvres.  It seems like everything is either fried, breaded, baked, or served on a cracker.  I was inspired to create this recipe based on a very similar recipe I found on another blog.  The link to the other recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Smoked Salmon
1 Large Zucchini
Cream Cheese
Dill Weed

Slice the Zucchini as thin as you can.  Top 1/2 of the slice with the smoked salmon and top the other half with the cream cheese.  Sprinkle a little dill weed on top of the cream cheese.  Plate and serve.  To eat, pick up the zucchini bite, fold in half, and eat.

I tested several different ways to cut the zucchini and the above method was by far my favorite.  The super thin slices of zucchini added a bit of interesting flavor and texture, but did not take away from the flavor of the salmon.  The draw back is that you have to fold them in half as the zucchini is too flimsy to hold up on it's own.  If you prefer more crunch and flavor from the zucchini, then you can slice it thicker.  This allows you to pick up the bite and eat it without folding as pictured below.

Inspiration:
Three-ingredient appetizer: smoked salmon spirals on cucumber rounds
http://stuffimakemyhusband.blogspot.com/2011/01/three-ingredient-appetizer-smoked.html