Chicken Salad Wrap

I've been eating lighter lately.  After creating desserts and testing desserts and eating LOTS of desserts, my body is telling me, "lighten up"!  So no desserts for me for a while, low carb or otherwise, not unless I have a place to take it and share any way.   My breakfast is simple, no bread--no nuts. I am finding I really don't need it.  I have my omelet in the morning and that keeps me all morning long.

CHICKEN SALAD WRAP

1 can white Chicken meat (Valley Fresh is gluten free)
1 tbsp (approx. I didn't actually measure) extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
sprinkle with salt and pepper, and thyme.  (I didn't measure, just sprinkled).  Mix well and add some bacon bits.  Place on top of two romaine lettuce leaves.  Top with shredded cheese, wrap and eat.

This is pretty simple and I like it better than with mayonnaise.  I didn't have homemade mayonnaise and I'm really getting tired of the store bought with soybean oil or canola oil.  Actually this doesn't need mayonnaise.  It was pretty flavorful this way I thought.  I didn't enter this into my Mastercook and get a nutrition count, but there's nothing carby in it so I'm not concerned.  This was very satiating along with my rooibos tea with a tsp of coconut oil in it, and a protein shake with kefir and whey protein.  I am very satisfied without feeling heavy, full, and bloated.  I find if I have healthy fats and enough protein, I don't get hungry.  A lot less goes a lot farther.  I don't feel I need to eat for a long time.  Good thing too because I'm spring cleaning on my spring break!  I need the energy.  I even got my downstairs closet cleaned out finally! Yay me!

My Pages

Well, I stumbled on the instructions for how to add pages to your blog, so I am beginning the task of adding pages for each category of my recipes so they will be easier to find.  So far I have Main dishes, Salads Sides and Soups, Breads and Sandwiches, and Sweet Things.  You can find it on the sidebar below My Archive. I will work on more later.  Shew! That took up pretty much my afternoon.  But I'm glad I finally know how to do this so it will be easier for people to browse the categories they want to find recipes.  I will continue to work on it!

Chicken Parmesan Bake and Broccoli with Lemon Garlic Butter

This is what we had for supper tonight.  It was inspired by a post on the Bernstein forum that my mind churning.  For some reason nobody can get into the recipe on the site by that name, and boy that sounded good!  I had planned on having chicken tonight so I figured I could maybe come up with my own anyway, even if I don't know what the recipe spoken of was.  This one turned out so wonderful.  Another keeper for my family anyway.

The steamed broccoli, tossed in lemon garlic butter is one of our favorites that we have often and it complimented the chicken perfectly.

                          Chicken Parmesan Bake

3  large  chicken breast halves without skin -- pounded thin (about 6 oz. breasts)

2  tablespoons  mayonnaise

2  tablespoons  Ranch salad dressing

1/4 cup  parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon  garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon  brown mustard

1/2 cup  fiesta blend shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F.  (190 C).  Spray 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23 cm) baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Pound chicken breasts thin, and lay in bottom of pan.  In small bowl combine mayonnaise and ranch dressing.  To this add parmesan cheese, garlic powder and brown mustard.  Mix well.  

Spread evenly on top of each chicken breast.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of each piece.  Bake 45 minutes or until chicken is done in the center and lightly browned on top.  

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Servings: 3/Per Serving: 335 Calories; 21g Fat (57.4% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 91mg Cholesterol; 461mg Sodium.  

                    

                  

Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic Butter

1   pound  frozen broccoli flowerets
1/4 cup  butter -- (from grass fed beef if you can get it)
1 teaspoon  minced garlic
1 teaspoon  lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon  lemon grass
1/4 teaspoon  rosemary -- crushed
1/4 teaspoon  garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon  onion powder
1/8 teaspoon  dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon  salt -- (Optional)

Steam broccoli flowerets for 7 to 8 minutes or until crisp tender, and still bright green.  In small saucepan, combine butter, garlic, lemon juice, lemon grass, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard and salt.  Heat, stirring, until butter is melted.  Drizzle over broccoli and toss.

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4 servings/Per Serving: 137 Calories; 12g Fat (72.0% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 203mg Sodium.

Results Of The Fermented Fries Experiment

I said I would report back when I ate the next batch of my fermented fries and checked my blood sugar after.

In a word I'M SO DISAPPOINTED!  My blood sugar before eating them was 100.  1 hour after eating 1 cup of the fermented fries along with about 4 oz. of roast beef, my blood sugar was 173.  This was not what I hoped for!  And I am really embarrassed and owe you all an apology for getting people excited about possibly having real french fries.

Well, it was an experiment.  One I was sure would work.  It didn't.  I still don't know why it works for some foods but not others to ferment them and reduce the sugar content.  It worked for the apples, but it didn't work for the potatoes.  Ok, so life goes on.  I've lived for 7 years without potatoes.  I can live without them.  No big deal. It's not something I crave, but nevertheless, I was hoping it would be a help for some who do have a hard time letting go of potatoes.  There may be a way, I don't know, but I guess I have accepted potatoes don't need to be a part of my life.  Ha!  And you know what?  I don't care.  I really don't.  To tell you the truth, I prefer green bean fries to potato fries.

Ok, well, so this was one of my failures.  On to some successes! I'm sorry if I got anyone's hopes up.

One Person Pizza and Fermented Potato Fries

I have two things today to share.  My lunch today...

A one serving size pizza that I just threw together quick, with my coconut microwave bread in mind for a crust, only without a couple ingredients.  It turned out excellent.  I may use this as a flatbread as well for a wrap.  Haven't tried that yet, but it looks flexible enough that it just may work.  I topped it with bbq shredded chicken that we had last night for supper along with my fermented potato fries

These turned out wonderful!  Yes, they are real potatoes.  They were fermented for a week in kefir whey, salt, and spring water.  Very simple.  The starch is removed.  They are very crispy.  Probably more so than normal fries would be because the starch is removed.  Besides being less carbs, they greatly reduced the bad stuff that causes cancer when you heat potatoes too high.  Here is an excerpt about it from here: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-dangers-eating-french-fries-4557839.html...

Dangers of Eating French Fries: They Contain Acrylamides
Recent research has shown that carbohydrates such as potatoes form acrylamides when heated to high temperatures. Acrylamides have been shown to cause cancer in rats and is believed to do the same in humans. Manufacturers of processed foods are currently working to lower acrylamide levels in common foods such as cookies, breads, potato chips, cereals, and other baked goods - all of which have been shown to contain acrylamides. While you can argue that the acrylamides from a single order of French fry potatoes is unlikely to cause problems; remember how much acrylamide you're already getting from processed foods. Oven baking fries is not significantly better since it also produces acrylamides.

So even though you won't get the probiotics from it after heating them, you do get a much healthier french fry.

I was in a hurry last night so unfortunately I can't tell you what impact they had on my blood sugar.  That will have to wait until the next batch, which is in my freezer.  I made up a whole 5 lb. bag at once and then froze them in separate freezer bags.  So now I just have to grab them out of the freezer and wash off with hot water to thaw, dry very well, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings and bake 425 degrees F for about 30 minutes.  Voila! They are real fries.  So tasty!  I am kicking myself for not checking my bg so I can report the results, but I will make them again soon and report.

Here's what I did.  I used one 5 lb. bag, cut into fries, mixed with 1/2 cup kefir whey, 2 tbsps sea salt, cover with spring water.  I put a plate on it to whey it down so the fries would not pop up out of the water.  I covered it tightly.  (I used a crock pot.)  I let it sit for a week.  They turned out perfect.  When you are ready to use them, rinse them well, and dry in a cotton towel very dry. Freeze them in freezer bags if you don't want to use them right away, or cook them immediately.

Here is my pizza crust recipe.  Very quick and easy.  Probably done by others, who knows?  It's basic.

One Person Pizza Crust                      

1 large  egg, beaten
1 tablespoon  coconut flour
2 tablespoons  fiesta blend shredded cheese
dash  salt
onion powder
garlic powder
italian seasoning
water as needed

Preheat oven to 425 F.  In small bowl or cup, combine egg, coconut flour, shredded cheese and salt.  Sprinkle in onion powder garlic powder and italian seasoning. (I didn't measure I just sprinkled it in, maybe 1/2 tsp.)  Mix all together with a fork and add just enough water to get a thick but spreadable consistency.

Place parchment paper on a one-person serving size pizza pan, or 8-inch square pan.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Drop out dough onto parchment paper.  Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and press all around with fingers until it is spread out evenly.

Bake crust 10 to 15 minutes or until just done but not browned.  Spread toppings of your choice and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted to your liking.

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4 Slices/Per Slice: 36 Calories; 2g Fat (59.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 55mg Cholesterol; 37mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fat.

Nachos

I haven't been blogging much lately.  Just been too busy with, well you know... life.  But, yeah, we're still eating, and I'm cooking and baking and recipe testing.  In fact I'm doing a little too much recipe testing, because I'm eating way more than I'm needing to eat because it all has to get eaten.  We're all on different diets here.  Hubby is on Weight Watchers and my son is on salt-restricted, low oxylate because of kidney stones.  Try to make a menu for the week for a family with all those differences!  It just doesn't happen sometimes.  I cook low carb.  They take away or add to what they want for themselves out of that.

I made these nachos out of the Cracker or Cereal Mix I did a video of some time ago.  I just added some Nacho Cheddar popcorn seasoning to the mix for some nacho cheese flavor.  They turned out pretty good.  My hubby enjoyed them also, but couldn't have too many because he's on WW.  Too bad.  *snicker*  I have to tease him.  When I'm eating my rich cream pies, which just don't fit in a low fat diet, I say, "sorry sweetie, not on WW" with a smile.  Maybe I'll convince him yet that low carb is great.  I don't know.  To each his own.

So anyway, if you need a salty snack, or just want something light, nutritious, and munchy and crunchy and aren't hungry for a whole meal, this is pretty good.

1 serving: 
77 calories
3 g protein
6 g fat
3 g fiber
0 g net carbs