I used to love split pea soup with ham. One of the things I truly miss on a cold day. This soup uses green beans and cauliflower pureed and slow cooked with a ham bone and it sure hit the spot. In my opinion, it is every bit as good as split pea soup. The flavors blended together are wonderful.
It does the trick for me! I hope it does for you, if you are a lover of split pea soup with ham. It's been a long time since I've had actual split pea soup, but I think this tastes like the real thing that I remember. I don't think my family knew that it wasn't until I told them.
In steamer, or microwave, steam the cauliflower until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain any water and place in food processor.
Empty green beans into food processor with cauliflower and process until a smooth puree.
In crock-pot, add chicken stock, pureed vegetables, ham bone, onion powder, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. Mix together, cover, and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove bay leaves.
Remove ham bone, cut off all the ham you can and add the ham pieces back into the soup. Stir together and serve.
Copyright:
"1/4/2017, Ginny Larsen"
Yield:
"6 cups"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving: 157 Calories; 8g Fat (43.3% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber
NOTES : This is salty as is with the ham so I found it did not need any additional salt. If you want to add salt taste first!
*Estimated to get about 1 cup of ham from ham bone.
I don't normally want cold cereal, but lately I just had a hankering for some good cold cereal. I have another recipe for cold cereal that I like but I didn't have time to make all the ingredients for that one or have all on hand. Decided to try this and see how it turned out. It turned out wonderful. It's very crunchy, like cold cereal should be. It's a good base recipe to which you can add any other things you like, such as nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, dried cranberries, or whatever.
I normally use erythritol and stevia to sweeten most things, but I wanted to use a flavored syrup for this. If you don't want to use sucralose, You can try a flavored stevia extract. Erythritol sometimes changes the texture of baked things, and makes them softer instead of crunchy, so I didn't use any granulated erythritol, however I used a liquid stevia extract (GV brand from Walmart) which has some erythritol added. But the liquid seems to be okay, and the combo of that and the Torani syrup was good. You could use whatever flavor you prefer. I wanted vanilla but only had the Smore's flavor and that turned out really good.
"Talk about a high protein, high fiber, very healthy breakfast cereal! This is it!" Cinnamon Cereal Flakes
Recipe By :Ginny
Serving Size : 4
Categories : Breakfast
(I put the brands I use and that is how the nutrition is derived)
1/2 cup almond flour - Honeyville
1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal
1/3 cup whey protein isolate, Isopure -- (1 scoop)
1 tablespoon oat fiber (Trim Healthy Mama, Gluten Free)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Smore's flavored sugar free Torani syrup (or vanilla or any flavor you like)
1/4 teaspoon stevia extract, GV
1 large egg
Preheat oven to 250F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
In food processor, add almond flour, flaxmeal, whey protein, oat fiber and cinnamon, and pulse a few times to blend it all together.
Add vanilla sugar free Torani syrup (or any flavor), stevia extract, and egg.
Process until smooth. It will be thick and sticky. Pour out onto parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non stick spray and with hands just smooth out to corners until evenly flattened and thin as you can get it.
Bake 30 minutes. Check to see how done it is, and bake 10 minutes longer at a time, keeping watch on it, until completely dry in the middle and lightly browned but make sure not to burn. Takes about an hour altogether.
Let cook completely on wire rack. When cooled break into pieces. Store in ziplock bag in refrigerator.
Per Serving: 187 Calories; 13g Fat (53.4% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber
Serving Ideas : You can add slivered almonds, or other nuts to this if you want, or dried cranberries, toasted coconut flakes, or whatever else you want for variety. You can also use different flavored syrups if you want or extracts.
NOTES : 2g useable carbs per serving, fiber is pure dietary fiber so I do not count it.
It was "clean out the fridge" and "use up the leftovers" day today. I had a half head of cabbage, and first thought I'd make the very popular "Crack Slaw" but then I was more inclined to an Italian flavor, so I sat down at my MasterCook and cooked up in my head this skillet dish. Wow! It is definitely going to be a staple in our house. There were no leftovers of this one. It reminded me of a goulash I used to like with beef and macaroni. I'm just sad there was nothing leftover for my lunch tomorrow. I seriously want to make this again soon.
I'm trying to count total carbs lately, and not "net" carbs, unless it is pure fiber, such as psyllium, oat fiber, or flaxmeal. I know that my body does not count those carbs, as I've tested myself. With flax I have actually had a lower blood sugar after eating it than before. So I don't count pure fiber carbs. But I will continue listing the fiber and net carbs for anyone who does.
Unfortunately over the summer I gained weight mostly due to stress and just not caring about my health. There were more serious issues in the world to deal with, and I let it go. I get frustrated at times having to pay so much attention to everything I eat. It's not that I am tired of the low carb foods I eat but I get tired of COUNTING everything I eat, and just want to eat without thinking about it. Reality struck hard, however, when I stepped onto the scale again after Thanksgiving. I realized this is life... I do have to count. I can eat low carb foods, but still eat too many carbs. So my blood sugar went up. I'm not comfortable in my skin or my clothes. It's time to face the facts of life for a diabetic. It's time to go back to counting. So, I'm back to Dr. Bernstein's 6-12-12. If you have not read his book I highly recommend that you do. What I like about his diet is that it is consistent. No changes or levels. It makes life much more predictable and my diet much easier to manage and adjust to for life. I reversed my diabetes on his diet back in 2005 when first diagnosed. Sadly, I need to do some more reversing again! Attitude adjustment is in place. I can adjust just fine to reversing with this kind of meal!
In same pan, add the beef drippings and add celery. Stir and cook on medium high heat until celery is softened. Add cabbage and stir and cook until it is wilted.
Add the ground beef, minced garlic, tomato paste, beef base, Italian seasoning, onion powder and hot sauce. Stir until well combined. Pour boiling water over all.
Stir together, cover, and let simmer about 10 to 15 minutes. Salt and pepper if needed.
Description:
"Very low in calories and only 11 total grams of carbs, quick and easy Italian skillet supper."
Copyright:
"December, 2016, Ginny Larsen"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving: 294 Calories; 18g Fat (53.2% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber0
I had no intention of posting this tonight, but it was so yummy that I decided to. I took my earlier recipe here of Pumpkin Chili, and made it a little better, and a little lower carb. This makes 7 good hearty 1 cup servings and boy is it good on a very very cold snowy day in Minnesota.
I guess you can decide which one you'd rather make and judge for yourself what you like. This is one of my family's favorite chili recipes. I hope you like it too.
Pumpkin Chili, revised
Recipe By :Ginny Larsen
Serving Size : 7
2 pounds ground beef, Simply Nature, 100% grass fed
6 ounces green chili peppers -- diced
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes
2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon better than Bouillon Beef Base -- dissolved in hot water (or instead of water and beef base, just use 2 cups beef broth. This is what I had on hand.
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Pyure (or sweetener of choice to equal 1 teaspoon)
In large sauce pan, brown beef. Drain. Add chili peppers, tomato juice, diced tomatoes, hot water with beef base dissolved in it or beef broth.
Add canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt, and Pyure sweetener.
Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 to 30 minutes, letting the flavors come together.
A nice Christmas cookie, with flavors of vanilla and cranberries, I'm happy with how these turned out. They have a nice texture - just the right chewiness for my liking. Make sure not to overbake. I actually started from my Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and adjusted it here and there to make cranberry cookies. I hope you will enjoy them and maybe add them to your holiday celebrations. They are going with me to a Christmas party.
Cranberry Cookies
Recipe By :Ginny
Serving Size : 18 cookies
1 1/4 cups almond flour - Honeyville
1/2 cup whey protein isolate, Isopure
1/2 cup Pyure sweetener (or granulated sweetener to equal 1 cup sugar)
1/4 cup oat fiber
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter -- softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon stevia extract, GV brand
1/4 cup HOT water
1/2 cup fresh cranberries -- each cut in half
Pyure sweetener -- to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
In mixing bowl, add almond flour, whey protein isolate, Pyure sweetener, oat fiber, and salt. Sift together.
In small bowl, add butter, egg, vanilla extract and stevia extract. Mix with electric mixer until smooth.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until well combined. Pour the hot water over all and mix in until it makes a stiff dough. Stir in cranberries.
Use cookie scoop (2 tbsp) to scoop dough onto cookie sheet. (It helps to dip the scoop into hot water between each scoop). Flatten with the back of a spoon. Lightly sprinkle more sweetener on top of each cookie if desired.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes. They won't brown on top but will begin to brown around the bottom and edges. Cool completely.
Copyright:
"12/13/2016, Ginny Larsen"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per cookie: 82 Calories; 7g Fat (61.9% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber
I love Chicken Divan. So I thought hmmm... why not hamburger divan? Right? I had a pound of hamburger and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it and didn't want to make the same old things I normally make so I thought of this. It's the same idea as chicken divan, only with hamburger. I was curious to know what the "divan" meant, so if you're curious here is a Wikipedia explanation, It's interesting anyway, if you're the curious sort. I used a gluten free organic cream of mushroom condensed soup in this, and that gives a few more carbs (4 per serving), but if you want a totally grain free sauce, then you could do the same sauce in my Chicken Divan recipe instead. But this was fantastic and we loved it. My husband tends to like this version much better. Sometimes I am willing to add a few carbs in order to lower his.
So I won't make this a long drawn out post, (which I tend to hate on blogs I go to), and will get on to the recipe.
I had a hard time naming this because it's not really a baked ziti, since I'm not using ziti pasta, but I used a baked ziti recipe and instead of the ziti pasta used a spaghetti squash. The result was phenomenal! We loved it. Of course it does not have the pasta feel. You just are not going to get that with spaghetti squash. I've learned to like things for what they are not for what I'm trying to replace. It's not pasta. It's spaghetti squash, but you have all the baked ziti flavors added to a spaghetti squash, and you have a new meal that stands alone. And it's not a disappointment! A very satisfying meal that needs nothing added. My family loved it and nobody said, "isn't there supposed to be some pasta in there somewhere?" No, we did not miss it.
Earlier in the day or a day ahead of time, prepare the spaghetti squash. It makes it much easier. Cut the squash in half and remove pulp and seeds, spread each half with extra virgin olive oil or butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in preheated 400 degree F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender. Let cool enough to handle and then scrape out the strands of spaghetti squash.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
In frying pan add ground beef, fennel seed, sea salt, pepper, onion flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir together and brown. Add marinara sauce and simmer.
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a baking dish. You can use a casserole dish, or a 9 x 11-inch baking pan. Your choice. I used a casserole dish.
In medium bowl add ricotta cheese, sea salt, and basil. Stir together.
To baking dish, add half of the spaghetti squash. Top with half of the ricotta cheese. To this with 1/3 of the meat sauce. Then 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Repeat with the other half of spaghetti squash, other half of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the meat sauce topping with 1 cup of the mozzarella.
Add the rest of the meat sauce and the remaining cup of mozzarella. Bake for 40 minutes.
I'm making this post to let people know there are frauds out there, that put up blogs, pinterest and facebook pages, only to steal other blogger's recipes, remove the copyright, and post them as their own, stealing all the hard work, time, and love that goes into creating recipes. One such page on pinterest is https://www.pinterest.com/99LowCarb/low-carb-recipes/ and their facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/99LowCarb/
I've found several of my own recipes on their page, as well as other food bloggers that I know. Please, please, when you find pages like this, do not support them, confront them that you know what they are doing, spread the word to others to let them know, and report them if you see a violation. It is sad that this happens and very discouraging, and really makes me wonder if the work is worth it only for others to steal it and make money off my labor. I don't make any money off what I share. I do it as a labor of love! I get a small amount of money from ads on my blog, really not enough to keep up the blog. But others steal my recipes as well as others who have worked hard, and make them their own and use them for profit. Please don't support these types of pages if you know what they are doing.
I report them when I find them, and will post them on my blog to expose them when I become aware of them, and hopefully enough people will spread the news that they will no longer be able to continue to do what they do. It is nearly impossible to keep up with all the crooks out there who don't want to make an honest living. It's nearly impossible to protect your own work. People can steal recipes, put together their own recipe books, and who is any the wiser? I will keep posting recipes because I want to help people. I guess what others do they will do. But I will do what I can to make others aware of it also and hope all you good people out there will hold them accountable when you are able and make sure to spread the word.
This is just a very quick post, because it's my birthday. Yes, and I've been too busy enjoying the day with my honey, hiking and picnicking. We had a beautiful day! And my Heavenly Father blessed me with a gift too, perfect weather in October! 72 degrees and sunny.
This is basically the same recipe as my zucchini cake recipe here. The only thing changed is that instead of Einkorn flour I added cocoa to make it a chocolate cake. I love the way it turned out in every way. It is a very moist and chocolaty cake. The zucchini really adds the right amount of moistness, and it rises well. Most chocolate cakes I try to make don't. But I loved the way this rose. I use a silicone bundt pan, which worked really nice.
5 large eggs 1/2 cup erythritol 1/4 cup Pyure 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded zucchini -- (I cut one large zucchini in chunks and place in food processor with S blade and process.) 1/3 cup coconut oil 1 1/2 cups almond flour - Honeyville 1/4 cup whey protein isolate, Isopure -- unflavored 1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal 1/4 cup oat fiber 1/4 cup cocoa
In mixing bowl, add eggs, erythritol, Pyure, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Blend together with electric mixer.
Add Zucchini, oil, almond flour, whey protein, flaxseed meal, oat fiber, and cocoa. Mix until combined.
Pour into Bundt pan, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and bake in 350F preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hr. If knife inserted comes out clean it is done. It was done for me at 1 1/4 hour.
Cool completely on wire rack. Turn out onto plate and add a glaze if desired. I simply mix powdered sweetener such as Pyure or Swerve, and add a little bit of vanilla and enough cream to make it the right consistency. Per Serving: 143 Calories; 12g Fat (65.7% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber;
I'm on an apple roll these days, Fall is in the air, and my house smells like apples. I love it!! Okay, I have to admit part of that apple smell comes from a room fragrance. After my 3 jars of fermented apples were all done I made up a batch of my Fried Caramel Apples and I found a recipe on Taste of Home that I knew would be the perfect one to low carb using these apples. One problem was the crust. Hmmmm, what would make a good crust. I KNOW! I KNOW! A version of uplateanyway's stromboli crust! I've made her stromboli and it's just too good. Really! You have to try it! So for this I added a little sweetener to it.
Oh my oh my oh my! This turned out so good. I'm not kidding. It's not as much work as it appears. You do have to plan ahead for it though. It takes 3 to 5 days to lacto-ferment the apples. Then just make up a batch of the Fried Caramel Apples before you are going to do this, then all you have to do is make the crust...easy peasy, not as hard as it looks. Tonight is pizza night at our house. So I'll make my pepperoni pizza and then I'll have a slice of dessert pizza too. I feel like I'm at a pizza buffet or something!
Crisp Topping
3/4 cup almond meal -- (place slivered almonds in food processor and process until it makes a coarse meal)
3 tablespoons Pyure sweetener
1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons oat bran
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter -- cold, diced
Glaze
1/4 cup Pyure sweetener -- powdered in coffee grinder
3 tablespoons heavy cream -- (OR as needed to get the right consistency)
Crust: Melt shortening OR butter in microwave. Set aside
Combine Pyure sweetener with shredded cheese and melt in microwave about 2 to 2 1/2 min. at 30% power.
Add almond flour, coconut flour, melted butter, and egg to melted cheese and combine. It will be really sticky and messy. Put the whole thing back in the microwave for about 10 to 30 seconds more and mix together until it is well blended together and forms into a ball.
Roll out dough on parchment paper to fit your pizza pan. Place parchment and dough onto pizza pan.
Fried Caramel Apple Filling: (Easier if you make this up ahead and have ready). In small frying pan, add butter and melt. Add apples, sweetener, cinnamon, blackstrap molasses, and caramel extract. Stir together and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle guar gum (if using) over all and stir in for another minute).
Crisp Topping: In food processor, add almond meal, Pyure sweetener, blackstrap molasses, oat bran, cinnamon, and butter.
Pulse until mixture is crumbly, but don't over process or you'll get a dough instead of crumbles.
Spread apples onto unbaked crust. Top with crisp topping. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake 20 minutes. Cool completely.
Glaze: In small bowl place powdered Pyure. Add enough cream and stir until it is of drizzling consistency. Drizzle with a spoon over pizza. Serve.
12 servings/Per Serving: (Not counting the apples, because I cannot know the carb count after they are fermented. Go by your meter) 200 Calories; 17g Fat (72.8% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber
*editing this to say that the fermented apples raised me as much as a low carb vegetable would, like broccoli. So I estimate about 5g carbs (no way of really knowing) when I use them in a recipe. So in that case, this would come to about 11g total carbs. But as I always say, your mileage may vary. You can do your own test with a blood sugar meter.
Yes Virginia! You can have your apples and eat them too! I've posted previously about fermented apples and the effect they have on my blood sugar. Well that was way too long ago and I never did get back to it, or make another apple pie or decide on a good crust for it. So I apologize to those who were looking forward to that!! It's apple season once again and I'm interested in apples. So I made a video to show you, first of all, how to ferment the apples. Some people add salt, but if you use fresh whey from kefir or homemade yogurt, you don't have to add salt. They turn out lovely without and you don't have salty apples then.
Crust ideas anyone? It needs to be a crust that will not get soggy when baked with the apples. If you have a good one feel free to share it in the comments. If you want to benefit from the pro-biotics then eat these as is without heating them. I sprinkle a little sweetener and cinnamon on them and just eat them as a side dish.
SEE IT BETTER ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/1GdSN9SGiBo
Fried Caramel Apples
Recipe By: Ginny Larsen
Serving Size : 4
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups (1 jar) fermented apples -- diced (nutritional information not given because I really have no way of knowing the carb count once they are fermented! I go by my meter)
2 tablespoons Pyure sweetener
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Caramel extract
1/8 teaspoon guar gum -- (optional - if you want it thickened more)
In small frying pan, add butter and melt. Add apples, sweetener, cinnamon, blackstrap molasses, and caramel extract. Stir together and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle guar gum (if using) over all and stir in for another minute).
*Apples not included - remaining ingredients per serving: 27 Calories; 3g Fat (92.5% calories from fat); trace Protein; trace of Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber
Serving Ideas: This is wonderful as a treat by itself hot or cold. Add whipped topping, or yogurt, or spoon over ice cream. Use it for a pie filling. For a 9-inch pie you would have to double the recipe.
Even though it does not feel like a Fall day, my mind is in "Fall mode" today, and I'm looking forward to cool crisp air once again, and thinking about Fall foods. This was my last bag of cranberries from the last cranberry season, actually. I had bought several and kept them in my freezer. I decided I better find a way to use them today. I was going to do a search for a good cranberry bread recipe online but decided to just see what I could do with converting a Betty Crocker recipe. I still have my very old Betty Crocker cookbook, believe it or not! It was a wedding gift that I've treasured through the years and learned to cook with. The cover is duct taped together and some of the pages are falling out, but I still refer to it often! Many of the recipes are so easy to convert.
I love my silicone bread pan and that's what I used to bake this in. I think it works best if you happen to have one. Comes out nice and easy. As I always do when I make a new recipe, I say a prayer that it turns out good. I've had too many flops with bread or cake recipes. And all those expensive ingredients go to waste!! But I was very pleasantly surprised how well this turned out. It is so good. I love the color and flavor the cheese adds to it. I could not be more happy with this bread. If you try it, I hope you will enjoy it.
P.S. My hubby (non-low-carber) just took a piece and said, "I like it. It's good." There ya go... you can't get a better review than that.
Cranberry-Cheese Bread
Recipe By Ginny Larsen
Serving Size: 16
FLOURS
1 cup almond flour - Honeyville
1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal
1/4 cup oat fiber -- (*distinct from oat bran-see note below)
1/8 cup coconut flour
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/2 cup Pyure Sweetener -- OR other granulated sweetener to equal 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening, non-hydrogenated -- (OR unsalted butter)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WET INGREDIENTS
3 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 squeeze MIO Orange Vanilla flavored water inhancer -- OR 1 tsp orange extract + 1/4 tsp Stevia extract (GV brand at Walmart) or other liquid concentrated sweetener to equal 1/4 cup sugar.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar, Finely Shredded, Happy Farms -- 6 oz.
1 cup cranberries -- halved
1 tablespoon Pyure sweetener
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan (Silicone works best if you have it).
In mixing bowl, add almond flour, flaxmeal, oat fiber, and coconut flour. Stir to combine.
Add vegetable shortening and blend in with fingers or cut in with pastry blender until crumbly.
In small bowl add eggs, water, and orange flavoring. whisk together. Pour into dry ingredients.
Add cheese and cranberries and stir together until combined. Dough will be stiff. Sprinkle Pyure sweetener over the top before baking. Bake 60 to 70 minutes. Mine took 70. Let cool slightly and remove onto wire rack. Let stand for several hours before cutting.
OPTIONAL: Add chopped walnuts or pecans if desired, with the cranberries.
May add 2 tsps. grated orange peel if desired.
*NOTE: Most Oat fiber is not gluten free, however if you are gluten free I found a brand that is on Amazon. If you prefer not to use oat fiber, add 1/8 cup more of coconut flour instead.
This recipe was not my original idea. I saw this video on facebook and then sort of decided just to improvise and adapt it to my own liking. It's pretty much a whole different recipe than the original. I had some leftover chicken I needed to use up, and I decided to add some bacon and my own seasonings. You could easily just make the avocado pesto and mix it with the zoodles for a delicious side dish as well. I loved loved loved this! I have had to grow into liking avocado. There are only certain ways I'll eat it. So I was a little hesitant to try this, but I did, and am so glad! I felt like I was eating a very scrumptious pasta dish at a fancy Italian restaurant. It was very filling! I made this for 1 serving, and it is a very hearty 1 serving at that!
The picture is actually taken after I ate about a third of it! I had not intended to make a post out of this but it was so good that I decided on the spur of the moment to take a quick picture and post.
2.5 ounces avocado (or 1/2)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Basil Pesto, Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro
1/4 teaspoon salt -- or to taste
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 slices Center Cut Bacon, Specially Selected
3.6 ounces chicken breast -- cooked and diced
6.6 ounces zucchini -- made into "zoodles"
In small bowl add avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, basil pesto, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Mash with a fork and mix together until creamy.
In frying pan, sprayed with non-stick spray, add bacon and cook until crispy. Break into pieces and add chicken breast and heat together until chicken is warmed. Add zucchini noodles and avocado pesto mixture, and stir together, cooking for a couple minutes until "zoodles" are tender but do not overcook until soggy! You want them to resemble al dente pasta.
I've been thinking of zucchini bread lately, since there is lots of zucchini available right now. One year I grew my own...just 2 plants and I had zucchini coming out of my ears all summer! I had to figure out what to do with it all. So this recipe was handed to me from a friend who got it from a friend who got it from a friend... you get the picture. It's one of those recipes that was brought to potlucks at church and passed around. Those are the best kind of recipes, in my opinion. They are the tried and true family recipes that get used over and over again. It was the best zucchini bread/cake recipe I ever tasted in my life. Truly. I lie not. So I decided instead of looking up a low carb recipe out there I would see if I can take this recipe and adapt it to low carb.
It is not, however gluten free, but can easily be made gluten free by just changing the flour mixture up a bit. I have been experimenting with oat fiber (which is not certified gluten free) and with einkorn flour, which is an ancient wheat. So far I have had no reaction from them, so I'm encouraged. I don't plan to use them on a regular basis, but I'm happy I can occasionally use them in a recipe without any adverse effects. You can replace this in the recipe for more almond flour and I'd add a tsp of xanthan gum if not using the oat fiber. I have not tested it that way, so you're on your own, but that is what I would do if making it gluten free.
This turned out to taste every bit as good as the original! I am happy, happy, happy! I have had a few flops in the kitchen lately, which makes me very upset. But this made me extremely happy. Hubby, who is a non-low-carber liked it. Thought it was very good. To me it tasted exactly like I remember. It is very moist, but not gooey in the middle. It is just right. It's just how I remember. I hope if you try it you will enjoy it also.
Zucchini Bread or Cake
5 large eggs
1/2 cup erythritol
1/4 cup Pyure
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini -- (I cut one large zucchini in chunks and place in food processor with S blade and process.)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups almond flour - Honeyville
1/4 cup whey protein isolate, Isopure -- unflavored
1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal
1/4 cup oat fiber
1/4 cup einkorn flour
In mixing bowl, add eggs, erythritol, Pyure, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Blend together with electric mixer.
Add Zucchini, oil, almond flour, whey protein, flaxseed meal, oat fiber, and einkorn flour. Mix until combined.
Pour into Bundt pan, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and bake in 350F preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hr. If knife inserted comes out clean it is done. It was done for me at 1 1/4 hour.
Cool completely on wire rack. Turn out onto plate and add a glaze if desired.
Serving Ideas : If desired glaze with 1/4 cup powdered Pyure or powdered granulated sweetener of choice to equal 1/2 cup sugar. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and gradually add heavy cream while whipping until it is the right consistency of a glaze.
Pour over top of cake and let it dribble down the sides. Add carbs and calories according to how much cream you use.
This is an old recipe revisited using spaghetti squash in place of turnips for a hash brown casserole. I had a spaghetti squash I needed to us and I wondered how it would work in this recipe. It came out fantastic! Definitely a keeper in our house. I have to say it will not resemble a potato hash brown casserole. It is what it is - a spaghetti squash hash brown casserole. If you love spaghetti squash you'll love it. If you are looking for something to taste more like a potato then go for the turnip original recipe. I'm thinking you could even do shredded cauliflower as well in this recipe and get a wonderful dish. Either way you choose to do it, is your preference. I like all three. I've done it all three ways. I can't say which is my favorite. It just depends on what you are in the mood for or what your likings are.
Below, is the original recipe with turnips. To make it with spaghetti squash, simply cook one medium spaghetti squash by slicing it in half, removing the seeds, and placing it face down on a cookie sheet with a little water around it. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. You don't want it too done or mushy. When cooked, let cool and until easy to handle and scrape out with a fork all the spaghetti strands. Place them in your casserole dish and add the remaining ingredients following directions below. The nutrition info for making it with spaghetti squash is: 251 Calories; 22g Fat (76.5% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber for 4 servings, but we actually got more than 4 servings out of this so you would have to figure it out according to how many servings you have. The entire recipe would be: 1005 Calories; 87g Fat (76.5% calories from fat); 45g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber
You may want to add more cheese for an even cheesier casserole.
Editing my post 8/12/2017 to post a link to a very helpful blog I made aware of that has a very thorough list of helps for cooking spaghetti squash. Check it out!! As well as some of the other tips and recipes. I think you'll find it helpful, especially if you've never tackled a spaghetti squash before: https://www.quickeasycook.com/spaghetti-squash/
CHEESY HASHBROWN TURNIP BAKE
1 pound turnips -- shredded 1/2 cup fiesta blend shredded cheese 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 2 large eggs -- beaten 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder Salt and pepper -- to taste 1/4 cup butter -- melted
Preheat oven to 400 F. In 9 x9-inch glass baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, add shredded turnips, fiesta blend cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Mix together. Pour melted butter over all and mix in. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
I'm so excited about this recipe! I was literally dreaming about this today, and it all came together in my mind and sounded so good in my head that I thought I'd do a video of it while creating it. I was not disappointed! My family loved it! Yes, even the non-low carbers.
The crust tastes very much like a graham cracker crust, albeit a low carb gluten free version, as far as I remember them, which was many moons ago. You will have to make up your mind on that. This is my favorite crust and I use it for most of my cream pies.
I'm not the queen of low carb bloggers out there, but hey, I make some mighty good food! We enjoy it anyway. I have to say this one is up there on the top of my desserts now. It's pretty easy to put together too, as you'll see demonstrated in the video.
